Minutes 1st May 2001

Minutes of Meeting on 1 May 2001:
CRYSTAL PALACE & NORWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
HELD AT THE PHOENIX COMMUNITY CENTRE

1. PRESENT
Chairman - Doug Barnes - Tamnag Thai
Secretary - Lucy Bostock - Orthoclase
Membership Secretary & Webmaster - James Slattery-Kavanagh - Quotes
Press Officer - Caroline Streek - Streek's Publicity & Comm/Business South

2. GUESTS
David Kerr - Crystal Palace Partnership
Gavin Sargent - Hanover Park
Kevin Carleton-Reeves
Martin Lodge - Hanover Park
Roger Sorell

3. APOLOGIES
Honorary Treasurer - Peter Runacres - ST&T Publishing Ltd

4. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING
The minutes of the last two meetings and the AGM were proposed by JSK and Kevin seconded them.

5. WELCOME
The chairman welcomed guests to the meeting.

6. STAKEHOLDER PENSIONS - MARTIN LODGE - HANOVER PARK
Martin talked to the Chamber about the governments plans for stakeholder pensions which affects all companies with five or more employees. If you take no action by October, 2001 you could be liaible for fines up to £50K. He highlighted the steps a company must take to set up their pension scheme.

7. CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW
One Way System
This starts in September and should be completed by January 2002. The area can look forward to a new lighting system and new street furniture. Alterations to bus routes will take place and buses will go down Anerley Hill.
DK will get streets cleaned by one local authority rater than three. The chemist in Westow Hill are against the one way system, stating that it is for evening trade only which makes up a quarter of the trade.
Town Centre Report
This should go on the Chamber and Virtual Norwood websites. The report contains information that is good for prospective business/property developers coming into the area. DK to find out if Goad will allow publication and JSK to action.
CCTV
Will be working next month
Crystal Palace BR Station
To complete in June 2001. DK - working with Railtrack and Connex to have a convenience store in station, but it is early days yet.
Crystal Palace Sports Centre
£21 million spent on it and it will be completed by Spring 2002. There will be a new athletics track, upgraded sports centre which is desperately needed in the area. DK - this is all to do with creating international areas of excellence.
Mike Parkinson of Barclays will talk about local business banking services next meeting.
Proms in the Park
The GLC used to fund concerts in the park and 16-17K people turned up. It was handed over to Bromley council when the GLC was disbanded. The Event's Office there is very stretched so Bob Porter took over the event three years ago and signed a five year lease with the council. The events have been blighted by low turnouts due to poor promotion and bad weather.
DK will distribute posters and handouts to businesses in the area. BP will give free tickets to first night of the proms to those businesses that display posters. He hopes to set up over 50 ticket outlets. He wants ideas eg. free meal at 6pm to patrons of the event in return for space in the Advertiser.
DK has set up 9 retail outlets to sell tickets. Option to do advertising with the transport people. BP will be linking up with JSK and feeding info via the Chamber.
Town Centre Manager's Report
3-13 Church Road has a new owner who bought the property for £200K over the odds. He has a buyer but DK is having trouble negotiating with them. He needs people to spend money on the ground floor.
There will be a business watch meeting this Thursday - there are 16 members. It was formed in conjunction with the police, who are becoming more active in the area.
DB said the police will be responding as one unit rather than three separate police forces. He is trying to get homebeat officers out and get one force to deal with the area. For concerts etc. policing will become a major issue.
DK - Gipsy Hill Police station is not closing down. DK is also trying to break down barriers of areas for police stations.
JSK brought up the problem of vagrancy in the area, DK replied that police officers could not waste time off the street arresting vagrants.
DK noted that when CCTV becomes live, there will be a zero tolerance campaign.
Town Guides - DK urged everyone to advertise in them as they were very successful last year.
Vacant Retail Units
22-28 vacant units. Six shops are under offer or refurbishment which will get the number back down to 22.
Radio Security
Meeting on Thursday with homebeat officer. Please join the scheme! DB said restaurants and newsagents are interested.
Town Centre Manager's Position
There is no money in the budget next year and the Town Centre Manager position might be made redundant. DK urged members of the Chamber to talk to Croydon and Bromley Councils and local press about this issue

8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.

9. FUTURE MEETINGS
5 June, 2001

Lucy Bostock
Secretary

Signed .................... Date ....................
Doug Barnes (Chairman)