Brent Council has published its Pride of Brent list for 2020, those individuals and organisations that have gone 'above and beyond' in this the most difficult of years. Rather than the usual gala style celebration at the Civic Centre their  contribution will be acknowledged this year through articles in the Brent Magazine and the council's social media channels.

Among the many deserving names there is one that strikes a jarring note.  Chetan Harpale, the Labour candidate for the Alperton by-election is listed despite having been suspended at the time for alleged Islamophobic comments. LINKLINK

One of the most amazing events of the early days of the pandemic was the sponataneous rise of Mutual Aid groups across the borough who delivered food and other support to people who were self-isolating.  Alongside them the borough's food banks stepped up their efforts and were augmented by other organisations and individuals. They are all still working selflessly as we enter Tier 4.  Some are listed for Pride of Brent but many are not, so I am acknowledging their contribution here.

The Brent Council announcement:

This year has been a challenging time for us all, but during the uncertainty we have seen some amazing people step up to support their fellow residents.

We asked you to recognise the people you think have supported Brent’s communities through this difficult time and you did not disappoint with more than eighty nominations received.

Here are the people and organisations who have worked to make life a bit easier for others in 2020. They are the Pride of Brent.

Individuals –

Alice Ekwalia

Alina Nicoleta Balatchi Lupascu

Ava Brosnan

Ayan Abdi

Ben Shapiro

Chetan Harpale

Daksha Varsani and Paresh Jethwa

David and Sol Williams

Debbie Thomas, Christians Against Poverty - St. Gabriel's Cricklewood

Desi Dhaba

Doreen Gill

Dipesh Ahir

Dr Silvia Gerea

Emily Morris

Geraldine Darroux

Geraldine Reid assisted by Cathryn Walsh

Giles Deards

Giuseppe Caggese

Hema Mistry

Imam Abdullah Hassan Salloo

Ishrat Malik

Jacqueline Bunce-Linsell

Julia Straker

Kalyan Patel

Kelli Eboji

Kirti Soni

Louisa

Leroy Simpson

Maureen Anthony

Maxine Anderson

Muhammad Ata Ullah

Patricia Wharton

Rajeshri Sheth

Ramesh and staff

Renata and Peter

Seva Mitra Mandal

Sharon Aninakwa

Tariq Dar

The teachers at Lyon Park Primary school

Toni Trent

Vivekananda reddy Sadhu

Yvonne Wilson Equi Vision

Community Groups –

406 (Willesden) Squadron RAF Air Cadets

Ansar Youth Project

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

Brahma Kumaris

Brent Thrive

Daniels den parent and toddler group

F.O.H Brent / Warren Reilly

Iraqi Welfare Association

Jason Roberts Foundation

Kensal Green Under Fives Group Community Nursery

Kingsbury Community Group

London Elite

Granville Community Kitchen / Leslie & Dee

Romanian Women in UK

Rumi's Cave

Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden

The Angels Academies

Wembley Central Mutual Aid group

Youth With A Mission Urban Key London

Private organisations and businesses –

Abigail Simon - The Yum Yum Food Company

Brent Library Customer Services

Cuore Italian Deli & coffee shop

eStudyit

Harrow Care Plus (Brent)

Housing Plus Qara Limited

Kilhan Construction Ltd

Kylu

Mahogany Carnival Arts

Meera Nursing Home

Mario’s Restaurant: Mr Mario Nunes

O' Farrell's Traditional Family Butcher

Red Lotus Events CIC

Sewa Security Group

Shara Grossman Pharmacy

The George/McDonagh's Bar/Manuel Elvis Pinto

The Larder

Wembley triangle massage

VoxBrain LTD

Newly established groups –

Harlesden Mutual Aid

Parent Anchor

After the destruction

 

The proposed development

 Brethren

On the morning of Saturday 19^thDecember 2020, a team of volunteers arrived at the Pavilion site, 265 The Ridgeway, adjacent to West Harrow Allotments with chainsaws and chopped down the trees and foliage in the green corridor running North of the site boundary.  The group of volunteers behind this were Harrow Gospel Hall Trust, otherwise known as the Brethren, part of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.  LINK  

 Whilst their website states that their values are “caring and respectful of others and we recognise the rights of all humanity within society”, the Brethren volunteers ignored requests from both Adam Swersky, West Harrow Councillor and Dave Corby, Community Engagement manager at Harrow Council, to stop.  Adam Swersky has tweeted since that it’s the “Worst thing I’ve seen in 6 years as a cllr.” LINK   

Indeed, the Brethren have shown contempt for the Council by removing the tree belt against their wishes.

