PARKSIDE VOICE 
 NEWSLETTER

Taking pride in our estate
FOR THE TENANTS AND RESIDENTS OF PARKSIDE ESTATE HOUGHTON REGIS

OCTOBER 2006

Chair Person’s Bit

Hello and welcome to your October issue of the Parkside Voice newsletter.  The past few months have been a quiet time for our committee, with most of our work being centred on the garden-clearing project.  We were lucky enough to secure some funding for this project from running the barbecue at the Nisa Today football tournament in June.  Keishor Patel, who owns both local Nisa stores, kindly donated all profits from the BBQ to the committee.  8 hours of cooking burgers was hard work, but definitely worth it, as it gave us the much-needed money to buy some gardening equipment!  We have been using this to help clear overgrown and messy gardens for those who are unable to do it themselves.  We received some help, on one of these projects, from a new volunteer, and you can read an account of her experience later in this newsletter.

To finish off this year we have two more projects in the pipeline.  Saturday 14th October is the date of our next open meeting.  We are pleased to present the Regional Manager of Co-Operative Stores, David Baxter, who is coming to inform tenants and residents, what the plans are for the Houghton Regis Co-Op site.   Come along and find out what will be happening on Saturday 14th between 2 – 4.00pm at Houghton Regis Baptist Church, Hammersmith Gardens.  Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served, so come down for a cuppa and a chat!
Secondly we are now working towards our Christmas party, scheduled for Saturday 9th December 2006, Kingsland Community Centre, 3.00-9.00pm.  We are pleased to be running this event in partnership with South Beds District Council again this year.  Last year over 300 of you turned up and we hope to make this year’s party even better than last year’s, so put the date on your calendar, and have something festive to look forward to!

More information on both of these events follows in this newsletter, but for any further enquiries please contact us using the form at the back of this newsletter, or check out our website at www.parksidevoice.org.uk
Best wishes,
Jessica Murray

New Housing Development in Sandringham Drive

Aldwyck Housing Group is in the process of preparing plans for a new housing development in Sandringham Drive.

There will be approximately 180 properties.- 106 properties for private sale and 74 properties for affordable housing.

“We are looking for the highest quality designs that will integrate sustainable, contemporary architecture with landscape designs”, said Steve Morris, Aldwyck’s Regional Development Manager.  There will be communal areas and open spaces creating a pleasant, thriving and community focused development.  In order to achieve this, Aldwyck has appointed the Royal Institute of British Architects to hold a competition to identify the Architects best suited to deliver a project of this stature. The first phase of the competition has been completed, attracting 63 entries from the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa.

The 63 entries have now been shortlisted to six, who will now have until the 6th November 2006 to prepare an innovative, high quality design proposal for the site.  Aldwyck Housing Group will hold a public exhibition of the six design proposals, and would welcome your comments on each of them to assist in the selection of the winner of the competition. The date and location of the public exhibition will be advertised in your local newspapers nearer the time.

Once the Architect has been appointed, they will prepare their designs in more detail to enable a planning application to be submitted. We are keen to involve representatives from the local community in the project group, whilst the detailed designs are being produced. Construction of the dwellings is likely to start in summer 2007.

Aldwyck Housing Group is based in Houghton Regis and manages around 8000 properties in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The project is a partnership with South Bedfordshire District Council, Luton Borough Council and the Housing Corporation.

c/o Dunstable Leisure Centre
Court Drive
Dunstable
Beds
LU5 4JD

Telephone: 01582 609351

Grove Theatre Countdown to Curtain Up

Your new local theatre is rapidly taking shape in Grove House Gardens, Dunstable, just a short drive from Parkside. The exciting new venue, is due to open in just 7 months time in April 2007.

Leisure Connection who will manage the theatre on behalf of South Bedfordshire District Council have been in talks with some of the Country’s top theatre producers and the first season’s programme is currently being finalised to be announced just before Christmas.  The opening season will offer a mix of shows including musicals, drama, opera and comedy to name a few and promises to provide something to suit all tastes, a perfect opportunity for a night out with friends and neighbours.

Following the completion of the structural framework, the focus is now on the internal installations and work has begun on electrical systems, glazing and theatre specific technical equipment including a counterweight flying system which will enable to theatre to house large scale productions.

With seating available at both stalls and circle levels, it has recently been announced the theatre will seat 780 theatregoers offering a slightly increased capacity than originally proposed. If you would like to join the mailing list and be one of the first to find out more about the theatre development and programme of events visit  www.grovetheatre.co.uk or send your name and address to Mailing List, Grove Theatre, c/o Dunstable Leisure Centre, Court Drive, Dunstable, Beds LU5 4JD

Coffee Morning for the Over 50’s

Are you over 50 & interested in
meeting new people, chatting over a cuppa
& learning new hobbies?

