November report

Councillors Report – November 2011

Alexandra National

Lovells report that good progress is being made and almost all areas of the site are back on schedule. “Residents choice” items have been put together for agreement by their steering group and site visits will be arranged.

A schedule of names based on indigenous flowering plants has been agreed -
Villa 1 (for sale units) - Clover Court
Villa 2 (for sale units) - Sunflower Court
Villa 3 (social rented units) - Foxglove Court
Block on Queens Drive / Gloucester Drive (social rented units) - Azalea Court
Internal cul-de-sac - Alexandra Mews
Block on internal cul-de-sac (social rented units) - Marigold Court

£11.5m refurbishment of Kings Crescent Estate underway

Following approval at July cabinet, the second stage of the refurbishment has begun including replacement of the electrical mains and lighting, all lifts, the installation of two tier door entry systems, and new roofs and windows for Weston and Lemsford Courts. The third stage works include energy efficiency and related works to all blocks.

Final consultation on the amended masterplan takes place on 1st and 2nd November. Officers then hope to submit an outline planning application later this year.

Blackstock/Seven Sisters Roads

Hackney and Islington are bidding to the Mayor’s Outer London Fund for funds to improve public realm and boost the economic regeneration of the area. The proposal is to de-clutter these roads, and improve pavements, shop fronts and junctions.

20 mph zones implementation

The 20 mph works notifications have been sent out to residents and the works will commence on the 7th November and will last approx 6 weeks. The works will include -
o New entry and exit 20/30mph signs in the area bounded by Blackstock, Seven Sisters and Brownswood Roads and Green Lanes; and also in the area bounded by Green Lanes, Mountgrove, Brownswood and Blackstock Roads.
o New speed humps in Queen’s and Gloucester Drives, Wilberforce Road, and Portland Rise.
o New raised entry treatments at the junctions of Queen’s Drive/Seven Sisters Road, Alexandra Grove/Seven Sisters Road and Somerfield/Blackstock Roads.
o 20mph roundel road markings will be provided at all entrances to the new 20mph zones.

Woodberry Down regeneration

Construction is on schedule on all blocks, with the next one to be handed over at the end of November. Berkleys are continuing to pursue a further tower block on the site.

Peak & Petherton have been demolished and the site is being cleared.

Community safety and policing

We will be attending the CAP meeting next Thursday. As a result of Mayor Johnson's cuts to policing, there is a reduction in sergeant posts in SNTs and ten wards, including Brownswood, will now have one covering two teams.

A recent four day vice operation in our ward and the Shacklwell area of Dalston resulted in 3 arrests, 12 cautions, and two ABAs. 24 kerb crawlers were stopped and questioned resulting in 5 penalty notices.

Mossbourne Extension

One of our manifesto commitments was to provide an additional secondary school in the south of the borough and last month Hackney secured funding for a new 800 pupil one. The school will be an expansion of the highly successful Mossbourne Academy, and is due to open in September 2014. It will be based on the site of the former Cardinal Pole Lower School in Victoria and aim to build on Mossbourne's remarkable achievements, including:
82 per cent of pupils getting five good GCSEs including English and Maths this year.
Ofsted rating it ‘outstanding’ in two consecutive inspections.
11 pupils being offered places at Oxbridge this year.

Success in securing this funding for a local school will extend Hackney's improvements in recent years. In 2010 we were above the national average in terms of GCSE performance for the first time with over 55% of pupils achieving 5A*-C including English and Maths, and making good progress from primary school.

Budget

The Labour Group held it’s recent awayday on Woodberry Down. We faced a budget gap of approx £25 million for 2012/13, made up of £8m of inflationary pressures and £17m of further reductions in government grants. We’ve found over £5m of efficiencies in the General Fund already and will be agreeing other measures at future meetings.

Parkside Youth Club

Building work at the Parkside Youth Centre begins on 9th November. The centre will be closed from this date and a programme of alternative provision is being put on, including youth work at the new Redmond Centre, sports activities and outreach work.