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AGM 2019


MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE


RIDDLESDOWN RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (RRA)


Held on: Wednesday 15 May 2019 at 7.30pm


At: St Edmund’s Church Hall, Mitchley Ave


Apologies were received from: Linda Bevin (Treasurer), Gill Pates, Keith & Jan Powell, Nick Tennant.


Sanderstead Ward Councillor Lynne Hale and Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown Councillors Helen Redfern and Simon Hoar also attended the meeting.


The meeting was opened by Brian Longman, RRA Chairman who then introduced and welcomed the guest speaker - Michelle Wildish, Engagement Officer (South), Local Communities and Partnerships, TfL


412 Bus Service Serving Riddlesdown

Michelle Wildish opened the meeting and referred to a pdf handout which is available to view on this link but summarised below;


Background


Performance


The figures


Before the frequency reduction January to August 2018

Departed on time minimum summary standard - 82%

Departed on time - 88%


After the frequency reduction August 2018 to April 2019

Departed on time minimum summary standard - 82%

Departed on time - 88%


Results

 – after the frequency reduction, between 13 October and 9 November 2018, the route  achieved an improved standard of 87 per cent on time.

  – For the last two periods this financial year, it’s operating over eight per cent higher than  the standard.


Future plans


Looking ahead


Other proposals – Croydon town centre


Croydon town centre


Keeping you informed


Questions



Michelle Wildish took away a number of the questions in red below and has reported back to the RRA on 21 August;


                   a) Is there now a deficit when operating the route.

                   b) How has fare income been affected.

            A - We don’t publish data on individual routes, but for the London bus                      network as a whole the cost recovery ratio is 75%


AGM 2019


Minutes of the previous AGM 2018


The Chairman (Brian Longman) ran through the actions from the last AGM:


i) the Association had not being able to secure a PA system for this AGM and were still looking into the options for an infrequent use.


ii) Collegiate litter picking – Tracey Bellamy, the Council’s Street Champion Co-ordinator is liaising direct with Riddlesdown Collegiate about litter picks (a number undertaken with them in the last year).

iii) The RRA have found a sponsor for the Children’s Christmas Party which will be Paul Meakin, local Estate Agents. Both Meakin’s and the RRA are looking how to expand further functions/sponsoring.


Action: RRA to look to purchase a PA system.


Action: RRA to discuss with Riddlesdown Collegiate the need for more litter picking to address litter generated by schoolchildren.


Action – RRA and Paul Meakin Estate Agents to work to expand further functions/sponsoring.


The Chairman advised the 2018 minutes are on the RRA website. They were then formally accepted as an accurate record of the previous AGM.


Treasurers Report by Brian Longman


In the absence of the Treasurer (Linda Bevin), the Chairman explained that the accounts for 2018 have been audited. He noted that:







The treasurer’s report was proposed by Bill Whitmarsh and seconded and accepted as an accurate audit.


Chairman’s report – Brian Longman


The Chairman set out the continuing ongoing challenges from developers over the past year, especially on the planning front. It has been a very busy year with many planning applications submitted locally for flatted developments.


There were huge traffic issues last September (2018) when the Collegiate held their annual open evening for prospective new parents and the RRA received many complaints from local residents about the traffic chaos. In the region of 3,000 people attended the event with associated cars. However, the issue was not helped by the ongoing gas main works in Derwent Drive where a one way system was in operation.  The Collegiate is very popular with prospective parents. As a result the Chairman and Cllr Simon Hoar met with the Principal, Soumick Dey after the Open Evening. It was a positive meeting and the Principal agreed for September 2019 to engage with professional traffic consultants to employ traffic marshals, digital sign technology and engage with the local SNT Police. The option of spacing the Open Evening over a few days will also be considered.


The Chairman raised the issue of social prescribing and the need to get more voluntary organisations and local clubs involved in the support of the elderly. Our local Neighbourhood Care Group in Riddlesdown - St Edmund’s Church, is already involved with various groups. There maybe a future cinema club in the Church. The William Goddard room is planned to be refurbished with support financially from the Local Ward Councillors Community budget.

There will be a health walk for the elderly on Riddlesdown Common in June. The City of London Corporation Rangers will open the office to provide a toilet and facilities. More of these walks are being planned for later in the year.