The Covenant

The swift decimation of this tree belt green corridor by the Brethren on Saturday can perhaps be seen in response to a request from Harrow Council to carry out a second Ecological report of the biodiversity found here.  The Brethren have instead damaged the wildlife potential of the Green Corridor and of the Pavilion site, hoping to push through their major planning application to build a seven-storey tower block, including 178 residential units on this site. 

The land was originally sold to the Brethren over twenty years ago for limited use as a place of worship, under the terms of a covenant made with Harrow Council.  The issue of the covenant was discussed at a Harrow Council meeting in the summer, where Harrow Council leader Cllr Graham Henson stated “it would not, at this stage, enforce a covenant at the site in The Ridgeway, West Harrow, that only permits non-residential use.”  LINK  

Both the Brethren and Harrow Council appear to not be honouring the original covenant agreement, with the Brethren looking to sell the land to property developers for huge financial gain, part of the 265 The Ridgeway development: LINK  .

Birds eye view of the site

The Tree Belt and Tree Protection Orders (TPOs)

This is wanton destruction of part of an extensive wildlife corridor, one that links the green spaces of West Harrow allotments to the West Harrow Recreation Ground.  It will also affect the wider Green Corridor that extends from Rayners Lane to West Harrow.  The habitats here were a belt of young trees including Sycamore, Oak, Ash and Elm.  A Tree Protection Order (TPO) had been requested by the West Harrow allotment holders on some of these trees, believing they had landscape value, contribute to the character of a conservation area and/or have historical importance.  Unfortunately, Harrow Council’s TPO officer Rebecca Farrar visited the site independently in October and found that the trees were not of TPO value, because the individual trees did not constitute protection and that the tree belt was not visible from the highway or other public open space.  Campaigners believe that the tree belt was TPO worthy because the allotments do include public open space and are accessible to the public, as a result of the footpath through it.  For anyone walking through the allotment now, they will notice the loss of privacy, countryside and shelter belt effect that was afforded by the tree belt.   

The tree belt had also hidden the Brethren’s prayer hall, which is now fully exposed.  

The allotments now exposed

The Brethren may have also carried out the destruction on Saturday, as a result of discovering the non-designation of the TPO status to the tree belt.  Whilst the TPO officer had failed to inform the allotment holders of her decision, some of the volunteers at the scene at the weekend said the Council had given them permission.  Perhaps there been a conversation between the TPO Officer and the Brethren?

Ecological Report

The Brethren had been asked by Harrow Council to carry out a revised ecological report to their 2018 one (see here https://www.harrow.gov.uk/downloads/file/27817/pl-ecological-assessment-report-r).  This was seen as necessary as the 2018 information is now out of date, and as Simon Braidman from Harrow Nature Conservation Forum has stated, the initial report was inadequate as it failed to identify any SINC (Site of Nature Conservation Importance) land was part of the Pavilion site.  Whilst the SINC land, located to the West of the Pavilion site, was not destroyed on Saturday, the action carried by the Brethren provides no confidence in them preserving such an important and legally protected area of biodiversity. 

The Wildlife and Biodiversity

A diverse range of native species have been found in this area, including seven different species of bat, which have been recorded in the vicinity.  Other wildlife recorded foraging, nesting, breeding and travelling through this corridor, include:

·      Badgers (a set had been previously, illegally blocked)

·      Song Thrush (red listed) were recorded from the trees destroyed

·      Tawny Owl and Bullfinch recorded from the SINC land to the West of the site

·      Slow Worm from both the allotment site and the SINC land on West Harrow Recreation Ground to the South of the Pavilion site

·      Green woodpeckers, Starlings and House Sparrows

If this building goes ahead it will be an ecological disaster for the area and the neighbouring park. The threats to wildlife and habitat include:

·      Increased light levels and lighting in public access from the resultant development to West Harrow Tube Station. Two bat species: Brown-Long Eared Bat and Daubenton’s Bat will be detrimentally effected in terms of foraging and transit from roost to feeding grounds – they will not cross brightly lit spaces and in the case of Brown Long-eared Bat, will not cross areas where there is no continuous or nearly continuous vegetation.

·      Any increased lighting will cause insect distribution disturbance from natural patterns. Bright reflective metal will mimic water under artificial light and insects with aquatic life stages will lay their eggs on the metal, thinking it is water.

·      The high-density development will cast shade onto the gardens of the town houses and intruder lighting will disturb circadian patterns of amphibians.  The increase in domestic animals will mean an increase in predation of birds, reptiles and small mammals.

·      There is a threat of tree thinning directly to trees in the SINC land, reducing habitat for birds to forage and nest

·      There will be a high possibility of increased flooding to the allotment plots. The area is a flood plain and the allotments already flood.  Hard surface standing especially the town houses could increase flooding and make plots untenable.

