Council Tax and finances

We intend to again freeze the council tax for the coming year – the fifth year we have done so, and the only council in the country to be able to do that.

The council’s medium term financial plan, i.e. for the next 5 years, assumes no increase in resources during that period. But that unavoidable expenditure will continue to grow by approx £15m a year. Keeping a balanced budget will require costs to continue to be reduced by that much.

A new government of any colour may of course wish to make more major changes to the local government finance system. Most start out intending to but give up because of it’s complexity.

Council performance

At the Audit Committee last Wednesday, the Audit Commission announced that we would again be 3 star council this year, including 3 for Use of Resources and Value for Money. This is especially encouraging as the tests were made significantly harder this year. Just a reminder that council’s are scored 0-4, not 1-5.

They said “The administration of the borough has had a difficult history and in 2000 the Council was a failing authority. Much of the Council's capacity over recent years has been devoted to improving the quality of its basic services and developing its partnership arrangements. This focus has proved very successful with most services demonstrating significant improvement in levels of satisfaction. Local people, businesses, partners and staff recognise significant improvement in the look and feel of Hackney. Resident satisfaction is also rising. Service improvement has been supported by physical developments, such as the refurbishment of schools and the construction of new Academies and children's centres.”

Secondary school results

And the investment in schools has paid off. One of our major manifesto commitments in 2006 was that Hackney’s GCSE results would exceed the national average.

In 2002 and 2005, we were about 20 and 10 points respectively behind. The 2009 provisional results show 70% of pupils getting at least 5 A to Cs (with 93% at Mossbourne) which has almost certainly exceeded the average for England.

Kings Crescent

I chaired the estate steering group again on the 7th of September. The strategy which was approved by Cabinet in July, envisages the demolition of two further blocks and the retention and refurbishment of the rest of the estate. This maximises the amount of land available for redevelopment providing 316 new homes, for a reasonable further cost. The remaining residents will primarily be rehoused in the refurbished frontage of Weston with views over the park.

Refurbishments have started in Kelshall and Therfield, with other blocks as below. Tenants are getting new kitchens and bathrooms, together with rewiring and associated improvements. On some of the southern side, new balconies are to be constructed and flats extended. We need to push to find funding to extend this. So far reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

23-43 Bramfield 5/10/9
1-22 Bramfield 21/10/9
1-24 Theobalds 4/11/9
25-47 Theobalds 25/11/9
20-42 Datchworth 7/1/10
1-19 Datchworth 1/2/10
1-31 Lemsford 15/2/10
Weston Date tbc, Spring 2010.

Campaigning

We had a very successful canvass on 6th September. One whole ward leaflet is at the printers and two estate specific ones are in preparation. We need to revive the road steward system to assist with deliveries.

Woodberry Down Children’s Centre

We have been campaigning against the proposal to move nursery provision from the Woodberry Down to the Hillside Children’s Centre.

We have ensured that this has been stopped for the moment, and that there will be a proper and full appraisal of real demand before any further measures are considered. In the meantime, the waiting list will be reopened. Feryal has been instrumental in making sure this happened.

Woodberry Down Estate

Hackney has been successful in bidding to government for two schemes to build over 100 brand new council houses in two parts of the borough.

Consequently on Woodberry Down, we are proceeding on an incremental basis. This does at least mean that the stock transfer ballot is no longer an issue. We have been negotiating to ensure that residents from Peak and Petherton are among the first to be moved into the new flats.

Building work on the Old School Site is progressing with the core of Block F (33 homes) completed and Block G (84) almost done. 12 Town Court Path has been demolished to allow the community centre to be provided there.

Construction of the new secondary school is on schedule.

Councillor Brian Bell

new planning application for Alcock, Barcham and Fox houses

There appears to be a new application to build an additional storey on top of Alcock, Fox and Barcham Houses - which are at the very south end of Queens Drive, next to Clissold Park.

