Northwood Hills Residents Association Meeting

NORTHWOOD HILLS RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION MEETING

at FairfieldEvangelicalChurch

MINUTES of the Committee Meeting held on

WEDNESDAY 27th March 2013, at 7.30 PM

(Subject to approval)

PRESENT

Andrew Riley (ARly) / Chairman
Leo Mindell / Vice-Chairman
Maxine Goswell (MG) / Temp. Minutes Secretary
Fiona Morgan / Treasurer
Alan Lester (AL) / The Echo Editor
Herbert Levinger (HL) / Transport
Lynne Halse (LH) / Events
Graham Mann (GM) / Police Rep
Jane Clayfield (JC) / Committee Member
Lucy Hall (LHl) / Committee Member
Joan Butfield (JB) / Member Pikes End
Anila Hashim (AH) / Planning
Hannah Raven / Gazette
Cllr Andrew Retter (AR) / Ward councillor
John Morgan (JM) / Ward Councillor
Sgt Alison Jeffrey (AJ) / Met Police

If your initials are in BOLD, then you have an outstanding action from the meeting to report on at the next meeting. Thank you.

1.Apologies for Absence received from:

Tony Lane (TL) / President
Roz Lester (RL) / Acting Hon. Secretary
Lesley Crowcroft (LC) / Environment

2.Minutes of Meeting held on 27th February 2013:Approved.

3.Matter Arising: Graham Mann reported that comments he made about the proposed movement of the Zebra Crossing in Pinner Road had not been reported.

“GM reported that he has very strong concerns that the movement of the zebra crossing in the Pinner Road outside of NISA to the crossing point at the Roundabout will cause severe disruption for traffic and lead to traffic backing up in Joel Street and the Pinner Road as traffic trying to exit the roundabout will be severely impacted. His comments will be reported to the Town Centre Planning Group.”

4.Chairman’s Report

a) Last week the Chairman attended the Northwood Hills Town Centre Steering Group Meeting. Good progress is being made and a conceptual design has now been agreed. The next stage is the production of detailed engineering drawings for use by the contractors. 41 trees (a special variety of Oaks) have been reserved for the central reservation and 13 flowering fruitless Cherry trees (White blossom with a pink core) have been reserved for the Pavement Area. Circa 20 additional car parking spaces are to be created – 2 of which will be for motorbikes. TFL have finally agreed to move the bus stop (South) outside of Allen Brothers to the Pinner Road. The Shop front replacement programme has now commenced (Boris Johnson did not unveil “Carpetstyle” which was incorrectly reported in My Northwood News) and over the coming weeks we will see a number of other new shop fronts and shutters. The Mayor of Hillingdon will be unveiling the new “Stomp box” shop front at 11:00 on Saturday 27th April. (Is anyone free to take a photo for the magazine?)

b) Due to another commitment, the Chairman had to pull out of a meeting with Nick Hurd, Tony Ellis (Chairman Northwood RA) and Joan Davis (Community Voice) – see Health Report.

c) The Chairman did meet with Nick Hurd the following week to discuss a proposed format for the second Community forum.

d) The Chairman attended a meeting, at which our MEP, MP and Deputy Leader of the Council all spoke.

5. Events

a) Northwood Hills Clean up Day– Saturday 20th April. Meet at 10:30am outside Northwood Hills Station.

b) Summer Event/Independents’ Day – The meetings arranged with the shopkeepers by Jane Chamberlain (LB Hillingdon) and the Consultants were not well attended. The Consultants are now looking to drive “Independents’ Day”, date 8th June, but in such a way that it could easily be replicated by the Chamber of Commerce in future years.

c) Christmas Lights 2013 – JM has spoken with the Head of St John’s School who has advised that they would like to join in this year’s Christmas Lights Celebration. The Chairman is awaiting further discussion. Hillside has also confirmed to LH that they will be joining with us again this year. The Mayor has been provisionally booked and the Namaste Lounge has given permission to use the Car Park.

