MOTOR VEHICLE CRIME ON THE BEMERTON – URGENT APPEAL

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Stephan Schulte

HAT

 

Our Safer Neighbourhood's Team need your help!

The Community Bulletin Board just received this urgent appeal from Sgt. Michael Atkinson, Head of our local Caledonian Ward Safer Neighbourhood's Team.

Apparently, in the early hours of Friday 4th June 2010 there were 17 motor vehicles broken into and had property taken from them on the Bemerton Estate.

The Police are treating this extremely seriously and our Team are appealing to any witnesses with any information to contact their local police on 020 7421 0271.  Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

According to our Sgt, crime in Islington – including vehicle crime has gone down over several consecutive years, and the Police are currently working on reducing it further. This appears to be a one off incident and extra patrols have been moved to this area.

Further crime prevention advice can be found at www.met.police.uk/crime prevention

For more information about Islington Police go to or to read the latest Safer Neighbourhoods newsletter for Caledonian ward go to: www.met.police.uk/islington.

Please, if you know or have seen something that you feel could help get in touch with the local police ASAP.

And remember these crime prevention tips:

Basic Crime Prevention Measures

  • Most vehicle crime is preventable. It can take as little as 10 seconds for a thief to steal something from your car. If at all possible, leave nothing on view.

  • NEVER leave valuable items in your car, including sunglasses, the removable radio cover and your Sat Nav. Do you really need all those things you keep in the glove box?  It is good practice to leave the glove box empty and open when the vehicle is unattended.

  • Wipe away the Sat Nav suction mark on your windscreen.

  • Consider fitting anti-tamper screws to your number plate.

  • Never leave your car keys where they can be seen from the front door.

Vehicle Common Sense

Always: –

  • Close the windows and sunroof; lock the doors and activate any security devices when leaving your car unattended

  • Park with care, particularly at night or if you are leaving the vehicle for a long time. If possible, park in a busy, well-lit area.

  • Never leave cash, credit cards, chequebooks, mobile phones, vehicle documents or other valuables in the car.

  • Never leave your keys in the car, even for a second – treat them as you would your cash and credit cards.

 

Posted in Anti Social Behaviour, Crime etc | Leave a comment

Transition in King’s Cross – An event of possible interest at The Hub

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Stephan Schulte

June-transitions-kings-cross

The Hub at 34B York Way is hosting an event of possible interest to local individuals and groups.

Some individuals and organisations in the Kings Cross area are planning to start a local transition group to see what action they can take toward reducing the community’s carbon emissions by energy transition away from fossil fuels.  Come and join the likes of Alara, Create KX, Get More Local, Hub Kings Cross, Argent and others, to see what we can do.

Attendance is free but RSVP requested so The Hub can prepare for the right numbers.  If you’re interested in attending email them at: eleanor.whitley@the-hub.net.

Specifically general aims of the group will be as follows:

The plan is that Transition Kings Cross will use the processes developed in the many transition initiatives to:

  • Work to raise awareness in Kings Cross around peak oil and climate change and assess the desire to undertake a community lead process to rebuild resilience and reduce carbon in the area

  • Connect with existing groups in the Kings Cross community to understand how we can support each other

  • Build bridges with both Camden and Islington council connect with other transition initiatives in the area, especially in Camden

  • Form groups to work at some key areas of life such as food, energy, transport, health, heart & soul, economics and jobs

  • Develop projects aimed at building people’s understanding of resilience, carbon issues and community engagement plan a community defined and community implemented “Energy Transition Action Plan” over a 15 to 20 year timescale

The initial meeting at the Hub on 7th June is to see if there is a group of people who live/work at Kings Cross who want to be involved with this.

Best wishes

Alex Smith

Posted in Wildlife and Nature | 1 Comment

The BP oil spill mapped onto Kings Cross

Posted on June 3, 2010 by William Perrin

Screengrab211 The extraordinary picture says it all really.  From http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/  You do have to aim off though for the foibles of the Mercator Projection – which makes it appear slightly bigger at these northern latitudes.

Posted in Wildlife and Nature | Leave a comment

Revision to Planning Application will open way for another late-night liquor license application – 9 Caledonian Road

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Stephan Schulte

Drink_shop_doAs those of you who read the Bulletin Board may remember the parties hoping to lease the empty premises at 9 Caledonian Road have recent submitted a Licensing Application for a Late-Night Premises License for an establishment to be known as Drink, Shop & Do Ltd.  The shop (bar?) is seeking to permit the sale of alcohol between:

11:00 and 00:00 on Mondays to Wednesdays
11:00 and 01:00 on Thursdays
11:00 and 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays
11:00 and 23:00 on Sundays

As there already is a pre-existing Planning Condition that has been imposed on these premises from the original application (P081971), a new Planning Application that seeks to remove this earlier Condition should the above Licensing Application be successful has now been submitted.  The new Planning Application is P100625 and the prior Condition it seeks to amend is:

CONDITION (EN02): Hours Limited Specified Days – The ground floor cafe/restaurant use shall not operate except between 0800 hours and 2330 hours Monday-Saturday and 0900 hours and 2300 hours on Sundays. REASON: To ensure that the proposed development does not prejudice the enjoyment by neighbouring occupiers of their premises.

