Author: News Team 1

The Pinner Association

Response to the Consultation on “The Future of Pinner Park Farm”

July 2014

 

 

THE PINNER ASSOCIATION (Registered Charity number 262349) is an amenity society founded in 1932. Its aims are to conserve and enhance the quality of life in Pinner, and it has a membership of some 3,500 households in the Pinner and Pinner South Wards.

1. The Executive Committee of The Pinner Association has considered the proposals outlined in the consultation document “The future of Pinner Park Farm, Harrow – Public Consultation Summer 2014” and have the following comments, which are being submitted as a formal response to the current consultation:
2. The Pinner Association does not support the proposal to provide greater public access to Pinner Park Farm.
3. The Pinner Association does not support the proposal to convert the listed farm buildings to residential use to provide funds for their “restoration”.
4. The Pinner Association supports neither “Option 1” nor “Option 2” in the consultation document.

1. The reasons behind the above responses are as follows, and should be taken as a part of The Pinner Association’s response to this consultation:
2. The residents of Harrow need to have access to documentation that provides evidence that the consultation process on these proposals for Pinner Park Farm has been conducted appropriately.
3. There is a lack of true opinion-seeking in this consultation; the choice of two options both based on the same premise is not seeking public opinion, rather is seeking approval for a predetermined decision.
4. The presentation by Harrow Council to the public of the consultation process does not suggest that the council is inviting proposals that include the retention of Pinner Park Farm as a farm. For example, the website notification to the residents[1] states that:
   “The council is looking to:  …. provide greater public access to the 230 acres of land  ….   create a viable new use to secure the future of the historic farm buildings located within the site, many of which have fallen into disrepair and require substantial investment”

This statement implies that the Council is not open to the retention of this site as a working farm and indeed has already decided that it will not be so retained.

4. The design of the online survey is closed and therefore leads respondents to make the choice of Option 1 or 2, thus resulting in a misrepresentation of opinion in the data set that is produced for the management information upon which the decisions are to be made.  An opportunity should have been provided to give the response of ‘NEITHER OPTION’.  Although it is possible to submit the questionnaire without selecting either Option 1 or Option 2, most respondents would not discover this. Those who did not agree with the principle of a Country Park may well have selected the option which represented the lesser of two evils to them, without actually being in favour of it.
5. The short time allowed for public comment on what is a complex issue is inadequate.
6. The lack of any business plan to support either “Option 1” or “Option 2”:

6.1.Would Harrow Council gain sufficient funds from the sale of the buildings for development as private housing to cover the costs of the buy out of the lease and the creation of and perpetual maintenance of a “Country Park”?

6.2.How would any funds for the maintenance of the “Country Park” be retained and protected from being subsumed into the general council budget?

6.3.How would capital budget money be transferred to the revenue budget so that it may be used for the maintenance of the “Country Park”?

7. The Pinner Association objects to the sale of the listed and other farm buildings for development, especially “residential use” as described in the consultation document.  The most pressing local need for additional housing in the London Borough of Harrow is for social housing, of which Harrow has a desperate shortage, and this is not the type of development described in these proposals.
8. The Pinner Association objects to the change of use from agricultural Green Belt to Country Park status as this allows the perpetual lease to be broken and therefore effectively makes the current farmers and their cattle herd homeless in a time when new meat sources are needed in the supply chain and local supplies should be supported.

Policy 7.22 of the London Plan 2011, LAND FOR FOOD, and its supporting text, states that:

A        The Mayor will seek to encourage and support thriving farming and land-based sectors in London, particularly in the Green Belt.

B         Use of land for growing food will be encouraged nearer to urban communities via such mechanisms as ‘Capital Growth’.

C         Boroughs should       …… identify other potential spaces that could be used for commercial                food production                ……..

