Polices of the BRA

Constitution of the Belsize Residents Association

1. Purposes

The purposes of the Association were:

to advise and support members of the Association collectively, and where appropriate individually, in the promotion and protection of their concerns in the area;
to advise and support Belsize residents collectively in the promotion and protection of their interests;
to advise and where appropriate support local resident groups within Belsize:
to act to maintain, defend and improve public services within Belsize;
to foster a sense of community within Belsize;
to encourage the formulation of local area resident groups within Belsize to protect their particular interests and to liaise with the Association through representative membership.

The interests of members and residents were taken to include: public services and amenities; planning, development and conservation; public transport, traffic and parking.

The Association did not align itself with any political party.

2. Membership

Membership was open to all residents of Belsize ward and adjacent areas who accepted the Constitution of the Association and paid an annual subscription at a rate determined from time to time by the Annual General Meeting.

3. Officers and Committee

The Officers of the Association consisted of a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. The day-to-day running of the Association was in the hands of a Committee of up to twelve members who shall be elected at an Annual General Meeting. At its first meeting following the AGM the Committee shall elect from among its elected members a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and such other officers as may be appropriate. These appointments shall be notified to members.

The Committee had powers to co-opt members up to the maximum number. Five members shall constitute a quorum and members who have been absent without notice for three consecutive meetings may be asked to resign.

The Committee should meet at least six times during the year.

4. General Meetings

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) should be held annually in the spring with three weeks notice to members. The business of the AGM shall be:

to receive a report from the Chairman on the activities of the Association and the Committee over the preceding year;
to receive for approval a financial statement and report from the Treasurer;
to elect from nominations received prior to the AGM up to twelve Committee members to serve for the following twelve months.

A minimum of ten members should have the right to require the Committee to call a General Meeting with a minimum of seven days’ notice to members. Additional general meetings will be held as required to determine policy and for other purposes which the Committee thinks useful.

Last amended in November 2007.

General Policies of the Belsize Residents Association

Political Status

The Belsize Residents Association was a non-political body.

Planning

The Belsize Residents Association’s detailed responses to Camden Council’s Local Development Framework proposals in 2010 had a good deal of influence on the final shape of the document. In commenting on planning applications we generally attempted to ensure that Camden Council abided by the policies set out in that Framework and in the Belsize Conservation Area statement.

Neighbourhood Forum and Local Development Plan

The BRA strongly supported moves in Belsize to set up a local development forum and create a local development plan as provided for under the Localism Act 2011.

Basements

The Belsize Residents Association consistently opposed basements that extend beyond the footprint of the existing building or are deeper than one storey. The BRA was a member of CRAAC, a federation of Residents’ Associations campaigning to strengthen Camden Council’s policy formulation and implementation in this area.

Locally listed buildings

The BRA supported Camden Council’s local list of buildings, street features and landscapes that make a valuable contribution to the local area and are entitled to special protection within the planning process. Following its successful campaign to prevent the demolition of architecturally important buildings at 2c and 2d Belsize Park Gardens the BRA, alongside other local associations, lobbied Camden Council to create the list and nominated a number of local buildings for inclusion.

Estate Agent Boards

The BRA supported Camden Council’s ban on Estate Agents boards in the Belsize and Hampstead conservation areas.

Trees

The BRA worked to maintain the benefits Belsize gains from many mature trees in our streets and private gardens. In Conservation Areas, any severe pruning or felling of a tree requires permission from Camden Council. This also applies to trees with preservation orders (TPOs). Members were encouraged to be aware of the condition of trees in their neighbourhood and anyone concerned about a particular tree or trees can contact Camden Council’s Tree teams. The BRA reviewed all tree applications and the responses may be found in the Committee Minutes in the BRA Archive.

High Speed 2

The BRA was very concerned about the likely impact of construction work for the High Speed 2 railway line which will run across the southern part of Belsize. The BRA submitted a Petition* to Parliament, seeking mitigation of the effects of HS2 construction works on Belsize and expressing ecological and heritage concerns.

Streets and Transport

The BRA aimed to strike an appropriate balance between the needs of walkers, cyclists, drivers and public transport users and to seek the best solutions for Belsize residents. Issues of concern were raised with Camden Council and we responded to all consultations undertaken by the council on issues likely to be of concern to members. These included issues such as licensing policy, gambling policy etc. Responses were formulated by the committee having regard to any comments they received from members.

*A Petition is a formal document drafted in a special form. It is a request to be heard by a Parliamentary Select Committee on issues set out in the Petition.