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March 3rd - International Women's Day: SHE IS SUMMIT Valuing Girls and Women at Box Park Wembley

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BOOK:

Part 1 Practitioners 10.00-15.30 

 Part 2 Young Women 15.30-18.00

 

She Is Summit is an opportunity to listen, better understand and seek solutions. Join us with Safer London, Brent Council, Streetgirl and Sancia Williams as we generate ideas to design multi-sectoral services to improve safety, protection and recovery, especially for those who already suffer multiple forms of discrimination.


Six week window opens for any applications for a Judicial Review of the adoption of Brent's Local Plan

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 The recent Full Brent Council Meeting formally adopted the new Local Plan which provides a framework for developments in the borough until 2041. The Local Plan contains many elements that have have been controversial including the projected population increase and amount of housing, density of housing, tall building policy and so-called intensification corridors which allow new build on roads that currently are low rise.

Now that the Plan has been adopted  residents' groups will find it much harder to challenge specific developments at the Planning Committee stage and committee members will find their hands tied to a large extent.

The grounds for a Judicial Review are narrowly defined:


This extract from the Adopted Local Plan sums up some of the issues that concern residents.


This is the announcement on the Brent Council website. To assess the overall policies click on 'Adopted Local Plan (basic version):


The Brent Local Plan 2019-2041 was adopted by Full Council on 24 February 2022.  

This replaced the Brent Core Strategy 2010, Brent Site Allocations Plan 2011, Wembley Area Action Plan 2015 and Development Management Policies Plan 2016 which have been formally revoked.  

We will however retain these documents on the website until the 6-week period for applications for judicial review of the adoption decision has passed, or if such requests have been made, they are resolved.   

In advance of a final ‘glossy’ version of the plan being available, we have produced a basic version of the Local Plan incorporating all modifications.  This will be subject to further minor modifications. These will address things such as page numbering, the insertion of figures and infographics identified in the text similar to those in the submitted plan, as well as appropriate photographs.

The interactive Local Plan Policies Map that accompanies the Local Plan 2019-2041 is not yet ready to view.  PDFs of the submitted Policies Map are available to view on the links below.

The policies map that accompanies the revoked Local Plan has been retained on the website as an aid in the meantime, as a number of the policy designation boundaries remain the same.

If you need further help in identifying the policy designations related to a particular site, please contact us by emailing planningstrategy@brent.gov.uk setting out the address, or a redline map boundary of the site.


Brent stands with Ukraine - how you can help

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From Brent Council

Brent stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and condemns Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of the independent nation of Ukraine, in violation of international law.

Read more about the statement, which was agreed unanimously at Full Council on 24 February. We have a long and proud history of supporting refugees in Brent and are ready to do so again.

As the most diverse borough in the UK we know that lots of our residents, including Ukrainian and Russian citizens, feel strongly about the situation and will want to help those affected by the invasion.

The council is not collecting donations directly, but we have compiled a list of organisations and appeals that residents might consider supporting.

Joint Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday to consider the Casey Review into disturbances at UEFA 2020 Final in Wembley

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The Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee (Chair Cllr Ketan Sheth) and Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee (Chair Cllr Roxanne Mashari) will meet in the Conference Hall at Brent Civic Centre on Wednesday 9th March at 6pm to consider a shared item on the Casey Review. The latter Committee will move on to consider other items on their agenda.

The Casey Review investigated the issues around the disturbances at Wembley Stadium at the Euro 2020 Final and made a series of recommendations. 

Recommendations pertaining to street drinking and licensed premises were implemented last weekend for the Carabao Cup Final. LINK

After the event Brent Coucill hailed the action as a success:

The drink-free zone around Wembley Stadium created a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere for those attending the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday (Feb 27).

Working with the police and The FA, the council used its powers under the existing borough-wide Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to crack down on street drinking ahead of the final, between Liverpool and Chelsea, in a bid to limit anti-social behaviour.

3,000 bottles or cans of alcohol were confiscated from the small minority of rule breakers on Olympic Way and the surrounding streets.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: “Yesterday we saw 90,000 football fans from across the country come to Wembley for the first full-capacity event held at the Stadium since the start of the pandemic.

