NATIONAL GRID SELLS RESIDENTS DOWN THE SWANEE AGAIN

National Grid's cynicism seemingly knows no bounds. After 5 years of misery and disruption inflicted on, and forcibily endured by residents of Hillstowe Street during the upgrade of Hackney Substation, their lives (and properties) will again be blighted for at least another 5 years to accommodate National Grid's London Tunnels Project and subsequent North London Reinforcement Project.

Despite 2 flawed public consultations to identify an ALTERNATE route to that of Hillstowe Street during these projects, and innumerable time consuming - and as it turns out time wasting - meetings with residents to resolve this problem, the outcome of National Grid's "considerations" is now in. No surprise, residents have again been betrayed by National Grid!

National Grid's two chosen Access Routes - both completely inappropriate - and indeed contradictory to the result of the second consultation are:-

1. Route 4: along Millfields Road - although this is supposed to be the "Main Access Route", it will carry only Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs).

2. Route 10: along Hillstowe Street which will carry all Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs).

In view of the Materials / Equipment / Plant to be transported to and from the site, Hillstowe Street will again bear the brunt of this traffic.

We wish it could be said that the "Consultation" at Nye Bevan on May 17th will shed any light or hope on this scandalous situation. It won't, because it's yet, and has been, another DONE DEAL!

It remains another explained mystery as to why planning permission was not sought for a TEMPORARY ALTERNATE ACCESS (using Route 8) was not pursued nor applied for.

More details to follow shortly.

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NATIONAL GRID SELLS RESIDENTS DOWN THE SWANEE AGAIN

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Update on National Grid's London Cable Tunnel Project

Following leaflet National Grid's recent (confusing) leaflet on its reinforcement project, it was distributed the following letter to a smaller number of households living near Millfields. 

In the earlier leaflet, NG indicated that the exhibition it will be holding on Tuesday 17 May was about how we (the public) could have our say on the proposals and options. The NG website talks about a consultation process going on inot the Autumn.

What was not made clear earlier in the earlier leaflet or NG's website is that:


• work on the cable tunnel project will begin this June. There's no details provided on how the debris from tunnelling will be remove from the site or an calcualtion of the impact on local residents;
• The letter also indicates that the event on the 17th May will also display the outcome of NG's extensive and flawed consultation for an alternative route through the park.
 

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Update on National Grid's London Cable Tunnel Project

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National Grid's reinforcement project

National Grid is currently 'consulting' on its North London Reinforcement Project to upgrade its  overhead lines that run from Waltham Cross Substation to Hackney Substation in London. Its distributed a leaflet (which isn't particularly easy to follow) and there's more info on its website on what's planned:
National Grid
The project has 5 key strands to enable the overhead lines to operate at a higher voltage of 400kV. These are:
1. replacing existing conductors along the entire route with wires that carry more power;
2. building significant new infrastructure at Waltham Cross Substation;
3. installing two replacement 400kV/132kV transformers at Brimsdown Substation;
4. diverting existing overhead lines around Tottenham Substation; and
5. undertaking work that already has consent at Hackney Substation.



The work at Hackney Substation consists of:-


• Replacing two 400kV / 132kV transformers with new 400kV/66kV transformers


• Connecting the upgraded Waltham Cross to Hackney overhead line to the substation


• Removing 2 redundant 400kV /132kV transformers


It remains to be seen how much disruption it may cause for Millfields and its local residents. Lea Valley park users may also be disrupted with possible closures of towpaths, canals,  open spaces and nature reserves.

There's a consultation event at Nye Bevan Community Hall on 17 May (2pm - 8pm). Not sure why its called a consultation when National Grid are stressing it already has consent to proceed with the Hackney Substation work.

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National Grid's reinforcement project

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National Grid and the masterplan

Hackney Council has finally responded to a Freedom of Information request submitted on 28 January regarding its contract with National Grid for its substation on Millfields. How's that for a lack of commitment by Hackney to the FOI legislation which requires them to respond within 20 working days?

The response confirmed, as was previously known, that National Grid pay £34k per annum for 7 years from 1 October 2007 and that  Hackney has so far received received payments totally £119k. What was not disclosed previously was that National Grid also paid Hackney £71k in 2009-10 for easement to lay electric cable within Millfields. Hackney have therefore confirmed that there is £190k available for spending on Millfields masterplan projects - not the £120k figure previously circulated by the Millfields User Group (MUG) Committee.

Interesting that the papers for next week's MUG  meeting (Monday 11 April @ 7 for 7.30 at Nye Bevan Comunity Hall, Overbury Street E5 0AH) suggest the masterplan projects are not going to be discussed (the focus is just to be on the biodiversity work), despite some of the projects getting ready to go - such as the pathway through the orchard on south Millfields.

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National Grid and the masterplan

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Well that didn't hurt, did it?

Don't you feel better for sharing with the group? 

Millfields Users Group: Project priorities and National Grid rent: "From our LBH Parks Development Officer, Bruce Irving 'Millfields MasterplanThe Millfields Park User group identified a number of projects fr..."

