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