Safer Neighbourhoods Panel – Community Safety Meeting

Posted on June 18, 2007 by Stephan Schulte

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If there is one meeting about the local community safety that’s worth attending, I believe this is it.  This local resident panel meets directly with the Community Support Police Team and is chaired by our Councillor Paul Convery.

The recent problems on Rufford Street and at the Bremerton Estate as featured here and in the news make your attendence even more important for this meeting.  Strong turnout, will show those invited guests (see below), that the neighbourhood is serious about the safety issues that continually plague us.

The next meeting will be on 21 June, from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm. The venue is the Blessed Sacrament Church, Copenhagen Street N1

The guests that will be attending Thursday’s SNP meeting are:

Inspector Frost who has the lead responsibility for the Safer Neighbourhood Teams in the South of Islington. He is attending on behalf of Chief Inspector Jane Johnson who we had originally asked to attend but has a conflicting appointment. Despite this, Councillor Convery shall be meeting with CI Johnson early on Tuesday morning.

Jennette Arnold, the London Assembly member representing Islington, Hackney & Waltham Forest. Jenette is one of the Mayor’s nominees on the Metropolitan Police Authority which is the body to which the police service is answerable in London. She is one of the leading architects of the Safer Neighbourhood policing initiative in London and takes a very close interest in the service for the 3 Boorughs she represents. She is a former Islington Councillor and lives in the Borough so has a close knowledge of crime problems here.

The main topic we need to cover is how to get adequate police cover for Caledonian Ward? Central to this is:

a) getting more officers dedicated to our Safer Neighbourhood team
b) having rostering patterns that cover key times in the evening and weekends when trouble occurs
c) ensuring faster service from central response teams at other times

You can help by attending the meeting and showing your support for more police for our Ward.  Please try to attend – Thursday evening, 21 June, from 7.00 pm to 8.30 pm at the Blessed Sacrament Church on Copenhagen Street N1.
Posted in Anti Social Behaviour, Crime etc | Leave a comment

Facebook Group – ‘I Love Kings Cross !’

Posted on June 17, 2007 by William Perrin

Facebook_i_love_kings_cross Facebook is kind of taking over everything on the Internet (for some) and is doing worrying things to my evenings. If you haven’t used it, it is hard to explain the attraction, but it allows you to keep in touch with people you know without having to lift a finger.  So i have set up an ‘I Love Kings Cross!’ group in Facebook for Kings Crossers to mess about in- find it here anyone can join. 

Iluvkclarge The group is more about having fun and messing about in  Kings Cross than the serious stuff – go enjoy.  Thanks to Jema for the suggestion – she has been appointed Queen of Kings Cross.

Posted in Arts and Entertainment | Leave a comment

The Lighthouse or Oysterhouse Building on Pentonville Road

Posted on June 17, 2007 by William Perrin

LighthousethumbThis building has always intrigued me and i was delighted to stumble across the great page at this link which rounds up some good pictures and a little history of this mysterious, yet iconic and adrift site slap bang in the middle of Kings cross. 

Posted in Kings Cross local history | 1 Comment

Without Limits – Saturday Event at Edward Square

Posted on June 17, 2007 by Stephan Schulte

Final_flier_copy This request for help from Lisa Pontecorvo, Secretary of Friends of Edward Square.

We are looking for some extra adult help with stewarding and other tasks for our "Without Limits" Event which will take place on 23 June from Noon to 5:00 PM.

Could you let me know if you are willing and able to help out? (just click link)  There will be lots of teachers, rangers and other people around but there is quite a list of jobs to get done, and coordinated.

It would be good to have some community people helping too, as the young people are contributing positively to our community and should be encouraged.  Some help with setting up in the morning would also be appreciated.  We start at 9am and have a couple of paid hands from the stage supplier to help out the girls and volunteers from EGA with the heavy work:putting up gazebos and trestle tables for stalls.

Please let me know if you can help out next Saturday.  It should be a fun day. Lots of good food and entertainment for young and old alike.

Thanks Lisa

PS: Please publicise to anyone you know.

Posted in Arts and Entertainment | Leave a comment

The Nido development & environmental vandalism

Posted on June 16, 2007 by William Perrin

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After the felling of six 100 year old heritage trees on
Pentonville Road by developers last Sunday there has been
a local outcry. 

An article has appeared in the Islington Tribune with Councillor Paul Convey expressing residents anger at this blatant act of environmental vandalism and thoughtless profiteering by The Blackstone Group, the developers behind the Nido site.

There is still much confusion amongst residents and the Planning Dept alike as to whether Nido does or does not have permission to destroy Kings Cross’ green heritage and if so, who gave it. I myself have specifically asked Graham Loveland and Kevin O’Leary of Islington planning if these trees had a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on them and have had nothing but silence in return. They most certainly should have done, and a possible failure in this may be why I’m getting no response so far.

The developers have also posted a small laminated notice outside the site to say the trees will be replaced when the development is finished. This is frankly laughable. It is impossible for them to replace like with like. You simply can’t put 100yr old trees into the ground even if you could buy them from a nursery! We have also all seen how few young trees survive in this area and to have an existing avenue of Victorian trees gracing Pentonville Rd was extremely fortunate and IRREPLACEABLE. Offering such pitiable replacements is insulting.

Have a look at the flannel about Nido online – you will notice our mature trees are present in the finished artists impression. The irony is painful.

