The Association is vibrant and financially sound because of the commitment of its volunteers - including officers, committee members, sub-committee members and those who help with events, clubs and communications.
The activities of the Association over the last 12 months are set out in our Annual Report. So I will limit myself to a few highlights.
It is a year which has seen the prospect of a new Adult Education Centre disappear, but the future of Moxon Street and Chiltern Street car park remain as uncertain as ever. Landscaping and traffic management improvements for Portman Square have been approved. Largely due to the initiative and efforts of local resident Mark Gazaleh, the streets of eastern Marylebone have benefited from tree planting, and this has helped us to negotiate with Westminster City Council for a better policy on trees in Marylebone. Finally, Art in Marylebone has come of age, and is now a free-standing annual event.
I would like to thank those who put so much into ensuring the Association thrives. Kevin Coyne, organises and minutes our meetings, and handles a hundred and one administrative tasks at the same time, including membership records and the AGM.
Keith Evans, our treasurer, keeps the finances in order and the reporting of them straighforward.
Stephen Quinn in chairing the planning sub-committee, oversees one of the busiest planning teams of any amenity society and ensures that someone with the appropriate expertise reviews all planning applications for the area. Philip Vernon has also brought his architecture and planning experience to the main committee and to discussions the Association has with major developers.
Keith Stuart-Smith, looks after licensing issues, and is also our principal liaison with the Metropolitan Police.
Sheila Green and Patricia Neville have worked this year to broaden the activities of the social committee, so that we now have more cultural events in the programme.
Heather Acton has been rigorous as ever in scrutinising any plans which have an impact on traffic and environmental issues. A major challenge for this year has been where to locate all the cycle hire points being introduced by the Mayor of London. Heather resigned in May after her election to Westminster City Council. Jonathan Glanz, who has been vigilant in campaigning to reduce street furniture clutter and looking for ways to improve the streetscape, stepped down in 2009, also to become a Councillor. I would like to thank Heather and Jonathan for their years of dedicated service to the Association.
David Peace and Regina Kibel provide a valuable link to the Harrowby district residents and feedback on Edgware Road developments.
Charlotte Joseph and David Unwin work hard to ensure that news from the Association reaches the membership accurately and on time.
Sadly, we lost Danielle Barr, who died on October 23rd. Danielle had been an active member of the Marylebone Association Committee since 2004 and was instrumental in the success of Art in Marylebone over the past three years.
There are also gains, as new committee members Michael Bolt and Monica P
erez have agreed to monitor streetscape and parking issues, sharing responsibility for east and west Marylebone respectively.
So, I am confident that the Marylebone Association will go from strength to strength.
Carl Upsall
