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Minutes of AGM 2008
The Minutes of the AGM held at the Residents Gardens on Friday 5 October 2007 at 7.30pm
Present: Roger Brown (Chair), Pam Paull (Sec), Marilyn Rossell (Treas), 49 residents, Cllr Vinson and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 25 apologies
The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming those present and thanking them for attending.
The Minutes of the AGM 2006 were agreed. There were no matters arising.
The Chair’s Report
The Committee had met five times during the year and two new members viz. Brian Bowen and Mike Radcliffe had joined. He thanked the Secretary, Treasurer and all who had helped to raise funds this year. As a result we had a reasonable balance in the bank.
The OTRA Conservation Group had had a busy year and he thanked them for all their hard work.
Roger said that OTRA were grateful for the co-operation with HRA and urged residents to join the organisation.
The Chair stressed the need for maintaining the character of the area by ensuring that any developments were sympathetic to the nature of the area. Co-operation between OTRA and those residents wanting to develop their properties when submitting plans would help to ease the process.
Roger said that OTRA were very disappointed with the Council regarding the Neighbour Design Statement. The document had been submitted to the Planning Department ready to be sent to Cabinet but this had not happened yet.
Signage: a site meeting had been held and our ideas had been met with a favourable response. However, nothing had yet come of it.
Crime and vandalism/burglary had also been problems during the year.
Numerous Planning Applications have been dealt with in the usual way.
The Chair then took any questions from the floor.
Bernard Naylor asked about the posts which had been severely damaged at the Common end of Blenheim Avenue. Roger said that this was in hand.
Cllr Adrian Vinson said that he also regretted that the NDS had not moved forward as hoped. He said he would consult with Jill Baston in the hopes of speeding thing up.
With regard to vandalism he said that the City Patrol did help as well as the Community Officers.
Treasurer’s Report: We had a balance of £1000 in the bankA statement of financial activities and a balance sheet were circulated together with the Examiner’s report.
Communications: Mike Radcliffe reported that the OTRA membership includes all the residents of the Triangle.
In future there would be only one mail drop and that will be for the AGM. All other communications will be by email where possible; a limited mail drop will be available for those who have requested it.
There were approx. 150 households and of these 90 responded to the leaflet. 74 were on email, 16 had requested a mail drop and 6 have neighbours who will act as proxy.
Mike was trying to build up a list of phone nos. as well so that residents can be contacted speedily in the case of a real emergency. He hoped residents would call him.
He pointed out that Neighbourhood Watch was a two way thing and said that he will be sending out an email describing how the system will work.
The cascade system was OK in theory but often not in practice. He would consider both email and phone.
Several people + Mike stated that it was difficult getting through to the Police exactly what information they needed to take on board and act on. Andy Alderson is our new Beat Officer and Vicky Geddes our Community Support Officer.
Graham Linecar pointed out the need for feedback from the Police regarding incidents in the area.
Cllr Adrian Vinson added that the Council were responsible for the Common and the Police for crime on the Common.
Graham said that the Hawthorns knew what was happening on the Common and perhaps OTRA could find more about their activities.
Election of Officers: The Chair named the members of the Committee and said that there was one vacancy. A representative from Oakmount Avenue would be welcomed. Pete Thomas, 24 Oakmount Ave. said that he was interested and was duly elected.
The Chair thanked Pam and Ray Paull for organising the meeting and refreshments.
Ray Paull thanked the Committee for all their hard work during the year and John Marshall followed a special thank you to Roger Brown for all he had done.
The meeting closed about 8.30pm.
The Minutes of the AGM held at the Residents Gardens on Friday 11th July at 8pm 2008
Present: Roger Brown (Chair), Pam Paull (Sec), Marilyn Rossell (Treas), 70 Residents Cllr J Baston, CllrV Capozzoli and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 22 apologies.
The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming those present and thanking them for attending.
The minutes of the AGM 2007 were agreed. There were no matters arising.
Chair’s Report.
The Committee had met 5 times and one new member, Pete Thomas, had been co-opted onto the Committee during the year. Pam Paull was retiring as Secretary after 5 years and so there was a vacancy on the Committee.
Roger thanked the Committee, the Conservation Group and anyone who had helped in any way. He welcomed Jerry Gillen from HRA and urged anyone who was not yet a member to join HRA.
Roger said that whilst there had been no one issue that had dominated the year, there had been one underlying theme, the difficulty of making progress on matters of benefit to the Triangle when there was such limited cooperation from Council officers. He gave three examples:
1 NDS. The Conservation Group, and particularly Malcolm Wagstaff, had worked hard over the past two years to produce the document and had made good progress, however great disappointment was expressed at the lack of interest shown by the ‘powers that be’ in bringing the matter to its conclusion. It had required pressure at Cabinet level to secure this.
2 44 Blenheim Avenue. The Conservation Group had made constructive comments about this development application including the submission of a landscaping scheme to bring the garden into line with the structural foliage characteristic of the area. These comments had been disregarded.
3 Signage. In January 2007 an on-site meeting was held and an additional NO-THROUGH ROAD sign was agreed with the representative from the Council. A further meeting had been held in February2008. In March 2008 the Council were contacted and a senior officer had said that it was a priority and would be installed in 6 weeks’ time. Yet it was still not there!
Jill Baston replied to the points which Roger had made. She was sorry about the lack of response from the Council Officers concerned and said that there was no excuse for matters dragging on for so long. Jill said she would follow up the matter of the NDS with the Planning Officer and leave him in no doubt about the feeling of the packed meeting.
Jill thought that the sign should have arrived by now and would report back to Roger. [It was installed on 15 July]
Mrs Mac David said that until the Oakmount School playing field was developed there was a notice indicating that there was no way through the Triangle to the Avenue. However, when she came to live in the Triangle, Oakmount Avenue had been a through road to the Avenue.
Treasurer’s report
The Treasurer said that it had been a quiet year but the fund raising events had been good.
(the detailed accounts are appended to these minutes.)
Election of the Committee.
The Chair named the present members of Committee. A new Secretary was needed and Caroline Knight’s name was put forward. There were no other nominations so Caroline was elected. This left a vacancy and Pete Thomas nominated Michael Ardern- Jones who was duly elected.
Roger thanked Pam for her hard and effective work as Secretary and presented her with a bouquet and tokens.
Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
Mike Radcliffe, as the Acting Co-ordinator of the scheme, reported that we were not registered with the Council and he hoped to put this right. There were 186 households in the Triangle and this includes the flats. It was hoped that as many households as possible can be contacted by email and that those without could arrange to be contacted by a neighbour when necessary. However, Mike had a large number of telephone numbers so people could be contacted quickly in an emergency. There was some discussion and Jeane Jackman offered to print off and deliver to those people without email. Andrew Jackman praised Mike for what he is doing. [The Committee has now agreed to ask for volunteers to pass documents to those without e-mail]
PCSO Sonja Payne
Sonja said that the Police wanted to work with us and enhance what we already have. She apologised on behalf of Andy Alderson and Matt Manning, her colleagues. Sonja explained that she had recently joined this beat having been in the Swaythling area. She and Matt patrol the area on their bicycles which enables them to cover a greater area but they are keen to make themselves known. For the Neighbourhood Watch to work the police need the support of the residents and they have to work in conjunction with the City Council who run the City Patrol.
