Friday 23 June 2017

Parking Price Rise, but not 63%

The BEO have announced new car parking charges.  The Barbican Residential Committee (The BRC) rejected the proposed 63% rise and proposed a rise closer to inflation and asked for another review.  You can see the minutes of the BRC meeting here, go to point 9.
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Barbican Charging Policy for Car Parking

The Barbican Residential Committee have approved that the car park charges for 2016/17 be increased, in line with the Consumer Price Index.

The effect of this will be that the following charges will apply:
  • Annual residential car parking licences increase from £1225 to £1258
  • Daily car parking increases from £10.00 to £10.27
  • Motorcycle parking licences increase from £229 to £235
  • Annual fees for bicycle lockers increase from £86 to 88
  • Administration fees for new car bay licences increase from £60 to £62 

These charges will come into effect as from 28 September 2017 and your service charge account will be adjusted accordingly.

If you have any queries regarding this increase or if you wish to surrender your bay, please call 02070293921 or email barbican.estate@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

The Barbican Residential Committee also approved that a Member/Officer Working Party be established to review the charging policy of the present and potential uses of the car parking areas of the Barbican and to report back thereon with recommendations.

Friday 16 June 2017

Cripplegate Ward Newsletter

The June 2017 edition of the Cripplegate Ward Newsletter:

Click to read the newsletter

The Brewery - New licensing application

The Brewery on Chiswell St. have submitted a new licensing application.  If you live at the eastern end of Ben Jonson House this may be of interest to you:

Click to zoom in

Latest fire safety advice from the BEO

Latest fire safety advice from the BEO:
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Following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in West London in the early hours of Wednesday morning, our thoughts are with the people caught up in this terrible tragedy.

Naturally, residents in our blocks of flats will be concerned as to whether something like this could happen to them.

The cause of the fire is being investigated and, although there is some speculation, it is likely to be some time before the actual cause of the fire is known.

In response to the concerns of our residents, we would like to reassure you that we do everything that we can to ensure, as far as possible, that our residents remain safe in their homes. With particular regard to the risk of fire, we undertake and implement a number of pro-active improvement measures including:
  • Recently completed new Fire Risk Assessments compiled by an external contractor on all of our blocks
  • Carrying out regular reviews of Fire Risk Assessments to ensure they remain valid and 'fit for purpose'
  • Carrying out annual inspections of all the balconies to ensure that the fire escape routes are clear
  • Carrying out regular inspections of fire doors and other fire safety measures
  • Carry out regular estate inspections to ensure that any potential fire and other safety hazards are identified and removed
  • Giving our estate staff ongoing training on fire risk management;
If you have any immediate concerns about possible hazards on your estate, please report these to your House Officer straight away.

We will clearly continue to monitor progress with the investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire to understand the cause of the fire and any implications this may have for us in relation to the safety and integrity of our own homes.

With regard to the Barbican Estate, the advice from the Fire Brigade is as follows:-

The Barbican has been built to protect you in the event of a fire, so do not automatically assume you must leave your flat. The emergency services will decide whether the building needs to be evacuated. If it does, use your front door and stairs unless the fire/smoke prevents this, in which case use your balcony.

Basic advice

Familiarise yourself with the escape route from your flat before an emergency. For most flats this is using a staircase (NEVER A LIFT) or your balcony.

Keep all emergency access routes clear: your life or those of your family or neighbours could be endangered if you do not. Large plants or furniture should not be stored on balconies for this reason.

If the fire is in your flat:
  • Do not stay to fight a fire unless you can extinguish it immediately. 
  • Evacuate everyone in the flat. 
  • Close all doors behind you. 
  • Call the Fire Brigade. 
  • Call your Lobby Porter/Car Park Concierge. 

If you detect a fire in another part of your building:
  • Stay in your home unless evacuated by emergency services. 
  • Call the Fire Brigade, do not tackle the fire yourself. 
  • Close all doors and windows to restrict the spread of smoke. 
  • If you become affected by the heat or smoke, leave the flat, as described above. 
There have been very few fires on the Barbican Estate. Most have started in kitchens so residents may wish to keep a kitchen extinguisher or fire blanket nearby.

The London Fire Brigade will carry out a fire safety check.

http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/HomeFireSafetyVisit.asp

If in doubt, ask us.

General advice for fire prevention
  • It is worthwhile investing in a smoke alarm. The battery should be renewed each year to ensure the alarm is working effectively. 
  • Avoid calor gas, paraffin or electric bar fires wherever possible. Instead use plug in radiators with safety electric plugs. 
  • Do not block access points in your flat or the communal areas of your block. 
  • Do not use rooms for storage or as workshops. 
  • Do not overload electrical sockets, cover convector heaters or leave lit candles and heaters close to curtains and furniture. 
  • Ensure electrical equipment is regularly serviced. 
  • Do not throw cigarette ends off your balcony. 
  • Do not prop open fire doors. 