·      Most of all the threat is to the landscape and how the local people view the area.  Anyone visiting the allotment will be aware of how beautiful and well set it is, providing great views to Harrow on the Hill and a place for people to relax, away from the pressures of the town.

Campaign against the development

West Harrow residents, West Harrow Allotment and Garden Association, Harrow in Leaf and Harrow Beekeepers have been campaigning against the proposed Ridgeway development since 2019, launching a Change.org petition, which has garnered nearly 3000 signatures: https://www.change.org/p/fight-over-development-at-265-the-ridgeway.  The local campaigners have been calling on Harrow Council’s Planning Group to reject the planning application submitted in April 2020 (view here: https://planningsearch.harrow.gov.uk/planning/search-applications#VIEW?RefType=GFPlanning&KeyNo=944432&KeyText=Subject), citing that the tower block is not in keeping with the local area, will have a detrimental impact on the local neighbourhood, park and allotments and also impact local infrastructure.  Whilst a decision by the Council’s Planning Group has been delayed until early 2021, Harrow Council have not seemingly been supportive of local campaigners.  Indeed, when Harrow Council were asked for comment after the act of wildlife vandalism on Saturday, their response was that Brethren were in their legal right: “Officers have looked into this matter and it is not considered that the developer has conducted any illegal or authorised activity.…Provided no harm is caused either directly or indirectly to protected sites, species or habitats nor works that would otherwise require a license or consent from the relevant authority undertaken without approval, a landowner is within their right to conduct such operations on their land as they choose, with the proviso that this does not amount to a change of use in planning terms nor cause nuisance to others.” 

I am calling on Harrow Council to do the right thing and reject this short-sighted and hugely detrimental development in West Harrow.  It is completely out-of-keeping with the rest of the low-level area and will have a negative impact on local wildlife, surrounding green spaces, local residents, as well as the roads and local infrastructure.  Harrow Council must do all it can to preserve green spaces in borough, in line with its Climate Change Strategy, which states: “We will ensure that our natural environment is protected from and helps to protect us, from the adverse effects of climate change.  We take care to preserve our community’s many green spaces and trees, and to protect its biodiversity.” Harrow Council must stand by their words. https://www2.harrow.gov.uk/(S(04me4t55dvxxbp45px1njx55))/documents/s154089/Appendix%201%20-%20Climate%20Change%20Strategy%202019-2024%20-%20final.pdf

Please contact the local MP Gareth Thomas or the West Harrow councillors to express your concern about what is happening and request the rejection of the 285 The Ridgeway planning application:

Gareth Thomas gareth.thomas.mp@parliament.uk

West Harrow Councillor Kairul Kareema Marikar kairul.marikar@harrow.gov.uk

West Harrow Councillor Christine Robson christine.robson@harrow.gov.uk

West Harrow Councillor Adam Swersky adam.swersky@harrow.gov.uk

Related articles:

https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/18043607.protestors-proposed-195-homes-harrow/

https://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/18590072.harrow-council-responds-ridgeway-covenant-concerns/

https://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/18584406.west-harrow-residents-oppose-ridgeway-housing-plans/

I am sharing this message from Sufra Food Bank and Kitchen as it puts their amazing work into a wider context and because they deserve support.

Figures at 6pm Monday December 28th 2020

As the number of active Covid cases continues to rise in Brent and nationally the National Education Union has written to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education  calling for schools and colleges to be closed for at least the first 2 weeks  of January, with on-line learning for all pupils except for vulnerbale children and children of key workers who woul;d attend school.

Dear Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Education, 

 

We last wrote to you on 21st December, calling for on-line learning in schools and colleges for the first fortnight of January 2021, for the Government to use that time to support local directors of Public Health in setting up mass testing programmes for schools and for the beginning of vaccination of education staff. 

 

As we explained in that letter we believe each of these steps would help provide more continuity of education for our young people – and we expressed our willingness to be involved in discussions of how best to implement such programmes. You have not replied to that letter. 

 

Today we are writing to ask you to share with the teaching profession and with education staff the advice you have been given by the Chief Medical Officer and/or the Chief Scientific officer or their deputies on: 

 

The Education Continuity Order issued to Greenwich Council on 14th December and 

 

Your proposals for education in the New Year 

 

Your modelling of case rates given the best understanding of the new variant 

 

The order issued to Greenwich on 14th December had the effect of ensuring that secondary and primary schools that would have otherwise begun a period of online learning during the last week of term continued with physical teaching: it also meant that other London borough councils contemplating similar advice withdrew from those positions. 

 

Yet in the latest Coronavirus test data it is clear that the infection rate amongst school age children continued to increase sharply during that last week of term. 