We were advised to know our neighbours, to be aware of any problems they may be experiencing, to be aware of what is going on around you, of any suspicious activity, (criminals tend to exhibit repeat activity). If you have reason to be suspicious then the number to ring is 101, 999 is for genuine emergencies only. The 0845 no. will get a message to Sonja or you may be able to speak to someone. She advised photoing an incident if possible.
Mike was nominated and seconded as Co-ordinator and members were then asked to sign a form indicating that they wished to be members of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.
Sonja ended by giving us some statistics for different crimes which had taken place in the Triangle eg 1 burglary, 0 assaults, 6 rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, 1 fireworks and 1 suspicious person.
Roger thanked Sonja for her presentation and Mike for agreeing to be the Coordinator.
Planning and NDS Malcolm Wagstaff
Malcolm reported that in April 2007 the residents accepted the document but other stakeholders such as estate agents also needed to be consulted wherewith the whole process ground to a halt due to the action, or lack of it, by Council officers.
The Council wished the document to be renamed and it would now be referred to as The Character Appraisal and Management Plan. The plan was placed on the Council website in May but it is inadequate and misleading. It lacks maps, plans and photos. There has been no editing, paragraphs have simply been cut and pasted in different places, bullet points have been removed and no amendments have been made by Council Officers. The resulting document does not reflect well on the Planners.
The CAMP should have been produced in booklet form with pictures and maps and we were assured that £1500 had been set aside for this purpose, however this sum was no longer available having probably been used to pay the consultant who looked through the document.
Malcolm had written to the Planning Officer on May 9th 2008 to find out what was going on and as yet had received no reply. The Conservation Group had produced a leaflet setting out the main points and it will be delivered to each house in the Triangle.
It was agreed that the document needed to be kept up to date. The Conservation Group would therefore carry out an annual review of what has taken place which would be reported to the Association and the Council. The date for the next review would be July 2009.
Parking
Roger pointed out that, even though the number of households was small, there were genuine concerns in Brookvale Road.
HRA had held a meeting which resulted in a letter being sent to all residents. OTRA wished to support the proposals outlined in the letter but there are three main points for objection:
1 There was no strong case for extra restrictions on the east side of Brookvale between Abbotts Way and Blenheim Avenue: there was a very real risk that the cars displaced would move to Blenheim Avenue and Oakmount Avenue
2 Ask the Council to look at the need for further restrictions at junctions
3 Ask the Council to consider the need for the build outs for safety reasons in view of the new restrictions.
It was thought that the main cause of the parking was the Adolescent Centre, and the Church. Had these organisations been consulted? Had the residents of Uplands Way and the Collins houses been consulted?
It was also suggested that the University might be a major part of the problem since it was noticeable that far fewer cars were parked since the students had gone down.
Jerry Gillen said he had spoken to someone at the University and was waiting for a reply. He considered that the Council should not give planning permission without adequate parking, however this may be more to do with Government policy than the Council.
Roger asked people to reply to the Council letter as soon as possible.
The Little Common Graham Linecar
A leaflet was available on the email distribution system.
The aim was to make the Little Common more open by removing bushes and undergrowth along Highfield Road. This would make the area safer, more accessible and restore the open aspect of the Common. Some clearance would take place this winter and volunteer workers would be most welcome. The meeting endorsed this approach to improving the Little Common and thanked Graham for his efforts.
Road project Pam Paull
The history of the houses in Westbourne Crescent and the people who have lived in them was now complete and available at £4 per copy. It is hoped do similar researches on Blenheim Avenue and Oakmount Avenue. Residents were asked, if they had any relevant information or might be pleased to help, to get in touch with Nicky Bradshaw or Marilyn Rossell for Blenheim Ave. and Grahham Linecar, Pam Paull or Lin Wright for Oakmount Avenue.
Website
Pete Thomas had set up the OTRA website which could be accessed on otra.org.uk. He urged residents to use the site including the special Forum feature. Roger thanked Pete for his work in getting the website up and running.
AOB Roger had been given excellent advice by the Fire Service on safety in the home. More details will be given in the next newsletter. Roger also thanked Pam and Ray Paull for organising the refreshments.
The Minutes of the AGM held on Friday Oct 30th 2009
PresentRoger Brown (Chair), Marilyn Rossell (Treasurer), Mike Radcliffe, John Bradshaw, Pete Thomas and Graham Linecar and 52 residents
Guests Councillor Vincenzo Capozolli, Jerry Gillen (HRA) and Simon Hill (Common Sense)
Apologies: There were 16 apologies
Minutesof AGM 11th July 2008 agreed. There were no matters arising.
Chair’s Report
Roger reported that the OTRA Committee had met 8 times since the last AGM. He thanked his fellow Committee members for their support and hard work during the year. He also thanked the OTRA Conservation Group for their vigilance and for the many hours of effort that had gone into the monitoring report on the CAMP.
Roger also thanked those who had organised fund raising social events during the year: Colin Bagust and Caroline Silk (the Quiz), Nicky Bradshaw and Pam Paull (Plant Sale) and Josie Brown (Book Sale). Special thanks went to Emily Shaw and her team for the extremely successful Street Party, which had also been supported by the City Council’s Active Communities Department and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation’s Grassroots Grants Scheme. Not only did these events raise much needed resources for OTRA, they were also valuable in helping the community to keep together. Finally, Roger thanked the local Police; the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Michael Radcliffe; the Highfield Residents’ Association; and the Northern Neighbourhood Forum, on which Steve Connolly has represented our interests. (Caroline Knight is the representative and Stephen has agreed to deputise)
Roger recalled that at the two previous AGMs he had commented critically on relations with the City Council, especially some officers. This year he was glad to be able to report that there had been a marked improvement in responsiveness and cooperation: whether this had anything to do with the new administration would be for others to determine. It had however made for a much more productive year.
A number of issues had arisen since the last AGM. Two of them, the CAMP and the Little Common, were elsewhere on the agenda. It had been a relatively quiet year for development, no doubt reflecting the recession. The most controversial issue had been parking, where OTRA had vigorously and successfully resisted proposals for restrictions in Brookvale Road that could have led to significant displacement of parked cars into the Triangle; one disappointing aspect had been the lack of sensitivity shown by certain residents in Brookvale not only towards other residents in Highfield but also towards legitimate community users such as the Church. The Association would keep the position under close review. We would also talk further with SCC over the replacement of kerb stones.
Turning to OTRA, Roger said that the e-mail communication system operated by Michael Radcliffe appeared to be working well. In addition, and especially to keep in touch with people outside that system, there was now a set of Street Representatives who would also welcome newcomers to the Triangle [details given below]. In answer to a question, Roger and Pete Thomas confirmed that the website was operative and available for inputs from residents.
