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Ruth Fanlight 02/10/2003 |
The "Audience with..." series will continue with Ruth Fanlight on 2nd
October at 7:30pm. Tickets free from Carole-Ann Barnet at the Notting Hill
Library on 020 7229 8574 Ruth Fanlight will be reading a selection of her own poetry. She has published eleven collections of poems as well as short stories and translations. Born in New York City, she has lived mostly in England since the age of fifteen and has lived in Notting Hill since the early 1970s with her husband, the novelist Alan Sillitoe. Her most recent books are Selected Poems (1995), Sugar-Paper Blue (1997) which was short-listed for the Whitbread Poetry Award, and Burning Wire (2002). |
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Angela Rippon 18/09/2003 |
(Report back to come) | |||||
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The Rt Hon Lord Weatherill 12/06/2003 |
(Report back to come) | |||||
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Anne Widdecombe 30/04/2003 |
Anne Widdecombe MP proved to be one of the most popular invited guests of the series on 30th April 2003. Over 60 people attended and were entertained with light-hearted tales of her time spent on the television show "Celebrity Fit Club" as well as more in-depth discussion on topics including women in politics, her own path into politics and combating ageism. The audience challenged Ann on her views and opinions during the longest question and answer session of the series. | |||||
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Overhanging trees 28/03/2002 |
The Mayor, Cllr Tony Holt visited Dawson Place, W2 as part of a campaign by the Council to deal with branches of trees in private front gardens overhanging the pavements that are a danger to blind or partially-sighted persons. Residents can report such situations that they encounter by phoning 020 7361 2767 or 020 7341 5284. The Council is legally able to serve an enforcement notice, if necessary, and failure to comply results in the work being carried out in default and recharged to the owner. | |||||
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Ward Councillors inspect
computer facilities in Pembridge Library 02/02/2002 |
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| Council Key Decisions & Forward Plan | Under its new form of governance, adopted in July 2001, the Council is now legally required to advertise each month a rolling programme of "Key Decisions" that it is proposing to take during the next three months. A copy of the Forward Plan is placed in the Council Libraries and on the Council's website at the beginning of each month but a more dynamic version is available on the Council's website which is updated daily. The Forward Plan provides information not only for Councillors but also local residents, residents associations, conservations socities and commercial premises so that appropriate objections can be considered befroe decisions are finalised. A direct Internet link is provided to the monthly version of the Forward Plan and the Key Decisions. | |||||
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Kensington Park Road Crossing Completed 05/11/2001 |
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Chepstow Villas Junctions Roundabouts 01/11/2001 |
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Pembridge Library Facilities Improved 31/10/2001 |
Cllr Barbara Campbell has been working with Council officers and a group of library users to plan improvements to the facilities provided by the Pembridge Library. The library now has four computers for public use which provide access to the Internet and to the Council's website. The Children's section has been much improved and a series of evening talks by local authors is being arranged. | |||||
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New Council Structure 18/07/2001 |
At a meeting of the full
Council on 18th July 2001 the Members took the formal decision to adopt a
new Constitution using the government's Leader and Cabinet model. Councillor Merrick Cockell, the Leader of the Conservative Majority Party, was elected as the Leader of the Council. He then nominated the other nine Cabinet Members who, in the first instance, were basically the Chairmen of the Executive Committees under the previous Council structure. Further information is available on the Council's website. |
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| As far as the Ward is concerned, its
Councillors have been appointed to undertake the following roles within
the new structure: Cllr Doreen Weatherhead: Chairman, Regulation and Enforcement Committee Cllr David Campion: Lead Member for the Leader on Carnival and also for IT Cllr Barbara Campbell: Lead Member on Social Services |
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Pembridge Branch Library 16/02/2001 |
LIBRARY REPRIEVED! The Leader of the Council, Councillor Merrick Cockell, announced that the Council would not now be proceeding with the proposed closure of the Notting Hill Library in Pembridge Square at the end of March inspite of the adverse grant settlement received from the government for the next financial year. He said that he had taken into account the strongly felt views of the Pembridge Ward Councillors about the Library being a valuable resource for the local community in spite of the recent drop off of book lending. |
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The Leader of the Council, accompanied by Pembridge Ward Councillors, announces the repreive of the Library to children and parents outside W H Smith in Notting Hill Gate on Friday 16th February. |
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| He also acknowledge the strongly felt
views of the local community which had resulted in the submission of a
petition containing over 2,000 names following the local public meeting
organised by the Pembridge Ward Councillors on 19th January which was
attend by 250 people with 100 having to be turned away because of lack of
