Local entrepreneurs beat big businesses for local contracts

Camden's iCAM programme is now moving into a second phase - it's about helping small local businesses up their game and compete to win contracts from key developments in the borough. So far small businesses in Camden and Islington have been helped to win contracts worth £45m, creating or safeguarding 742 jobs across the two boroughs.

Special Conservation Measures for Swiss Cottage, Belsize and Hampstead

Hurrah! The consultations on the special conservation measures (aka "Article Four Directions") are now kicking off in Swiss Cottage, Belsize and Hampstead. I know that local amenity groups have campaigned for this for many years, and it is great that it is finally happening. It's been an important priority for the Conservative group on Camden Council.

Consultation letters will be sent to all households in the three conservation areas over the next couple of months. The consultation meeting dates are:

Belsize Conservation Area - Thursday 29th October, 630-8.30pm at Hampstead Town Hall, on Haverstock Hill

Hampstead Conservation Area – Monday, 9th November, Hampstead Town Hall, on Haverstock Hill

Swiss Cottage Conservation Area - Tuesday, 24th November 2009, 6.30-8.30pm at the O2 centre, 255 Finchley Road

As part of the consultation, Camden conservation officers have created a special discussion website on which anyone can post ideas or photos of buildings and architectural features they think important to conserve. A great idea, please get involved.

Direct rail route from Swiss Cottage to South-West London

On boarding a west bound North London Line train Roger Freeman was surprised to find that it was going direct to Clapham Junction via Shepherds Bush and Olympia. Investigation shows that there is a regular weekday direct service in the morning and evening rush hours.The next time you want a hassle free journey in the rush hour to/from the Swiss Cottage area and West/South West London give this a try.It does not seem to have been publicized at all.

Swiss Cottage Open Space grass area to close over winter

We've just heard as ward councillors from parks officers that the central grass area will sadly be closely over the winter. The background is that the central grass area has suffered due to excessive use over the summer, as we can all see. So, the council is having to close the central lawn around the fountain in order to reinstate the banks and sow new grass. In addition the dead trees will be replaced and all the flower borders re stocked.

The aim is that central lawn will be re opened in the early spring if establishment is as expected. Notices will be displayed to inform the park users.

This is disappointing, though good that improvement/reinstatement work is going to happen. We do have to learn the lessons and work out how to prevent the need for winter closure from happening again. With open space so limited, we have to find a way to ensure this green space can be used all year round by families and children in particular.

LibDem "mansion tax" a disaster for the elderly in this area

I am flabbergasted at the "mansion tax" policy that Vince Cable has just announced at the LibDem conference - a 0.5% property tax on the value of any property over £1m.

Many older people in the NW3/NW8/NW6 area are fortunate enough to live in houses that are now worth a lot of money, but are still living on modest fixed incomes (not least given the reduced income from savings).

For example, why should a widow in Frognal or Swiss Cottage living in the house her late husband bought 30 years ago and is now worth 1.5m now pay £2,500 more a year, in addition to a high council tax? This will force pensioners into forced "downsizing", selling homes they have lived in for decades.

In addition, non-political think-tank the Centre for Economics and Business Research has already calculated that the policy would reduce property values.

Camden LibDems have consistently criticised property taxes such as the council tax in the past. Will they condemn Vince Cable's new policy that - whatever its effects in most of England - is palpably wrong for local circumstances in Hampstead/Belsize/Swiss Cottage?

Happy Rosh Hashana, Happy Eid, Happy Puja

Shana Tova - Happy Rosh Hashana!

Eid Mubarak - Happy Eid!

Happy Durga Puja!

Wishing joyous and peaceful celebrations to all.

Roger Freeman
Don Williams
Andrew Marshall
Chris Philp

Haines site redevelopment

The redevelopment of the Haines site on the corner of Loudoun and Alexandra Roads was approved at the Development Control Committee on September 10. Cllr Don Williams spoke against the proposal, which involves the construction of a block up to 8 stories providing affordable housing, and Cllr Andrew Marshall was one of the councillors who voted against. It is important now that the construction management plan is strictly enforced, along with other conditions, to minimise the impact on those living nearby.

Update: additional NHS public meeting on Kilburn/West Hamp/Swiss Cottage polyclinic

An additional public consultation meetings has been organized by Camden NHS' Primary Care Trust on Primary and Urgent Care Strategy - not least thanks to lobbying by my colleague Roger Freeman.

This will be held on October 7th at the Abbey Road Community Centre, 222 Belsize Road (near junction with Abbey Road) from 1900 hours to 2030 hours. This will cover the whole range of primary and urgent care strategy including the feasibility of a 60,000 patient polyclinic in Kilburn which could affect all Swiss Cottage ward residents west of the Finchley Road.

