The Vaccine Bus will be at Swiss Cottage Market on Saturday 10^th June, 11am-4pm. This is a free, walk-in service with no appointment necessary. The Vaccine Bus offers 1^st and 2^nd primary doses to anyone 12yrs (Year 8) and above and Spring Boosters to anyone over 75 or with a qualifying health condition.

The May BelSoc Newsletter is online as a pdf.

Welcome to the May Newsletter of the Belsize Society.

We held our AGM in March, and this issue describes some of the discussion. We were pleased to host Camden’s Clean Air Strategy lead who spoke about the new action plan.

This Newsletter has two articles with a royal feel, with Averil Nottage writing about the connections between past kings and queens and Belsize. Her research even includes a coronation event. We also report on the planting of trees to commemorate last year’s Platinum Jubilee, with Eton Avenue now enhanced with three trees currently relishing the spring rains. 

The Newsletter reports on events in the coming months organised by the Friends of Belsize Community Library. We hope to we see some of you in June when we co-host with the Friends a talk about Erno Goldfinger’s Willow Road house. The Newsletter also covers an exhibition currently at the Isokon Gallery about the Mall Studios, an artists’ enclave in NW3.

There is a piece in the issue about retrofitting our homes to reduce energy usage. It looks at options especially where properties are located in a conservation area. The piece also asks for members to contact the Society if they are interested in retrofitting.

With the Newsletter, you’ll see the annual request for members to let the Society know about any trades people they would recommend. We would welcome suggestions for the 2023 Tradesmen You Can Trust.

We were saddened to hear about the passing of Neil Harris, the Society’s Treasurer. The Newsletter includes some memories of Neil, who will be much missed.

Enjoy this Newsletter.

The Queen’s Green Canopy was a nationwide initiative created to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and was due to conclude in December 2022, the end of the Jubilee year. However, in accordance with the wishes of His Majesty The King, the initiative was extended to the end of March 2023 so that more trees could be planted in memoriam to honour Her Majesty and create a living legacy and lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s extraordinary service to her country and her people.

We are happy to announce that three trees were planted at the beginning of March on the ‘island’ at the junction of Eton Avenue, Lancaster Grove, Lambolle Place and Eton Garages, and the planting is recorded on the QGC map – https://queensgreencanopy.org/map-education-hub/qgc-map

Guided by Camden Tree Department, we chose a Crab Apple (Malus yunnanensis var. veitchii), a Hazel (Corylus colurna) and a Tasselled Cherry (Prunus litigiosa). It is hoped that these three trees (plus the established Horse Chestnut) will provide interest from spring through to autumn. Immediately after planting, we were somewhat underwhelmed by the overall impact but the three trees have evidently enjoyed the wet spring and are growing apace, with the Cherry producing a good display of blossom in April.

We were pleased to have the trees planted in time to appear on the Queen’s Green Canopy map but the project is not yet complete. The project has local CIL funds earmarked for resurfacing the island and adding an extra bench or two. We will press on with our efforts to get these improvements implemented. This project has had the unwavering support of all Belsize Ward’s councillors, from both before and after the May 2022 local elections, and we are particularly grateful to Cllr Matthew Kirk, without whose determined efforts we would still be waiting for the trees to be planted. 

We are fortunate to live in a beautiful conservation area like Belsize Park.  But there is a downside: our Victorian and Edwardian homes are chilly in winter and expensive to heat. They are not very “climate friendly”, one of our local councillors says that Belsize ward has one of the highest carbon footprints in Camden.   

Provost Road – credit: David Percy

We are planning to run a half-day event later this year to learn more about what is involved in “climate proofing” our homes. We also hope to organise a visit to a local house to see for ourselves the benefits – and pitfalls – of a retrofit.

On average 35% of our homes’ heat is lost through the external walls, 25% through the roof, 15% through the windows, 8% where the roof meets the walls, and 5% through the chimneys and the party walls.

We plan to discuss how to reduce these losses and the amount of heating needed.

External walls can be lined with wood or mineral fibre insulation.  Front walls of buildings in a conservation area cannot be lined on the outside, but they can be lined on the inside. This reduces the room sizes slightly, involves removing and replacing the radiators and electrical points and is disruptive.  So what else can we do?  There are many options.  Side and rear external walls which can’t be seen from the street can be lined on the outside.  This involves removing and replacing the rainwater downpipes and extending the window sills.