More planning applications have been submitted for new houses on back land development in Riddlesdown Ave, fronting onto Riddlesdown Rd. Whilst all so far have been approved with the Council, the RRA remain concerned about the narrowness of the access road and the conflict of pedestrians and traffic with no street lighting, no footway and only one surface water gully. The RRA continue to press the Council’s Highways Department to upgrade the access road with better street lighting, surface water drainage, pedestrian improvements. However, it seems that the developers will not be paying for this, so any improvements will have to be funded by Croydon Council taxpayers.

A new planning application has recently been submitted for another detached house at the rear of 38 Riddlesdown Ave and to convert the newly built house at the rear of 40 to four flats. It seems with all these planning applications that objectors views are not taken into account by the Council. In addition another recent application has been submitted for a house r/o 36.

A steep crossfall to the footway has been installed at 42 Riddlesdown Ave in front of the existing house. The RRA have received a number of complaints about the steepness of the crossfall and we raised the situation with Disability Croydon who in their report to Croydon Council were scathing about the situation. The Council did go back to try and rectify the situation and have now reinstated the kerb and laid a lump of bitmac in the road, blocking a road gully and causing possible issues for cyclists. The crossfall breaches the Equality Act as well as Highway recommendations and is a major hazard for the disabled and elderly in winter when snow and ice is present. The RRA will take this further with the Council.


The gas works in Buttermere Gardens and Derwent Drive, Grisedale Gardens and Grisedale Close went fairly smoothly in 2018. There are still on going gas works being undertaken in the north of the area in Riddlesdown Rd and Riddlesdown Ave, Purley Downs Rd etc.


The Chairman explained that the RRA along with six other RAs had participated in the Purley tower Public Inquiry in 2018 and that the Secretary of State in December 2018 had overturned to Planning Inspector’s recommendation to approve the scheme. This was followed by a successful legal challenge by the developer Thornsett. A Consent Order was then issued by the High Court in April 2019, quashing the decision of the Secretary of State. This planning application now falls to be re-determined by the Secretary of State and probably another new Public Inquiry will happen later this year. The RRA will continue to lead as the ‘Rule 6 Party’ with the other six RAs for the next Public Inquiry.


The Chairman advised that the outline planning application for 6 flats at 141 Brancaster Lane was approved by the Council in Sept 2018 and a subsequent full planning application had been submitted. This full application has just been approved by the Council. The RRA believe there are serious concerns with the access to the on-site car parking on the junction to Lower Barn Rd, with the possible risk of accidents with pedestrians and other vehicles on this busy 4 way junction. The RRA also had expressed their concerns about foul and surface water flooding further down the drain run. Following the Council’s approval in Sept 2018, the RRA agreed to partly fund a joint action with a local resident to seek a legal opinion from a specialist Planning barrister in London, as to whether the Council’s decision was lawful. It was too late to apply for a Judicial Review as this has to be actioned within 6 weeks of the Council’s decision. The legal opinion did highlight some area of concerns about the Council’s decision and the RRA must now decide what to do with the opinion. It has been circulated to other local RAs and also sent to Senior Officers in the Council’s Planning Department as well as Councillors who sit on the Planning Committee. The RRA are awaiting a response.


AGM Committee Elections


Phil Thomas spoke and said that Brian Longman had now been chairman in excess of 20 years and thanked him on behalf of the Committee and local residents for his dedication and hard work. This was also acknowledged by those residents present. Other nominations were requested for Chairman and none submitted.


The Chairman asked if anyone else wished to stand to join the committee and no names were put forward.



Committee members;


Nick Tennant – Secretary


Phil Thomas – Planning & Environmental; Website Editor


John Rapp – Transport and Membership


Neil Tarrant – Recorder Editor


Frankie Wheeler – Footpaths Liaison


John Placek – Data Protection


Janice Kedwards


Bill Whitmarsh


Monica Pugh


Keith Powell


Jan Powell


Berni Munt


Any Other Business


It was raised by a resident about the recent publicity on Chris Philp’s suggestion for Area Planning Committees. Cllr Helen Redfern updated that Chris Philp was currently petitioning and circulating information on this. However, this was voted against by the majority Labour group when put to the last full Council meeting. There is also currently a review of Croydon Council’s Governance which is being run by Dame Moira Gibb.


It was noted that Riddlesdown and other local City of London Commons and Council Open Spaces (including Riddlesdown) would soon be classed as the ‘South London Downs’ by Natural England. This was expected to be officially announced in July.


The meeting ended at 9.30 pm and was followed by a glass of wine kindly donated Paul Meakin Estate Agents.



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