 

London Plan 2011 paragraph 7.66 advises that:

Providing land for food growing will have many benefits, it will help promote more active lifestyles, better diets and food security, social benefits and support for local foodgrowers. Agriculture is an appropriate use in the Green Belt and farmers adopting agri-environmental stewardship schemes will deliver good environmental practice,  including longer term biodiversity benefits, particularly in the urban fringe………            

9. If a “Country Park” was created on the site there would be many practical difficulties, including;

9.1.How would visitors using the Country Park safely cross the dual carriageway road?

9.2.Would any on-site parking be sufficient to accommodate the crowds that may use the “Activity Events Field”?

9.3.If sufficient on-site car parking were to be provided, how would this impact on the Green Belt open aspect of the farm?

9.4.How would a “residential development” sit within the centre of a public open space?

9.5.The gardens envisaged for the “residential development” would not be a suitable use of the Green Belt land.

9.6.How would traffic enter and exit the site from the busy dual carriageway safely and without disruption to the traffic flow?

9.7.What would be the visual impact of development (one or more residential development with associated gardens and hard landscaping, visitor car parks, visitor centre, signage, pathways, and etcetera) on this Green Belt land?

9.8.How many people would attend events on the proposed  “Activity Events Field” and how would events on this land impact on the amenity of the residents of the proposed new housing and on existing local residents and on the visual amenity of the Green Belt land?

1. Pinner Park Farm should continue to be designated as Green Belt and should remain a working farm; currently there is public access via the footpath and bridle way, and any further access would damage the open aspect and condition of the land.
2. Harrow Council should work with the current tenants to find a resolution to the problem of the repair of the listed buildings.
3. If no agreement with the current tenants is possible then consideration should be given to using the site as a “Community Farm”.

21^st July 2014.

Dr R. Boff, Honorary Secretary, The Pinner Association.

10, Crest View, Pinner HA5 1AN

020 8868 3988
[email protected]
www.pinnerassociation.co.uk
[1] http://www.harrow.gov.uk/info/200143/public_notices/1255/pinner_park_farm

                                                      Martin Verden opening the HHT Evening at West House

A Trust evening was held on 10 July at West House in Pinner at which there were a series presentations and a meeting of the HHT Committee at which the various issues affecting the Trust were given a public airing.
The evening opened with a presentation by Martin Verden (Chairman of both the HHT and the West house and Heath Robinson Museum Trust) with the plans for the construction of the new museum to house the works of Heath Robinson and was followed by a short talk by Joanne Verden on the adjacent Peace Garden, which those present were invited to visit.  Geoffrey Beare then spoke about Heath Robinson and how his career evolved.
The evening concluded with a meeting of the HHT Commitee during which there was discussion about the stance to be adopted in response to the proposals for  Pinner Park Farm. See below.

 

 

 

Report on Pinner Association Public Question to the Harrow Council Cabinet 17^th July 2014.
The vice Chairman of the Association, Caroline Ennis had, as is required, sent in a written question prior to the LBH Cabinet meeting and this was an item on the agenda as follows:

Public Questions:
Questioner:   Caroline Ennis, The Pinner Association
Asked of:   Councillor Sue Anderson, Portfolio Holder for Community, Culture and Resident Engagement
QUESTION:
“What evidence can you provide that demonstrates that you have followed the correct consultation procedure for the scoping and options with regard to the future planning and development of the Pinner Park Farm site?”
The reply from Cllr Anderson was that she thanked Caroline for the interest in Pinner Park Farm by Pinner residents and others.  The consultation being held was not a formal consultation and was just for people to give their views.
The questioner is allowed one follow up question, of which the respondent has no prior knowledge.  Caroline had prepared a question and asked:
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION:
“Can you explain how the council came to the conclusion that there needed to be a change of use from agricultural Green Belt Land to a Country Park; and in particular what evidence did you have, prior to commissioning a development proposal, that this is what the majority of Harrow residents’ wanted when there are many other options which have come to light for this land?”
Cllr Anderson replied the she was sure that other options would be considered, but that most of the work prior to the current consultation had been done by the previous administration and covered areas not a part of her Portfolio.  She asked whether the Pinner Association wished for a written reply?  Caroline said “Yes”.  Cllr David Perry, Leader of the Council, who was chairing the Cabinet meeting, added that the written reply would pursue the detail required to answer the questions.

