GLERA annual general meeting 2023

17 June 2023 @ 2 pm for 2.30 prompt start | Downstairs in the Community Centre

Feel free to drop by from about 2 pm. Our MP Nickie Aiken will be around, along with a number of our Councillors.

All residents of the Golden Lane Estate are members of the Golden Lane Estate Residents’ Association unless they opt out. Please consider joining the Committee today, particularly if there’s a key issue you are interested in or affected by. Even a small time-commitment helps spread the load…

agenda items

• Chair’s report on the activities for the year
• Treasurer’s report on the accounts and a vote on their approval
• Votes for the new committee
• Reports and discussions on any other issues:
  • Tackling anti-social behaviour on the Estate: PC Russell Pengelly (ASB lead / Design Out Crime Officer) will be with us to discuss the review he undertook in February. Also, an update on increased policing levels and new ways of engaging with our community
  • Imagine Golden Lane: update on Bike Project and meetings with City of London’s Climate Action Team
  • Update on Repairs process and upcoming new contract: follow up on the GLERA meeting in May, and Cllr Anne Corbett will update on follow up actions of Councillors
  • Maintenance
  • Major Works
  • Lease extensions (and other lease related issues)

chair’s report

1. TACKLING ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
This is one of the key issues that came up at last year’s AGM, with deep frustration on how to report, who to report to, and nothing seeming to be done. Jacqueline along with Tracy Batten made a real concerted effort to try to get things moving. With the help of our MP Nickie Aiken, who organised the first estate walkabout with chief constable Angela McLaren and Police Authority chairman James Thomson, we have had further walkabouts and several meetings with our Community Police Team resulting in a report which we will discuss shortly with PC Pengelly who has kindly come along today.

2. MAJOR WORKS
Two members of GLERA, Gaby and Jacqueline sit on the Resident Liaison Group for the Crescent House windows project. Gaby is a key contact for residents for Crescent, organising meetings, keeping everyone informed and liaising with the City. If you’re a Crescent House resident and not on her mailing list speak to Jacqueline after the meeting who will make sure you’re added. GLERA also contributed £2,000 to the costs of the Crescent House action group who successfully presented to the Major Works team as part of the planning process, leading to vacuum glazing being included as one of the glazing options. It is now the preferred option over double glazing which has inferior performance, and triple glazing which is very expensive and would require full scale replacement of the facade.

The roll out of the major works programme is going to be disruptive and expensive so GLERA will be doing what it can to represent residents around these issues in the coming year. We can discuss further later in the meeting.

3. REPAIRS
Repairs was the other key issues at last year’s AGM with many residents reporting deep frustration. We invited Cllr Marianne Fredericks to come speak to us at the October meeting about the software changes that were underway. 

In May we organised a meeting with members of the Repairs team to talk about the new repairs reporting system, the issues, the improvements it should bring. We also talked about the new repairs contract and how to make sure that it was awarded to a more sympathetic contractor. As a result GLERA has been invited to take part in workshops with the consultant – we’re just waiting on dates. 

Earlier in the year we also helped our Councillors with an online survey to gauge the level of mould on the estate, equipping them with specific data to exert pressure at Court. 

4. LEASE EXTENSION
In March we organised a meeting to discuss lease extension and invited officers from the lease extension team. We’ve sent updates to attendees since (talk to Jacqueline afterwards if you want to join the mailing list). There are still a number of long standing lease issues relating to COLPAI and Great Arthur House that GLERA are hoping to make progress with.

5. HUSTINGS
In liaison with the Barbican Association we hosted Hustings for the Aldermanic elections in September and the Council by-election in March. Happy to say that both times we returned a Golden Lane resident – Sue Pearson and Dawn Frampton respectively

6. WORKING WITH OUR COUNCILLORS AND OTHER RESIDENT ASSOCIATIONS
Golden Lane is now well represented in Guildhall with our Alder Sue Pearson and three resident Councillors (Anne Corbett, Dawn Frampton and Ceri Wilkins) all who work actively on behalf of the estate. Dawn is organising regular meetings with GLERA and all our Cripplegate councillors so we can consolidate our efforts. We have also been liaising with Barbican Association and the Middlesex Street associations, sharing information and tasks etc and then providing a united strong front; two key issues are the Corporation’s ‘Resident Reset’ and lease extensions. 

7. COMMUNITY EVENTS
We continue to support Imagine Golden Lane – and Paul Lincoln will give us an update later on the bike project and other initiatives.

You can find contact details for our elected Members here.