Everyone's Blog Posts - goldenlaneestate.org2024-03-29T13:36:31Zhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?xn_auth=noDeputy Mark Bostock Resignstag:goldenlane.ning.com,2023-08-09:2323372:BlogPost:1735652023-08-09T15:33:28.000ZGLE Website Comms Teamhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GLEComms
<p><span><strong>A MESSAGE FROM OUR ALDERWOMAN</strong><br></br> <br></br> <strong>Dear Residents</strong><br></br> <br></br> It is with great regret that I write to let you know that <a href="https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1958" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Deputy Mark Bostock</a> has just resigned from the Court of Common Council due to ill health.<br></br> <br></br> Mark became a great friend and supported me through all the tribulations of my first term as a common councillor. He has…</span></p>
<p><span><strong>A MESSAGE FROM OUR ALDERWOMAN</strong><br/> <br/> <strong>Dear Residents</strong><br/> <br/> It is with great regret that I write to let you know that <a href="https://democracy.cityoflondon.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1958" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deputy Mark Bostock</a> has just resigned from the Court of Common Council due to ill health.<br/> <br/> Mark became a great friend and supported me through all the tribulations of my first term as a common councillor. He has always fought for Golden Lane Estate and has pushed hard for our major works project to be delivered efficiently. He spoke out on planning in our support and worked to get the Barbican Association and GLERA working together for the benefit of all. I’m sure we will all wish him well.<br/> <br/> First elected in 2017 Mark became a Deputy at the last election in 2022. He has worked tirelessly for both the Barbican and Golden Lane residents to improve our services. He was one of the co-sponsors of the Planning petition which gained over 1000 signatures and aimed at making the City's planning process more transparent. <br/> <br/> A keen supporter of the <a href="https://www.londonstartshere.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barbican Quarter</a> team, pushing for a rethink of the London Wall West site, he has throughout his time strived to get the City of London Corporation to understand the value of an overall masterplan and not ad-hoc plans for small areas, in particular the importance of an overarching plan for Smithfield, the Barbican and St Pauls. <br/> <br/> The remaining members will continue his fight for a Cultural Strategy for the City and ensure that the Ward meeting he was organising for 18th October will be an opportunity for us all to hear more about ‘<a href="https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us/plans-policies/destination-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Destination City</a>’ and its cultural aims. <br/> <br/> Finally, and most importantly for all elected resident councillors he has pushed with me for the repeal of <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1985/68/section/618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Section 618</a>, a clause which meant that, alone in the country, City of London councillors cannot vote on housing matters where they have an interest. We have been informed by the Remembrancer that the clause to repeal it has now been accepted into the ‘Levelling Up’ Bill and trust that this will soon be passed into law.<br/> <br/> We are currently shuffling some committee memberships to cover for Mark's absence and make sure we carry on his good work. Expect a by-election in early November with hustings in October.<br/> <br/> <strong>Sue Pearson</strong><br/> Alderwoman Cripplegate Ward</span></p>Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum approvedtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2023-07-19:2323372:BlogPost:1736232023-07-19T15:00:00.000ZGLE Website Comms Teamhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GLEComms
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12157535279?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12157535279?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a> On 18 July 2023 the City of London Corporation designated:</span></p>
<p><span>• A Neighbourhood Area, as the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Area; and</span></p>
<p><span>• A Neighbourhood Forum, the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum</span></p>
<p><span>A six-week consultation ran from May 9-June 21. The forum and area applications…</span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12157535279?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12157535279?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a>On 18 July 2023 the City of London Corporation designated:</span></p>
<p><span>• A Neighbourhood Area, as the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Area; and</span></p>
<p><span>• A Neighbourhood Forum, the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum</span></p>
<p><span>A six-week consultation ran from May 9-June 21. The forum and area applications were published on the City Corporation’s website, on Commonplace, displayed on posters in estate offices, physical copies of the application were available at Guildhall North Wing and the City’s lending libraries, and mailouts were sent to addresses in the area. We received 122 responses, over 93% of respondents were from within the neighbourhood area.</span></p>
<p><strong>Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation.</strong></p>
<p><span>Contact information for the Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum is: Brenda Szlesinger, Liz Hirst, Peter Jenkinson and Shelagh Wright <a href="mailto:bglneighbours@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bglneighbours@gmail.com</a></span></p>
<p><a href="https://url9737.commonplace.is/ls/click?upn=nSX9oJDE2dLgmKTcQYJRqgLTG-2F-2BUKk8avwDBpJoK9hHCEUSxe3fMR7FsCFfHo5tpozXCKyzV8cyCBKa9EEKJZ5FmdOW4AGhUcQOy3UWgLL3WTUwMkJeZqAnPIauRljlkizx9MI6OeheqUYJZki6d4qTcIdbQonN-2BH4Fn73wXItL8Ipb-2FStgFxitSPXgqZsJxaLJAoTgDykor4Yto8Ka9l4RldDrr1ihQGn0J7xqtYuA-3D4kk9_Tan-2BobK6cvttT-2B1rC2ZeOPynLzDKVJ4q-2BUgWkTu7vHIVm6KI3TOh3ryETTFCcH-2FeG0ya-2BxX5Hm0y0SkyKSaOrOeQK3xI4dNUvoUDxa6nwNPJG4PWrRHIyJU5gV-2FGdG8rZ2mtxFSnEMqwqDI76RsFVZ-2FeuvNIX2wnuRJv7en6jtTpRPL7DQUAeNcaBN1RnoqVBJi-2B7oKTDeWumW5qQjH76XEUTCRTV2sQhHvkmT0IMha882hZXCdMJoneNxwjSuB-2FBPWNrOcjdbW6haUKeR1IbJiAHCJW4iiPJIp6U3AYhpsk68YOvuUdmaBXEqU1tgt7641fIq6gThPZdnK0wxgLLS8y-2BTI9B3qYi-2FjDo1EV7zDk2w9bFoNujV5-2F3LdDccEaos14RoULsDiadKJBB-2FTZ3S3YZwsE6OQH2C1FySBx30I-3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Barbican and Golden Lane Neighbourhood Forum Constitution.pdf</span></a></p>A model estate - architectural model maker creates a mirrored version of Basterfield Housetag:goldenlane.ning.com,2023-03-28:2323372:BlogPost:1727952023-03-28T22:28:55.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004968258?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004968258?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600"></img></a></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Architectural modelmaker Maz Weineck has created a model of Basterfield House as a fundraiser for charity Article 25. Maz says, 'This year's theme for humanitarian architecture charity Article 25's 10x10 auction is reflections. I wanted to have some fun with the theme and…</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004968258?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004968258?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Architectural modelmaker Maz Weineck has created a model of Basterfield House as a fundraiser for charity Article 25. Maz says, 'This year's theme for humanitarian architecture charity Article 25's 10x10 auction is reflections. I wanted to have some fun with the theme and experiment with using mirror within my art. I decided to use Basterfield House as inspiration after going on a tour of the Golden Lane estate and being shown one the building’s flats as part of Open house festival. I like the idea of making artwork celebrating iconic architecture that is also architecture that means a lot to people. Whilst walking around the estate it was clear how much of a community there was there and how important the development was for the residents. It felt fitting to use my craft skills to make this art because a wonderful thing I discovered at the community centre is that they have craft groups that there that help neighbours to connect and they also sell their craft to raise money for charity.</span><div class="gmail-yj6qo"></div>
<a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004967885?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004967885?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The online auction will start on 20th April with a live auction happening in May.</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Further details about the auction can be found on <a href="https://www.article-25.org/10x10">https://www.article-25.org/10x10</a></span></div>
<div><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004968859?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/11004968859?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For further details visit: <a href="https://www.mazweineck.co.uk/">https://www.mazweineck.co.uk/</a></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size: 12pt;">or instagram <a class="gmail_plusreply" id="plusReplyChip-0" name="plusReplyChip-0"></a>@mazweineck_maker</span></div>Dawn Frampton: Independent Candidate for Cripplegate By-Election 23 March 2023tag:goldenlane.ning.com,2023-03-09:2323372:BlogPost:1721912023-03-09T21:00:00.000ZGLE Website Comms Teamhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GLEComms
<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>My name is</span> <span>Dawn Frampton</span><span>. I am a resident on Golden Lane Estate. I am standing as an Independent in the upcoming Cripplegate By-Election.</span></p>
<p><span>I have lived in EC1 all my life and on the Golden Lane Estate since 1997. I am a Council tenant and also raised my children here. Having lived in three of the blocks on the Estate, Crescent House, Bowater…</span></p>
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<div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>My name is</span> <span>Dawn Frampton</span><span>. I am a resident on Golden Lane Estate. I am standing as an Independent in the upcoming Cripplegate By-Election.</span></p>
<p><span>I have lived in EC1 all my life and on the Golden Lane Estate since 1997. I am a Council tenant and also raised my children here. Having lived in three of the blocks on the Estate, Crescent House, Bowater House and now Cuthbert Harrowing House, I know a lot of the concerns people have and are experiencing.</span></p>
<p><span>Some of the basic things that I would like to see changed:</span></p>
<p><span>● to keep pushing for decent windows in</span> <span>Crescent House</span> <span>and the whole of the Golden Lane Estate, it is appalling how many years it is taking to get the project started;</span></p>
<p><span>● for our service charges to represent the ’services’ we receive, these have diminished over the years without explanation or consultation, the cleaning standards in our blocks are just not getting any better;</span></p>
<p><span>● the cleanliness of the streets, which are full of grit and dust, particularly after all of the redevelopment that takes place all around us, how can this be classed as a ‘Destination City’;</span></p>
<p><span>● to reduce anti-social behaviour in and around our Estates, ie skateboarding, endless delivery drivers charging up and down the concourses and highwalks, urinating in certain hot spots, we have a right to feel safe where we live;</span></p>
<p><span>● to push for a massive re-think of the appalling </span><span>London Wall West </span><span>plans</span><span>, </span><span>another unsightly, unwanted, unnecessary project. Better planning decisions for people living locally, less overdevelopment, demolition and even taller ‘just for the sake of it’ projects.</span></p>
<p><span>What is motivating me is the lack of care and respect shown to both our Estates. I am sick of the constant excuses provided when it comes to the major works programmes, such as the windows replacements and the leaking roofs. Why does the City keep dragging their heels? We really need to get these long-term issues sorted out.</span></p>
<p><span>As a resident of Golden Lane, I have got stuck in. I will bring that same passion to the Barbican too. I am fully aware that both Estates are closely connected and are experiencing the same issues, repairs, management issues, cleaning standards, maintenance and anti-social behaviour. As your councillor I will be able to vote and campaign for the things that matter.</span> <span>I will keep pushing and voicing my opinions on these issues. I will be joining a team of newly appointed Cripplegate Ward members and, working alongside them, we will be an even stronger team.</span></p>
<p><span>Voting for someone who has spent their whole life in the City means that I will be much better placed to represent you. Change is possible. I look forward to hearing from you over the coming weeks. Thank you!</span></p>
<p><span>dawnforcripplegate@gmail.com</span></p>
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<img alt="page1image12288000" width="511.000015" height="1.000000"/> <img alt="page1image12289728" width="168.750008" height="0.750000"/></div>
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10995271263?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10995271263?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></p>A Tribute to Joan Flannerytag:goldenlane.ning.com,2022-06-27:2323372:BlogPost:1698832022-06-27T01:30:00.000ZGLE Website Comms Teamhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GLEComms
<p><strong>Joan Flannery 1928 - 2022</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10597270661?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10597270661?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a></p>
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<p>It is with great sadness we inform you that Joan Flannery died in UCLH hospital at 11am on Wednesday, 15th June 2022 in UCLH hospital. She slipped peacefully away leaving her son Marc and three grandsons, Nathan, Kieran and Joseph.</p>
<p>Joan was born a Liverpudlian in 1928 moving to London…</p>
<p><strong>Joan Flannery 1928 - 2022</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10597270661?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10597270661?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p>It is with great sadness we inform you that Joan Flannery died in UCLH hospital at 11am on Wednesday, 15th June 2022 in UCLH hospital. She slipped peacefully away leaving her son Marc and three grandsons, Nathan, Kieran and Joseph.</p>
<p>Joan was born a Liverpudlian in 1928 moving to London in 1948 where, among other roles, became the Landlady of the 'Three Greyhounds' Pub in Soho during the 1950’s. When Marc was born in 1960 they found themselves living in a one bedroom flat in Old Street where she had the support of wonderful friends and neighbours.</p>
<p>On returning to work at the GPO (now BT), Joan was soon able to move onto Golden Lane Estate, first to Hatfield House in 1969 before downsizing to Great Arthur House in 1984 when Marc left home.</p>
<p>Anyone who knew Joan would remember her as a fiercely determined and the driving force behind the Golden Lane Owners Association. She devoted huge amounts of her time to supporting other residents and 'taking on' the authorities as and when necessary, continuing this work into her 90s. In 2019, in recognition of her tremendous work, Joan was granted a much deserved Freedom of the City of London.</p>
<p>On the occasion of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, beacons were lit throughout the UK and the Commonwealth. The original plan was for 2012 to reflect the year but in the end there were reportedly around 4,200 including one very special one for Golden Lane residents. We had our very own beacon on the podium to gather around and Joan was the unanimous choice to light it on behalf of us all.</p>
<p>Joan was a lover of the arts and was a highly accomplished book binder and practised calligraphy. She enjoyed nothing more than spending an evening at the opera, theatre or ballet. In more recent years, as a regular attendee of the Memory Group held here on the Estate, Joan was able to continue to enjoy live performances from the Guildhall School of Music, LSO, the Royal Albert Hall and more. She also loved watching a good game of snooker on the TV!</p>
<p>There is no doubt that she had a sharp wit and dry sense of humour. Marc relays the story of when her two oldest grandsons had a blaze of As and A* grades for their exam results;<span> </span>"Mum's comment to me was 'You know intelligence jumps a generation'!"</p>
<p>That's 'Our Joan' and we thank you for everything you did and strove for to make this Estate a better place for all of us to live. You will be truly missed.</p>
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<p>[Thank you to Joan's son Marc, and her friend and neighbour, Patricia, for writing]</p>
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<p><em>In accordance with Joan's wishes the funeral will be a small gathering for immediate family and very close friends. Her son Marc will be arranging a memorial gathering on the Estate for those who wish to pay their respects and say a few words.</em></p>First Time at the Court of Common Council April 2022tag:goldenlane.ning.com,2022-04-24:2323372:BlogPost:1690692022-04-24T18:23:38.000ZAnne Corbetthttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/AnneCorbett894
