DOG FOULING

Animal Welfare Officers for the City of Brighton & Hove have a range of duties include attending to stray dogs, investigating allegations of cruelty, dangerous dogs, nuisance caused by pets and the age old problem of dog fouling. IS THERE A DOG FOULING PROBLEM IN THIS AREA?

They can arrange Action Days in the area of concern, put up relevant signage regarding dogs, talk to local groups and anything else pro-active to try to combat this anti-social behaviour.

Sue Watson
Senior Animal Welfare Officer.

01273 292929/01273 292446

June 9th at 8pm next meeting street party in Baker's Bottom,

If you are interested in being involved in a street party in Baker's Bottom, meet at the
Round Georges on Tuesday June 9th at 8pm.
The proposal is for Saturday 12th Sept in Bute Street from 1 pm - 9 pm, with any parked cars to moved by 10 am.
Ideas so far: kids' games, display of the psycho-geography of the area, live music, food and drink and decorations.
The Council have asked for a petition to show extent of the support by residents of the Bakers' Bottom and for a Risk Assessment to control the numbers.
Contact rosilalor@gmail.com

car parking Area H extension consultation

adjoining car parking Area H extension consultation
showing to Manor Hill (the other side of Whitehawk Hill) and the low risk possibility of increasing displacement car parking in Craven Vale.
Full leaflet available, if you contact 020 8774 2869
or e-mail areaHextension@mottmac.com
comments to be in by 15th June

Annual General Meeting May 13th 2009, 7.00pm

Notes of Annual General Meeting

May 13th 2009, 7.00pm at The Vale Community Centre, Hadlow Close

Present: Alan Cooke (Acting Chair), 29 residents, Cllr Gill Mitchell, Cllr Warren Morgan, Trevor Jones (Community Participation Officer), Sarah Johnson (Housing Officer), Sue Hes and Carol Byard (Trust for Developing Communities), Sue Leggett (Community Warden), PCSO Carol Manton, Paul Gorringe (Park Ranger Service)

1. Welcome and Apologies. Alan opened the meeting at 7 pm. There were no apologies received.

2. Acting Chairman’s Report. Alan reported on the year, and gave thanks to several members of the committee who had achieved so much over the past year, plus the efforts of Sue and Carol from TDC. He welcomed Trevor, Sarah and Sue Leggett to their first AGMs, and thanked them for their help to the team. He also paid tribute to committee member Carol Mahony, who had passed away several months earlier.

Much had been achieved, especially having taken over ‘The Shed’, renamed it as the Vale Community Centre, and significantly increased its level of bookings under the guidance of Nick Wood. We now have a new notice board at the top of Hadlow Close where we advertise all that is going on in the community, and a new weblog address where all can keep in touch.

Community Payback had helped smarten up the estate with their valuable work on the garden areas for our new gardening team led by Grant Scott and Carol, and we are hoping to see them again soon to help with this year’s objective of smartening up the adjoining woodlands for the benefit of all residents.

3. Minutes. The minutes of the Annual General Meeting of April 13th 2008 were circulated and were agreed to be a true record of the meeting. There were no matters arising.

4. Treasurer’s Report. The unaudited accounts were circulated. The Resource Centre expected to have them audited within a few weeks and these would be presented at the next Committee Meeting. Alan thanked Irene Fender for acting as tresurer for the past year, but a replacement was now needed. Separate accounts were shown for the Community Association and for the Vale Community Centre. At the end of the year, the CVCA held some £816.52, and the Vale CC some £5,038.42. The meeting adopted the accounts.

5. Election of Committee. Trevor thanked the committee for all their hard work over the past year and then asked for people willing to put themselves forward as committee members. The following were unanimously elected:

Chairman – Grant Scott; Secretary - Alan Cooke; other committee members – Bill Duff, Irene Fender, Keith Drysdale, Nick Wood, and Clive Taplin . No treasurer was appointed.

The next committee meeting was set for June 10th at 7 pm.

6. Presentation by Park Ranger Service on Whitehawk Woods. Paul Gorringe introduced himself as the new Park Ranger responsible for Sheepcote Valley, Whitehawk Valley and the woodlands adjoining Craven Vale and Bakers Bottom. His main priorities for the local woodlands were: to clear the current rubbish which had been fly-tipped throughout the area; to regenerate the woodland by clearing out some invasive species, protect valuable specimens such as elms, and introduce more woodland species through cutting down much of the sycamore to provide open areas where new plants could be encouraged; and to improve access to the woodlands by improving the paths.

He intends over the next few months to work with the community to achieve many of

these objectives and to organise guided walks and workshops to involve as many people as possible. The first big occasion would be a joint litter-pick day to be organised for July 18^th.

In open discussion many other topics were covered, including the activities of those illegally resident on the hill, the presence of Japanese Knotweed, the state of the public footpath backing on to Rochester Street, the need for dogbins, and the regeneration of Queens Park.

Paul is happy to be contacted at any time on 07825 387385.

7. Any Other Business

None

The meeting closed at 7:30 pm.

parking up and down Queensway

remind me not to go up or down Queensway when going north: instead, use Freshfield Road -- too many cars and buses ect. and grid-lock looms....

the loneliest bus stop in Brighton

the loneliest bus stop in Brighton -- named Hemmingways after the pub at the top of Cuthbert Road, 21a to the Marina stops there : one bus a week, on a Sunday, one an hour : it turns down Dawson Terrace and then up Queensway, Hadlow Close at 7.34 pm 8.34 pm 9.34 pm 10.34 pm and 11.34 pm --
21a to the Marina -- has it gone yet?

The return journey stop is on Freshfield Road via Elm Grove and ends up at Churchhill Square.

Of course, No 2 and 2a runs through Craven Vale....

