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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Finsbury Park Strategy Group to be established

I attended the Scrutiny Committee meeting on the future of music events in Finsbury Park last night. One of the most important outcomes for local residents is the recommendation for the establishment of a Finsbury Park Strategy Group. Harringay's Cllr Gina Adamou suggested this as the way forward to ensure that residents have a voice on the future of events in our park.

Chair of Scrutiny Cllr Gideon Bull demanded that officers get the ball rolling on this by the end of the month.

I will post further updates when more information is available.

Emine Ibrahim

Labour Party Candidate (Harringay Ward)

Tags for Forum Posts: finsbury park, finsbury park events, finsbury park stakeholder group

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on July 30, 2014 at 9:00

HERE is the formal response from the Council about the Strategy/Stakeholder Group:

____________________________________________________________________________________

Sent: 28 July 2014 09:01
To: MemberEnquiries
Subject: Member's Enquiry: Finsbury Park Stakeholder Group

 

Haringey Council
Members' Enquiries


Dear Member Enquiries

The Finsbury Park Stakeholder Group

On 6 January 2014, a meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee resolved to set up a group in connection with the future of Finsbury Park (this body may also be known as the Finsbury Park 'Strategy' Group). Please provide full details of this group, to include:


A. Remit

  1. Does it have a remit or Constitution (or equivalent)? Yes there are agreed terms of reference for the group (see attached)
  2. Does it have decision-making power? No it is advisory as in some cases the issues it considers are part of the statutory licensing process.
  3. Are its decisions binding? Not a decision making body
  4. What standing does the body have,vis a vis the Council? It’s not a formal committee or subcommittee of the council.
  5. To which person or body does the Group report to please? Advisory role to officers and Lead Member


B. Membership

  1. Who are its members and what associations do they represent? As per the attached, plus the Ladder Community Safety Partnership are due to join the group at the next meeting
  2. Are any local businesses represented? Yes in the form of Green Lane Traders Association and Finsbury Park Trust.
  3. How does one become a member? A request for membership is determined by the Chair.
  4. Who selects the members please? The Chair


C. Meetings

  1. Who chairs the group? Cabinet Member for the Environment – now Cllr McNamara
  2. Are meetings open to the public? No
  3. Is it okay for residents to come along? No
  4. Do residents have speaking rights? No
  5. On which dates did the Group meet in the last six months? 3 occasions 12th Feb, 9th April, 3rd June
  6. Of the Members listed in (B) above, who actually attended? 12th Feb was the original event stakeholders discussing the expansion of the group, (Friends, Stroud Green Residents and Ward Councillors) (9th April was attended by all stakeholders) (3rd June TBC)
  7. Where did it meet please? Civic Centre


D. Agenda and Minutes

  1. Are the Agendas published (if so, where) ? Only to the group.
  2. Does the Group publish Minutes ? only to the group.
  3. How soon after the meetings are Minutes published? With the agenda for the next meeting.
  4. Please supply either (a) full Minutes or (b) details of where Minutes are available? Not publicly available.
  5. Are the Minutes of a previous meeting, read back to a meeting to check for accuracy? Yes they are agreed at each meeting as being a true and accurate record of the meeting.
  6. Where can residents find out more about the future activities of the Group please? Via any of the groups who are members.


Please answer each question separately. If the Council does not hold information relating to a particular question, please state that explicitly as the answer alongside the question. I would be grateful if you could provide any other information that you think might be helpful or relevant.

Thank you for your attention.

____________________________________________________________________________________

I have included the original questions and each response. The answers were rendered in blue; this is lost in pasting and I have bolded and italicsed the answers for clarity. Please note that the Terms of Reference that were supplied (attached) are described as a Draft and are dated 'March'.

Councillor—Highgate Ward

Liberal Democrat Party

Attachments:
Permalink Reply by Cllr Emina Ibrahim on July 30, 2014 at 9:13

Hi Clive

Thanks for posting this does indeed confirm that prior to May 22nd 5 of the Cllrs on the committee were from your own party. I will also raise the issue of the possibility of publication of minutes. Can I also again suggest that you ask your colleagues if they attended and to provide information I am sure 1 of the 5 would have been happy to oblige.

regards

Emine

Permalink Reply by Robin Dennis on August 5, 2014 at 11:02

Could you also ask why the Gardens Residents Association is not a member? I know the Gardens do not border on the park, but it is the largest park in the area and events at the park affect residents on the Gardens side of Green Lanes, too.

Permalink Reply by John D on July 30, 2014 at 13:00

I think we knew right from the start that it was neither a Strategy group, nor a Stakeholders' Group but in fact an Obfuscation Group.

Permalink Reply by Hugh on July 30, 2014 at 13:04

John, I think you'd might find that the effectiveness of this group could way exceed your fears, depending on how effectively the members use it, and of course on the Council's preparedness to listen. The GLSG ended up being the top dog in local democracy in Harringay. Who'd'a thunk that when it was set up. If I thought this new group was going to be mere window dressing I wouldn't care about openness - and nor, I imagine would its constituting members. 

Permalink Reply by John D on July 30, 2014 at 13:15

OK Hugh. I look forward to hearing that the number of concerts in Finsbury Park next year has been reduced to two

Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on July 30, 2014 at 16:15

John, a Google search threw up two more documents that are also relevant to this thread (attached  below).

  • Draft Scrutiny Minutes from 6 January, that considered the call-in of the Cabinet's then-new Outdoor Events policy
  • Notes on 'Background' by Simon Farrow, Head of Client Services, dated 18 June. It's called 'Finsbury Park Usage and Event Stakeholder Group' and appears to have been prepared for a recent local Area Assembly meeting ( according to the hand-written note at the top, Agenda Item 2).

Attachments:
Permalink Reply by Cllr Emina Ibrahim on July 30, 2014 at 16:53
That Clive is available on the council website
Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on July 30, 2014 at 23:10

John, it does seem that the lofty aims of a Strategy Group – expressed in January (top of thread, ensuring that local residents have a voice on the future of events in our park etc.)  – haven't translated meaningfully into the "Stakeholder" Group.

Whereas one might have expected a public voice at these meetings, there is not even the minimum feature of public access:  not to the meetings, nor to the Agenda, nor to the Minutes. Currently, this group operates in private and in secret. Why, I wonder?

The remit of the group seems less concerned with public park amenity and more involved with fine-tuning the management of events in the park.

Is this too fine a distinction?

Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on July 30, 2014 at 13:18

I think that the story going on here has convined me that there has to be a Ladder Residents' Association so that we have the same access to decsion making and influencing that is enjoyed by the Gardens and Stroud Green RA.  I seem to recall someone suggesting that they would be willing to get this off the ground a couple of months ago on this site.  Anyone willing to put their hands up?

Permalink Reply by John D on July 30, 2014 at 13:28

My hand is up. But I'm not doing it on my own.

Constitution ?

Officers ?

Income ?

Venue ?

Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on July 30, 2014 at 16:55

John, just remember: Item 1 on 1st Meeting's Agenda must be 'THE SPLIT'.

The restive and varied Ladder population has potential for multifarious evolution and revolution:

The LRA;

The Official LRA;

The Provisional LRA;

The Real LRA;

The Continuity LRA;

The Old LRA . . . etc

Good luck!

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