<p>First time at the Court of Common Council<br></br>Anne Corbett<br></br>Thank you for electing me as a resident councillor and a Labour candidate. Natasha, Frances, and I are now part of the “Cripplegate Eight” and we are committed to working together for residents. I am delighted that we will be holding resident surgeries in the Golden Lane Community Centre on the first Thursday of every month (except the Bank Holiday on 2nd June – the date for June is Thursday 9th).<br></br>Our first Common Council on…</p>
<p>First time at the Court of Common Council<br/>Anne Corbett<br/>Thank you for electing me as a resident councillor and a Labour candidate. Natasha, Frances, and I are now part of the “Cripplegate Eight” and we are committed to working together for residents. I am delighted that we will be holding resident surgeries in the Golden Lane Community Centre on the first Thursday of every month (except the Bank Holiday on 2nd June – the date for June is Thursday 9th).<br/>Our first Common Council on 21st April, 2022 was when we were presented to the Lord Mayor of London in the Guildhall as the “newbies” – there are thirty-eight new Common Councillors, we are told (unofficially) that the new council has more women and more people from Black, Asian minority ethnic groups. Unfortunately, the City of London does not profile the twenty-five Alderman and one hundred Common Councillors, so we don’t know for sure how the make-up of the Council has changed. However, we know that the majority of those elected are businesspeople who work mostly in finance, insurance, and law.<br/>My first impressions of the Common Council were mostly positive, and I enjoyed the day which included a rehearsal in the morning, a church service and lunch followed by the Court at 1pm and then afternoon tea. I was not able to attend on the morning due to work commitments, but I was well-directed by Natasha, Mark and Sue who guided me into the right places for the Court in the afternoon. During the afternoon I met new and established councillors who were friendly and interested in the Golden Lane Estate. We need to keep our estate issues live and make sure that the business councillors continue to listen to residents’ concerns.<br/>At the Court of Common Council, Mark and Sue spoke clearly and forcefully about resident representation. Natasha also petitioned the Court to consider substitutions for places on committees when a resident councillor is unable to attend and vote. The Cripplegate voice was loud and clear!<br/>The political system in the City of London is loaded in favour of business and this came across clearly. Without doubt the Court was dominated by the voices of an established cohort of men (and a few women) and it was a challenge for the new people to follow proceedings. It was like a mix of a formal legal court and a council meeting! <br/> I hope the newly elected councillors in residential wards will have influence and help modernise the system for the benefit of the people who live in the city. If you have time, I urge you to attend the next Court of Common Council on 19th May 2022 at 1pm and the various committees – the dates are available on the City of London website. <br/>Please contact me if you have any questions about this blog<br/>Anne.corbett@cityoflondon.gov.uk</p>
<p></p>1 Golden Lanetag:goldenlane.ning.com,2022-04-19:2323372:BlogPost:1691202022-04-19T21:48:34.000ZTim Godsmarkhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/TimGodsmark
<p>The developers for 1 Golden Lane are having an information session at the Community Centre between 14:30 and 18:30 on Thursday and have asked me to bring it to the Estate’s attention.</p>
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<p>i am putting together comments on the application and would be grateful for any thoughts.</p>
<p>The developers for 1 Golden Lane are having an information session at the Community Centre between 14:30 and 18:30 on Thursday and have asked me to bring it to the Estate’s attention.</p>
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<p>i am putting together comments on the application and would be grateful for any thoughts.</p>Election results - significant success in residential wards, tiny turnout in the business wardstag:goldenlane.ning.com,2022-03-25:2323372:BlogPost:1690892022-03-25T18:30:00.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10237816263?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10237816263?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600"></img></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here are the election results for Cripplegate Ward. These are pretty remarkable. Susan Pearson, Natasha Lloyd-Owen and Anne Corbett have each won more votes than any other candidate anywhere in the City of London. They have also, almost certainly, won the most votes won in the last 100 years. This is a huge credit to…</span></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10237816263?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10237816263?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here are the election results for Cripplegate Ward. These are pretty remarkable. Susan Pearson, Natasha Lloyd-Owen and Anne Corbett have each won more votes than any other candidate anywhere in the City of London. They have also, almost certainly, won the most votes won in the last 100 years. This is a huge credit to residential engagement. There are four main residential wards of the twenty five in the City of London. The level of votes in these wards was signifcant and makes an interesting contrast with the few votes that are needed to win in the business wards. </span><br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Have a look at the election results across the whole of the City <a href="https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us/voting-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</span></p>Money for Repairstag:goldenlane.ning.com,2022-01-20:2323372:BlogPost:1685342022-01-20T12:59:30.000ZTim Godsmarkhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/TimGodsmark
<p>On the 13th January there was a full City Council meeting where Sue Pearson, your local Common Councillor, proposed a motion that the repairs programme for all the City Estates be accelerated by using some of the City’s financial reserves. </p>
<p>The repairs programme is moving incredibly slowly even by the City’s standards with the last 5 year plan being inadequately funded while the Estates decay and tenants live in unacceptable conditions. </p>
<p>The City has a fund called City Cash…</p>
<p>On the 13th January there was a full City Council meeting where Sue Pearson, your local Common Councillor, proposed a motion that the repairs programme for all the City Estates be accelerated by using some of the City’s financial reserves. </p>
<p>The repairs programme is moving incredibly slowly even by the City’s standards with the last 5 year plan being inadequately funded while the Estates decay and tenants live in unacceptable conditions. </p>
<p>The City has a fund called City Cash which has reserves of £2.6 billion. They have dedicated £50 million of this money to support small business during the pandemic but nothing to support residents. £37 million of this money has not been spent and Sue suggested that, as a start, it might be a good idea to redirect this to Estate repairs.</p>
<p>At the Council meeting discussion of the motion was cut short by a point of order and the the motion to speed up repair of your Estates was lost by 75 votes to 19. A supportive councillor, Graeme Harrower, has written a report of the meeting at the link below:</p>
<p><span><a rel="nofollow" href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Freclaimec1.wordpress.com%2F2022%2F01%2F18%2Fcity-of-london-council-votes-against-using-citys-cash-to-renovate-council-estates%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7Cccef9a18a8ad4963e1a908d9da9af352%7C9fe658cdb3cd405685193222ffa96be8%7C1%7C0%7C637781181301490764%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=7SvrY6Lbc3SfYF6zzJRjdT6%2FgXKTp2bltu1btkkk02s%3D&reserved=0">https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fr...</a></span></p>
<p>He has also, usefully, made a record of which way councillors voted and perhaps electors would like to think about this when casting their votes in the elections in March. 80% of councillors are elected by businesses and 20% by residents. This split is reflected in the vote.</p>Golden Lane Estate tenants due a water charge refundtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2022-01-04:2323372:BlogPost:1684482022-01-04T12:11:45.000ZSue Pearsonhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/SuePearson
<p><strong><em>Public call for the City of London Corporation to respect the law</em></strong></p>
<p>We, the City councillors named below, call on the City Corporation to pay its social housing tenants a full refund of a profit that it (and a number of other local authorities) made on “water reselling” from 2001 to 2019 following a ruling by the courts that this profit was unlawful.</p>
<p>The City Corporation should have taken the lead in paying a full refund, because it:</p>
<p>- prides…</p>
<p><strong><em>Public call for the City of London Corporation to respect the law</em></strong></p>
<p>We, the City councillors named below, call on the City Corporation to pay its social housing tenants a full refund of a profit that it (and a number of other local authorities) made on “water reselling” from 2001 to 2019 following a ruling by the courts that this profit was unlawful.</p>
<p>The City Corporation should have taken the lead in paying a full refund, because it:</p>
<p>- prides itself on upholding the rule of law,</p>
<p>- is the wealthiest local authority in the country, and</p>
<p>- has the smallest number of social housing tenants. </p>
<p>But it hasn’t done that. While many other local authorities - including Kensington and Chelsea (<a href="https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/housing/rent-employment-and-financial-support/water-charges-rebate">https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/housing/rent-employment-and-financial-support/water-charges-rebate</a>), Southwark (<a href="https://www.southwark.gov.uk/housing/water-refunds">https://www.southwark.gov.uk/housing/water-refunds</a>) and Lambeth(<a href="https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/housing/council-tenants/overpayment-thames-water-charges/how-credit-calculated">https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/housing/council-tenants/overpayment-thames-water-charges/how-credit-calculated</a>) - have been paying full refunds plus interest for some time, the City has yet to make any announcement about what it will (or, it seems, won’t) do. </p>
<p>The issue of water charge refunds appeared in the agendas of the meetings of<strong> three</strong> City committees over the last nine months: the Housing Sub-Committee in May, the Community and Children’s Services Committee in September and the governing Policy and Resources Committee in November. Although each committee discussed the issue, no announcement has yet been made. The issue is expected to appear again in the agenda of the meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee on <strong>20 January</strong>. All the discussions have been held behind closed doors - wrongly, in our view. Why should complying with the law be discussed in secret? Why should it be discussed at all? </p>
<p>The public can deduce that most members of the three committees that have discussed the issue have been reluctant to agree to a full refund, otherwise an announcement would have been made by now. The Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee effectively confirmed this deduction when she mentioned, in answer to a public question after the meetings of the first two committees, that the issue had “reputational” implications. That must mean most members of the Community and Children’s Services Committee had wanted to avoid making a full refund, since otherwise there would be no “reputational” implications.</p>
<p>An officer recently stated in answer to a public question that provision had been made for water charge refunds in the relevant City accounts following a committee decision going back only six years. That would cover the period from 2013 to 2019, but not from 2001 to 2013. </p>
<p>The Chair of the Housing Sub-Committee wrote in her newsletter to local Labour Party members that she thought the issue was “complicated”. We don’t think there’s anything “complicated” about the Corporation complying with the law.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>We call on the City Corporation to stop procrastinating behind closed doors. At a time when many of its social housing tenants are suffering from a reduction in universal credit and increasing energy bills, the Corporation must cease holding on to money that rightfully belongs to its tenants. The Corporation should immediately announce that it will pay a full refund, plus interest, then make the repayments promptly. </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sue Pearson<span> </span> <span> </span>(Cripplegate)</p>
<p>Marianne Fredericks <span> </span>(Tower)</p>
<p>Jason Pritchard<span> </span> <span> </span>(Portsoken)</p>
<p>Munsur Ali <span> </span>(Portsoken)</p>
<p>Graeme Harrower <span> </span>(Bassishaw)</p>From Glasgow to EC1 - next steps post COP26tag:goldenlane.ning.com,2021-11-18:2323372:BlogPost:1681132021-11-18T13:30:00.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9820163095?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" height="275" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9820163095?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="275"></img></a> Come to a Community Cafe meeting on Saturday followed a few days later by an online meeting with City of London representatives with an update on:</span><br></br> <span style="font-size: 14pt;">- Housing Action Plan and building study</span><br></br> <span style="font-size: 14pt;">- Implementing Climate Action Plan…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9820163095?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9820163095?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="275" class="align-left" height="275"/></a>Come to a Community Cafe meeting on Saturday followed a few days later by an online meeting with City of London representatives with an update on:</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 14pt;">- Housing Action Plan and building study</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 14pt;">- Implementing Climate Action Plan locally</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And get an update on plans for the Golden Lane Cycle Security Project which has recently been awarded funding.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p class="_04xlpA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"></p>
<p class="_04xlpA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"></p>
<p class="_04xlpA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span class="JsGRdQ">Community cafe meeting</span></strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span class="JsGRdQ" style="font-size: 14pt;">20 November at 2pm at the Community Centre</span></li>
</ul>
<p class="_04xlpA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><span class="JsGRdQ">Online meeting</span></strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span class="JsGRdQ" style="font-size: 14pt;">29 November at 7pm online - to attend the Zoom meeting, please email: greengoldenlane@gmail.com</span></li>
</ul>Imagine Golden Lane at Net Zerotag:goldenlane.ning.com,2021-10-19:2323372:BlogPost:1674232021-10-19T20:30:00.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9716676271?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9716676271?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600"></img></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Imagine a Golden Lane Estate that was going to achieve Carbon Net Zero. Imagine a place that was green, resilient to climate change and committed to recycling, waste reduction and conservation of energy. Imagine a place with lots of trees, new planting, and a real commitment to encouraging…</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9716676271?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9716676271?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Imagine a Golden Lane Estate that was going to achieve Carbon Net Zero. Imagine a place that was green, resilient to climate change and committed to recycling, waste reduction and conservation of energy. Imagine a place with lots of trees, new planting, and a real commitment to encouraging biodiversity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The City of London launched its Climate Action Plan last year. Over the past six months a number of open-air events have taken place bringing residents together to look at ideas for improving Golden Lane Estate. Discussions have looked at:</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Energy and waste</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Working together</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Communications</span> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Working with the City</span> <br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">• Ideas for greening the Estate</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">An <a href="https://maphub.net/paullincoln/golden-lane-estate-ideas-map" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interactive map</a> has been created which lists all of the ideas discussed to date.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On Saturday 16th October a planning workshop took place to look at how to take the work of the past year forwards. The following ideas were developed and divided between Do it yourself [DIY] and Do it with others [DIWO]:</span></p>
