Holmewood Neighbourhood Association

Hopes and Fears

Holmewood Neighbourhood Association
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At an open meeting of the HNA on 31 May 2000, Planet Earth asked the attendees to air their Hopes and Fears for the project.

The responses have been grouped into categories below. Items in BLUE TEXT have been taken from the Questionnaire Survey conducted earlier in the year.




1. General Environmental

1.0 Street/park comforts

MORE BENCHES TO SIT ON

MORE COMFORTABLE PLACES TO SIT AND ENJOY THE GREEN AND WATCH THE WORLD

DRINKING FOUNTAIN

A POND WITH A SOLAR FOUNTAIN AND FROGS

A GYMNASIUM, A LOVELY FOUNTAIN ( NOT LIKE THE ONE IN FRONT OF THE BRIXTON ESTATE

1.1 Greenery


WE COULD DO WITH MORE TREES AND INTERESTING PLANTING

HOPE : MORE TREES AND FLOWERS

WISH : WILD GARDEN ON PART OF THE GREEN DREAM - TURNING HOLMEWOOD GARDENS INTO HAMPSTEAD ; MORE TREES, MORE FLOWERS, MORE SMELLY PLANTS

HOPE THAT TREES WILL BE PLANTED AT THE END OF HOLMEWOOD ROAD BY BRIXTON HILL

MORE BUSHES AND FLOWERS AND TREES ON THE NARROW ENDS OF THE GREEN

1.2 Dogs

MAKE THE DOG GREEN MORE ATTRACTIVE WITH PLANTING AND MAYBE, AS IN FRANCE, A PARTICULAR PLACE FOR POO

WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PATH THROUGH THE DOG WALKING AREA- FROM GATE TO GATE

CHANGE DOG PARK INTO BICYCLE PARK

1.3 Lighting

BETTER LIGHTING ON STREET AND ON GREEN

LIGHTING TO BE WORKING

LACK OF STREET LIGHTING IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MUGGERS IF TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES ARE TO BE USED

1.4 Bins and general appearance

NEGATIVE CONCERN : DUMPING RUBBISH

HOPE : LESS RUBBISH

CONCERN : GRAFFITI SEEMS TO BE ON THE INCREASE

MORE BINS

1.6 Noise

NOISE CONTROL -PLEASE NOT VERY LOUD MUSIC DAY OR NIGHT

2. Holmewood’s Children


THERE ARE LOTS OF CHILDREN AROUND HERE WHO NEED PLACES TO PLAY SAFELY, WHICH ARE ACCESSIBLE AND FUN.

HOPE : MORE ADVENTUROUS CHILDREN’S PLAY EQUIPMENT
(MONKEY BARS, BIGGER SLIDES, A SAND PIT,

LIKE TO USE THE SWINGS AND SLIDES, PLAY FOOTBALL, NETBALL AND RIDE BIKES

WALK TO SCHOOL AND CROSS ROADS TO GREEN SAFELY

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY


SUGGEST TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES


NO MORE PLAY TOYS ON GREEN

3. Community


3.1 Overall

LESS CRIME

LESS PROSTITUTION

MORE PEOPLE IN THE ROAD

POSITIVE : PEOPLE GREET YOU AND TALK

HOPE THAT NEIGHBOURHOOD BECOMES MORE COHESIVE, SAFER

3.2 Participation / empowerment

WISH : SOME RADICAL IDEAS TO COME OUT OF THE CONSULTATION SO THAT I CAN SEE THE AREA IN A NEW LIGHT

THAT IT IS TO BE CONCISE, FUN, DEMOCRATIC, INCLUSIVE

I WOULD HOPE THE COMMUNITY OF THE WHOLE AREA - INCLUDING ROUPELL PARK ESTATE COULD BE STRENGTHENED AND DEEPENED

I HOPE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO FEEL HOSTILE ABOUT CHANGE.

STREET PARTIES

FED UP WITH THE WAY CHRISTCHURCH SCHOOL DOMINATES THE ENVIRONMENT OF COTHERSTONE RESIDENTS

THE PROPOSED CONSULTATION IS LIKELY TO BE TOO COMPREHENSIVE. WE ONLY HAVE £150,00-

HIGH PROFILE FOR COUNCIL. WILL THEY RESPECT OUR WISHES

WARNED THAT ISSUE OF CHILDREN’S NEEDS WILL BE OVER REPRESENTED BY THE MINORITY OF PARENTS! APATHY RULES ... BUT I CAN’T BE BOTHERED TO FIGHT IT!

