Boost for youth work at Sidings

I've just heard from Sue Measures at the Sidings Community Centre that they've just won nearly £25,000 for each of the next two years to continue delivering their Youth Services Programme.
I'll due to do a more detailed look at Sidings and its work - but this is a great vote of confidence  in their work - and comes on top of the recent confirmation that they also have their core funding in place for the next three years.

Gondar Gardens Development Forum

Anyone who has seen our recent hard copy Spotlight will know that there are lots of development proposals around at the moment.

Wednesday night was the opportunity for Linden Homes and Wates Developments to unveil their latest proposals for Gondar Gardens.   

The previous, rejected plan.

First, to recap - their first proposal has been turned down by Camden before it even got to go before the committee.  Officers took the view that the scheme was a non-starter - mainly because the substantial impact  the buildings would have had on the Site of Nature and Conservation Importance (SNCI). Its still possible that they will appeal this rejection.  However, as they make that decision they are putting forward and alternative, very different plan.  Their new proposals restrict the buildings to a narrow strip along the road.

The green area will remain largely untouched under the new scheme.

The new scheme that Linden Homes / Wates Developments will probably be submitting  for approval.

More details will follow - but the other thing to mention is the reservoir itself.  As part of the development they are proposing to remove the roof and much of the internal victorian brickwork and bring the level of the  open space down to the bottom of the reservoir.  They would then landscape the edges of the reservoir so that the land would slope down into the creator of the old reservoir.

West Hampstead Thameslink is open!

It was great today to join people from First Capital Connect, Network Rail, WHIG, other local councillors and members of the local community to officially open the new Thameslink station.

What was interesting was that despite the large crowd (I counted 60) we made very little impression on the huge public space that is the new station forecourt.

My colleague Councillor Gillian Risso-Gill is already thinking how to use the space.

There are reports of the event (including the actual ribbon cutting) you can read the First Capital Connect press release.

The only worry I have is how often the tiles are going to get cleaned. The subtle way they project from the wall suggests to me they will end up being a magnet for dust. Lets hope they get a regular high pressure wash down!

£1 million boost for West Hampstead Overground

Just announced by Norman Baker, the Lib Dem Rail minister at the Department for Transport:
West Hampstead Overground station will have disabled lifts installed with a £1 million investment as part of the government's Access for All programme.
Here is the DfT's press release; and here is the list of the winners. Also on the same line Hampstead Heath and Kensal Rise are also set to get similar improvements.
The most important thing about this announcement is the impact the station improvements will have on Ballymore's West End Square proposals (see previous post).
If the developers and Overground don't get together and work out how to get the best of the currently cramped entrance to the Overground station it will be a massive missed opportunity.
With the new Thameslink station about to open (and its lifts already operational), our transport future is definitely looking brighter!

Against siphoning-off Fortune Green to Finchley and Golders Green

Below is the join submission by councillors in West Hampstead and Fortune Green against proposals to put Fortune Green in with the parliamentary constituency of Finchley and Golders Green.


You can put in your own views by going to http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/

We, the councillors of the wards of Fortune Green and West Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden, are writing to express our concerns about the Boundary Commissions initial proposals. The suggestion that the wards of Fortune Green and West Hampstead are split between two different constituencies which cross two different local authorities is ill judged. Leaving this arbitrary line on a map unaddressed will lead to confusion and frustration for years ahead.

We understand that administrative boundaries will always have an element of arbitrariness about them. However, splitting Fortune Green and West Hampstead is so arbitrary to be perverse.

We therefore wish to add our voice to others who we believe have also contacted you about this issue - including local residents, local amenity groups, local clergy, Camden Council and the three main political parties. All these, and more have advanced arguments about keeping West Hampstead and Fortune Green together.

Throughout our close interest in this matter we have found no-one in the area who considers the current proposal to be a good solution.

West Hampstead is a much larger area than that covered by the Camden ward.  Most people living in Fortune Green ward consider themselves to live in West Hampstead. Indeed large parts of West Hampstead and Fortune Green used to be contained in a ward called West End ward.

The sense of belonging to a single community and the facilities jointly used is an important factor and should not be lightly dismissed.  Shared facilities in our area include libraries, shopping precincts, community festivals and schools. All these are considered by residents of West Hampstead and Fortune Green to be central to their community life. They are also often the focus of political controversies and most people wish their MP to have a common identification with the same area that they have concerns about.

However, in addition this sense of community – there are a number of organisations which have set up links across the ward boundaries that would be hindered by splitting the parliamentary boundary across West Hampstead and Fortune Green:

·        The Police Safer Neighbourhoods teams in the two wards work in tandem and share a common Sergeant.  As a united force they work well understanding the whole community on both sides of the arbitrary ward division.

·        The Area Action Group (a council based consultation forum) is set up on a ward by ward basis across most of the borough. However, West Hampstead and Fortune Green have so many issues in common it is always chosen to run their meetings jointly.

·        One of Fortune Green's primary schools, Emmanuel, is currently having a new building completed across the road in West Hampstead.  They will retain the existing building so will be split across the two constituencies. But would their MP be the one for Fortune Green or West Hampstead?

·        West Hampstead Business Forum is building useful links between traders in the area, drawing active members from both West Hampstead and Fortune Green wards.

·        The local transport and amenity group WHAT comes together and makes representations to political bodies about proposals affecting the area.  Their work will be much more complicated if they are looking to two MPs.

There are many more such initiatives which aim to overcome the lines drawn across this natural community by administrative necessity. We spend much of our time as councillors supporting such moves. Splitting these wards would do much to undermine this work and would be a massive retrograde step.

In addition to the concerns about natural communities, we are very concerned about the administrative complexity your current proposals will have. 

