Getting closer to nature during the Spring Covid19 lockdown and a greater awareness of the threat to the planet posed by climate change has changed people's consciousness of the need to preserve and enhance our natural environment - across the globe and in our immediate home environment.

Brent Council declared a climate emergency and is currently consulting on its strategy.

The google view above shows what amounts to a mini-woodland environment produced by mature trees in a corner of Brent that is highly valued by local residents.  They are now asking what Brent Council can do to preserve such valuable life-enhancing natural resources when they are under threat, and whether the Climate Emergency Strategy will address this issue.

There is a chestnut tree in a commanding position in the woodland area, shared between several gardens, that a specialist tree study described thus:

As can be seen one of the adjoining households  has sought to enhance and naturalise the habitat around the tree whose roots spread beneath the neighbouring gardens, far away from the houses. 

Now residents are concerned that Brent Council has given planning permission, despite 11 objections from neighbours, for a home gym of considerable size to be built at the bottom of the garden. Surrounding families fear that the building of the gym, and particularly the 4-6 metre foundation spikes will damage and perhaps kill the tree.

Small shed now (above) to be replaced by the building below

The Tree Report states:

The tree is a prominent and shapely specimen unharmed by historic tree surgery and visible from a number of vantage points. As such T4 warrants an A classification on ground of landscape amenity.

The objective of the report is to identify and evaluate the extent of direct and indirect damage on existing trees that may arise as a result of the implementation of the proposed development without appropriate guidance. A tree may take a century to reach maturity, but it can be irretrievably damaged in a few minutes often because of a failure to appreciate the vulnerability of trees and particularly the root systems. Irreparable damage is frequently done to existing trees in the first few days of a contractor’s occupation of a site.

The report sets out conditions to  protect the tree when the 4-6 metre foundation spikes are driven into the ground beneath the tree but this is challenged by one neighbour who says:

The Tree Report, commissioned by the Applicant, has an internal contradiction.

Although it admits that drilling the six metre foundation spikes for the so-called ‘home gym’ “will cause irreparable damage” to the tree if the spikes encounter a root, the Report claims that, as long as the work is overseen by a tree officer, it will be acceptable to build.

However, the six metre spikes will need to be put into very specific places in order to support the building. What is not clear is what they will do if the allocated spot for a spike happens to have a tree root in it. Furthermore, it isn’t clear how having the whole process overseen by a tree officer guarantees the health of the tree.

 

Although we requested a second and independent Tree Report, and offered to pay for it, this offer was rejected by the Council as it was deemed unnecessary. The Council considered the first Tree Report, not exactly free of bias, was sufficient.

The wider issues are not lost on two children, sisters, who have written:

 

This is a comment on the Brent Planning Portal (Application Ref 20/3155) edited:

The Horse Chestnut is over 100 years old and 60 foot tall. It forms part of the beautiful landscape of trees in our back garden and makes a considerable contribution to our landscape. The proposed building will cause considerable damage to the tree  which supports untold species of animals, birds and other wildlife. The life this tree supports should not be underestimated and trees that are outside of woods are an important resource to species in areas with little woodland cover and acts as refuge in urban areas. It also creates bio-diversity hotspots and provide essential home to the wildlife. 

As well as having an impact on wildlife and society, trees play a very valuable role in carbon sequestration and storage. 

Our decision to move to this area was in-fact the view of this small pocket of secret beauty and conservation area and I am very saddened that this tree is NOT protected.

This application did not go to Planning Committee. A decision to grant planning permission was made by planning officers.

The question for the Climate Emergency Strategy perhaps is, 'Why is this tree not protected?' and further, 'How can Brent planning and environmental policies be changed so as to protect such trees?'

To comment on Brent's Climate Emergency Strategy go to LINK  The last page of the consultation questionnaire enables you to bring up your own issues.

 Many thanks to the children who gave permission for their letters to be published.

