MINUTES

Committee Meeting

Highlever Road

Present: Andre Arnichaud, William Cooper, Steve Divall, Richard Ehrman, Cassie Goldman (Treasurer), Andrew Hanson, Jenny Harborne, Tania Martin, Henry Peterson (Chair), Nigel Whitbread.

Apologies: David Marshall, Tara Winter Wilson, Fiona Withey

1. Minutes of open meeting of STQW Forum on 12 September

Noted that there was no more news on the likely relocation of the GP surgeries at the St Quintin Health Centre. HP to follow up with NHS.

2. LBHF decisions on STQW designation application

Discussed the options circulated as potential ways forward, and noted the position being taken by the SHRA management committee (letter had gone from SHRA to Pat Cox at LBHF).

Agreed to make case for the areas left out of the new small ‘Neighbourhood Area’ designated by LBHF as part of the originally proposed STQW area. Case for inclusion of the east-west pedestrian cycle route remained as before, as did need to retain oversight of the ‘community benefits’ due to flow from the Imperial West scheme.

Noted that the 47 flats in St Quintin View at 28 North Pole Road are key worker flats, managed by London Strategic Housing (a housing association). No logic in excluding this isolated group of flats from a neighbourhood planning exercise.

Agreed that the draft letter to Nicholas Holgate at RBKC/LBHF should be sent, with all management committee members as joint signatories.

3. Feedback from SHRA and Hammersmith Society meeting with Imperial College 

This session at Imperial had been with their new Head of Masterplanning and Development, Martin Summersgill. The Hammersmith Society had also attended. The meeting had been constructive and positive, with a follow up scheduled for January when the College has advanced its plans.

Appointment of SOM to prepare a new masterplan opened up a range of options for relocating existing Imperial functions from South Kensington, as well as adding to elements already proposed for Imperial West (innovation and translation hub).  Buildings C and D would definitely be going ahead (early in 2014). Some prospect of a rethink on hotel and residential tower, but we had to recognise that an existing planning approval for these buildings remained a factor in the College’s re-assessment.

4. Latimer Road regeneration

RE and AH reported back on a couple of discussions (also involving TM and HP) on ideas for next stage of consultation on Latimer Road. A draft leaflet was circulated, proposing two sessions, one afternoon and one evening so as to encourage attendance by businesses as well as residents of the road.

Agreed that:

• HP would check via Land Registry whether there is a covenant of restriction on the freeholds of the single storey industrial units
• RE would finalise leaflet and find a venue for the consultation sessions.
• Session would include brief background to the area (HP), overview of current position on uses, planning policies, level of vacancies in the street (RH) and initial thoughts on future built forms and building heights (AH)
• A simple model might be a good way of showing people the implications of the Imperial West buildings on building heights (AH)

Feedback from these sessions would be given to the wider Forum membership via newsletter and next open meeting. JH emphasised that future of Latimer Road was an issue of concern to the whole area and not just those living and working in the street itself.

5. Use of consultancy support by OutDesign

HP reported that the Forum had been provided with 2 days of consultancy time from Paul Dodd of OutDesign. Agreed that input on consultation and engagement would be useful.  HP and JH to meet with Paul.

6. Community Asset Register and West London Bowling Club

Introduction of these Registers was one of the features of the 2011 Localism Act, and RBKC now had the system up and running. Inclusion of a property on the Register is by nomination, and a neighbourhood forum is a body which can make a such a nomination. Once registered a property cannot be sold on the open market without triggering a potential 6 month moratorium during which local people can try to come up with an alternative proposition.

HP was exploring with the West London Bowling Club whether it would make sense to nominate this land and building. The directors of the company owning the club had indicated that they did not wish to sell to developers, and that their current intention was to re-open the club in the Spring, with new and widened membership.

Agreed that HP should continue discussions with the directors of the Club.  Important to proceed by consensus and with the Club’s agreement.

7. Reviewing and updating of conservation area policies

Noted that this was a major task, which would stretch the capacity of the Forum and management committee.

JH suggested a first step of bringing together local architects living and working in the StQW area, to identify the main elements of the 1979/1990 CAPS document that need revision and updating. Also to look at what is covered by Article 4 Directions and current inconsistencies.

Agreed that this made sense and JH to pursue. Noted that SHRA management committee would continue to address conservation issues arising from current applications.

8. Vision statement for STQW neighbourhood plan

Discussed ideas for a sentence or phrase that would capture what the plan was trying to achieve and which captures the essence of this part of London, building on the questionnaire responses from the open meeting.

All to think about suggestions, for discussion at next meeting.

9. Register of interests

RE suggested that the management committee should maintain a register of interests of its members, so that all were clear what financial or non-financial interests individuals had.

Agreed that this was a basic requirement for transparency, and that HP would email round asking for relevant information. In most cases this would simply be that we own or rent a property at x address within the neighbourhood area. Some may also have professional interests to declare, which might be relevant when e.g. the committee was commissioning work. The register would be available to the public on request.

9. Date of next meeting

Thursday 14 November at 6.30 at Highlever Road.