Meeting held at the Ecology Centre in Holland Park.

Present: Committee Members
Judy de Haas - Chairman
Natalie Cutler - Secretary
Katy Michael - Treasurer
AnnieArmandias
John Cowdry
Keith Flaffan
Ciannait Tait

The Chairman introduced police officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team Holland Ward, headed by PC Hughes and PC Clifford Alexander, together with lgnatious Foday, Jasmine Heath, Marc Andrews and Leon Louis. Crime Prevention: The area has a lot of theft from motor vehicles and cards to deter thieves were available to put in car windows (which should never be left open). Marker pens were also made available for marking property, marking visible only under UV light, as well as DNA kits which were available to residents on request to mark mobiles, DVD‘s and so forth with house number and postcode. Each DNA can be registered on line. These kits were free trom the police but retail at £70 each. Holland Ward has some of the lowest crime figures and these have improved from last year for burglaries and robberies. Figures peak during the summer months with opportunists looking for open windows, and scaffolding is also a magnet. Crime Prevention Officers are always available to give advice and should be informed so that they can leaflet residents if scaffolding is going to be erected. Neighbourhood Watch: schemes require people to run them although little work is involved. Volunteers welcomed. Local Policing Plan: At the end of June this will come into effect, Holland Ward working in
conjunction with Camden Ward. Priorities will be set by residents. Stop and Search: 151 stops in the last 2 months. Scams: Police advise any type should be reported to prevent others being affected.

Councillors Fielding Mellon, Lightfoot and Collinson were present and took questions from the floor. Many present were disturbed by the number of basement excavations. Mr. Huhne reported recent work at numbers 45, 25 and 51. Councillor Fielding Mellon understood how disruptive they were but explained that the Council was restricted within planning legislation, particularly by developers trying to push boundaries. Those present were directed to Holland Ward City Living Local Life newslink. Many speakers from the floor were upset and felt the law was not robust. They felt Messrs, Pickles, Bowles and Ritkind should be pressed to tighten the law. Unfortunately it appeared that both Labour and the Coalition were softening the planning law. Disturbance was a private matter not covered by planning law, Neither does planning law cover suspected money laundering. Councillors stated that the Floyal Borough was exceptional as most other boroughs wanted looser planning legislation. lt was suggested that Malcolm Ftitkind be invited to our next meeting and shown examples of disruptive basement excavation. John Cowdry emphasised the importance ol party wall agreements which demand deposits and insurance. Katy Michael mentioned excavations under gardens which could, or would later, cause drainage problems. These too should be part of the party wall agreement.

The Minutes of the 2012 AGM were approved and accepted.

Katy Michael presented the accounts which were also approved and accepted. General contributions from filming were less than previously and the account balance reduces year on year. David de Haas felt there should be a higher tee demanded in future. The membership tee had been suspended and he suggested that the balance in hand (over £4,000) be spent on something of benefit to Holland Ward - perhaps something commemorative in Holland Park. However, the Chairman and officers felt that the Friends of Holland Park were reasonably well funded for this sort of project and that it was important to keep a fighting fund in case of emergencies. There was also a need to update the webshe. It was also possible that the Ecology Centre, which did not charge for use for our annual meeting, may charge in the future. The Treasurer felt that help would be welcomed in filing the accounts on time in future as it was a complex process.

The Chairman resigned after 10 years in office and was given a round of applause from the floor and thanks from all present for her hard work. The Committee was also thanked. A new Chairman, Katy Michael, was proposed and accepted. lt was felt that there were still many issues we needed to address and the Residents’ Association provides weight in exerting pressure to resolve them. Residents brought up the subject of parking and the Ukranian embassy. Emma Kamen from No, 63 reported that she and a colleague had been making a note of number plates and had, in one day, noted 17 cars reputedly from this embassy. The Chairman noted that many diplomats lived in the area but it was agreed that the Chairman would write to the Council and/or the Foreign Office using the information collected by Emma. One resident reported that the Director of Transport had been extremely helpful in matters of this kind.

Any Other Business; It was reported that Waitrose wish to open in Notting Hill or Holland Park but as Tesco owned the site on which the new Lords store had just opening in Holland Park they were determined to keep out competition. The committee was asked to address this issue and agreed to try to do so.

lt was agreed that the next AGM will take place on Monday, 9th June 2014 at the Ecology Centre in Holland Park.

The meeting closed at 8.30 p.m.