Councillors: Liam, Anne

Location: Chad Gordon Campus

Agenda:

• Updates from TGRG, FoTGP, 100TG/TGCC
• Council updates:
  • Inc. Empty houses, New houses, Work on Council houses
  • Estate maintenance, ie points raised by Ruth C about cracked walls, etc.
• Discussion on inviting others to meetings eg Council waste engagement officer, Estate manager, …
• Councillors raised Draft new local plan
• AOB

Notes (and actions in Bold)

• Updates since last meeting in June
  • FoTGP
    • June picnic was self-funded, and a great success. TGRG co-sponsored.
    • Lots of productive working sessions.
    • TCV conservation sessions improved the woodland path, and more.
    • AGM in October: Alternate Sundays and Saturdays, aim for minimal Council reliance.
    • Promised a used playground, and a finance request for a new one next year.
  • TGCC
    • Event in Sept: A lot of work, but very fun and lots of engagement. Had over 230 on first day and 30 more for Open House. Again co-hosted with TGRG.
    • Cllr. Ruth Gordon put us in touch with finance/properties team. Discussing a purchase of building for community. Need to put together Business plan, have a valuation and survey and find capital funding… 
    • Help welcome! A few workshops should happen soon to discuss plans.
  • TGRG
    • Updates mostly overlap with previous ones.
    • Have a contact in Planning team about conservation area.
• Council
  • Updates on housing
    • Empty properties in Tower Gardens
      • 280 Tower Gardens Road: Tenant scheduled to move in in September.
      • 230 Tower Gardens Road has been sold; council decided to dispose of it. Liam to report back on Council’s policy on selling council homes.
      • Other empty houses on estate: waiting for a start date for works to bring them back into a habitable condition; intention is for them to be used again as council homes. 
    • New builds on Risley Ave
      • Reason that the homes are unfinished is that the builders are waiting for the utilities to be installed by contractors: Thames Water, BT, etc. Installation is meant to take place this year but it depends on contractors.
    • £3M investment in Tower Gardens
      • This amount was earmarked in last budget for capital works. Due to start in January. Doesn’t include any public realm works; only investment in restoring council housing.
      • It will involve roof repairs in particular, but will also be spent on remedial works to structure of buildings, repairs to external fabric, upgrading entrances, loft insulation, and improving paving.
      • No consultation; there will just be planning notifications prior to the work commencing.
      • It was asked whether private freeholders can use the same contractors as the council eg to replace windows. Liam said he would make enquiries. It was noted that this was the case when double glazed windows installed in 2012, but also that quality of council contractors/work not always great.
  • Estate maintenance
    • There is an estate officer but general frustration at how complaints and requests seem to go round and round without ever being resolved. Role is maintenance support for council tenancies, not conservation area.
    • The council’s ‘Planning Enforcement’ team are responsible for enforcing Article 4, but most of their time is spent addressing ‘Houses with Multiple Occupancy’ issues.
    • Liam said that it might be useful to take a series of case studies / examples from residents of issues that have not yet been addressed.
    • It was noted that during the Open House tour earlier this year, participants were shocked by how many obvious violations of Article 4 there were.
    • Residents Group noted that Council does not inform their tenants that they live in a conservation area, example given of a recently rented void that now has a satellite dish on the front. Councillors questioned how easy it would be to coordinate getting leaflets to houses/new tenants.
  • Update on Haringey Local Plan
    • Tower Gardens was not mentioned in the plan. 
    • The priority in the Local Plan was on residential housing. New property being built by the council is focused on people with larger families and additional needs.
    • The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller sites near the Roundway and Broadwater farm were mentioned in the plan. The planning application for these sites has not yet been submitted by the council.
    • TGRG to coordinate a response to the local plan.
    • Liam to refer us to the parts of the local plan which are applicable to Tower Gardens (as it’s a long document). 
    • The consultation period on the local plan is still open.
  • AOB:
    • Observed that weeding pavements is being done less often by the council.
    • Lime bikes: Liam said he would like to see the rules changed so that you need to park in designated parking spaces more often. Each council has its own bargain with Lime; Liam would like to see there be a London-wide agreement.