Annual General Meeting – 28th April 2015

KENLEY AND DISTRICT RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION – MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Kenley Memorial Hall, 28th April 2015, 7:45pm
(Also available as a PDF download AGM 2015)
Present: Chair – Chris Stanley (Vice Chairman), John Davenport, Geoff James, Mike van der Vord, Richard
Cowper, Marilyn Poulton. Councillors: Jan Buttinger, Steve O’Connell.
Additionally, 70 members were in attendance, plus 5 visitors. Consequently the meeting was quorate.
1. Chairman’s welcome, apologies for absence:
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, and reminded the audience that the meeting is recorded for the
purpose of doing the minutes. Apologies were received from Phil Royce, Willem Buttinger and Steve
Hollands. The Chair introduced the guest speaker, Borough Commander Andy Tarrant of the Metropolitan
Police.
2. Guest Speaker – Borough Commander Andy Tarrant of the Metropolitan Police
(i) AT was brought up locally and is familiar with local issues and how they have changed over the
years. The Met receives 4 million calls each year and responds to 1.8 million emergency calls. There
are 111 more PCs in Croydon Borough since 2013.
(ii) The 7 types of crimes of most concern have been reduced by over 20% over the past 3 years in
Croydon Borough. Prevention is key to reducing burglary and crime, so leave a light on, never leave
your keys in your car, and report anything suspicious.
(iii) There is a fear of crime in the Croydon Borough. The primary method for dealing with policing in the
Borough is through the Safer Neighbourhood Teams. Kenley is probably the safest Ward in the
Borough. Burglary is down by 5 %, muggings are down by over 20% and criminal damage is down
by 27%.
(iv) We are in an environment where costs have to be reduced and this is why Kenley Police Station has
been closed. AT supports Boris Johnson in saying that Officers are more important than buildings.
(v) Croydon has the highest rates of domestic violence in London, which is predominantly a crime
against women, and evidence suggests that a woman is assaulted 25 times before it is reported to the
police. DV is a priority for the Croydon Borough policing.
Q. How many Officers look after Croydon and Kenley?
A. There are 740 Officers in Croydon. There is a perception that Kenley Officers are taken out of Kenley to
police the north of the Borough, so to counter this, a team has been formed specifically for Kenley. The
Kenley Ward has a dedicated Ward officer, a dedicated PCSO, and these are supported by other Officers and a
Sergeant.
Q. What should someone do if they know of domestic violence?
A. Domestic violence is difficult to investigate but please inform the Police of any suspicions. The Police will
now be wearing video cameras which will help provide evidence in convicting perpetrators of crime without
victims having to go to court and give evidence. Information can be provided anonymously on the
Crimestoppers help line.
Q. Is fly tipping a priority? Is there an issue because Kenley is on the edge of London and therefore easy to get
out of?
A. Fly tipping is the responsibility of the Council, and the current Council administration have made fly
tipping a priority. The Police pass details onto the Council, and it is the Council who would make the
prosecution, as it is not an arrestable offence. The Croydon Borough has good links with Surrey police, and
have carried out joint operations including automatic number plate recognition.
Q. As parents we are concerned about gangs, drugs and violence in Croydon. What is being done about this?
A. Gangs are not a significant issue in the Borough, although there is a dedicated unit to deal with gangs
which works closely with the Council and other organisations to direct potential gang members into more
positive activities.
Q. We never see police Officers in Kenley, why is this?
A. Our Offices police the whole of the Borough, and not specific areas, and will be involved in responding to
999 calls across Croydon. We understand that we need to improve our visibility. We are looking to find
premises for the Safer Neighbourhood Team closer to the local area than the current Addington base, possibly
in Purley.
3. Minutes of KENDRA GM, Oct 2014
The minutes were proposed and seconded and approved by the meeting.
4. Matters Arising
No matters arising were raised.
5. Review of the Year
The Chair thanked his fellow Committee members for their efforts during the course of the year, and
reminded the meeting that all the Committee members are volunteers, and do not receive any payment for
their service.