Ruth Boff, Honorary Secretary, The Pinner Association.
18^th July 2014.

 

 

 

 

Regarding the Farm public consultation  will take place at Harrow Arts Centre as follows:
25 June 1pm to 5.30pm
26 June 1pm to 9pm
27 June 1pm to 8pm

Pinner Park Farm, originally a Deer Park dating back to 1273/4 and initially owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, belongs to Harrow Council.  It is currently leased from the Council on an agricultural lease and is used to raise beef cattle and as a location for a road surfacing business.
It was revealed at the AGM of the Pinner Association that the Council had engaged a property consultancy firm to advise on how to secure the long-term future of the Farm and had invited the Pinner Association and other local residents’ associations to a meeting to hear about this.   The firm advised that the listed farmhouse, and other important buildings in its curtilage are in a very poor condition and require considerable restoration.  These historically important buildings are surrounded by later farm buildings, said to be of little architectural merit.  It is therefore proposed that Harrow Council take back the farm and sell the parts currently built on for redevelopment as residential units.
The grade II listed farmhouse would be included in this redevelopment, but the older part of the house would be have to be retained by any developer, together with some of the other old buildings of architectural merit.  Any new houses would be designed to blend in with the older buildings.
The rest of land at the farm would be designated as a “Country Park” with full public access, and a visitor centre would be located on the farm with toilets and other visitor facilities.  The unusual rotunda building, built as a milking parlour when the farm was used as a dairy farm, would be retained and restored and would be used as a feature within the Country Park.The extent of the residential development and the features to be provided within the new Country Park are still under discussion.  Further public consultation events are to be held later this summer once the outline plans have been further developed.   The Pinner Association will be keeping closely in touch with these proposals.

 

This Wednesday, 4th June the Metropolitan Police is holding a Courier Fraud Awareness Day.
Courier fraud is a sophisticated fraud where scammers telephone the victim purporting to be someone from their bank, the police or other law enforcement agency. They then dupe the person into revealing their PIN and handing over their credit or debit card to a courier or taxi driver, who may not know they are being used as part of the scam. The victim may be asked to ring the number on the back of their card, thereby further convincing the victim that the call is genuine, however the scammer keeps the line open so that the victim unknowingly talks to another member of the gang, posing as a bank employee.
More recently, fraudsters have pretended to be police officers, telephoning the victim and asking them to assist in a police investigation into a bank employee. The victim is requested to withdraw a large sum of cash from their bank and take it home, where it is then collected by a courier.
In the last year, the percentage of unsuccessful offences has increased to from 40% to 76% of all courier fraud calls reported to police. Officers believe this success is due to a combination of intensive efforts by Ofcom and the telecommunications industry to cut the amount of time taken to disconnect a call, and increased public awareness of the scam.
Despite these advances, police are warning people to be on their guard as criminals work ever harder to defraud their victims. 2556 courier fraud offences were reported to the MPS between April 2013 and March 2014 and the crime continues to evolve. Variations of the crime include:
– being told there is a corrupt member of staff within the bank and asking for help in identifying them. The victim is told to withdraw a large sum of money which will be ‘marked’, with the purpose of it being placed back into the banking system. A taxi driver is sent round to collect the cash.
As part of today’s Courier Fraud Awareness Day, officers are advising Londoners and particularly those who may be elderly or vulnerable to be aware of the following:
– Police and banks will never ask for your PIN or bank card
– Never give your PIN or bank card to anyone
– If you are contacted by someone who asks for these, hang up
– Use a different line to report the call to police on 101 or allow at least five minutes for the line to automatically clear
– Call 999 if the crime is in action.
A/DCI Gary Miles of The Metropolitan Police Service’s Specialist and Economic Crime Command, said:
“Much has been done in the last year to tackle courier fraud, but scammers are always looking for new ways of defrauding the elderly and vulnerable, and the crime continues to evolve. It is vital that people stay vigilant. Courier fraudsters put a huge amount of time and effort into being convincing because the pay-off is immense. This is a massive part of what makes them so successful. We want people to question even truly genuine sounding calls and, most importantly, remember police and banks will never ask for your PIN or bank card, so you should never give these away.”
Lynn Parker, Ofcom’s Director of Consumer Protection, said: “Ofcom is working closely with the police and the telecoms industry to help stamp out courier fraud.
“Over the last year, a number of telephone providers have made changes to their networks to cut the time a phone line remains open to a couple of seconds. This action has stopped fraudsters from being able to stay on the line to impersonate a victim’s bank or the police – a key feature of how this scam works. We have also been working to drive awareness among consumers to help them avoid falling victim to courier fraud.
“It’s very encouraging to see this work paying dividends, with more fraudsters being foiled in their attempts to scam people. But we’re fully aware that there’s more work to do to prevent courier fraud completely.  We are continuing our work in this area to ensure that the necessary technical changes are fully implemented across the telecoms sector as quickly as possible.”
Detective Chief Inspector Perry Stokes, Head of the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit, said:
“Fraudsters can be extremely persuasive – do not be fooled. Your bank or the police will never call you to request your bank card or ask you to transfer money to another account. Anyone attempting to do so is a fraudster. If someone on the phone asks for it, hang up immediately. If you believe you have had one of these calls or know someone who has, get in contact with your bank straight away.”
Further initiatives taking place on the day include:
– Local police distributing the ‘Little Book of Big Scams’ in high street banks including Natwest, Barclays and Santander
– Officers giving presentations to local elderly residents and liaising with charities such as Age UK and Silver Line to advise how to avoid becoming a victim of courier fraud
– Officers manning fraud prevention stalls at transport and community hubs
– Follow-up visits to victims and visit potential victims
– Visits to cab and courier firms to advise on spotting courier fraudsters
– Attending the Southwark Pensioners’ Forum at Portcullis House with Simon Hughes MP

