Welcome!

Welcome to your first newsletter, which will go out to all residents on Whitmore, Haggerston (East) and 37-78 Bryant Court.

Regular newsletters will be produced by the EDMC, which is a group of 15 Canalside residents who liaise with Canalside about all matters concerning the programme of works on our homes and about the other regeneration activities that are underway. See the article "Get Involved and Make a Difference" later in this newsletter for more details.

Through this newsletter, we aim to keep everyone better informed about the development programme, Canalside’s policies, how residents have been affected and other issues and activities.

The newsletter is edited by EDMC members. We aim to speak up for you and so it’s your newsletter. So please let us have your views we’ll publish them in the next edition.

As well as views from residents, we’d also like to hear about things that might be of interest to the people who live here - for example, stories about how things used to be can be fascinating. Let us have your ideas for making our homes, our environment even our lives better. Tell us what you’d like to hear about, too.

To contribute, express your views or make suggestions, contact Nusret Sen on 7254 2312 or 7739 0685.

Send an article! Have your say! Have a moan!

Get Involved Make a Difference!

Our homes are in the middle of a £40 million redevelopment. We will all see many changes over the coming years some may be for the better, then again some may not. One thing’s for sure, during the building works there’ll be a lot of disruption.

Is there something happening that you don’t like? Have you got an idea that you think could make things better? Do you want to hear what’s going on, have your say, or make a difference? Here’s where you can get involved: Canalside Estate Development Management Committee (EDMC) - has 15 members, who are all residents. Canalside consult the EDMC about:

• Canalside policies
• How our homes are managed
• Plans for new and improved homes
• Regeneration activities helping residents improve their lives

• Look at how Canalside’s policies and activities affect residents
• Liaise with Canalside on residents’ behalf
• Help residents deal with their housing problems
• Run the "Strange Fruit" food co-op and the IT Project

• Wednesdays 11am 3pm at Haggerston Community Centre (telephone 7254 2312)
• Thursdays 3pm 7pm at 9 Horner House (telephone 7739 0685)
• Or drop a note at 9 Horner House

EDMC and HAWK TRA meetings are open to residents. A Turkish translator is available at each meeting and childcare is available at TRA. Please contact Nusret on either of the above telephone numbers for more details. It’s worth getting involved you can make a difference some 30 residents already are!

Troublesome Neighbours

If you are disturbed by noisy neighbours playing loud music, rowdy behaviour, etc Hackney Council will investigate immediately if you telephone them.

Out of normal working hours:

Weekdays, after 5pm until midnight

ring 8985 7711

Weekends, Friday 5pm until Monday 9am

ring 8356 2300

Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm

ring 8356 4528

Or 8356 4504

If you use this service please telephone Canalside (7254 7073) as soon as you can and give them the details.

If residents or their visitors in your block, or a neighbouring block, keep upsetting you with noise, dropping litter (or worse) in the lifts or stairways then tell Canalside. Canalside cannot do anything about anti-social neighbours unless you tell them about it again and again if necessary. Don’t leave it to someone else to complain YOU DO IT.

Canalside also suggests that you phone the police 7253 1212

When you phone Canalside, make a note of the name of the person you speak to, the date and the time. If repeated complaints get nowhere then drop a note to the EDMC

YOUR RUBBISH

Yes, it is YOUR rubbish; do you know how offensive it is to your neighbours?

Please do not just leave your rubbish anywhere and everywhere. Put it into the Paladin bins, or in the chamber, not outside Perhaps you cannot see it; others can and do.

People leave a large amount of furniture, fridges, TVs, beds, and mattresses lying about. We all have to live with your rubbish and it is very UGLY.

If you call Hackney Council on 0208 985 6269 or Canalside offices at 222 Haggerston Road they will help to dispose of large items.

If you are leaving boxes, please break them down flat. Make sure that you drop all your rubbish down a chute, or straight into the paladin bin: do not leave it on the floor for the rats, pigeons, foxes, dogs, cats and children.

REMEMBER IT IS YOUR RUBBISH NOT OURS.

A Tenant

LEB Sub-station site

The EDMC has done it again! It has refused to support the objections of residents in Scorton, Bracer and Strale Houses, who are directly affected by any building that is erected on the old LEB site, mainly with respect to overcrowding, overlooking, loss of privacy and increased noise.

In response to a motion passed at the Tenants & Residents Association at their last meeting, Canalside took a lot of time and trouble to speak to the residents and obtain their views. Canalside then prepared a report on alternatives to the 3-storey block of flats for which planning permission has been granted. This included a smaller building covering the same floor area as the old substation down to not building but providing a play area, parking and trees.

Certain members objected to a play area on the site because children (who might play there on average for 2 or 3 hours per day) would be subjected to traffic fumes and the danger of a lorry crashing through the wall. Canalside said the playground could be put further in and the site used for car parking. However it is quite alright for people to live in these same fumes 24 hours per day and face the same danger of a lorry crashing into their bedroom or kitchen. Others considered that since Canalside had permission to build then building must go ahead.

The members of the Estate Development Management Committee are residents of the estate who put themselves forward for the Committee to represent residents’ views and concerns to Canalside. This they are still failing to do.

At the August meeting, maybe certain members voted for Canalside to build on the site for what they considered legitimate reasons. However, the matter was not helped by Tim Goodwin’s constant intervention and manipulation.
Arthur Ringrose