 

And it is clear that by the end of term school age children had the highest infection rates of any of the age demographics analysed by the ONS. Primary, Secondary and Higher Education age groups all have more than 2,000 cases per hundred thousand; much more than any other demographics. 

 

Secondary aged pupils have by far the highest rate of all age groups and the highest increase in multiples since September – with cases having increased 75 time since then. 

 

Age Group	September 1st Cases per 100k	December 18th Cases per 100k	Increase in        multiples
Aged 2 - Year 6	110	2,020	18
Year 7 – Year 11	40	2,980	75
Year 12 - Aged 24	130	2,430	19
Aged 25 –  34	120	1,510	13
Aged 35 -  49	50	1,300	26
Aged 50 – 69	40	970	24
Aged 70 +	40	470	12

 

Table shows Cases per 100,000 from the ONS Coronavirus Infection Survey, tabulation by the NEU

Given the recent, though late, acknowledgements that school age children can transmit the virus, including to their families and staff, we think it is very important that the advice given by the CMO and/or the CSO is public. 

 

This paper from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial college argues that Tier 4 will not be enough to control the new variant without school closures: https://cmmid.github.io/topics/covid19/uk-novel-variant.html

 

It is very important that you also release your own modelling of what might happen to cases amongst pupils, parents and staff given the best current understanding of the new variant of the virus.

For all of these reasons we call on you to release the advice and modelling we ask for in this letter. It is not too much to ask for this nor to ask that you implement the steps we called for in our previous letters to you. 

 

You are asking teachers and support staff to teach in often poorly ventilated classrooms, with no PPE in those classrooms and with the ability to socially distance very limited. As it is your Government that is making these plans it is clearly your responsibility to ensure safe working for staff and for you to understand, mitigate and communicate the risks. 

 

We have previously asked the Secretary of State to share with us the numbers of education staff that tested positive in each week since September, the number who have been hospitalised and the number who have died. So far that information has not been shared with us. 

 

You certainly cannot expect education staff to show good will towards your plans for education if you do not at least share all the information you have about this dreadful disease with them. 

 

Yours sincerely, 

 

Mary Bousted Kevin Courtney 

 

Joint General Secretary Joint General Secretary

On a lighter but telling note this was posted on Twitter by DystopianHeadteacher

As Cvod rates rise in the borough the Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Officer has responded to concerns expressed on the Next Door Community Forum regarding customers not wearing masks in Wembley ASDA and other supermarkets. 

He wrote:

Brent Council can only advise shops to remind customers (and staff) to wear face masks (many shops do it by announcements using the loud speaker system).

 

Displaying the 'wear a face mask sign' in shops is mandatory and the Local Authority enforce that part of the Emergency Legislation.

 

Only the police can issue fixed penalty notices to people who are not wearing face masks in shops (without justifiable medical excuse).

 

There is no requirement to have a doctor’s letter about why you have a medical reason for not wearing a face mask.

 

If it was ASDA's policy to refuse entry to people without masks it is likely there would be a lot of verbal abuse on staff and possibly violence which would need the police to be called (We have seen reports showing this fear of abuse by some customers is well justified).

 

 Under Health & Safety considerations for their staff well-being ASDA and many other supermarkets have decided the risk to their employees from verbal & physical violence is greater than the risk of the virus.

 

For a short time Morrison's said on TV adverts they would enforce the law on customers wearing a mask but I have not seen those adverts recently.

 

 I am sure the council will visit ASDA to look into this problem but until the Met Police also put some resources into this problem it will continue.

 

 This morning's Independent SAGE Briefing

This is part of the statement issued this morning by Independent SAGE.  The full statement is available on their websiteHERE

INDEPENDENT SAGE

With a highly effective vaccine being rolled out, with more vaccines to be approved shortly, it is unconscionable that Covid-19 be allowed to run rampant through our communities just when protection is on the horizon. We urgently need a new plan to control Covid-19 into 2021 and aggressively drive down cases across England. 

Delayed and tentative decision making will result in the deaths of tens of thousands more people. 

Modellers from the SAGE modelling subgroup estimate that even under national Tier 4, another 100,000 people could die before the end of June 2021. In that scenario, hundreds  of thousands others would go on to suffer long term effects from Covid-19 and the NHS would be brought to its knees. The government needs to act now to prevent this catastrophe.  

We strongly urge that  the following strategy be adopted immediately.