d) Northwood Hills Forum – Unfortunately the Ward Councillors advised that the date set for the forum clashed with a Cabinet Meeting and as such they would not be able to attend. Nick Hurd’s Chief of Staff is now identifying a new date.

e) The Thank You Supper –The Chairman thanked everyone involved in making the evening a great success with special mention to those that cooked the food, made desserts etc. Feedback has been extremely positive and one resident suggested we consider doing it more often!

f) Scouts Jumble Sale – LM reminded everyone that the Scouts will be holding their annual Jumble Sale, believed to be the largest in London on Saturday 18th May. If anyone would like to assist on the day please let PA know.

g) Big Lunch - CB to confirm date in June or July.

h) AGM - Wednesday 22nd May at 7.30pm. Eileen Bowlt had confirmed her attendance and willingness to speak on the history of Northwood Hills.

i) Quiz Night–Saturday 21st September.

6.Planning

a) Northwood Health centre – A meeting arranged with the Doctors on 21st March to discuss the proposed Pharmacy was called off on the day of the meeting by Dr Thakrar, as Dr Patel was no longer able to attend. The meeting has been rescheduled to 29th April.

b) Eastcote Hockey Club – The Hockey club application was due to be heard at the NPC on 26th March. The recommendation is refusal, however, the application was withdrawn.

c) Haydon School – An application has been made by the Governors of the school for the following:Installation of replacement perimeter fences and gates, relocation of existing bike shelter, alterations to existing car park, alterations to pedestrian access and vehicular access to include enlargement of vehicular crossover, with associated landscaping and waste storage.

d) Harlyn School – Planning Permission for the enlargement of the school and associated works has now been granted.

e) 7 Hillside Rise –is within an area of Special Local Character. The appeal against the decision of the LPA to refuse permission for a very large two storey extension was refused on 12th March 2013.

f) Hillingdon Housing and Tenancy Strategy Meeting

AH reported on a meeting she recently attended;

The main thing that came out from the meeting was the "Right to Buy" which can give up to 75% discount, capped to £75k depending on the tenant’s rights etc. The Council is introducing this new policy to keep up to date with the changing needs and changing government policy. The Government's new flexible tenancy policy will only apply to new tenancies:

i). HillingdonCouncil has a total of 17,000 homes, 10,500 of which are Council homes and the rest are Housingassociation. As well as these homes, the council uses privately rented accommodation on a short term i.e. 2-5 year basis. The Council would secure more privately rented accommodation for people that the council has astatutoryobligation to house.

ii). Each year 700-750 homes are re-let.

iii). 12,000 people are on the Council housing register waiting list.

iv). The Council has a priority to deliver more housing/ affordable housing in the Borough and have identified sites where 5,500 more homes can be built. The Council will insist on them being built to lifetime standard homes. The Council wants to have affordable housing, which should reflect the needs of larger families.

v). The Council is also looking to increase the stock of supported housing e.g. flats with wardens or small bungalows on a development with the same sort offacilities.

vi). The Council has fourbandings from A to D. A being the highest need, to D being someone who needs advice more than a direct need for housing, but are put on the register currently. Under the new proposal, band D would not be put on the housing register but would still be helped by the Council.

vii). Registered providers (Social landlord, Council and housing association) are looking into ending the ‘tenancy for life’ policy for new tenants. It will become‘five year + 1 yearprobation’ with a review in the last year. Exceptions would be older people in sheltered housing.

viii). Also proposed are shorter tenancies for people who are fostering. There will be a 2 year + 1 year probationary period when they would be assessedwhether they still need the housing after that time period.

ix). Specialist accommodation for people who need support and are living in independent accommodation, but with someone on site to help them; would be the exception to the fixed term and review rule.

x). Households whose income has increased to £60,000 or more since they first got their tenancy would be asked to pay either 80% of the market rent, or be asked to leave and rent in the private sector or buy their own home.

