Agenda and minutes

PC Denise Thorpe gave a report covering the last three months.

•   Burglaries and car crime: theft of and from vehicles, is lower than for the same period last year in Winchmore Hill although the last two months have seen a “massive rise” in burglaries in N13 and N14 nearby.
Most burglaries are taking place through patio doors or first floor windows at the back of properties by breaking the glass.

•   PC Thorpe has been taking measures to help us to be more secure:

-    delivering notices to houses if they have been left in darkness, making it evident that no one is home,

-    delivering notices advising people who have UPVC doors how to lock them securely,

-    checking motor vehicles to ensure that valuables are not left on display,

-    checking car doors are locked - they often aren’t.  Residents should make sure that their automatic locking systems are actually working!

•   The woman who was calling door-to-door and was thought to be linked to some of the burglaries was given a custodial sentence.

•   There have been a lot of ATM thefts especially from Barclays bank in Station Road and from Sainsburys on Green Lanes.
In many cases two people work together.  They stand close and observe your pin number then one distracts you, e.g. drops a £10 note and tells you that you dropped it or says the machine is not working; while you are distracted the other steals your card.

•   There have been a number of complaints of non-residents loitering on the stairs of Moor Park House.  The police have not found anyone when they have visited but have asked the council to install doors to the stairs so that they are not open to the public.

Toni Guiver, Chair of the Friends of Firs Farm gave an update on the work that is being done there and spoke about plans for the Festival to celebrate this (see attachment).

•  The Festival will be held on Saturday 16 July 2016.

•   There is a planning meeting on Tuesday 26 April, 7.30pm at  Winchmore Sports Club, Fords Grove, N21 3DN.  For details see the festival page on the web site: http://www.firsfarmn21.org/summer-festival-fun-16th-july-2016/

•   All this work was started by the Friends of the Park who are volunteers with help from the council and Thames 21.  If you would like to join or find out more you do so through their web site: http://www.firsfarmn21.org.

The Interim Assistant Director for Transformation will be present to answer questions. There will be a report from the Head of Electronic Channels – Gateway Services on the call centre.

Mark Stone, Interim Assistant Director Transformation, (Finance, Resources and Customer Services) gave a short presentation, answered questions and listened to concerns.

•   Figures for London councils show that it costs 28p for a council to deal with a report made on-line.  It costs £25 for a council to deal with a report made on the phone.

•   Vulnerable children and adults e.g. those suffering abuse, are far more likely to report a problem on-line than over the phone.

•   The council recognises that not everyone wants to go-online.  However the more people do so, the more phone lines are available for others.

•   Although Enfield has, like all councils, has had to make cuts to save money, it is in the bottom 10% for staff reductions in the UK.

WEB SITE

•   A new web site was launched recently and will soon replace the old one.  (They are currently both working.)

•   Because of the variety of things the site covers, it is 20 times the size of Tesco’s site and 40 times that of John Lewis.

•   Over 200 residents were involved in designing the new site including people from the over 50s forum.

•   There has been a four-fold increase in use of the web site following the launch of the new one.

•   About 2,500 people have provided feedback on the new site. 87% has been positive which is much better than for the old web site - about 13%.  (62% of Enfield residents regularly use the internet but only 6% were using the old web site.)

•   The more people who use the site, the more problems can be identified and resolved.  Over 13,000 small improvements have already been made as a result of feedback.

•   More feedback would be helpful especially in the first two weeks of May when more material is being added.

•   The site allows residents to communicate with the council at any time of the day, seven days a week.

•   Reports made on-line go directly to crews on the street and soon it will be possible for a response to be sent to the person who reported the issue.

•   Reports made on-line enable the council to map issues and identify hotspots thereby working more efficiently.

•   No password is needed to make a report.  One is required for transactions that use personal data e.g. paying Council tax.

•   If you do use your Enfield Connected account when reporting a problem it enables a response to be sent to you.

•   Enfield has one of the largest WiFi networks in the country.

•   Experian Research and Cabinet Office figures show that 89% of residents in the UK now have the ability to go online.

•   There is an Enfield app available for smart phones.

PHONE CENTRE

•   Enfield has one of the largest call centres in the country.

•   It deals with 175,000 calls each year.

•   The most common phone calls are requests for a service update.  As more  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

•   The council cannot force people to complete developments for which planning permission has been given.  When planning permission is given work has to start within a given period of time, usually three years; no finish time is required; there are many good reasons why work may be delayed.  When developments are delayed as has happened to two In Seaforth Gardens, officers do check to ensure that there is no risk to the public. 

•   A letter outlining proposed changes to arrangements at Fords Grove car park has been sent to residents living nearby.
The letter says that these proposals “… are part of (the) Cycle Enfield proposals…” and are being made to “… facilitate short-term parking at Fords Grove so that it can better support local shops and services.”
The letter asks recipients to submit any comments by 4 May 2016.

•   Fireworks let off on The Green are causing concern.  It is illegal to let fireworks off in the street or in a public place. Persons may only let fireworks off on private land, either their own or where they have the landowner’s permission.  The council has not given permission for fireworks on the Green.
These fireworks  could be reported to the police on 101.
Alternatively, phone 020 8379 1000 or report to the council on-line.  The phone lines are open during office hours and from 9.00pm - 2.00/3.00am on Friday and Saturday nights.  An officer will then come out to visit immediately or as soon as possible if they are already on a call.

•   Concerns about park gates at Grovelands being left unlocked and problems at Barrowell Green recycling centre have been reported.
Council officers have since confirmed that our tracking system shows that the gates were locked.  Some residents have keys to the park e.g. The Bowls club so the gates can be unlocked again after officers have locked them.  DB.

21 June 2016

7.30pm - 9.30pm

The Orange Tree, Highfield Road, N21 3HA