The Little Book of Big Scams can be downloaded here: http://www.met.police.uk/docs/little_book_scam.pdf

Just strolling in the Memorial Park one sunny Sunday afternoon, when we came across a small group filming for the Great Railway Journey series.  There was Mrs Marshall, the famous 19th Century cook, instructing Michael Portillo in the intricacies of  making cucumber ice cream, which we were invited to sample and very cooling it turned out to be.
All managed without the usual procession of buses, caravans and trailers normally associated with any TV filming in Pinner.

The Duck Pond Market came to the High Street Gardens in Pinner on 10th May and despite the showery weather attracted a steady flow of visitors.  I understand that they plan to come to Pinner on the second Saturday of each month, but a look at their web site http://duckpondmarket.com/ will confirm this.

On the May Day Bank Holiday Monday the Manor House, the Tithe Barn  and the Museum formed the centre piece for the May Day celebrations when there was entertainment provided by the Lady Morris Dancers, a host of stalls, donkey rides for the children and dancing round the Maypole which provided the opportunity for a host of youngsters to get entangled in an assortment of Maypole ribbons. On the more sombre side there was a WWI re-enactment display of various features of life in the Army in WWI.

Who’d be a Tommy

The traditional parade of the mounted St George was enjoyed by a vast crowd in fortunately good weather until late afternoon. The Mayor of Harrow attended the proceedings her car being escorted up the High Street by the mounted St George and an escort of scouts who subsequently renewed their Promises in front of the Mayor.  Entertainment was provided by the Merrydowners, who are a ‘must’ at any local event, a Punch and Judy show, popular songs by Gemma Turner, and rounded off by the annual wheelbarrow race which was well contested.

                                                                     The Mayor of Harrow in attendance

         Local Charities were represented and also sponsored by entrants to the Wheelbarrow Race

After a struggle the Dragon was banished ignomiously to an alley off the High Street.

                                                                                                 Before

                                                                                              After