1.  A nationwide lockdown with immediate effect is vitally necessary now. 
2. Schools contribute to the increasing transmission (R rate). We all want staff and children in schools safely, but sadly that is not an option now for at least a month. The unprecedented crisis requires Government immediately provide digital access for all children, recruiting retired teachers and others to help provide excellent online teaching, enabling children who can’t work from home to attend school along with vulnerable and key worker children. The Government should use January to make schools safe, e.g. extra space from unused buildings to enable 2 metre distancing, free masks and encourage all to wear them, multiple sanitiser stations and support for improved ventilation. There should be an immediate Government taskforce, including teaching unions, local authorities, governing bodies and parents, to implement this plan. 
3. There must be a clear strategy to mark the end-point of the new lockdown.  This is when the number of new cases has dropped to the point where all those with the disease and in contact with them are isolated, with support where necessary,  from the rest of the population.  A fully operative Find, Test, Trace, Isolate and Support system must be in place through local public health services and the army, which will need appropriate funding.
4. Meanwhile, an explicit strategy for vaccine rollout is required. Current rates of immunisation, whilst a good start, are insufficient to ensure coverage of priority groups by Easter 2021. The necessary primary-care-led upscale requires new resources and staffing now. Appropriate support and messaging to all communities is required to ensure sufficient uptake to establish population immunity, and minimise death, disease and long-term physical and mental ill-health. 
5. We must also support and contribute to the rapid roll out of the vaccine to low and middle income countries – the more Covid-19 is allowed to spread, the more opportunities it has to develop new mutations. 
6. We must institute an effective Covid control strategy at our borders. As in other countries, personal travel, especially international travel, must be monitored and regulated effectively, with advance application for travel to and from the UK, a negative PCR test prior to travel and managed isolation on arrival. 
   

The lesson should by now have been learnt by the decision makers.  Prompt action will be better for the health of the country and our economy.  Delay can only lead to further rapid growth of this pernicious disease, paralysing our ability to manage it.  

 I haven't been able to find the list of schools in hard hit areas that will not open next week, referred to by Gavin Williamson a few minutes ago in the House of Commons but this is a statement from the NEU following his statement:

The London Borough of Brent has been included in a government list of Covid 'hot spots' where schools will not open to the majority of pupils in the first two weeks of January.  Primary schools will be open only to the children of key workers and vulnerable workers. Other children will receive on-line learning. The guidance is available HERE and will be revised on January 18th. 

It is not clear whether Brent Council was consulted on this action.

The guidance makes it clear the schools should consult with the DfE before implementing it.

This is what the  guidance says about primary schools:

Primary Schools

Primary schools should only allow children of critical workers and those defined as vulnerable to attend.

Attendance expectations

Children of critical workers: Where a critical worker parent or carer notifies a school that their child requires full-time on-site provision, the school should make this available.

Vulnerable children: Vulnerable children are expected to attend full-time on-site provision where it is appropriate for them to do so. This should remain a priority for primary educational providers and local authorities. If they do not attend and it is not a previously agreed leave of absence, schools should:

•work together with the local authority and social worker (where applicable) to follow up with the parent or carer to explore the reason for absence, discussing their concerns using supporting guidance, and whether any adjustments could be made to encourage attendance, considering the child’s circumstances and their best interests

•work together with the local authority and social worker (where applicable) and other relevant partners to encourage the child to attend educational provision, particularly where the social worker agrees that the child’s attendance would be appropriate.

Where schools grant a leave of absence to a vulnerable child they should still speak to parents and carers, and social workers (where applicable) to explore the reasons for this and any concerns raised.

The discussions should focus on the welfare of the child and ensuring that the child is able to access appropriate education and support while they are at home.

High quality remote education should be provided for all other pupils.

Attendance recording Vulnerable children: As vulnerable children are still expected to attend school full-time they should not be marked as Code X if they are not in school (except if they are shielding, self-isolating or quarantining).

Schools should encourage vulnerable children to attend but if the parent of a vulnerable child wishes for their child to be absent from school, the parent should let the school know that the pupil will not be attending.

The  Department for Education expects schools to grant such applications for leave given the exceptional circumstances. This should be recorded as code C (leave of absence authorised by the school) unless another authorised absence code is more applicable.

Children of critical workers: As with vulnerable children, critical worker parents and carers should let schools know if their child will not be attending and, if not, schools should grant a leave of absence (code C) given the exceptional circumstances.

Pupils who are not expected to be in school: All pupils who are not expected to be in school should be marked as Code X. They are not attending because they are following public health advice.

 The full list of areas can be found HERE

UPDATE

Yesterday a zoom meeting of NEU London activists quickly reached its limit of 500 attendees indicating how seriously education staff see the present crisis.  There was particular concern over what appears to be  a directive that nurseries and special schools should open next week despite the decision to delay the opening of primary schools in most London boroughs. The union will be discussing what action to take to maintain the safety of chidlren and staff in these circumstances.

London boroughs excluded from the list of London boroughs reopening late were seeking explanations from the Secretary of State. These include our neighbouring boroughs of Harrow and Camden. On social media it was pointed out that many children and young people cross borough boundaries to attend school or college.

