Friends of Streatham Green
Meeting Thursday 5th January 7pm
Venue:- The Manor Arms
Agenda
1. Welcome, introductions and apologies
2. Corrections and approval of the Minutes
3. Matters Arising from the last Minutes
4. Safety
5. Events
i)Update on lastest events held
ii)Future events
6. Mayors Outer London Fund update
7. Future of FSOG, leaflet, new members
8. Any Other Business – AOB
9. Date of the next meeting
Planting ceremony with pupils from St Leonards C of E primary school. Streatham Guardian were there to catch them in action
Friends of Streatham Green
Minutes of the meeting held in The Manor Arms on 28th November 2011
Apologies:
Anna Tagliaferro, Jed Scarry SNT, Blazej Slowik SNT
Present:
Richard Coltart(Chair), Ian Swanson(Treasurer), Carol Elliott(Sec), Cllr Brian Palmer, Nathalie Gordon, Clare Moore, Joyce Bellamy, Gillian Lunnon, Tim Barnsley, Angelina Purcell, Angela Li
Introduction and Welcome:
RC welcomed and thanked everyone for coming. One aim of the meeting is to clear some of the outstanding issues from the agenda.
Correction and Approval of the Minutes
The minutes of the previous meeting of the 24th October 2011, as circulated, were taken as a true and correct record.
Matters Arising:
Maintenance of Streatham Green.
AL stated that the matching funds have been received from the Manor Arms and the bulbs for Streatham Green have been purchased. St. Leonards School has been approached to have pupils assist with the planting and it was agreed that AL will try and arrange it for 10am on the Tuesday 6th December. 10 pupils will attend and arrangements will be to meet in the Manor Arms at 10am and Richard will provide hospitality after the planting. AL will also liaise with the press. CE said she would like to attend.
Actions
AL to confirm the planting for Tuesday 6th at 10am.
AL to contact the press
CE to distribute the confirmed date and time for any interested party.
RC to diarise the 10am meeting and the hospitality in The Manor Arms.
Pigeons
IS stated that an example of a bird scarer, that he had seen in Portsmouth, was a kite flown from the top of a building in the form of a bird of prey. He acquired some information on the subject and passed this on to AL. AP said we should work with Friends of Streatham Common on the subject of kite flying and would pass the contact details for Bob Culiver? to us. Other suggestions were made to cull or feed them contraceptives.
Actions
AP to pass contact details for Bob Culiver? to CE
Safety
AP stated that there has been an increase in crime in the area which is thought to be since the demise of the A23 team. Shoplifting and NG stated that her shop window had been smashed by a man with a bottle. The new neighbourhood teams are split into separate areas and are pulled to do other things. Cllr Brian Palmer was asked to raise the issue with a member’s enquiry. This is seen as tragic timing for the area which was “on the up”. AP pointed out that this is the longest High Road which has a high volume of through traffic and should be manned cohesively as a dedicated action group on this A23 corridor. It would be helpful to have a representative from the Spires Centre at the meeting.
Actions
Cllr BP to raise a member’s enquiry about the issue
The committee to raise the issue with:-
Streatham Action
Cluster Inspector Nick Fellowfield
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson
Other Mayoral candidates, Ken Livingstone, Brian Paddock.
Events
RC has agreed to hold the Premises Licence for Streatham Green, the current Licence is conditional of no alcohol. Still hope, in the future, to hold a local market on the green, it is thought we may not need to close the top end of Babbingdon Road but have the market on the green. RC stated that the market at Venn Street in Clapham is very successful and attracts families, local communities and the wider community and Streatham could do the same. AP stated that £20K is already set aside fro the Mayors Outer London Fund to do a feasibility study to look at the infrastructure that the market would need, water, electricity, parking, access etc. This will happen in the new year. AP also stated that the Markets manager for Lambeth does not think Streatham is a priority issue for him. We would like to change this and let him know how important to Streatham and the local businesses this is. The allotments at the Rookery would love to have an outlet to sell their wares for example, also local businesses are interest in the concept. Cllr Brian Palmer was asked to raise a member’s enquiry to raise the profile of this subject.
JB stated that The Rookery in Streatham was opened in 1912 and opened to the public in 1913, we could maybe share in some of these celebrations. This would have to be with support and in connection with other interested parties such as The Streatham Society, Streatham Action, Friends of Streatham Common etc.
Actions
Cllr BP raise a member’s enquiry to raise the profile of a market in Streatham.
Forth coming events linked to Streatham Green include:
6th December, 10am - St Leonards Children planting Bulbs(yet to be confirmed)
3rd December - Switch on of Streatham Christmas Lights
10th December – Christmas Parade with a marching band.