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Well that didn't hurt, did it?

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Warning: property of the Committee

One of the issues we had been battling to get to the bottom of, via last year's MUG Committee, was  details of National Grid's licence agreement with Hackney Council for its sub-station in Millfields. In particular:



1. What is the annual amount National Grid pay Hackney Council for the site on Millfields? How long has this arrangement been in place?


2. What are the terms of the agreement between Hackney Council and National Grid about how this money should be spent (for example, is it intended to finance the general upkeep of the Millfields park, specific masterplan projects within Millfields or is it not intended for use on the park?).


3. How have the funds received been spent over the last three financial years?


4. How much funds received from National Grid under this arrangement is still available for spending on Millfields?


The reason this is particularly important is to ensure there is complete transparency that the decision on the alternative route through the park for National Grid is completely independent of any funding National Grid might provide towards a Master Plan project.  One can not be allowed to determine the other. It is also very important, given the financial situation, which is going to mean that even funding for basic maintenance will be an issue this year.


Having got nowhere trying to get a definitive response via the Committee, Millfields Blog resorted to an FOI request which is due for reply within the next few days. Coincidently, Cllr Rathbone, the outgoing Chair, has finally now responded to us with the information. But he has told us we can't share it with you:


"The information is not public, it is the property of the committee to which it is submitted to so should not be generally released without the agreement of the Secretary and/or Chair." 


So we have the information, but you can't (or not at least until we get our FOI response)! 


In the meantime, if you're interested to know the answer please email the new Chair and Secretary to request the information. Their respective email addresses are:-


robert@benge860.freeserve.co.uk
and
timevans@gn.apc.org


(You might also want to ask them if they intend for this year's Committee meeting minutes in future to be shared with park users - policy to date is MUG members don't get to see them.)
 
If you'd like to email Cllr Rathbone on why he didn't think the AGM might be a good opportunity to consult park users on how the NG funding available might have been used on the park this year, his email address is:
ian.rathbone@hackney.gov.uk

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Warning: property of the Committee

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National Grid: October minutes

Only just noticed the minutes from October National Grid meeting were posted on the We Love Millfields facebook page: National Grid October meeting.
Things don't seem to have moved on much so thought worth noting here.

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National Grid: October minutes

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MUG Annual General Meeting

MUG is having its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 10 February. The venue is the Nye Bevan Community Hall, Overbury Street, E5 0AH. There will be refreshments from 7pm, with the meeting starting at 7.30pm.
It should include updates on the Masterplan, the National Grid alternative route through the park (in the unlikely case that  NG have done anything which could even loosely be termed as “progress”) and details on the new communications strategy, including the MUG website.
It will also be voting the appointment of this year’s Committee, including the Chair and Secretary positions – so its really important as many people as possible turn out to show their support and have their say on what they want to happen with the park.  
Sadly, Brian Weller has decided to step down this year as Secretary. Although this blog has disagreed with Brian on some of the issues relating to the park, it does think he’ll be an extremely hard / impossible act to follow as Secretary. Not sure if his mind is completely made up – if you’d like to encourage him to stay on, his email address is: brianandsueweller@hotmail.com

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MUG Annual General Meeting

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National Grid fencing

National Grid are finally taking down the ugly green fencing around the sub-station that has intruded into the park (due to be finished Tuesday).  Good of course that some of the trees that had been within the site boundary are back in the park. Not sure it is, as National Grid claim, "restoring this area to the parkland" given it effectively extends the road that runs from Hillstowe Street so that it goes right through to Millfields Road.

 

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National Grid fencing

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National Grid - shame on you

It is shocking that National Grid have yet to resolve the access route issues through South Millfields despite holding two public consultations.
The picture above shows how the National Grid current route (Route 10) dissects part of the park. Since 2005, it has also disrupted the lives of Hillstowe Street’s residential community in order to upgrade its sub-station. Hillstowe Street is a small cul de sac in Lea Bridge conservation area.





From 2005-10, a jaw dropping number  of heavy load vehicles have accessed the National Grid site using Hillstowe Street as its only access route. After five years of misery and protests from Hillstowe Street residents, National Grid finally committed - and following its announcement that further major works lasting until 2016 was in the offing - to undertake a consultation process to take this industrial traffic away from Hillowstowe Street. 
Despite holding two consultation exercise, no progress at all appears to have been made and you do have to wonder if National Grid are committed to honestly finding and driving through a solution. With new major works now underway and not scheduled to be completed until 2016, let’s hope that National Grid pulls it finger out and finds  a way forward that gives local blighted residents back their quiet street.




Local councillors suggest that Hackney planning are likely to resist any new route through the park. I’m not convinced Route 8 in particular is any longer than the existing route and it makes a great deal more sense in terms of the Masterplan for the park. The siting of the Pavillion, in particular, makes no sense if the existing route isn't moved. 
Extract from Masterplan: 

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National Grid - shame on you

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