Northern Line may Split

In the rush hour, only Bank trains run northbound to High Barnet and Mill Hill East. Passengers on the Charing Cross branch must change at Camden Town.

It seems that this allows London Underground to run trains more frequently because of reduced congestion on crossover tunnels.

This split may become permanent - giving us a North-eastern Line from High Barnet / Mill Hill East to Bank and a North-western Line from Edgware to Charing Cross. If this goes ahead, we will have to change at Camden Town for the most popular destinations.

New: 29 May 08

Highgate Post Office Update

The Post Office confirmed on Wednesday that four Camden branches, including the one in Highgate Village, would close.

Local residents and celebrities, co-ordinated by the Highgate Society, have been fighting hard over recent months to keep our Post Office open. Apparently their arguments have not been successful.

There are reports that Camden Council has suggested that it could take over the four branches, but no firm news has emerged.

Update: 10 May 08

Fire in Langbourne Flat

Camden New Journal reports that families were forced to flee their homes when a fire broke out in the early hours of Monday.

Dozens of residents from a Langbourne Avenue block were evacuated after a flat went up in flames at around 2am.

Lily Campbell described the night-time ordeal. She said: “The fire brigade woke us up, banging on the door. I grabbed my son and ran out in my dressing gown – I thought the whole block was going up. You couldn’t see anything because of the smoke.”

Another neighbour described how she had been woken by the apartment’s owner shortly after 2am, asking to use her telephone to phone the emergency services. She said: “When it was coming through the roof I thought it was coming into my flat.”

It is believed the flat’s occupant was looking after her sister’s three children as well as her son on the night of the fire. The alarm was sounded by a child in the flat who woke up smelling smoke. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said the fire began in the kitchen, though the exact cause is still under investigation. Four fire engines and 20 firefighters battled the flames while residents waited outside in the cold.

New: 2 May 08

Battle over bedsit sell off

More than half the bedsit blocks in Holly Lodge Estate are lying empty ready to be sold off by the council.

On Wednesday night, housing chiefs were warned that they do not have tenant support for its plans to sell off council properties.

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition was told in no uncertain terms that cash for repairs and improvements to council estates should not be raised by hiving off empty homes.

Deputations at a meeting of the council’s cabinet made a mockery of the claims from the Town Hall that tenants supported the policy and that its own survey had uncovered support for the proposals.

Last week, Alan Walter, a tenants leader from Kentish Town and a driving force behind the pressure group Defend Council Housing (DCH), was summoned to give almost an hour’s worth of evidence before a parliamentary committee of MPs debating the upcoming Housing and Regeneration Bill. He told the committee that while Prime Minister Gordon Brown had made encouraging statements about building homes, his effort to make the issue a priority would be undermined if the government did not invest in its existing stock.

His invitation to speak in front of such an influential panel is a departure from the frosty relations that Mr Walter, other DCH campaigners and Camden council tenants have had with the government in recent years. It undermines the council’s claim that the government is not interested in listening to demands for direct funding.

The government has so far told Camden that it will only get investment is if it gives up the management of its homes - thus robbing tenants of the chance to get rid of under-performing landlords at elections.

Mr Walter said: “"Council tenants, despite being bribed with promises of new kitchens and bathrooms, have stuck it out because they believe in having a democratically accountable landlord.”

The council agreed to enter into estate regeneration deals with housing associations, which will effectively see the private sector get its hands on prime homes on the landmark Holly Lodge Estate in Highgate, and the award-winning Maiden Lane Estate in Camden Town. Empty properties owned by the council will not be refurbished and face being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

DCH intend to prove that the claim that tenants support the sell-off is skewed and have put together a petition likely to eclipse the council’s efforts at consultation. More than 70 senior tenants leaders have signed the protest, which clearly sets out an opposition to the council’s policy. Hundreds - possibly thousands - more are likely to add their names to the petition in the coming days after the campaign group took out a newspaper advert and invited every resident in Camden to show the Town Hall what the real mood of the borough is.

Kathleen O’Donoghue, from Camden Association of Street Properties, said: "Many of our street properties have provided homes to generations of families. “The present administration’s plans to sell even a limited number of street properties at a time when demand for council housing far exceeds supply will directly affect our communities and we ask: How can this be justified?”

