West End Drugs Partnership

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MINUTES

Thursday 8th January 2004

The Vestry, St Giles-in-the-Field Church

St Giles High Street, London, WC1

15:00pm – 17:00pm

1.Attendance & Apologies

Inspector Des Rock West End Drugs Partnership Co-ordinator

Chief Inspector Claire Wynnick Deputy Chair – Camden Police (Holborn)

John Foreman Chair Elect

Angela Harvey Cllr WCC

Kim Church In & Around Covent Garden & CGBF

Amanda Rigby Covent Garden Community Association

Inspector Andy LaurieMarylebone Police Station

Edwina Mcpherson New Compton Street Association

Megan Jones Camden DAT & COM Safety

Ainsle O’Connor Westminster CDRT

Sharon Peppard Westminster DAAT

Jonathan Brady Chief Inspector Charing Cross Police Station

Jim Murray Bloomsbury Association

Tom Preest Head of Street Population Strategy – LBC

Jamie Taylor Bloomsbury Partnership & LGBT (Camden)

Jane Harbord LBC

Jim Sollars Obsever Managers Forum

Coreen Nugent Greater London Alcohol & Drug Alliance

Barry SearsonUniversity Of London

Dave Francis Camden Drugs Action Team

Roberta CudellEquinox Outreach Westminster (Observer)

Shona Beaton London Drug and Alcohol Network

Mark Rees London Drugs and Alcohol Network

Rita A Jones Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association

Peter HughesInspector MPS Camden Police (Holborn)

David Beida Soho Society

Apologies

Janet Haddington COW Street Population

Yasmin Rehman Community Safety Team (Camden)

Councillor Penny Abraham LB Camden Executive

Lucy Dawes GOL

Councillor Ian Adams

Mark Whitworth LBC – Environmental Department

Julian Davies St Giles

Lina Maslanka Westminster DAAT

Councillor Peter Brayshaw LB Camden – Bloomsbury Ward

Councillor Louise Hyams WCC

Caron Drummond NTA/GOL

Andy MckechnieMPS West End Central Police Station

Sue Vincent LBC Councillor

Michael O’ConorWEDP Managers Forum

2. / Minutes of last meeting 4th December 2003.
Des Rock chaired meeting in initial absence of Claire Wynnick
Read and agreed
Des Rock introduced Corren Nugent as observer who is carrying out research on behalf of Greater London Authority into community led projects that seek to tackle harm caused to communities by crack cocaine.
3. / Matters Arising
All dealt with below.
4. / New Independent Chair
Prof John Foreman from UCL has been selected for the position as Independent Chair. Amanda Rigby, Jamie Taylor and Des Rock interviewed him on 19th December 2003.

Introduction by Prof John Foreman

John Foreman gave a brief introduction to the group He was born in Devon and he came to London in 1967. He started out in Medical school, qualified in medicine and ended up an academic. Currently a member of UCL’s senior management team. He is Dean of Students for UCL
Extensive experience in Chairing groups and committees. In addition He also runs a Resident Association for a block of flats in North London.
His interest in taking this job on was his long attachment to the area and awareness of the concept of the problems the WEDP trying to tackle.
Looking forward to work with us all to move the process forward.
5. / Action Plan 2003/4

The group discussed the whole action plan at length and a number of amendments made.

The Action plan will be amended to reflect changes and forwarded to contacts responsible for collation of figures.
Figures are to be collated for the March meeting / Des Rock
6. / Project Updates

West End Anti Begging Campaign

Evaluation for the Anti Begging Campaign will hopefully be completed for the next meeting.

Removal of Telephone Kiosks

Camden council and BT have agreed for telephone boxes in Endell Street to be removed. St Giles is also in the pipeline.

Police tactics for drug users

Inspector Peter Hughes gave an update of filming. He has officers trained up and the tactic will be used for the next few weeks within the area.

Community Council Endell Street

First meeting has been provisionally made for 12th February 2004

Environmental changes

Funding of aaprox £31,000 obtained to complete environmental projects outstanding since lilac project. Paper circulated with details. All in Camden in vicinity of Charing Cross Rd and Shaftesbury Ave. These locations are the drug hotspots of cross border area and completion will ensure a successful exit strategy for Op Outeast. Site visits and commissioning already carried out due to short time deadlines. CClr Angela Harvey WCC expressed concern that no locations identified were in Westminster. / Des Rock
7. / Any Other Business
Jim Murray raised an issue that he had been informed that Camden had stopped all GP prescribing. Megan Jones stated this was incorrect and GP’s in Camden were prescribing
8. /

Next meeting:

THURSDAY 5TH FEBRUARY 2004
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
St GILES-IN-THE-FIELD CHURCH