xi). In the future, new tenancies would be limited to one succession e.g. in the event of a spouse passing away, the surviving spouse would succeed the tenancy or there could be one passing from a parent to a child. If both parents were deceased, then surviving children would not automatically succeed the tenancy and would have to go through the system of being assessed for accommodation.

xii). The UK Government is setting a maximum limit for the benefits, the Council has a pot (not large) of Discretionary Housing Payment to top up client's shortfall in rent for a short time while they arrange alternatives for their needs.

xiii). Ex - service personnel would get extra priority and that applies to the families of service personnel as well, but would be assessed (for families).

xiv). People who work would also be given priority on the housing register.

xv). To be on thepermanentsocial housing register, the applicants would have to have been Hillingdon residents for 10 years or more. This does not apply to emergency housing needs applicants e.g. the homeless.

xvi). People withassets or savings of more than £30,000 savings would not be allowed to be on the register.

xvii). Couples over 21 without children who are in work would be given priority as well.

xviii). Those who are offered housing through the Council's bidding for social home process on the locator system, but do not take it, would be banned for bidding for sometime.

(Copies of the slide presentation given at the meeting are available from AH on request).

g) Changes to Planning Law -Article 4 - The Chairman reported on a meeting he recently attended at which Charles Tannock, our MEP, Nick Hurd, MP, and Cllr David Simonds, Deputy Leader of Hillingdon all spoke. The latter confirmed that Hillingdon would opt out of the changes to Planning Law being proposed by Government and adopt Article 4. Basically this means Hillingdon’s Planning policy will remain as at present. Upon refusal, applicants could still make an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol who would review any appeal in line with Article 4, not Government policy. The A4 direction cannnot come into force until changes have been made to the legislation, so it will take a year for the A4 to become active, within which time, 12 months, anything can happen.

g) Sheila Liberty Bridge. The Leader of the Council has given a special dispensation to name the bridge, which links Eastcote House Gardens(Eastcote/East Ruislip ward) with the Long Meadow (NH ward);after the late Sheila Liberty in recognition of the work she did on the restoration of Eastcote House Gardens. The Mayor will unveil a plaque on a date yet to be agreed.

7. Health – Report submitted by Community Voice

HL agreed to contact Joan Davis, to discuss the possibility of him attending Community Voice as a representative of NHRA.

ARly had discussed with Ros Plume the option of NHRA & NRA sharing representation at some meetings.

a)Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group’s inheritance of £15m debt: Joan Davis, and Tony Chairman of Northwood Residents’ Association, met Nick Hurd MP. They discussed many issues, but the most serious was the impact on local people of the £15m debt incurred by Hillingdon Primary Care Trust being repaid over the next three years by Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group. Local people were not responsible for this debt and it is grossly unfair that they should suffer loss of NHS services in order for it to be repaid. A letter of response to the question of the legality of the PCT handing over the debt to the PCG has been received from Lord Howe. It reads like a letter written by a “Sir Humphrey” and doesn’t appear to answer the question! (Copies are available from the Chairman on request)

Nick Hurd agreed to contact the other Hillingdon MPs, John Randall and John McDonnell, with a view to them working together to influence the Health Secretary to reconsider this important issue.

b)Community Voice subscriptions fall due on April 1st: Action FM.

c)NHS North West London’s decisions on “Shaping a Healthier Future” 19th February 2013 - The preferred Option ”A” was agreed, but with some concessions.

• There will be five major hospitals with 24/7 A&Es, urgent care centres, trauma, emergency surgery, intensive care, paediatric in-patients and maternity services – Chelsea & Westminster, Hillingdon, Northwick Park, St Mary’s, West Middlesex. They all require major investment to meet their roles.
• Four others will act as local hospitals with 24/7 urgent care centres – Ealing, Central Middlesex, Charing Cross and Hammersmith.
• Hammersmith will be both a local and specialist hospital with an obstetric-led maternity unit as well as continuing to provide specialist services including cardiothoracic, colorectal, urology, transplantation, and gynaecology and cancer services.
• Central Middlesex will be a local and an elective hospital.
• Charing Cross will be a local hospital with diagnostics and acute and community outpatients.
• The Western Eye Hospital and Charing Cross hyper acute stroke service will go to St Mary’s.
• Out of hospital services will be developed over the period to 2017/2018, with up to 30 hubs across NW London. Community services / integration between NHS and Social Services will be developed before hospital services are removed.

