October 2024
Dear Cornwall Gardens Key Holder and/or Resident
Minutes of Management Committee Meeting, 2 October 2024
The Management Committee of the Gardens and Residents Association met on 2 October 2024.
The Minutes of the Meeting are here for your information with highlights and additional information provided below to draw to your specific attention.
Up and Coming Events in the Gardens
Please find here an updated table of up and coming private and community events in the Gardens.
Please see proposals to further manage private events under Item 10 of the attached Minutes.
An Announcement from Shakespeare in the Squares
Shakespeare in the Squares is delighted to announce its inaugural winter season, an all-new production of Macbeth infused with wicked music and devilishly good tunes. Macbeth will be directed by Sioned Jones, who has directed our last three summer shows. The tour will run 7th - 30th November, with over 20 performances at indoor venues across London. The performances on Friday 8th November and Monday 11th November will take place at Christ Church Kensington W8, which venue sits just above Cornwall Gardens to the north.
Tickets available at shakespeareinthesquares.co.uk/tickets
Shakespeare in the Squares will also be performing a Shakespeare play in the Gardens of Cornwall Gardens in the Summer, date and play to be confirmed
Update on the Garden Improvement Plan
See Item 5 of the Minutes here for details. The latest Gardener’s report is here. Carola’s plan drawing and visualisation for the Mound etc is also here for information. Your views will be welcome. Carola will also be arranging a couple of sessions in Central to deal with queries and provide more information. We will advise you of the dates and times.
New Bank Account for Cornwall Gardens Committee
Our Treasurer, Camelia, has been able to open a new bank account with NatWest online which is now operational. It is replacing the old, mainly paper-driven, Lloyds Bank account. The Garden Rules have been updated to reflect this. The new bank details are set out in point 19 of the amended Garden Rules here.
New Arrangements for Collection and Payment of Garden Charges for Stanford Court Residents
These proposals are detailed in Item 7 of the Minutes here. These have been made possible by the greater flexibility offered by the new NatWest account. Essentially, we need to collect the Garden Charges due for the Council Tax year ending 31 March 2025 (and all arrears) by the end of this year and set up new annual direct debits for every Flat in Stanford Court with a garden key so that invoicing and payments are regularised thereafter.
Most blocks in Cornwall Gardens have now appointed one or two of their residents to be building representatives and a second meeting of the Building Representatives’ Group inviting all of them to attend is being arranged. We do, however, need representatives from Stanford Court to discuss these proposals with a view to agreeing an orderly and sensible way forward to achieve the objectives we all want.
Domestic Refuse Collections and Fly-Tipping
Of Item 13 of the Minutes, there are several parts of Cornwall Gardens suffering from persistent and recurrent fly-tipping (the dumping of old appliances, furniture, bedding etc) and domestic refuse being put out on the wrong days, the wrong times, in insecure bags, dumped in neighbours’ vaults without their permission and containing illegal waste such as old paint pots. Much of the problem is linked to unlawful and/or unregulated short subletting which is being separately dealt with by the authorities contemplating a new regime. In the meantime, RBKC is carrying out enforcement action but it would be far better if residents knew the rules and procedures to prevent the problem arising in the first place.
To this end, a notice on waste management has been drafted. This is here for comments. Once approved by the Building Representatives Group, we will have them laminated for display on noticeboards and also print multiple copies to be handed to new residents.
Parking of Hire Bikes
Of Item 16 AOB, the issue of hire bikes being left in the wrong places was raised.
With thanks to David Campbell, Membership Secretary of SKQRA and to whom we are indebted, please find details of a conference below being organised by RBKC for those who are interested and would like to be involved.
“E-Bikes Residents’ Conference – Monday 28th October 6.30pm, Town Hall
The Council has tried to restrict e-bikes to designated parking bays. Following the recent public consultation only one bay (in Collingham Place) was approved. Other suggestions in Stanhope Gardens, Collingham Gardens, Onslow Gardens and Sumner Place were rejected. A temporary bay in a former car club bay in Queen’s Gate has been approved.
The Environment Select Committee is organising this conference to consider the important issues that have emerged and the possible solutions. It will be in the Small Hall of Kensington Town Hall and chaired by the committee's chair Councillor Greg Hammond. Doors will open at 6pm;
The meeting would like to hear residents’ concerns about safety and responsible cycling when using, parking or storing e-bikes; also about pavement use for pedestrians and maintaining accessibility.
There will be a Q&A with panel speakers, who will include representatives from e-bike providers.
To attend the conference email scrutiny@rbkc.gov.uk or telephone 07971 982 073”.
Other Local Issues
David has also provided information on other current issues. See below:
“Changes to Bus Routes TfL is proposing to merge bus routes 14 and 414 with the result that route 414 would no longer run. To have your say on the proposed changes, Ctrl+Click https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/14-414-proposals (or paste into your browser) by Sunday 13th October.
Changes to Gloucester Road Streetscape Plans to improve the area around the Tube Station are still being developed and have yet to receive financial approval. Proposals put to TfL for safe pedestrian crossings at the Gloucester Road/Cromwell Road interchange appear to have been favourably received.
Achieving Net Zero in our Homes – ESSA guides and workshops
The Council aim is for residential property to meet Net-Zero standards by 2040.
ESSA, (the Association for Edwardes Square, Scarsdale, and Abingdon) has published free guides showing how to reduce domestic carbon emissions by more than 90%.
The guides are freely available on the ESSA website here.
Workshops on these guides will be held at: St. Philip’s Church, Earls Court Road, W8 6QH
There is no charge, but please sign up:
Victorian and Modern Houses - 5th November, from 6 to 8 pm - Sign up here.
Blocks of flats / Mansion Blocks - 26th November, from 6 to 8 pm - Sign up here.
Council Community Conversation Evening – 14th October - The Council’s Communities Department is organising an informal ‘community conversation’ aimed at residents of the wider South Kensington area. The event will be in St Philip’s Church, Earl’s Court Road, W8 4HN, from 5 to 7pm on Monday 14th October. Council officers will be available to talk with you on topics such as housing, community safety, etc. Drop in at your convenience.”
Best,
Alan Lester
Keys Secretary and Secretary, Cornwall Gardens Committee and Residents Association
07816 324335