17th December – Christmas parade with a Samba Band
Future of FOSG
RC stated we still need more members and more support from residents and local businesses. RC promised to complete the action on him from several months ago to update a Facebook page. CE stated that IS and herself represented FOSG at the recent Speed dating for volunteers meeting and had several interested people enquiring about the group. CE also stated that with the help of LMB creating a leaflet about FOSG, the local SNT, Jed and Blaze were going to distribute these to the surrounding streets. This may generate more interest. JB stated that a meeting for Lambeth Parks and Green Space Forum will be held on the 28th January at Brockwell Park and it would be beneficial to have Streatham Green represented. AL stated that a noticeboard has been established on Streatham Green and anyone can use this. There is also a noticeboard in Streatham Library and one in Gracefield Gardens, where the key to it is held by Patricia Sower, for our use.
Actions
RC to update facebook
AOB
Road layout for the A23
Cllr BP stated that he had been to a crisis meeting with TFL at City Hall regarding the central reservations on the A23 between Becmead Avenue and Woodbourne Avenue. There was a conflict of issues and the money allocated to complete the work was in jeopardy of being lost as the work has to be completed this financial year. To loose the money would send a very negative message for any future monies needed to improve Streatham. There was an issue over loosing the assets of the brick structures in the central areas. It was agreed at the meeting at City Hall that a plan of action would be completed by the end of this week. IS reminded us of the proposal to have pedestrian (Zebra) crossings outside the mosque on Mitcham Lane and across the A23. Cllr BP said it would be more appropriate to have it at the top of Babbingdon Road, as TFL have stated that other sites on Mitcham Lane are too close to bus stops etc.
Boundary Changes Proposals
TB asked if we were all aware of the changes to the political boundaries in Streatham. There is confusion between the political boundaries and the local authority boundaries, this does not affect Lambeth being the local authority for Streatham but who is our elected parliamentary candidates for Streatham. The 4 wards of Streatham, Streatham Hill, St Leonards, Streatham Wells and Streatham South, in the proposal, will be split. Streatham Hill will be represented by Clapham, Streatham South by Mitcham. We are urged to make our opinions heard by contacting either SOS, Save our Streatham, or the Boundary Commission site where you can state in 500 word the issues of this proposal. Some of the issues discussed were that Streatham is one area with the A23 as our backbone we should not be split. We have more minority groups, ethnic, cultural and social diversity in Streatham than ever before and this should be represented by one MP not “bits” tagged on to other MP’s areas of representation.
Next meeting
There will not be a meeting in December so the next meeting will be Thursday 5th January 2012.
Photos from the Bird of Prey Event that took place on Streatham Green.
To help discourage the pigeons at Streatham Green, Parks will be trialling a Bird of Prey event on Streatham Green next Wednesday 27th July.
The park rangers have kindly agreed to host the event on the same day as their chess on the green event. The event will be from 11am-4pm and include 8 static Hawks
There will be an hour’s flying bird display from 12pm-1pm.
Saturday 23rd July 2011
Part of London 2012 Open Weekend celebrating ONE YEAR TO GO until the Games.
Streatham’s High Road will be awash with Carnival sounds and colours on Saturday 23rd July as South Connections Carnival in rainbow costumes, accompanied by Streatham schools and residents in Butterfly costumes parade along it’s pavements in celebration of ONE YEAR TO GO until the Olympic Games. The Carnival Queen and several sporting characters will be marching along to the sounds of Batuke Samba Band and Ancestral Hand drummers.
The parade begins at 12 noon from Sunnyhill House on Sunnyhill Road and processes down to Streatham Green where an afternoon of sporting activities including fencing, boxing and judo are taking place until 3.00pm.
Have a go at giant chess and see if you can win your very own medal in the alternative egg and spoon race! There’s also music from South London’s finest steel band, Southside Harmonics, stilt walking, street dancing, face painting and balloon modeling, plus information from local organisations, Transition Streatham, Friends of Streatham Green, Streatham Action and the British Home.
Cllr Florence Nosegbe, Cabinet Member for Culture, said: “Excitement about the 2012 Games is really starting to build, and this is a fantastic way to mark the start of the one year to go countdown. It’s going to be a great day and I’m delighted that Lambeth Council is able to support it.”
This event is a joint partnership between Lambeth Council, Streatham Town Centre, Streatham Action and The Friends of Streatham Green.
For more information about the event contact Anna Godsiff on 07973 711173 email: agodsiff@hotmail.com or Lambeth Press Officer, James Savours, jsavours@lambeth.gov.uk 020 7926 2559.
We would love to have more residents and businesses join us in supporting the green. We are working towards making it a very popular and enjoyable space for everyone to share. Key Points at the moment for us are:
The events page will list a host of events taking place on the green each month. June and July are going to be busy summer months add in the glorious weather we have been getting it will be a great series of enjoyable outdoor events.
The next meeting will be on 21st JULY 2011 at 7PM - feel free to turn up and join us in some great discussions about the green.
Chess on the green has proven to be a big hit with the locals and workers in the area on their lunch break.
There were tense times in the final stages…
Check Mate!
Welcome to Friends of Streatham Green.
We will shortly be updating this site with details about the green, its history, its future, the events we have planned for the green and anything else you, the residents and business owners of Streatham think should be on here to promote this wonderful little oasis in the heart of Streatham Village.
