In addition to the series of meetings and visits, the Society's activities fall into five main areas.
Preserving our environment
We inform the Council of eyesores in the Borough, such as pot-holes and damaged pavements, litter, missing and damaged trees and abandoned cars. We make representations to the Council on controlled parking zones.
We watch all the green spaces in Finchley and Friern Barnet for any unlawful
development or damage, record the wildlife in these spaces and notify the Council.
We notify the Environment Agency (who are responsible for dealing with pollution
and problems in the Dollis Brook) of any pollution so that it may be cleaned
up. (Their hotline no. is 0800 807060)
Can You Help?
We
have a list of over 100 such areas and would like help from local residents
to report if anything unusual takes place on their local patch. If the area
is threatened
in some way, such as removal of trees, or other damage or graffiti, then please
report it to the council (customer care no. 020 8359 4600 ), and also let
Derek Warren
know, 020 8346 5258, derwar@waitrose.com . It would be of great interest if
you can report on the wildlife in the area. Details may be posted on this
web site or appear in our newsletter
Highlights of the last meeting
At our last meeting Cllr. Marina Yannakoudakis gave a very interesting
talk on the Council's policy with regard to trees in the Borough.
The Highways department were proactive, regularly checking trees along
the roads and in the parks. A healthy tree would only be removed in
special circumstances but then a replacement tree would be planted
near by. The main problem arose where tree roots were causing damage
to house foundations. However more trees were planted than felled
in the borough.The planning department have a more difficult job as
most of the trees that they deal with are on private property, and
unless they have a tree preservation order on them, or are in a conservation
area, they are out of their control.
Other matters discussed were the compromise put forward for the development of the Stanley Road Playing Field; the open space left after the Finchley Memorial Hospital is extended onto the Bow Lane Playing Field; Natural England's challenge for Local Authorities to have green areas within 300m of every home; the use of plastic bags and that the supermarkets say that all their bags will soon be bio-degradable; the difficulty of access to the platforms at East Finchley station where it would be helpful to have a lift or escalator; the problem of a lack of a bus stop opposite Waitrose at North Finchley, where when the Council and London Buses were approached they each put the onus on the other; the experiment with low energy street lighting where Moat Crescent is to be one of the first roads to use light emitting diodes (LEDs).
The next meeting is on 21st July.
Derek Warren, E & T Committee Secretary 22 May 2008
The Environment and Transport Committee officers
| Chairman | Harry Branchdale | 020 8445 4281 |
| Secretary | Derek Warren | 020 8346 5258 derwar@.waitrose.com |
