New for West Hampstead

Cllr Gillian Risso-Gill has set up a new initiative - the West Hampstead Business Forum.
The inaugural meeting will be held at
6pm on Wednesday 16 November 2011
Emmanuel School, 101 Mill Lane, London NW6 1NA
The aim of the forum will be to:
• improve the trading environment in West Hampstead.
• give business a voice to contribute to the
planned “intensification” of West Hampstead
• provide networking opportunities and
promotional events for local business.
A flyer has been mailed out to around 250 mainly retail businesses in the area for the launch event. Attending the meeting will be speakers Camden Councillor Sarah Hayward, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration, Andrew Lavery, Chair of the NW3 Hampstead, the traders’ group in Hampstead, Simon Pitkeathley, Chief Executive, Camden Town Unlimited (which has had great success in developing independent business in Camden Town) and Kate Goodman from Camden’s Placeshaping team.

Should I wait for the C11?

I'm often rushing between meetings - so a perennial question  for me is whether to wait for the next bus - or walk.
TfL is now using the web to share up to the minute information about how long the next bus is going to be at every stop across the city - not just the ones that have electronic displays at the stop.
So if you go to the site - countdown.tfl.gov.uk - enter your postcode or address (and you can be fairly approximate) it will tell you exactly how long TfL expects it to be before the next bus gets there.
The time is not based on the timetable - but from how far away the bus is right there and then - using Global Positioning Satellite information now being bounced around every bus on the road.
I find the website is quite easy to use - see this link...
http://countdown.tfl.gov.uk/#|searchTerm=West End Lane|stopCode=75521
However, if you've got a smart phone you've got even more options as there are now several 'aps' available which take this information and make accessing it from a phone quicker and easier (though as there are several aps available the quality is variable - make sure you read the reviews first!)
So if you're plugged into the internet (and regular readers of this blog are more likely to be) instead of wondering whether you've just missed a bus or whether one's due in the next couple of minutes - you'll know for sure.
Would be interested to hear if people's experiences match the hype!
Russell

Community cut

This post isn't about cuts to services in West Hampstead - distressing those these may be - but about a really bizarre and even perverse proposed cut which divides the West Hampstead community in half!

Can you imagine how odd it would feel if one side of your street had one MP and the other side had a different one? That’s what could happen to Mill Lane and Broomsleigh Street and part of West End Lane if a new plan proposed by the Boundary Commission goes ahead. In order to make all MPs constituencies roughly the same size, they have decided that in future one half of West Hampstead (Fortune Green ward) should belong to Finchley & Golders Green.

As one objector has said :

"As a resident of Fortune Green ward, my links are with Camden borough, with West Hampstead and with Hampstead – not with Barnet and Finchley. The inclusion of Fortune Green ward in this Barnet constituency makes no sense at all."
and
"an MP representing such a constituency would overwhelmingly listen to the views of Barnet residents over the tiny minority living in Camden. "


If this seems like a bad idea to you – PLEASE write in to object

http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/have-your-say/

The map of the proposed new constituency is here: http://rr-bce-static.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Finchley-and-Golders-Green-BC.pdf?9d7bd4

The deadline for comments is 5 December.

There is a public hearing for North West London at Brent Town Hall on 20 & 21 October
Details here: http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/public-hearings/london-brent/

Finding friends for Westbere Copse

Westbere copse, on the corner of Westbere Road and Minster Road is a small pocket of natural charm on our doorsteps.  Unlike parks like Fortune Green, in Westbere Copse priority is given to the speices that would otherwise be crowded out of the city.

It is one of several nature reserves in Camden, all of which have Friends groups who look after the reserves interest and co-operate with Camden council in running events in the reserves.

However, friends groups need friends and the Westbere Copse friends are actively looking for more participants at the moment.  Involvement isn't too onerous -  attending an evening meeting once every three months, as well as taking an interest in the nature reserve itself.
The appeal whcih has gone out reads:

• Westbere Copse Local Nature Reserve – corner of Westbere & Minster Roads, NW2. A mixture of woodland, Spring & Summer meadows and a wildlife-rich pond. Good for birds, meadow flowers and fungi. Friends group is “Westbere Copse Association”. Next meeting, in a nearby volunteers home, is Sunday October 9th immediately after the conservation session in the reserve, which finishes at 3pm.

If you would like more details, contact:

Dave Lawrence

dave.lawrence@dsl.pipex.com

404A Long Lane

East Finchley

London

N2 8JX

020 8444 6285

07957 577355

Expanding West Hampstead -Public Meeting

All over West Hampstead and Fortune Green people are hatching development schemes - ranging from small back extensions, loft conversions, basement digouts to bigger and more alarming developments. Many of these larger schemes involve the railway corridor and along Maygrove and Iverson Road. There is a large housing association development under construction in Maygrove Road adjoining the Sidings Estate and another scheme being planned next door to it which could tower over the newly refurbished Peace Park. (Watch this spot on this one) All year the Gondar Gardens Reservoir site was rumbling on (hopefully now dead in the water - at least for the time being) and meanwhile further south down West End Lane things are really buzzing.


A large new student hostel has permission to build in Blackburn Road and across the road by the Thameslink line works are on the way to completion of the new station and lift access to the platforms. It was with sadness we learnt some weeks ago that the popular Iverson Road Garden Centre had been forced to close and there are plenty of rumours about what might be built on that site. A little further on down Iverson/Maygrove Road the Council owns an industrial site known as Liddell Road on which they plan to put a new school.


But the really big one is the development planned for 187-199 West end Lane including the long thin triangle of railway land behind - next door to the Overground (the old North London Line) for which a company called Ballymore has a massive scheme.