Finally, Roger said that, if re-elected, it was his firm intention to step down as OTRA Chair in 2010. He would then have served for 7 years and it was quite wrong for a body like OTRA to come to depend too heavily on one person in that role. It was therefore imperative that the Association, through the Committee, embarked on the search for a suitable successor without delay.
Treasurer’s Report
The accounts were distributed and were up to March 2009. The plant sale had raised £285 and the Quiz £402. This year the plant sale had raised £361 and the book sale £275. We have £3000 in the bank. Andrew Jackman was thanked for inspecting the accounts.
Amendment to Constitution
As previously circulated: 5h: The Executive committee may constitute the Neighbourhood Watch Group
Election of Officers
The existing committee members have agreed to stand again unless there were any volunteers to take places. As there were no volunteers the committee stands. Graham Linecar has been co-opted on to the committee and will take the place of Mike Arden-Jones who is standing down. Roger Brown will act as Chair for another year and John Bradshaw has agreed to act as Vice Chair for the next year.
Conservation Group and CAMP
John Bradshaw talked about the work of the Conservation Group and the production of the Character Appraisal and Management Plan. Copies of the Management plan are available and are given to all new residents. Malcolm Wagstaff was thanked for all the hard work that he had put in to produce the document, which had been adopted by the Council 18 months ago. The purpose was to offer guidance on change, development and conservation in the Triangle.
Graham Linecar had produced the annual appraisal and he was thanked for this work. The AGM adopted the report and agreed that it should be forwarded to the City Council. Finally, there had been 20 planning applications made to the Council in the past year and most were approved.
In answer to a question, Roger said that OTRA automatically received notification of applications in the Triangle. He normally sought advice from the Conservation Group and sent a response by Chair’s action except where there were wider issues for the Committee. It was always helpful to have informal discussions before an application was lodged.
Common Sense
At the end of 2007, residents in Highfield Road came together to press the City Council to change the way it manages maintenance of our side of The Common. Residents had seen The Common becoming increasingly overgrown and the open grassy areas becoming smaller year by year. Residents of Highfield Road were particularly concerned that dense scrub along the roadside gave an oppressive feel, and left many feeling insecure. They wanted to see removal of much of the roadside saplings and bushes so the road would feel safer, and a change to the maintenance regime that would return to this part of The Common the more open character it had had some 15 years ago.
The group called themselves Common Sense. Like OTRA, it is part of HRA. It is an informal group that has built up a successful working relationship with managers of The Common. Managers now discuss with the group the maintenance programme and new projects for major changes and improvements. There have also been a number of volunteer working days when local residents, including residents from The Triangle, have set-to with The Common staff to do some of the work we wanted to see undertaken. It is satisfying to 'lend a hand' to achieve what we want to see happen, and also fun working together. And also informative, as you can learn a lot about The Common from the staff.
So far, Common Sense working groups have concentrated on the northern end of Highfield Road. Members may have noticed, and approved of, the work the volunteers did to remove some of the denser roadside growth of saplings and overgrown scrub and to clear scrub choking the remaining, struggling, hawthorns. During last winter, the City Council's contractors undertook removal of young trees from the ditches each side of the Victorian carriage drive so more sun and air would get to the grass ride and surface water could drain off into the cleaned-out ditches. For a time it looked a bit raw, but it seems to have worked. The ride is drier and now looks a lot better, and more inviting.
The next job will be removal of more roadside scrub. But first, steps must be taken to make sure vehicles and trailers cannot get onto The Common --- we do not want another invasion by travellers. This will probably take the form of strengthening the existing roadside banks, but in a way that gives gentle slopes allowing people to walk across onto The Common.
Common Sense also wants to see a start made opposite Avenue Campus, an area that used to be much more open and has been allowed to grow up, and, from the road, looks unkempt and forbidding. The Common management's new winter programme includes the intention to remove some young trees, especially those choking the remaining hawthorns, and to begin to create a new grassy glade for quiet enjoyment of The Common, like the nearby grassy area already there. Common Sense considers this to be only a beginning and will press for much more roadside clearance to open up and make less forbidding-looking the area opposite Avenue Campus.
The winter maintenance programme also includes some thinning of the tree canopy along Lovers' Walk to let in more light to encourage growth of a graded woodland edge, and reduce what it calls 'lurking areas'. It is hoped that some at least of this local work might be carried out with the help of volunteer working groups from OTRA because it is an opportunity for OTRA residents to engage with The Common management and talk about improvements and changes in maintenance.
The question was asked whether the work on the Common could not be done by those doing Community Service. The answer was given that such people needed supervision and much of the work was done by volunteers. Another question was asked about controlling the local rat population. The answer was given that the Environmental Heath Team should be made aware but they were reluctant to use poison. People should complain more and desist from feeding them. Clearing the Common would help. There was applause for the Common Sense Team.
Any Other Business
There was a presentation of the History project, led by Pam Paull and Caroline Silk, on the walls.
Roger was thanked for continuing to be Chair.
Ray and Pam were thanked for organising the drinks.
The meeting closed at 20.34 and was followed by an American supper.
The Minutes of the AGM held on Friday July 23rd 2010
PresentRoger Brown (Chair), Caroline Knight (Sec) Marilyn Rossell (Treasurer), John Marshall, Mike Radcliffe, Pete Thomas and 33 residents
Guests Councillor Vincenzo Capozzoli, Cllr Matthew Dean, Cllr Adrian Vinson and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 11 apologies
Minutesof AGM Friday October 30th 2009 agreed. There were no matters arising not elsewhere on the agenda.
Chair’s Report
Roger reported that the OTRA Committee had met 5 times since the last AGM. The main topics of discussion had been planning, conservation, parking and crime. There has been no change in committee members since the AGM. He thanked Caroline and Marilyn and the rest of his fellow Committee members for their support and hard work during the year. Roger also thanked those who had organised fund raising social events during the year: Colin Bagust and Caroline Silk (the Quiz), Nicky Bradshaw and Pam Paull (Plant Sale). Not only did these events raise much needed resources for OTRA, they were also valuable in helping the community to keep together. Finally, Roger thanked the local PCSOs, the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Michael Radcliffe and the Highfield Residents’ Association for their help and support.
Thanks were also extended to the street reps and Roger said that he was pleased that we had so many new residents and that perhaps some might be persuaded to join the committee.
Roger reported that communication with the City council had continued to improve in recent times although it would still be good to have a formal response to our Conservation Monitoring Report.
Roger also reported that Ray Paull had been unwell recently and conveyed the good wishes of the meeting to both Ray and Pam.
Treasurer’s Report
As circulated.
The accounts which were circulated prior to the meeting were up to March 2010. We have £3800 in the bank. Marilyn also thanked the fund raisers and those members who had supported the events. Andrew Jackman was thanked for examining the accounts.
Conservation
In the absence of John and Graham Roger delivered the report. He said that for the Conservation Status to remain live and useful, a yearly update to our CAMP is prepared. Each year any developments affecting the Triangle are reported.
The report is sent to the City Council and approved by them and once that has happened the report should form an addendum to the Management Plan.
Cllr Dean said that the local authority was grateful for all the hard work done by Roger, John, Graham and the rest of the Conservation Group. The Council had not always been seen as supportive or proactive but was now putting a small team together to help set up other conservation areas in the city. OTRA’s work has already been used as a template to inform conservation areas in Shirley and Woolston.