With the number of school workers testing positive for Covid 19 rising in Brent, this statement by the Co-General Secretary of the National Education Union, Kevin Courtney is pertinent:

“The latest ONS Coronavirus survey figures should be very worrying to the Government - especially in the run up to Christmas. They show that cases are again rising in secondary and primary schools.

“Secondary children in years 7 to year 11 have the highest rate of any of the demographic groups - with more than 2% of children having the virus. This is significantly higher than the university student age group, now returning home with such care.

 

“Primary and early years children - from age 2 to year 6 - are the third highest of the demographic groups with around 1% of children having the virus. Many of the cases are asymptomatic - but this does not mean that they cannot transmit the virus to others, especially in the close confines of the household.

For the many readers who've enjoyed the local history stories this year, here is a chance to test your knowledge of Wembley's past in a "Who's Who" quiz!

There are no prizes, but you might like to see what score out of ten you manage to get. The answers will appear next weekend - and the bonus is that where you didn't know an answer, you'll then discover something new about the Wembley area's past! 

Question set by Philip Grant of Wembley History Society

Fears of recent rise in #Covid19 cases in #Wembley confirmed by figs to Dec 7th. More in the last week. https://t.co/hMKFQ7G0olpic.twitter.com/Lt3inw6MqY

— Martin Francis (@WembleyMatters) December 13, 2020

A local resident and neighbour of the Chatsworth Road garden, where the owner has been given planning permission for a gym to be erected at the bottom of his garden, has written to Brent Council’s  Strategic Director for Regeneration, Alan Lunt, appealing the decision. 

(Edited version):

Dear Mr Lunt

I am writing to you regarding an approved planning application for a home gym in the garden of [a house in] Chatsworth Road. This has been approved by a planning officer.

I was more than surprised to read that the application was approved considering there were 11 objections? Clearly, the concerns and reasoning behind those 11 objections have been ignored. It seems that this  decision has been decided alone by the officer and she gave her guarantee to save the established tree in question.  

The roots of the horse chestnut tree cover an area much wider than the garden in Chatsworth Road, where owners of adjacent gardens have helped maintain the tree and its stunning surroundings for the last 30+ years and in doing so have helped maintained this inner-city natural oasis we have inherited to date. 

My daughters are very saddened to hear the news that the application was granted considering they wrote a personal letter to the owner, asking him  to reconsider his desire for the gym and offering alternative solutions. At school. they were taught that preserving nature in a city which is highly polluted is more than important and they have been encouraged to plant trees, look after nature and in turn this will protect wildlife. Green space  in London needs to be protected more than ever before. My children have actually educated me in realising that fighting for preserving nature is more important than destroying it. My 11 year old daughter's question to me, (when I told her the news ) was, "Surely drilling concrete piles directly downwards  and hoping to miss the roots of the tree, would be impossible?" She knows what piles are as we have had many conversations about how buildings are constructed. Living in London and seeing the changes in construction of  buildings over the last 10 years around the area is vast. 

 My question to the officer would be, "How is it possible to guarantee the horse chestnut tree’s survival, where one has zero clue where exactly those roots lay underground?  In construction there are always errors made no matter how precise a building contractor claims to be. Once a root is damaged, it’s only a matter of time before it will be starved of water and become susceptible to disease in the porous clay we have in this area.” 

The residents of Mapesbury Borders have the same values for protecting nature and the environment for years to come and for the future generations. When we chose to live in this area of natural beauty, we chose to do so based on the pre-existing beauty it gave. For inner London, this is a paradise area of incredible trees, plants, wildlife and for the children who live here, it’s more than important for their future and well-being. For that to be cut short with this futile decision when climate change is at the top of all politicians’ agenda, I am astonished. 

How can we challenge this decision? How can we ask others at Brent council to help review this matter? What would be the consequences of the officer’s single-handed decision, should the tree die? Who would be accountable? 

