MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HOLLAND PARK RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION HELD AT 6.30 p.m. ON MONDAY JUNE 19TH 2023 AT THE ECOLOGY CENTRE HOLLAND PARK

1. Welcome, introduction and apologies

1.1 John Cowdry [JC], Chairman, welcomed and introduced the Met Police officers, PC Adam Cottis [AC] and PC Rachid Benhsain [RB]; Councillors Aarien Areti [AA] and Johnny Thalassites [JT]; committee member Judy de Haas [JdH]; and welcomed all HPRA members (attendance as per register).

1.2 He presented apologies from four members, as per register.

2. Policing - Safer Neighbourhood Team

2.1 What was covered: A brief report, and questions from the floor. Background data can be found at www.met.police.uk (in the Search block, type “Holland”)

2.2 Team: AC, RB and Sergeant Vinnie Costa (not present; he also covers Campden Ward).

2.3 Statistics: AC reported that the crime level in our ward is low. Recent ward-wide stats are:

2.4 Burglary:

2.4.1 Perpetrators: Mainly organised crime groups seeking high value items. Thieves seem to know the layouts of the big houses (Mews houses are less targeted). Also the occasional opportunist.

2.4.2 High value items: handbags (so take a note of the serial number located inside expensive designer ones!); safes.

2.4.3 Access: Generally via scaffolding, sometimes with site ladders left unlocked by accomplices in scaffolding teams. Also by abseilers who spot weakpoints in otherwise inaccessible windows. Back gardens generally are not very secure (Police advice: put in spiky plants; carefully placed flower pots can impede landing when climbing over walls).

2.4.4 Timing: Generally dusk onwards. Often houses have been watched for lights and occupants. Police recommendation: use a timer, and leave lights on overnight.

2.4.5 Police action / advice: Attended all burglaries and gave advice on security (e.g. keeping sash windows (double-) locked). Spoke to site manager at each site (e.g. asking for netting to be installed around scaffolding; and about managers knowing who is on the site; and about scaffolding teams, as staff turnover is often high). Triggered alarms should notify an alarm company automatically (even errors like activation by crows). Victims should give the Police any video evidence including ‘Ring’ (etc.) doorbell footage; Police will decide whether image resolution is adequate. There are local “Designing Out Crime Officers” (DOCO) focusing on the “secured by design” programme, which is a Met Police initiative. Advice can be found at www.met.police.uk (in the Search block, type “crime prevention”).
JC advice: Vet cleaners / staff properly. Locked gates on front boundaries can discourage burglars. Make sure contractors know their sub-contractors well.

2.5 Vehicle crime:

2.5.1 General: Other wards are worse. Car crime is often linked to prison releases. Leaving windows open in locked cars helps opportunists.

2.5.2 Theft from vehicles: Reduced following a plain-clothes officer initiative.

2.5.3 Fraudulent “crashes”: A member reported involvement in NW London in an attempted fraudulent claim for £85,000 for personal injury in a staged motorbike “accident”, requiring onerous potential attendance as witness in court. His advice was to take numerous photos. AC confirmed vehicular “crash” insurance scams are very common.

2.6 Cycles and scooters / mopeds:

2.6.1 Offences: Cycling on pavements, shooting lights, dumped rental bikes, use of e-scooters (other than hired ones).

2.6.2 Police action: They seize bikes used illegally. Contact lessors (that is, the cycle-hire companies) to charge lessees for misuse (e.g. until cycle returned to docking station/area). Have seized 16 delivery mopeds and sought deportation of illegal immigrant drivers.

2.7 Begging:

2.7.1 Reporting: Seems to come under “rough sleeping” on the Council’s website www.rbkc.gov.uk (search “rough sleeping”). AC pointed members towards the Council’s Street Population Outreach Team, which uses the StreetLink reporting system (email streetoutreach@rbkc.gov.uk).

2.7.2 The Council website states: “We will issue persistent or aggressive beggars with a warning letter, followed by a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO). Breaching the conditions of a CBO may result in a prison sentence” (see www.streetlink.org.uk).

2.8 Reporting of incidents generally: Members urged always to report infringements using the email address: AWMailbox-.SNTBSHolland@met.police.uk.

3.1 JT was present throughout meeting; others sent apologies, as noted.

3. Councillors’ Forum

3.1 AA and JT were present throughout most of the meeting.

3.2 As reminder to members, our ward Councillors are:

3.2.1 AA, on Environment Select Committee, Licensing Committee, Planning Applications Committee; elected 2018;

3.2.2 JT, Council Chief Whip; Lead Member for Finance and Customer Delivery; Vice Chair of Admin Committee; elected 2018; and

3.2.3 Lucy Knight, Chair Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee; on Licensing Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Committee; elected 2022.

3.3 Priorities: JT mentioned rebuilding trust post-Grenfell; striving for a “greener, safer, fairer” borough; low taxes.

3.4 Sale of Notting Hill Police Station: Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) is seeking to sell this landmark property. The issue is price maximisation (sale for prime residential development) vs. retention as a community asset with a police presence (the Council’s preference, supported by the HPRA). Sophie Linden (Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime) is the key person. JT said he would be happy if the past Kensington Society petition were reopened (new activity at the HPRA level not worthwhile).

3.5 Double glazing / PVC windows / heat pumps in listed buildings:

3.5.1 Windows: The consultation on certain exemptions (e.g. secondary glazing, not PVC) ended on 9.1.23. The current position seems unclear www.rbkc.gov.uk (search “sustainably retrofitting”, or the like.