Cllr Dean also thanked OTRA for pointing out the shoddy street repairs in our area. He also thanked Roger for his hard work, courtesy and patience in his dealings with the Council during his term as Chair of OTRA.
Adrian Vinson asked about the reference in the report of inappropriately applied pebbledash. This will be pursued.
The Conservation Report, and all its recommendations, was approved.
Roger also asked the meeting if there was any interest in obtaining professional advice with regard to planting schemes for front gardens. It might also be possible to obtain discount for bulk orders.
Question- could this not form part of the CAMP?
Answer-It could be but the idea was to offer advice on suitable planting and not to be prescriptive.
Cllr Dean offered the services of the City council’s Ecologist to speak to us about this matter. This suggestion was gratefully received.
Pete Thomas suggested that the website could provide a forum for the sharing of gardening tips.
Also it might be useful to offer advice on form filling for applications for major works as several people have experienced difficulty with this.
OTRA continues to monitor parking in and around the area.
Website
Pete explained that he sees the website as having 3 main functions:
1 - to allow a flow of information from OTRA to residents
2 - to be interactive and dynamic allowing exchanges of information between residents such as buying and selling, swapping, recycling and general discussion. As a forum for exchange of local knowledge re trades people for example and also for announcing services.
3- to serve as a window to the outside world. House- buyers can see what sort of community this is. This has already happened with people emailing via the website.
Pete asked that if anyone had any suggestions, could they get in touch with him
It was suggested that it might be useful to include the website details on house selling particulars.
Pete will check if there are links to the OTRA website from outside sites such as Hantslink.
Election of Officers
The existing committee members have agreed to stand again.
Roger confirmed that he is standing down as Chair after 7 years in office. He expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to play a part in maintaining and improving our area. He paid thanks to all who have served on the committee and in particular to Pam Paull and Caroline Knight who have both been Secretary and to Marilyn Rossell who is Treasurer. He also thanked the wider group, including the street reps, fund raisers and also HRA and Jerry in particular for the hard work, commitment and friendship that he has shown to Roger.
Roger leaves OTRA in stronger position in respect of conservation, parking and a sense of community.
There have been some failures and we cannot take what we have for granted.
The Committee’s unanimous recommendation was that Roger should be succeeded by Professor John Marshall who will take over in the autumn.
John Marshall
John said that Roger stepping down is a moment that we have been dreading but he will be leaving us with stable structures, policies and funds. John thanked Roger for all his hard work and confirmed that there will be a formal farewell at a social function to be arranged in the autumn.
Any Other Business
A member asked about the proposed amendments to the plans for nos 1-3 Blenheim Ave.
Roger responded that these will be discussed at the Conservation Group Meeting.
Members voiced concern about the state of the footpaths and urged the Council to do something about them.
Cllr. Dean responded that he has a plan that he will share in due course.
The state of Brookvale Rd was raised.
Cllr Dean said that he will look into this but there is no money at present.
Michael Radcliffe asked that if people change their email addresses or obtain one could they please let him know so that he can update his records.
The meeting closed and was followed by an American supper.
PresentJohn Marshall (Chair), Marilyn Rossell (Treasurer), Mike Radcliffe, Graham Linecar, Pete Thomas and 36 residents
Guests Cllr Matthew Claisse, Cllr Adrian Vinson and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 10 apologies
Minutesof AGM Friday July 23rd 2011 agreed. There were no matters arising not elsewhere on the agenda.
Chair’s Report
John reported that the OTRA Committee had met 5 times since the last AGM. The main topics of discussion had been planning, conservation, parking and crime. There has been no change in committee members since the AGM. John thanked Nicky Bradshaw and Pam Paull for organising the plant sale and Josie Brown for the Book sale: not only did these events raise much needed resources for OTRA; they were also valuable in helping the community to keep together. Finally, John thanked the Street Reps, local PCSOs, the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Michael Radcliffe and the Highfield Residents’ Association for their help and support. He also thanked the Council and in particular Graham White who deals with all the planning applications. John reported that Marilyn is stepping down as Treasurer and Street Rep – he thanked her for her hard work over the time she served on the committee.
John asked for volunteers for the committee and the Conservation Group: no-one was forthcoming at the meeting.
Treasurer’s Report
As circulated.
The accounts which were circulated prior to the meeting were up to March 2011. We have £4214 in the bank. Marilyn also thanked the fund raisers and those members who had supported the events. Andrew Jackman was thanked for examining the accounts
Conservation Annual Review.
Graham went through the Annual Review of the Oakmount Triangle Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan which listed 19 proposals. Issues discussed included photovoltaic panels, replacement kerb stones, charging for pre-submission planning applications. There was discussion about planning applications and also about side gables. OTRA has objected to the City Council's proposal to extend the present residents' parking scheme into the Portswood Residents Gardens area. That prompted discussion of the possible benefits & problems if the same were done for the Triangle & there was no consensus of view. It was proposed to set up a 'forum discussion' on the OTRA website to enable residents to exchange information & opinions on the issue.
Website
Any contributions are welcome. Pete Thomas noted a variable day visitor rate of 0 to 87. The chair thanked Pete for his work on the website.
AOB
Membership list – we need to ensure that it is updated as we need to keep contact with a many people as possible. We are not in contact with one third, some without email are contacted by street reps.
Neighbourhood watch is quiet at the moment.
No cold calling zone had been explored a year ago, it was felt to be more prevalent in other areas of the country, pros and cons were explored. It is perceived as a nuisance and no strong feelings emerged.
Adrian Vinson said crime is on the down generally in Southampton but burglary is on the up. Neighbourhood Watch has reported sporadic burglaries in clusters.
Common Sense has been clearing vegetation on the common. They have managed to persuade the council to remove the overhanging vegetation opposite the Avenue Campus.
Party for the Queens Diamond Jubilee - agreed that if this was going to take place planning would need to take place soon. Various venues discussed. It was agreed it would be taken forward.
There are currently no restrictions on street parking. Discussion included a parking survey which showed there is variability by location and night and day. Residents were consulted about Residents’ Parking, however, that was before the Brookvale road restrictions. Cllr Vinson argued they are not a panacea, but had not heard of Residents’ Parking Areas being removed. Discussion on the expansion of University parking and impact on the Triangle. It was suggested that we involve the students in solving the problem. Frankie Fry is the Welfare and Community Relations Officer for the Students Union.
Consultation via the OTRA Online Forum- is it worth it? This produced a diversity of views. It was agreed to put up a forum discussion!
Extending use of 20 mile speed limit- the policy is to try to keep it to schools. There was discussion about number of learner drivers using the Triangle.
There was discussion about the inappropriate use of garage areas. There were reports of souped up cars and drug taking. It is Important to report as it identifies a hot spot. In the management plan 2009 monitoring report we said would approach owners to make it a secure area. However, the owners were not prepared to do anything about it or prioritise renting the garages to local residents.