When the new site is up and running, a link with the bus times will be established.
..

FIX MY STREET

http://www.fixmystreet.com/ is a national web-site devoted to enabling residents to Report, view, or discuss local problems (like graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs, or street lighting.)

This site then takes responsibility of finding the appropriate council department and forwarding the request. After a period of time, if the issue is not resolved (or a number of the same issues are filed) the Home Office takes a direct interest and contacts the relevant council.

It needs a computer. You can report anonymously. It cost nothing.
And there were no reports in the Craven Vale or Bakers Bottom.

Let's see if it works.....

How to report a problem

1. Enter a nearby postcode, or street name and area
2. Locate the problem on a map of the area
3. Enter details of the problem
4. We send it to the council on your behalf

refreshing the blog

training course last night tells me we need a better blog -- one that has pages and better system to show comments and calendar and remind me to diarise...: i even forgot to get to the AGM!

Bluebells -- Spanish or otherwise? The copses above Craven Vale are full of Bluebells (and boarage and cow lips.....

Bute and Rochester St parking evidence Sat 9th May 2009 noon

continual problem with parking

This is the text of the letter referred to in my previous post

30/04/2009

Dear Vehicle Owner/Resident,

Our attention is still focused on the continual problem with parking in Rochester, Bute and Hendon Street and thank residents and car owners for voicing their thoughts and concerns.
There are still parking issues in the area and are asking all residents/car owners to be responsible in the way vehicles are parked on both sides of the road.
We’re also aware that vehicle owners are parking in these streets for work or college purposes and ask that consideration is taken when parking.

To clarify, our intentions are for the residents who live in these streets, to park their vehicles leaving enough room on the pavement for a double buggy or wheelchair to pass easily and at the same time there must be enough space for an emergency vehicle to pass through on the roads.
If there is street furniture on the pavement i.e. bins then please take that into consideration and leave more space on the pavement.

The introduction of white lines on the junctions is also causing some confusion, Vehicles parking near these white lines need to park at least a cars length away, this is so any vehicle can manoeuvre around the corners.
It is not acceptable that car owners are forcing pedestrians into the road.

Obstructing the road or footpath is enforceable with a £30 fine. Emergency vehicle should be able to use the road freely at all times.
If necessary we will also tow any vehicle if they are causing an obstruction. We hope with co-operation and consideration this will not be necessary.

I’m sorry this is such a long winded letter but I hope this helps to clarify more that are intentions are to make the roads accessible for emergency vehicles to get to the residents in Rochester, Bute and Hendon Street, and to prevent us having to ticket every vehicle in the street.
Please feel free to contact us with your thoughts.
Many thanks.

PCSO Carol Manton ID Number 21896 - 07766997932
PCSO Laura Hall ID Number 26995 - 07766997961

Kemp Town Neighbourhood Policing Team
John Street Police Station
Brighton, BN2 2LA

0845 60 70 999 ext 26995 or 21896
laura.hall@sussex.pnn.police.uk
carol.manton@sussex.pnn.police.uk

AGM agenda Wednesday May 13th 7pm

AGM Wednesday May 13th
agenda

6 pm onwards – free buffet
- and getting-to-know-you
time

7 pm - short AGM to receive accounts and elect committee

7.20 pm - discussion with our
Park Ranger Service on how
we can improve access to the
woods next to Craven Vale, and
listen to your views on what
else you would like to see done
to improve those woods

8 pm – free raffle prizes!
(everyone a winner)

Police Warning on Pavement Parking

The leaflet was placed on all vehicles in Hendon st/Bute st/Rochester st recently telling of the intention to fine any car found on the pavement such that it causes an obstruction to pedestrians.
More details to follow.

STREET PARTY TIME -- baker's bottom:

If you are interested in being involved in a street party in Baker's Bottom, meet at the
Round Georges on Monday 11th May at 8pm.
The last one , 4 years ago, was great!

BAKERS' BOTTOM ARTISTS

Talking about ART, the Artists Open Houses have exhibitions in

3 Hendon Street (http://www.bakersbottomartists.co.uk/)

and 10 Canning Street

The Haven is exhibiting work as part of this year’s Brighton
Fringe Festival. The Haven group’s work will be
shown alongside 33 other youth arts projects from
across the City. The Trust For Developing
Communities are funding the group to develop their
work and mount them onto canvas to be shown during
May, including two exhibitions in the local area.
Please do come along and look at their photography
and support young people in the community taking
part in this fabulous festival of arts, drama and
Music.
Saturday 9th May – The Pankhurst Haven
12 Noon till 4pm
Saturday 16th May – The Vale Community Centre
12 Noon till 4pm

extract from QPCV

News from Craven Vale
Have you noticed all the outdoor improvement
work that has been taking place on Fridays?
The Community Payback team have been on
community service in the area making a difference to
the estate. They have done some major groundwork
clearance of untidy flowerbeds which had become
traps for wind blown litter, painting whitelines to all
the steps and refurbishing an old store to create a
base for the new team of Council cleaning staff that
will serve the blocks.
-------------------
Local residents have formed the
Craven Vale Gardening Group and
have begun to replant some of the
newly cleared and created
flowerbeds. Look out for posters and
fliers through your door to tell you when the
Gardeners will meet. All are welcome to join in.
If you have any plants, cuttings or seeds you would like to
donate let them know. To contact the Gardening
Group tel 571 573 and leave a message for Grant.
---------------------------
Dates for your diaries:
Saturday 2nd May 11.00 – 1.00pm Gardening Group
meet at The Vale, Hadlow Close
=
Wednesday 13th May 7.00 – 9.00pm Craven Vale
Community Association Annual General Meeting
=
Saturday 18th July – Big Tidy Up – all welcome to take part.