Summary of Meeting held at Porters Civic House on 14 November 2006
Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) for Kilworth Avenue, Cromer Road,
Hastings Road, Southchurch Avenue (part) and York Road (part)
1. The Worshipful the Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. The meeting was chaired by Simon Wright. The NHW Co-ordinator, Marina Wright and Deputy, Glyn Evans were present. In addition to NHW members, the meeting was attended by Judy McMahon, Councillor for Kursaal Ward, Karon Grant, Clean Neighbourhoods Co-ordinator, Technical & Environmental Services Department, Southend on Sea Borough Council, Derek Kenyon, Planning and Transportation Department, Southend on Sea Borough Council, Blaine Robin, prospective local councillor and Dan Brand and Chris Martin, Police Officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team.
3. Apologies were received from NHW members Lesley and Stuart Reynolds, Steve Gill and Robert Gretton, and from Mick Holland, NHW Administrator and Steve, our Royal Mail postman.
4. NHW Activities to Date: Marina thanked NHW members who had been cleaning graffiti in the area, and thanked Dan Brand and Chris Martin for their help and support. The NHW has campaigned for improvements to street lighting in the area, helped to reduce the volume of kerb crawling and has promoted upgrades to the local pedestrian crossing in Southchurch Avenue. NHW members have also assisted the police to arrest people causing criminal damage in the area, and have worked with the Council to clear dumped litter from the streets.
The Home Zones Concept: Simon described the benefits of Home Zones, and an explanatory document was distributed to the people attending the meeting. The Home Zone would solve many of the problems facing the NHW area, including criminal damage to vehicles and property, kerb crawling,, conflicts over parking, the high volume of speeding though traffic, poor street lighting and unsatisfactory road surface. There is a particular problem with rogue landlords who split large houses into multiple dwellings, and rent them to tenants who do not respect minimum standards of cleanliness, behaviour and noise. Kursaal Ward has suffered from years of neglect. However, with community involvement, the tide is now being turned. Home Zones would act as a focus for continued improvement to the area.
The situation in Kursaal Ward has not been helped by the recent news that funding earmarked for the ward appears to have been diverted to neighbouring wards, despite Judy’s efforts on our behalf. To pursue the Home Zones objective, there is a need to examine the funding possibilities from official national sources, the EU and the private sector.
The Home Zones concept has been successfully introduced in other countries and other parts of the UK, where the environment has been improved, the streets are safer and cleaner and property prices have increased. The meeting was broadly in favour of the concept. There was some discussion of the proposed area to be covered. One proposal included the area covered by Kilworth Avenue, Cromer Road and Hastings Road, whereas one member suggested that improvements to the part of York Road covered by the NHW would have a beneficial effect on the whole NHW area.
This is a long-term goal, and further steps will be taken towards this objective by the NHW. More background information is at www.homezonenews.org.uk.
5. Residents’ Association: Glyn proposed that the NHW should be upgraded to a Residents’ Association. This will act as a stepping stone towards the Home Zone. The meeting was in favour of this initiative.
6. Open Forum:
6.1. There is an excessive amount of litter being dumped in the area, much to the irritation of residents, and poses possible health risks.
6.2. Parking is at a premium in Kilworth Avenue, with frequent conflicts. This problem has been addressed elsewhere in Southend by a Residents’ Parking Scheme.
6.3. Southchurch Hall Park has suffered a long decline. There are reports of all-day drinking, animal cruelty, drug-taking, vandalism and graffiti in what was originally an attractive haven with well-tended flowers and trees. There are concerns that the trees may be cut down. Both Judy and Karon offered to help resolve these problems.
6.4. Concerns were expressed over the future plans for the Seaway Car Park. There are currently no firm plans for its redevelopment.
6.5. The area around York Road Market has become a dumping ground for litter.
6.6. There is a feeling that crime and anti-social behaviour in the area is being under-reported. It is important that NHW members report all incidents of criminal behaviour to the police, and graffiti and fly-tipping to the Council. Contact details are on the NHW website.
7. Action Points
7.1. Judy McMahon offered to investigate whether the matter of registration of landlords under the latest Neighbourhood Act can be used to help solve the problems of slum landlords. She will also check the legal status of Southchurch Hall Park to see if the problems of all-day drinking and the other problems of litter and damage can be addressed.
7.2. Karon Grant offered to help address a number of issues raised by the meeting, specifically poor street lighting, littering, the bad road surface and fly-tipping & the presence of rats in the old glass factory at the eastern end of Kilworth Avenue. Karon also offered to contact Leisure Services with a view to improving the cleanliness of the toilets in Southchurch Hall Park and removing the graffiti there.
7.3. Simon will amend the website www.kilworth.org.uk to provide contact telephone numbers of Council services. These issues reported to these numbers (e.g. fly-tipping, graffiti) will be logged and resolved by the Council.
7.4. Glyn will write to the Director of Planning and Transportation for advice on setting up a Residents’ Parking Zone. He will also research the practical way forward for the formation of a Residents’ Association, and will contact the Coalition of Borough Residents Associations for their advice and assistance.
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