My children have not had a reply to the letter they wrote to the owner. Perhaps the issue of looking after nature is unimportant to the owner, even though he bought a property with one of the most beautiful gardens in Brent, the need for a home gym outweighs saving it. After all, Nuffield Gym is a ten minute walk away, I would say that’s more than convenient distance to his home to keep fit? 

We would like to appeal the decision that has been made, review the application and discuss the irretrievable damage this project will cause to our tree. So many of the residents in this area enjoy the horse chestnut tree, it’s really stunning. We only want to save it.

I really look forward to your support in this matter and hope you can help us with this application to appeal this decision. 

Statement from the Mayor of London on the capital moving into Tier 3

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“The Government has decided to move London into Tier 3 from one minute past midnight on Wednesday morning. This is incredibly disappointing for our businesses who have suffered so much already this year. But it’s clear that the virus is accelerating in the wrong direction once again across London and the lives of Londoners are at risk. It would be such a tragedy to lose even more people to this disease when the vaccine is now being rolled out across our city.

“We know from bitter experience that when cases start to rise quickly, it’s much better to act early, rather than too late.  This is how we can avoid even tougher restrictions, for longer, further down the road.

“The worst thing for London’s businesses and our economy would be yet another full lockdown in the new year.  That’s why I urge Londoners to follow the Tier 3 rules that the Government is putting in place very closely so that we can drive down infection rates as much as possible.

“This means hospitality settings, such as bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants are required by the Government to close except for takeaway, delivery and click and collect services. You must continue not to meet other households indoors and to keep to the rule of six while outside.

“I don’t want London to be in Tier 3 for a day longer than necessary.  I am hugely concerned about the negative impact that the additional restrictions will have on jobs and many businesses that are already struggling to stay afloat.

“We now urgently need much more government support for the sectors of our economy that are being hit the hardest, including hospitality, culture, and leisure. It is crucial that Ministers urgently put in place a compensation scheme for all lost income, based on last year’s returns, for any businesses affected by the further restrictions during this crucial festive period.  The Government must also cover the full cost of Statutory Sick Pay for workers who have to self-isolate, and make wearing face coverings mandatory in busy outdoor public spaces.

“We have known from the outset of this pandemic that increased testing will be vital to getting the spread of the virus under control. That is why I have called on the Government to extend regular asymptomatic testing to all those unable to work from home and to London’s students and staff at secondary schools, sixth-form colleges and FE colleges.

“It is essential that the Government ramps up testing in schools and colleges immediately as this is where the virus is spreading most. If this does not happen, Tier 3 will not only cause huge damage to our hospitality and cultural industries, but the virus will just continue to spread over Christmas at a time when families may well be meeting up and our NHS is under pressure.

“Given the significant increase in infections among 10 to 19-year-olds – Government should consider asking secondary schools and colleges which don’t yet have testing facilities to close early and to reopen a bit later in January to allow time for weekly testing to be put in place. 

Petitioners on Lyon Park Avenue on Sunday 13^th December copyright Paul Bambridge

Residents in Wembley have sent a petition to Brent Council officers and elected members demanding urgent action on traffic concerns on Lyon Park Avenue, Wembley, a very narrow residential road. The petition has been signed by over 100 locals who are alarmed at inaction by Brent Council to prevent the serious speeding and dangerous driving that occurs on their road.

The petition has been addressed to the Chief Executive, the Leader of The Council, the Head of Transport in Brent, Brent North MP and local ward Councillors for Wembley Central and Alperton.  This step by residents follows several months of communication with Brent Council officers who have so far refused to commit to any quick actions to alleviate the traffic issues. 

Lead petitioners Kay Carroll and Paul Bambridge along with local ward Councillor for Alperton, Anton Georgiou, had an online meeting with a Brent Council officer to request immediate measures before lockdown 2 ended, such as traffic enforcement and additional 20mph signs and Vehicle Activated Signs.  They discussed the traffic survey conducted by Brent Council on Lyon Park Avenue which showed 4,039 speeding vehicles on the road in just one week, some at 40 and 50mph.  

