The Composting Bin Event on 10 October attracted large numbers of people once again and PCEG members worked extremely hard throughout the day, whether on the tills or other administrative and traffic duties, or explaining the different types of bins to people, and carrying them to their cars. JC has been asked by Blackwall's, the company who supplied the bins and paid £100 towards PCEG funds, to thank all those who took part, saying they couldn't have done without us!
JC has received a letter from Inspector Edwards of Plumstead Police in response to her complaints about the handling of this problem, agreeing that it is getting quite out of hand and stating that he was to attend a meeting on 18 November at the Town Hall about how to achieve a better liaison between the authorities and police in dealing with it. He was hopeful that there would be enough people attending from various agencies to make it 'a worthwhile meeting which could result in a strategy that will both improve the working relationship between the agencies concerned and cause the situation of abandoned vehicles to diminish.' He has promised to contact JC after the meeting to give an update and will inform others at the next Police Sector Group meeting on 12 January.
Watch this space!
16/11/99 A flock of about 20 goldfinches seen by new member Mark Angliss feeding on burdock on the slope by the St Margaret's Grove steps. Heard but not seen by Mark and JC at the same time, a green woodpecker - coming from the hedgerow area of the Nature Reserve.
JC is grateful to Mark Angliss, who has produced a comprehensive list of his wildlife observations since starting work as a Park Keeper on Plumstead/Winns Common in June. This can be found at the end of the Newsletter (after the Financial Statement, before Gardening Tips) and confirms what several members have reported seeing from time to time - proving that this area is an oasis for wildlife in an increasingly threatening world.
The gardening group have continued to meet most Tuesdays (10.30am) at the Nature Reserve in the ravine behind Blendon Terrace
This Group has recently been revitalised under the leadership of Inspector Edwards, and JC and Roger Taylor went to the last meeting on 3 November which was very well
attended. The main message we came away from the meeting with was that the Plumstead area has very few Neighbourhood Watch schemes in operation and the Inspector would like to see a big increase, as they are highly successful in preventing crime. JC can vouch for this: in the 10 or so years Blendon Terrace has been a Neighbourhood Watch area we have had no burglaries and have developed a good support system between neighbours. The police in turn inform residents, through the Watch Co-ordinator, of crime hot spots and any criminal activity in their area. So do consider setting up a Neighbourhood Watch in your street. The date of the next sector Group meeting is 12 January 2000 at a venue in Abbey Wood.
Over the year the Greenwich Waterfront Development Partnership (GWDP) has been considering expanding the Partnership to cover the whole of the borough because of the broadening regeneration agenda - not just physical renewal but also economic, social and environmental - and the question of the most appropriate geographical area for the Partnership to operate in. Also:-
* The new regional agenda for London with the Mayor, Assembly and London Development Agency all require the largest possible Partnership body.
* The emergence of new partnerships in the borough, covering health, community safety, women's equality, life-long learning and early years need proper co-ordination.
* Many of the issues for the north of the borough are linked with solutions for the south and vice versa.
* The Council's 'Modernising Local Government' agenda needs to be set within a broad partnership context.
* Future funding possibilities from central government sources and from Europe can be maximised by an overall strategic partnership body.
In addition the Community Forum has been considering two further issues:-
* The practicalities of organising a borough wide organisation, in particular the relationship between local work and fora and the overall 'umbrella.'
* What is the vision that will hold the new partnership together?
The meeting held on 2 November at Woolwich Town Hall was the last in a series of consultation meetings with groups in the borough. There was a general feeling that the consultation had not been thorough enough and that the Community Forum was in danger of being bounced into a process too quickly. There could be a potential conflict between Council and Community agendas. On the other hand a pragmatic approach could see a Council/Community plan bring together the hopes and aspirations of people in a borough wide partnership including council, police, health authorities, community and voluntary sectors.
The GWDP is due to make a final decision on the future in December, with the potential launch of a new Partnership early in 2000.