Area Issues:
(i) There are still some issues relating to the floods last year. The Council has finally published the
Section 19 report into the floods on its website, which provides a detailed analysis of the floods and
makes recommendations for future works. KENDRA will circulate the link to this report.
Unfortunately, the report does not address the problems experienced by Kenley residents caused by
the closure of the Godstone Road.
(ii) Fly tipping is an ever present problem in the area, and KENDRA tried to make some progress in
tackling this problem by installing CCTV cameras. Unfortunately, our efforts were hampered by red
tape.
(iii) A petition has been handed in to the Council, asking for the lower section of Hayes Lane to be made
one-way. This petition was carried out independently of KENDRA by local residents. KENDRA’s
view is that local residents who may be affected by this potential change should be consulted before
becomes Council policy.
(iv) The Chair has been involved in several meetings regarding the Purley Hospital Minor Injuries Unit.
The Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group are currently undertaking a consultation regarding the
provision of emergency services across the Borough. A number of private contracts are coming to an
end in 2017, so the CCCG view this as an opportunity to undertake a major review of services.
Unfortunately, at this stage the consultation has not provided any specifics. It’s is also against a
backdrop of national policies which suggest that urgent care provision should be provided by A&E
departments, Urgent Care Centres, and GP practices. This would mean that there is no room for Minor
Injuries Units such as the one at Purley.
(v) There has been speculation about a 16 story tower being constructed in Purley. The Chair reminded
the meeting that this has not yet been put forward as a planning application.
(vi) Our planning officer, Geoff James has commented that there seems to be an increase in the number of
planning applications which are being approved since the new Council Administration was formed.
This is something that we will keep a watching brief on.
Association Matters:
(vii) The Association membership is relatively stable, however we do need volunteers for Road and Area
Stewards. The Chair thanked our Stewards for the hard work they do, without which the Association
would not be able to function.
(viii) The Chair apologised for the problems with the new website, which is down to technical issues and
other factors. We hope to get these problems resolved quickly, and believe that the new website will
provide a clean and fresh look. It currently takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce the newsletter, which is to
slow for providing timely news. Therefore, it is imperative that we develop the website as the primary
source of news for the membership. The Chair reminded the audience that it is important that we get
email addresses so that we have a means of getting information out to the membership quickly.
(ix) The Chair also apologise for the problems with online subscription collections on the website. The
Committee has decided that there is no point in opening up online subscriptions at this time because
this will just create confusion as to whether members have paid online or via the Road Stewart
network. The new subscription envelope and online subscriptions were introduced to help Roach
Stewards with their task and to make it easier for members to pay their subscriptions.
Police:
(x) The Chair briefly talked about the Smart Water project which KENDRA has been championing, and
thanked Anthony Lewis for the tremendous amount of work he has done in putting together the
application for funding for the project.
(xi) AL announced to the meeting that the funding application for approximately £8,000 to purchase more
packs has been approved by the Safer Neighbourhood Board. The packs will be provided free of
charge to victims of burglary and near neighbours, and also to vulnerable residents and certain public
buildings. AL then demonstrated how the packs work, showing that the Smart Water is applied to
your possessions, and can be revealed under an ultraviolet light. The Smart Water contains an
identifier, which is unique to your address. This means that if your property is found in the possession
of someone else, it can easily be traced back to you, and will help the Police convict those found in
possession of stolen property.
(xii) Commander Tarrant informed the audience that he had been involved in a Smart Water project in
Lewisham. It was very successful in reducing burglaries, and increasing conviction rates. A key
aspect in the prevention of burglary is putting up signs, and notices in windows and doors that Smart
Water is being used.
More Association Matters:
(xiii) The Chair informed the meeting that earlier on in the month the Committee held its 500th Committee
meeting. This is a significant landmark and is testament to the good work done by KENDRA over the
years. John Davenport has searched through the records and found a copy of the 11th Committee
meeting held back in October 1970. Some familiar issues were discussed at this meeting including
planning, traffic, and a crossing for the Godstone Road.