Brent Council blame lack of funding for their inability to act fast on residents’ concerns, so far they haven’t contacted the local police to undertake any traffic enforcement action and by the middle of December they can’t even advise how much the extra signage might cost.  

Lead petitioner Kay Carroll says:

Residents are appalled Brent Council are ignoring our pleas for urgent action regarding speeding traffic on our road. Families should feel safe where they live and when they walk their children to school. We need enforcement action and proper solutions now before there is a truly serious incident.

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Alperton, Anton Georgiou says:

I am fully supportive of residents’ calls for quick action to deal with the traffic concerns on Lyon Park Avenue. The road is used as a through route for drivers seeking to avoid Ealing Road traffic and this has meant an increase in speeding. It must also be noted this is a busy road for pedestrians and many families and children use it to walk to and from the local schools. The lack of funding argument doesn’t quite add up, surely safety must be a priority – Brent has over £129 million in CIL money, it is about time some of this is spent on urgently dealing with issues like this.

ABOUT THIS EVENT
The aim of the event is to signpost Brent residents to key COVID information. We will be looking at:

Current lockdown restrictions Focusing on the upcoming holiday season and what does this mean for me and my family? What can I do if I am feeling isolated? What services are there available for me?

Vaccinations To help you understand the vaccines offered and how they work. Focusing on the flu, COVID-19 and cervical cancer vaccinations.

 
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS
Councillors, Clinical Commissioners and Public Health officials will also be there to answer your questions. So please send us your questions about the above topics before the event by email to info@healthwatchbrent.co.uk

EVENT DETAILS
When: Wednesday 16 December 2020 
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm
Where: Online using Zoom

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Please register your attendance

Thanks to Philip Grant for this intriguing Guest Post:

‘Art is vital to renewal. It shows that people care about where they live and work.’ Those words from Gerry Davis, the CEO of Harlesden City Challenge in April 1994, launched a five-year public art project to brighten up an area which had become run down. 

But what and where was that public art in the Harlesden area, and what has happened to it since then? If you have any information about, or photographs of, any of those public artworks from the 1990s, please share it with me, so that we can make a permanent record of this part of Harlesden’s history.

1.The Sundisc sculpture, in the City Challenge community garden at Morland Gardens.
(Photo by Irina Porter)

One artwork I do know about is the Sundisc, which was installed in the Harlesden City Challenge community garden, at the corner of Brentfield Road and Hillside, in 1994. Brent Council plans to build over that site, as part of its redevelopment of the Victorian villa at 1 Morland Gardens, despite strong opposition. 

It was made a condition of the planning approval that: ‘the applicant shall ensure the satisfactory re-location of the Sundisc artwork, currently located to the south-east of the site, to an alternative part of the site or in its immediate surroundings.’ The application’s landscape masterplan does not show where this artwork would be re-located to (or any public space large enough for its re-location), so where it would be moved to remains a mystery.

The Sundisc sculpture was a collaborative work by two artists. The circle of steel, with scenes from local life cut out from it, was made by Geraldine Konyn, and stands on a raised platform of etched paving, by Guy Paterson, surrounded by a low brick wall. The plaque which stands on a nearby raised bed of shrubs says that this was ‘one of three Public Artworks launched in 1994’, and there may well be more around the Harlesden area, put up over the next few years.

2.The “Art in the City” plaque, by the Sundisc at Morland Gardens. (Photo by Irina Porter)

3.The entrance to the Community Garden and the Sundisc sculpture, from the top of Hillside.
(Photo by Margaret Pratt)

Another piece of public art, which I have come across in recent years on my way to outpatient appointments at Central Middlesex Hospital, are two tile murals in Acton Lane, near Harlesden Station. [Regular readers of Wembley Matters will know of my interest in tile murals, at Wembley Park!] These are on the walls of the bridge over the railway lines, and show scenes from the area’s canal and railway history. Does anyone know when these two colourful murals were installed, please, whether they were one of the Harlesden City Challenge projects, and if not, how they came to be here?

