The next meeting to review the outline designs prepared by Southwark Regeneration for improvements to Rothsay Street will be held at Decima Street Residents Hall (opposite the GP Surgery) at 7pm, Wednesday, March 17th, 2010. 

Attendees will include Councillor McNally for the Chaucer Ward, officers Southwark Regeneration, JFRA, Haddon Hall TMO and Decima Street TRA (Meakin Estate).

The first meeting was held on 14.01.10 and reviewed local people's ideas and preferences for how the £242,000 grant is to be spent.

This second meeting will review the design work that Southwark has undertaken as a result of this meeting and the consultation responses received.

The JFRA has facilitated this process in conjunction with our local community representatives Haddon Hall TMO and Decima St TRA (Meakin Estate). The final selection of design options for implementation will be made by Southwark Council (not the JFRA) based upon a democratic assessment of responses and preferences received to date.

All residents are welcome to attend.

JFRA

 Key Outcomes of tonight's meeting as a result of resident's comments and Grant Littler Architects' revised proposals were as follows:

(List is not comprehensive but covers main themes)

 - CCTV camera added to Rothsay street entry gate with intercom to Porter's Lodge (JFRA repeat of earlier request from March 2009)

 - Water Feature extended by 1.5m either end - (This will block the existing footways and entail 'moving' the benches either side of the chimney. Layout to be issued by Grant Littler Architects.)

 - Anti-climb spikes to top of inner railing.

 - Low-level guard-railings set-back under Block B balcony to B004

 - CCTV survey of drains

 - Improved lighting in terms of reducing glare (barn-doors to chimney flood lights) and extending illumination period.

- Consideration given for ways to protect walls from bin removal to street.

 - Resident consultation period now closed. 

- Bin Store layout already approved by Southwark Council / Cycle Racks outside S106 process.

 - No changes to the actual garden itself.

(It was pointed out that the proposed alterations fall outside the garden curtilage and the S106 Demise but were being offered by Angel Property to help resolve residents' complaints over the Garden Layout and an alleged lack of consultation.)

JFRA requested fob access controls to all gates - these will be provided.

 Other Issues:

Access: The JFRA explained that they had received feedback from residents, and that they wanted security to be considered in granting access to the public. The JFRA has proposed fob-access to be provided to local residents of the Meakin and Haddon Hall Estates and this was previously discussed at the public S106 Rothsay Street meeting (14.01.10) with Haddon Hall TMO, Meakin Estate (Decima St) TRA and Councillor McNally.

There were differences over the interpretation of what 'open to the public to pass and re-pass' meant in practice from the wording of the S106 Agreement - a resident in Block B and the Southwark Planning representative interpreted this as an 'open gate'.

The JFRA's preferred approach is that public access can be achieved and better managed by providing fob-access to all our community neighbours - as is the case for other Community Gardens in Southwark such as the Tate Modern Garden.

Residents should make their views clear to Southwark Planners in order that a majority voice is heard.

Maintenance Charges: There was a lack of consensus over the wording of the S106 agreement in this regard and who would be responsible for maintenance. In all planning discussions leading up to granting of permission of the Garden, it was made clear that the residents would be responsible for maintenance. Southwark were clear that the Council would not pay for maintenance. The JFRA's view was that in practice only the Residents were going to be motivated or interested in maintaining the Garden. It was requested that Southwark Planners clarify this point and how the Garden Maintenance would be funded in practice.

JFRA

We are aware that what appears to be a second residents association has been formed for the Jam Factory - 'Jam Flats'

Residents will have to make up their own minds in relation to whether this will be a positive contribution for our Estate and what improvements will arise as a result of its formation.

In the meantime, we wish to make the following clear to residents in relation to recent anonymous assertions made by 'Jam Flats':

1. It is untrue that any resident has been denied membership of the JFRA. 

2. The JFRA invited a group of residents, whom we believe are very likely to be promoting 'Jam Flats', to discuss their concerns with us.

We received no reply from them.

3. The JFRA also invited one of these residents to discuss his concerns in relation to the Garden back in March 2009.

Again, we received no reply.

We would prefer to have One association for One estate - we also believe this makes for the most effective, co-ordinated voice possible in relation to the Landlord (JFFL), Stonedale, Angel Property (Block D), Southwark Council and our Community Neighbours.

If any residents have issues which are important to them they are very welcome to join the JFRA and make the case for those issues within the Association.

The JFRA is your Residents Association. We are only as effective and representative as the Members who join, and the Committee Members who are elected by those members.

JFRA

The JFRA warmly invites all residents to become a member of the Association for 2010 to support our work to make the Jam Factory a better place to live and to have a voice over matters that are important for our Estate and quality of life.

Membership is open to any resident of the Jam Factory (including owner occupiers and tenants) and to non-resident Lessees, and entitles members to a vote at the AGM to decide on key policy issues and selection of the new Committee for 2010-2011.

The JFRA was formed in 2003 and is recognised by Southwark Council as the official representative body for the interests of Jam Factory Residents. A copy of our Constitution and a list of the current Committee Members' names and their roles is available to download on this website.

This will be another important year for Jam Factory residents. The JFRA works on behalf of its members on a range of important issues: Over the coming year we will be working to ensure that:

• the final details of our hard-won planning successes (Garden, completion of the Estate Landscape) are implemented in compliance with residents’ requirements
• JFRA’s own resources are used to put in place additional environmental improvements
• there is a successful transition to a self-managing estate
• the day to day issues of managing the environment we live in are addressed 
• we continue with our programme of regular social activities.

This year’s membership fee is £50.  Our membership year runs from January 1^st – December 31^st

Please find attached to download and complete the 2010 Existing Membership Renewal Form and 2010 New Members Form.

If you have any further queries about the JFRA, what we do and who we are please contact us on: jfra.mail@gmail.com

We very much look forward to welcoming you to the JFRA for 2010.

Robert Croydon

JFRA Chair 

JFRA2010invitation.doc

JFRA2010renewal.doc

Please find attached photogrpahs supplied by Southwark Regeneration for local exemplars of Streetscape Improvements plus Bin Stores which have been completed recently, and which were tabled at last Thursday's Meeting

JFRA

100114-LBS S106 Rothsay Photo Exemplars