<p><span><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Biodiversity and Greening</span><br/> <br/></strong></span></p>
<table>
<tbody><tr><td width="300"><p><span><strong>DIY</strong></span></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><span><strong>DIWO</strong></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p><span>Beehive teams are put together along routes including the Great Arthur House roof garden</span></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><span><strong> </strong></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p><span>Gardening on balconies to be encouraged</span></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><span><strong> </strong></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p><span>Plant clinic workshops to be organised</span></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><span><strong> </strong></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p><span>Sunflower competition to be organised</span></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Recycling and waste</strong></span></p>
<table>
<tbody><tr><td width="300"><p><strong>DIY</strong></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><strong>DIWO</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Repair workshops</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>Reinstall bins for garden waste</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Bookbank</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>Real commitment to recycling all materials</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Composting on a large scale</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>Recycling bins for public waste</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Energy</strong></span></p>
<table>
<tbody><tr><td width="300"><p><strong>DIY</strong></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><strong>DIWO</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Thermal curtains installed</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>Solar panels on roofs</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Reflective curtains</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>Secondary glazing</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Bulk buying campaigns</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><span><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Travel and cycling</strong></span></p>
<table>
<tbody><tr><td width="300"><p><strong>DIY</strong></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><strong>DIWO</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Bike maintenance workshops and workshops with Look Mum No Hands</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>The cycle project delivers spaces for safe bike parking</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>More use of the cargo bike</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>Electric carpool</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>GLE guided walks</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Online walking maps</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Communications</strong></span></p>
<table>
<tbody><tr><td width="300"><p><strong>DIY</strong></p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p><strong>DIWO</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td width="300"><p>Existing website to be modernised and updated to accommodate this project</p>
</td>
<td width="300"><p>Grant to be applied for to fund website changes</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Groups agreed to report back at the next meeting which was on <strong>Saturday 20 November at 2pm</strong> in the Community Centre.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next meeting after this is booked for <strong>Saturday 18 December at 2pm</strong>.</span></p>
<p></p>CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION FAILS ITS RESIDENTStag:goldenlane.ning.com,2021-09-02:2323372:BlogPost:1671172021-09-02T19:31:19.000ZSue Pearsonhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/SuePearson
<p><strong>CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION FAILS ITS RESIDENTS</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>I've called on the City of London Corporation to use some of its £2.6 billion quasi-public “City's Cash" to fund an acceleration of the renovation of its social housing estates, which - due to decades of neglect - are in poor condition.</p>
<p>My call has been rejected by the leadership. The Corporation is happy to spend what is needed to put up new non-residential buildings within a short time frame, but refuses…</p>
<p><strong>CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION FAILS ITS RESIDENTS</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>I've called on the City of London Corporation to use some of its £2.6 billion quasi-public “City's Cash" to fund an acceleration of the renovation of its social housing estates, which - due to decades of neglect - are in poor condition.</p>
<p>My call has been rejected by the leadership. The Corporation is happy to spend what is needed to put up new non-residential buildings within a short time frame, but refuses to spend what is needed to complete the renovation of its social housing estates within a similar time frame, or indeed any time frame: the works proceed at a glacial pace, often delayed and uncoordinated, and with no end date in sight.</p>
<p>I reproduce below the text of my email to the Corporation’s Chair of Policy explaining the situation, comment on her reply, and ask questions about a photograph taken last month.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>EMAIL SENT BY ME TO THE CITY OF LONDON COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL ON 6 JULY 2021 <em>(addressed to the Chair of Policy and copied to all members)</em></strong></p>
<p>Dear Policy Chair,</p>
<p>During the last month, I have called on the Policy and Resources Committee to take urgent action on a matter that blights the Corporation’s reputation and many of its residents’ lives.</p>
<p>For decades, the Corporation has neglected the maintenance of its own social housing estates. When I gave the Chair of Policy a tour of Golden Lane Estate four years ago, I believe you were shocked to see its poor condition. When I gave Keith Bottomley, Vice Chair of Policy, a tour of the estate last month, he had a similar reaction. Any member can go to the estate to see for themselves peeling paint on the buildings and railings, patched and leaking roofs and rotten window frames. The buildings bear the insignia of the “Corporation of London”, a name which the City of London Corporation hasn’t used for the last 15 years. The shame of the neglect is compounded by the fact that this estate is grade II and II* listed and part of the City’s rich heritage.</p>
<p>A programme of renovation works is being undertaken on the estate, but during the last few years it has achieved relatively little in the context of all there is to do. Promises made to residents have not been kept. Covid cannot be used as an excuse, because the programme was slipping before the pandemic began, and the Corporation anyway proceeded with construction work during the lockdowns on a new project only a few metres away from the windows of the existing estate buildings. While the renovation programme continues at its current glacial pace, the condition of the unrenovated parts of the estate continues to deteriorate, causing costs to escalate. The lives of the residents, most of whom have no other homes, are continually disrupted by the slow and sometimes unco-ordinated works.</p>
<p>The residents on social housing estates owned by the Corporation outside the Square Mile face a similar problem. </p>
<p>The cause of this problem is a lack of resource. It is not realistic to expect a relatively small team of officers to reverse decades of neglect on several estates within a reasonably short time frame as well as dealing with their day to day running. Following the Grenfell fire disaster, the emphasis moved to fire safety, and another raft of projects had to be added to the major works programme but with no additional funding or resources. What is needed to renovate the estates within a reasonable timescale is funding for additional resources. What is spent will be less than the cost resulting from the delays inherent in the current programme.</p>
<p>We are told that financial prudence is required within the Corporation, hence the "fundamental review” and TOMS. But the inability to recruit staff within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to cope with the expanded major works programme has not been financially prudent. It has also had a cost for the quality of life of many of those living on the Corporation’s estates. </p>
<p>The Corporation is undertaking a major new project consisting of building new courts, a police station and an office block off Fleet Street. We can be sure it is not entrusting this project to a few officers to deal with on top of their existing duties, but is employing a range of professionals to ensure that the project is delivered on time and on budget.</p>
<p>If the Corporation can afford to put up large new buildings within a relatively short time frame, why can’t it do the same for its existing buildings where its residents live? The answer is a lack of political will, but that is not an excuse.</p>
<p>There is no doubt that the Corporation - which is by far the wealthiest body in the country to exercise local authority functions - can afford to renovate its relatively few social housing estates in a similar timescale to its large new building project. The HRA has limited funds. The obvious solution is for the Corporation to use City’s Cash, its quasi-public fund, to supplement the HRA.</p>
<p>There is precedent for this: the Corporation has set aside up to £50 million from City’s Cash to provide Covid recovery support to small businesses in the Square Mile, who have not historically suffered from the Corporation’s neglect in the same way as residents. It’s already clear that only a fraction of that £50 million will actually be spent for the benefit of small businesses, even with the extension of the application deadline to the end of this month. That will leave a lot that could be applied to funding the resource needed to renovate all the social housing estates within a reasonably short, rather than indefinite, timescale. </p>
<p>The committee with the power to take this decision is the Policy and Resources Committee, hence my addressing this email to you.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, my call has so far been met with a series of evasions. Attempts have been made to minimise the problem, although its existence is literally visible. A report will be coming to the Community and Children’s Services Committee this Friday (9 July) which catalogues what renovation has been done, but omits how much has not been done and when it will be completed. Reasons are found for constantly slipping timescales. We hear how hard the officers work, but no acknowledgment of the burden placed on them to do so much with so little resource. The Policy and Resources Committee has pushed the problem back to the Community and Children’s Services Committee, which has no access to City’s Cash, and can’t do more than it currently does of in supervising an unsatisfactory cycle of slow progress, more delays and escalating costs.</p>
<p>A particular reason for the Policy and Resources Committee not grasping this nettle of the Corporation’s own making, seems to be sensitivity around using City’s Cash for the benefit of residents. The Corporation includes its residents as “stakeholders”, and wouldn’t have the status of a public authority without them. It has shown no hesitation in using City’s Cash for the benefit of its other “stakeholders”, who include big businesses and, with the recent support scheme, small ones. So why not the residents?</p>
<p>The Chair of Finance described the application of City’s Cash for their benefit as “complicated” - but so are many things, including initiatives in which the Corporation engages for the financial City. On being pressed, he cryptically responded that <em>“we must not compromise the national picture with anything we do”</em>. What does that mean? And why is the <em>“national picture”</em> our concern - isn’t that the government’s role? I asked these questions three weeks ago, but haven’t received a reply.</p>
<p>Could the reason for this apparent reluctance to address the subject be that if the Corporation supplements the HRA out of City’s Cash, it might in future get less government grant? But why should taxpayers’ money be used to subsidise an institution like the Corporation that has money of its own which it could use to bring the condition of its own social housing estates quickly up to a decent standard? </p>
<p>This matter doesn’t appear on the agenda for the meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee this Thursday (8 July). I ask that you propose to the committee that it address the matter.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>MY COMMENTS ON A REPLY SENT BY THE CHAIR OF POLICY TO ME ON 20 JULY 2021 <em>(and copied to only a few members of the Court and a few of the Corporation's officers, including the PR director) </em></strong></p>
<p>The Chair of Policy’s reply was lengthy, but continued to evade all the issues I had raised in my email.</p>
<ol>
<li>I wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>“Unfortunately, my call has so far been met with a series of evasions. Attempts have been made to minimise the problem, although its existence is literally visible. A report will be coming to the Community and Children’s Services Committee this Friday (9 July) which catalogues what renovation has been done, but omits how much has not been done and when it will be completed."</em></p>
<p>The Policy Chair in her reply described what renovation had been done, but omitted how much had not been done and when it would be completed.</p>
<ol start="2">
<li>I wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>“The Corporation is undertaking a major new project consisting of building new courts, a police station and an office block off Fleet Street. We can be sure it is not entrusting this project to a few officers to deal with on top of their existing duties, but is employing a range of professionals to ensure that the project is delivered on time and on budget … If the Corporation can afford to put up large new buildings within a relatively short time frame, why can’t it do the same for its existing buildings where its residents live?”</em></p>
<p>The Policy Chair replied:</p>
<p><em>“The major projects you mentioned are not all-new initiatives as they support areas of work in which the City has been involved for years, replacing out of life facilities for our police, courts, markets and museum. All these existing buildings would need considerable work even if they were not being relocated.”</em></p>
<p>The point of my question was why is the Corporation spending money on putting up these new functional buildings within a short time frame but not spending money on renovating its residential buildings within a similar frame? If a choice needs to be made (although it does not), why prioritise putting up new buildings where no-one lives over renovating existing buildings that contain peoples’ homes (and in most cases their only homes)? </p>
<ol start="3">
<li>I wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>“The Corporation includes its residents as ‘stakeholders', and wouldn’t have the status of a public authority without them. It has shown no hesitation in using City’s Cash for the benefit of its other ‘stakeholders', who include big businesses and, with the recent support scheme, small ones. So why not the residents?”</em></p>
<p>The Policy Chair replied:</p>
<p><em>"We are conscious of the need to strike a balance in our spending across our various stakeholders. The City Corporation provides extensive services for the benefit of all Londoners, and crucially supports the competitiveness of the UK during challenging times for the global economy.”</em></p>
<p>The Corporation does not <em>"strike a balance”</em> between its <em>“stakeholders”</em>. It spends large amounts out of “City’s Cash” promoting the financial City, which can easily afford to fund its own promotion. The current condition of its social housing estates is proof of how little it has spent on its residents. The slow and often unco-ordinated programme of renovation, that has no clear end date shows how it continues to underfund work for its residents. </p>
<ol start="4">