Telephone enquiries: Please contact the Planning Register Officers on 020 8356 3000
Ward Application Address Application Details Applicant/ Agent & Officer Details
Brownswood (D)

Applicant: Mr Chaskel Rand
Applicant Tel: 0208 800 1572

App No: 2009/1708
App Status: Registered
App Received Date: 31/07/2009

Agent: Jay Ashall Associates
Agent Tel: 01477 534897

Alcock House, Barcham House &
Richard Fox House Queens Drive
London N4 2TB
Address:
Case Officer: Graham Callam
Total Applications 1

Development Description:Full Planning Permission FOR Erection of an additional floor at roof level to provide 6 self contained flats ( 1x2 bed and 5 x 1 bed);
erection of 2 x cycle stores and 2 x bin stores.

More detail should be available thru the planning section of the council's website. Please note the application no above.

September (&August) report

Alexandra National

The council continues to negotiate with Countryside Properties and Southern Housing Association on the future of the site as part of the Six Estates package. A bid for “gap funding” has been submitted to the government’s HCA (Homes & Communities Agency).

The latest proposal consists of 3 six storey “villas” along the Seven Sisters Road, with four storey maisonettes on the Queens Drive and Adolphus frontages. After accommodating those with a right to return to a view over the park, most of the villa units would be for sale, with the family units on the other frontages being social housing. A community centre is provided at the corner of Seven Sisters and Queens Drive.

There was an accelerated consultation process with representatives of decanted residents over the summer. If the bid to the HCA is successful, a planning application and public consultation thereon will follow in the autumn.

Safer Brownswood newsletter

The third edition of the newsletter went round with the August edition of Hackney Today. It can also be found here http://www.hackney.gov.uk/text/brownswood-news-august09.pdf

Portland Rise

I bid for funding as part of the Play Pathfinder scheme, and Portland Rise was allocated £41k.

It should be emphasised that this is for installing small play features for younger kids on 4-6 locations throughout the estate. It’s not putting in a large new or prefabricated playground. We were conscious of the concerns of older residents with regard to disruption and noise.

There was consultation with the Estate Committee on 16th July, and I had a site visit with the designer and a community safety officer on 24th July. An event to involve parents and kids was scheduled for 20th and 21st August.

Kings Crescent

I chaired the estate steering group again on the 23rd of July. The main business was to allow residents to comment on the report due to go to Cabinet on the following Monday.

The strategy which was eventually approved by Cabinet, envisages the demolition of two further blocks and the retention and refurbishment of the rest of the estate.

Although those residents most directly affected were inevitably concerned, the Steering Group as a whole, and the majority of the TRA, accepted the strategy as the best way forward.

It was agreed that the front part of Lemsford and the east-west leg of Weston will be cleared. This maximises the amount of land available for redevelopment providing 316 new homes, for a reasonable further cost. The remaining residents will primarily be rehoused in the refurbished frontage of Weston with views over the park.

The next stage is to devise a new masterplan for the estate, and funding applications and strategies to achieve it. Officers had proposed putting in an immediate application for the part of Kelshall above the shops, but I felt it better to confirm the overall approach first.

In the meantime, the refurbishments have finally started in Kelshall, Therfield and Bramfield, with other blocks to follow. Tenants are getting new kitchens and bathrooms, together with rewiring and associated improvements. So far reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

There will remain issues as to how leaseholders meet their share of the costs.

Local Government Finance Conference

As the newly elected Chair of Audit, I’m the Hackney delegate to this conference on Friday 11th September.

Woodberry Down Children’s Centre

We were approached by parents concerned at the proposal to move nursery provision from the Woodberry Down to the Hillside Children’s Centre.

We had a very useful meeting on 27th August with the Cabinet Member and the Director and Assistant Director for Children and Young People. They appeared to accept that the earlier consultation had been significantly flawed and needed to be redone. They also promised that any relocation would be phased, and would not happen this year.

Woodberry Down Estate

We all attended the fun day back in July, meeting with residents, officers and other agencies.

Building work on the Old School Site is on schedule with the core of Block F (33 homes) completed and Block G (84) underway. 12 Town Court Path has been demolished to allow the community facility to be provided there.

The major new issue is the transfer ballot which is currently scheduled to take place later this year.

Councillor Brian Bell