Thursday 15 June 2017

Ward Fire Safety meeting: Mon 26th June 19:00 Golden Lane Centre

From Barbican Talk, a meeting about fire safety in Cripplegate.  For reference, the current guidance for fire safety in Ben Jonson House is here.

This meeting was already scheduled but, understandably, the agenda has been changed ...
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Your Cripplegate Councillors (David Barker, Mark Bostock, Mary Durcan, Vivienne Littlechild, Sue Pearson. Will Pimlott, Steve Quilter and John Tomlinson) together with Alderman David Graves are holding a meeting on Monday 26th June at 7pm at Golden Lane Community Centre to meet residents of Golden Lane and the Barbican.

This is your opportunity to meet your Common Councilmen, find out what they have been doing and for you to tell them what you think.

Terence Short, City of London Fire Safety Advisor, will speak on fire safety on our estates.

Please join us and make your views known.

Mary Durcan

Click to zoom in

Monday 12 June 2017

Open Gardens - 17th & 18th June

Click to visit the open gardens web site

Click to read the flyer

Click to read the flyer


LEN Cycle Event - Sat 17th 11-3

Click to read the whole flyer

BMH: Taylor Wimpey residents meeting 19th June

The communications firm working for Taylor Wimpey, Westbourne Resources, are holding a residents meeting on 19th June at 18:30.  Here is the invite:
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Last week, Taylor Wimpey Central London submitted a demolition notice to the City of London in accordance with the section 80 of the Building Act 1984. This is part of a statutory process whereby Taylor Wimpey Central London are obligated to give notice to the Local Authority and send copies of the notice to utility services and also to adjoining owners and/or occupiers.

Please note that whilst the submitted demolition notice lists 3 July 2017 as the expected start of demolition works, demolition works will not commence until full planning permission has been received and the demolition methodology has been agreed with the City of London.

We recognise the sensitivity of the proposals and are committed to working with the local community. In order to provide and update and discuss the construction and operational aspects of the redevelopment of Bernard Morgan House, we are hosting a residents' meeting, the details of which can be found below:

Date: Monday 19th June
Time: 18:30 - 20:00
Location: Golden Lane Community Association, Golden Lane Estate, EC1Y ORN

Taylor Wimpey Central London want to make a positive contribution to the area and keep disruption to an absolute minimum while construction works are taking place. Should you have any further questions about the development and proposed construction works, please feel free to contact me on raj.mandair@westbournecoms.com or 020 3397 1874.

BMH: Planning approval on hold

Fred, the chair of Breton house forwards a summary of a message sent by Catherine McGuinness, City Corporation’s Chair of Policy and Resources. This is the part relevant to BMH:

"I am advised that following the letter to the Secretary of State requesting that the planning application be called in, the Secretary of State has issued a Section 31 Direction which means that the decision arrived at by the Planning and Transportation Committee subject to entering a Section 106 agreement in respect of Bernard Morgan House cannot be issued without the prior authorisation of the Secretary of State. The notice is issued to enable him to consider whether he should direct under Section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 that the application should be referred to him for determination.

I would add, in response to the concerns about conflicts expressed in the letter to the Secretary of State, that I am advised all procedural requirements have been adopted to ensure that the decision of Planning and Transportation Committee was made appropriately, on the basis of planning considerations only, and without regard to issues of ownership.

I can confirm that in compliance with the Direction, no planning permission will be issued unless so authorised by the Secretary of State".

Meanwhile, the scaffolding rises:

Rising Scaffold

Thursday 8 June 2017

Parking Fees: 63% rise deferred, BRC ask for new report

The BRC decided to defer a decision on the price of parking on the Barbican Estate and have asked for  new report to be produced.

See a archived copy of the minutes here.  See item 9 for the car parks discussion.

Nocturne - Roads closed Sat 10th Sun 11th

From the City of London Police:
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City of London Police - Residents Alert

A number of roads will be closed in the Square Mile this weekend due to the London Nocturne cycle race taking place.

From 6am on Saturday 10 June 2017 the following roads will be closed to cars and public transport on the day of the event: Cheapside, Gresham Street and New Change.

From 11am on Saturday 10 June Aldersgate Street (south of the Museum of London Roundabout) and St Martin's Le Grand will be closed.