<li>I wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>“The HRA [Housing Revenue Account] has limited funds. The obvious solution is for the Corporation to use City’s Cash, its quasi-public fund, to supplement the HRA. There is precedent for this: the Corporation has set aside up to £50 million from City’s Cash to provide Covid recovery support to small businesses in the Square Mile, who have not historically suffered from the Corporation’s neglect in the same way as residents.”</em></p>
<p>The Policy Chair replied:</p>
<p><em>“The City does not subsidise its local authority functions from City Cash; the Covid grant to the Housing Revenue Account in March 2021 was exceptional given the unprecedented situation.”</em></p>
<p>But why does the Corporation not subsidise its local authority functions from “City's Cash" when it can do so (unlike any other local authority) and has set a precedent by putting aside up to £50 million to support small businesses in the Square Mile?</p>
<ol start="5">
<li><span> </span>I wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>“The Chair of Finance described the application of City’s Cash for [residents’] benefit as “complicated” - but so are many things, including initiatives in which the Corporation engages for the financial City. On being pressed, he cryptically responded that “we must not compromise the national picture with anything we do”. What does that mean? And why is the “national picture” our concern - isn’t that the government’s role? I asked these questions three weeks ago, but haven’t received a reply. Could the reason for this apparent reluctance to address the subject be that if the Corporation supplements the HRA out of City’s Cash, it might in future get less government grant? But why should taxpayers’ money be used to subsidise an institution like the Corporation that has money of its own which it could use to bring the condition of its own social housing estates quickly up to a decent standard?” </em></p>
<p>The Policy Chair replied:</p>
<p><em>"The City is not the only authority suffering from the effects of Covid on their HRA and we are building a case to seek central government compensation to HRAs for COVID losses. We must not compromise the national picture with anything we do.”</em></p>
<p>No other local authority will be “compromised” by the Corporation supplementing its HRA from “City’s Cash” because no other authority has a similar fund from which to supplement its HRA. The rest of my questions remain unanswered.</p>
<ol start="6">
<li>The Policy Chair wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>"In any case City’s cash is running at a deficit at revenue level and is having to draw down on reserves to finance its budgeted activities, so there is no scope for to provide the support you suggest.”</em></p>
<p>It is disingenuous to suggest that the Corporation can continue to fund the promotion of the financial City but not find the money to renovate its social housing estates. Why not reduce its <em>"budgeted activities”</em> in other areas that it has not historically neglected? Alternatively, why not solve the alleged “asset rich, cash poor” state of “City’s Cash" by selling some of its many assets.</p>
<ol start="7">
<li>The Policy Chair wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>“It is important that the City Corporation plays its role in delivering high quality affordable housing in the City and neighbouring boroughs. As part of this, the City Corporation has embarked on an ambitious new housing development programme that is expected to deliver up to 3,700 new homes on sites across London by 2025.”</em></p>
<p>The reply does not mention that a few years ago the Corporation sold a housing block for key workers on Golden Lane Estate to a private developer, which demolished it and built an oversized block of luxury flats. It also does not mention that the Corporation previously set a target that it failed to meet it. Even if the Corporation does this time meet its target, how is that relevant to renovating its existing housing stock, which it has let fall into such disrepair?</p>
<ol start="8">
<li>The Policy Chair wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>"Housing shortages and high costs are a threat to the capital’s competitiveness and the ability of the City, and London businesses, to attract and retain the workforce it needs. Therefore, it is important that the City Corporation plays its role in delivering high quality affordable housing in the City and neighbouring boroughs.”</em></p>
<p>Aside from the points just made that the Corporation has in recent times not done much about developing new housing stock and that this project is, in any case, irrelevant to the renovation of its existing stock, the words just quoted reveal how the Corporation seems to think of homes only in terms of supporting the City’s workforce. People with no connection to the financial City have always lived in the Square Mile, and still do. Many of our older residents have spent over 50 years living on the estate. There is a long-standing prejudice within the Corporation that residents are a nuisance and get in the way of it promoting the financial City. But the Corporation would not have the status of a public authority without residents. Perhaps a solution for residents to consider is that the Corporation ceases to be a public authority. </p>
<ol start="9">
<li>The Policy Chair wrote:</li>
</ol>
<p><em>“With an overall satisfaction level among residents of 97% over the last 12 months, we are heartened that residents are pleased with the service we are providing and the present levels of investment in our housing.”</em></p>
<p>That claim is as incredible as it is false. Living on Golden Lane Estate, I know what residents think, and it isn’t that. Barbican residents have different issues, but the summer of discontent shows they do not have a high<em> “satisfaction level”</em> either.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>A PHOTOGRAPH THAT RAISES QUESTIONS</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>A resident sent me this photograph taken on 26 August showing the Policy Chair, Deputy Chair, Chair of the Housing Sub-Committee and two officers in discussion in the middle of Golden Lane Estate.</p>
<p>The photograph raises the following questions:</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9525107270?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9525107270?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left" width="232" height="196"/></a></p>
<ul>
<li>Why was I not invited to join them? As the only member of the Court of Common Council who lives on the estate, I know it better than any of them.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li>Are they visiting each of the other estates owned by the Corporation? When I first called for an acceleration of the renovation of the Corporation’s estates, I made clear that this was for all of them, not just Golden Lane. </li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>The Policy Chair’s reply gave no indication that any action would be taken to accelerate the renovation. What, then, were those in the photograph discussing? Is a PR campaign being planned to show how much the Corporation has done on Golden Lane Estate and how <em>“our residents are very important to us”? </em>Spin won’t work: residents live with the truth. It will be another freezing, damp winter for many. It’s time the Corporation faced the fact that it is failing its residents, and that this matter will not go away until it spends a small part of its vast wealth on accelerating the outstanding work.</p>
<p> </p>CITY’S STANDARDS COMMITTEE ABOLISHEDtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2021-03-25:2323372:BlogPost:1660082021-03-25T19:00:00.000ZGraeme Harrowerhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GraemeHarrower
<p>In <strong>January 2018</strong>, a resident councillor of unimpeachable integrity successfully challenged the City of London Corporation on behalf of her constituents. Two weeks later, the Corporation referred her for prosecution which proved to be entirely groundless, and for two prejudiced hearings by its Standards Committee. The whole process cost tens of thousands of pounds of public money, and resulted in no sanction.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In <strong>December 2018</strong>, two motions were…</p>
<p>In <strong>January 2018</strong>, a resident councillor of unimpeachable integrity successfully challenged the City of London Corporation on behalf of her constituents. Two weeks later, the Corporation referred her for prosecution which proved to be entirely groundless, and for two prejudiced hearings by its Standards Committee. The whole process cost tens of thousands of pounds of public money, and resulted in no sanction.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In <strong>December 2018</strong>, two motions were proposed in the City’s Court of Common Council in response to this scandal. Supported by only 14 out of elected 125 members, the motions aimed to reform:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(1) the Corporation’s “dispensations" policy, by removing undue restrictions on resident members speaking and voting on matters affecting their constituents, and</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(2) the Corporation’s standards proceedings, by replacing members on the assessment, hearing and appeal bodies with independent persons. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Policy Chair ambushed the first motion with an amendment to preserve the restrictive policy on “dispensations" to vote. A debate on the second motion was prevented by a member moving "that the question now be put”, after which the motion was overwhelmingly voted down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In <strong>April 2019</strong>, 1,200 City residents signed a petition in which they declared that they had no confidence in the Corporation’s standards regime, and called for it to be reformed in line with the motions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The campaign for standards reform continued, waged by only a handful of members, but with strong resident support and external publicity. It was aided by the propensity of the Standards Committee to make the wrong decision practically every time it acted. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>In <strong>March 2020</strong>, a further case exposed in open Court the folly of members judging each other. Further motions for reform were proposed in <strong>June and October 2020</strong>, but were both neutered by amendments. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even the Corporation-friendly Lisvane report, published in <strong>September 2020</strong>, recognised that the City’s standards regime was not fit for purpose. The report recommended its radical overhaul, together with the abolition of the Standards Committee.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eventually, in <strong>January 2021</strong>, the Court of Common Council adopted those recommendations.The aims of the two motions proposed more than two years earlier were finally achieved. The Standards Committee has since disappeared into oblivion. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The success of the standards reform campaign - in the face of determined resistance by the Corporation’s leadership - proves that the Corporation, with all its financial, legal and PR resources, can be defeated.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>This should encourage City residents to take further action against the lack of democratic accountability in the Corporation. They can do so by <a href="http://chng.it/Y8H6M7DsHf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signing this petition</a>, which calls for the reform of its planning process, another area in which residents are disenfranchised.</strong></p>REFORM THE PLANNING PROCESS IN THE CITY OF LONDONtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2021-03-03:2323372:BlogPost:1657502021-03-03T17:00:00.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8628098863?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8628098863?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300"></img></a> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Golden Lane Estate Residents' Association is one of the sponsors of a major petition that has just been launched to seek reform of the planning process in the City.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All Golden Lane residents know the harm that is being done to our Estate by the Denizen and COLPAI…</span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8628098863?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8628098863?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300" class="align-left"/></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Golden Lane Estate Residents' Association is one of the sponsors of a major petition that has just been launched to seek reform of the planning process in the City.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">All Golden Lane residents know the harm that is being done to our Estate by the Denizen and COLPAI developments, which are the products of the City’s undemocratic planning process.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This petition is a chance for you - together with other City residents and workers, and anyone interested in our heritage - to speak with one voice against that process, particularly as a proposal was recently made by the City Corporation's leadership to reduce democratic accountability in planning even further.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The text of the petition is set out below.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Please use this link to sign it a soon as you can: <a href="http://chng.it/Y8H6M7DsHf">http://chng.it/Y8H6M7DsHf</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(If you haven’t previously signed a Change.org petition, you may not initially be offered a Comments box in which you can insert your status as a resident, etc. You may be able to add that comment afterwards. But while giving your status is useful, it isn’t essential: the important thing is to sign.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The petition will be formally presented to the Court of Common Council at its meeting in April (but needs to be lodged before the end of this month). A high number of signatures may turn the dial - even a little - on this matter, which potentially affects us all.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Petition to the Court of Common Council, City of London Corporation</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;">Sponsors</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">This petition is sponsored by: The Barbican Association, Golden Lane Estate Residents’ Association, Councillors Mark Bostock, Marianne Fredericks, Graeme Harrower and Sue Pearson, and Resident Heather Thomas.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;">Signing the Petition</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Please sign this petition by Tuesday, 30th March 2021. When signing please indicate in the comments box whether you are a City of London resident, or City of London worker, or whether you have a wider interest in the City’s built environment and heritage.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;">The Petition</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">We, the undersigned:</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">declare that we have no confidence in the City of London Corporation’s current planning process and</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">petition the Court of Common Council to:</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">1. reject a proposal that planning applications be decided by panels of the Planning and Transportation Committee instead of by the whole Committee to avoid eroding democratic accountability;</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">2. prevent those councillors who are members of committees responsible for the Corporation’s extensive property interests from also being members of the Planning and Transportation Committee, to avoid conflicts of interest; and</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">3. prevent those councillors who have professional associations within the property development industry from also being members of the Planning and Transportation Committee, to avoid a perception of bias.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 12pt;">Background</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Democratic accountability is already weak within the Corporation because a majority of councillors are (uniquely) elected by small numbers of voters appointed by businesses, only a quarter of which register to vote. As a consequence of this business vote, the Planning and Transportation Committee generally ignores reasonable objections made on planning grounds, especially by residents and heritage bodies, and approves ever taller buildings which blight neighbouring properties and degrade heritage assets. Allocating decisions to panels will exacerbate this existing problem.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Recent examples of bad planning decisions include:</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">150 Aldersgate Street (opposite the Grade II listed Barbican Estate). Plans were approved to refurbish the existing office building making it taller, thereby reducing the daylight to the surrounding homes and businesses, and overshadowing the Smithfield Conservation Area. The Corporation had an undisclosed interest in this application as the freeholder of the property. It benefited financially from the approval, which would not have been granted but for the votes of five councillors on the Planning and Transportation Committee who also sat on a committee which manages the Corporation’s property interests, including this property. The debate was prematurely terminated on a motion by one of these councillors.