The Minutes of the AGM held at the Residents Gardens on Friday 5 October 2007 at 7.30pm
Present: Roger Brown (Chair), Pam Paull (Sec), Marilyn Rossell (Treas), 49 residents, Cllr Vinson and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 25 apologies
The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming those present and thanking them for attending.
The Minutes of the AGM 2006 were agreed. There were no matters arising.
The Chair’s Report
The Committee had met five times during the year and two new members viz. Brian Bowen and Mike Radcliffe had joined. He thanked the Secretary, Treasurer and all who had helped to raise funds this year. As a result we had a reasonable balance in the bank.
The OTRA Conservation Group had had a busy year and he thanked them for all their hard work.
Roger said that OTRA were grateful for the co-operation with HRA and urged residents to join the organisation.
The Chair stressed the need for maintaining the character of the area by ensuring that any developments were sympathetic to the nature of the area. Co-operation between OTRA and those residents wanting to develop their properties when submitting plans would help to ease the process.
Roger said that OTRA were very disappointed with the Council regarding the Neighbour Design Statement. The document had been submitted to the Planning Department ready to be sent to Cabinet but this had not happened yet.
Signage: a site meeting had been held and our ideas had been met with a favourable response. However, nothing had yet come of it.
Crime and vandalism/burglary had also been problems during the year.
Numerous Planning Applications have been dealt with in the usual way.
The Chair then took any questions from the floor.
Bernard Naylor asked about the posts which had been severely damaged at the Common end of Blenheim Avenue. Roger said that this was in hand.
Cllr Adrian Vinson said that he also regretted that the NDS had not moved forward as hoped. He said he would consult with Jill Baston in the hopes of speeding thing up.
With regard to vandalism he said that the City Patrol did help as well as the Community Officers.
Treasurer’s Report: We had a balance of £1000 in the bankA statement of financial activities and a balance sheet were circulated together with the Examiner’s report.
Communications: Mike Radcliffe reported that the OTRA membership includes all the residents of the Triangle.
In future there would be only one mail drop and that will be for the AGM. All other communications will be by email where possible; a limited mail drop will be available for those who have requested it.
There were approx. 150 households and of these 90 responded to the leaflet. 74 were on email, 16 had requested a mail drop and 6 have neighbours who will act as proxy.
Mike was trying to build up a list of phone nos. as well so that residents can be contacted speedily in the case of a real emergency. He hoped residents would call him.
He pointed out that Neighbourhood Watch was a two way thing and said that he will be sending out an email describing how the system will work.
The cascade system was OK in theory but often not in practice. He would consider both email and phone.
Several people + Mike stated that it was difficult getting through to the Police exactly what information they needed to take on board and act on. Andy Alderson is our new Beat Officer and Vicky Geddes our Community Support Officer.
Graham Linecar pointed out the need for feedback from the Police regarding incidents in the area.
Cllr Adrian Vinson added that the Council were responsible for the Common and the Police for crime on the Common.
Graham said that the Hawthorns knew what was happening on the Common and perhaps OTRA could find more about their activities.
Election of Officers: The Chair named the members of the Committee and said that there was one vacancy. A representative from Oakmount Avenue would be welcomed. Pete Thomas, 24 Oakmount Ave. said that he was interested and was duly elected.
The Chair thanked Pam and Ray Paull for organising the meeting and refreshments.
Ray Paull thanked the Committee for all their hard work during the year and John Marshall followed a special thank you to Roger Brown for all he had done.
The meeting closed about 8.30pm.
The Minutes of the AGM held at the Residents Gardens on Friday 11th July at 8pm 2008
Present: Roger Brown (Chair), Pam Paull (Sec), Marilyn Rossell (Treas), 70 Residents Cllr J Baston, CllrV Capozzoli and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 22 apologies.
The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming those present and thanking them for attending.
The minutes of the AGM 2007 were agreed. There were no matters arising.
Chair’s Report.
The Committee had met 5 times and one new member, Pete Thomas, had been co-opted onto the Committee during the year. Pam Paull was retiring as Secretary after 5 years and so there was a vacancy on the Committee.
Roger thanked the Committee, the Conservation Group and anyone who had helped in any way. He welcomed Jerry Gillen from HRA and urged anyone who was not yet a member to join HRA.
Roger said that whilst there had been no one issue that had dominated the year, there had been one underlying theme, the difficulty of making progress on matters of benefit to the Triangle when there was such limited cooperation from Council officers. He gave three examples:
1 NDS. The Conservation Group, and particularly Malcolm Wagstaff, had worked hard over the past two years to produce the document and had made good progress, however great disappointment was expressed at the lack of interest shown by the ‘powers that be’ in bringing the matter to its conclusion. It had required pressure at Cabinet level to secure this.
2 44 Blenheim Avenue. The Conservation Group had made constructive comments about this development application including the submission of a landscaping scheme to bring the garden into line with the structural foliage characteristic of the area. These comments had been disregarded.
3 Signage. In January 2007 an on-site meeting was held and an additional NO-THROUGH ROAD sign was agreed with the representative from the Council. A further meeting had been held in February2008. In March 2008 the Council were contacted and a senior officer had said that it was a priority and would be installed in 6 weeks’ time. Yet it was still not there!
Jill Baston replied to the points which Roger had made. She was sorry about the lack of response from the Council Officers concerned and said that there was no excuse for matters dragging on for so long. Jill said she would follow up the matter of the NDS with the Planning Officer and leave him in no doubt about the feeling of the packed meeting.
Jill thought that the sign should have arrived by now and would report back to Roger. [It was installed on 15 July]
Mrs Mac David said that until the Oakmount School playing field was developed there was a notice indicating that there was no way through the Triangle to the Avenue. However, when she came to live in the Triangle, Oakmount Avenue had been a through road to the Avenue.
Treasurer’s report
The Treasurer said that it had been a quiet year but the fund raising events had been good.
(the detailed accounts are appended to these minutes.)
Election of the Committee.
The Chair named the present members of Committee. A new Secretary was needed and Caroline Knight’s name was put forward. There were no other nominations so Caroline was elected. This left a vacancy and Pete Thomas nominated Michael Ardern- Jones who was duly elected.
Roger thanked Pam for her hard and effective work as Secretary and presented her with a bouquet and tokens.
Neighbourhood Watch Scheme
Mike Radcliffe, as the Acting Co-ordinator of the scheme, reported that we were not registered with the Council and he hoped to put this right. There were 186 households in the Triangle and this includes the flats. It was hoped that as many households as possible can be contacted by email and that those without could arrange to be contacted by a neighbour when necessary. However, Mike had a large number of telephone numbers so people could be contacted quickly in an emergency. There was some discussion and Jeane Jackman offered to print off and deliver to those people without email. Andrew Jackman praised Mike for what he is doing. [The Committee has now agreed to ask for volunteers to pass documents to those without e-mail]
PCSO Sonja Payne
Sonja said that the Police wanted to work with us and enhance what we already have. She apologised on behalf of Andy Alderson and Matt Manning, her colleagues. Sonja explained that she had recently joined this beat having been in the Swaythling area. She and Matt patrol the area on their bicycles which enables them to cover a greater area but they are keen to make themselves known. For the Neighbourhood Watch to work the police need the support of the residents and they have to work in conjunction with the City Council who run the City Patrol.
