Newsletter coming, honest!

Hi
Just to let you know I will be working on the newsletter this weekend and aim to get it out during next week.
cheers
Anthony

Recycling bins in Pruden Close: Update

Hi
Remember the proposal for demolishing the island of trees at the bottom of our road (Pruden close end) for a bottle bank/recycling unit to serve both Pruden close residents and the general public?

So the bad news is that its going ahead.

The good news is that they will be re-positioned right down at the bottom of Pruden close and also around the back behind the garages.

The even better news is that they are solely for the residents of Pruden Close.

So it looks like fears of excessive traffic of the great unwashed trundling down our street in vehicles stuffed with empty wine bottles etc. are happily unfounded.

If you recall I posted back in January that I had discussed our concerns with Terry Smith and he promised to look into this on our behalf. Well according to the plans that Pamela dropped off around my house, the guy has done us proud, so if you meet him in the pub, we owe him a drink or six.

The Council garages: an update

The garages at the end of Mayfield Avenue have rapidly degenerated into a lawless piece of no-mans land. No one seems prepared to take responsibility for the area, ownership of which continues to be batted between Acton Housing association and the council, and meanwhile the rubbish just keeps piling up.

If anyone wondered where the local rat community are gaining sustenance, look no more, if you fancy a red velour three piece just get yourself over there and take your pick, if you are feeling a little frisky rumour has it that the garages are fast becoming a popular haunt for parked cars with perspiration coated windows and yesterday (Saturday 20th March) morning you had the chance to set yourself up with a Telewest broadband connection by rifling through the trashed Telewest van that had been dumped there overnight.

I kid you not.

By the way, if you want to read a bit more about Acton Housing Association who are apparently aiming to redevelop the garages into 19 apartments (17 2-bedroomed and 2 3-bedroomed) you can read about them on their own website here.

To be honest, flippant as this article is, I’m pretty angry about the state of affairs. The rubbish down there is simply disgusting and the trashed Telewest van made the area look like a scene from an episode of the Sweeney (hopefully that is not revealing my age too much). I have some pictures if anyone is interested, I will be contacting Chris Chessam, the Pruden Close Manager to seek his views and will forward my thoughts on to Terry Smith who has proved helpful in the past.

This isn’t over by a long shot.

Next Enfield Area Forum

So before I forget, (which is quite likely) the next Enfield Area Forum is to be held on Wednesday the 28th April at 19:30 at the usual location of Broomfield School.

Come along and watch Edward Smith keep the proceedings running in a smooth, wrapped in cotton wool style, various Enviromental/planning officers saying they are reaaalllllyyyy sorry for whatever question is fired at them, finance guys telling us whether we have won the lottery yet (I kid you not) and Police representatives explaining how they have not vanished off the streets but are merely operating in disguise (okay I made that last one up).

I'll be there as it beats watching the telly....just.
ciao for now

Garage fly tipping at the bottom of Mayfield Avenue - update

It appears that the inaction is due to a classic "teflon", "not my problem" scenario. The garages, although council owned, are being sold to the Acton Housing Association, who will be re-developing the site into 17 2-bedroom flats and 2 3-bedroom flats (more of this later).

The council appears keen to place responsibility of the upkeep of the area on the shoulders of the association. The association in return refutes this by insisting that until the deal is finalised the area remains the responsibility of the council.

Stalemate.

In the meantime, while these two gangs squabble in the political playground yet more rubbish is being dumped there.

Action is required soon. A key contact appears to be Nick Grayston of the the Acton Housing Association on 020 8379 5297. I would also suggest contacting Enfield councils new Enforcement supremo Mike Hainge, who has been in the local press claiming to be cracking down on fly-tipping amongst other things. Must have accidentally missed this one then....

I will be returning to this again soon.

Fly tipping in the Garages at the bottom of Mayfield Avenue

Increasing amounts of rubbish are being dumped in the “council” garages at the bottom of Mayfield avenue. The issue has been brought to the attention of the local Council by Pamela Kelly no less than four times in the past month, to the same person, with no effect.