We have experience of parliamentary boundaries crossing borough boundaries from the 2010 General Election when Hampstead and Kilburn crossed the boroughs of Camden and Barnet. The problems this brought about for Camden’s administrative team were significant. The boundary commission’s current proposals would have Camden officers working across 5 borough boundaries (Camden, Barnet, Brent, Westminster and The City of London).

It is significant that a central plank of Camden Council’s own submission that the number of borough crossings should be reduced.

In order to overcome all these problems – we propose a simple solution.

The London borough of Barnet contains enough electors to have three constituencies within the +/-5% criteria set down by parliament.  However, your self-imposed rule - without any legislative justification – is that existing ward boundaries may not be split. Barnet’s wards are particularly large. If just 1 ward in Barnet was shared amongst two (or potentially three) of the Barnet constituencies there would be no need to make up the numbers by bringing in Fortune Green to Finchley and Golders Green.

It is our strong contention that this solution is much simpler administratively. The administrative problems that would result from splitting one ward between 2 (or three) constituencies within the same borough would be small compared to crudely appending one ward of a different borough would do – especially considering the community confusion caused to the greater West Hampstead area your proposals will cause.

We therefore urge you to reconsider your self-imposed rule where you will only draw parliamentary boundaries on top of existing ward boundaries and create three Barnet constituencies within the borough of Barnet.

For these cultural and administrative reasons we add our voices to the many who have urged you not to split the West Hampstead and Fortune Green communities, and instead keep Barnet self-contained and administratively simple.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Russell Eagling (Fortune Green)

Cllr Nancy Jirira (Fortune Green)

Cllr Flick Rea (Fortune Green)

Cllr John Bryant (West Hampstead)

Cllr Keith Moffitt (West Hampstead)

Cllr Gillian Risso-Gill (West Hampstead)

Area Forum on Tuesday

Here’s the agenda for the meeting, which Cllr Keith Moffitt will be chairing:

7 - 7.30 pm: an opportunity to meet ward councillors informally over tea/coffee

7.30 meeting starts:

Parking Policy review
                                 
Presentation by Cllr Sue Vincent, Camden’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Deputy Leader of the Council 

Neighbourhood Development Plan                         

Discussion on neighbourhood development plans, led by Keith Moffitt and James Earl 

West Hampstead Business Forum
                                                         
Presentation on West Hampstead Business Forum by Cllr Gillian Risso-Gill

Future of West Hampstead Community Centre

Short presentation by Alan Johnson

We'll aim to finish by 9.30 at the latest.

We look forward to seeing lots of West Hampstead residents on Tuesday 6 December.

Boundary changes

We are very pleased that, after some pressure from Cllrs Flick Rea & Russell Eagling, Camden Council agreed to put in a brief submission to the Boundary Commission (please see the text of their press release below) Meanwhile - thanks to all those of you who have written in individually (as well as local groups) saying you think its a daft idea! To quote one response:
"Lets hope it makes them change their minds"!

Camden press release:


Camden sets out concerns with proposed boundary changes
A Camden Council cross-party committee has set out its response to the Parliamentary Boundary Commission 2013 Review.
Elected members from the three political parties on the Council set out their concern with proposals to split Camden’s existing constituencies of Hampstead and Kilburn and Holborn & St Pancras.
The proposal to split the parliamentary constituencies would lead to Camden wards being incorporated into constituencies in Islington, Barnet, Brent and the City of London.
The Audit and Corporate Governance Committee took the view that while there is a rationale for change, arrangements crossing council boundaries would not be the most efficient way of working, and would break up long standing ties between neighbouring wards in Camden.
While not prejudicing any submissions from national and London political parties, the committee’s response also highlighted:
- Problems that arose in the 2010 General Election in the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency where three wards from neighbouring Brent were included. This lead to considerable confusion throughout the election period by Brent residents;
- Local residents associate themselves primarily with their local community and local Council, not parliamentary constituencies. Camden has a highly developed community strategy that co-ordinates services and any changes would impact on the Local Development Framework;
- The proposals make no allowance for redevelopment and associated growth in population in areas such as St Pancras, Gospel Oak and West Hampstead.
- That the aim of any changes should be to avoid confusion for our residents.

Winter Warmer at westbere Copse

Just a reminder – Winter warmer at Westbere Copse - Sunday December 11th, 12-3pm.

After some bracing conservation work we will have hot mince pies and hot punch at a nearby supporters home, followed by the Westbere Copse Association AGM, which everyone is welcome to attend. We will celebrate our achievements in 2011 and look forward to site plans for 2012.


Westbere Copes is at the junctions of Westbere & Minster Roads, NW2. Nearest tube Kilburn, Jubilee Line, nearest bus C11.

For info contact Dave Lawrence
dave.lawrence@dsl.pipex.com
020 8444 6285
07957 577355

West Hampstead/Fortune Green Area Forum on Tuesday, 6 December

The next West Hampstead/Fortune Green Area Forum (Area Action Group) is scheduled for Tuesday, 6 December, at the Synagogue Community Hall on Dennington Park Road. Regular attenders have been notified by e-mail or letter.

Here’s the agenda for the meeting, which Cllr Keith Moffitt will be chairing:

7 - 7.30 pm: an opportunity to meet ward councillors informally over tea/coffee

7.30 meeting starts:

Parking Policy review
                                
Presentation by Cllr Sue Vincent, Camden’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Deputy Leader of the Council

Neighbourhood Development Plan                        

Discussion on neighbourhood development plans, led by Keith Moffitt and James Earl

West Hampstead Business Forum
                                                        
Presentation on West Hampstead Business Forum by Cllr Gillian Risso-Gill

Future of West Hampstead Community Centre

Short presentation by Alan Johnson

We'll aim to finish by 9.30 at the latest.

We look forward to seeing lots of West Hampstead residents on Tuesday 6 December.