Page 8 - HGS Suburb News 141 - Winter 2020

A year in the life of the HGSRA Chair Letter to the Editors

As Chair of the HGS Residents Yet how many Suburb residents cut We welcome letters from our readers. Please include your name and
Association, I regularly receive their own hedges and lawns and contact details for verification (we will not print your contact
emails and the benefit of advice rake their own leaves these days? EMMA HOWARD details). We cannot guarantee publication and any letters we do
and ideas from our members When I moved here 30 years ago, publish may be edited in the same way as we edit all Suburb News
(and indeed non-members) on in those halcyon pre leaf blower content. Letters should be sent to: suburbnews@hgsra.uk.
their concerns and, in some cases, days, most residents did all these
the additional good works that jobs themselves and it made things Dear Editors, Larger species, such as birds, frogs,
the RA might take on or find much quieter. Are Suburb residents The pavements in this area are bats, and ultimately even we
volunteers to organise. prepared to do this again? getting worse and more dangerous. ourselves, all depend on a healthy
I thought readers might be 3. ‘My son has a low emission We have broken pavements, some insect population and the protein-
interested to read of some of car. When the controlled parking that rock, and raised ones when it rich food sources they represent.
the many suggestions that have zone was introduced, his car is safer to walk in the road. There Research published earlier this
come my way. I am writing in was exempt from the charge for is a particularly bad one at the year in Biological Conservation
early December so have limited a residents parking permit. Last junction of Temple Fortune Hill shows that, over the past 25-30
myself to a seasonal 12 good ideas. year a charge of £15 was and Erskine Hill. As you walk years, insects have been lost globally
I am sure many of you agree with introduced and this year the downhill from the church and turn at a rate of 2.5% per annum.
the sentiments and suggestions charge has been increased to left into Temple Fortune Hill right “Insects make up about two-thirds
expressed by members here and £50. I have complained to our under the street name on this of all life on Earth [but] there has
may wish to be involved in leading Councillors but they evidently junction there are uneven cracked been some kind of horrific decline...
the charge on some of them. think the charge is reasonable; I paving stones and a raised up We appear to be making vast tracts
1. ‘A fruit picking initiative in do not. There is apparently no metal plate. Very dangerous. If you, of land inhospitable to most forms
the Suburb: there are many fruit way of controlling these charges or any of your readers have noticed of life” (Prof Dave Goulson, Sussex
trees here and if there is surplus which are not a charge for council this, I would be very interested to University): 10% of all insects have
fruit on the trees that the owners tax. This is a ridiculous situation. know how long it has been like already become extinct worldwide.
don’t want to use or are unable I think the RA should protest.’ this, and whether it has been In Germany, three-quarters of flying
to pick, could that surplus crop Chair’s note: LB Barnet’s CPZ reported to Barnet Council. Please insects in nature reserves have
be put to good use? charges have been set by reference let me know if this is the case by vanished in 25 years and in Britain,
Could the RA get a volunteer to CO2 emissions with a view to contacting me on 07957 147143. the number of widespread butterfly
group of fruit pickers together? charging more polluting vehicles Yours species fell 58% on farmed land
The surplus fruit would be picked at a higher rate. The rationale for C. E. Youlden between 2000 and 2009. The fragile
free of charge. The fruit could the increases includes aiming to ecological network on which all
be turned into jams, chutneys etc. reduce the number of polluting Dear Editors life depends is in jeopardy.
Proceeds to benefit the community. vehicles by encouraging people to meet and greet service) enhanced 9. Pavements and paviours: I was in the garden the other day, Much of this decline is, of
by more patrol cars to be
concern about the disappearance
(Brent has such an initiative. switch to lower emitting cars. provided at cheaper rates than of our conservation original listening to yet another gardener course, down to the use of the
The proceeds are sold at Queens These bring the bands in LB they currently charge. paving and paviours (the red blowing leaves as though there pesticides; however, climate change,
Park market.)’ Barnet in line with DVLA road tax was no tomorrow, when it occurred urbanisation, loss of habitat and
Chair’s note: this is a lovely idea categories and are already in place Your chair’s estimate of cost based bricks used in certain roads in to me that in all the discussion light pollution all play their part.
the Suburb). Where LB Barnet
and I have noticed in this bumper in other nearby boroughs. Very on 5,000 households at £100 per do repairs and replacements now, about the noise nuisance to Seen in this context, our gardens
month=£6,000,000. Enough said?
year for fruit, that people have little the RA can do on this one, I 6. There is too much speeding they increasingly put down neighbours, nothing has been said can provide valuable and desperately
generously shared quince, damsons, am afraid. about their ecological impact. needed habitats. Insects and
apples, pears etc. either via the 4. Street cleaning: despite the traffic on the Suburb: there are tarmac which is not in keeping Blowers are used all year pollinators overwinter in pieces of
with the original materials.
many calls for installation of
HGS Email list or simply by RA setting up a very successful speed humps and other speed This has been raised with LB round but particularly in the bark, hollow stems, ornamental
putting boxes of picked fruit litter picking volunteer team in reduction measures, in particular Barnet, but one major issue is that autumn and winter to clear leaves grasses, holes in the ground, cracks
outside their gates with a ‘please 2019, our streets can still have a and leave gardens looking ‘nice and under leaf litter. So giving up
help yourself’ sign. Thank you to lot of litter, especially where it in Temple Fortune Lane, Meadway, they no longer have storage for our and tidy’. The problem is that, by garden blowers is not just about
the wonderful lady who suggested gets thrown out of car windows. Winnington Road, Hampstead Way, vintage materials since the recent so-doing, we are depriving countless showing consideration for neighbours,
Willifield Way and Addison Way.
move to Colindale. Does anyone
this offering to be our lead Things are particularly bad in Adjacent boroughs have introduced have a spare garage or two that small and beneficial insects and it is also, more importantly, about
volunteer! More to follow… Autumn when LB Barnet can be much-needed pollinators (inter alia helping to protect our ecosystem.
could be used?