We were advised to know our neighbours, to be aware of any problems they may be experiencing, to be aware of what is going on around you, of any suspicious activity, (criminals tend to exhibit repeat activity). If you have reason to be suspicious then the number to ring is 101, 999 is for genuine emergencies only. The 0845 no. will get a message to Sonja or you may be able to speak to someone. She advised photoing an incident if possible.
Mike was nominated and seconded as Co-ordinator and members were then asked to sign a form indicating that they wished to be members of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.
Sonja ended by giving us some statistics for different crimes which had taken place in the Triangle eg 1 burglary, 0 assaults, 6 rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour, 1 fireworks and 1 suspicious person.
Roger thanked Sonja for her presentation and Mike for agreeing to be the Coordinator.
Planning and NDS Malcolm Wagstaff
Malcolm reported that in April 2007 the residents accepted the document but other stakeholders such as estate agents also needed to be consulted wherewith the whole process ground to a halt due to the action, or lack of it, by Council officers.
The Council wished the document to be renamed and it would now be referred to as The Character Appraisal and Management Plan. The plan was placed on the Council website in May but it is inadequate and misleading. It lacks maps, plans and photos. There has been no editing, paragraphs have simply been cut and pasted in different places, bullet points have been removed and no amendments have been made by Council Officers. The resulting document does not reflect well on the Planners.
The CAMP should have been produced in booklet form with pictures and maps and we were assured that £1500 had been set aside for this purpose, however this sum was no longer available having probably been used to pay the consultant who looked through the document.
Malcolm had written to the Planning Officer on May 9th 2008 to find out what was going on and as yet had received no reply. The Conservation Group had produced a leaflet setting out the main points and it will be delivered to each house in the Triangle.
It was agreed that the document needed to be kept up to date. The Conservation Group would therefore carry out an annual review of what has taken place which would be reported to the Association and the Council. The date for the next review would be July 2009.
Parking
Roger pointed out that, even though the number of households was small, there were genuine concerns in Brookvale Road.
HRA had held a meeting which resulted in a letter being sent to all residents. OTRA wished to support the proposals outlined in the letter but there are three main points for objection:
1 There was no strong case for extra restrictions on the east side of Brookvale between Abbotts Way and Blenheim Avenue: there was a very real risk that the cars displaced would move to Blenheim Avenue and Oakmount Avenue
2 Ask the Council to look at the need for further restrictions at junctions
3 Ask the Council to consider the need for the build outs for safety reasons in view of the new restrictions.
It was thought that the main cause of the parking was the Adolescent Centre, and the Church. Had these organisations been consulted? Had the residents of Uplands Way and the Collins houses been consulted?
It was also suggested that the University might be a major part of the problem since it was noticeable that far fewer cars were parked since the students had gone down.
Jerry Gillen said he had spoken to someone at the University and was waiting for a reply. He considered that the Council should not give planning permission without adequate parking, however this may be more to do with Government policy than the Council.
Roger asked people to reply to the Council letter as soon as possible.
The Little Common Graham Linecar
A leaflet was available on the email distribution system.
The aim was to make the Little Common more open by removing bushes and undergrowth along Highfield Road. This would make the area safer, more accessible and restore the open aspect of the Common. Some clearance would take place this winter and volunteer workers would be most welcome. The meeting endorsed this approach to improving the Little Common and thanked Graham for his efforts.
Road project Pam Paull
The history of the houses in Westbourne Crescent and the people who have lived in them was now complete and available at £4 per copy. It is hoped do similar researches on Blenheim Avenue and Oakmount Avenue. Residents were asked, if they had any relevant information or might be pleased to help, to get in touch with Nicky Bradshaw or Marilyn Rossell for Blenheim Ave. and Grahham Linecar, Pam Paull or Lin Wright for Oakmount Avenue.
Website
Pete Thomas had set up the OTRA website which could be accessed on otra.org.uk. He urged residents to use the site including the special Forum feature. Roger thanked Pete for his work in getting the website up and running.
AOB Roger had been given excellent advice by the Fire Service on safety in the home. More details will be given in the next newsletter. Roger also thanked Pam and Ray Paull for organising the refreshments.
The Minutes of the AGM held on Friday Oct 30th 2009
PresentRoger Brown (Chair), Marilyn Rossell (Treasurer), Mike Radcliffe, John Bradshaw, Pete Thomas and Graham Linecar and 52 residents
Guests Councillor Vincenzo Capozolli, Jerry Gillen (HRA) and Simon Hill (Common Sense)
Apologies: There were 16 apologies
Minutesof AGM 11th July 2008 agreed. There were no matters arising.
Chair’s Report
Roger reported that the OTRA Committee had met 8 times since the last AGM. He thanked his fellow Committee members for their support and hard work during the year. He also thanked the OTRA Conservation Group for their vigilance and for the many hours of effort that had gone into the monitoring report on the CAMP.
Roger also thanked those who had organised fund raising social events during the year: Colin Bagust and Caroline Silk (the Quiz), Nicky Bradshaw and Pam Paull (Plant Sale) and Josie Brown (Book Sale). Special thanks went to Emily Shaw and her team for the extremely successful Street Party, which had also been supported by the City Council’s Active Communities Department and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation’s Grassroots Grants Scheme. Not only did these events raise much needed resources for OTRA, they were also valuable in helping the community to keep together. Finally, Roger thanked the local Police; the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Michael Radcliffe; the Highfield Residents’ Association; and the Northern Neighbourhood Forum, on which Steve Connolly has represented our interests. (Caroline Knight is the representative and Stephen has agreed to deputise)
Roger recalled that at the two previous AGMs he had commented critically on relations with the City Council, especially some officers. This year he was glad to be able to report that there had been a marked improvement in responsiveness and cooperation: whether this had anything to do with the new administration would be for others to determine. It had however made for a much more productive year.
A number of issues had arisen since the last AGM. Two of them, the CAMP and the Little Common, were elsewhere on the agenda. It had been a relatively quiet year for development, no doubt reflecting the recession. The most controversial issue had been parking, where OTRA had vigorously and successfully resisted proposals for restrictions in Brookvale Road that could have led to significant displacement of parked cars into the Triangle; one disappointing aspect had been the lack of sensitivity shown by certain residents in Brookvale not only towards other residents in Highfield but also towards legitimate community users such as the Church. The Association would keep the position under close review. We would also talk further with SCC over the replacement of kerb stones.
Turning to OTRA, Roger said that the e-mail communication system operated by Michael Radcliffe appeared to be working well. In addition, and especially to keep in touch with people outside that system, there was now a set of Street Representatives who would also welcome newcomers to the Triangle [details given below]. In answer to a question, Roger and Pete Thomas confirmed that the website was operative and available for inputs from residents.
Finally, Roger said that, if re-elected, it was his firm intention to step down as OTRA Chair in 2010. He would then have served for 7 years and it was quite wrong for a body like OTRA to come to depend too heavily on one person in that role. It was therefore imperative that the Association, through the Committee, embarked on the search for a suitable successor without delay.
