Royal Borough resident associations represent a powerful force in promoting the interests of residents against a whole range of opposing entities. Entities can be the Council or developers or the hedge fund manager who decides to excavate deep down into London's subterranea to provide himself with a swimming pool or car park for his classic car collection.
Speculatively there are some 60/70 associations in the Borough and there are generic issues that bind them together. Issues could be.......
- councillors allowances
- numbers of councillors
- restriction on how long the Leader remain in office
- basement excavations
- parking charges
So why not an umbrella organisation? It would be easy to organise, require little structuring and would give residents a hugely powerful voice. For once councillors would be forced to REALLY listen.
This is a very interesting idea. It also underlines the need for RA's to ensure that they are not in the pocket of the Council or councillors.
ReplyDeleteThe Council 'Resident Association of the Year' business is just a way of diluting the power of RA's.
Stay aloof-be vigilant and g=fight hard.
Aw bless, Hornet, you are an innocent!
ReplyDeleteOf course it's a brilliant idea, as ever, but given *some* of the people who run RAs, I can forsee merry hell.
It would be merry though, let's do it.
Why doesnt Residents First provide this umbrella organisation? It could be an advocate and first stop for advice.
ReplyDeleteUNITY IS STRENGTH
Ooh we like that idea 14.08.
ReplyDeleteCome out from behind the bike-shed, Residents' First, your turn to play Centre Forward.
because Residents first is one person, it never meets, it has no minutes and it exists to keep someone ego alive
ReplyDelete15:29
ReplyDeleteYeah yeah that's why Mosley,grandson of the Nazi lover had to use Residents
First for his silly leaflet.
Good to see he is keen to keep an eye on 'licensed premises' in the Borough.
Might be ableto keep his Uncle Max out of his S&M dungeons.
What's this 15.44? How did Residents First help the decorative candidate for Brompton?
ReplyDeleteAre you telling me that 'Skippy' Scipio is walking into a Council role without doing any work at all for it? Now that would be a first ... not.
Frankly I despair with the by-election candidates; we will never get decent people in while there is such a stink in the Council.
As a member of a residents association I think an umbrella organisation is a very good idea.
ReplyDeleteIt can be a forum for sharing news and views and to advise and assist each association with specific issues that nay have arisen elsewhere.
Couple that with joint approaches on projectsxand proposals also share costs with legal issues printing and distribution it is an excellent opportunity.
I shall raise it at our next meeting and urge other RA members to do the same.
Oh Goody lets see if anyone passes this test.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rbkc.gov.uk/communityandlocallife/communityengagement/goldstandard.aspx
If they do I would like to welcome an umbrella organisation.
Instead of being anoymous, lets say the RA we are known to and approach this idea with - I will goto the Kensington Society. Any one else?
This is an excellent idea in principle. Our concern must be the abiding impression that certain RBKC residents' associations have long been chaired by party political placemen; under the control of Hornton Street. It is not difficult to pick out affected associations; by noting a certain supine attitude towards potentially damaging development proposals etc. The Kensington & Chelsea Chronicle is very helpful in this area; and now we have the Hornet. A 'federation' of RBKC RAs is a project tailor made for Residents First. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThis is a new and revolutionary idea for Resident Associations. Lets hope they see the sense of dragging themselves into the 21st Century.
ReplyDeleteQuestion for all Association Chairmen and Chairwomen to ask themselves. What difference did I make?