24 January 2019
Written By hncp

HNCC Chair update

Robert Aitkin, Chair of the HNCC on the progress of the Bertran Street redevelopment project:

I am delighted to restate the primary purpose of our thriving community centre on the cusp of the exciting redevelopment of our Bertram Street site.

We aim to be a self sufficient community based organisation which provides welcoming, supportive, enriching activities and services within our community, with a special emphasis on young and elderly users.

On 14 February the current plans for redevelopment of the site go before Camden’s Planning Committee. The redevelopment will largely be paid for by Camden’s plan for 41 flats .

HNCC has already decanted to various places locally including Hargrave Hall near Archway for our under 5s service and local churches (United Reformed Church Pond Square Highgate and there are plans for St Anne’s and St Mary’s Dartmouth Park) and Holly Lodge for community lunches and older persons activities, art and shortly also woodwork.

Significant changes have been made to the plans as a result of the various stages in the consultation process. While there remain concerns about a range of issues, including overdevelopment, significant adjustments have been made to take account of some of these concerns. The inclusion of 7 units for Camden Living/social housing, strongly supported by HNCC, is a noteworthy adjustment achieved over the original plans.

The HNCC board are supporting Camden in its planning application as we believe this is a great opportunity to gain a first rate, fit for purpose, facility for the benefit of our community.

This temporarily dispersed operation will have its challenges but is also an opportunity to spread our community offering more widely. Once back in the redeveloped centre, currently planned towards the end of 2020, in addition to the activities planned from the new centre we hope to continue to provide some services also from other sites within the wider community, having gained good experience of this wider community offering during the redevelopment.

Do have a look at the rest of our website for full details of activities we undertake (go to the menu bar top left hand side and click on projects).

As always we are always on the look out for more local volunteers and indeed new trustees to improve further how and what we can offer. If interested in volunteering in relation to older persons services contact Larraine Revah (revah.larraine@outlook.com).  Volunteers for other activities should contact the Director Andrew Sanalitro (andrewhncc@outlook.com). Those interested in a trustee role should contact me (rgsaitken@hotmail.com or 07986 836 288).

Robert Aitken
Chair HNCC