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Denizen The Corporation sold a building formerly used for police accommodation on this site to a developer, which demolished it and built this large block of luxury flats. The block has caused a severe loss of light to a number of homes in Grade II listed Golden Lane Estate.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">55 Gracechurch Street Approval was recently granted for this 29 storey office block outside the approved “eastern cluster”, which will harm views of Tower Bridge and the Monument, both Grade I.</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">70 Gracechurch Street Approval was recently granted for this 33 storey office block, which will literally overshadow the roof of Grade II* listed Leadenhall Market.</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Transparency International published recommendations in February 2021 for improvements in the Corporation’s planning process, which the Corporation is refusing even to consider.</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Future developments could include Bastion House on London Wall and the Museum of London site, both abutting the Barbican Estate in the West of the City, and two developments in the East of the City which will both affect the Grade I listed Bevis Marks synagogue.</span></p>Golden Lane Parklet Co-Designtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2021-02-18:2323372:BlogPost:1586762021-02-18T18:00:00.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em>Here is an update from Sustrans on a proposal for a parklet on Golden Lane.</em><br></br><br></br>City of London and Sustrans are planning to co-design a temporary parklet in Golden Lane. Sustrans want to work with the community, businesses and schools to co-design and install the parklet, which will provide a pleasant space for people from all walks of life to visit, rest and meet-up in once it is allowed.…</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em>Here is an update from Sustrans on a proposal for a parklet on Golden Lane.</em><br/><br/>City of London and Sustrans are planning to co-design a temporary parklet in Golden Lane. Sustrans want to work with the community, businesses and schools to co-design and install the parklet, which will provide a pleasant space for people from all walks of life to visit, rest and meet-up in once it is allowed.</span></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8572537875?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8572537875?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>What is a parklet?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A parklet is a mini-park that repurposes road space to turn it into a space for recreation, play, socialising or resting. They can be made by extending the pavement and providing things like benches, planting, artwork, cycle stands, giant chess games...the limit is your imagination!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Why?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The project will help deliver healthier streets and facilitate a space for the community to enjoy, rest and meet while socially distancing outdoors, in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>When?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Between now and March 2021 we will be holding online activities to listen to residents, local groups, businesses and people working in the area about their views and suggestions for the space. We are hoping the parklet will be installed in Spring 2021.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Get involved!</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Complete our initial short survey and join our mailing list <a href="https://sustrans.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/golden-lane-parklet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">You can also fill in the survey on paper (you should receive this in the post) and leave it in the postbox we have installed in Golden Lane.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Co-design workshops</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Following the survey we will be holding two online co-design workshops via Zoom. These will take place on</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">· 10th March 2021 from 12 - 1:30pm</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">· 15th March 2021 from 5:30 - 7pm</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Please <a href="mailto:irene.tortajada@sustrans.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">email</a> if you would like to attend either of these, specifying your preferred date.</span></p>
<p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/GParklet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">twitter</a> to stay updated.</p>
<p>SUSTRANS, TfL, Culture Mile and City of London</p>Volunteers needed - Sing Out Golden Lanetag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-11-25:2323372:BlogPost:1118812020-11-25T19:03:14.000ZJane Carrhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/JaneCarr
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8215099084?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8215099084?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8215099084?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8215099084?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></p>BARBICAN & COMMUNITY LIBRARIES UPDATEtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-11-06:2323372:BlogPost:1015082020-11-06T16:26:17.000ZNatalie laccohee brownhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/NatalieLaccohee
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">On government advice, we had to close all our libraries from 5th November – 2nd December and we have extended the due dates for all items on loan until <strong>11 January 2021</strong>. However, the regulations around closure have been published and there are certain exemptions and services that our libraries will be able to offer during this period. Government advice is very clear about staying away from public transport but if you can walk or cycle to our libraries, we shall be offering the following services from Monday 9th November:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: medium;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000;">Select and Collect</span></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">It’s simple! Have a look at our catalogue. <a href="https://col.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/client/en_GB/default/">https://col.ent.sirsidynix.net.uk/client/en_GB/default/</a></span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> If any book is showing as being on the shelves in any of our libraries, you can phone during opening hours or email us, we will find it for you, issue it to your ticket and tell you when you can collect it. You can request up to 12 books, but don’t forget you will have to carry them home! Please contact the library from which you intend to collect your item(s). Tell us exactly what you want (authors, titles or genres), give us your name, your membership number and a contact telephone number and we will be in touch. You can bring any items you wish to return with you and please, bring a bag for your books. At Barbican Library, we will operate this service from the rear of the library, opposite Shakespeare Tower. Staff will give you directions when they confirm your books are ready for collection. At Shoe Lane and Artizan Street, staff will meet you at the main entrance.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: medium;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000;">Essential PC use – Shoe Lane and Artizan Street only</span></strong></span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">If you need to get online, our public computers at Shoe Lane and Artizan Street Libraries will be available Mon-Fri for 1 hour slots during the library opening hours (see below). To avoid disappointment, we strongly advise that you phone ahead and book a session. We cannot allow anybody to wait in the library until one is free and we need 15 minutes between bookings to clean the equipment. We regret that as the Barbican Centre is closed to the public throughout this period, we cannot offer this service at Barbican Library.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Don’t forget our eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eComics. They can be downloaded to your own devices using the RBdigital app, and are available 24/7. During this time, staff will still continue to run virtual clubs, groups, talk and children’s activities. Please check our website;(<a style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #0000ff; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/libraries">www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/libraries</a>) and social media pages for details.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Barbican Library<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Phone: 020 7638 0569<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Email:<span> </span><a style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #0000ff; text-decoration: none;">barbicanlib@cityoflondon.gov.uk</a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Hours of operation 11.00 – 3.30 Monday - Friday</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Shoe Lane Library<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Phone: 020 7583 7178<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Email:<span> </span><a style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #0000ff; text-decoration: none;">shoelane@cityoflondon.gov.uk</a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Hours of operation: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 11am-4pm<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Tuesday: 12pm-6.30pm</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Artizan Street Library<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Phone: 020 7332 3810<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Email:<span> </span><a style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #0000ff; text-decoration: none;">artizanlib@cityoflondon.gov.uk</a><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Hours of operation: Tuesday-Friday: 11am-4pm<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Monday: 12pm-6.30pm</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; color: #000000; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; word-spacing: 0px; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; background-color: #ffffff; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">We hope you all stay safe and well<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Carol Boswarthack<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"/>Head of Barbican and Community Libraries</span></p>POSTPONING DEMOCRACY IN THE CITYtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-09-07:2323372:BlogPost:772032020-09-07T14:30:00.000ZGraeme Harrowerhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GraemeHarrower
<p>Below is the text of an email I sent today to all members of the Court of Common Council (the City Corporation’s elected governing body) about the proposed postponement of the elections of the City’s 100 councillors from March 2021 to March 2022. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>What little democracy there is in the City shouldn’t be postponed by a year for no good reason. But I expect that the postponement of these elections will receive overwhelming support from members of the Court at its meeting on…</p>
<p>Below is the text of an email I sent today to all members of the Court of Common Council (the City Corporation’s elected governing body) about the proposed postponement of the elections of the City’s 100 councillors from March 2021 to March 2022. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>What little democracy there is in the City shouldn’t be postponed by a year for no good reason. But I expect that the postponement of these elections will receive overwhelming support from members of the Court at its meeting on Thursday 10 September.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>EMAIL FROM COUNCILLOR GRAEME HARROWER TO THE COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL ON 7 SEPTEMBER 2020</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The public and press watching the meeting of the Court this Thursday will see it make an initial decision on a recommendation for 100 councillors to extend their terms of office by a year for no good reason. A few of the 25 aldermen may also use the postponement of the councillor elections as cover for extending their own terms of office for even less reason.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Policy and Resources Committee has recommended that the Court postpones the councillor elections due in March 2021 to March 2022 because the committee is concerned that the turnout of the business vote in March 2021 would embarrass the City Corporation by being even lower than usual. The committee fears that businesses would be even less inclined to register this autumn than usual, due to the Covid aftermath. (The majority of City businesses are so uninterested in the Corporation that 60% of them didn’t bother to register to vote last year, before Covid was an issue.)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The logical solution to this democratic deficit would be to reform the City’s electoral system by:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>- abolishing the undemocratic and largely unsupported business vote, and </p>
<p> </p>
<p>- reducing the number of councillors to be proportionate to the number of residents.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That would move the dial of democracy in the City from before the Reform Act of 1832 to the present day. But logic has no role in the culture of the City Corporation, which is a public authority that primarily promotes private commercial interests.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The postponement in April this year of the elections of the Mayor of London and London Assembly has been mentioned in connection with the proposed postponement of the City’s councillor elections. The awkward fact is that these Greater London elections have been postponed from May 2020 to May 2021, whereas the City’s councillor elections are proposed to be postponed from March 2021 to March 2022. There is also no reasonable comparison between:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>- the postponement by Parliament at the height of the Covid crisis of Greater London elections involving millions of voters, and</p>
<p> </p>
<p>- the postponement by City councillors in the aftermath of the Covid crisis of their own elections involving a tiny number of voters.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I expect, though, that the first and second readings of the bill that will be presented to the Court on Thursday to postpone the councillor elections will attract overwhelming support.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>One of several elephants that will jostle for space in the virtual room on Thursday is the elections for aldermen. The terms of office of two aldermen (Graves and Wootton) expired two to three months ago, and the term of a third (Scotland) will expire in three months’ time. All these elections would use the current “ward list” (= electoral register for City councillor and aldermen elections) compiled before the Covid crisis, so the reason for P&R’s recommendation that the Court postpones the councillor elections doesn’t apply to them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The aldermen’s discussion of this subject was held in secret in accordance with conventions of their own making, although the subject is election to public office. It is reasonable to speculate that they are hoping the postponement of the councillor elections will give them cover for not holding any elections for aldermen that fall due before March 2022. Alderman Luder sought and received confirmation at the P&R meeting at which the postponement was discussed that no councillor by-elections (which resemble elections for aldermen insofar as they are not held at regular times) would be proposed to be held before March 2022. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For Alderman Graves’ views on the holding of his own overdue election, and for the opposing views of a number of his constituents, see the comments on this blog: <a href="http://www.goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/alderman-postpones-date-for-his-re-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ALDERMAN POSTPONES DATE FOR HIS RE-ELECTION</a>. The collective wish of those constituents that his election be held now is described by him as “idiotic”, which must be a unique way of seeking re-election. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, the bill that will be presented to the Court on Thursday refers to a statute of Edward III (a war-mongering tyrant) as giving the Court authority to postpone its councillor elections, on the basis that doing so is “profitable to the King and to the citizens” and “agreeable ... to reason and good faith”. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There is real reason to doubt that this statute provides authority for the Court to enact the bill. I am taking this up as a legal matter with the Recorder.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For now, I would observe that the quaintness of relying on a 14th century statute may be appreciated by the Court and those it seeks to impress with its history (as long as one does not look at that history too closely). This quaintness is not, though, appreciated by the residents of the City’s largest social housing estate whom the Corporation has consistently failed, most recently and spectacularly during the Covid lockdown. </p>
