Holy Trinity School Addendum
Further to my last post, it seems some may be having trouble with the link I posted to the GLA webcast. The link is actually for the direct download of a desktop shortcut for the file. The GLA do not seem to allow actual downloading in full, but rather give you a shortcut that when double clicked, will run the webcast through your default media player (rather than via your web browser). So, if you are also having trouble, visit the GLA HERE, look under the heading ‘November 2013’, and click on the ‘ Holy Trinity School representation hearing’ link. If you continue to have problems, leave a comment on this post and I will attempt a work-around.
Bitter & Sweet
First the bitter. You will by now all be aware of the plan by Telford Homes to use the doubling of capacity at Holy Trinity School (possibly a good thing, depending on your view of faith schools) as an excuse to build 101 flats above said school, at the south-eastern corner of Dalston Square. The plans for the development were rejected by Hackney Council earlier in the year (on the grounds of it’s impact on the area, current and future tenants adjacent to the site, and the school children themselves), but Telford then took their plans to the GLA (the offices of Mayor Boris Johnson) who provisionally overruled Hackney Council’s decision pending a public hearing. Well, that hearing is now upon us: This coming Monday, 18th November, 3pm at City Hall, Committee Rooms 4 & 5. The school is organising buses to transport parents/supporters of the scheme to the hearing (one has to wonder if parents are fully aware that the only play area for children will be an open ‘floor’ of the building between the school and the multiple stories of flats above, with, therefore, no open sky), so it is imperative that anyone against the proposal should also attend if they possibly can. Full details of the hearing, the proposed development, and the GLA’s own report, can all be found on the GLA’s website HERE.
Now the sweet. The Christmas market scheduled for the Square on December 1st will not just allow you to shop at the stalls, eat at the food stalls, and be entertained by a procession of local artists and performers. Oh no. You can also take part as a performer yourself. This just in:
Calling All Singers!
Do you like to sing? No matter if you have experience or not, come along and join in!
Led by vocalist and choirmaster, Iris Ederer, we will be singing uplifting popular tunes in a one and a half hour workshop where you will get to know a-cappella arrangements of well-known tunes from gospel to pop. In the vocal workshop we will do a quick body warm-up – comfortable clothes are suggested – some voice warm-ups and sound exercises – be prepared for some fun! All age groups welcome.
The workshop will take place at Dalston C.L.R James Library at 12:15 on 1st December 2013, and at 2.15pm we will sing our songs on stage at Dalston Christmas Market in Dalston Square – a public performance for you and your families. To sign up (and don’t forget this is open to all, no matter what your level of experience or abilities) please email talent@cityshowcase.co.uk and label your email IRIS.
Join in, join us, and invite all your friends and family to watch you perform.
Holy Trinity Planning Objection Advice
Hi all, sorry for the late notice on this one. As most of you will be aware, a group of residents from the southern end of the Square have organised themselves into a group to fight several aspects of the proposed development of the Holy Trinity School site (more details can be found over at our forum in THIS thread). To this end they have arranged a meeting with a representative from Planning Aid (website HERE), who will be offering advice and answering questions. The meeting is set for today (again, sorry for the short notice), at 2pm, in Cafe Route, here on the Square in Gaumont Tower (why not arrive nice and early and have a spot of lunch first: I can testify that the food really is very good).
Holy Trinity School Consultation
I have been contacted by Sophie Hoskin of Telford Homes with details of an upcoming drop-in event planned for Wednesday 3rd April from 4pm – 8pm. This is the last of 5 events that have happened over the last 4 months or so that allows local residents to view the plans for the proposed development which will greatly enhance the facilities of the school and provide 101 new homes. And with representatives from ‘The Team’ (hopefully the school, Telford Homes, and the architects), this will be your last opportunity to ask questions before Hackney Council’s planning committee make their decision as to whether to give this project the green light. I would like to think that residents of the Square will be receiving flyers in their post boxes, but just in case, you can click the thumbnails below for full details.