The council employee with the unfortunate hearing problem is a Mr Chessim, who is manager of the Pruden Close site. If you would like to have a bash at shouting louder he can be contacted on 020 8366 6565

Enfield Community and Police Consultative Group Meeting

If you have a question you would like to ask members of the Police Senior Management Team (e.g. where are you? I can't find you on our streets...) or council officials you can have your say at the next Enfield Community and Police consultative group meeting, which is being held on Wednesday 17th March at Enfield Civic Centre starting at 19:30

The Enfield Watcher

Police Community Support Officers
There are now 21 uniformed PCSO officers stationed around the borough, with the following duties:
· Confiscation of alcohol/tobacco from young persons
· Removal of abandoned vehicles
· Entry to save life or limb or to prevent serious damage
· Carrying out road checks
· Carry out high visibility patrols
· Gather intelligence from the local community
· Issue fixed penalty tickets for: cycling on the footway, disorder, dog fouling, litter

By the way, if you would like to become a PCSO you can apply here

Female Assault
As we reported earlier, there have been a series of rapes and indecent assault on females in Enfield and Barnet boroughs. These offences take place in the late evening and early hours of the morning. I posted some tips earlier but in addition there is an active Enfield Womens Safety forum who are holding personal safety/awareness/Self defence classes free of charge for anyone over the age of 16. The classes are set for:
13th March (oops missed that one, sorry), 24th April and the 15th May
If you are interested contact Bron Lovelock (Chair of Womens safety Forum) on 020 8379 4310.
Although classes are free of charge, donations are welcome.

Mobile Scam Hoax
There has been a rumour spreading that you may receive a missed call on your mobile from a 0709 020 3840 number, with the last four digits changing. The rumour goes that if you return the call you will be charged up to £50 a minute. Scary as this sounds it is most probably a hoax as Vodafone has not received any complaints, the maximum charge for a personal number service is 60p per minute for Vodafone and 37.5p per minute for BT, there is no known service with a £50 charge and Vodafone does not support a £50 per minute charge.
Bottom line, unless you recognise a missed call number, don’t ring it! If nothing else it will help you avoid those annoying marketing “ we are installing double glazing in your area” calls.
For your information:
· 070 – numbers beginning with this prefix are personal numbering services
· 08 – numbers beginning with this prefix are special services such as freephone
· 09 – numbers beginning with this prefix are premium rate services
All of the above prefix’s carry charges, so as I say, unless you are expecting the call, delete it.

Noisy Neighbours
This is particularly relevant to our area as the majority of us live in terraced, semi-detached, converted or purpose built flat dwellings. If you have a grievance the person to contact is the Enviromental Health Officer on 020 8366 6565.

Crack down on Drugs
Police along with other agencies, including immigration and DWP, raided 5 houses in Alma road recently, which resulted in 6 drug related arrests. If you suspect that there is an address in our area involved in selling or being used by drug takers (garages at the end of Mayfield avenue perchance?) then you should contact:
Dave Austin (LBE, Enviromental Crime Unit) on 020 8379 1000.
Email: Dave.Austin@met.police.uk

Bogus callers
Some residents have been hassled by a group of cowboy builders roaming the area in a green Discovery Land rover, who are believed to hail from Ireland. One couple who wish to remain anonymous handed over £3900 to the group for work on their driveway and patio. On Monday the sub-standard work had still not been finished and now the group cannot be contacted.
Rob Brewer Enfield Council’s head of trading standards said: “This gang has been knocking on doors saying they have done work in the area. A price is then discussed and usually people are advised they will get a full specification in writing before work starts. There is no contract. They then turn up without warning, wreak havoc and demand money.”
You can contact Trading Standards on 020 8379 1000

Note: Bottom line, the safest option is to absolutely refuse to engage in any deals from anyone who appears uninvited on your doorstep. Even if it’s interesting and the service they are promoting happens to happily coincide with something you have been thinking of doing, DO NOT let them in and DO NOT agree to ANYTHING. The most you should do is take their details and ask them to leave. Once you have had some time to check up on them you may of course decide to hire them, but at this point YOU are now in control, YOU have made the appointment. It’s simple really, if a little sad that we have treat strangers like this, but that’s life.

Normal service has now resumed

Hi
So work has encroached rather heavily recently, which coupled with a well earned ski break hurling myself down French alps has resulted in a rather embarrassing pause. Anyway, Pamela Kelly has been feeding me with regular pieces of information and has been very busy on various panels, so I plenty to post, which I will begin to very shortly. In addition I shall be preparing this quarters Newsletter which will also come out shortly.
So apologies for those who have begun to peep at this site and found zip, but I'll be posting regular information again shortly.
cheers
Anthony