<p> </p>FOR CITY RESIDENTS EXCLUSIVELY-Its back the popular cook better than a take away! free food package and zoom classes- please sharetag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-09-03:2323372:BlogPost:764682020-09-03T08:00:00.000ZJaxhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/jacqui
<p><b>This time on zoom or watch on You Tube</b></p>
<p><strong><u>Register by 3<sup>rd</sup> September</u></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The very popular Bag of Taste is back</p>
<ul>
<li>Free Fun cookery Lessons over 4 weeks</li>
<li>Cooking on budget</li>
<li>Free meal kits delivered to you</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>More information on attached flyer…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7426377296?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7426377296?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a></p>
<p><b>This time on zoom or watch on You Tube</b></p>
<p><strong><u>Register by 3<sup>rd</sup> September</u></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The very popular Bag of Taste is back</p>
<ul>
<li>Free Fun cookery Lessons over 4 weeks</li>
<li>Cooking on budget</li>
<li>Free meal kits delivered to you</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>More information on attached flyer</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7426377296?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7426377296?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left"/></a></p>Sign up for City of London community art gallery..tag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-08-10:2323372:BlogPost:765332020-08-10T20:49:38.000ZJaxhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/jacqui
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7395861081?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7395861081?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a> <a href="https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/housing/housing-estates/people-where-i-live-a-community-gallery-project" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><br></br></a></span></p>
<blockquote><div dir="ltr"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="xmsonormal"><i>People Where I Live is</i> a summer holiday activity for residents…</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7395861081?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/7395861081?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-left"/></a><a href="https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/services/housing/housing-estates/people-where-i-live-a-community-gallery-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br/></a></span></p>
<blockquote><div dir="ltr"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="xmsonormal"><i>People Where I Live is</i> a summer holiday activity for residents across all City of London and our housing estates. The final outcome will be temporary displays on or nearby each housing estate (alongside a digital exhibition that will be created online) hopefully in Autumn 2020 and then in Easter 2021, we hope to make a large exhibition of all of the tiles located somewhere in the Square Mile in partnership with the Culture and Heritage team. The project team may set a theme for the artistic creations so that there is a cohesiveness to them when they are put together.</p>
<p class="xmsonormal">Every household who signs up will be given a large canvas board tile on which to create a piece of artwork to be displayed either in their window or on their door. When the situation allows us, we would then bring all the pieces of artwork created on that estate together to be displayed.</p>
<p class="xmsonormal">Residents can sign up by following <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.office.com%2FPages%2FResponsePage.aspx%3Fid%3DzVjmn82zVkCFGTIi_6lr6PSOHzSIXhRMvhF5vdB9tttUMlFWSDdVNUlVQUxPSE40MlZUU1dFUlhJVS4u&data=01%7C01%7C%7C79601fdbd14048787faf08d83532a65b%7C9fe658cdb3cd405685193222ffa96be8%7C1&sdata=YwjCqoJsd0Y%2FtteEqpc31p9CzF%2BJx5%2Fap8ojQbfJcvc%3D&reserved=0">this link</a> or by getting in touch with us at <a href="mailto:community.engagement@cityoflondon.gov.uk">community.engagement@cityoflondon.gov.uk</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p></p>ALDERMAN POSTPONES DATE FOR HIS RE-ELECTIONtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-07-19:2323372:BlogPost:760132020-07-19T18:30:00.000ZGraeme Harrowerhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GraemeHarrower
<div><b><i>The election for alderman in Cripplegate Ward has been postponed....</i></b></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div>David Graves, the alderman for Cripplegate Ward (which covers Golden Lane Estate and part of the Barbican) reached the end of his six year term of office on 17 June 2020.</div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div>The archaic conventions that govern this archaic public office require that upon the expiry of the term of office of an alderman, he or she submits a “letter of…</div>
<div><b><i>The election for alderman in Cripplegate Ward has been postponed....</i></b></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div>David Graves, the alderman for Cripplegate Ward (which covers Golden Lane Estate and part of the Barbican) reached the end of his six year term of office on 17 June 2020.</div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div>The archaic conventions that govern this archaic public office require that upon the expiry of the term of office of an alderman, he or she submits a “letter of surrender“ to the Lord Mayor. The letter <span>is then placed on the “summons” (= agenda) for the next meeting of the Court of Alderman, so all the aldermen "can consider whether to receive it”. </span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>When asked, Alderman Graves explained that his “letter of surrender” did not appear on the “summons” for the meeting of the Court of Aldermen on 10 July because he had not submitted it. That was because: </span></div>
<div><span><i> </i></span></div>
<div><span><i>“given the current CV-19 concerns and limitations, I decided that to trigger a 42 ... day electoral process now would be inappropriate and unsuitable for the good conduct of a fair election.”</i></span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>But his submitting a “letter of surrender“ would not have triggered the 42 day electoral process. The letter would first need to be “received” by the Court of Aldermen. The Covid crisis is one of the few situations imaginable in which the Court could justifiably defer the start of the electoral process - but for no longer than necessary. Should not the time at which the electoral process starts be a matter for the Court of Aldermen to decide, rather than the </span><span>alderman whose term of office has expired and who seeks re-election?</span></div>
<div><span><i> </i></span></div>
<div><b><i>.... but postponed until when? </i></b></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>When asked about the timing of the election, </span><span>Alderman Graves observed that the Policy and Resources Committee had agreed to recommend to the Court of Common Council </span><span>that elections for the City’s 100 councillors, due to be held in March 2021, be postponed to March 2022.</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>The members of the Policy and Resources Committee agreed to make that recommendation</span><span> because they were concerned that the turnout of the City Corporation’s (unique and undemocratic) business vote in March 2021 would embarrass the Corporation by being even lower than usual. They were concerned that City businesses might be even less inclined to register to vote this autumn than usual, due to the Covid aftermath. (The majority of City businesses are so uninterested in the Corporation that 60% of them didn’t bother to register last year, before Covid was an issue.)</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>The election for alderman in Cripplegate, if held before February 2021, will be held on the basis of the “ward list” (= City electoral register) </span><span>that was compiled </span><i>last</i><span> autumn, pre-Covid, so the rationale for postponing the councillor elections due in March 2021 does not apply to it.</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>Regarding a date for that election, there seems to be no good reason why the electoral process cannot begin this September. Many voters use a postal ballot anyway. Those who do not could register for one. The City Corporation could spend some of the unused £70,000 it set aside for a campaign to encourage more business registration this year on facilitating postal registration. For voters willing to attend a polling station, and if conditions allow for one to be open at the relevant time, </span><span>social distancing would be much easier to achieve than in a shop or pub.</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>Alderman Graves responded by saying:</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span><i> “offering voters a choice between registering for a postal vote and disenfranchisement is to my mind undemocratic and wrong”.</i></span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span><b>So is it democratic and right to offer voters no choice as to who represents them as alderman until such time as the incumbent, whose term of office expired a month ago, unilaterally decides when to seek re-election?</b></span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span><b><i>The secrecy of the aldermen</i></b></span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>Two other elections for aldermen fall due within the next six months. The term of office of Alderman David Wootton (Langbourn Ward) expired on 19 July and that of Alderman Patricia Scotland (Bishopsgate Ward) expires on 8 December.</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>We know that the aldermen were due to consider the three forthcoming elections at the meeting of their General Purposes Committee (to which they all belong) on 10 July. But we don’t know what they decided. That’s because they won’t tell us, and their meetings and papers are secret - even from City councillors. The one insignificant exception is that formal Court of Aldermen meetings are held in public, but they typically last for only a few minutes and deal with routine matters like approving applications for Freedom of the City.</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>This extraordinary secrecy is a problem. </span><span>Some organisations that are closely associated with the City Corporation, such as livery </span><span>companies and certain masonic lodges, </span><span>meet out of public view</span><span>, but do not exercise public functions. Aldermen do, and the “Principles of Public Life“ - which include “openness” and “accountability” - apply to them as much as to any other holder of public office. </span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>The best solution to this problem is simply to abolish the archaic and superfluous office of alderman. But that </span><span>is likely to require government intervention. While the office of alderman still exists, the basic democratic imperative</span><span> should at least be met of holding elections as soon as practicable after they fall due, and by appropriate means.</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span>Hopefully whoever is elected as the next alderman for Cripplegate will represent voters to the Corporation, not the other way round, and will campaign for real change to the Corporation.</span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div><span><b>The process for that election should be begin as soon as practicable, i.e. this September. </b></span></div>Cycle security on Golden Lane Estatetag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-07-18:2323372:BlogPost:760112020-07-18T12:00:00.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpPWfcA3MzM?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpPWfcA3MzM?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Paying attention: Cycle security on Golden Lane Estatetag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-07-18:2323372:BlogPost:760072020-07-18T11:30:00.000ZPaul Lincolnhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PALincoln
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In April of this year the government changed road traffic regulations in order to encourage local authorities to modify highway layouts to benefit pedestrians and cyclists and to encourage active travel . </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The City of London Corporation took up the challenge and passed a radical transport strategy.…</span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In April of this year the government changed road traffic regulations in order to encourage local authorities to modify highway layouts to benefit pedestrians and cyclists and to encourage active travel . </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The City of London Corporation took up the challenge and passed a radical transport strategy.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982854684?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982854684?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a> </span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">This was followed a day later by a TFL announcement of a radical cycle and pedestrian-friendly strategy for the whole of London.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982863059?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982863059?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Golden Lane Estate is one of the City’s major housing developments Home to c700 people, there has been an explosion in running, walking and cycling .</span></p>
<p><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Most people keep their cycles at home: under the stairs, in the living room, on the balcony .</span><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here’s why……</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982882089?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982882089?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="500" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982900296?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982900296?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="500" class="align-full"/></a></p>
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982913861?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/6982913861?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="500" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>TFL has published <a href="http://content.tfl.gov.uk/lcds-chapter8-cycleparking.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guidance</a> on how to install good quality bicycle storage. </b></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="s1"><b>This looks at different uses in any location as well as the needs of</b></span> <span class="s2"><b>cyclists with disabilities, children and young people, general</b></span> <span class="s3"><b>safety, location and security.</b></span></span></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Golden Lane has:</b></span></p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li style="list-style-type: none;"><ul class="ul1">
<li style="list-style-type: none;"><ul class="ul1">
<li class="li2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="s1"><b>384 one bedroom flats </b></span></span></li>
<li class="li2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="s1"><b>174 two or three bedroom flats</b></span></span></li>
<li class="li2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="s1"><b>The need for 14 visitor bikes<br/></b></span></span></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p class="p2"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="s1"><b>If Golden Lane was ‘new build’, it would have</b></span> <span class="s3"><b>745 bicycle racks.<br/></b></span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="s4"><b>In fact it has at most 60, almost all in</b></span> <span class="s1"><b>poor condition, difficult to access or just wet and dirty.</b></span></span></p>
<p class="p3"></p>
<p class="p3"></p>CITY DEFERS REFORM OF ITS DISCREDITED “STANDARDS” REGIMEtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-06-25:2323372:BlogPost:755262020-06-25T10:22:17.000ZSue Pearsonhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/SuePearson
