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Forest Hill Ward Assembly - 8th October 2012
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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #1
28-09-2012 10:43 AM

The next Forest Hill ward assembly will be on 8th October at Sydenham School, Dartmouth Road, SE26 4RD. This assembly is for people to the west of the railway.

Following feedback from people on this forum the meeting will start at the slightly later time of 6:50pm. But the first half of the meeting is a chance for you to speak to organisations bidding for money. The vote will take place at 8pm, so there will be no problem arriving at 7:30pm if you can't make it earlier.

This assembly includes voting for the allocation of £15k in the assembly fund. Having seen the bids (as a member of the assembly coordinating group) I can say that they are all excellent applications that will help local people, but a few will have to lose out in the popular vote. So please come along and vote for the projects that you feel are most worthwhile for the area.

In addition to the voting there will be a discussion on lampposts with a representative from Skanska, who will help to illuminate the issue.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #2
04-10-2012 01:09 PM

Bids for funding include the following projects:

* Improvements to Albion Millennium Green including a notice board
* Green shelter for Devonshire Road Nature Reserve around the outside oven
* FH Society: Monthly Market in Forest Hill Town Centre
* Kelvin Grove School: The Development of a Local Archive Display Area in Kelvin Grove
* Kirkdale Village: Square Planters and trees for Kirkdale
* Little Green Scene: Popup cinema
* FH Society: Replacement planters for station entrance
* FH Society: Town Centre Planting
* Forest Hill Traders: AlertBox Scheme
* Forest Hill Traders:'Totally Locally Forest Hill’ Campaign
* Forest Hill Traders: Santa’s Grotto in an empty shop/space and Christmas Trail for families
* Kirkdale Village: Kirkdale Christmas Tree and Lights, plus a Community Carol Service
* VCC: Access Forest Hill

For further information visit the stalls and chat to the groups bidding at the assembly.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #3
09-10-2012 02:38 PM

The following bids were successful at the ward assembly:
VCC Access Forest Hill
FHS monthly market
Kelvin Grove Primary local archive
FH Traders Totally Locally
FHS town centre planting
FHS station planters
Albion Millenium Green
Devonshire Rd Nature Reserve Green shelter
Kirkdale planters
FH Traders Alert Box (partial funding)

Many thanks to everybody who voted for all these projects which I am sure will benefit the community.

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P1971


Posts: 816
Joined: Feb 2009
Post: #4
09-10-2012 09:22 PM

Thank you to all that voted for FH traders alert box it is much appreciated from me. Thank You P.

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stefan


Posts: 93
Joined: May 2008
Post: #5
10-10-2012 08:35 AM

Hi ,

well done to all who received funding for the projects, I have a question regarding the monthly market, it is marketed as a Forest Hill Society Event, however the portas scheme will "employ" a market maker, does that mean it will be taken over by the Portas team? if yes, what is the money used for which was secured for the market. Sorry, I am getting increasingly confused who is doing what in Forest Hill Now.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #6
10-10-2012 09:55 AM

Stefan,
You raise a good question, one that has not been resolved between the Forest Hill Society and the Portas Team.

My personal preference would be to have two complementary markets in Forest Hill on the same day, spreading out the coverage of the town centre and attracting more people to the two markets. Obviously publicity and some administration could be shared, and it would allow us to have a second market that included arts and crafts as well as the existing food market.

But that is just one possibility and we are waiting for the Portas market manager to be appointed, to understand the logistics of shared facilities between the three market sites in Forest Hill, Kirkdale, and Sydenham, and to understand what the Portas team want to achieve from a market in Forest Hill.

Market Makers Coordinator job description:
"...three markets in the run up to Christmas; and a series of further rotating and specialist markets during the first half of 2013. The role will also include looking at the viability and options for continuing the markets on a sustainable basis."

The Forest Hill Society wants to ensure that markets to continue in Forest Hill beyond July 2013, and giving up our involvement at this stage could potentially leave a vacuum in a few months time. We want to see continuity for the market and this probably means we need to stay in control.

I would like to thank all the assembly participant who voted for the three the Forest Hill Society bids. The market bid was specifically required because of the substantial increases in council fees in deeming the Food Fair to be 'Street Trading' rather than an 'Occasional Market'. I believe that they are wrong in this determination, but they are in control so there is little that we can do other than pay the additional £2000-£3000 required for markets throughout the year.

Whatever the relationship between FH Soc and Portas Market Coordinator (and we intend it to be a close relationship), the assembly funding will help us to continue and expand the Forest Hill Food Fair, to promote the town centre, bring in new businesses temporarily and permanently, and make Forest Hill an even better place to spend time and shop.

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stefan


Posts: 93
Joined: May 2008
Post: #7
10-10-2012 10:43 AM

Thank you for the detailed answer, this makes all much more sense now! I guess it will be a learning curve for both the Portas side and FHS over the coming month, you raised exactly the point I was worried about - FHS getting to involved in the Portas bid or giving up certain areas to the bid which would leave a vacuum once the scheme is "over".
I guess we just have to wait and see once everything is more established, in any case it is an exciting time for Forest Hill. One point I would like to make it would be great since the Portas bid is supporting more the Dartmouth Rd area maybe the FHS and others can concentrate on areas within SE23 such as Perry Vale, Honor Oak and use the expertise they acquired by bidding for the Portas Pilot and succesfully turning Dartmouth Road around in those previously neglected areas.

This is by no means a criticism and my opinion always was that as soon the "heart" of Forest Hill is on the up other areas will benefit from the knock on effect.

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Belle


Posts: 88
Joined: Dec 2009
Post: #8
10-10-2012 01:36 PM

I am staggered (although sadly not surprised) about the council fees for the market! When people work so hard to get this sort of project off the ground for the significant benefit of the area and then you guys are stumped for £3k which is a lot of money for a community project. The council has so much red tape and they seem to make it so hard for entrepreneurial forward thinking people to get anything of the ground! The council should be ashamed of themselves. I think Mary Portas would have a lot to say about it and clearly this is exactly the sort of issue she raises as stumbling blocks to thriving high streets. Grrr!

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