This consists several large blocks of highrise flats, with some small green bits in between and a childrens play area at the far end. While along the road frontage they propose a small new "market square" and some setback shops. The site is not a thing of beauty at present - full of car repair shops etc and a market square would be welcome (even if would only take 10 stalls) but the height and density of the housing feels a bit too much for West Hampstead. It is unlikely to contain much family size housing and probably little "social housing". Do we really want a lot of small vertical shoeboxes? Some residents certainly don't think so ! And just imagine the extra traffic!


You can have the opportunity to check out this scheme as the developers are holding a public meeting at which local people can make their views known. So, if you are interested in the future of the area - please go along!




Monday September 12 at 6:30 pm (not 7.30 as previously advertised!)

St James’ Church Hall, Sherriff Road.

Catching up on August -riots,childrens fair, Thameslink and local police

Although few council meetings are held in August and lots of people are away (including me) there is always something going on that's worthy of comment.

First of all - I was in Spain during the "riots" and it was rather bizarre watching it all from hundreds of miles away but glad West Hampstead and Kilburn seemed to have escaped the worst of it (although Fortune Green ward certainly had its one casualty - the CarPhone Warehouse on Finchley Road.)

The Council has set up 3 "Community Summits" to discuss recent events with residents/businesses etc - there is one in Kilburn on
Tuesday 6 September:
Kingsgate Community Centre
6.30pm – 8.30pm

So what else has been happening?

There was a "childrens fair" on part of Fortune Green 19-21 August.

This caused some local residents' complaints as they had not been properly notified in advance (in some cases not at all) The noise of the generator and potential parking problems were two issues but the lack of consultation was the greatest annoyance although I had specifically asked the Council's Parks officers to ask the most immediately affected neighbours (some are only a few feet away from the Green) for their views! In the event it didn't cause as much trouble as some had feared and those residents with small children seemed to enjoy it. Would love to know what others thought of it.!

Another issue hit my post bag - I had an email from one concerned resident who had heard that the "Black Path" entrance to Thameslink station was to be closed. After a scurry of emails we got the following response:

"We confirm that this entrance will remain open. They are due to undertake works to install a covered area plus ticket barriers at the existing entrance and this will require temporary closure of this entrance. The northern entrance will be out of operation for approximately 12 weeks from Mid November. Afraid some disruption but thankfully temporary"
So if you heard the rumour of closure - don't worry!

A final piece of news is that Fortune Green is to "share" a Safer Neighbourhood Sergeant with West Hampstead - we lose our Acting Sgt - Aaron Clark - and will now share West Hampstead Sgt Dave Timms. Sgt Timms writes
"As of 1st September 2011 I take over formal responsibility for both Fortune Green and West Hampstead SNTs. I appreciate that the issues of SNTs 'sharing' sergeants and which Wards should be involved has been ongoing for a few months, however this week decisions have been made.I am looking forward to meeting with Aaron Clarke when I return from leave and having a handover period. Aaron, as I believe you are aware, has spent much of the last two weeks on 'Aid' and I have not been able to discuss much with him. I don't anticipate too much change with how the Teams work; they do sometimes work together now, as at the Jester Festival this Summer and during the recent high visibility reassurance patrols.Each SNT will continue with their own Panel Meetings and I will endeavour to attend both. I am aware that your next Panel Meeting is scheduled to take place at the base at 7.30pm on Monday 12th September and I aim to be there.I have discussed with both Teams 'a public meeting'. As last year we are hoping to have a joint Fortune Green and West Hampstead Public Meeting to take place at the Synagogue Community Hall at 1930 on Wednesday 21st September 2011. I will be arranging to have members of both teams present, and representatives from the Youth Violence Team, British Transport Police and Special Constables. We will also have displays of recent work carried out by the Teams.I would appreciate it if you could disseminate the above information to the Fortune Green Panel members. Best wishes, Dave Timms PS 4EK

Camden in the riots

Regular readers will know that we rarely mention other parts of the Borough/City on this blog - however, I thought people would be interested to see what was happening tonight in response to the threat of rioting.

Coming home up through Camden Town - it brought home the full impact on our area- even though there had been only minor disturbance in Camden compared to the scale of what has been seen in other boroughs.

Everywhere was boarded-up or being boarded-up unless they had metal grills already.  The few exceptions were kebab and burger shops that looked as though they intended to sta open.

There was a very substantial police presence as I passed by at 8:00pm and things were calm.  However, the Chalk Farm area had been the focus of activity in the borough last night - so it seems like shops were given extra warnings.

Finchley Road I didn't notice any difference to normal.  West End Lane - Sainsbury's was closed early - and Domino's Pizza was putting up protective boards.

Kilburn High Road also didn't have much boarding - but did have a heavy police presence.

Car Phone Warehouse seemed to be taking extra precautions as they've clearly been a target in other places.  The Camden Town branch had a notice saying all stock had been removed - and Kilburn High Road said it was closed for renovations. I hear their fairly isolated store on Finchley Road was attacked last night.  How bizarre to attack that store - it goes to show how much opportunism there is amongst the theives.

I heard unconfirmed reports that Cricklewood Broadway McDonalds had been attacked - which no doubt explained why there were more than a dozen police officers outside the Kilburn branch.

Whilst I was speaking to a police officer a young girl from a flat 2 stories above us called down to ask the officer if he was using plastic bullets.  At first I thought she was worried if he was - but it was soon obvious she would very much welcome him being armed with baton rounds to protect her local area.

Isn't it awful that that despite the massive, welcome, but delayed police response the streets are so intimidating; that such London feels a lot less safe than it did last week and that we're bring made to retreat further into our homes by the gangs.

West End Lane was relatively free of hoardings compared to Camden Town - Just Domino's taking precautions around 9:00pm on Tuesday.