<p>As mentioned in my last blog <a href="https://www.goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-city-s-discredited-standards">https://www.goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-city-s-discredited-standards</a>, a significant proportion of City residents signed a petition last year declaring that they had no confidence in the City Corporation’s “standards" regime. One of their demands was for reform of “standards" proceedings. A motion was…</p>
<p>As mentioned in my last blog <a href="https://www.goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-city-s-discredited-standards">https://www.goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-city-s-discredited-standards</a>, a significant proportion of City residents signed a petition last year declaring that they had no confidence in the City Corporation’s “standards" regime. One of their demands was for reform of “standards" proceedings. A motion was put to the Court of Common Council at its virtual meeting on Thursday (18 June) to give effect to those wishes. Sadly the motion was amended out of existence, mostly by members of the Court who are not City residents and are elected by business votes in the City’s unique electoral system. </p>
<p>Residents watching the meeting on YouTube will have seen how the “establishment” within the Court ambushed the motion with an amendment to defer the commencement of reform.</p>
<p>Although the proposer of the amendment said that:</p>
<p><em>“it is widely recognised that there are clear concerns about our standards regime, and some feel that there has been rough justice, or indeed no justice”, </em></p>
<p>and the seconder said that:</p>
<p><em>“our current self-governing process has failed to gain the confidence of this Honourable Court, or indeed some of our City residents”,</em></p>
<p>they gained enough support to defer taking any action. </p>
<p>Residents might be puzzled why this <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/5943980499?profile=original">Standards Motion</a>, which had been signed by 59 members of the Court (nearly half of the total of 125), with a number more having committed to vote in favour of it, could be defeated by 74 votes to 37. It couldn’t have been because the members who changed sides had been persuaded by anything said in the debate, because nothing new was said - all the arguments had already been repeatedly set out in emails distributed to all members during the previous month. The outcome of the vote seems to be yet another example of many members feeling obliged to following the lead of the “establishment” - hardly a healthy situation in a public authority whose members are supposed to be elected to represent voters’ interests.</p>
<p>The voting record of your Cripplegate members was as follows. Alderman David Graves did not sign the motion and voted against it (that is he voted for the spoiler amendment). All eight councillors signed the motion, but only six voted in favour of it. Stephen Quilter didn’t attend the virtual meeting, and Vivienne Littlechild joined David Graves and voted for the spoiler amendment.</p>
<p>We now await the publication in September of a report by Lord Lisvane who has been commissioned by the City to make recommendations on its corporate governance. It is more than likely that he will make some recommendations on the City’s “standards” regime. Whether the Court will do anything about it is another matter; the action of two thirds of its members last Thursday indicates that they feel no urgency about putting right something that nearly all of them accept is wrong. </p>The beginning of the end of the City’s discredited “standards” regime?tag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-06-14:2323372:BlogPost:753712020-06-14T12:42:16.000ZSue Pearsonhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/SuePearson
<p><strong>Last year, more than 1,100 City residents - many of them in our ward of Cripplegate - signed a petition <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2737755024?profile=original">declaring 'no confidence' in the City's standards regime</a>. </strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>That petition called for two specific reforms.</p>
<p>The first was to let your elected representatives speak and vote on matters which affected both you and them as residents. After nine months of intense…</p>
<p><strong>Last year, more than 1,100 City residents - many of them in our ward of Cripplegate - signed a petition <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2737755024?profile=original">declaring 'no confidence' in the City's standards regime</a>. </strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>That petition called for two specific reforms.</p>
<p>The first was to let your elected representatives speak and vote on matters which affected both you and them as residents. After nine months of intense campaigning, including residents attending and filming meetings of the Standards Committee, that reform has now largely been achieved.</p>
<p>The second reform concerned the complaints process, which has proved to be not fit for purpose and has been used against councillors who have spoken out against the Corporation. This reform might now be commenced with a motion that will be put at the next meeting of the Court of Common Council on Thursday 18 June: <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/5943980499?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Standards Motion</a>.</p>
<p>As you can see, all eight councillors in Cripplegate have signed this motion. Mark Bostock and William Pimlott have unequivocally supported standards reform from the outset. One member, though, signed the motion only minutes before the deadline, after being approached several times during the previous three weeks by the proposer, seconder and myself.</p>
<p>The one elected representative in Cripplegate who hasn’t signed is our alderman, David Graves. That is disappointing, especially as several aldermen are among the signatories. He has, though, remained one of the staunchest defenders of the Corporation’s standards regime, even though that it has for well over a year been discredited in the eyes of constituents, and more recently in the eyes of most members of the Court. </p>
<p>As all Corporation meetings are now held virtually, you can watch the Court meeting on YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/UQkeA7qgmWQ">https://youtu.be/UQkeA7qgmWQ</a>. The meeting begins at 1 pm. The standards motion is item 11 on the agenda. Members of the Court can see how many members of the public are watching, so a strong turnout of resident viewers will itself send a message. Do tune in to see what happens. </p>Mental Health UK silent on its sponsorship from ISG PLCtag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-06-04:2323372:BlogPost:753482020-06-04T20:30:00.000ZPaul Drinkwaterhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/PaulDrinkwater
<p dir="ltr"><em>Update: Mental Health UK have now contacted us - see below for the charity's response.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>During Mental Health Week, 30 Golden Lane Estate residents shared the impact the COLPAI construction site was having on their mental health in <a href="http://goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/mental-health-awareness-week-open-letter-to-colpai-project" target="_self">a moving open letter.</a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">And just as people shared…</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Update: Mental Health UK have now contacted us - see below for the charity's response.</em></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>During Mental Health Week, 30 Golden Lane Estate residents shared the impact the COLPAI construction site was having on their mental health in <a href="http://goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/mental-health-awareness-week-open-letter-to-colpai-project" target="_self">a moving open letter.</a></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">And just as people shared their upsetting experiences of the "torture", "intolerable stress" and "anxiety" caused directly by the behaviour of the site's construction firm, ISG PLC, which was leaving them "heartbroken", "abandoned" and "kettled", ISG had applied to Islington Council to further extend works until 9pm in the evening.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Incredibly, ISG sponsors a mental health charity, <a href="https://mentalhealth-uk.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mental Heath UK</a>. We wrote to the charity's Chief Executive Brian Dow on 25 May to draw his attention to the letter, and suggested he might want to reconsider ISG's sponsorship until the company could demonstrate it took mental health seriously.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Sadly, as yet we have yet to receive a reply. </strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Dear Mr Dow</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>I am writing on behalf of residents of the Golden Lane Estate in London to bring to your attention the serious impact your sponsor ISG PLC is having on our mental health.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>ISG PLC has been contracted by the City of London to build a school and social housing on land directly adjoining our estate. Residents welcome much needed social housing and expect a reasonable level of disturbance.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>However since ISG PLC began working on the ‘COLPAI’ project in December 2018, the company's impact on residents, 50% of which are social tenants (including those elderly and vulnerable) has been severe:</span></p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><span>ISG is subjecting residents to extreme levels of noise for up to 10 hours each day</span><span>. Our flats are all single glazed yet works such as sawing metal often take place less than 10m away from our homes, without mitigations such as acoustic barriers or perceptible effort to observe agreed ‘reduced impact hours’ as recommended in the construction management plan. Those of us with babies are seeing damaging impacts from reduced sleep for both parent and baby. Noise monitoring on one block, Hatfield House, was secretly terminated by ISG to avoid an objective data record of the noise. </span></p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><span>Dust, fumes and other pollution from ISG’s works are making residents ill.</span><span> Residents (including those with pre-existing mental health conditions such as paranoia, agoraphobia, medical anxiety and depression) are unable to open their windows during the day, with many reporting an increase in respiratory symptoms. Windows and outdoor spaces are covered in grime, with ISG ignoring its commitment before works started to clean windows every 2 months. (Windows have been cleaned just once 7 months ago, after an intervention from a local MP.)</span></p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><span>Residents are imprisoned inside their own homes.</span> <span>ISG’s decision to recommence construction during the lockdown has made life miserable for the majority of residents unable to leave home. Trying to work or homeschool our children above the noise, with windows we are unable to open in warm weather, is intolerable. Residents with health conditions are frightened by workers not practicing social distancing within metres of flats. We understand that the City of London would like to suspend the site until the lockdown is over, but ISG’s view is that this would breach their contract and has ordered its workers back on site.</span></p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr"><span>In full knowledge of the above, and during Mental Health Awareness week, ISG PLC applied to Islington Council to extend the site’s opening hours further by an additional four hours a day to 9pm.</span> <span>Thankfully this application, which would have subjected residents to up to 13 hours of noise and fumes and risked further disturbance to young children at bedtime, has been turned down for the time being.</span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Your sponsor’s repeated disregard of concerns raised has led to</span> <span>residents writing an open letter during Mental Health Week to highlight the toll ISG is having on our mental health, which is attached for your information.</span> <span>It is impossible not to be moved by this letter, which contains testimonials from 30 residents. Local MP Nickie Aiken agreed, and said the letter</span> <span>“really provides very powerful testimony … the concerns from residents about their wellbeing is particularly poignant.”</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Based on the above, you will appreciate our concerns that ISG PLC is an unsuitable sponsor for Mental Health UK and risks damaging the reputation of your charity. We would like to kindly request that you suspend ISG’s sponsorship until the company:</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>1) can demonstrate</span> <span>it will take the mental health of Golden Lane Estate residents neighbouring its construction site seriously</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>2) puts in place reasonable actions that will reduce the significant harm it is causing to residents' mental health.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>We would be happy to put you in contact with neighbours who can share the toll that ISG is having on their lives, so you can hear directly of the impact of your sponsor’s actions.</span></p>THE LATEST ON COLPAI WORKING HOURStag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-05-23:2323372:BlogPost:753212020-05-23T14:30:00.000ZSue Pearsonhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/SuePearson
<p>Here is correspondence I’ve had with the City Corporation’s Policy Chair and the Community Services Chair after the government recently published guidance promoting longer working hours on construction sites:<br></br> <br></br> <strong>My email to the Policy Chair and Community and Children’s Services Chair on 14 May</strong><br></br> <br></br> <em>Will you undertake that the City Corporation, as the developer of the COLPAI project, will not seek permission to extend the working hours on the site in the…</em></p>
<p>Here is correspondence I’ve had with the City Corporation’s Policy Chair and the Community Services Chair after the government recently published guidance promoting longer working hours on construction sites:<br/> <br/> <strong>My email to the Policy Chair and Community and Children’s Services Chair on 14 May</strong><br/> <br/> <em>Will you undertake that the City Corporation, as the developer of the COLPAI project, will not seek permission to extend the working hours on the site in the light of government guidance published yesterday… on the ground that the extremely close proximity of the site to a densely populated residential estate is a “compelling reason” within the exceptions in that guidance ….?</em></p>
<p><br/> <strong>Email from the Community and Children’s Services Chair on 15 May</strong><br/> <em>It is my understanding that we will not request and will not support any request to extend the hours.</em><br/> <br/> <strong>Email from the Policy Chair on 15 May</strong></p>
<p><br/> <em>Members will have just seen the all-Court email that has just gone out</em> <a href="http://www.goldenlaneestate.org/forum/topics/construction-hours?xg_source=activity">http://www.goldenlaneestate.org/forum/topics/construction-hours?xg_source=activity</a><br/> <br/> <strong>My email to the Policy Chair and Community Services Chair on 18 May</strong></p>
<p><em>I have circulated your response to residents and note that the Corporation will effectively follow the government’s latest guidance that construction working hours should not be extended where “impacts on densely populated areas would be unreasonable”, and that the Corporation will not request that hours be extended in relation to its own COLPAI development.</em><br/> <em>The latest guidance issued by the government could be interpreted as meaning that it did not expect construction work to continue at all in these circumstances for the duration of lockdown, and that it assumed that local authorities would act responsibly in dealing with this type of situation.</em><br/> <em>The Corporation's statement issued last Friday that "we understand residents’ concerns” is an instance of its words and actions not matching. It should not expect that it can use this statement to draw a line under the ongoing situation in Golden Lane.</em><br/> <em>A number of complaints have been logged by residents about the contractor’s continuing breaches of the rules, but I don’t think residents trust the Corporation to take meaningful action in response.</em><br/> <em>It is disappointing that the Corporation is not showing moral leadership in this crisis, using the pretext of doing whatever the government says, especially as the latest guidance casts doubt on whether the Corporation has actually been following the original guidance.</em><br/> <br/> <strong>And now…</strong><br/> <br/> The Policy Chair and Community Services Chair have not replied to my last email.<br/> <br/> Late on Friday I was informed that the contractor on the COLPAI project, ISG, had itself applied for an extension of working hours, which was turned down.<br/> This does nothing, though, to stop the deepening harm that is being done to Golden Lane residents by the Corporation allowing normal work to continue during normal hours at this abnormal time. That is evident from the first hand testimony which Jacqueline Swanson has provided: <a href="http://www.goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/mental-health-awareness-week-open-letter-to-colpai-project">http://www.goldenlaneestate.org/profiles/blogs/mental-health-awareness-week-open-letter-to-colpai-project</a> .<br/> <br/> Our local MP has again been asked to take this issue up with the Corporation.</p>Mental Health Awareness Week: Open Letter to COLPAI Projecttag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-05-21:2323372:BlogPost:754162020-05-21T07:37:54.000ZJacqueline Swansonhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/JacquelineSwanson