2. ‘Leaf blower machines seem to very slow in clearing the fallen 20 mph zones and have invested 10. Farmers’ Market/ special events bees, butterflies, ladybirds and Yours truly,
be in constant use on the Suburb leaves which get slippery. Could in speed cameras to enforce 30 to help support our local shop moths) of shelter for the winter. Isabelle Ficker
mph limits. Haringey and Camden
and are a public nuisance. There the RA employ a street cleaning have done this in a number of keepers, especially in Market Place.
was a critical article about them company to keep the Suburb
recently in the Times. The clean? Perhaps at a cost of £50k places. LB Barnet are very reluctant Other areas do these. Would
anyone like to lead the charge?
German environment ministry per annum, so a relatively modest to do this as you can read in the 11. Light pollution, especially
minutes of their Residents’ Forum
has apparently warned that cost per household. and Area Committee meetings. from security lights which are
they are damaging to wildlife. Chair’s note: great idea and
Would it be worth petitioning certainly I receive a lot of calls and However, readers might notice that often extremely bright and if
angled without consideration to
the Council to get them banned emails on litter; fly tipping; removal they have just put extensive speed neighbours can be very disturbing.
reduction measures onto Squires
in the Suburb?’ of our street waste bins, etc. But we Lane in Finchley and in parts of Some residents apparently have
Chair’s note: are these machines struggle to collect enough membership
the things we all love to hate? I fees to cover our costs each year Hendon. Can we get them to do them set so that they are on all
the time which seems to defeat
loathe the sound and what I see which include supporting some local something similar here? The flashing the object of them sensing motion.
speed warning indicators that LB
the gardeners doing with them as good works, so I am afraid any Barnet favours certainly don’t This seems an easy one to fix:
they blast leaves and topsoil into expenditure commitment of this
the road for the fairies to clear up. type is out of the question. On the seem to do the job. Getting more please can people be sensitive to
bright side, we now have around stringent measures put in will take their neighbours from such lights
to ensure that they do not cause
a lot of pressure, petitions and
70 litter picking volunteers as a attending Council meetings to disturbance. There are much less
result of efforts to set up a new
group in 2019. If you would like to argue for these measures which are bright ones available now, and
extremely expensive.
join us, please email litter@hgsra. 7. Garden waste and green bins: also, they can be set so that their
area of activation is fairly limited
uk with your name, address and the 2018 cessation of green bin whilst still doing the job.
telephone number and where you
would like to pick up litter. Litter emptying over the winter months 12. Fireworks: Like Marmite, you
SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY
caused a lot of concern. In 2019, love them or loathe them.
picking equipment will be provided. we had to endure this being Many residents definitely feel there
5. Security: can the RA employ extended for a month so that are now too many firework
a Suburb wide security service
funded by a compulsory levy whilst we were still trying to clear displays and that they may not be
our gardens, our green bins were
on each household? This would not being emptied. This move appropriate in our lovely green
area where there are lots of pets as
enable the service of the type has come at the same time as well as wild birds and animals.
provided by LCS (essentially a
the possible introduction of a One resident has told me she does
charge to empty green bins. not join the RA because we do
fireworks each year, and her dog is
Apparently, Councils can legally
Welcome to following the example set by some terrified by them. Do you think we
do this, and LB Barnet would be
should carry on with our New Year’s
St Jude’s other boroughs. Concerns include Eve fireworks? These were first done
for the millennium celebrations
that this may lead to increases in
and have become something of a
fly tipping – already a big issue in
Sundays: the Borough and throughout the UK. tradition since then. They are
8. Pedestrian crossings: residents
8am Said Eucharist would like these introduced in a expensive and it may be time to
stop. Let me have your views on
10.30am Sung Eucharist number of places: often suggested this one.
are the Hampstead Way/ Meadway So many good ideas; so much
All Welcome junction; outside Temple Fortune time needed to push them forward.
Health Centre; by Barclays Bank What we do need in order to
at Market Place, and most recently sustain the HGSRA in the next
on Finchley Road outside Glentree. decade are new volunteers
Is anyone prepared to get a petition willing to spend time and
going and attend the LB Barnet energy doing things for our
evening meetings to push for any community. If interested, please
of these? In days of very tight contact chair@hgsra.uk with
SAINT JUDE-ON-THE-HILL • THE PARISH CHURCH OF HAMPSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB funding, success is unfortunately details of what you might like
www.stjudeonthehill.com far from certain, but you certainly to do, and a contact number.
don’t get if you don’t ask. EMMA HOWARD
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