All closures will be in place until 2am Sunday 11 June 2017. No vehicles will be able to cross the circuit until the roads re-open. Further information can be found on the Transport for London website.

City of London Police
For non-emergency crime dial 101
In an emergency dial 999
@CityPolice

BMH Fighting Fund Appeal

From the Chair of the Breton House Group
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In addition to asking the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to call in TW's planning application, we also have a solicitor, working on a "no win, no fee" basis, looking into the possibility of applying for a Judicial Review of the decision to approve the application. We want the decision overturned and the future of BMH to be reconsidered with proper regard to the community's views and needs.

Whilst there are no solicitors fees, we urgently need to raise £3,500 to pay for an independent sunlight/overshadowing report and to obtain a specialist counsel's advice on the prospects of an application to the Planning Court for permission to judicially review the City's decision, so we are setting up a Crowd Justice fund raising page which should go live on 13 June.

The link is https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-golden-lane/. We will not be able to access the money until the full amount of £3500 is raised so we need to raise this as quickly as possible, as the deadline for applying for a Judicial Review is six weeks from the date of the Committee's decision (23 May) so we need to get counsel's advice as soon as possible.

If we fail to raise £3,500 all contributions will be refunded in full. So please donate as soon as the page is launched at 10am on Tuesday 13 June - https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-golden-lane/. It would help spread the message if you could forward the link to your friends and contacts.


Before


After

BMH: Secretary of State asked to recall planning permission

The Golden Lane Residents Association have written to the Secretary of State asking that the planning application for Bernard Morgan House be called in:

Click to read the whole letter

Tuesday 6 June 2017

BMH scaffolding starts. To take four weeks

The chair of Breton House met with with Gary Telford and Sam Varty from Greater London Demolition. Sam is acting as the liaison for GLD and can be contacted on 0208 805 7200 or 07572114633, as well as by email at sam.varty@greaterlondongroup.co.uk.

Both Sam and Gary have agreed to come to a residents meeting on 15 June at Golden Lane Community Centre (basement) at 18.30. They will outline the demolition programme, answer questions and hopefully allay any concerns.

*** This meeting was cancelled at the last minute.  Taylor Wimpey forbad GLD from meeting residents. ***

GLD’s programme is likely to take up to three months, with scaffolding taking four weeks and demolition six to eight weeks. In the meantime, we have been assured:
  • That the scaffolders will not start work before 8.00.
  • The scaffolders’ trucks will be unloaded from inside the site, with access from Viscount Street via Golden Lane and Brackley Street.
  • There will be banksmen to control truck movements, especially reversing and returning to Golden Lane.
  • There should be no Saturday working. The normal hours of work will be 8.00 till 5.00. However, if they get behind schedule they will work until 6.00, as permitted by City Corporation, rather than working on Saturday mornings.
  • Drivers waiting to access the site etc have been instructed that truck engines must not be left idling.
  • GLD have appointed a contractor to deal with the removal of the tiles, so these can be re-used in the development.
  • If you have any questions, please come to the meeting and ask either Sam or Gary, or both of them.

Please keep fire exits clear

It is really important to keep fire exits clear.

Please don't do this

Saturday 3 June 2017

City Police residents meeting July 11th

The Barbican Association have invited the City of London Police to talk about "safeguarding residents" at 19:30 on 11th July 2017 in the main hall of the City of London School for Girls.

Residents in the north west of the City are welcome.  I'm not sure what will happen to residents from other parts of the City.

... followed by wine and soft drinks.

Please keep fire exits clear

It is really important to keep fire exits clear.

Please don't do this

Blooming Barbican Balconies - 3rd June

Planting advice today.  Here is the original flyer and here is the handout from the event (with tips about the kinds of plants to grow and how to keep them alive).  I think this is all from the Barbican Horticultural Society:

Click to enlarge

I just stumbled upon a notice for this event posted on one of the boards in Ben Jonson House.  If you are planning an event and would like to let Ben Jonson House know, just send an email to us with details of your event and or a poster.

Friday 2 June 2017

Meet your Cripplegate Ward Common Councillors


From the BEO:
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Cripplegate Ward FIRST 100 DAYS 

Golden Lane and Barbican Residents are invited to 
MEET YOUR COMMON COUNCILMEN 

Find out what they have been doing for you and tell them what you think 

• MAINTENANCE, REPAIRS AND MAJOR PROJECTS
• PLANNING ISSUES AROUND OUR ESTATES
• OTHER STRATEGIC ISSUES AFFECTING BOTH ESTATES 

Monday 26th JUNE. 7.00pm 
Golden Lane Community Centre

Click here to read the whole flyer + map to the venue