Laying mineral wool insulation, the more the better, in the roof space is relatively simple and cost-effective.

Double glazing traditional single glazed sash windows should replicate the original window design, with thin glazing bars and timber framing.

You will need planning permission for these changes, but it shouldn’t be a problem on this basis.

A lot of us live in flats.  It is unlikely that you will be able to insulate your external walls on the outside, and you may not have a roof space.  Double glazing should be possible.

Gas or oil boilers can be replaced by an air source heat pump or by electric heating. An air source heat pump looks a bit like an air conditioning unit, so it has to be positioned carefully.  Larger radiators will be needed because a heat pump produces heat at a lower temperature than gas or oil.  Underfloor heating should be considered when installing a new floor.

Solar panels, positioned on the sunny side of the roof and not visible from the street, help provide electricity and hot water.

Retrofits are complex and demand expert advice and skilled tradesmen.  So we are planning to expand Tradesmen You Can Trust to include them.  We also want to discuss what measures homeowners can take collaboratively to cut costs.

Have you got experience about your own retrofit plans you would like to share with us?  Would you like to hear more about the options and join our new retrofit initiative?  We will share more details of our plans in the next Newsletter, but it would be very helpful to know how many members would be interested.  Please contact us on retrofit@belsize.org.uk.

There is a community launch of the Camden Clean Air Action Plan, taking place on Friday 10th March from 12 midday to 3pm at The Doreen Bazell Hall in Somers Town (1 Goldington Street, NW1 1UG). The event is free with registration on eventbrite,  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/camden-clean-air-action-plan-launch-tickets-557737767677

The February BelSoc Newsletter is online as a pdf.

Welcome to the February Newsletter of the Belsize Society.

In this Newsletter, we bring you an article by Averil Nottage where she shares her research on Old Bailey records about duels in Chalk Farm. (Averil will also be giving a talk at the Library on another aspect of local history, `Artists, Refugees and Spies in Belsize in the 1930s’.)

Across the Newsletter, we update you on some initiatives being taken in the area. One focuses on the cost of living, with a meeting being held recently exploring the support available to those affected, and the options for taking a community led approach. The Council has recently consulted on climate change and the Society responded to this. A piece in the Newsletter covers what we said. We also cover a skills support intervention focusing on IT and the latest on the planning application regarding Howitt Close. The Newsletter has updates from the Isokon Gallery and some tips on bulky waste collection.

It was great to see many of you at the carol singing before Christmas. People were very generous in donating to the Marie Curies Hospice. We hope to see you again at the AGM, when we will be returning to the Belsize Square Synagogue, and able to talk about the Society and enjoy cakes and tea together. 

Hope you enjoy the Newsletter.

In December the Council asked Camden residents: “How ready are we for a changing climate?” The aim of asking residents for their views is so that Camden can better understand community experiences of extreme weather events.  Camden said: 

“Extreme weather events such as flooding, overheating, and drought, are now occurring more frequently than ever before. We all experienced this in the summer with the two-day heatwave, and extreme cold is also likely to occur in a more volatile climate.  We need to ensure residents, vital services, and businesses in the borough are able to adapt when such events happen.

We will shortly be presenting a new strategy to the council’s cabinet setting out our approach to managing flood risk in Camden, but we need to go further than this and consider all weather extremes. Next year, we will be developing our first Climate Resilience Plan and we want our communities to be a part of this journey.”

They invited us to respond to a survey.  Feedback received from the survey should help inform the Climate Resilience Plan and, crucially, should enable Camden to develop its services in line with community needs in order to ensure that we are better prepared for these events in the future.  

BelSoc responded under their various headings with the following suggestions

• produce an information sheet to be delivered to every household on which hazards are possible and how to respond to them
• issue warnings of forecasted hazardous events in social media and the local press
• create a team to assist those in difficulty and to help clear up after any damage
• install public drinking water dispensers
• maintain drinking fountains and pools for children
• subsidise the issue of water butts
• discourage non-porous hard standings
• ensure that street and park drains are kept clear
• issue flood barriers to vulnerable properties
• provide free advice in the home on retrofitting insulation, solar panels and heat pumps
• continue discouraging the use of fossil fuels
• encourage the planting and maintenance of trees and hedges.