Harrow MP Gareth Thomas write to Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP:

Cllr Ketan Sheth, Chair of Brent Comunity and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee summed up the reaction of many on Twitter:

It is expected that Brent Children and Families will issue guidance to schools before the start of term.

Following a shopping trip to Wembley Asda with his mother last Wednesday Alperton councillor, Anton Georgiou, wrote to the store on Christmas Eve to express his concern over the non-observance of Covid safety measures:

I was horrified by what was going on in your Wembley store yesterday afternoon. I understand this is a really busy time, though we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic and we will only get through it if we all do everything possible to limit the spread of COVID. I would like to speak to the store manager ASAP as I wish to make a formal complaint.

 Asked to elaborate on his concerns he said:

I was appalled at the lack of mask wearing by customers and staff, the fact that security and staff were not helpful when I was personally threatened for asking a customer behind me with[out] a mask to step back, I was threatened and verbally abused, there is little to no social distancing in store, anti bac is not available anywhere and the store is a mess.

Asda replied that they were sorry about Antons 'unpleasant experience' and had reported the feedback to the store manager for them to act on it and prevent it from happening again.  Anton responded that he would like to speak to the manager and asked when this could be arranged.

Asda ignored the request saying that they could pass on any further comments. Anton then asked for a telephone conversation with the manager to 'discuss what exact measures the store will be putting in place to ensure the safety of residents I represent who use the store and others in Brent.'

Asda replied that as a result of the complaint the issue had been raised with the store manager. The issues raised had been taken seriously and the store would be revisiting the safety measures and initiatives outlined in a blog  https://www.asda.com/shopping-safely-with-asda .   'Thanks again for raising your concerns with us and please be assured that this has been addressed and you should see an improvement going forwards.'

So no direct contact between a local councillor and the store manager was agreed.

Cllr Georgiou told Wembley Matters:

I was appalled at what I saw in Asda Wembley last Wednesday.

With Covid cases rising locally at an alarming rate, it is crucial that supermarkets do everything possible to ensure the safety of constimers and staff. This has generally been what we have seen in supermarkets and businesses across Brent, however Asda Wembley simply aren't doing enough.

I witnesed too many people not wearing masks in store, including staff, and limited social distancing. I have tried to engage with the management directly since Thursday but have so far not heard back on tangible actions they will take.

I am extremely concerned that many Alperton residents and others in the local area who use this store are being put at significant risk. We will only be able to control the spread of the virus if everyone plays their part. I am hopeful Asda Wembley will be in touch soon on changes they will make to keep people safe.

As of yesterday Covid cases around the Forty Avenue area was 627 per 100,000 up 104 from 523 the previous week.

Quote from letter sent to Harrow school leaders by Council leaders and Chief Executive:

 The Guardian is reporting that the government is now to include ALL London boroughs in the list of areas where primary schools will close for all but the keyworker and vulnerable children in at least the first two weeks of January.

This answers calls from Harrow, Haringey and other  London councils that they be included.

See https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/01/all-primary-schools-in-london-to-remain-closed-after-u-turn

Emma Wallace

Reacting to yesterday's events Green Party GLA candidate for Brent and Harrow said:

Thank you to Harrow Council for taking decisive and sensible evidence based action, advising Harrow's primary schools that they can move to online learning from Monday. 

 

The government's decision to leave out Harrow, whilst all surrounding London borough's including Brent, Barnet, Ealing and Hillingdon having been listed as being able to delay their opening, despite having very similar rates of Covid-19 infection, was inconsistent and nonsensical.  

 

To find out that Gavin Williamson has announced a last minute U-turn advising that all primary schools can now close, except for vulnerable and key worker children, reveals once again the complete incompetence that we have now come to expect from this dangerous and chaotic government.  There is no evidence that the Conservatives are adhering to specialist medical advice or 'following the science' as they so proclaim.

 Vix Lowthian, Green Party Education Spokesperson said on Twitter on Labour Party nationally:

Labour must not ignore the unions, educators, parents and entire communities. Schools have been opened without adequate safety measures. Now as we reach a crisis, teaching must move to distance learning. Labour have to change tack - it's not about chaos, its about safety.

The National Education Union  Executive is meeting today to discuss their reaction to events as the Covid rates amongst young people continues to rise.  There will be a zoom meeting for all members on Sunday where thousands of school workers are expected.

It is welcome that, albeit in their usual last-minute fashion, ministers have corrected an obviously nonsensical position - one that it could not justify by evidence or sense.

 

But the question has to be asked: why are education ministers so inadequate and inept? Who is advising them? 

