CAMDEN ASSOCIATION OF STREET PROPERTIES

NEWSLETTER!

Dear new / existing CASP member

Throughout this brief news item we have in most instances used the word “tenant” to signify both tenant and leaseholder.

Firstly, many thanks to those members who attended the Association’s AGM on September 4^th 2008 – the meeting was very lively and provided all our members with an opportunity to have their say on a number of key issues – the housing sell-offs, Camden’s new ‘partnering’ arrangements for capital works and changes to district boundaries and the way housing management services are delivered to Camden tenants, etc.

We not only very much aim to keep CASP members informed about these issues as they develop, but also remain focused on trying to highlight and tackle those issues that are most important to our members – issues around housing management, capital works and repairs, the selling of (empty) Camden street properties, community safety, tenant participation, etc.

Historically, we believe that it has always been very difficult for the majority of LBC street property tenants to fit into the wider consultation mechanism currently in place in Camden we therefore aim to highlight, as much as possible, issues that affect members living in Camden street properties.  

Since the AGM, the CASP Committee has organized a number of meetings with key Camden Cllrs. One of these meetings has been to discuss the issue of noise nuisance / pollution in Camden street properties – the importance of this issue for our members was made clear at the AGM and it is hoped that a clearer understanding of the issue by Camden Cllrs and Camden officers will lead to an improvement in how the issue is managed by Camden Council – we will keep members informed of any progress!  

The Association also continues to ‘speak out’ against Camden’s decision to sell (empty) street properties. As well as doing much to highlight the issue in the local press, deputations to Camden Council, etc, the Association is now in the process of contacting new Housing Minister, Margaret Beckett MP, in the hope that something can be done to stop the sale of these much needed properties!

The Association also urges all Camden street property leaseholders to have their say on the development of Camden’s Leaseholders Improvement Plan – all Camden Council leaseholders should have received info from Camden Council on how to get more involved and have their say on the Plan – the Association is also in the process of collating relevant feedback from its members and will discuss with Camden how best to feed this into the process. For more information about the Plan, please contact Angela Henry, Camden Home Ownership Services, on 0207 974-3632. Alternatively, please feel free to contact the Association.      

Secondly, many thanks to those ‘new’ members who returned their membership forms which the Association has now placed on file – please remember to ask neighbours, etc, to fill in and return the membership forms as it is vital that tenants and residents who live in Camden street properties maintain a strong voice!

Thirdly, many ‘new’ members also submitted enquiries and the Association is now doing its best to respond to these – this will take a little time to complete but we intend to respond to all these enquiries!

CASP SUB-GROUPS – UPDATE!

The Association recently reported the setting up of 3 CASP Sub-groups – a CASP Editorial and Publicity sub-group, an Environmental and Green Spaces sub-group and a CASP Leaseholders sub-group in order to progress the work of the Association.

We would very much like to thank those members who have expressed an interest in getting involved in these projects – we are now discussing a number of ways to progress these groups and will be contacting those members in writing who have expressed an interest in getting more involved in January 2009.

CALLING ALL ‘FORMAL’ CAMDEN TOWN CASP MEMBERS – DISTRICT MEETING JANUARY 2009!

It is vital that all 5 districts (Camden Town, Kentish Town, Holborn, Gospel Oak and Hampstead) are sufficiently represented on the CASP Committee. Unfortunately, despite the Association receiving a good number of membership forms from members in Camden Town, the district is not properly represented by members on the CASP Committee. Therefore, we are organizing a district meeting for formal members in Camden Town in order to provide a further opportunity for members to get informed about the work of the group and discuss issues that are important to Camden Town members – this work will also serve as a ‘pilot’ for other districts.

Relevant Camden Councillors and Camden officers including representatives from Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT’s) will be invited to attend the meeting – all ‘formal’ CASP members who live in Camden Town will be notified in writing ahead of the meeting.

CASP DISTRICT WALKABOUTS – CONTACT THE ASSOCIATION!    

It was discussed and agreed some time ago that it would be very useful for the Association to have in place a formal CASP walkabout model which would serve as a guide and support to CASP representatives when organizing walkabouts throughout the borough.

The walkabout model – now in place - encourages all formal members of the Association to participate in street property walkabouts but in a number of different ways – past CASP walkabouts have been successful in identifying a number of different issues affecting street properties, especially around community safety and the environment.

As well as CASP district Reps getting involved in helping to organize walkabouts (walkabouts have now taken place in Hampstead, Gospel Oak and Kentish Town) we also invite members to contact the Association if they would like assistance in organizing a walkabout in their ‘street’ and surrounding area – CASP encourages the involvement of all relevant council officers, relevant agencies (i.e. safer neighbourhood teams) as well as ward Councillors.  

If you would like to contact the CASP Committee, or your CASP district representative, about any item raised in this newsletter, or about any other issue affecting Camden street properties, please contact us at camdenstreetproperties@yahoo.co.uk. Alternatively, please contact Camden’s TP team on 0207 974-390l and ask for your contact details to be passed to CASP.

If any tenant would like this document translated, please contact the CASP Committee or Camden’s TP team on the contact details shown above.

We thank you for your continued support.

Camden Association of Street Properties (November 2008)