Dear Neighbours,

This is to reassure you (again) that the committee has not fallen into a hundred year sleep and, although delayed, things are progressing steadily and along lines that the Association demanded at the November Open Meeting.

 

WHAT HAS HAPPENED:

The Lambeth Home Zone Project Team has now met 3 times. At the meeting on the 20 January three HNA observers were present and were greatly encouraged at the work that had been done in the way of collecting data, such as traffic and people movement and ground surveys, accident statistics etc. Also we were impressed by the quality of the team that Brian Fitzpatrick has assembled and their determination to do this thing properly. They are genuinely committed to listening to the wishes of the local community. (The delegation from HNA stressed that they had no mandate to agree anything with the council.) Action could only be taken once the full 'participation process' that we decided upon at our November Open Meeting is complete.

 

At that meeting a survey of residents was requested. HNA committee members consulted experts and made a first draft Questionnaire which is being checked and improved by a subcommittee of the Lambeth Project Team with further expert advice. It should be ready to circulate by mid March.

 

Lambeth are planning to appoint a design and community consultation/participation team very soon who will run the process. We would like them to be: creative and sensitive Urban Designers with a proven track record in Community Participation; local; clued up about Home Zones. The short list is being drawn up. If you know people or organisations who would fit the bill get in touch with us to suggest them.

 

As you can see things are now beginning to move. The Lambeth Project Team is holding fortnightly meetings on Thursdays from 2-4pm at the Town Hall. The next are scheduled for 2, 16 and 30 March and so on. Two HNA observers attended the Lambeth Project Team meeting on 17 February. We now have things to report, discuss and also THINGS TO DO so we have convened the above HOLME ZONE PROGRESS MEETING. Please come and get involved. We plan to have fortnightly PROGRESS MEETINGS for update and discussion apart from the PLANNING FOR REAL EVENTS outlined below. They are planned for the Tuesday evenings between the Lambeth Project Team meetings (i.e. 10 and 21 March, 4, 18 April etc). However, the first one will be on Friday 10 March in preparation for the Lambeth Project Team meeting on 16 March. These meetings should appoint observers to the Lambeth Project Team meeting and will need a degree of support, such as record taking, publicity. They should operate separately from the Holmewood Neighbourhood Association.

 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT:

 

The actions and events should look something like this: (please note the dates are provisional and may get set back and the precise details will be a product of the expert wisdom of the Community Consultants who are finally appointed.)

 

1. QUESTIONNAIRE

 

A Questionnaire will be finalised, distributed and collected. It is designed to find out what we think about our neighbourhood. The results will be analysed and reported back. They will provide a useful check for the Open Meetings to ensure that no group can hijack the process. (during MARCH)

 

2. PLANNING FOR REAL EVENT (Part 1 )

 

What do we think about our Neighbourhood and what are the Problems? What do we like about our Neighbourhood and what do we want to change.. ? This will be done using techniques that allow everyone to have a voice. From this we will have a set

of Aims and Objectives for the Home Zone. early APRIL)

 

3. PLANNING FOR REAL EVENT (Part 2)

 

Informing ourselves of possible solutions to the problems we have defined. Experts will be invited who will have seen your responses to the Questionnaires and the results of the 'What are the problems?' Meeting. (mid-late APRIL)

 

4. PLANNING FOR REAL EVENT (Part 3)

 

Residents explore and plan how they want the problems solved and what they want their Home Zone to look like. This event would probably happen at a weekend with a Social Event in the evening. (MAY)

 

 

As pledged at the November Open Meeting an expert chairperson (an independent non-resident probably from the design and consulting team appointed by Lambeth) will help us use techniques, such as Planning for Real, that do not favour the best talkers or the loudest voices. The techniques are fun and 'hands on' and help us explore the problems and solutions in an organic and creative way. At the final meeting it is important that we should be able to see, perhaps on a model, what we are The final design will be presented to residents for final comments and tweaking before work begins.

Our stalwart fund-raiser has already identified sources of possible funding that will enable us to do the consultation properly and further capital funding that would fund specific improvements to our local environment as part of the Home Zone. Also Lambeth have said improvements to children's play facilities will be additional money and come from a separate budget.

 

Other interesting developments: We received details of a National Carshare Network which is running seminars on how to set up local car share schemes and has even negotiated bargain-priced Vauxhalls for any schemes that are set up.