Agenda and minutes

Appendix A lists those Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs), which have satisfactorily completed the registration process at the date of despatch of this agenda. It gives details of the representatives of those TRAs to be co-opted onto the DMC, in accordance with the constitution, together with the names of the substitutes.

Appendix B lists those TRAs whose registrations have lapsed. If a TRA wishes to register it must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM), open to all members, once a year (with an independent observer in attendance). The minutes must be sent to the Tenant Participation Service together with a membership list and a completed registered form.

The DMC considered the list of registered tenant and resident associations (TRAs) provided by the Tenant Participation Service listed at Appendix A to the agenda and those TRAs whose registration had lapsed, which were listed at Appendix B.

Apologies for absence were received from Mansfield Road TRA.

To agree the election of Chair for 2024/25 meeting year.

RESOLVED –

THAT Terence Ewing be elected Chair of Gospel Oak DMC for the 2024/ 2025 municipal year.

Maitland Park TRA

The Chair had agreed to allow the representative from Maitland Park to address the Committee. This would be heard after item 8: Constitution and Code of Conduct.

Chair’s contact information

The Chair requested that their contact information be included on agendas. Officers agreed to take this away and said that if it was not possible, they would circulate the Chair’s contact information to Committee members.

No declarations were made.

To elect up to two Vice-Chairs of the DMC for the 2024/25 meeting

year, including a senior Vice-Chair to become acting Chair should the

need arise.

RESOLVED –

       I.          THAT Daniel Key and Rita Thorpe be elected as Vice-Chairs of Gospel Oak DMC for the remainder of the 2024/25 municipal year.

     II.          THAT Daniel Key be elected as Senior Vice-Chair.

There was no such business.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Gospel Oak DMC held on 7 March 2024 and to consider the progress report.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2024.

A member asked if a correction could be made under item 7: Update on Housing Transformation Programme. The minutes referred to Maitland Park Villas, this should be Maitland Park Estate instead.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes be agreed, subject to the correction above.

To agree the DMC’s Constitution and Code of Conduct as set out in the attached documents.

Included are proposed amendments from the Chair.

Consideration was given to the Constitution and the Code of Conduct.

The discussion was introduced by the Chair, who outlined proposed amendments.

RESOLVED –

       I.          THAT the amendments to the Constitution, as found in the agenda, be agreed.

     II.          THAT the Code of Conduct and Constitution be agreed for the 2024/ 2025 municipal year.

To consider the report of the Community Safety Programme Manager

This report provides an update of the work of the Community Safety Service Anti-Social Behaviour Task Force pilot to date.

Consideration was given to the report of the Community Safety Programme Manager. After a brief introduction by the Community Safety Officer, the Committee discussed the report.

The representative from Barnfield and Woodfield TRA asked about the ongoing issues on their estate and whether any action was being taken, the Community Safety Officer responded that patrols had been increased, warnings given out and a plan had been formed.

The Chair commented that DMC members were welcome to attend safer neighbourhoods meetings where they could raise specific issues.

In response to a question about online anti-social behaviour (ASB) forms, the Community Safety Officer said that when an issue was raised it would either be sent to ASB officers, for low or medium complexity cases, or passed on to community safety officers, for complex cases, where it would be logged on a case management system.

The Committee asked whether it would be viable for TRAs to receive updates on Estate ASB work. The Community Safety Officer agreed to look into whether updates on anti-social behaviour could be included on the website.

Action by: Community Safety Officer

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.

The Chair allowed the representative from Maitland Park TRA to address the Committee in relation to the new community hall in the Maitland Park Estate.

The representation contained the following key points:

·       The TRA said that they had been told that use of the hall would be given to them to replace the TRA Hall that existed before the redevelopment of the estate.

·       It had been 9 months since the community hall had been completed and, whilst the TRA had been able to use the hall on two occasions, they had still not been given full access to the hall.

·       Due to the difficulty in getting access to the hall, the TRA had been unable to provide activities for the community.

In the discussion of the representation, the following comments were made:

·       The TRA had not been given a clear response to why the keys and use for the hall could not be handed over to them.

·       The TRA said that the use of the community had been initially confirmed to them at a public meeting before the redevelopment. They said that records of this meeting would exist, though they were difficult to find.

The Committee requested an update at the September meeting of the DMC, the Cabinet Member for Better Homes agreed to investigate the Maitland Park Community Hall and what had been agreed regarding its use and provide a response to the Committee.

Action by: the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

The Committee agreed to declare support for Maitland Park TRA being given use of the Community Hall.

RESOLVED –

THAT Gospel Oak DMC support the primary use of Maitland Park Community Hall being given to the Maitland Park TRA.

