Minutes 1st June 2004

Minutes of Meeting on 1 June 2004:

CRYSTAL PALACE & NORWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
HELD AT 1ST FLOOR, LORENZO'S RESTAURANT, WESTOW HILL

1. Present

Honorary Chairman - James Slattery-Kavanagh - Quotes
Honorary Secretary - Lucy Smith - MyMatiz.com
Honorary Membership Secretary - Mary Kennedy - The Tanning Shop
Sharon Baldwin - Town Centre Manager
Lorenzo Nargi - Lorenzo
Kevin Carleton-Reeves - Transport Consultant
Dr L K Bandlish - Gipsy Hill Dental Surgery
Ramish Morjaria - Overseas Trade
Mrs Morjaria - Overseas Trade
Serge Ismail - Numidie Bistro
Daphne Kellet - Art Dealer
Roger Sorrell
Beth - guest of Mary Kennedy - The Tanning Shop

2. Apologies

Honorary Solicitor - Geoff Harding - Bennett Welch
Frank Lissimore - Amphlett Lissimore
Emma Jayne Sheeha - Amphlett Lissimore
Prisana Pons - Tamnag Thai

3. Minutes of previous meeting

Kevin mentioned the gully levels on the triangle - the rain water collects. Outside The Cambridge public house was noted as a particular problem. Lorenzo said this was a water leak not rain water. The minutes were taken as approved.

4. Chairman's Review

The Chairman reported that there was not a great deal new going on in the area apart from the Olympic bid.

5. Presentation and Approval of Accounts

The Chair asked Peter Runacres to attend this meeting and Peter said he would be attending but he was not present. The Chair said all he could do was apologise on his behalf and defer the accounts again. The Chair will talk to him and find out when he intends to present the accounts.

6. East London Line Extension (ELLE)

London has been shortlisted for the Olympic bid and the East London Line extension would open Crystal Palace up as a training centre or possible venue (although the UNIT meeting did not think this would be the case). Roger said he could get a speaker to talk about the plans for Crystal Palace and the Olympic bid. The Chair said that would be appreciated. There are issues about funding but the Prime Minister said these are issues that should not stand in the way. Technically it could start tomorrow as the plans have all been drawn up. Kevin said £1 billion was the figure that has been talked about.

Sharon said the local area should be associated with what's happening and the association of this town with developments is important. It is important that the voice is heard at the councils and the LDA. There will be a massive investment in the park whatever happens. The Chair said he had written to Barbara Cassani and received no reply. He will be writing to Lord Coe.

Sharon said the Tramlink was of more importance as it was more likely to happen and sooner. There are six options and one is Beckenham to Crystal Palace - it is favoured because it is the easiest and cheapest. The timescale for completion is 2007. People need to be more conscious of this.

7. Crystal Palace 150th Anniversary in the park

This event is taking place on 5-6th June, between 11am-5pm. Roger said that Prisana Pons said if the Chair required any help at this event to contact her. The Chair will be running a stall on the Chamber. There will be morris dancers and other entertainment to pull in the visitors. All are welcome to come and visit him on the stall. Sharon said the Queen's Hotel are putting on Victorian teas and will be showing a video of the Palace burning down. There are some rickshaws that might be available to ferry people from the park to the town. There is another event taking place at Dulwich Park on the same weekend. Sharon also has Victorian pictures if any traders would like to put them on their windows.

8. Parking and Pavement Survey

The Chair circulated the key results of the survey to those present at the meeting. The Chamber organised a survey and received 42 responses. The survey was split into three parts, a question based on a map, some yes/no questions and a space for other comments. The information from the map was not easily translated into results. This survey also helped the Town Centre Manager with some research around public telephones and toilets.

Daphne said that the crossing at Gipsy Hill doesn't comply for people who are blind or partially sighted. It is not acceptable for anyone who is frail or who has children. The Chair said he had been to the junction with Sharon Baldwin, David Kerr (previous Town Centre Manager), councillors and has raised it with the police on safety issues.

Following all this work and comments from the Triangle Traders and comments from a book in the library Sharon has arranged to meet with planning on the second week of July. £16 000 has been set aside for more survey work. The designers of the team and planners will go through every single point and she believes there will be some changes especially on the major issues such as this junction.

Sharon and the Chair have been in contact with the Triangle Traders and they are aware of the survey, they can read these minutes on the Internet so they are not excluded. The Triangle Traders do not meet. The Chair thanked Sharon for the support she had given the survey. Sharon said she wouldn't have taken the issues up if she didn't think she would get results.

Sharon gave the Chair an Upper Norwood shopping survey organised by Croydon council. She has asked them to redo it for Lambeth and Bromley. There will also be a survey on accident hot spots. Vacancy rates are high but are back to what they were before the one way system. The point was made that vacancy rates don't show the turnover of businesses bought and sold. "Tales of the Sea" fish and chip shop had recently closed and cited the one way system as the reason.

One of the major issues is that businesses are not free to load and unload without fear of being issued with a parking ticket. Crystal Palace is also one of the few towns without charged on street parking. A stock take is needed of all double yellow lines along the triangle.

Kevin said that restaurants could have countdown systems so that customers would know when the next bus would arrive. The bus terminus was also criticised for being too small and dangerous.

Sharon said in the future the LDAs influence will become significant and the problem of the three boroughs will become less noticeable.

Mary Kennedy also mentioned the damage that was caused to her basement from the one way system development. Sharon is aware of the three properties that need work done by the contractors. Mary has been trying to get compensation for the last two years.


9. Any Other Business

Radio system

Sharon said the radio system is in use in Croydon and other parts of the borough. 12 radios are available to use and she has the forms for people to fill in if they want one. They give direct contact to the police and each other and are all connected to the CCTV. She has some funding so people don't have to pay the full costs. She has six she can sponsor. The cost is £24 per month and the money goes back into security systems for the area. There will be 12 up and running by July and stickers for all premises. The press department will also advertise that the system is in place.

Croydon Zone

The next edition (June/July) will have a four page spread on Crystal Palace. Sharon has some money to help businesses advertise, but not the full cost. They will also give free promotion on their website (The Chair also pointed out membership of the Chamber means businesses get free promotion on the Chamber website). Sharon has some forms for this too. They are also working on a Bromleyzone. They will add a free calendar of events for Crystal Palace. It is the businesses opportunity to decide how they want the area portrayed by advertising or the big corporates will be in there on their own e.g. McDonalds. The Chair said it might be time to put together a business directory of Crystal Palace.

Library

26th June is when the library re-opens with an event.

Christmas Lights

The council will decide in two weeks time whether it will fund the lights. It will cost £7700 to put up the lights. If the traders aren't going to pay for it then they need to think about who will. Sharon has first pick of the actual lights. She has talked to companies about sponsorship. The Chair said he didn't relish the idea of asking traders for money in the current climate. Sharon said other towns have had a 'Twinkle Campaign' where they have dishes in their shops and restaurants asking customers for money towards the lights. As soon as Sharon knows the council's decision she will let the Chamber know.

Street Furniture and Trees

Daphne asked if there was any money for trees and flowers in tubs. Sharon said she has 40 hanging baskets reserved for Crystal Palace. The problem is the amount of money already spent in the area. Sharon did not have any ideas on where people could go for money for trees.

Date of next meeting: Tuesday 6 July 2004 at 7pm, Lorenzo's Restaurant (First Tuesday in the Month)