Treasurer’s Report
The accounts were distributed and were up to March 2009. The plant sale had raised £285 and the Quiz £402. This year the plant sale had raised £361 and the book sale £275. We have £3000 in the bank. Andrew Jackman was thanked for inspecting the accounts.
Amendment to Constitution
As previously circulated: 5h: The Executive committee may constitute the Neighbourhood Watch Group
Election of Officers
The existing committee members have agreed to stand again unless there were any volunteers to take places. As there were no volunteers the committee stands. Graham Linecar has been co-opted on to the committee and will take the place of Mike Arden-Jones who is standing down. Roger Brown will act as Chair for another year and John Bradshaw has agreed to act as Vice Chair for the next year.
Conservation Group and CAMP
John Bradshaw talked about the work of the Conservation Group and the production of the Character Appraisal and Management Plan. Copies of the Management plan are available and are given to all new residents. Malcolm Wagstaff was thanked for all the hard work that he had put in to produce the document, which had been adopted by the Council 18 months ago. The purpose was to offer guidance on change, development and conservation in the Triangle.
Graham Linecar had produced the annual appraisal and he was thanked for this work. The AGM adopted the report and agreed that it should be forwarded to the City Council. Finally, there had been 20 planning applications made to the Council in the past year and most were approved.
In answer to a question, Roger said that OTRA automatically received notification of applications in the Triangle. He normally sought advice from the Conservation Group and sent a response by Chair’s action except where there were wider issues for the Committee. It was always helpful to have informal discussions before an application was lodged.
Common Sense
At the end of 2007, residents in Highfield Road came together to press the City Council to change the way it manages maintenance of our side of The Common. Residents had seen The Common becoming increasingly overgrown and the open grassy areas becoming smaller year by year. Residents of Highfield Road were particularly concerned that dense scrub along the roadside gave an oppressive feel, and left many feeling insecure. They wanted to see removal of much of the roadside saplings and bushes so the road would feel safer, and a change to the maintenance regime that would return to this part of The Common the more open character it had had some 15 years ago.
The group called themselves Common Sense. Like OTRA, it is part of HRA. It is an informal group that has built up a successful working relationship with managers of The Common. Managers now discuss with the group the maintenance programme and new projects for major changes and improvements. There have also been a number of volunteer working days when local residents, including residents from The Triangle, have set-to with The Common staff to do some of the work we wanted to see undertaken. It is satisfying to 'lend a hand' to achieve what we want to see happen, and also fun working together. And also informative, as you can learn a lot about The Common from the staff.
So far, Common Sense working groups have concentrated on the northern end of Highfield Road. Members may have noticed, and approved of, the work the volunteers did to remove some of the denser roadside growth of saplings and overgrown scrub and to clear scrub choking the remaining, struggling, hawthorns. During last winter, the City Council's contractors undertook removal of young trees from the ditches each side of the Victorian carriage drive so more sun and air would get to the grass ride and surface water could drain off into the cleaned-out ditches. For a time it looked a bit raw, but it seems to have worked. The ride is drier and now looks a lot better, and more inviting.
The next job will be removal of more roadside scrub. But first, steps must be taken to make sure vehicles and trailers cannot get onto The Common --- we do not want another invasion by travellers. This will probably take the form of strengthening the existing roadside banks, but in a way that gives gentle slopes allowing people to walk across onto The Common.
Common Sense also wants to see a start made opposite Avenue Campus, an area that used to be much more open and has been allowed to grow up, and, from the road, looks unkempt and forbidding. The Common management's new winter programme includes the intention to remove some young trees, especially those choking the remaining hawthorns, and to begin to create a new grassy glade for quiet enjoyment of The Common, like the nearby grassy area already there. Common Sense considers this to be only a beginning and will press for much more roadside clearance to open up and make less forbidding-looking the area opposite Avenue Campus.
The winter maintenance programme also includes some thinning of the tree canopy along Lovers' Walk to let in more light to encourage growth of a graded woodland edge, and reduce what it calls 'lurking areas'. It is hoped that some at least of this local work might be carried out with the help of volunteer working groups from OTRA because it is an opportunity for OTRA residents to engage with The Common management and talk about improvements and changes in maintenance.
The question was asked whether the work on the Common could not be done by those doing Community Service. The answer was given that such people needed supervision and much of the work was done by volunteers. Another question was asked about controlling the local rat population. The answer was given that the Environmental Heath Team should be made aware but they were reluctant to use poison. People should complain more and desist from feeding them. Clearing the Common would help. There was applause for the Common Sense Team.
Any Other Business
There was a presentation of the History project, led by Pam Paull and Caroline Silk, on the walls.
Roger was thanked for continuing to be Chair.
Ray and Pam were thanked for organising the drinks.
The meeting closed at 20.34 and was followed by an American supper.
The Minutes of the AGM held on Friday July 23rd 2010
PresentRoger Brown (Chair), Caroline Knight (Sec) Marilyn Rossell (Treasurer), John Marshall, Mike Radcliffe, Pete Thomas and 33 residents
Guests Councillor Vincenzo Capozzoli, Cllr Matthew Dean, Cllr Adrian Vinson and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 11 apologies
Minutesof AGM Friday October 30th 2009 agreed. There were no matters arising not elsewhere on the agenda.
Chair’s Report
Roger reported that the OTRA Committee had met 5 times since the last AGM. The main topics of discussion had been planning, conservation, parking and crime. There has been no change in committee members since the AGM. He thanked Caroline and Marilyn and the rest of his fellow Committee members for their support and hard work during the year. Roger also thanked those who had organised fund raising social events during the year: Colin Bagust and Caroline Silk (the Quiz), Nicky Bradshaw and Pam Paull (Plant Sale). Not only did these events raise much needed resources for OTRA, they were also valuable in helping the community to keep together. Finally, Roger thanked the local PCSOs, the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Michael Radcliffe and the Highfield Residents’ Association for their help and support.
Thanks were also extended to the street reps and Roger said that he was pleased that we had so many new residents and that perhaps some might be persuaded to join the committee.
Roger reported that communication with the City council had continued to improve in recent times although it would still be good to have a formal response to our Conservation Monitoring Report.
Roger also reported that Ray Paull had been unwell recently and conveyed the good wishes of the meeting to both Ray and Pam.
Treasurer’s Report
As circulated.
The accounts which were circulated prior to the meeting were up to March 2010. We have £3800 in the bank. Marilyn also thanked the fund raisers and those members who had supported the events. Andrew Jackman was thanked for examining the accounts.
Conservation
In the absence of John and Graham Roger delivered the report. He said that for the Conservation Status to remain live and useful, a yearly update to our CAMP is prepared. Each year any developments affecting the Triangle are reported.
The report is sent to the City Council and approved by them and once that has happened the report should form an addendum to the Management Plan.
Cllr Dean said that the local authority was grateful for all the hard work done by Roger, John, Graham and the rest of the Conservation Group. The Council had not always been seen as supportive or proactive but was now putting a small team together to help set up other conservation areas in the city. OTRA’s work has already been used as a template to inform conservation areas in Shirley and Woolston.