 

And what is right for London is right for the rest of the country. With the highest level of Covid-19 infection, and hospitals buckling under the tsunami of very ill patients, it is time for ministers to do their duty - to protect the NHS by following SAGE advice and close all primary and secondary schools to reduce the R rate below 1. 

 

It is time for the government to protect its citizens, and in particular its children, by shutting all primary schools for two weeks in order for the situation to be properly assessed, schools made much safer and children and their families protected.

Vix Lowthian, Education Spokesperson for the Green Party, will be speaking at a Green Party Trade Union Group Meeting at 4pm this afternoon. The meeting is open to all Green Party members. Email  yrrumuk@googlemail.com for joining details.

 The University and College Union (UCU) said  just before the New Year  that the government's plans for college and university students to resume in-person learning were "doomed to fail".

 From the National Education Union

The National Education Union is calling upon Government to move learning online in all primary schools including primary special schools in England for at least 2 weeks and issuing advice to all members informing them of their legal rights not to have to work in an unsafe environment.   

Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: 

"The National Education Union knows that the science suggests that to get infection rates down schools should not be open in the first two weeks of January.   

'The reports from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from the 23rd of December, the Sage papers dated 22nd of December but released on 31st of December or the report from Imperial College on the 31st of December - all have the same message - that it will not be possible with the new variant to get R below one without at least a period of school closure.   

'Cases were rising rapidly amongst school age children at the end of last term and they were the highest rates of any demographics. These children live as part of families and in communities and they can spread the infection into their families and into the wider community.   

'There is scientific concern that the new variant might be more prevalent amongst younger people than the previous variants.   

'We are calling on Gavin Williamson to actually do what he professes he does – to follow the science and announce, now, that primary schools in England should move learning online - apart from key worker and vulnerable children for at least the first two weeks of January.   

'It is not good enough to always be behind the curve, playing catch up with new strains of COVID, seeing hospital admissions rise and cases numbers spiral out of control.   

'Whilst we are calling on the Government to take the right steps as a responsible Union we cannot simply agree that the Government’s wrong steps should be implemented.   

'That is why we are doing our job as a union by informing our members that they have a legal right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions which are a danger to their health and to the health of their school communities and more generally. 

We are informing our members of their legal right to protection to be guided by the science. In order for viral levels in children and in the community to decrease to below R1 primary schools should not open in the first weeks of January. We will be informing our members that they have the right to work in safe conditions which do not endanger their health. This means that they can be available to work from home and to work with key worker and vulnerable children but not available to take full classes from Monday, the 4th of January.   

'We realise that this late notice is a huge inconvenience for parents and for head teachers. The fault, however, is of the Government’s own making and is a result of their inability to understand data, their indecisiveness and their reckless approach to their central duty – to safeguard public health. 

'Education is really, really important but you’re not going to get that education if this virus gets out of control in the community as schools will have to close then for a longer period of time.   

'We do want schools to be open safely as soon as possible. We want to work with Government to achieve that central aim".  

 OPEN LETTER

Vix Lowthian, teacher, NEU member and Green Party Spokesperson on Education

The Green Party has backed calls from teaching unions to take steps to protect the safety of staff and students by moving to online learning from Monday in order to reduce the spread of infection of the new coronavirus variant.

The move comes as Green Party-led Brighton & Hove City Council has written to primary schools in the city to advise them to move to remote learning until Monday 18 January.

Green Party education spokesperson Vix Lowthion, a secondary school teacher on the Isle of Wight, said:

It is right that schools should only reopen when it is safe to do so and that cannot be the case with new-variant Covid spreading out of control. We fully support those unions who wish to remind staff of their legal rights not to work in an unsafe environment. Gavin Williamson needs to change his position on the reopening of primary schools urgently.

If the government had provided disadvantaged students with what they needed in terms of laptops and connectivity earlier in the year, it would have made it much easier for all concerned to carry out learning from home now. This oversight must be rectified as soon as possible so that access to education is maintained to the best possible standards while ensuring safety for all.

This is an extremely difficult time for parents, teachers and children and young people and so the government must listen carefully to the experts and trust teachers when they say it is not safe. This crisis is not going away any time soon. Teachers must be supported to deliver planned, high quality and sustainable learning within an environment which prioritises the health of the community.

For once, we hope the government will stick to its own mantra and actually follow the science to protect communities and families across the country.

The Green Party has also repeated its call for all frontline workers, including teachers, to be prioritised for vaccination. 

Vix Lowthian, a secondary school teacher, parent, NEU member and the Green Party's Spokesperson on Education  spoke at a Green Party Trade Union meeting yesterday on 'Covid, Schools and School Workers.' 