Considering the number of "late-night premises" licenses that have already been granted in this small stretch of Caledonian Road, readers might feel enough is enough.  If you do, and haven't yet objected to the Licensing Application, you can still do so by sending an email to the Licensing Team (to the attention of Dominic Ping).  Your comment should state the name and address of the premises named in the application (Drink, Shop, Do, Ltd, 9 Caledonian Road).  You comments should refer to one or more of the licensing objectives, i.e:

·  the prevention of crime and disorder
·  the protection of children from harm
·  public safety
·  the prevention of public nuisance

You can also comment to Islington's Planning department on whether or not you feel the Condition detailed above and originally imposed by Planning on these premises should be scrapped by clicking here.

Frankly when you read the original Condition imposed, it seems that it was put there specifically to prevent any late-night activities from happening at these premises.  The fact that this Planning Application is being submitted to support another Licensing Application FOR just such an activity is hardly a reason to grant any modifications!

This writer will be objecting to both situations with the caveat that if the Licensing Application is reduced to be consistent with the original Planning Application (no service after 2300 all nights) all objections will be withdrawn.

Please remember that the character of your neighbourhood depend on YOUR involvement.  So please let your comments be heard by the Council.

Posted in Planning, Licensing and Regulation | 2 Comments

Another tree destroyed on York Way!

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Stephan Schulte

Tree_destroyed_between_29-31_may With all the problems facing the world you might wonder why I bother with this posting!

Yes another local tree seems to have been vandalized but frankly, who really cares, the Council will replace it, won't they?

Well I care, and I would really like to know how this happened (and continues to happen).  I would like to know who did this and why can't we try to find out so that we might get them to pay.

We have cameras all over our streets, yet every time I offer to spend of my personal time trawling thru CCTV footage I'm told that I'm not authorized to do so…  Of course when it comes to traffic fines, then we surely get snapped!!!!

Well, can't we get someome who can focus on this problem – after all our taxes are being spent on replanting so why can't some of our money go into finding the culprits for this type of crime and making them pay.  What do you have to say?

Posted in Anti Social Behaviour, Crime etc | 3 Comments

Voyeurism comes to King’s Cross!

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Stephan Schulte

Electric_hotel At first when I passed the activity on Good's WayI thought it was just another old building being demolished, but then I realised that there was no building on the site and what I was seeing was a building be erected and not torn down.

After some further investigation I learned exactly what was going on – an outdoor spectacle was being created!!!!!

Here is the blurb from The Sadler's Wells website.  The event looks fantastic and I've already booked my tickets – Outdoor Theatre in King's Cross, now that has to be a good thing!!!

Electric Hotel is a uniquely designed outdoor spectacle, a fly-by-night hotel brought vividly to life through dance and sound by the team of David Rosenberg (director and co-founder of Shunt) and Frauke Requardt (choreographer, Pictures from an Exhibition at Sadler's Wells/Young Vic) with Börkur Jónsson (designer, Woyzeck at Barbican, Metamorphosis at Lyric Hammersmith) and Ben and Max Ringham (composition and sound design).

The weird and wonderful Electric Hotel appears against the dramatic and unusual backdrop of the last remaining Victorian ironwork Gas Holder at King's Cross Central. The action takes place in a four storey temporary structure, 20 metres wide by 14 metres high. It has a total load of 48 tonnes, requiring 40 ton cranes to transport it.

Electric_hotel2 Some time ago, an unspeakable incident destroyed the reputation of the five star Electric Hotel. The woman involved in the event returns. Sitting on the outside looking in, the audience snatch glimpses of the do-not-disturb lives unfolding behind the floor to ceiling windows. Wearing headphones to eavesdrop on the internal spaces of the building they watch the residents in their private rooms: the natural habits, the unnatural fantasies and housekeeping of wildly varied quality.

Watch the promo clip  For more info and to book tickets go to the Sadler's Wells site: http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Electric-Hotel

Posted in Arts and Entertainment | 3 Comments

The People’s Supermarket opens in Bloomsbury

Posted on June 1, 2010 by Clare Hill

DSCF0956Alright, it's not in King's Cross, but not far off, and worth a special note for uniqueness.

The People's Supermarket is a co-operatively owned social enterprise — a 'conventional' supermarket (scaled down a little) selling everyday grocery items and staffed by its members. All profits are to be ploughed back into the business.

The store, in Lamb's Conduit Street, WC1 is the brainchild of Arthur Potts Dawson, the chef and entrepreneur behind Acorn House (the sustainable restaurant in Gray's Inn Road — well and truly KX) who has modelled it on the well-established Park Slope Co-op in New York.