The Council are hoping to arrange a number of small workshops to talk more specifically about experiences and to share ideas about how to prepare collectively for the future and we hope to be able to participate.

January was a rollercoaster for residents and neighbours of Howitt Close. On 5 January, Camden Planning Officers announced that they were recommending approval of the second planning application to add an extra storey of seven flats on top of Howitt Close; a complete volte-face after their robust rejection of the first 2021 planning application. On 9 January, it was announced that the Planning Committee of Camden Councillors would make their final decision on Howitt Close at the hearing on 19 January. The residents and neighbours of the mansion block, who will be so badly affected by the development, felt that they were being treated with complete disrespect as they had had to wait 8 months for the Planning Officers to release their decision on the 2021 planning application, but now had a mere 10 days to prepare for the Planning Committee. However, the hasty attempt to add Howitt Close to the 19 January hearing backfired as the wrong papers were attached to the formal notice of the meeting, and the hearing had to be postponed until 30 January.

BelSoc’s application to add Howitt Close to the Local List of Heritage Buildings last October had proved insufficient to stop the Planning Officers, who appear determined to vandalise a building they described last year as “a complete composition of considerable charm which, through good design suits its context well.” An application for Grade II listing had been discussed amongst BelSoc Committee members and the decision was reached that it was ‘Now or Never.’ BelSoc Committee Member, Barbara Abraham, had already researched the history of Howitt Close and its architects, Henry F Webb & Ash, but considerable further work was needed to construct, review and finalise a credible application to Historic England for Grade II Listing. This was submitted to HE late on 26 January and Camden’s Planning Committee was informed the next day.

At the same time as the listing application was being prepared, three key players (Tom Symes for BelSoc, David Thomas, Chairman of the Belsize Conservation Area Advisory Committee and BelSoc committee member, and Sally McFall, who has campaigned tirelessly for Howitt Close residents and neighbours) were frantically preparing and rehearsing their joint presentation to the Planning Committee, to ensure that they were ready to put forward all the critical arguments to Camden Councillors on the night.

All this activity came to an abrupt stop at 11pm on Friday 27th, when Belsize Councillor Tom Simon emailed to advise that Camden Council had cancelled the hearing of the planning application until after Historic England has decided on the Grade II Listing. It has been an extremely stressful start to the year for all those who care about preserving Howitt Close.

It is always very irritating to see large items dumped on the pavements of Belsize in the vain hope or misguided expectation that they will be collected by Veolia with ordinary waste on bin day. That does not happen, of course.  

Veolia can collect large items that do not fit in your bin, including beds or mattresses, broken furniture like sofas or chairs, and extra bags of rubbish.  To book a collection, you should contact Veolia on 020 3567 8105.  Help to move items for collection to the outside edge of your property can be provided by Camden’s handyperson service (charges apply).  Large electrical items can be collected for free by Clearabee, or also by Veolia for a separate charge.  You are entitled to two free collections a year if you are a Camden resident and are aged 65 and over, or receive 100% Council Tax Support.  You should email uk.occamden@veolia.com to find out more about the service.

Bulky waste, including reusable furniture  and  large items that do not fit in your bin, can still be taken to Regis Road reuse and recycling centre in Kentish Town.

The Love Clean Streets app can be used to report street cleaning issues, such as illegally dumped rubbish, dog mess, graffiti and litter, using your smartphone. You can report fly-tipping online through the Love Clean Streets web page (camden.lovecleanstreets.com/help) or by calling Veolia on 020 3567 8105.

On 1 February, a meeting was held in Belsize Community Library about the cost of living.  The meeting brought together ward councillors, community organisations and local groups, schools, health partners, council services and individuals in Belsize to work towards: 

• A shared understanding of the local cost of living crisis support available to people living in the Belsize wards of Camden – so that everyone can signpost people and help communicate local offers of support.
• A community-led approach to understanding the gaps in the local support offer and agreeing how to tackle them – including agreeing applications to the Council’s Cost of Living Crisis community response fund.  The Council has established this fund to support people and communities through this winter, and Belsize ward has an allocation of £15,000.00. Examples of community action this fund could support include development of warm spaces or food projects, personal hygiene provision and warm clothes projects.

Applications for part of the £15,000.00 funding pot for Belsize were due by Friday 10 February.  We hope to keep you posted on the allocation of funds.