The concessions were that both Ealing Hospital and Charing Cross Hospital were supported in their CCGs’ proposals for them to develop integrated services for primary, secondary and community health services with social care. They must provide business cases for those proposals and their rebuilding programs. Their plans must be consistent with the plans for NW London as a whole.

Implementation of the proposals is expected to take 3-5 years, with no closure of existing facilities until replacement services are operational. £190m will be invested in Out of hospital care, plus large sums to improve the services at the five major hospitals.

A hub for local community health services in North Hillingdon is expected to be developed at either Mount VernonHospital or on the Northwood and PinnerCommunityHospital site. It is unclear when that important decision will be taken. The Community Voice remains committed to the Northwood and Pinner site being used to the benefit of local people.

d) The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

i). Finance: The Trust’s financial risk rating continues at 3, as required for a Foundation Trust but all Divisions significantly underachieved their savings plans, a total shortfall of £530k against plan.

ii). Performance: January had the highest number of emergency admissions since December 2010. Each month more blue light ambulances arrived, with patients more seriously ill – 117 in October 2012; 149 in January 2013. To meet this demand, staffing has been increased too, with an extra doctor working 6pm to 2am and an extra nurse working a late and night shift. The revenue generated by this additional activity was highly suppressed by the national tariff caps. The Trust is paid for only 73% of last year’s re-admissions rate, which has generated £1.75m of unfunded activity to date.

iii). Cancellation of operations on the day of admission:Between April and September 2012 the Trust cancelled 62 operations against the London average of 160 and the NW London average of 120, but the Trust compares unfavourably on rescheduling such operations within 28 days.

iv). Fractured neck of femur operations: The target, to operate within 36 hours, was achieved for 10 of the 13 patients - average time for them all was 32 hours. One breached by 10 hours due to dementia - refusing to go to theatre and wanting the operation done at home! The second breached because no HDU bed was available for post-operative care. The third had medical complications.

vi). Clostridium difficile penalties: The penalty for each breach above the target of 24 cases is £275k up to a maximum of £2.75m equivalent to 10 breaches. There was much discussion about the range of steps to prevent further cases in view of the penalty. Particular antibiotic prescribing is significantly curtailed to reduce the risk of additional cases, but there has to be a balancing between that risk and the value of particular antibiotics for specific patients.

vii). Mortality rates: The Trust has had higher mortality rates amongst patients admitted at weekends compared with weekday admissions. This caused the Board concern and is being addressed.

e) Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group

i). Handover and Closure: In readiness for the abolition ofPrimary Care Trusts on 1st April 2013, work is underway for a smooth handover of responsibilities from Hillingdon PCT to Hillingdon CCG.

ii). Finance: The PCT’s forecast deficit is £21.2 m at year-end, offset by awards - plus a loan of £15m from Brent PCT, repayable over three years. Year to date overspend on CCG budgets was £8.8m.

8.Police Report

The new structure within the Borough was confirmed by AJ, with the Ruislip, Harefield, Northwood and Northwood Hills Wards all moving to Ruislip. AJ was likely to have all 3 Safer Neighbourhood ward teams under her command. Completion of the new structure was thought to be scheduled for June. There would be 1PC & 1 PSO per Ward and they were unlikely to be pulled from the Ward for other duties. AJ very much hopes that this will result in more visible policing with more community engagement activities. There will not be a car available to each ward team, they may be dropped off by minibus for each shift, or use bicycles. Agreed to request if her boss would speak for 5 minutes at the AGM. AJ