As one with more than a passing interest in sustainable food, and social experiments, I joined up last week. For a £25 annual membership and a commitment to work 4 hours in the shop per month, I'm entitled to a 10% discount (it's intended this will rise to 20%). It wasn't my shift today, but I popped down to check it out and help with some opening tasks — something about partly owning it, you start to feel all responsible?

Back on Friday, the shop looked more like a building site, and as if it was only going to be selling soft drinks and chocolate bars. Today, reassuringly, staples like milk (organic and non-organic) and basic loaves of bread had arrived. A diverse group of volunteers (well, owners) were busy stacking, dusting, learning the tills and improvising price tags. A few press were in, and a TV documentary crew, who have been following the whole project for months. Local curiosity has been building up over days and weeks, and before long customers trickled in and the tills started tentatively ringing.

It's just a bit ambitious — the People's Supermarket will have to compete with the buying power of the all-conquering supermarkets, and balance a range of ethical concerns against the conflicting tastes and priorities of its members, and come in on price. It might work in New York, but will this sort of thing fly in London? Along with all the excitement surrounding it, there's no small measure of skepticism going around. I'm harbouring a bit of both,truth be told. It's early days yet, the fresh produce hasn't arrived (Wednesday's the plan) and there's but 110 members. But there's only one way to find out if this model can work.

Clare Hill

Posted in Food and Drink | 4 Comments

Does this shop support the re-generation of King’s Cross?

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Stephan Schulte

Sorriso1 Local residents MUST have some voice in the stores that open in their neighbourhood.  In most situations they do by either supporting them, or shunning them.  Life around King’s Cross Station however, becomes a bit more complicated as in some situations those who support a particular shop, may be transient to the neighbourhood and thus not care about the overall implications of a shop’s presence.  The shop at 2 York Way illustrates the dilemma for local residents.

The following has been submitted by one of our local residents:

To re-cap: The unit at 2 York Way is trading as a take-away although it does *not* have take-away usage. We have also witnessed after 23:00 trading which is not permitted. We believe the signage installed is inappropriate for a regeneration and conservation area and although we have ensured the light box sign remains switched off, it is still in place.

Ultimately, this should be the responsibility of La Salle who own Regent Quarter ie: to ensure the tenant mix reflects a high quality development.

In the meantime, the case officer who is handing the planning application to ‘regularise’ the unit as take-away is David.Farndon@islington.gov.uk.

Refusal of planning permission to a take-away is a possibility providing respondents to the Council’s formal consultation make their objections.

If you feel the last thing we need is another late night take-away then please mail your concerns to David.

My concern will be: The improvement of the immediate area is vital to change perceptions and continue to attract investment. Adding a take-away food unit next to another take-away (McDonalds) and a sex shop is not a good planning mix. (The McDonalds, a kebab shop and sex shop are the first things visitors to Islington see ad they exit King’s Cross).

Sean M.
Regent’s Quarter Resident

As another local resident and campaigner for the further regeneration I agree with Sean’s assessment.  I believe that local residents MUST make their views known to the Council’s Planning Committee who will eventually have to decide whether this Change of Use is suitable.

The specific change of use they are requesting is as follows according to their application:

Change of use to hot food take-away (A5) use class installation of new shopfront and extract ducting. This application may affect the character and appearance of the conservation area. Town and Country Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (as amended); Section 73.

I feel that we already have sufficient fast-food establsihments in the area.  But there is more to be concerned about.  This place seems to be for sale.  So do they really need this to maintain their business or are they just looking to speculate and sell on!

Sorriso2

So if you wish to have your say please send an email to the Planning Officer David.Farndon@islington.gov.uk prior to 3 June when the Consultation Period ends.  Reference Planning Application P100224.  In you email please consider the following:

a) Illuminated signs are not in keeping with the character of the building or the adjoining frontages on York Way and will have an adverse impact on the adjacent conservation area.

b) Any changes in Class of Usage, (to takeaway hot foods) will result in high incidence of litter, detritus and encourage people to eat foods in open space, outside doorways of residential accommodation on York Way thereby reducing the amenity of local residents; and will diminish the quality of public realm on York Way and by creating a poor quality of environment adjacent to the Regent’s Quarter and in the vicinity of Kings Cross station and the proposed station square.

c) The proposed hours of operation will cause disturbance late at night to nearby residential neighbours from arrival and departure of customers.

d) Inadequate venting of food cooking, particularly fried and grilled meats will cause nuisance and loss of amenity.

If you wish to comment to this Planning Application using the Council’s online facility, just go to this link: click here.  Please note if you simply wish to comment about this posting use the link below entitiled Comments.

I hop you will comment to the Council as without the support of local residents, nothing will improve in our neighbourhood.

Posted in Planning, Licensing and Regulation | Leave a comment