<p>Hello Neighbours</p>
<p>Yesterday I sent the attached <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/5215187290?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Open Letter to COLPAI Project</a> (the first three pages copied below) about the effect that the construction is having on our well being during this week of Mental Health Awareness. This morning I am sending to all members of the City Council along with this link.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who contributed with their…</p>
<p>Hello Neighbours</p>
<p>Yesterday I sent the attached <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/5215187290?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Open Letter to COLPAI Project</a> (the first three pages copied below) about the effect that the construction is having on our well being during this week of Mental Health Awareness. This morning I am sending to all members of the City Council along with this link.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who contributed with their personal stories. I know there are many more so please do post underneath and I will include as an addendum to anyone else we send out to as we try get decision makers and influencers to understand the detrimental effect that the works are having on residents who live so close to the site. </p>
<p></p>
<p>All bests</p>
<p>Jacqueline</p>
<p><strong>_________________________________________________</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>20 May 2020</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Dear COLPAI Project</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>We’d like you to understand the damage you are doing and have done to the mental well being of the residents on Golden Lane Estate during this time of exceptional national distress.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The country went into lockdown on Monday 23 March and as everyone got up on Tuesday ready to face the new normal of working and schooling from home we were all perplexed to discover construction continuing on the COLPAI site. Why was this non-essential activity continuing – weren’t we all supposed to be staying at home to save the NHS?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The more cynical of us weren’t that surprised but did become very concerned when it was clear social distancing was not being practiced. We had to turn into snitches, providing incriminating evidence before the site closed on 2 April. In contrast Taylor Wimpey just 100 metres away decided to close their site just after the lockdown began ‘<em>due to the current pandemic…and the health risk it presents to all people</em>’.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite our local councillor and own MP Nicki Aitken lobbying for the closure of non-essential construction sites in the City, two weeks later on 14 April COLPAI construction resumed. And let’s note, that was well before London had passed the peak infection rate and we residents were in full lockdown.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To add insult to injury you send us newsletters extolling your commitment to ‘<em>delivering the necessary infrastructure to allow people to have safe spaces to live, learn and play’</em>. What about our current need for safe spaces? To top it all you asked us to cooperate and included an image of site workers observing the two minute silence for those NHS staff and carers who have lost their lives trying to save others. Who thought using photos taken at a funeral (because essentially that’s what it was) to emotionally bully residents already at their wits end was acceptable?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This week the country starts to make its way out of lockdown and construction sites across the country are going back to work. Hopefully, our children will get back to school, and us adults, lucky enough to still have jobs, back to our work place. In the meantime, we are into week 6 of incessant noise, dust and fumes whilst being confined to our tiny flats with their single glazing…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Very few of us want to engage with you anymore, or trust it will make any difference. This report compiles testimony from some of the residents of Basterfield and Hatfield House whose lives you are affecting but for whom you have offered no help and shown no empathy. It wasn’t easy, just writing this down can be really upsetting and triggering.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But maybe this week of all weeks, Mental Health Awareness week, you may take some notice, consider adjusting your work practices and confirm absolutely you will NOT under any circumstances apply for an extension of works to 9pm for the duration of the works.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yours sincerely</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jacqueline Swanson</p>
<p>With the support of Basterfield and Hatfield neighbours</p>
<p></p>
<p>This document contains testimonies from 30 residents affected by the actions of COLPAI during lockdown. They have been anonomysed where necessary but otherwise have not been edited. A few are transcriptions of conversations with residents not so confident with their writing skills.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We also include a letter co-signed by 5 Hatfield residents written to our Local MP Nicki Aitken outlining the ongoing issues with the COLPAI site and those responsible for its communications and community engagement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Below are just a few quotes selected from the testimonies:</strong></p>
<p><em>"During the Covid -19 pandemic, when London was at its epicentre, they [COLPAI] took the decision to put our lives at increased risk - workers and residents - by allowing the works to restart during lockdown. If they're prepared to do that, without any form of consultation or risk-assessment for its impact on the Estate and its residents, then it shows that fundamentally they really don't care."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"…. in this already stressful situation, we are having imposed on us, a constant racket of noise, machinery, vehicle movements, fumes and dust from the COLPAI construction site starting at 8 AM every morning and carrying on more or less continuously until 6PM. This is completely inescapable for us in the lockdown and the sense of helplessness to do anything about it is unbelievably stress inducing in the extreme."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"As people we are hot wired to associate noise with emotion. Whether its music or the noise of hammering we react at an emotional level. We feel stress when these emotional triggers are pressed and the effect on our wellbeing is detrimental. COLPAI is going ahead and I quite accept that. What I don’t accept is the creep of noise, the chatter of mobile phone chat before 8.00."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"Noise is not only a nuisance, it is also a well-established form of torture. We’re not merely ‘nimby’ neighbours concerned to protect our own backyard. We’re victims. Your victims."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"Pardon my French but to put it bluntly, they [COLPAI] deliberately took a decision to make the life of everyone living around the site a little bit shittier in the middle of a category 5 shitstorm… going on the balcony is about as noisy and enjoyable as being standing on the hard shoulder of a motorway. And the worst is the stench - the petrol fumes from whatever machines they are using on site stink and even get into the flat if I leave the door open."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"As a brain-injury survivor, the stresses and anxieties I suffer are on a permanent hair-trigger. The noise from the site has kettled me and my mental health issues into an ever decreasing small space."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"I thought I was resilient, I thought I could get used to the noise; an eight o’clock wake up is only like the alarm I thought… but its not. It’s a “must get up” call…. These few weeks since the work restarted have become increasingly stressful because I have been sticking to the rules but the noise seems to have increased, in my upset I think I have become more sensitive to the noise, not less."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"I am heartbroken and depressed as my work/home life has no place I can escape to, even to be able to concentrate. I am hemmed in by noise. I wake up very early just to get some peace and the yelling and hammering starts before 8 on most days."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"My partner is working as a mental health and capacity advocate in various care homes for a mental health charity. It is impossible to make calls to speak to her clients with that level of noise at a time when they really need her the most."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"To follow the corona virus government regulations and stay at home as much as possible feels like torture. To leave home and be out, feels like a selfish act and a suicide mission especially given how many elderly people live in our building."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"The almost constant noise as I try work or rest and the almost intolerable stress are having a real impact on my ability to work and interact with my family and as we are supposed to be shielding my son by remaining at home for another 10 weeks this just appears to me as an enormous mountain to climb before we are through and from where we are now, it looks insurmountable."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"Living in a dusty and noisy flat has been particularly stressful during the lockdown as we have literally nowhere to go to escape. This has had a huge effect on mental health and well-being - on some days there is no point in even getting out of bed."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"As with many other residents, we appreciate the need for more housing locally. But during such an unprecedented time it seems cruel to continue with work as intensely as before - and particularly now we're advised work could continue through to 9pm and throughout the weekends. It seems deeply ill-considered and as usual, the poorer, less empowered residents of Golden Lane will be the ones ignored, and ultimately the ones who suffer."</em></p>
<p></p>
<p><em>"Construction noise is of course stressful but the silence from the City of London is worrying."</em></p>
<p><strong>_________________________________________________</strong></p>
<p></p>
<p>Then followed 12 pages of testimonies and a copy of the letter sent to MP Aiken on 13 May. <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/5215187290?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can read them all here.</a></p>Get involved with Radio Local!tag:goldenlane.ning.com,2020-05-13:2323372:BlogPost:753902020-05-13T13:30:00.000ZGLE Website Comms Teamhttps://goldenlane.ning.com/profile/GLEComms
<p><strong>Do you live or work locally within the Culture Mile area (from Farringdon to Moorgate)? We'd love you to take part in our pop-up radio station...</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.radiolocal.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/4981723295?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a></p>
<p>Radio Local in Culture Mile is a hyper-local radio station broadcasting to the world from <strong>30 May – 12 June 2020, every day from 1-2pm. </strong><br></br> <br></br> For two weeks presenters Hunt & Darton will be broadcasting…</p>
<p><strong>Do you live or work locally within the Culture Mile area (from Farringdon to Moorgate)? We'd love you to take part in our pop-up radio station...</strong></p>
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<p>Radio Local in Culture Mile is a hyper-local radio station broadcasting to the world from <strong>30 May – 12 June 2020, every day from 1-2pm. </strong><br/> <br/> For two weeks presenters Hunt & Darton will be broadcasting hour-long daily shows featuring people from across Culture Mile. Responding to people and place during this extraordinary time, Radio Local revels in staying at home, resilience and our sense of place.<br/> <br/> From the charmingly mundane to the borderline ridiculous, this is a celebration of local radio and local listeners. Broadcasting over regional and community radio, shows will be created over the phone, via Zoom workshops and online networks about the weird and wonderful places people live in and how they’re living right now.</p>
<p>If you live or work locally within Culture Mile then email <a href="mailto:radiolocal.culturemile@gmail.com"><strong>radiolocal.culturemile@gmail.com</strong></a> to get involved with any of the activities below. We'd love to hear from you! No previous radio experience necessary.</p>
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<p><strong>ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:</strong></p>
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<p><strong>LOCAL LEGENDS</strong><br/> Do you know someone who's a major part of local life? We're looking for locals to suggest their favourite tunes for the show. We want to meet the heroes, the characters, the pillars of the community, the weird the wonderful, the fonts of all gossip, and the friends to all.</p>
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<p><strong>THE NEWS: BE OUR NEWS!</strong><br/> What's the news from where you are? Each day we're looking for a different local person to present the news. We want to hear YOUR news, from your up-cycling projects to your disastrous home haircut…</p>
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<p><strong>ARE YOU A LOCAL RESTAURANT OWNER? </strong><br/> This feature promotes the local food culture of the City. We’re looking for restaurants still open for takeaway that we can place an order with for key workers who’ll give us their reviews on air!</p>
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<p><strong>ARE YOU A KEY WORKER IN CULTURE MILE?</strong><br/> Could you be our food critic? Would you like to sample the delights of Culture Mile’s local world cuisine? We want your taste buds and your reviews.</p>
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<p><strong>SINGLE AND LOOKING FOR LOVE? </strong><br/> We're looking for singletons living in and around the Culture Mile area to embark on virtual dating between 30 May-12 June. Hunt and Darton will be your matchmakers. <br/> <br/> <strong>HELP US WRITE A SOAP OPERA<br/></strong> Bring the<strong> </strong>action to life and let the drama unfold. Written en masse by locals on Twitter, we want to write a soap opera with more subplots than Tiger King... Hunt and Darton will check in with the story as it's written live on air. </p>
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<p><strong>COMPETITION TIME </strong><br/> Are words your thing? Join us live and talk exhaustively about a suggested word without saying the word… Easy? Well sign up and come and give it a go.</p>
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<p><strong>WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM? </strong><br/> Send us your problem to be solved (hopefully) by agony aunts Hunt and Darton. </p>
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<p><strong>ARE YOU OVER 70?<br/></strong> We want all our live reports to be from the over 70s: audio tours of your homes and daily updates on domestic life during isolation. If you'd like to be interviewed live on air then get in touch! </p>
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<p><strong>MEALTIME MEMOS </strong><br/> Are you eating in silence or causing mayhem around the dinner table, we want to share your family meal experiences on air. To take part email us a 10 minute recording (taken on your mobile device) of a meal at home.</p>
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<p><strong>YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS, NOT YOUR FAMILY<br/></strong> We're looking for families to take part in this boredom busting challenge. With tasks such as DIY obstacle course, toilet paper stacking and collaborative art installations from what you can find at home. If this sounds like your kind of family challenge, sign up now!</p>
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<p><strong>JINGLE MAKING</strong><br/> We're looking for people to make jingles for Radio Local using anything around the house, e.g. voices, pans, instruments, food packaging or door slammin’. Record your jingle and upload to Soundcloud, email us the link and we’ll feature on the show. To learn more, enter the jingle making shed here: <a href="http://www.radiolocal.co.uk/">www.radiolocal.co.uk</a></p>
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