Grace Livingstone, joint secretary of the Holly Lodge Residents Association, said: “It would be a crime to sell four blocks of council housing when there is such great housing need in Camden.”

The proposals were passed and officials have been ordered to prepare homes for sale.

Updated: 19 Dec 07

The Real Crime Stats

I am sure most of us have been worried by the incessant reporting of teenage stabbings in the press...so I thought I should check with the Office of National Statistics for the real figures.

I chose “Wounding or Other Act Endangering Life” as the closest offence to the newspaper reports - and a category of offence with a reliable trend as it is serious enough to be likely to be reported to police.

As you can see from the chart below, the number of offences in Camden in the year to March 2007 was 68. This is bad enough but it is LOWER than any of the previous five years.

So, should you worry about you or your children being attacked in Camden? It seems that the danger is real, but that it is no worse than it was years ago. And, looking at the British Crime Survey, the incidence of violent crime nationally is almost identical to the level in 1981.

New: 29 May 08

Holly Lodge Legacy

A long-standing resident of the Estate has left a legacy of £5,000 in appreciation of Holly Lodge and of his next door neighbour.

The Committee is discussing how the money can best be spent, to the long-term benefit of all on the Estate, for improvements that would not otherwise be currently affordable.

A popular suggestion is to use the legacy for developing our Swains Lane entrance - several residents have commented positively on the improvements to the upper entrance and how they would like to see a similar upgrading of the lower entrance.

The Committee would like to thank our benefactor for this generous donation.

(Next time you are updating your will, you might consider a similar gift!)

New: 10 May 08

Highgate Uganda Charity visit

For many years, Highgate residents have supported Kirima Schools in Uganda, sponsoring children to attend the schools and helping pay for new school buildings and facilities.

The schools are located in Kinchiisi, a poor and underdeveloped area of south-western Uganda. The aim of the Friends of Kirima charity is to help create sustainable education and development in rural Uganda.

There are now four primary schools, one community college and two health centres. Visitors from Highgate have been moved by the very apparent difference between the villages with sponsorship and the surrounding villages.

Rev Hamlet Mbabazi, a former MP in Uganda, has been inspirational in transforming the lives of people in the region. Hamlet and Godfrey, the headteacher of Kirima Primary School, visited Highgate in November to report on progress and help set the vision for the future.

The current project is to build a new secondary school to provide the next educational step for graduates of the four primary schools. Highgate School is supporting this project and has raised £50,000 from its sponsored walk - enough to pay for 5 of the 12 classrooms needed in the new school.

For more information, visit www.volunteeruganda.org

Highgate Ward goes Green

Highgate voters elected a Green candidate in the by-election for a Camden Councillor - bucking the major swing to the Conservatives in other votes on the same day. The results were:

• Alex Goodman (Green): 1,482
• Michael Nicolaides (Labour): 1,185
• Richard Merrin (Conservative): 1,180
• Henry Potts (Lib Dem): 633
• Spoilt ballots: 23
• Turnout: 56%

The results mean that our three councillors are all Green. Just click on the links below to contact them:

• Maya de Souza 020 7974 2792
• Alex Goodman 020 7974 1986
• Adrian Oliver 020 7974 2792

Highgate Ward covers Holly Lodge Estate, Highgate Newtown, Dartmouth Park and a huge amount of green space including much of Hampstead Heath and Kenwood.

New: 10 May 08

Mother fights off burglar

Camden New Journal reports that a single mother who fought off a burglar at her Highgate home has vowed to help the area’s youth from falling into a life of crime.

Shannon Francis, 36, was at her home in Langbourne Mansions on the Holly Lodge estate suffering from flu when the intruder struck. She said: “I heard a noise in the bathroom. When I went to investigate I found a guy sitting on the window sill. He’d climbed up the drainpipe. I freaked out and attacked him. I didn’t know if he had a knife or what. I was just thinking: ‘I’ve got to get him out of my house’.”

In the struggle, the intruder fell backwards out of the first-floor window, crashing to the concrete more than 20 feet below. After lying stunned for a few moments, the teenager picked himself up and ran off.