Updates To Previous Posts
Hi all, hope this post finds you well. The first item is not so much an update as a reiteration. You may have noticed Sean Stone’s note on the notice boards, and should of received your letter from Consort, regarding next week’s meeting, called by Consort, to explain to us all the reasons for the rises in the coming year’s service charges. (Regarding the letter, please note there is a mistake contained therein: Charges will rise from the current range of £900-£3800, depending on block and size, to a range of £1000-£4000. Not, as it is poorly written, an increase of £1000-£4000). Those of you registered with the DSRA (via the forum or by attending our regular meetings) will have today received my email but I will again publish here a note from Ben Collins, Chair of the DSRA, regarding this meeting:
Service Charge increases 2013- 2014Consort MeetingTuesday March 19th6.30 pmCLR James LibrarySome of you will be aware that our Service Charges are due to increase again this April.In some cases, we the Residents Association believe, these could be very significant. (From our estimates this could possibly be more than 25% in the case of some buildings)Leaseholders received a letter this week from Consort Property Management (dated March 12th), which is somewhat confusing. It describes ‘an increase of between £1000 and £4000 per apartment… dependent on the block’.If these figures are correct, they are alarming. They do not reflect the provisional figures the DSRA committee was given in a recent budget review meeting with Consort, but they do confirm the need to attend the meeting next Tuesday, to ask questions.For the past three years the Residents’ Association has asked for greater transparency in budgeting and more accurate predictive information for Service Charges for each apartment, to be sent out well in advance of the new financial year. This is to avoid the surprises many of us have had in past years from late notices of increases, based on unexplained or questionable cost increases in running our buildings.The increase in Service Charges will impact on ALL residents including tenants.We are very concerned about the confused message from Consort and hope that as many residents as possible will attend the meeting on Tuesday March 19th, at 6:30 in the library. We need a strong showing to impress upon Consort that we expect better from their financial management, and better value for money for their Service Charges. If you can, please come to the meeting to make your case.Ben CollinsChairDalston Square Residents’ Association
A Bit Of This And…..
Quite a lot to tell you all about so I have used our forum for all the details. I will summarise each topic here and link you through to the forum to get the full story.
First off, some more meeting minutes, this time from the Finance Sub-committee. These from 2 meetings held so far with regard our Consort service charges for 2013/14: HERE and HERE. It is not good news I am afraid. If you have difficulty with those links, see my last website post where this is addressed (HERE, second to last sentence of the first paragraph).
Next up, one for all you Tweeters out there: We have long had a Twitter account but it hasn’t been used in an age and I have been unable to track down whoever controls it. So a new one has been created: @DalstonSquareRA. Christine (Chair of the RA’s Social Sub-Committee, and my better half) created it and will monitor it. Any responsible persons who wish to tweet relevant info in the name of the RA should contact her for the account password. Please do so via the forum.
Next, some good news from Bootstrap, our neighbours over in Ashwin Street (owners of the roof garden over there among other things): They are changing the programme of how the roof garden will be used, and offering us a place to hold our DSRA meetings free of charge (rather than the £50 the library charge. More HERE.
Just 2 more items, and they are loosely connected. The first of the these is regarding a couple of evenings in May/June when The lost Picture Show are hoping to screen a couple of free to attend movies here in the Square. The question is, will there be objections? Details HERE. And last of all, a couple of current licence applications currently with Hackney Council. I do not foresee any issues with one of them (the Council applying to itself to run free events in the Square for the enjoyment of all), the other though could well garner quite a bit of opposition. Again a forum link, all the details HERE.
That’s it for now. I wish you all a great weekend, and please do pop over to the forum to share your thoughts on all the issues posted.
Posters & Flyers
Hi folks, couple of things. Firstly a reminder that our residents winter get-together is this Sunday: From 6pm, 3rd floor roof terrace of Gaumont Tower. Click the thumbnail below to see the full size poster. Secondly, Maisie Collins has asked that I let you all know that she has changed the time and venue of her first meeting for anyone interested in her ‘Dalston Square Collective’ for freelancers and small business owners that reside on the Square. New details are on Maisie’s forum post HERE. Lastly, did we all receive the Holy Trinity Primary School flyer below (click on the thumbnail for the full size image), which I found in my mailbox earlier in the week? I intend to attend the meeting on Monday and will report back with my findings. A forum thread has also been started about this planned development HERE. Have a good weekend all!
Dalston Square Residents' Association 