Why not come along to an
” Over 50’s” Coffee Morning

On

Wednesday 4th & 11th October

At

The Baptist Church,
Hammersmith Gardens, Houghton Regis

From

10.30am – 12.30pm

                          
For further information please call Laura on 01582 864965.

SORTED Youth Counselling Project
A FREE and confidential Service.

       FOR?       Young people aged between 13 and 25 years in the
                       Dunstable & Houghton Regis Area.
       WHERE? The Place, 76A High Street North, Dunstable, 
                       Beds. LU6 1NF
       WHEN?   Mondays 2:30-5:30pm, Wednesdays 2:30-6:30pm
                      & Thursdays 3:30-6:30pm.
       HOW?     Call us on 01582 890296

Credit Union

Have you heard of Credit Union? Well I have because I do a couple of hours a week voluntary work for them!  It’s a very good savings / borrowing scheme, with a very low interest rate,  (1% per month to be precise!)  Trouble is, they need more members, so if you are thinking of saving for a rainy day, or want to start putting some money aside for Christmas, why not try Credit Union.
The Houghton Regis collection point is:-
St Thomas’ Church, Lowry Drive.
Every Wednesday 10.00- 12.00pm
For more information please contact 01582 – 494500
or check out the website at  www.moneymatterscreditunion .co.uk

Denise Barber

OPEN MEETING Saturday 14th October
2:00 - 4:00pm
the Baptist church,
hammersmith gardens
Want to know what the co-op
Have got planned for their Houghton Regis site???
Come along to the Parkside Voice
open meeting with guest speaker, 
CO-OP Regional Manager, David Baxter.
Have your questions answered.

As always, tea coffee and biscuits will be provided.

Are you interested in helping out with some of the projects that we run in the local area?  Here is one resident’s account of her experience of Parkside.

I feel very lucky to Iive in Parkside as I have very friendly neighbours. An example of this was when I started to improve an area of amenity land near to my house which had become overgrow and unsightly. One of my neighbours had divided some of her garden plants and put them in this small piece of land. This has inspired me to share some of my plants this autumn when I divide them and hopefully get to know my neighbours a bit better.  
I have really enjoyed helping other members of Parkside Voice this year, which involved clearing a garden for someone who was unable to do it for themselves. What was particularly nice was that one of her neighbours joined in and supplied a bottle of wine and a few beers! Like most people, I lead a busy life working full time and have family commitments, but am glad that I have given an odd hour of it to help others where I live. This kind of activity has proved to be fun, and what little time I had to help was greatly appreciated by other members of Parkside Voice.
Hannah Bailey  - Chelsea Gardens

Do you fancy giving some time to any of our projects?  We occasionally do painting or gardening for less-abled neighbours, and we will be running a busy Christmas party in December.  If you would like to help please send us your contact details using the form on the back of this newsletter.  The only commitment is what you are willing to give.  
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PARKSIDE IS A

“NO COLD CALLING ZONE”

The “ZONES” are helping to reduce
Bogus Callers & Distraction Burglaries

If an unwelcome visitor calls
at your door without an
appointment, we want to know.

What does a “No Cold Calling Zone”
mean for residents?

They deter the criminal &
unscrupulous sellers

They give you the confidence to
say NO to door step sellers

Your call can help us protect you and your
neighbour’s from unwanted doorstep callers.

Remember – if they call on you, CALL US!

Santa’s coming…

If you are one of the 300 or so that attended the Parkside Voice Christmas party last year, or you are one of those that heard of its success and regretted that you missed it, you will be pleased to know that we are planning to hold another community party this year.
The local support for this event, along with the hard work of those involved in organising it, is what made last years Christmas party such a big hit with the people who live on Parkside. We want this year to be even better so make a note of the date now, so you don’t miss out.

Parkside Voice Christmas Party 2006
From 4:00 on Saturday 9th December
at the Kingsland Community Centre
(Parkside Drive)

Father Christmas will have a free present for every child.
Ho Ho Ho

Parkside Voice quiz
This edition we want to test your knowledge with our fantastic quiz.   Why not have a go at these ten questions, and see if you can spot their local connection?  The winning entry will receive £10.

1.In which county is Bromley?

2.Name the Roman God of the sea?

3.Where are the Houses of Parliament?

4.In which county is Brentwood?

5.Where was the famous London dance venue called The Palais?

6.Is Elm Park, Dagenham, North or South of the river Thames?

7.How many prongs are there on a trident?

8.Before 1965 E _ _ _ _ _ _ D, was in Middlesex. (Fill in the blank).

9.Where is Royal, and linked with Kensington?