Fortunately, Ms Francis’s seven-year-old daughter Paris was at school at the time. Ms Francis, who goes to the gym three times a week and does Tae-kwon-do, a Korean martial art and combat sport, added: “My neighbours said they would have run away but until that situation happens you don’t know what you would do. I don’t think he’ll be coming back to this house again.”

New: 2 May 08

Family Centre Redevelopment

The Holly Lodge Community Centre is consulting on the redevelopment of the Family Centre on Oakeshott Avenue, which is a great resource for families with young children. Residents are invited to drop in to the Family Centre on Tuesday March 10th from 4pm to 7.30pm to discuss proposals and put forward any ideas of their own.

For further information call 020 342 9524.

Newsetter Feb 09

Steps update

The first phase of the poured-concrete steps replacement project is complete with five flights in Langbourne Avenue West and one in Makepeace West replaced in 2008.

The steps have been well received by all on the Estate. A good balance between appropriate appearance and robustness has been struck.

There will be a pause of a few months, to allow the worst of the cold weather to pass, before we recommence with the replacement of further flights. It is envisaged that work will recommence in late March / early April, once the risk of frost and low average temperatures has reduced.

The next batch of flights will be three more on Langbourne Avenue West - the two at the junction with Hillway - and the one at the Highgate West Hill end (upper), and the two flights on Bromwich.

After these the most likely order of progress is a first pass through Langbourne East, Makepeace and Oakeshott Avenues, replacing those that are in the worst state. This may be followed by subsequent passes that pick up the next worst. N.B. Any flights in good order will not be replaced. The aim is to complete circa 30 flights in 2009 and a further circa 30 in total over 2010/2011.

Any of the largest flights (leading to Mansion Blocks) that need to be replaced will, in all likelihood, be scheduled for the height of summer when the daylight hours are long and temperatures warm. This will give the builders the best chance of managing the large volume of concrete these larger flights require.

New: Jan 09

Estate three-year plan

The Committee has prepared a detailed three-year plan for its activities, expenditure and income for the years 2008-11.

The plan and a summary of the finances is available on the downloads page or by clicking here.

A detailed spreadsheet with expenditure plans up to 2030 is available for discussion but is not being made available on the website as it contains confidential details.

Expenditure on items such as trees, roads, steps and gates is planned to be at an increased level over the next three years as the infrastructure of the Estate ages and wears out; this has led to an above-inflation increase in the Plotholder Contribution and matched funding from Camden Council.

For more information, please come along to the half-year plotholders' meeting on Tuesday 11th November at 8 pm in the Community Centre.

New: 8 Nov 08

Tree Planting 2008

The Estate's long-term tree strategy is now well advanced. The plan includes a programme of safety inspections, a pruning plan and selection of trees suited to the various locations on the estate. With a few exceptions (e.g. some leylandii) existing trees will only be removed and replaced when they have reached the end or their healthy life.

As noted elsewhere on this page, it has been necessary to fell trees throughout the Estate as they have become unsafe from age, storm damage or disease. Residents have commented that the beautiful copper beech in Holly Lodge Gardens should be saved if possible and the Committee has decided to monitor its condition regularly rather than fell it as previously planned.

The optimum time to plant new trees is the Autumn and the list below shows this season's planting plan. The species have been selected from a shortlist recommended by our arboriculturalist following site visits by Committee members to view mature trees and after consultation with residents near the planting sites.

Oakeshott Avenue

• Outside No 63 & 65: Sorbus thuringiaca fastigiata
• Outside No 19: Pyrus calleryana chanticleer
• Outside No 18: Pyrus Chanticleer
• Outside No 9: Amelanchier arborea Robin Hill
• Outside No 15: Sorbus thuringiaca fastigiata

Makepeace Avenue

• Outside No 1: Pyrus Chanticleer
• Outside No 3: Malus Trilobata
• Outside No 5: Pyrus Chanticleer
• Outside No 7: Malus Trilobata
• Outside No 13: Amelanchier arborea Robin Hill
• Adjacent to 93 Highgate West Hill: Amelanchier arborea Robin Hill
• Outside No 10: Sorbus thuringiaca fastigiata
• Outside No 20: Malus Trilobata
• Adjacent to 42 Hillway: Birch Jacquemontii

Langbourne Ave

• Outside No 8: Malus Trilobata
• Outside 22/24: Prunus amber beauty

Bromwich Avenue

• Lamp post No 8: Birch Jacquemontii

New: Oct 08

Steps consultation closed

Replacing broken down flights of steps is the largest project we have undertaken for many years. It will make a big improvement to the appearance of the Estate.

