Catford South Assembly
Coordinating group meeting
9 May 2011
Meeting notes
- A review of projects developed at the March assembly meeting for the action plan
The following actions were agreed to take forward to present to the Catford South assembly for further feedback and approval at our July meeting:
- All priorities: Making Catford a more considerate place: main issue fly tipping
It was agreed that the coreroute of this problem was still education and the lack of promotion about the services available to residents, rather than policing. It was proposed that the information sheet drafted for the March assembly meeting about responsiblewaste disposal and LBL services available to Catford South should be incorporated into aproposed bigger more informative Catford South assembly door to door newsletter.
Sarah was to find out if the larger newsletter proposal had to go back to the assembly to get approval for funding: The feedback from LBL is that a costed proposal should go to the assembly for sign off in July and can be produced and sent out prior to the October assembly meeting.
- All priorities: Community events for families
Community Olympic event
It was agreed that the variety of ideas submitted could be combined together to make one big event early next summer, in the run up to the Olympics. The key theme of the event would be an inter-primary school sports day on Abbotsfield playing fields, with a community, village style fete with stalls and entertainment and refreshments.
Next steps:
- Propose to ring fence assemblies funding to hold a large event to celebrate Catford South get agreement in July on this.
- To have a 15 minute item on the July assembly meeting agenda to ask each table to work on ideas for the community event.
- To recruit people at the July assembly to form a working group to organise the event.
- Partnership working, it was suggested that Corbett Residents’ Association might be interested in taking a lead on this project due to the location and community event aspect with support and help from the wider community. It was suggested that Teachsport and Lewisham Community Sports could be invited to be part of the working group and to deliver the sporting activities on the day.
Older person event
It was agreed that the suggested event for older people at the Laurence centre would be a good idea, but rather than trying to organise one from scratch we could take advantage of the success of the recent inter-generational event, delivered by Time Bank at St Laurence centre, and approach them to deliver a second event funded by the assembly.
Next steps : Janet to ask the Time Bank event coordinator to email Sarah information about the event, if the coordinating group are happy with the idea a fully costed proposal can be taken to the July assembly meeting for review.
Diamond Jubilee events
It was discussed the it would be good to hold community event around the time of the Jubilee.
Sarah to find out from the events team what LBL have planned for the Jubilee that we can promote and encourage in Catford South rather than duplicating events.
- Priority: streetscape and the environment
It was agreed to take forward the idea for a front garden competition ‘ ‘Cultivating Catford’, or ‘Catford in Bloom’ to encourage people to take pride in their local area and improve the general appearance of Catford South, a prize for most improved garden, most improved shop front etc..
Next steps:
- A committee could be set up at the July meeting or before to plan and run the competition
- A proposal for small amount of assemblies funding for the competition communications and prizes to put to the July assembly for approval
- The competition could run mid July – September
- Pictures of best gardens at the October assembly meeting with the winner’s prize presentation.
Maintenance of street planters and shop fronts
It was agreed this is a sustainability issue and the assembly should seek sponsorship from local businesses as a first option rather than use assemblies funding.
As a first step Cllr Amrani plans to set up a meeting with local businesses.
- Youth provision
The assembly raised the issue of the lack of promotion of current youth activities and age ranges of activities, but did not specify new youth project ideas for Catford South.
It was felt by the coordinating group that young people in Catford South should come up with the project ideas and decide what youth projects to fund.
The coordinatinggroup have decided to propose to the assembly in July that we should ring fence £5,000 for young people to decide how to spend on youth provision themselves.
It is hoped this will be done via setting up a youth assembly in partnership with ConisbroughCollege, but this has sadly progressed much slower than hoped. Sarah has written a letter to the head teacher to try move this forward.
A proposal for funding with a process for young consultation will be taken to the July assembly for sign off.
- Priority: Crime and anti-social behaviour
It was agreed that Sarah should invite the SNT sergeant to the July assembly meeting to give an update, as they missed the last meeting.
The newly formed Community Safety team would like to attend the July assembly meeting to speak about their service, the coordinating group to confirm if they are happy for them to be on the agenda.
A proposal was suggested by Geoff that a proposal for a small amount of funding could be spent on the replenishment of Neighbourhood Watch signs in the ward. To be discussed further at the next coordinating group meeting in June.
- Priority: CatfordTown Centre
The CatfordTown centre regeneration project team promised a verbal presentation at the next assembly meeting with an update on progress, how residents can be involved in the consultation and its development.
Sarah is to email Steve Gogh and ask him to attend the July meeting.
In response to the wish to involving local businesses more in the Catford South assembly and get local businesses and the community to work together on issues around streetscape.Cllr Amrani is setting up a Catford South business meeting in June to initiate things. To be discussed further at our next coordinating group meeting.
- Priority: Roads and Traffic
CPZ’s and speed humps
The coordinating group reviewed the assembly feedback on these two topics and agreed that there was a 50/50 divide in views on these two issues.
It was recommended that further consultation should be undertaken with Catford South residents. However in the current economic climate it was viewed imprudent to propose the undertaking a ward wide resident consultation on these two matters, with the likely result of a 50/ 50 divide again.
As an initial step it was agreed that an online survey about speed humps and CPZ’s could be put the Catford South assembly webpage. The assembly ward letter will sign-post people who have an opinion on these matters to the on-line survey. The information will be collated and the results can be reported back at an assembly meeting.
- Assembly preparations
Communications
It was agreed that Sarah should contact the local graphic designer who complained about the design of the door to door letterbut then offered to help in the future, to see if he could help us with a suitable new bespoke Catford South ward letter. The new letter will have the assembly’s new strapline..
‘Our neighbourhood our responsibility’.
Sponsorship
Cllr Amrani would like to obtain sufficient sponsorship from the local businesses to pay for the colour printing of all the door to door letters and will be pursuing business leads for the July meeting and future meetings.
Cllr Amrani and the coordinating group would like to use Catford Print for future printing to support a local business in the ward. Sarah to find out about approved LBL suppliers and payment methods.
Timelines
Door to door letter needs to be produced and printed by: Monday 27 June
Any sponsorship obtained by Friday 24 June.
No declarations of interest were raised at the meeting