A few pictures of events from 2022….

In September we held a very successful Councillors “Question Time” at the community centre. All our three local councillors attended, along with around 50 residents.

There were questions on a range of areas – road safety, spiraling heating costs, the proposed boiler replacement and maintenance of the blocks and gardens. Our Councillors stated they wanted to answer the questions collaboratively, not competitively, which made for a helpful approach. From the meeting we agreed two carry out two estate walk-arounds in November, to address the issues of external maintenance & gardens, and the other to look at bins and recycling. You can read more about the event, a list of the questions and the walk-around action lists on this link: https://myhlra.org/councillors-question-time-2022/

The Holly Lodge Residents Association has launched resident’  gardening sessions.  These  are run by Camden’s gardener on Holly Lodge, Kat.

The sessions are every Saturday 11.30am and Wednesday 10.30am.  We meet by the pond in the middle garden between Makepeace and Holly Lodge Mansions.  Any resident is welcome to attend.

The gardening sessions have been working in the middle gardens between Makepeace and Holly Lodge Mansions, and around the polytunnel behind Holly Lodge Mansions.

These are supervised sessions and the Holly Lodge Residents Association cannot authorise any resident to do gardening at any other time or in any other location.

The gardening sessions will not do any work in residents’ front gardens.

We are also launching a new food growing project in the polytunnel and if you would like to be involved please email: hollylodgera@gmail.com

About 45 residents came to celebrate with Santa and mulled wine at the Holly Lodge Xmas party.

On November 10th 2018 we organised Holly Lodge’s first clothes swap event. Lots of residents brought along clothes and went home with others, new friends were formed and there were plans to organise a repair day for all those other clothes that we could mend or turn into something fabulous.

Huge thanks to Alison David and Shannon Francis for organising and for all the other volunteers for donating food (including Tesco’s), rails, time and fun.

On the 17th September, the HLRA held a very well attended AGM which voted in a new committee, discussed what had happened over 2017/18 as well as issues and activities for the next year. It was a joint AGM with the Holly Lodge Community Centre who also reported back on what they had been doing over the last year. All three of our ward Councillors – Oliver Lewis, Sian Berry, and Anna Wright – attended, as did Hugh Boatswain, the lead on Tenant Participation for Camden.

You can find the minutes and related reports on the Minutes page of this website. And you can also see a list of the new committee members.

Over 60 people responded to a questionnaire which was sent to all HLRA residents. That’s a 1 in 8 response rate. Thanks to everyone who filled the forms in online or by hand.

Here’s the full report of what you said.

And here are some of the headlines

What do you like best about living on Holly Lodge?

Top of the list at 62% – the greenery, semi rural feel and the gardens. About half like the quiet and calm; and a quarter the community and your neighbours.

What would you like to see improved?

The main area of concern is ground maintenance and gardens, then bins and recycling; repairs and contract management; followed by caretaking and car parking.

What would you like to see organised/get involved with?

The top three activities are: social events; a repair café; and clothes and item swaps. You are also interested in a business club, healthy eating events; first aid; gardening and computer training.

At the Community Centre, you’d like to see a film club, more exercise classes, art classes, a café and interest in the existing astronomy group.

We had a fantastic street party on Makepeace Mansions. Thanks to everyone who helped organise the day, brought food, and contributed to a wonderful day.

On Easter Friday the HRLA held an Easter Egg Hunt and social.

We had a fantastic turnout and nearly ran out of eggs!

About 60 people came from across the Estate to meet up, have a hot cross bun, paint eggs, plant flowers, and of course try to find those eggs ……….

We are very concerned that Camden Council may lock the fire escapes on the roof because of concerns about safety.

We asked you to email our local councillors and the cabinet member for housing, Meric Apak, to urge them not to lock the fire escape doors on the roofs and to improve the safety of the walkways between blocks. Lots of you did email and we received a very positive response and suggested ways forward from both Meric and local councillor, Oliver Lewis.

Here’s why we think this issue is important. Camden Council’s last Safety Review concluded that the fire doors leading to the roofs should be locked because they were worried about people’s safety on the roofs. We believe that this decision breaks fire regulations because buildings of this height should have two exits. Our flats are not ‘sealed units’ and therefore the Council’s advice is to evacuate in the event of fire rather than remain in flats. We therefore must have two escape routes.

We provided a SAMPLE LETTER for you to adapt.

After our public meeting last year, and our continuing consultations with Camden Council, we are pleased that they are taking forward the following fire safety measures:

• ensuring that all flat doors meet the ’30 minute’ fire safety standard – at no cost to tenants or leaseholders
• installing hard-wired smoke alarms in the communal areas of all blocks
• checking the wiring and fuse boxes of all tenants. Leaseholders are encouraged please to get their own wiring checked.