 
Please send your answers to:
Parkside Voice, 27 Elm Park Close, LU5 5PN
    The winning entry will be drawn at our next open meeting,  
    Saturday 14th October, details in this newsletter.

And here are some facts, related to the quiz questions.  See if they give you any clues if you are stuck on the answers, and GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you know?

1.Bromley, was the birthplace of H G Wells.

2.The Greek God of the sea is called Poseidon.

3.Big Ben isn’t the name of the building, it’s the name of the bell.

4.There is a Roman Catholic cathedral in this county, built between 1989 – 1991.

5.The Palais de Danse was built in 1919.

6.The Ford motor company arrived in Dagenham in 1931.

7.Britannia bears the trident as an emblem of sea power.

8.The world’s first cashpoint came into operation in Enfield at Barclays, in June 1967.

9.The Royal Hospital of Kensington and Chelsea was opened in 1692.

The Houghton Regis calendar for 2007 is now available.

Each beautifully presented calendar comprises historic photos of Houghton Regis.

Only £3.95 with all profits going towards the Mayor’s charities.

Currently on sale at:

Debs Bargain Store, Bedford Square
Town Council offices, Peel Street
Houghton Regis library

Soon to be arriving at Parkside, but in the meantime for further information, or to purchase a copy please contact:

Pat Lovering  - 01582 - 614188

PARKSIDE VOICE 
 NEWSLETTER

Taking pride in our estate
FOR THE TENANTS AND RESIDENTS OF PARKSIDE ESTATE HOUGHTON REGIS

May 2006

Would you like your Garage Door painted?
All we ask is a little help from you - labour and materials are totally free.
If so, please provide your name and garage address to;
Parkside Voice, 27 Elm Park Close, Houghton Regis, Beds LU5 5PN
or
e-mail Chair@parksidevoice.org.uk
Please state if you are you SBDC Tenant / Private Owner / Other.

Do you need help with your garden?
Parkside Voice offer a garden clearing scheme for those unable to do this themselves
(This is not a garden makeover scheme, but we can help with grass cutting and general tidying up) If interested please provide your name, address and a contact telephone number to;
Parkside Voice, 27 Elm Park Close, Houghton Regis, Beds LU5 5PN
or
e-mail Chair@parksidevoice.org.uk
Please state if you are you SBDC Tenant / Private Owner / Other.

Chairperson's Bit

Hello and welcome to the January edition of Parkside Voice.
Firstly we would like to thank everyone who came along and supported the Parkside Christmas community party. The event was very well attended, and the committee were pleased to hear so many people expressing their support for our work on Parkside. Many people have been asking for more community social events like this one, and we are planning an early Summer and Christmas one for 2006, watch this space for dates nearer the time!
Parkside Voice is now live and on-line! For those with computer access please check out our new website at www.parksidevoice.org.uk. Nick Grundy, committee member and our resident IT specialist has been hard at work on the launch of this, and he has written a short piece about the website, which follows later in this newsletter.
Also of interest in this edition of the newsletter is an article written by PC Graham Arnold, which clarifies the police's position on mini motos and mopeds. This should be useful reading for all of us, but especially those who may have just purchased a bike for someone for Christmas.
Lastly, please don't forget to pencil the next open meeting on 2nd February 2006 into your diaries. Guest speaker will be Lesley Johnson who will be giving advice on crime prevention and how to keep yourself and your belongings safe.
Happy new year and thanks for your continued interest and support.
Jessica Murray

Stay Safe in the New Year

At our Christmas event Parkside Voice undertook a brief community needs survey which highlighted crime, and fear of crime as the most pressing issues affecting the tenants and residents of this estate.
In response to this we have invited Lesley Johnson, the crime reduction officer for Bedfordshire police to come and talk to us about keeping safe and preventing the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime. Lesley will be full of good advice, and, as a resident of Parkside, will have an insight into the issues on this estate.

Thursday 2nd February 2006 at 7.30 pm at Houghton Regis Baptist church

Local transport can be arranged for anyone who would like to attend but has mobility problems. Please contact the Chair on 01582 - 618279

PLEA FOR NEW RECRUITS!!!!!!

At present, Parkside Voice is made up of 9 members . We are looking to expand our committee, and are particularly eager to find a South Beds District Council tenant, as well as anyone from the following areas: Enfield Close, Bromley Gardens, Hammersmith Gardens, Chelsea Gardens, Westminster Gardens, and Bloomsbury Gardens.
As a group we care about the issues that affect this area and would like to be more representative of the whole estate. As well as being enthusiastic and committed, we also have a lot of fun with what we do.
If you think you might be interested, please contact the Chair on 01582 618279, for an informal chat, or send in your details using the form on the back of this newsletter.