The consultation process, lasting over a year, has now closed. The decision is to replace all 100 flights of steps with entirely new installations in the same positions. A few flights with only one or two steps will be replaced with ramps.

The design follow advice from Prime Meridian Architects and Structural Engineers and are based on our objectives of achieving the best combination of aesthetics, cost, safety, durability and access. The new flights are pre-formed concrete with raised non-slip edges. The surface is ground granite which is attractive and anti-slip. Each flight will have one handrail of a simple aluminium design with a matt nylon coating.

The pre-fabricated design is higher quality, more durable and less expensive than replacing the steps using the previous construction method.

The final design will be based on the sample flight (see photograph) which has been installed in Makepeace West near Hillway with the following alterations based on responses to the final stage of consultations:

• Reduced steepness
• Less proud installation
• Darker colour
• No bulkhead at the bottom
• Improved join of the steps with the road
• Narrower and lower edge

The specifications are now being prepared and the work going out to tender. A date for work to start will be announced when suppliers have been agreed.

Updated: 21 Feb 08

Projects 2007

The grounds team have achieved a huge amount this year and the Estate is in a considerably improved condition.

There are still projects ongoing that we plan to complete before the end of the year. They include:

• Weedkilling and fertilising all grass verges in Hillway and the Avenues
• Remedial work to Hillway verges, including replacing poor soil, re-seeding and turfing damaged areas
• Renovation of benches: sanding down, re-painting and re-varnishing and installing paving slabs underneath
• During the autumn season, Maurice and Sean will wage their regular battle to remove falling leaves
• Cleaning the road signs
• Improving the planting at the bottom of Hillway (move holly tree, plant climber on Tesco wall, renovate rose bed)
• Improving the top roundabout (install cobbles, update sleepers and replant)
• And, following positive comments on the pilot in Bromwich Avenue, planting 2,500 bulbs around trees all around the Estate

As well as the signs, steps, gates and railings described on this page, the following smaller projects are planned for the next few months:

• Refurbishment of fencing round the ornamental gardens
• Replacement of the lamps at the entrance
• Renovate Langbourne East lower pavement
• Planting in the Langbourne East verges (may be delayed until autumn if ground is too dry)
• Plant periwinkle (vinca major & minor) as ground cover Langbourne East where grass won’t grow

The following projects have been completed so far this year:

• Renovation of the brick entrance pillars at the bottom of Hillway and those of the ornamental gates
• Painting of garage doors with anti-graffiti paint
• Planting in the Langbourne West verges and signs to reduce damage caused by cyclists
• Re-paint road lines
• Repairs to garage roofs

Consultation: Have we got the right priorities? Please post your comments on the forum so the Committee can take your views into account when making its decision.

Roads and pavements

Earlier this year, we completed our regular survey of the pavements throughout the Estate and updated the plan for our rolling programme of pavement repairs and resurfacing.

The pavements that have deteriorated so that they are unsightly or unsafe will be resurfaced first. The next on the list is to resurface the Langbourne East lower pavement and carry out minor repairs to the upper pavement. The date of this work depends on progress of the steps project and the decision taken about the leylandii.

We are in a never-ending battle with the gas, electricity, water, phone and cable companies to try and ensure they repair their holes as well as possible. This constant digging is the reason we have boring grey pavements - a more attractive colour would initially look great, but it would look awful when it has been dug up a few times and repaired in standard grey!

Most pavements on the upper side of each road have longitudinal cracks where the ground has shifted slightly. In the past we have attempted to repair these cracks, but the repairs are as unsightly as the cracks and further movement inevitably occurs. We have therefore decided to take no action on the cracks that do not appear to be a hazard.

Gates and railings

The gates at the end of some Avenues are nearing the end of their lives. The remaining Avenue gates and the Hillway top and bottom gate are in need of renovation.

Most of them have been repaired several times in the past and some of the white metal railings have been replaced by temporary wooden fencing. The gates at the end of Oakeshott Avenue East are in a particularly bad state.

We are in the early stages of a project to renovate or replace all the gates.