3.5.2 Heat pumps: The national framework is yet to be settled, and a local debate is ongoing.

3.6 Number 78HP:

3.6.1 JC and a member have been trying to get the Council to intervene (badly maintained property).

3.6.2 The property has been empty for at least 15 years, and is becoming increasingly derelict. A shoddy hoarding surrounds the property at present.

3.6.3 Concerned residents asked to complain to the RBKC www.rbkc.gov.uk (search “report a problem”, or “enforcement”).

3.7 Holland Park Avenue noise:

3.7.1 The noise is on the uphill. Concerned members should increase the number of complaints to the RBKC. Feedback should be sent by email to traffic@rbkc.gov.uk

3.7.2 Noted that the Holland Road acoustic camera was effective, but costs the Council money, net of fines.

3.7.3 Suggestion to increase fines, to act as more of a deterrent.

3.7.4 No intention to change (reduce) the number of lanes on HPA.

3.8 Holland Park traffic:

3.8.1 It will take several months to assess the results of the completed survey of the south part, which covers speed, noise and vehicle type (e.g. HGV).

3.8.2 This is an on-going project that will continue to be monitored and actively pursued by the HPRA. Members strongly encouraged to report all speed infringements, also complaining about traffic volumes, the use of our streets by HGVs, etc. report to traffic@rbkc.gov.uk. Copy our Councillors

3.9 Basements:

3.9.1 No recent change to Council policy.

4. Approval of Minutes of 2022 and 2023 AGMs

4.1 After review by the Committee, the draft 2022 AGM Minutes were posted on the HPRA website within one month of an AGM, and were accepted as approved as [no comments were received] within a further month.

4.2 The draft 2023 AGM Minutes will be finalised and approved via the above process.

5. Presentation of 2022 Accounts, and finance intentions for 2023

5.1 JC presented the accounts in his capacity as acting Treasurer. The account summaries were handed to all attendees. Various income and expenditure items were highlighted in his presentation.

5.2 Noted that little revenue derives from the one-off £10 joining fee paid by new members, with most income coming from donations paid by companies using our streets for filming / photo-shoots.

5.3 Further noted that such activities with fewer than 10 people (crew, etc.) do not need permission from the RBKC Film Office (and hence also from the HPRA). HPRA only therefore approached by the RBKC Film Office when companies plan to have >10 people present on site.

5.4 Discussion of whether the HPRA should seek a bigger donation per event, to compensate for disruption. Not all members, especially Mews residents, are happy with the filming that takes place. The HPRA does admonish production companies and their clients to treat our streets and residents, and their privacy, with the greatest respect.

5.5 The HPRA finances remain healthy.

5.6 Donations will be roughly doubled in 2023 (two modest donations only were made in 2022).

6. Issues affecting residents

6.1 Membership update:

6.1.1 Membership is ±126 households out of a catchment of ±450..

6.1.2 “Selling points” for potential new members are on the HPRA website.

6.1.3 JC intends to repeat the “whole house challenge” in 2023 (to get all relevant people in an eligible house to join the HPRA), and challenged all members present to approach all of the other residents in their villa about joining (and Mews members to approach their neighbours).

6.2 Filming: see above under Accounts.

6.3 TfL tube noise:

6.3.1 The noise is worst from tubes travelling west, but the formal measurement some years ago was of tubes travelling east.

6.3.2 There has been little noticeable improvement from track being ground down in late March 2023. JC will contact TFL in a couple of weeks for new ideas. He recommended affected members complain, on an on-going basis, direct to TfL. This would be in tandem with the on-going correspondence between the HPRA and TfL.

6.4 Noisy leaf blowers:

6.4.1 JC has asked users he has seen to convert from petrol to (quieter) battery-operated blowers.                

6.4.2 All asked to help with this too. 

6.5 Slipping on pavements:

6.5.1 One member (north HP) reported a protruding / uneven paving stone caused a bad fall. Problems should be reported to streetline@rbkc.gov.uk 

6.5.2 JC and others commented that tree detritus around the flank of number 78 made the pavement slippery.

6.6 Notting Hill Carnival:

6.6.1 26th to 28th August 2023.

6.6.2 The Mews was closed in 2022. Double-parking was a problem on the Holland Parks, including impeding ambulance access.

6.6.3 RBKC Special Events has confirmed that the Mews will once again be closed this year, and used as a safety zone for the principal stewarding company for the Carnival.

6.6.4 Committee to consider ideas (e.g. more “risk of towing” signs, have a tow truck park in the street as a visible deterrent) to try to get better traffic controls on the streets called Holland Park.

7. Election of Residents’ Association Committee

7.1 JC reported that Katy Michael had retired as a member of the committee, and thanked her, in absentia, for her many years of service to the HPRA and community.

7.2 Re-election of incumbents and election of new member:

7.2.1 John Cowdry – re-elected as Chairman (proposed by member Peter Michael and seconded by Judy de Haas);

7.2.2 Judy de Haas – re-elected;

7.2.3 Vanessa Batulovic – elected.

7.3 JC appealed for succession planning, as he has been in place for some time and thinks the HPRA could benefit from a new perspective.

7.4 A vote of thanks to the Committee was moved from the floor. The Constitution allows people to be co-opted on an ad hoc basis for specific tasks.

8. Date of next AGM

Monday 10th June 2024 is proposed.

9. Any other business

9.1 Trees:

9.1.1 JC reported the removal of a dangerous tree because of fungal infection. The Council notice period was deemed insufficient to let residents review whether to appeal.

9.2 Complaints process:

9.2.1 A member asked how a reply could be obtained to direct emails to the Council leader, Elizabeth Campbell.

9.2.2 A second member stated that sending both an individual and a separate HPRA complaint is likely to be more effective. Tony Devenish is the relevant Councillor for matters relating to the London Mayor’s Office.

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