Chessington & District Residents Association

 

AGENDA

 

For the meeting to be held on Thursday 5thApril 2007

 

at the Hook Community Centre  at 8pm

 

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF VENUE

 

 

1.     MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

2.     VISTING MEMBERS QUESTIONS

3.     MATTERS ARISING

4.     NEW ISSUES

5.     PLANNING APPLICATIONS

6.     ANY OTHER BUSINESS

7.     DATE OF NEXT MEETING

 

 

MINUTES

 

Of the meeting held on the  1st March 2007

 

PRESENT

 

Jim Taylor, Chairman

Francis Brannan,  Ray Kelsey,

   Colin Suckling, Alex Martin, Peter Alexander, Les Davis

 

APOLOGIES

 

, June Kitchener, Brian Gay,

Amanda Birch, Richard Heath, , Sue Torrero

Ted Farmer, ,Jeremy Naylor

 

VISITORS

 

Kathy Milton, John Hayball,  

David Tippett-Wilson, J.G. Saunders, Andrew Day,

Sergeant James Ellis, Metropolitan Police.

 

 

 

 

 

1. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

 

The minutes of the last meeting were agreed.

 

2. VISITING MEMBERS QUESTIONS

 

(a) Andrew Day asked when the road works on the Hook Parade would be started. We did not have the information and offered to check it out. 

(b) Andrew reported that the bus stop at the Bridge Road roundabout still had no count down board.  Jim replied that he has been advised that the current service is to be superseded by a new system. He will raise this issue at the next KATA meeting.

( c ) It was reported that the gypsy incursion at Kenwood in Green Lane is now in a very untidy state yet even so manages to produce a very large number of black rubbish bags each week, up to 20 in number. 

More travellers have arrived in Green Lane and now occupy land behind Felstead.

 

3. MATTERS ARISING

 

( d) Further to Mr Patel the newsagent on Hook Parade being refused an oyster card outlet, no further news has been received. The meeting decided to contact Mr Tony Arbour, our member of the GLA, and ask for his help.

( e ) Further to the report from Malden Rushett on spoil dumping at CWA south car park, no further news has been received.  The meeting decided to contact CWA and arrange the annual meeting between CWA and the Residents Association. The Association will be represented by Jim Taylor, Peter Alexander, Colin Suckling and Richard Heath.

( f ) Further to the report of residents at 76, Leatherhead road driving across the footpath and depositing mud etc., this nuisance is continuing. Sergeant Ellis will speak to the residents.

( g ) Further to the report on the possible closure of either Moor Lane or Buckland school a public notice has now been sent to residents advising of a public meeting to be held on Wednesday 4th April at the Methodist Church Hall, Church Lane.

( h )  Further to the report on the use of volatile organic solvents at MPG Impressions Ltd on the Barwell Estate, Jim Taylor asked the Borough Fire Brigade Commander a question at the Community & Police Partnership meeting.  A summary of his reply is attached herewith.

( i ) The flooding of the A243 immediately north of the Star public house continues and a broken drain is now causing a collapse of the newly re built road. Colin Suckling is liaising with TfL.  If there is no progress the Malden Rushett RA are considering raising a petition. 

( j ) The ban on smoking in public spaces in buildings, especially pubs, which becomes law in the summer was discussed.  The enforcement will be undertaken by council officers.  Sergeant Ellis will discuss this issue with publicans at the next Pub Watch meeting.

 

 

4. NEW ISSUES      

 

(k) A notice was placed in the press by Transport for London stating that road works were to be commenced in April at the entrance to the CWA north car park.  The meeting thought that these road works would create enormous traffic problems bearing in mind that CWA is now open for the summer season.  Sergeant Ellis reported that CWA had received no prior notice of the commencement of the road works from TfL.  The Association decided to write to TfL.

( l ) Comment was made that the doors at the Hook Community Centre are manually operated.  The meeting accepts that the access is fully in keeping with current guidelines for disabled access. However, it was felt that one set of automatically opened doors would be of great use to the disabled and to mothers with push chairs. Councillor Reid suggested the Association contact RBK officer Scott Herbertson.