The committee has commissioned a designer to propose options: whether we should repair the existing gates or replace them with a new design. There will be a consultation when the alternatives are published.

Signs

The planned replacement of road signs throughout the Estate is now complete.

The design of the signs follows the original concept – black wooden posts with black boards and metal lettering painted white. This gives us three standards for signage on the Estate: White lettering on black wood for street signs, white lettering on green metal for information signs and black lettering on a yellow background for parking signs.

Committee Election Statements

The Holly Lodge Estate Committee is elected at the AGM (except for the Trustees). Here are the election statements of the candidates. Please come along to keep in touch and to vote for the new Committee.

Marie-Helene English

My purpose in being a member of the Estate Committee is to ensure that the affairs and maintenance of the HLE are managed with common sense, to make sure that the funds raised through the VMF are used properly, to focus on getting practical results, while abiding by existing regulations and remaining at all times accountable to the plot-holders. I am a member of the Conservation Committee. I have also joined the Board of the Holly Lodge Community Association (Community Centre). I have significant experience in knowing how the Council works, in approaching Councillors and in seeing actions through, especially in Planning and Noise Nuisance matters. I think the Committee needs a balance of skills as well as a balance between men and women. I believe I can make a difference by bringing experience and commitment, and by communicating with all concerned in a simple and non-partisan way.

Dominique Florin

I am the newest committee member, having spent just one year as Secretary. I have enjoyed bringing enthusiasm and good sense to the many tasks required. It is a pleasure to work with our committed estate staff who contribute so much to the high quality of the Estate environment. In my 'other life' I am a GP with a background in public health. I have served on many committees in the NHS and have been a school governor. I have the strategic planning and communication skills required to contribute to improving the Estate and to building relationships with those on and off the Estate. I have had particular experience in public consultation in the NHS which is proving very relevant to Holly Lodge, for instance in making decisions about trees and parking. I very much hope to continue the work I have begun this year to continue to serve plotowners and to improve the Estate.

Peter Jacobs

Married, two adult daughters, resident of Langbourne Avenue since 1975. I have been a member of the Estate Committee since January 2005, and its treasurer since May 2008. Since last summer my particular responsibility has been the tree maintenance and replacement programme. I was also involved in the steps renewal project. I am committed to working to maintain and renew the Estate, protecting its special character and helping to provide the best possible environment and facilities for the plotholders. In 2000 I retired from my job as a Marketing Research director, since when I have been the Treasurer of the International Fencing Federation. I have forty years' experience of working on voluntary committees at international, national and local level, and know the give-and-take required when working on them. Being retired I have the flexibility to arrange my day to suit the needs of committee work.

Geoff Lee

The parts of my professional career that are relevant for estate work include line and project management, commercial contracting, planning and management audit. I have been on the committee for over 4 years, mostly as chairman. During that time I have contributed to a wide range of activities and have been concerned to get the major projects moving in a professional manner. Critical now is the initiation of the gates refurbishment project. I have encouraged a number of residents to join the committee and have supported strongly the appointment of project managers. Exactly how we organise our work is still open to change. More generally I have become interested in how we could improve the governance of the estate, in particular electoral reform. Coming across the NCVO was a Damascene moment for me and I hope that we can learn from the experience and knowledge encompassed in their Good Practice guides.

Mark Rogers

I have lived for the last fifteen years with my family in the house in Langbourne where I grew up (my grandparents moved to Hillway in the 1930's). Running my computer software company, my charity work and my experience as former governor of St Michael's School have given me relevant skills and training in governance, planning, finance, employment and legal matters. I would like to contribute to making the Estate a better environment for all residents. My experience on the Committee since 2006 has increased my awareness of the slow deterioration of the Estate and the focused work that is needed to plan and implement projects to reverse this process. It has also highlighted the need for the Committee to adopt a more professional approach and a modern standard of governance. This requires open communication and consultation with residents ... one reason I wrote the hle.org.uk website.

Pippa Rothenberg

Hello my name is Pippa Rothenberg and I would like to rejoin the committee as I feel I still have much to offer this wonderful estate. The trees, the wild life (I don't mean the residents!!) and the open spaces which contribute much to our quality of life, all need careful maintenance which is the committee's main role and which impacts most upon the lives of all of the residents. I would try to help in preserving the nature of the estate at the same time as improving the steps, roads, gates and of course the green areas which add so much to our atmosphere. I have lived on this estate for 28 years and have raised all 3 children here. They, as well as I, have enjoyed the peacefulness and quietness of this area.