(xiv) The Chair informed the meeting that we still do not have an editor for the newsletter. The Chair put
together the Spring edition and will do the Summer edition if no one comes forward, However unless
an editor is found there will be no Autumn edition. The Committee is reviewing the need to produce 4
editions per year, and without an editor, this will almost certainly have to be reduced to 3.
(xv) The Chair informed the meeting that there have been 3 applications for the KENDRA Community
Youth Grant, of which the Committee approved one; which is to plant a WW1 & 2 memorial garden
in the grounds of the Kenley Memorial Hall. The response to the Community Youth Grant has been a
little disappointing, however the Committee will continue with the process and review it in October.
(xvi) There are a number of vacancies on the Committee; the most urgent requirement is to find an editor to
join the newsletter team, and a minute taker. The Chair asked for volunteers for these roles. The Chair
noted that John Davenport will be taking on the role of Membership Secretary and thanked JD for his
invaluable work as Committee Secretary over the years. Therefore we also need a new Committee
Secretary as well.
(xvii) The Chair drew the meeting’ s attention to a new memorial plaque in the main hall of the Kenny
Memorial Hall, which has been erected to commemorate the Gallipoli campaign during the First
World War.
6. Reports from Local Groups
(i) Alan Morgan informed the meeting that the stage one bid process to the Heritage Lottery Fund has
been successful, and that they are now in the process of submitting the final funding application.
Outside consultants have been employed to produce the application document, which runs into several
hundred pages. The document details the stages of the process and how the application will be
implemented. The application is for approximately £800,000 to provide restoration to airfield
buildings & structures and educational facilities. It is hoped that the outcome of the application will be
known in August this year.
(ii) Mike Street reminded the audience that this year is the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain,
during which Kenley Airfield played a pivotal role in defeating the German bombers attacking
England. There will be another Kenley Airfield Heritage Day on 16th August this year. He informed
the audience that there will be a full Battle of Britain Memorial Flight display, and not just a fly past.
There will need to be a crowd line set up so he asked attendees to respect that on the day.
(iii) The chair thanked Alan Morgan for the work he, Chris Baguley and their team have done on the bid
process, on behalf of the Kenley community.
(iv) Dominic Shepherd from the Kenley Common Fun Day Group informed the meeting that there will be
a fun day this year on Kenley Common on 26 July. There will be various stalls and displays, similar to
what has been done in previous years.
7. Treasurer – Presentation and acceptance of Accounts
(i) The Association Treasurer, Phil Royse, is unable to attend this evening’s meeting. The Chair reminded
the meeting that abbreviated accounts were published in the newsletter and invited any questions on
the accounts.
(ii) The Chair pointed out that advertising revenue has fallen significantly. Our previous editor, Susie
Dodsworth did a lot of work in building up advertising revenue, but since her departure this has
slipped back.
(iii) On the positive side the Chair was pleased to note that income from the Amazons affiliate program
has now exceeded £2,000. He encouraged members to use the Amazon link on the website, so that
each Amazon transaction generates a small amount of income for KENDRA but does not cost the user
any more than going direct through Amazon.
(iv) The accounts were approved by the members by the meeting.
8. Thanks to, and Election of, Independent Examiner
Thanks were offered to Louise Turner for independently examining the accounts for 2014 and agreeing to
examine them for the current year.
9. Election of Committee
The Chair informed the meeting that the Association President for the year will be Cllr Jan Buttinger.
The Chair read out the list of nominations for the Committee:
Chairman: VACANT
Vice Chairman: Chris Stanley
Hon Secretary: VACANT
Hon Minuting Secretary: VACANT
Hon Membership Secretary: John Davenport
Hon Planning Officer: Geoff James
Hon Treasurer: Phil Royce
Newsletter Editor: VACANT
Police Liaison: Anthony Lewis
Website Co-ordinator: VACANT
Transport: Richard Cowper
Conservation: Mike van der Vord
Health: VACANT
Social: VACANT
Committee Member: Marilyn Poulton
None of the Committee posts are contested, so no election is necessary.