4.The Acton Lane railway bridge tile murals. (Photos by Philip Grant)

There must be other public artworks around the Harlesden area from the 1990s, hopefully still in place, but perhaps some which have already been lost. If you have any information, or photographs, the challenge now is to collect those details together. Please help, if you can.

If it is just information that you can provide, please add it as a comment below. If you have digital photos of a Harlesden public artwork that you can share, as well as information, please email them to Martin, martinrfrancis@virginmedia.com and he will forward to me. Hopefully, with your help, we can put together an illustrated record of public art in Harlesden. I would love to be able to share more about it with you, in the New Year. Thank you.

Philip Grant.

 Yesterday Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, in the House of Commons, raised the issue of potential delay in vaccinating people in Brent Care Homes

Barry Gardiner:

Mr James Canning became our first octogenarian in Brent to receive the vaccine earlier this week. While congratulating him and the Wembley Practice team who delivered it, does the Secretary of State share my concern that care homes in Brent have been advised that the 970 doses that are in the vaccine packs cannot be split because of the licensing conditions, meaning that those in our care homes who are over 80 may have to wait until February or for the Oxford vaccine before they get vaccinated? Is that the case? If so, why? That is hardly the “protective ring” around care homes that he promised.

Matt Hancock:

I am glad to say that we are making significant progress on tackling this issue. When the hon. Gentleman says it is a licensing concern, that should not be read to imply that it is some bureaucratic rule; it is about ensuring that things are done safely. If the vaccine is not delivered safely to the site, it is not an effective vaccine. Therefore, we are taking it carefully to be able to vaccinate in care homes. There has been some vaccination in care homes across the UK, so it can be done, and I hope we can make good progress soon.

 From Brent Council

Everyone in Brent aged 12 and over can now get free and regular coronavirus tests, even if they haven’t got symptoms.

These include the new ‘rapid tests’, which provide results within 40 minutes.

It’s important that everyone gets tested even if they feel well, as 1 in 3 people who have COVID-19 show no symptoms but could be sharing the virus with loved ones and around the community without knowing.

Rapid COVID-19 testing is available at the following sites Monday to Sunday, from 9am-6pm (all sites will be closed on bank holidays):

• Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley Park, Wembley, HA9 0FJ
• Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre, Brentfield, Harrow Road, London, NW10 0RG
• Central Mosque of Brent, Station Parade, Marley Walk, London, NW2 4PU
• Ealing Road Library, Coronet Parade, Ealing Road, Wembley, HA0 4BA
• Father O’Callaghan Centre, 22 Hay Lane, London, NW9 0NG
• Harlesden Library, Craven Park Road, Harlesden, NW10 8SE
• Kingsbury Library, 522-524 Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, NW9 9HE
• The Granville, 140 Carlton Vale, London, NW6 5HE
• The Library at Willesden Green, 95 High Road, Willesden, London, NW10 2SF

The sites at Brent Civic Centre and The Library at Willesden Green are now open. The remaining sites will be open from Monday 21 December 2020.

The rollout of rapid community COVID-19 testing for people without symptoms is being run by Brent Council and the Department for Health and Social Care, and will be available until the end of January when it will be reviewed.

Dr Melanie Smith, Director of Public Health at Brent Council said:

It’s crucial that everyone gets tested regularly, so they can know if they have the virus and this will help to keep their friends and families safe. Testing is free, quick and easy and could save lives, so I want to encourage everyone to book a test today.

I also want everyone to think about the choices they make over the coming days and weeks as we enter the Christmas period. Simply hugging your nanny and grandad or your boyfriend or girlfriend, if they don’t live with you, could spread the virus and put vulnerable people at risk of serious infection and even death.

So please make sensible choices, take extra care and then we can all look forward to a brighter 2021 together as the vaccine is rolled out.

To find out more and book a free COVID-19 test, visit www.brent.gov.uk/covidtesting or call 020 8937 4440.