PARKSIDE VOICE ANNUAL ROUNDUP

We at Parkside Voice have had what I’d call an on/off year. The open meetings have been poorly attended but the right questions have been asked and successes have been obtained. E.G. rubbish was removed from garage roofs, many garage doors were painted, newsletters were printed and delivered, a website was set up and a successful spring funday was held on the Dog and Duck field.

But the best result this year was getting Father Christmas to the Parkside Voice Christmas Event which was held at Kingsland Community College. Santa handed out 98 presents to all the delighted children who came to visit him! There was also a well- attended Christmas stocking decorating stall. The adults were given mulled wine and mince pies, and some of the children gave us a lovely lantern parade, proudly showing off the lanterns they had made themselves. There was also a great disco and a brilliant fireworks display. Not bad for buckshee! ( free ).

Outside, a fairground ride and stall were set up which was a good attraction for many. The fire brigade also turned up and kindly allowed kids to sit in their fire engine and kept an eye on the fireworks.

For a small charge raffle tickets could be bought and many people won some good prizes which were donated by local companies. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and soft drinks were sold at very reasonable prices and there was even a selection of alcohol which could be bought for cheaper than pub prices!

It was good to see this event so well attended and everyone enjoying them selves.

Now that Christmas has been and gone, just a note about the pocket rockets (mini motorbikes) that are whizzing around the estate. As a lot of people know, to ride one of these bikes on paths, roads, green areas, etc. is illegal and causes a lot of problems with noise and possible injury. So if you own one of these bikes you can get in contact with the ACU on 01788566400 and they will advise you where to ride your bike, which clubs are available to join, and how to set up a club in your area if need be. I personally have nothing against these bikes or any other bike, just where and how they are ridden.

For further Parkside Voice events watch this space or log on to www.parksidevoice.org.uk

Bill Law & Denise Barber

ON-LINE

Parkside Voice is now on line @ www.parksidevoice.org.uk

We now have a website where you can see who we are, and what we are all about. The site is only in its infancy but we are hoping to grow it, as we grow over the coming year. You will be able to look at ongoing projects like the garage door painting and gardening projects. Get information on upcoming and past events like our Christmas party, another Dog day and planed car boot sales. There is also information on the Police Stakeholder program. We will also be listing other upcoming events locally not run by us a sort of local events calendar. There will be useful links to the council and other local organizations and groups. See the minuets of our open meetings, read our News letter on line. Give us feedback on what is happening locally and what you would like to see changed to improve the area. Remember this is where you live and only you can change it. Please take a look all feedback is welcome.

Nick Grundy

Parkside The History.

Can you help I am trying to put together a history of Parkside for our website. I am looking for pictures of the area showing how it has changed over the years, your stories of living on Parkside. The estate was a new concept having the houses built front to front with the road at the rear as opposed to back to back as many were used to in London, what was it like to have large open areas etc. We know it was built in the late 60's early 70's for the GLC were you involved in the building did you live in Houghton Regis before it was built. I would like to build a time line showing when different sections were built, when did the Dog & Duck open, when did the carnival first start outside the pub. Were you involved in a street party and what did it celebrate. You can contact me by e-mail on info@parksidevoice.org.uk or by good old royal mail, Nick Grundy 8 Dolphin Drive, Houghton Regis, Beds. LU5 5QE. Please provide your address so I can return any pictures.

Nick Grundy

As you are all residents of the area, I would be very surprised if there is anyone who has not seen or been disturbed by many of our local young people out riding their Mini Moto's or Go Peds. Some of you reading this may even have bought one for your children.

They seem to be under the impression that it is all right to ride them on Roads, Pavements and Public Parks.

I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the situation.

As far as the law is concerned, these vehicles are not toys, they are classed as vehicles and all the laws of the road apply. Because of their construction, many of these vehicles would not be able to pass the stringent requirements of vehicle type approval and cannot be registered, taxed or insured, which would enable them to be used on the public highway. The rider must be over 16, have a licence, be insured, wear a crash helmet and obey normal traffic laws.

These vehicles can only be used on private land, and you must have the permission of the landowner in order to legally ride the vehicle. These days there are very few landowners who will give permission for the land to be used for this purpose, because they also have to be insured should any rider injure themselves whilst on the land, which is very expensive. Another prohibitive expense that discourages landowners from allowing their land to be used is that they would also have to provide medical cover whilst the land is being used.

Under Sec 59 of the Police Reform Act the Police have the power to confiscate these vehicles if they are being ridden irresponsibly in a public area. Officers have tried giving fines and warnings out before resorting to confiscating these vehicles. Once these vehicles have been confiscated the owners have 28 days to reclaim them, there is of course a charge for storage that has to settled prior to vehicle being returned to the owner. Should the vehicle not be claimed within the 28 days then the vehicle is crushed.

PC 81 Graham Arnold

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