10. Motion: “KENDRA basic subscription to remain at £3 per household for 2016”
The Committee recommended that the subscription remain as it is. There were no questions on this issue and
the motion was carried nem con
11. Motion “That the Expenditure limit should be £1,500”.
The Chair explained that the expenditure limit is the amount that the Committee can authorise expenditure for,
without getting prior approval from the membership. The limit was set at £1,500 to allow the Committee to
authorise expenditure for the newsletter. There were no questions on this and the motion was carried nem con.
12. Motion “That the Committee be permitted to incur expenses of up to £1,000 during 2015 to provide and
operate security cameras to prevent fly-tipping and the like, and to pay rewards for information leading
to the successful conviction of persons carrying out such actions.”
The Chair explained that due to red tape we have not been able to make any progress on installing CCTV
cameras. However, we would like to keep open the option of doing so. In answer to a question, the Chair
explained that the major issue preventing this progressing relates to data protection rules; by using CCTV
cameras we might expose the Association to issues if we breach complex privacy rules relating to CCTV
recording. We really need a volunteer to take this forward, and we are investigating doing so in conjunction
with the Council. One attendee suggested that this was a waste of time however the motion was carried by a
majority, with 1 against.
13. Motion “That the Committee be permitted to enter KENDRA into an agreement with Geoff James for
the provision of emailed weekly updates regarding local planning applications.”
The Chair explained that Geoff James has previously provided an emailed weekly planning table updates to
members on our email list. This is in addition to his normal duties as Planning Officer. It has however become
very time-consuming. Therefore GJ has developed a commercial application to automate this process, and has
invited KENDRA to subscribe to the service. The Chair pointed out that this would not affect any of the other
roles GJ undertakes as Planning Officer. The Committee is recommending that KENDRA subscribes to the
service, but because this would involve a financial transaction with a Committee member, the Committee
would like the memberships’ approval before doing so. The Chair also noted that WURA have offered to
make a donation to KENDRA if we are willing to let them redistribute the service. The service was briefly
discussed at the meeting, and a choice was offered as to whether to include planning applications pertaining to
trees, at a cost of £225 per year, or not to include trees at a cost of £150 per year. The motion was carried nem
con, and the meeting subsequently voted by majority to include trees.
14. Q&A Panel, with Cllr Steve O’Connell (LBC & GLA member), LBC Cllr Jan Buttinger, and Borough
Commander Andy Tarrant of the Metropolitan Police
The chair informed the meeting that due to the forthcoming election, Council officials are not allowed to share
a platform with election candidates, and so no Council officials are present this evening.
Q. Was it not agreed that KENDRA would ask for the removal of speed bumps from Park Road, which
is a significant factor in the traffic flow on lower Hayes Lane.
A. The Chair agreed that this is the case, however that the Council will not consider removal of speed bumps
until such time as they are resurfacing Park Road.
Q. Will residents be consulted following the petition to have lower Hayes Lane made one way.
A. CS: The petition handed in to the Council, is just a petition and at this stage is not a policy of the Council.
KENDRA has not been in favour or against this proposal, but we are insistent that residents potentially
affected be consulted before it becomes Council policy.
Q. Last December there was a pedestrian killed by a car on Hayes Lane by the airfield. Can this section
of road be made safer?
A. It can be raised with the SNT to prioritise traffic enforcement on this section of road.
Q. Can traffic calming measures be put in place on the section of Hayes Lane between the aerodrome
and Welcomes Road?
A. SO’C: the Police can be asked to prioritise tackling speeding on that section of road. Traffic calming could
be looked at.
Q. There is a review taking place into rail services into London. Can input be made into this review so
that Kenley gets a direct service to Blackfriars?
A. CS: Our transport officer meets regularly with the South East Transport Committee and can raise this with
them. Please email him with any details: transport@kenleyra.org.uk
15. AOB
No other business raised.
Meeting Close: 10.05pm