Report of Project Manager, Supporting Communities.

This report provides an update on our project to improve parking on Camden's estates.

Consideration was given to the report of the Project Manager, Supporting Communities. The report was introduced by the Estate Parking and Access Manager.

In the discussion of the report, residents asked about protected bays for blue badge holders. The Estate Parking and Access Manager said that numbered, individual bays would not be viable because of the legal framework of parking controls. Residents would be able to apply for a disabled bay.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.

Report of the Green Space Operations Manager.

This report seeks to provide an update on service delivery, concerns, challenges and respond to queries from GODMC reps on their experience of the service in their district.

Consideration was given to the report of the Green Space Operations Manager, who introduced the report.

In the discussion of the report the following comments were made:

In response to a question from the Committee, the Green Spaces Operations Manager explained that the grass cutting of green spaces was carried out according to a schedule. If complaints were received about certain areas, the frequency of cutting could be changed.

A Committee member asked about the process of DMC gardening bids being required to go through grounds maintenance team as they were concerned with the lack of variety in suggested planting. The Green Spaces Operations Manager said that the grounds maintenance team recommended sustainable planting that was high impact with reduced maintenance costs. The team were happy to share a list of suggested plants with any bid.

The Committee discussed gyms in parks and whether they were good use of space. The Green Spaces Operations Manager commented that outdoor gyms in parks would be looked at and reviewed.

Committee members asked about the spraying of weeds on estates, the Green Spaces Operations Manager said that there was pressure to stop using herbicides completely and that they could only be used on hard standing, invasive species. The repairs team could be engaged to see if problem areas could be pointed, this would help prevent weeds from growing. The Green Space Operations Manager agreed to circulate the programme of weed spraying on estates in the Borough.

Action by: the Green Spaces Operations Manager

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.

Report of Housing and Repairs

This reportprovides a progress update on the work of a collective of officers and DMC chairs reviewing the process for allocation of, management and monitoring of the DMC budget and bidding process.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted

Report of the Head of Tenancy Services.

In line with the DMC funding guidelines, TRAs will be asked to provide an update to the meeting regarding the progress of agreed bids, including an update on the associated spend. TRAs are invited to circulate any relevant information in advance through the clerk.

TRAs are encouraged to submit bids as soon as possible, so they can be properly assessed and prepared by officers, ready for submission to the DMC. TRAs are reminded that verbal bids cannot be accepted at DMC meetings as, in line with the guidelines, officers need to be able to assess bids before passing them to the DMC.

For more information on DMC bids, please see our webpages: www.camden.gov.uk/dmcbids.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Landlord Services. The after an introduction by the Neighbourhood Manger, the committee considered the bids.

Kiln Place – Noticeboards

The bid was introduced by the representative from Kiln Place TRA, who gave details and breakdown of the bid.

RESOLVED –

THAT the bid from Kiln Place TRA be approved.

Kiln Place - Community sports activity for Half terms & summer holiday

The bid was introduced by the representative from Kiln Place TRA, who gave details and breakdown of the bid.

In response to questions from the Committee, the representative from Kiln Place TRA gave the following information:

·       The activity was well engaged, with sometimes 25- 30 children attending.

·       The coach was accredited and DBS checked.

·       The activity was not means tested.

·       Leaflets would be sent to all TRAs in Gospel Oak.

RESOLVED –

THAT the bid from Kiln Place TRA be approved.

Kiln place – Memorial Garden

The bid was introduced by the representative from Kiln Place TRA, who gave details and breakdown of the bid.

A member of the Committee asked whether the estate where the proposed garden was located had been engage. The Landlord Services Manager said that officers were satisfied that all processes had been followed.

Some of the Committee commented that the money for this project could be used in a different way to make a difference to those struggling financially.

A Committee member said that every year there is DMC funds that are left unspent, agreeing this bid would not prevent the DMC from funding other projects brought to them.

RESOLVED –

THAT the bid from Kiln Place TRA be approved.

Cressfield Sheltered housing

The bid was introduced by the Neighbourhood Manager, who gave details and breakdown of the bid.

RESOLVED –

THAT the bid from Cressfield Sheltered Housing be approved.

Dunboyne Road

The bid was introduced by the representative from Dunboyne Road TRA, who gave details and breakdown of the bid.

RESOLVED –

THAT the bid from Dunboyne Road TRA be approved.

Residents action day 2024 working group

RESOLVED –

THAT the bid for the Resident Action Day be rejected.

Asbestos management plan

The representative from Gospel Oak 7 & 8 TRA raised that there had been some incidents with asbestos on their estate. An update on the asbestos management plan was requested.

Action by: Tenant Participation Officer

There was no such business.