NORTHWOOD HILLS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION MEETING
at Fairfield Evangelical Church
MINUTES of the Committee Meeting held on
WEDNESDAY 26th June 2013, at 7.30 PM
(Subject to approval)
PRESENT
Andrew Riley (ARly) / ChairmanLeo Mindel (LM) / Vice-Chairman
Maxine Goswell (MG) / Temp. Minutes Secretary
Fiona Morgan (FM) / Treasurer
Joan Butfield (JB) / Member Pikes End
Tony Lane (TL) / President
Graham Mann (GM) / Police Rep
Maggie Lane / Road Steward
Pauline Sherman (PS) / Resident
Lynne Halse (LC) / Road Steward and Events
Lynn Ives / Resident
Cllr Andrew Retter (AR) / Ward councillor
Christine Bushell (CB) / Road Steward and Events
Alan Lester (AL) / Editor, Hills Echo
Trevor Dixon / Committee Member
Kobra Browne / Resident
Gita Sood / Resident
Lesley May / Resident
If your initials are in BOLD, then you have an outstanding action from the meeting to report on at the next meeting. Thank you.
3. Apologies for Absence received from:
Lucy Hall (LHl) / Committee MemberRoz Lester (RL) / Acting Hon, Secretary
Lesley Crowcroft (LC) / Environment
Sgt Alison Jeffrey (AJ) / Met Police
Herbert Levinger (HL) / Transport
Anila Hashim (AH) / Planning
John Morgan (JM) / Ward Councillor
Jane Clayfield (JC) / Committee Member
Hannah Raven / Gazette
2. Welcome The new attendees were welcomed by the Chairman and he welcomed Trevor Dixon to the Committee. Following recent news, the committee wished to record its thanks and gratitude to Cllr Retter for all the hard work he has done over the years for Northwood Hills.
3. Minutes of Meeting held on 24th April 2013
Approved.
4. Matter Arising: The Hillingdon People Magazine had still not featured the new Children’s Playground.
5. Planning
Heathrow UTC/Northwood School Proposal: There had been a meeting held at Northwood School on 24 June regarding the proposal to build a new college on the same site as the existing school. It will be an Aviation Specialist college, with apprenticeship training as well as academic courses. It appears that the old buildings will stay with additional space for 300 more Year 10-13 students, (600 students on site currently). Plans are being submitted by the end of June and residents will be able to comment on them but the closing date is currently unknown. Whilst the residents are not against expansion and the alternative of more housing on the open space is even less attractive, the meeting felt that consultation was required, particularly on the entrance/exit locations (appear to be Potter St) and the car parking facilities. The college would attract not just local children and may indeed help in the longstanding local quest for a direct bus route from Northwood Hills/Uxbridge to Heathrow. ARly agreed to request a meeting with UTC that local representatives could attend. See Appendix.
5.
6. Chairman’s Report
Feedback from the AGM had been very positive and it was pleasing that we managed to get through the busy agenda in the predicted time. Subsequent to the meeting ARly delivered a bouquet of flowers to Eileen Bowlt, the main guest speaker. Remarkably Eileen went into hospital the day after the AGM for a knee replacement!
The Independents Day Event was a great success with many shopkeepers saying it was their best day ever. Shortly after the event, the Chairman wrote to a number of people thanking them for making the day such a huge success. The event made the lead page of the Gazette and was also featured in My Northwood News.
Following Independents Day, ARly arranged to meet with Blackstones Solicitors. Negotiations regarding sponsorship of a gardener to maintain the Christmas Tree Site are now on-going. It is hoped that we will be able to find a reasonably priced pensioner gardener who would take on the task.
A number of complaints about Arens, Wine Bar and Restaurant (formerly the Woodman) were received from angry residents in the catchment area over the opening weekend. These related to noise and unacceptable behaviour in the early hours of the morning. These were referred to LB Hillingdon and the Police - both of which subsequently visited the premises to have an appropriate discussion with the owners. No further complaints have been received.
