Brockwell Park Community Partners

Minutes of Public MeetingHeld on Sunday 27th April 2014, 11.00am at Brockwell Hall

Present: Ann Kingsbury (AK), BPCP Chair; Derek Hoare (DH), BPCP Vice-chair; Matthew Allgood (MA), BPCP Treasurer; Susy Hogarth (SH), BPCP Secretary; John Kerridge (JK) Commissioner for Parks; Donna Wiggins (DW) Commissioner for Parks;

Laura Morland (LM), Friends of Brockwell Park; Noshir Patel (NP), Norwood Forum; Yvonne Levy (YL) Lido Group, Marilyn Rogers (ML), Member of the Public; Colin Wight (CW), Herne Hill Society; Ruth Thompson (RT), Brockwell Lido Steering Group; Peter Bradley (PB), Friends of Brockwell Park; Adam Steinhouse (AS), Friends of Brockwell Park; Vinnie O’Connell (VoC), New Leaf; Linda Spashett (LS), Brockwell Lido Group; Kevin Fitzpatrick (KP) Park User; Martin Lewis (ML), Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses; Shaun Robertson (SR), Brockwell Gate Residents Assoc; Ken Floyde (KF), Brixton BMX Club; (CF), Edward Lavender (EL), Friends of Brockwell Par; Lara Bonici (LB) Windrush Tri Club and Parkrun; Sarah Hodgon (SH) Fusion Life-Style; Peter Thomas (PT) Local Resident; Ewan Armstrong (EA) Local Resident; Jonathan Cassels (JC) Ping Pong Group; Matt Ayres (MA) Ping Pong Group; Lucia Daniels (LD) a Friend of the Park; Andy Murray (AM) Local Resident; Paul Carter (PC) Park Manager; Apologies: John Brunton, Ros Glover, Scott Leonard, Mary Hill Theresa Hoare; Max Warner, Ros

Glover, Helen Bouvier Hayes, Michael Boyle, Matthew Pencharz, Rebecca Preston.

1. The Chair welcomed everyone to the Public Meeting. She welcomed John Kerridge and Donna Wiggins as the two Lambeth Officers who will be working with the Brockwell Park Community Partners to set up the infrastructure for the future Management of the Park.She gave an update on the progress at Arlingford Lodge which is now on track to be demolished by the end of May.The Chair introduced the first speaker – Derek Hoare.

2. Derek Hoare :Last year Lambeth moved to a Co-operative Parks policy, to work in partnership with the community to deliver a more responsive and cost effective park service. The BPCP developed and adopted a Park Management model which it submitted as part of an expression of interest to be the co-operative partner for Brockwell Park. The BPCP were approved as such by Cabinet on 9th December 2013.

The Park Management model has two components and these are explained in the document 'Brockwell Park: Co-operative Management', available on the BPCP website.

The main objective is to provide a single point of management for the Park.On a day to day basis this will be the Parks Management Team (PMT).

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Initially it will include the BPCP, the Parks operational staff and a Commissioning Manager, Donna Wiggins, who will act as the lead officer co-ordinating contact with Lambeth officers and departments.In the future if anybody has a problem, complaint or proposal then bring it to the PMT.

The meetings will be open and stakeholders are invited, if they wish, to nominate one of their number to attend the PMT meetings.

In the coming year two issues will be central to its work, Brockwell Hall and the Management Plan. A good management plan tells us three things; Where we are / Where do we want to be / How we will get there. The first task is to gather all the information available, set out and agree an outline/structure for the plan informed by our Vision document. We will then be able to feed in the information and identify any gaps. In confirming or developing the plan it is hoped that stakeholders will take the lead in the plan for their areas of activity.It is proposed to bring this outline to the next open meeting for approval

3. John Kerridge:JK gave an overview of his current responsibilities; he doesn’t deliver services directly but manages the budgets for Park Services, Library Services and Sports Services. JK introduced Donna Wiggins who will be the officer for Brockwell Park.

Brockwell Hall. JK said that BPCP would be commissioned to write the vision and plan for the Hall's future. Peter Bradley said that the previous document lacks adequate financial analysis and profitability for the Hall to break even let alone generate a profit to support other park functions. Marilyn Rogers (MOP) said that plans for the Hall must include provision for partial and full disabled access. Martin Lewis (Greenhouses) said a consideration for the Hall's future was protection of Hall's vista to St Paul's. Alan Piper (Brixton Society) said that the Future Brixton document refers to vistas generally but not specifically. DH said that to some extent this is outside BPCP's control due to the extensive vertical development in Bankside (Southwark); however we could raise it at City Hall on 4th May. Action: BPCP –

Brockwell Hall - The Chair explained that a Brockwell Hall Project Steering Group would be set up by the PMT to manage and develop proposals and funding bid and invited stakeholders to nominate representatives.

 Adam Steinhouse (FoBP) asked about the Lottery bid timeline. AK replied likely Spring 2015.

Changing block. JK's briefing identified 3 options for the future of the changing block. Paper was circulated with agenda. He said that current thinking is somewhere between option 2 (full demolition and return to grass) and option 3 (partial demolition but retain hard standing for park uses with rental income returning to the park). He

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said that two Expressions of Interest had been received for option 1 (refurbishment to operational use with profit share agreement) by 18th April but he is not currently aware who the bidders are. JK reiterated that the criteria for the CB was:

a. Clear Public Benefit

b. What is appropriate for the Park?

c. All costs for any refurbishment by a commercial group to be met by them. Including all ongoing running costs.

Next steps: Council's draft recommendations to be submitted to BPCP by 30th May. This will be worked up to a formal decision to Council by 9th June. Donna Wiggins (commissioning officer) to manage whichever option is agreed.

Meeting agreed that a partnership sub group should be set up comprising interested BPCP members to examine the various options in John Kerridge's briefing.

Brockwell Lido Steering Group and Fusion interested in utilising the changing block to ease pressure on Brockwell Lido, however JK offered the context of the issue which will be ‘what is in the best interest of the Park’, and not just the best interest of Lido/Fusion. The Chair of Friends of Brockwell Park favours option 2 (full demolition and return to grass). JK said the criteria for assessing the EOI's would include the strength of their relationship with Brockwell Park Partnership Board. The Fusion representative said that it wanted to be co-operative with the Partnership Board.

There was a request from the floor for a meeting with DW about the CB. This was agreed and a sign up sheet was passed around and will be forwarded to DW by AK.

4. A.o.B Clocktower unveiling. 3pm, Saturday 3rd May. All welcome. MADD for Brockwell Park. Starts Sunday 4th May. Marilyn Rogers

and Jo Spilman's storybox making event will take place on Sunday 1st June at the performance space. All welcome.

Management plan outline - to be ready by the date of the next public meeting. BPCP to be commissioned to write the management plan (and we are the pilot to do so within Lambeth).

Park documents CD - to be put on website. Partnership board agreement - appendix one. Add in

'commissioning officer' and explain acronyms. Change MAD to MADD? Revised version to be put on website.

Public meeting - first week of June. To include tour of Brockwell Hall.

Table tennis proposal. Brixton Ping Pong Society to forward proposal to Partnership Board for review covering costs,

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appropriateness to the park and ongoing maintenance. BPPS agreed to become a stakeholder of BPCP.

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