MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HOLLAND PARK RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION HELD AT 6.30 p.m. ON MONDAY JUNE 17TH 2024 AT THE ECOLOGY CENTRE HOLLAND PARK

(Draft to be approved)

1. Welcome, introduction and apologies

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

1.2 JC presented apologies from Councillor Lucy Knight and a small number of members, as per register..

2. Policing - Safer Neighbourhood Team (Holland Ward)

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: RB said he was about to leave Holland Ward to take up another post, and he was thanked for his fine and long contribution to neighbourhood policing. The current team is listed at the web address above).

2.3 Statistics: Recent ward-wide statistics can be found at the web address above (with monthly data roughly 3 months in arrears). Please also see table below:

2.4 Police action / advice: anticipated with the restructuring of the Ward (and wider Met), even more engagement would be achievable.

2.5 RB gave a live update on a then-current incident of a roof intruder in Russell Gardens, and left the meeting to attend to that.

3 Please note: during the time of preparing these minutes, we obtained some more area-specific crime stats from our Holland Ward Officer. Please see table below.

4 Councillor's Forum

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

4.2. As a reminder to members, our ward Councillors are:

4.2.1. AA, on Environment Select Committee (including Flood Risk Management Working Group), Licensing Committee, Planning Applications Committee, Planning Committee; elected 2018;

4.2.2. JT, Lead Member for Finance, Customer Services & Net Zero Council; elected 2018; and

4.2.3. Lucy Knight, Chair Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee; on Licensing Committee and Inner West London Mental Health Services Reconfiguration Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee; elected 2022.

4.3. Priorities: JT mentioned the Grenfell report, due in September. Ward initiatives: working with the Friends of Holland Park on a new café in the park; over 70s lunch; Saturday community breakfast (at St John’s Church – volunteers welcome).

5. Matters arising from Minutes of 2023 AGM

5.1. None of record.

6. Presentation of 2023 Accounts

6.1. JC presented the accounts in his capacity as acting Treasurer. The account summaries were handed to all attendees. The HPRA finances remain healthy.

6.2. The HPRA now pays bank fees of £5 per month.

6.3. Donations will be increased in 2024 (donee ideas welcome – to JC).

7. Issues affecting residents

7.1. Traffic calming measures (including Holland Park Traffic Action Group – “HPTAG”):

7.1.1. Speed / volume:

7.1.1.1. HPTAG has appointed a Traffic Consultant to look at street safety and at possible solutions to the issue of the excessive speed and volume of traffic using our residential streets; which is to say, how to prevent commuter traffic from using our residential streets as a cut-through / rat-run;

7.1.1.2. Sinusoidal humps have been installed – trade-off between speed and noise; the installation should in the view of the HPRA not be regarded as a success, as the volume of traffic (including HGVs) continues to be unacceptably high, as does the speed at which the traffic travels (the average speeds are over the speed limit of 20mph, even with the bumps in situ);

7.1.1.3. JT: Council unlikely to add resource to Holland Park, as it has already received speed bumps;

7.1.1.4. Knightsbridge has a Public Space Protection Order against noisy cars and motorbikes. Seems also to cover the whole Borough Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) Nuisance Vehicles Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (rbkc.gov.uk).

7.1.1.5. Acoustic cameras: the one on Holland Road was one of the first in the country. The restraint on resources for monitoring precludes adding more noise cameras;

7.1.1.6. Solution?: the issues are the “art of the possible” and priorities. JT: the best hopes are the traffic bumps and (enforcement of?) the 20 mph speed limit.

7.1.2. Enforcement: JT: There is a disincentive in the speed-fining structure (Council sets speed limits; Police enforce; Treasury keeps the fines).

7.1.3. Refuse vehicles: It was suggested the Council should ask / require refuse vehicles (when not actually collecting garbage on our streets) to use Holland Park Avenue, and not “rat run” down Holland Park.

7.1.4. Construction Traffic Management Plans (CTMPs): should avoid heavy vehicles on minor roads. (Action: JC to email JT).

7.1.5. Issue of illegal cycling (on pavements / shooting through red traffic lights, etc)

7.1.5.1. Enforcement – the Police and Mayor

7.1.5.2. Electric bikes – it will take a couple of years to agree a cross-London byelaw;

7.1.5.3. Delivery scooters: exponential increase. JT meets companies, but Local Authorities have no power over them;

7.1.5.4. Solution?: JC suggested the key is a higher volume of reporting of offences, each and every time one is spotted / encountered.

7.2. TfL’s Holland Park Roundabout cycle-infrastructure proposal:

7.2.1. Thought likely to be approved post-Election. Members will be kept updated.

7.3. Notting Hill Gate “improvement” consultation:

7.3.1. A Borough initiative, including road / pavement widening proposals. JT doubted JC’s concern that a cycle lane might subsequently be added, to from a link between the Holland Park Roundabout (proposed cycle infrastructure) and NHG.

7.3.2. Parts specifically relevant to the HPRA include:

7.3.2.1. The proposed Pembridge Gardens road closure; and

7.3.2.2. Newcombe House, a two year building project and later initiatives. Suggested that no significant / lasting traffic interventions should be done on NHG until such time as the impacts of the development of Newcombe House have been assessed.

7.4. Planning update:

7.4.1. Applications reviewed: Reviewed partly in the context of the written Conservation Area principles. Numbers 6, 7, 12, 22 & 37 Holland Park applications reviewed. Some will improve the area; others are “OK”; some have basements.

7.4.2. Enforcement: big issues are (i) breaches; and (ii) work beyond the Council approval. Enforcement is hard for the Council.

7.4.3. Action: send any applications of concern to VB. HPRA will continue to try and scrutinise applications as and when they are lodged.

7.5. Membership update:

7.5.1. Increase of just 7 members in 2023, and one in 2024 by the time of the AGM.

7.5.2. Reminder to encourage contacts to join!

7.6. Filming update:

7.6.1. Had just 3 films / photoshoots in 2023, with HPRA receiving donations totalling £1,300.

7.7. Security issues:

7.7.1. Scaffolding: close windows when scaffolding is up.

7.7.2. “Buzzing in”: should not happen other than for an expected person, and the person letting someone in should check he/she leaves;

7.7.3. Consider using / installing locking gates onto the pavement, perhaps to be controlled by way of key fobs. This would create an additional layer of security for a property.

7.7.4. Generally, be vigilant!

8. Election of Residents’ Association Committee

8.1. In the absence of any volunteers or nominations, the incumbents were all re-elected until the next AGM:

8.1.1. John Cowdry – re-elected as Chairman (JC indicated that, after ±10 years, it was time for a ‘new broom’ and asked members to consider putting themselves forward for next year);

8.1.2. Judy de Haas – re-elected;

8.1.3. Vanessa Batulovic – re-elected.

8.2. A vote of thanks to the Committee was moved from the floor.

9. Approval of date of next AGM

9.1. Monday, 16th June 2025 suggested and approved.

9.2. Members asked to diarise.

10. Any other business

10.1. Holland Park Mews arch:

10.1.1. It is listed. Slowly collapsing/crumbling, perhaps related to proximate basement / construction work.

10.1.2. The arch is on a register of unclaimed community assets, as ownership is unknown.

10.1.3. Action: apply for funds in next round of Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) grants?

10.2. Appeal for single beds: being sought by Rugby Portobello Trust.

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