WORRIED THAT THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS WILL REMAIN LOCKED IN A STATE OF APATHY UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE TO PARTICIPATE!

CONCERN : NOTHING WILL HAPPEN

THAT IT WON’T HAPPEN, THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE WILL GET INVOLVED, THAT IT WILL DRAG ON AND LOSE MOMENTUM

I’M WORRIED MORE MONEY WILL BE SPENT ON THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS THAN ON THE ACTUAL PROJECT END RESULT

WILL ALL RESIDENTS FEEL COMFORTABLE PARTICIPATING

ARE WE REALLY GOING TO BE EMPOWERED

ETHNIC MINORITY RESIDENTS NOT WELL REPRESENTED

WE NEED TO FEEL WE ARE DRIVING THIS PROCESS

ALL THIS CONSULTATION MIGHT MAKE IT MORE OF A MUDDLE

PEOPLE DON’T WANT ANY CHANGE AT ALL

LIAISING WITH OTHER LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO DRIVE THROUGH

APATHY

FEAR : TOO MANY PEOPLE NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENS BEYOND FRONT DOOR

FEAR : NOTHING CHANGES

I HAVE A CONCERN THAT THE DIVIDE BETWEEN HOLMEWOOD NEIGHBOURHOOD AND ROUPELL PARK ESTATE COULD BE WIDENED FEAR THAT CONSENSUS WILL NOT BE REACHED

FEAR THAT EXPECTATIONS WILL NOT BE REALISED

4. Home Zone


FEAR OF FEWER PARKING SPACES

HOPE THAT HOME ZONE WILL BE INSPIRATION FOR OTHERS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS

BETTER SENSE OF COMMUNITY

SAFER ENVIRONMENT

REDUCTION IN TRAFFIC AND SPEED



5. Traffic


5.1 Overall

WISH : FEEL FREE TO WALK SLOWLY ACROSS ROADS

WISH : CAR DRIVERS LOOK OUT FOR PEDESTRIANS NOT VICE VERSA

CYCLE-ROUTE THROUGH PARK

WALKING ROUTE THROUGH DOG AREA


SAFE CROSSING POINTS TO REACH GREEN AND TO GO TO SCHOOL

5.2 Traffic calming measures

NO ROAD HUMPS

DO NOT NARROW ROAD (possible contrast with home zone targets)

TRAFFIC CALMING WILL BE UNSIGHTLY

DO NOT WIDEN PAVEMENTS

NO UGLY SPEED BUMPS. THERE MUST BE BETTER WAYS OF ACHIEVING A 10 MPH SPEED LIMIT

CLOSE AT LEAST ONE ENTRANCE

ONE WAY SYSTEM

PREFER CHICANES TO SPEED HUMPS. I THINK THEY’RE SAFER AS WELL HOPES THAT IT HAPPENS

5.3 Amount, speed and through traffic


REDUCE SPEEDING TRAFFIC

SPEED CAMERAS

STOP THROUGH TRAFFIC LESS SPEED

HOPE THAT JUNCTION AT BRIXTON HILL AND HOLMEWOOD WILL BE CLOSED OFF

SLOWER TRAFFIC

PREVENT (THROUGH) TRAFFIC FROM TAKING SHORT-CUTS (RAT-RUNNING)

LESS TRAFFIC


5.4 Parking

FEWER CAR PARKING SPACES

PARKING PERMITS AND CONTROLLED NON RESIDENT PARKING

PARKING RESTRICTIONS

CONCERN : PAYING PARKING

CONCERN : PARKED CARS CAUSING BLIND SPOTS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND DRIVERS

NO PARKING RESTRICTIONS, ONLY SMALL TERRACE ( NO SUBSTANCE)

WILL I STILL BE ABLE TO PARK MY CAR : IT WILL BE A FAILURE IF NEIGHBOURS START FALLING OUT OVER PARKING SPACES

CONCERN : DON’T WANT THE PARKING TO LOOK LIKE A CAR PARK


6. Management / Maintenance

6.1 Roads

GET RID OF THE POTHOLES IN THE ROAD AND IMPROVE CONDITION OF PAVEMENT

6.2 Dogs

AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN DOG OWNERS TO MANAGE THE POO, ESPECIALLY IN HOT WEATHER

6.3 Cleaning

MORE STREET CLEANING

RECYCLING COLLECTION (FRI)

6.4 Greenery

KEEP HEDGES TRIMMED

6.5 Community participation

LEVEL OF CONTRIBUTION BY RESIDENTS

7. Implementation

7.1 Implementation

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CABLES ARE PUT IN BEFORE ANY OF THIS HAPPENS.