space in Pembridge Hall School. He indicated that the Council proposes to provide a reduced level of funding for the Library for a period of two years and that a review of the situation would be commenced in 18 months time; if the attendances and book issues continue to show a drop off and are shown not to compare well with other libraries in the Borough then it is likely that closure will be recommended. The revenue budget for the Library will be reduced from £158,000 to £130,000 and this will be funded from central resources to enable the Education & Libraries business group to balance its budget. The reduced cost will be accomplished by reducing the opening hours of the Library; the actual hours have yet to be formally announced but they are likely to be restricted to afternoons only on three days during the week. Councillor Barbara Campbell has been given the task of seeing how the use of the Library can be improved and this will involve close consultation with the Friends of Pembridge Library and those who have campaigned to keep it open. The Leader concluded by saying that it is now up to the local community to make best use of the breathing space that has been provided. The Council is making its own Press Release on the matter on Monday 19th February. |
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| The Ward Councillors are keen to see
the introduction of computer facilities at the Library which will enable
local residents to browse the Internet and to make use of the Councils
remarkable new Web site containing full information about available
Council services and places of local interest. The Ward Councillors have welcomed new information that shows that attendances at the Pembridge Library have recently increased whereas attendances at all other Borough Libraries have decreased. The Ward Councillors believe that the Notting Hill Library in Pembridge Square is a valuable resource for the community and that the success of libraries need to be judged on a wider range of criteria other than soely book issues. |
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| 07/02/2001 | The public meeting, which
was organised by the three Pembridge Ward Councillors, and chaired by Cllr
David Campion, was very well attended and an estimated 240 people were
present with about 100 turned away for lack of space. It was made very clear, by the Councillors, that the final decision on whether the Library will be closed had not been taken and will not be taken until after there has been a response from the Government on the support grant for the next financial year. There was much criticism of the Councillors that they had not come to the meeting with alternatives. This belied the primary reason for organising the meeting which was to give local people a chance to voice their concerns. It was pointed out by them that the matter of alternatives will arise if and when the Council has to determine how to meet the reduced level of expected grant. Subseqent to the meeting the Ward Councillors learnt that the figures for visitors to the Library declined from 10,000 to 8,000 during October 2000. While the number of book issues has dropped in all Libraries it would appear that there is a very significant number of people who visit the Pembridge Library each month for other purposes even if they do not actually borrow books. Nevertheless, these figures are still low compared with those of other larger libraries within the Borough. As Cllr Campion said at the meeting, if more local people used the Pembridge Library then the matter of possible closure might not have come up; if the interest shown by the opposition to the proposed closure results in much more intensive use then this might just be considered as a reason for a temporary reprieve until the matter is reconsidered at a later date. [The problem has arisen because the population of the Borough has increased by about 10,000 people and this should have automatically resulted in the increase in support grant; however, the Government has put a cap on the percentage increase and this denied the Council increased revenue to meet the cost of providing existing services. The situation is made worse in that increased grant has been made available to meet compulsory new services and the Council is unable to divert any of this to meet the inflationary increase in the cost of existing services]. A petition containing 2,173 names was subsequently presented to the Council by Cllr David Campion at the Council Meeting held on 24th January; this stood referred to the Education & Libraries Committee for response back to the full Council. The petition asked the Council to "Save the Notting Hill Library". The Council had its response from the Government on the important matter of funding for April 2001 - March 2002. In essence, the Government, inspite of pressure from the Borough as a result of a meeting between the Leader, Cllr Merrick Cockell, and Hilary Armstrong, the Local Governement Minister, declined to change its mind about effectively witholding £4.5million of support grant although something less than £1million has been added towards Housing Benefit costs. |
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Residents Bays Parking Control
Hours 05/11/2001 |
The Highways and Traffic
Committee, at its meeting on 6th February 2000, following extensive public
consultation, took the decision to extend the parking control hours for
resident's bays in the Ward until 10pm Monday to Friday. It will therefore
still be possible for residents and non-residents to park in Pay & Display
bays and on single yellow lines after 6:30pm on Mondays to Fridays and
after 1:30pm on Saturdays. The extension of parking control hours in this area came into force w.e.f. Monday 16th July 2001. Temporary signs were erected in AREA 3 advising of this change and 45,000 leaflets were mailed to all resident permit holders and purple disabled badge holders. Telephone queries should be made to the parking Helpline on 020-7361 3682 or on E-mail at parking@rbkc.gov.uk (This extended control does not apply to the west of Ladbroke Grove) (08/08/2001) |
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