Action Point:
If we allow this issue to fade into the background Islington Council will yet again get away with destroying our green heritage and allowing the character of the area to be altered for the worse by developers who care nothing for the needs of local residents. It sends completely the wrong signal and will only happen again if strong opposition is not raised by local residents.

Please take a few moments to keep applying pressure to key players in this issue.

Please write to and email:
Graham Loveland
Assistant Director (Planning)
Planning Division
Environment and Regeneration Department
Islington Council
020 7527 2680

graham.loveland@islington.gov.uk
kevin.o’leary@islington.gov.uk

Lib Dem Councillor Ruth Polling (quoted in the Tribune article)
020 7527 3051 (PA)
ruth.polling@islington.gov.uk
She allegedly ‘Provides political and strategic direction of sport, leisure, greenspace, cemeteries, arts, libraries equalities and community cohesion within the borough.’

And our local MP:
Emily Thronberry
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
020 7219 3000 (House of Commons Switchboard – ask for your Member’s Office)

Letters are usually the best form of contact as they are kept on file and have to be answered!

And there’s also a very chatty looking Nido London site who have kindly listed a contact. Might be interesting to get in touch with them!

Nido London, 200 Pentonville Road, Islington, London, N1 9JS
        Tel: +44 (0) 207 395 7260
        E-mail: nimail@nidolondon.com

 
Posted in Architecture | 3 Comments

All Kid’s Aren’t Yobs

Posted on June 15, 2007 by Stephan Schulte

Picture2Submitted by Antonia Benedek, Development Coordinator, Copenhagen Youth Project (CYP).

While controversy rages about some young people destroying the Bemerton Estate London N1, other young people have taken up the challenge, in a very tough climate, of reversing the negative connotation of the label “Hoodies.”  Young people at the CYP ArtFlat have been working on sculpture which demonstrates their activities and interests.

The aim of the work is to challenge the Hoodie stereotype and to show that it is possible for a young person to wear a hood and still aspire to succeed, find their voice, and want to be taken seriously. 

The exhibition is the first of a series of events to launch the CYP ArtFlat as a Social Enterprise. The ArtFlat Window will showcase previous and current commissions from developers, local community groups and outstanding work by individuals. The broader aim of the ArtFlat Window at Cally 334 is to help the community to recognise the positive achievements of local youth.

The sculptures will be used in a new configuration as part of the CYP float in the Lord Mayor’s Show on November 10. CYP ArtFlat created the design of the float, for which they won a City of London grant. In November, the Hoodies will feature as part of a CYP installation at the King’s Cross Arrivals Festival.

Through the ArtFlat Window: First Exhibition by the CYP ArtFlat at Cally334

Opens Wed 27 June,  6.30- 8pm and continues thru 27July 2007, Mon- Fri 10am-5pm

For further information contact:
Gill Calvert, Senior Manager Copenhagen Youth Project 07921 467 208
Eloise Calandre,Exhibitions Co-ordinator Copenhagen Youth Project 07852 284 538
Or go to our website – www.cyproject.org for more information

Posted in Arts and Entertainment | 1 Comment

Pentonville trees – things get murky……

Posted on June 13, 2007 by William Perrin

Pentonville_tree_crime The latest news on the felled trees in Pentonville Road seems to make the situation a little more complex (as ever when dealing with the council!).

It appears at this stage that the developers almost certainly DID NOT have planning permission to fell the trees outside of the Nido development. What complicates matters is Pentonville Rd’s status as a Red Route. This means that Transport for London (TFL) also manage all aspects of the road, including the trees. The developers are alleging that they had an agreement under Section 106 (they have a sign outside the development to this affect), to remove the trees. At the moment no-one seems to know if this is true and if so, who agreed it. The council is shortly to have a meeting to discuss this and find out what’s going on.

This is a perfect opportunity to make sure the council know exactly how we feel about the situation… At this point we need to email the Planning Dept. Key contacts are:

graham.loveland@islington.gov.uk
kevin.o’leary@islington.gov.uk

Some points to consider:
Given their age, status and siting, did the trees have a Tree Preservation Order? If not, why not?
Those trees were older than the vast majority of people in the borough and as such, are irreplaceable in our lifetimes. They were part of Kings Cross’ heritage.

Some broader points:
* A large beech tree can provide enough oxygen for the daily requirements of ten people.

* Trees have a positive impact on the incidence of asthma, skin cancer and stress related illness by filtering out polluted air, reducing smog formation, shading out solar radiation and by providing an attractive, calming setting for recreation.

* Trees can save up to 10% of energy consumption through their moderation of the local climate.

* Property in tree lined streets is worth 18% more than in similar streets without trees, according to a survey in Chicago.

* Trees help to lock up the carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.

* Trees play a vital role in the urban ecosystem, by helping to support a great variety of wildlife.

* Trees reduce noise in cities by acting as a sound barrier.

* Trees and green spaces significantly reduce the stress of urban living

Please take a few moments to send the contacts above an email and let them know how strongly we feel about this. It can’t bring those trees back but it, by the we’ve finished, will mean it will never happen again!

Thanks

Sarah Ward [our Pentonville Road correspondent]

Posted in Planning, Licensing and Regulation | 2 Comments

Not all bad news

Posted on June 13, 2007 by Sophie Talbot

Worms2 Amongst all the bad news that needs our attention in Kings Cross this week, there is a small ray of sunshine. See the Springwatch King’s Cross post (in the Nature section, right hand side menu) for the latest news of our blackbird chicks this morning.

Posted in Wildlife and Nature | Leave a comment