 Purple is the highest rate (arrow on Chalkhill/Forty Lane). For your local rate go to the search box and type in your post code.

 Well this government is certainly good at uniting people - against them. 

“We all want pupils and school staff to be as safe as possible in school but an unplanned, uncoordinated and unworkable approach to mass testing without the provision of adequate resources and additional trained personnel risks undermining, rather than enhancing Covid safety.

 

“The Government must work with schools and colleges on a sensible timescale for the roll out of testing which is backed with the necessary practical and financial support to ensure safety and support the continued fight against Covid-19.”

Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:

"The rising infection rates amongst secondary pupils has been alarming and mass testing has been necessary for many months. The Government’s last minute and ill thought through plans for schools and colleges to administer these tests is unacceptable and could jeopardise something that is so essential to bring down Covid rates in schools, colleges, and society. Government needs to get around the table with education unions to discuss how we salvage this situation and get a testing system that is operable and effective.”

 Philip Grant provides the answers to last Saturday's  'Who's Who?' in Wembley Quiz LINK

Philip writes: I hope that everyone who had a go at this quiz enjoyed it. Here are the answers, and a bit more information about the ten people you were invited to identify.

Although there are no prizes, you will find that even people who lived in Wembley 100 years ago or more have had an influence on the area as we know it now, such as where that road, school or park got its name from. Local history gives us the background stories which show us what an interesting place we live in. Those stories belong to all of us who live in Wembley and Brent, and I look forward to sharing more of them with you in future.

 A guest post by local historian Philip Grant

Ernest Trobridge (as depicted on a 1990s pub sign!)

Back in February, I was hoping that many people would be able to enjoy a small exhibition at Kingsbury Library, which I had put together with Brent Museum: Ernest Trobridge – Kingsbury’s Extraordinary Architect.

The Ernest Trobridge display at Kingsbury Library, February 2020.

Unfortunately, with all of the Covid-19 restrictions this year, and the library closed for around four months, then only open on a very limited basis, access to the exhibition was often not possible. Even though Brent Museum kept the display in place until earlier this month, local people, and the visitors we hoped to attract through London Borough of Culture 2020, will not have had the opportunity to discover this architect’s remarkable work, and the ideas behind it.

Although disappointed that many people will have missed the actual display, we have now put all of the information, illustrations and exhibits from it together in a documentary record of the exhibition, which you can read at your leisure by “clicking” on the link. Here are a couple of the images from it, reflecting the story behind Trobridge’s first estate of thatched timber homes, built on a field at the corner of Kingsbury Road and Slough Lane 100 years ago.

A leaflet Trobridge wrote for his show house at the 1920 Ideal Home Exhibition.

Model of a Trobridge thatched timber cottage built in Kingsbury.

I still hope to give the illustrated talk, which was planned to take place at Kingsbury Library in June 2020, in conjunction with the exhibition, at some time during 2021. Illustrated colour versions of the four Trobridge self-guided walk leaflets produced for the exhibition, and other published material about Ernest Trobridge, can be found in the “Buildings and Architecture” section of the online Brent Archives local history documents collection.

The amazing and beautifully designed homes that Ernest Trobridge produced in Kingsbury, and beyond, in the 1920s and 1930s, have been a source of joy and inspiration for me over the years, which is why I try to share my enthusiasm for them with others. I hope that you will take the chance to enjoy them too.

Philip Grant.

A great opportunity for 'higher-level ESOL*' learners to:

• improve their English
• learn their rights
• and get involved in community action. 

Enrolment form HERE

*ESOL = English for Speakers of Other Languages

Only for people resident in Brent. Funded by Brent Council.

 Below are the slides of the presentation at Brent Healthwatch's Winter Community Event. They were correct on December 16th but remember our area moved into Tier 4 on December 20th. There is much useful information in the presentations. Click bottom right for full page version. 

Covid Vaccination Details HERE

Tier 4 restrictions details HERE

Arranging a FREE Covid 19 tests in Brent HERE