Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
St Ann's & Harringay Area Forum - 1st July 2014 at 6.30pm Cyprus Kitchen, Green Lanes N8
Agenda issues here
http://www.minutes.haringey.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=219&...
Tags for Forum Posts: area assembly, area forum
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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I keep on giving these meetings a chance and am usually disappointed with how they're run, but sometimes come across something very useful. Sadly they too often feel like they're just enabling going through the motions.
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Permalink Reply by Nick G-T on
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I've been to two of these meetings and was amazed by how poorly run they are. Not what I initally expected from a council led forum.
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I'd really appreciate any feedback on how these meetings are run - either previous meetings or this week's. Also, it would be really useful to get people's thoughts or suggestions on the agenda items. It's important residents find them useful and that we discuss the issues that people care about most.
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Have you been to any, James? I'd be genuinely interested in your view on them? How would you like to see them develop to better serve Harringay's population?
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Yep, been to loads Hugh! I think some have been useful (around budget issues, HMOs, recycling..) and others sometime feel like bureaucratic exercises with not enough dialogue. Let me have a proper think after Tuesday's meeting. I'm sure people giving their views on Harringay Online will be a good way to ensure we put the right issues on the agenda.
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James, don't you think that the hundreds (if not housands) of HOL comments over several years on its predecessor are still largely relevant to the revamped Forum. Has the Cyprus Kitchen venue even improved the refreshments menu? If your invitation for our comments and "feedback" is just a chance to raise your little flag on HOL, forget it. If you're looking for reams of pre-cooked feedback, have a trawl through HOL archives.
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As I said, I want to know what you think Old-Age. On the refreshments menu or whatever you feel is appropriate.
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Getting the meetings right isn't easy, I'm sure, James.
I think I'd start with thinking through what they are best suited to achieve, translating that into format and procedure revisions, bringing public clarity about what the objectives of the revised meetings are and ensuring that both those who run the meetings as well as those who attend stay on track.
As things stand, I'm not clear what the meetings aim to achieve, beyond some notion of being a forum for informing and listening (sort of). I'm left struggling to explain to my neighbours what benefits attending might offer beyond reading what's on the council website or on HoL.
For my part there are some information giving elements that are useful. It tends to be those where a presentation and Q&A is the best format for the particular issue. The new AD planning's session not so long ago about the site selection plans was a good use of time. In other instances, I'm sat wondering why I'm listening to a presentation and why the topic wasn't covered in a pre-meeting brief.
In general, there tends to be too much led from the front. The trick though is to develop a more engaged format whilst ensuring proceedings stay constructive and productive. The well intentioned efforts to open things out that have been tried in the past seem to have seen the meeting degenerate into an unproductive podium for complaints (many of which might be better dealt with at a councillor surgery) and dominated by a few voices.
I don't pretend to have ready answers. Sharing my observations is the easy bit, I know. There may be simple things to try such as offering pre-meeting surgeries and making it clear that certain issues should be addressed in them rather than in the open meeting. Could that help?
I'm sure there are solutions. It felt like David Brown was onto something for a while with the changes he tried, but they seemed to fizzle out after a while.
I know a good number of residents have tried the meetings never to return. They gave been put off by how things are run. That's a shame. I have to say I'm tending to vote with my feet too these day.
If you and your newly elected colleagues are serious about addressing this, I wish you the very best in finding the solutions which are no doubt to hand somewhere.
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PS: Here's one idea that never saw the light of day.
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James, I'ved added two tags below Karen's original post. These will link you to most previous HoL discussions on this issue. (In the main many discussions have ended up with both tags. So both lists may look very similar, but they may not be identical).
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Thanks Hugh - really helpful
I'll have a proper look a bit later.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Alexander on
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How many of the St Ann's & Harringay Area Forums have you attended James? It's an important question because our forums have quite a different feel from other areas and there are different issues which need to be addressed.
As a former councillor I found them a very poor way of interacting with the public. They are council driven rather than resident driven and that is something that fundamentally needs to change if they are to attract more residents and as a result more input and ideas. As a resident there is absolutely nothing to persuade me to give up my evening to attend one in their current form.
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