( m ) The closure of the youth club in Church Lane was discussed.  The meeting accepted the statement by the council that the building is uneconomical to maintain.  Peter commented that it was regrettable as a new coffee bar and other refurbishment was donated in the last few years by CWA. The meeting decided to ask a question at the next Neighbourhood Committee. The question will be:-

We are aware that the club currently is conveniently located for the young people at the southern end of Chessington.  We will ask if the club can be kept open until new facilities at the Chessington Community College become available. 

(n ) The council has re-launched the outreach youth bus which will be outside the Hook Community Centre next week and regularly thereafter. Councillor Reid gave a brief description of the extensive facilities available at the Devon Way Centre.

( o ) The Association AGM will be held on the 30th May at the Methodist Church Hall in Moor Lane.  Chief Superintendent Laura Nicholson, the Borough Police Commander, will be the guest speaker. 

( p ) She will also be visiting the Safer Neighbourhood team police meeting on the 28th June at the Kings Centre.  

( q ) Sergeant Ellis reported:-

·        Earlier in the evening there had been a fatal accident on the A3 adjacent to the footbridge crossing the road behind the Barwell Estate.  A lorry driver had died.  There were 24 emergency vehicles at the scene.

·        Sergeant Ellis spoke about the eviction of unruly residents from Holmwood Road.  He explained the great amount of evidence needed in these cases and how thorough the court examination of the case had been.  Sergeant Ellis said that he had been in the witness box for 3 hours, by far the longest time he had spent giving evidence on one case during his career. 

·        The next Safer Neighbourhood police meeting will be at the Kings Centre at 10am on the 31st March. Subsequent dates are the 28th June at the Kings Centre at 7pm, the 13th September and the 1st December, times and dates to be advised.

·        He announced that during 2007 all homes south of the A3 will have visits by individual members of the SN teams.

·        There are now 120 members of the dog watch scheme and a second newsletter will soon be published.

·        Tyre dumping has now become a serious problem because new regulations have made the cost of disposal very high.  Tyres are now being dumped in our Borough in industrial quantities.  If residents see vehicles loaded with old tyres would they please telephone the SN team mobile number 020 8721 2001 or the office number 020 8247 5662.

 

 

5.  PLANNING APPLICATIONS

 

Planning Applications Decided in February.

 

( r )  Hemsby Road – Home extension rejected

         CWA – The use of the Fairoak Lane entrance for 100 days approved

         The Chessington Equestrian Centre – Development permitted

      

 

New Planning Applications in  February.

 

( s ) A planning application by the gypsies living on the site at the rear of Kenwood in Green Lane has been received.  It seeks permission to live on the site for a further three years.  This was discussed at length by the meeting and a decision was made to object on numerous grounds.  

 

( t  ) There were no other significant planning applications, all other applications were technical.

 

PLANNING NEWS

 

·        The application by Tesco to build a superstore and over 660 flats at the site adjacent to the Tolworth roundabout has been withdrawn for reconsideration. 

·        Peter Alexander reported that the public consultation about parking regulations on Hook Parade is now underway and the issue is expected to go to the next Neighbourhood Committee.

 

 

 

Other Business

 

 

The date of the next meeting will be held on Thursday 5th April 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Response from Mr John Elwell, Borough Commander, London Fire Brigade, to my question asked at the Community & Police Partnership meeting concerning fire brigade response time’s etcetera to MPG Impressions Ltd on the  Barwell Industrial Estate

 

 

A company setting up a business has to make a number of applications:-

 

An Environmental Health Permit, required under the Environmental Protection Act, to identify possible environmental hazards.

 

A Health & Safety Certificate, to ensure the safe working conditions for employees.

 

A Fire Safety Order, requiring a full risk assessment by the Fire Brigade.

 

 

The call out service the Fire Brigade provides:-

 

From 1947 to 2005  the statutory obligation was one appliance to arrive in 8-10 minutes at the Barwell Estate.  This obligation has now been  superceded and the response enhanced.

 

To a general call out the London Fire Brigade now always sends two appliances.  To a call out from the Barwell Industrial Estate the response is to send three appliances plus a hose layer.  The response time remains 8 – 10 minutes but this is currently being worked on to achieve a quicker response.

 

We questioned Mr Elwell as to where the appliances were coming from as we know that only one appliance is stationed at Surbiton.  He told us that the London Fire Brigade have a resource sharing arrangement with the Surrey Fire Brigade to provide cover for this part of Chessington.