The Pinner Association
– The Voice of our Community
On 21 October the Mayor of Harrow laid the traditional wreath in the Peace Garden supported by local residents and pupils from West Lodge School. It was a particularly
poignant ceremony this year, marking the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, the aftermath of which led to the outbreak of World War II.
Harrow Council are currently consulting on their proposals to make significant cuts to many of the services that they provide to the residents of the borough.
From the Harrow Council website:
“Budget cuts mean that the Harrow of the future will look very different to the past.
Everyone in the community is likely to be affected in some form, and cuts will impact everything from street cleaning to waste collection, school crossing patrols and car parking prices. As much as possible, cuts will be made in ways that do not affect residents, for example cuts to management.
We are proposing innovative ways to make savings of £25 million in the first round of cuts, however there will be more budget reductions to come in future years.
Options for the first round of cuts include:
• Reduce grass cutting in public spaces.
• Cut the number of senior managers in the Council.
• Closure of Emergency Relief Scheme due to removal of Government grant.
• Negotiate with suppliers to reduce the amount they charge the Council.
• Cut funding provided to the voluntary sector.
• Switch off some street lights or reduce the hours that they are on for.
• Reduce the number of staff answering the phones in Access Harrow. (This means the average waiting time will increase)
• Removal of the Friday and Saturday night Environment Health noise nuisance response service and a reduction in the size of the team (maintaining minimum service levels for Environmental Health).
• Close the Harrow Arts Centre and look for an alternative space for it to continue from 2016 onwards.
• Cut the number of council committees.
• Close or reduce some of the Council’s early support services to families, including Children’s Centres.
• Close the Harrow Museum.
• Reduce the short respite breaks to children and carers as we do now.
• Remove additional road/pavement sweeping near shopping parades.
• Introduce a separate weekly food waste collection and charging for a fortnightly collection of garden waste.
• Stop locking park gates, increase biodiversity in parks and cut the number of times litter is picked up.
• Move to community management of parks.
• Close some of Harrow’s libraries.
• Cut the costs of maintaining Council buildings.
• Cut some support provided to older and disabled people in Harrow under the Supporting People Programme.
• Review Fees and Charges charged by the Council, including parking charges.
• Do more online and by email to cut the costs of postage.
• Stop funding community festivals.
• Share Council services with other boroughs.”
Additional information about these proposals and how to response to the consultation is available in the on-line booklet on the Harrow Council website at:
HYPERLINK “http://harrow-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/cc/budget/take_part-_budget_consultation?tab=files”
http://harrow-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/cc/budget/take_part-_budget_consultation?tab=files
The Council is organising drop-in ‘Take Part’ sessions where you can meet with Councillors and senior officers to discuss the cuts face to face. In Pinner is will be held on Saturday 25th October from 12-4pm on the corner of Love Lane and Bridge Street.
The Pinner Association Committee are to compose a response objecting to these proposed cuts, many of which would have a great detriment to the quality of life of our members and other local residents and businesses.
The deadline for responses to the consultation is 5pm, Saturday 8th November, 2014.
The Hatch End Association –
HYPERLINK “http://www.hatchend.org/”
– are organising a petition against the proposal to close the Harrow Arts Centre in Hatch End, which will run until the end of October. At least 2,000 signatures are required.
HEA have placed petition forms in the following locations in Pinner:
CC Vassar, 17 Love Lane
Pinner News, 8 Bridge Street
and also in Hatch End Broadway:
Pulver Carr estate agents (349 Uxbridge Road)
Mili Newsagents (365 Uxbridge Road)
The Post Office (corner Uxbridge Road & Cornwall Road)
The Moon and Sixpence pub
Village Pharmacy (272 Uxbridge Road)
Tanna Pharmacy (320 Uxbridge Road)
Star News Food & Wine (418 Uxbridge Road corner with Woodridings Close)
Please find the time to sign this petition to help save a much valued resource for all Harrow borough residents.
Ruth Boff, Honorary Secretary, The Pinner Association.
The Arts ‘Week’ (from 26 September to 5 October) kicked off too a good start with an Art Exhibition at West House an Artisans’ Fair, Photgraphic Exhibitions, a Jazz concert (See below), a violin recital and other attractions over the week end of 26 – 28 September.
27 September saw the launching of another Jazz season in Pinner Parish Church when the Dixie Strollers performed in front of a well packed church. They gave the season a really rousing send-off. Amongst the most youthful group ever to play Jazz in the Church was Pinner resident Scott Chapman who provided the essential percussion to the Group.
The programme below should attract large audiences:
A splendid Summer’s day set an ideal scene for the Annual Village show on 13 September.
For information about your local Horticulturalcal Society visit: http://www.streamside.org.uk/
On a rather Autumnal afternoon in August a crowd of children revelled in Pippa’s story telling sessions in the Memorial Park.
The Sketch Club launched its annual exhibition today when Commendations and Awards were announced. The exhibition runs until the end of this month.
Recipient of the Grimmett award for her sculpture:
As the walk along Long Meadow to Eastcote Gardens is popular with many Pinner Residents you may be interested to hear about the Backwater project by the River Pinn currently being implemented by Hillingdon Council:
London Borough of Hillingdon has received funding from Big Green Fund to create two backwaters on the River Pinn, on areas where a meander and a backwater used to be in the past. It is also proposed re-profiling a small section of steep river bank by the footbridge to create a safe and gradual approach to the river.
The works will be undertaken as a partnership between LBHillingdon, Groundwork, Green Corridor, the Friends of Eastcote House Garden, Eastcote Resident’s Association and River Pinn Volunteers.
Benefits of the Backwaters include:
27 July saw the launch of the 2014 open air concert season when the large crowd was entertained, in proper Pinner sunshine, by the Grimsdyke Brass Band. A great time was had by all. These concerts are organised by the Pinner Association with the local Rotary Club, any takings from the interval collection being shared between West House and the Rotary Club charities. At the first concert the collection raised some £550.
On the following Sunday the entertainment was provided by the Fats Rollini Jazz and Blues Band. This was received with acclaim and a strong vote for a return in 2015. Over £600 was raised in the collection.
The Fats Rollini Band with Tamar Pincus
On the third Sunday we suffered the left overs of Hurricane Bertha, torrential rain resulting in cancellation of the concert in the morning only to lead to its reinstatement when the Harrow Youth Steel Band arrived in the afternoon and were able to produce their own marquee/gazebo. The band played enthusiasticallyuntil after 5.30. As you will see it attracted 2 or 3 hundred stalwarts, some of whom were seen enjoying their ice creams. Despite the weather some £120 was raised in the collection.
On the fourth Sunday, despite the threatening weather, which must have deterred many regulars from attending, we were treated to a wonderful performance of swing by the Stardust Big Band. The suggestion that they should return next year was applauded enthusiastically………
and certainly appreciated by young and old. The collection totalled over £400, despite the poor weather.