Cllr Dean also thanked OTRA for pointing out the shoddy street repairs in our area. He also thanked Roger for his hard work, courtesy and patience in his dealings with the Council during his term as Chair of OTRA.
Adrian Vinson asked about the reference in the report of inappropriately applied pebbledash. This will be pursued.
The Conservation Report, and all its recommendations, was approved.
Roger also asked the meeting if there was any interest in obtaining professional advice with regard to planting schemes for front gardens. It might also be possible to obtain discount for bulk orders.
Question- could this not form part of the CAMP?
Answer-It could be but the idea was to offer advice on suitable planting and not to be prescriptive.
Cllr Dean offered the services of the City council’s Ecologist to speak to us about this matter. This suggestion was gratefully received.
Pete Thomas suggested that the website could provide a forum for the sharing of gardening tips.
Also it might be useful to offer advice on form filling for applications for major works as several people have experienced difficulty with this.
OTRA continues to monitor parking in and around the area.
Website
Pete explained that he sees the website as having 3 main functions:
1 - to allow a flow of information from OTRA to residents
2 - to be interactive and dynamic allowing exchanges of information between residents such as buying and selling, swapping, recycling and general discussion. As a forum for exchange of local knowledge re trades people for example and also for announcing services.
3- to serve as a window to the outside world. House- buyers can see what sort of community this is. This has already happened with people emailing via the website.
Pete asked that if anyone had any suggestions, could they get in touch with him
It was suggested that it might be useful to include the website details on house selling particulars.
Pete will check if there are links to the OTRA website from outside sites such as Hantslink.
Election of Officers
The existing committee members have agreed to stand again.
Roger confirmed that he is standing down as Chair after 7 years in office. He expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to play a part in maintaining and improving our area. He paid thanks to all who have served on the committee and in particular to Pam Paull and Caroline Knight who have both been Secretary and to Marilyn Rossell who is Treasurer. He also thanked the wider group, including the street reps, fund raisers and also HRA and Jerry in particular for the hard work, commitment and friendship that he has shown to Roger.
Roger leaves OTRA in stronger position in respect of conservation, parking and a sense of community.
There have been some failures and we cannot take what we have for granted.
The Committee’s unanimous recommendation was that Roger should be succeeded by Professor John Marshall who will take over in the autumn.
John Marshall
John said that Roger stepping down is a moment that we have been dreading but he will be leaving us with stable structures, policies and funds. John thanked Roger for all his hard work and confirmed that there will be a formal farewell at a social function to be arranged in the autumn.
Any Other Business
A member asked about the proposed amendments to the plans for nos 1-3 Blenheim Ave.
Roger responded that these will be discussed at the Conservation Group Meeting.
Members voiced concern about the state of the footpaths and urged the Council to do something about them.
Cllr. Dean responded that he has a plan that he will share in due course.
The state of Brookvale Rd was raised.
Cllr Dean said that he will look into this but there is no money at present.
Michael Radcliffe asked that if people change their email addresses or obtain one could they please let him know so that he can update his records.
The meeting closed and was followed by an American supper.
The Minutes of the AGM held on Friday September 30th 2011
PresentJohn Marshall (Chair), Marilyn Rossell (Treasurer), Mike Radcliffe, Graham Linecar, Pete Thomas and 36 residents
Guests Cllr Matthew Claisse, Cllr Adrian Vinson and Jerry Gillen (HRA)
Apologies: There were 10 apologies
Minutesof AGM Friday July 23rd 2011 agreed. There were no matters arising not elsewhere on the agenda.
Chair’s Report
John reported that the OTRA Committee had met 5 times since the last AGM. The main topics of discussion had been planning, conservation, parking and crime. There has been no change in committee members since the AGM. John thanked Nicky Bradshaw and Pam Paull for organising the plant sale and Josie Brown for the Book sale: not only did these events raise much needed resources for OTRA; they were also valuable in helping the community to keep together. Finally, John thanked the Street Reps, local PCSOs, the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator, Michael Radcliffe and the Highfield Residents’ Association for their help and support. He also thanked the Council and in particular Graham White who deals with all the planning applications. John reported that Marilyn is stepping down as Treasurer and Street Rep – he thanked her for her hard work over the time she served on the committee.
John asked for volunteers for the committee and the Conservation Group: no-one was forthcoming at the meeting.
Treasurer’s Report
As circulated.
The accounts which were circulated prior to the meeting were up to March 2011. We have £4214 in the bank. Marilyn also thanked the fund raisers and those members who had supported the events. Andrew Jackman was thanked for examining the accounts
Conservation Annual Review.
Graham went through the Annual Review of the Oakmount Triangle Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Plan which listed 19 proposals. Issues discussed included photovoltaic panels, replacement kerb stones, charging for pre-submission planning applications. There was discussion about planning applications and also about side gables. OTRA has objected to the City Council's proposal to extend the present residents' parking scheme into the Portswood Residents Gardens area. That prompted discussion of the possible benefits & problems if the same were done for the Triangle & there was no consensus of view. It was proposed to set up a 'forum discussion' on the OTRA website to enable residents to exchange information & opinions on the issue.
Website
Any contributions are welcome. Pete Thomas noted a variable day visitor rate of 0 to 87. The chair thanked Pete for his work on the website.
AOB
Membership list – we need to ensure that it is updated as we need to keep contact with a many people as possible. We are not in contact with one third, some without email are contacted by street reps.
Neighbourhood watch is quiet at the moment.
No cold calling zone had been explored a year ago, it was felt to be more prevalent in other areas of the country, pros and cons were explored. It is perceived as a nuisance and no strong feelings emerged.
Adrian Vinson said crime is on the down generally in Southampton but burglary is on the up. Neighbourhood Watch has reported sporadic burglaries in clusters.
Common Sense has been clearing vegetation on the common. They have managed to persuade the council to remove the overhanging vegetation opposite the Avenue Campus.
Party for the Queens Diamond Jubilee - agreed that if this was going to take place planning would need to take place soon. Various venues discussed. It was agreed it would be taken forward.
There are currently no restrictions on street parking. Discussion included a parking survey which showed there is variability by location and night and day. Residents were consulted about Residents’ Parking, however, that was before the Brookvale road restrictions. Cllr Vinson argued they are not a panacea, but had not heard of Residents’ Parking Areas being removed. Discussion on the expansion of University parking and impact on the Triangle. It was suggested that we involve the students in solving the problem. Frankie Fry is the Welfare and Community Relations Officer for the Students Union.
Consultation via the OTRA Online Forum- is it worth it? This produced a diversity of views. It was agreed to put up a forum discussion!
Extending use of 20 mile speed limit- the policy is to try to keep it to schools. There was discussion about number of learner drivers using the Triangle.
There was discussion about the inappropriate use of garage areas. There were reports of souped up cars and drug taking. It is Important to report as it identifies a hot spot. In the management plan 2009 monitoring report we said would approach owners to make it a secure area. However, the owners were not prepared to do anything about it or prioritise renting the garages to local residents.