GPs surgeries west of Finchley Road replaced by Polyclinic?

Roger Freeman has attended one of the public consultation meetings being organized by Camden NHS' Primary Care Trust on Primary and Urgent Care Strategy.This covers the whole health waterfront from dentistry to GP services to urgent care centres (designed to alleviate pressure on Hospital a & e departments).

There is a further meeting at the Atrium, Royal Free this coming Thursday September 17 from 1900 to 2030 for those interested in hearing the ideas and making their views known. Roger Freeman has added his voice to other local councillors to have such a meeting west of the Finchley Road and we will keep you informed of developments. Note that one of the ideas being raised is to have a polyclinic serving 60,000 people with the hub located in Kilburn.This would obviously affect many local people and raises very substantial issues. If you did not receive the questionnaire and want to comment get another copy from haveyoursay@camdenpct.nhs.uk to be returned by October 9th.

Perfect Day Street Festival - raising money for special needs children

The weather held, just, and the Perfect Day street festival in Avenue Road went fantastically well today, goodness knows just how money they will have raised for Swiss Cottage Special School. My colleague Cllr Chris Philp and I had a great time (as did our fearless photographer Sabbah Hussain), and learned more about all the planning that went into the event from organiser Marsha Lee, as well as the profit margin Elsworthy resident Stephen Massey made for the school by selling 1,000 hotdogs in an hour...

Camden officers facilitated the road closure and local consultation, but we must sit down and ensure as a council we do as much as possible to effectively support a community event like this. Well done to everyone involved.

Details of Consultation meetings for Marlborough Hill schools redevelopment

Westminster Council have now put up a website with more detail on their plans for the redevelopment of Quintin Kynaston and the George Eliot schools. The next consultation meetings are "drop-in" meetings with Westminster officers from 3.30-7.30pm on both Wednesday 30th September and Thursday 1st October, both at George Eliot junior school. We will continue to monitor developments very closely. After these meetings, the key dates are:

Early December – A planning application will be made for the new George Eliot Infants, Junior and the Alternative Provision Centre.
December 2009/January 2010 – A public exhibition to coincide with the statutory planning consultation period.
First quarter of 2010 – Formal consideration by Westminster's Planning Applications Sub-Committee.
Second quarter 2010 – Building work starts on the new George Eliot Infants, Junior and the Alternative Provision Centre.

Please support 'A Perfect Day' street festival for Swiss Cottage Special School this Sunday

Please do support A Perfect Day community street festival on Avenue Road this Sunday (13th), which is raising significant money for Swiss Cottage School for children with special needs. It's being opened by Maureen Lipman together with the Kings Troop at 1230 and will run until 5.30 with attractions (see link) including Darren Gough doing cricket workshops for kids. The BBC , ITV and even Hello magazine are covering the event and it should be a fantastic and worthwhile day for everyone. Camden has again agreed to close Avenue Rd for the event.

Fitzjohn's Avenue speed camera success

Just back from holiday; some good news in relation to Fitzjohn's Avenue speeding problems:

A new high tech speed camera system will be trialled in a busy Camden road following a successful bid by Camden Council. Camden is just one of four boroughs in the capital selected by Transport for London (TfL) to host an average speed camera pilot. The network of cameras is set to enforce a new 20mph limit in Fitzjohn’s Avenue by next summer – making this the first spot in Camden to have hump-free speed calming.

Speeding is a problem in Fitzjohn’s Avenue - a residential street surrounded by a large number of schools and a busy traffic route linking the north of the borough and central London. The Council has been working closely with residents to address these issues.

Cllr Chris Knight, Camden Council's Executive Member for Environment, said: "Cutting the number of people hurt or killed on Camden’s roads is a top priority. Our successful speed camera bid means we can now introduce the most up to date technology to slow drivers down and help keep residents and school children as safe as possible. This is very good news, which clearly shows the confidence Transport for London have in the quality of Camden staff."
This new pilot means that Fitzjohns Avenue will be the first road in the borough - and one of the first in the capital - where a 20mph speed limit will be enforced via average speed cameras.

The way the new cameras work means they communicate wirelessly – which means no pavements need digging up to put in metres of cables to connect them. The new pilot forms part of a wider range of Council proposals to tackle road safety, cut accidents and reduce car journeys to and from school, which Camden is set to begin consulting on shortly. There are already a number of roads within Camden with 20 mph zones which are self enforcing through the use of traffic calming. These have been very successful at reducing traffic speeds and accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists in Camden. On average assessments have shown a 61 per cent reduction in serious and fatal accidents in these zones.