7. Events
a) The Northwood & Northwood Hills Forum: to review the Ageing population was due to take place the evening after this meeting. £34.23 had been spent on re-usable badge holders for the event. Retrospective agreement agreed. Several members of NHRA were to attend the Forum. It was noted that Northwood Hills Ward had the most aged population in the whole of England and Wales.
b) The Big Lunch – 14th July. Leaflets were available for distribution; insurance for the event had been secured through the Green Spaces team. Bouncy Castles, Bands and games would all be there on the day.
c) Supper Quiz – 21st September. AL reported that he had the questions prepared, but the rest of the organisation of the evening was required. ARly asked if the Events Sub-committee would be able to take this on and a separate meeting was to be arranged. FM agreed to help. Care needed to ensure no residual smell was left in the Fairfield Hall after a fish and chip supper, prior to the Sunday morning service.
d) Northwood Hills Clean Up Day -28th September was agreed, perhaps tidying side roads rather than the main roads which were to be impacted by the re-generation work.
e) Christmas Lights – 16th November. It was hoped that electrical sockets would be installed for uplighters on the roundabout for this year’s lights. LH reported that most schools from last year had agreed to take part again. Harlyn, St Johns (readings) and Hillside. LHl still to confirm Haydon’s participation. Coteford had not yet responded, JM to chase. AL confirmed he was happy to do posters and carol sheets. Agreed to consider advertising on the carol sheets. ARly suggested that following on from the Traders Day, the event may also include late night shopping. ARly & AR to confirm chairs/storage facilities and the electrical power from the Namaste lounge. AR LH to check storage site. PS kindly offered to wrap presents again for Santa’s Sack, but smaller presents were requested as the large items had presented a problem regarding carrying. The different wrapping paper for the different ages worked very well, but it was asked if this could be improved by making the colour differences clearer to see in dim lighting. FM to count number of presents left from last year.
Separate meeting to be held with Namaste Lounge to ensure drinks and biscuits available for children. GM happy to do risk assessment once again. Noted that the development work may still be on-going and so a larger tree may not look appropriate this year, but for next year this could well be considered.
8. Environment- Long Meadow - Decision on the Grant Application was expected in the next few days which would provide for on-going maintenance costs for trees and Eastcote House Gardens. ARly agreed to write to LC to thank her for all the work she continues to undertake. The wild flower bulbs planted earlier in the year have produced a good display.
9. Health – HILLINGDON
Royal Brompton & Harefield Foundation Trust
Staying on the current sites- The Trust explored the possibility of relocating the Royal Brompton Hospital to another site, but in March 2013 it agreed that the redevelopment of both Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals will be in situ, subject to planning and financial factors.
More transplants: With over 20 transplants in 2012-13, transplant services had more than doubled in comparison with last year, and clinical outcomes improved. A new transport system pumps blood around the heart outside the body during transport, which means that organs can be collected from a wider geographical area and they arrive in better condition than a non-beating heart transported on ice.
A new consultant post at Harefield: This new post is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council. It takes forwards the development of Respiratory services at Harefield.
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Development plans: Planning permission has been granted for the new Emergency Care Acute Medical Unit, subject to conditions. Before any further planning application, the Trust must produce an updated Travel Plan, an overarching master-plan for all future phased development including efficiency of water, electrics, energy, landscape, heritage, highways and car parking.
Work on the new fracture clinic and plaster room will be completed before the main works are started in the kitchen area. Work in Lister Ward is expected to start in June 2013. Work on the Urgent Care Centre is expected to start in July, for completion in September. Work on the A&E waiting area and Clinical Decisions Unit is expected to start in July and work on the new corridor to the new building will start in March 2014.
National staff survey: The Trust was the best performing hospital in London in relation to staff recommending the Trust to friends and family for treatment.
Development of a business case for a skin centre at Mount Vernon: This development is part of the Cancer Strategy. It will bring together clinicians from a number of specialities to deliver NICE approved services, which are expected to attract tertiary referrals from outside of Hillingdon.
Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group
Hillingdon PCT finances 2012 – 13: The PCT’s final draft accounts have been sent for audit, showing a surplus of £1,979,000, in line with revised expectations - achieved with in-year support of £21.8m and the return of Hillingdon’s share of the 2% top slice (£2.6m). The year-end position includes provision for retrospective Continuing Care Claims of £10.6m. The 2012-13 accounts indicate a recurrent deficit of £11.3m.
End of Life Care Strategy 2013-16: This has a six-step pathway:
· Identifying people approaching the end of life
· Advance care planning, assessing needs and preferences
· Co-ordination of care, including across sectors and out of hours services
· Delivery of high quality care in all locations
· Management of the last days of life, to provide “a good death”.
· Care after death and access to bereavement services.
10. Transport – No report received.
11. Finance – FM reported that project ideas from the AGM had been submitted by 10 people. 70% wanted money spent on trees/plants. The other ideas included events, a clock, seating and CCTV coverage. It was suggested that TfL may provide a clock on the station building. Clocks may also be included in newly introduced electronic signage on bus-stops and signs. The independent traders were aware that the re-generation project had no funding for planters outside the shops and many had expressed a desire for them. It was thought that NHRA may be able to fund them, as long as the traders were prepared to water them. Agreed that this could be explored once the regeneration scheme was completed. Any provision would have to take into account anti-vandalism/theft issues.
Subscriptions were already matching last year’s levels so it was hoped there would be an increase by the end of the year.
12. Police – The representatives had not been able to alter their shift working pattern and so were unable to attend the meeting. PS agreed to contact AJ direct to discuss various issues, one of them being that calls to the Safer Neighbourhood team had not been returned. The 101 reporting number, Safer Neighbourhood and CAD 999 system appeared to not be linked together so calls relating to one another were all treated in a stand-alone manner.
13. Councillors Report – AR reported that the resurfacing of the group of roads including Woodford Avenue, Hazelwood Drive and Oakwood had not included Maycroft, a very small road. This was in the budget for the next financial year. The need for this one to be done at the same time had been highlighted and AR was pleased to report that he had been able to get this into this year’s budget too. There had been a petition for Winchester Road to also be resurfaced and this had now been agreed by the council. The hearing to discuss traffic calming in Hillside Road had been postponed as the petitioner was deaf and the interpreter did not attend. Prior to the rescheduled hearing, the traffic is currently being monitored. There has also been a recent petition for traffic calming measures along the Pinner Road.
The shed built with all amenities in the garden of 6 Pinner Road has been granted planning permission.
The NISA shop is to be a subject of a public hearing.
14. The Hills Echo - the Spring edition advertising revenue has now been collected and the magazine publication costs were covered apart from a bad debt of £75, from an advertiser that has since gone out of business. Work has already commenced on the Autumn edition. All present were asked to consider submitting articles, news, diary items for the print deadline of 1 September. ALL
PS agreed to take magazines to try to increase membership through residents in her area.
Some suggestions to help increase membership/magazine distribution were:
· A one off free distribution to all residents in the Ward (perhaps using the Scout group to help).
· Leaflet or distribute magazines at Northwood Hills tube during commuting hours.
· Include a map of the ward in the magazine periodically to remind residents of the area covered.
· The possible uses of a NHRA membership card were discussed.
· Traders that support the Hillingdon First card could be listed in The Echo.
15. Web Masters Report – Intoto Kitchens have agreed to sponsor the web site - £100 p.a. Currently awaiting artwork from Intoto.
16. Dates of Next Meeting – Wednesday 17th July at Fairfield. Please note the meeting is a week earlier than normal.
Will all those who submit reports please submit a written report before the next Committee meeting.
Appendix: Diary Dates for 2013
Wed 17th July / Committee Meeting @ Fairfield1st Sept / Copy Deadline for The Echo
Saturday 21st September / Quiz Night
Wed 25th September / Committee Meeting @ Fairfield
Wed 23rd October / Committee Meeting @ Fairfield
Saturday 16th November / Christmas Lights
Wed 27th November / Committee Meeting @ Fairfield
Wed 18th December / Christmas meal
Appendix: Courtesy of The Gazette