Peter Wesley

20 Oakeshott Avenue, Management Consultant, Committee Member since 2007. My family and I feel privileged to have lived on this beautiful tranquil estate for 30 years. My purpose in standing for re-election is to improve the condition of the estate that I feel has deteriorated noticeably due to longstanding policies of "make do and mend". I believe that a programme of progressive, affordable improvements to the condition of the estate will benefit all residents.

I support changes that:

• Improve, professionalise and make more efficient the way the Committee makes and implements its decisions and discharges its duties.
• Create a more open, accountable and less secretive approach by the Committee.
• Lead to greater involvement by all residents of the estate.
• Build a more harmonious community.

I am proud to have been able to contribute to the work of the Committee most recently in the work on improving the parking situation and supporting Mark in editing the Estate website.

New: Apr 09

Redesign of Lower Entrance

While the roundabout at the top entrance to the Estate has been improved, the lower entrance of the estate is not particularly attractive and nothing really marks the entrance.

The committee will be considering how to improve this as a possible future project.

If you have any thoughts as to how it could be improved please let the secretary know.

New: 21 Feb 08

21 more trees to be felled

Following a detailed inspection of the trees throughout the Estate by Mr Patch of the Arboricultural Advisory and Information Service, it has been decided we must remove 21 trees because they are dead, dying or unsafe. The trees are:

• Hillway - Lime at junction with Swains Lane
• Hillway - Horse chestnut at corner with No 46 Hillway
• Langbourne Avenue - Birch adjacent to 31 Hillway
• Langbourne Avenue - Rowan at no 22
• Makepeace Avenue - 6 x Thorn at nos 1, 3, 5, 7 13 & 20
• Makepeace Avenue - Cherry at no 10
• Makepeace Avenue - Thorn adjacent to 93 Hillway
• Makepeace Avenue - Birch adjacent to 42 Hillway
• Oakeshott Avenue - Cockspur thorn at no 5
• Oakeshott Avenue - Cherry at no 9
• Oakeshott Avenue - Thorn at no 15
• Oakeshott Avenue - Robinia 'Frisia'
• Oakeshott Avenue - Purple Plum at no 19
• Robin Grove - Ash adjacent to Highgate boundary
• Robin Grove - Sycamore
• Robin Grove - Thorn

Please see the separate article for details on the long-term tree planting and maintenance plan.

Long-term tree plan

For many years, decisions have been made about planting and managing trees on the Estate as the need arose. Now that many trees are nearing the end of their life, we have decided that we need to agree a long-term tree planting and management plan.

The plan will be prepared following advice from outside consultants, visits by committee members to view recommended trees and consultation with residents.

The plan will have the following elements:

Hillway Limes	The theme of an avenue of limes is proposed to be retained. There will be a rolling programme of replacement over 50 years with a different variety - silver lime Tilia tomentos Petiolaris. This has no borsal growth and does not attract aphids. It is proposed to stop pollarding the limes and to allow them to grow freely.
Corners of Hillway and Avenues	Again, the theme of matching trees on the corners will be retained. However, the horse chestnuts will probably be replaced with different species which are smaller and more resistant to pests. Two options have been proposed: evergreen oaks or evergreen magnolias.
Avenues	It is proposed to select six species which are suitable for the Avenues. Every autumn we will replace any dead trees with one of these six. The only proactive replacement that is proposed is to plant new trees to replace the leylandii in Langbourne Avenue and, when they are established, to fell all the leylandii. The following species are being considered: Himalayan birch - Betula utilis Himalayan birch - Betula albo-sinesis Goldenrain tree - Koelreuteria paniculata Manna ash - Fraxinus ornus Members of the Rose family - crab apples, pears, cherries

You can read two shorter reports completed at the end of last year by clicking Report on Estate Trees November 2006 and Second report on Trees November 2006.

Consultation: Visit this page in the coming months for details of the Plan as our consultations progress and to find the date of a meeting for you to come along and have the opportunity to understand the reasoning behind the plans and to have your views heard.