At the beginning of the meeting she was completing the signing off of  a press release backing the National Education Union's decision to advise members to not work in full classes due to the rise in Covid cases but instead teach on-line or in the small bubbles formed for chidlren of key workers and vulnerable pupils.

In Brent and the rest of London primary schools are closed to all but vulnerable and key worker children,  and teaching moved on-line. Tonight decisions are still bing made by individual schools, headteacher and local authortiies in other parts of the country.

The video gives a full acount of the issues involved.

Local resident Martin Redston, despite setbacks in the courts, is continuing his battle to hold Dominic Cummings to account over his breach of Covid restrictions last year. It was a breach  that many see as the catalyst for the public's loss of confidence in government advice and the subsequent increase in contagion.

In the latest message to supporters Redstone says:

Well what a surprise, Margaret Ferrier,  MP for the SNP is going to be prosecuted  LINK  whilst Dominic Cummings, Private Citizen protected by Prime Minister Johnson is going to get away with his lockdown breach escape to Durham scot free! 

When we wrote to the Metropolitan Police back in August they responded with the letter enclosed below.  In particular in para's 2 and 3 they state:

....I can confirm that an assessment has been made of all the information available and there will be no Metropolitan Police investigation at this time. 

Where the Metropolitan Police Service (‘MPS’) receives allegations of breaches of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions)(England) Regulations 2020, the MPS focuses on those that are live or ongoing where police action can enable a change to behaviour that is posing a current public health risk.   

So what exactly is the difference in dealing with the way that Police forces deal with these two high profile public figures? 

We can't give up now.

A few days ago Martin Redston, who has raised £46,000 for his court action LINK.  sent an update to supporters of his action outlining the present situation:

We have received notification from the Appeal Court that they have not granted me permission to proceed. I enclose the ruling for reference. Having discussed this with our legal team, who have researched the subject, we can only concede that there seems to be no further formal proceeding we can take to persuade the DPP to take action along with the Metropolitan Police.

In the ruling, the Judge, Lord Justice Dingemans decided this was not a case to allow the appeal because there has now been referral to the Metropolitan police to request an investigation that may provide an alternate remedy for the rule of law. We must hope the Met conducts a thorough investigation now on the movements in London when Cummings commenced his journey and, indeed before that time when he visited his office whilst likely to be infected; and does not suffer the same failings of the report by Durham Police which found an offence in Durham but failed to refer that offence to the DPP. If following the Met investigation no action is taken then a possible challenge to that will fall to be considered. However I am pleased that the court accepted jurisdiction which is important for other cases and a small but significant gain and the rule of law point was recognised    

I am now consulting with my legal team about possible ways forward, the challenge for an ordinary citizen to take action against a miscreant bearing in mind that the Covid emergency legislation seems to preclude this pathway.

Much of Public opinion and the Press is still accusing Cummings of breaking the trust of the public and undermining good governance. Even now after all these months it is reported that  200 British skiers in Verbiers scarpered in the night to avoid quarantine as ordered by Swiss authorities. But it remains that no action has been taken by the authorities over Cummings' main breach at the start in London which has set the tone ......not just his action and public mea culpa, but the turning of a blind eye by the key police authority and public prosecutor.

I am now consulting with my legal team about possible ways forward, the challenge for an ordinary citizen to take action against a miscreant bearing in mind that the Covid emergency legislation seems to preclude this pathway.   

We are not giving up just yet. Any ideas that you may have will be gratefully received, especially if you feel that you have been affected by Cummings' actions back in March..

The York House car park, Empire Way

Next week's Brent Cabinet will consider  moves to establish an Onside Youth Zone centre at the York House car park site in Wembley.

The site was earmarked for a new primary school, the Ark Somerville, but the project has been dropped by the Department for Education for the present, due to falling school rolls in the area.

The DfE would need to be released from its obligation to Quintain to provide the school under Section 106 and could then sell the site on the open market or directly to Brent Council.

The officers report LINK describes what happens at Onside Youth Zones:

Youth Zones provide “somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to” and aim to be safe, supportive and affordable places where young people can spend their free time constructively. Targeting young people aged 8-19, and up to 25 with additional needs, Youth Zones provide large-scale multi-activity facilities which typically include multi-use 3G pitches, indoor sports hall, climbing wall, gym, music, dance and performing arts facilities and café, along with flexible spaces that can respond to young people’s changing needs and preferences.

Given the size of the site some of that provision would not be possible but it would still be a facility that would help make up for some of the youth provision cut by Brent Council. 

As Brent Youth Centres  were cut for financial reasons it is worth looking at where the Council  now expect funding to come from:

Running costs

SCIL = Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy

MTFS = Medium Term Financial Strategy

The charity Onside Youth runs a centre in nearby Barnet. You can read about it HERE