“When we welcome fans, as we have done for decades, we feel like we’re welcoming them into our home so residents really want visitors to treat the local area with respect. It was wonderful to see the vast majority of fans do just that and I would like to thank everyone who followed the rules by not drinking on the street. Not only did this mean local pubs, bars, fan zones and restaurants were all buzzing with excitement, it also reduced the amount of litter on the streets and created a more enjoyable family-friendly experience all-around.

“I also want to thank the council’s enforcement officers, the police, Wembley Park and The FA. By working together and having a visible presence in the area, these keyworkers made a real difference in cracking down quickly on the small minority of fans who chose not to follow the rules.

“Finally, thanks also go to the local off licenses and retailers who stopped selling alcohol to fans before the game. This new approach will be rolled out for all future matches in Wembley as we look forward to welcoming more fans back to the historic Stadium over the coming months.”

The item on the Agenda states:

Baroness Casey review of events surrounding the UEFA Euro 2020 Final 'Euro Sunday' at Wembley

To discuss the Baroness Casey review of events surrounding the UEFA

Euro 2020 Final ‘Euro Sunday’ at Wembley, alongside theCommunity and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

There is no accompanying report tabled at present.

Is Brent Council promoting candidates ahead of the local elections?

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As predicted Labour candidates are promoting themselves on social media ahead of the May 5th Council Elections, nothing wrong with that although it can get rather boring - 0ne repaired pot hole too many!  I predicted lots of councillors  tweeting themselves standing next to the pre-election community skips  and this duly happened.

But it becomes more of a grey area when the official Brent Council Twitter account tags councillor's private Twitter accounts in their tweets:

 





Councillor Krupa Sheth (@kkrupas) who is transferring to Tokyngton ward to stand alongside Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, seems particularly favoured.

But this is not all.  Paul Lorber has called Brent Council's CEO, Carolyn Downs' attention to a leaflet being distributed in Sudbury where an unelected candidate is described as 'Your local representative':


Of course it is those skips again!

Lorber wrote: 

Just wondering what else Brent Council will be doing to assist the Labour Party re-election in Brent just 2 months before polling day? 

I see that they are promoting one of their as yet unelected individuals “as your local “Labour representative”. 

Is Brent Council bothering to send letters to residents directly or was the expectation that Labour candidates would be allowed to take advantage of this? Doing these kind of things just before an election is the oldest trick in the Labour book and I am amazed that Brent Council Officers fell for it and allowed it to happen.

But, Brent Council, who's the guy in yellow?

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PHOTO: Local residents celebrating the launch of the new One Tree Hill community garden along with Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council (far right), Cllr Neil Nerva, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Culture and Leisure (in fluorescent green), Cllr Krupa Sheth Cabinet Member for Environment and Ward Member for Wembley Central (in red) and Chirag Gir, Chairman of Wembley Central and Alperton Residents’ Association (far left).


A press release from Brent Council dropped into my in-box a short while ago, neatly reinforcing the point I made about social media in the last post.

The caption supplied by the Brent Council Press Office names the Labour Cabinet members present but ignores the man in yellow - who just happens to be a local Alperton councillor who works hard for the community but is a Liberal Democrat.

The 'non-person' is Cllr Anton Georgiou and he commented to Wembley Matters:

It was good to be with local residents and members of Wembley Central and Alperton Residents’ Association (WCARA) who have worked so hard on this project. 


I’m proud to have supported residents over the past two years, particularly keen local gardeners, who want to encourage even more people to get involved in growing flowers and vegetables in the area. 


We all know how important it is for mental health and well-being to be outdoors, enjoying nature and I’m hopeful Brent Council will commit to installing more planters as a way of encouraging even wider participation. This is particularly needed given the number of people in Alperton and Wembley who do not have access to their own gardens. 


I’m not surprised that the Leader of the Council and two Lead Members were free to attend the photo op yesterday morning. They love the camera. It is however, slightly concerning that my presence was ignored in the official Brent Council press release. With local elections around the corner, I’ve expressed disappointment at what seems to be repeat favouritism by the Council of a certain group of Councillors. This needs to stop.”




Olympic Way tile murals will soon be on permanent public display!

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 Guest post by Philip Grant. (Congratulations to Philip on this achievement as a result of his amazing persistence)

When I wrote last weekend about the heritage tile murals at Olympic Way being on display from 1st to 21st March, I mentioned that I was still waiting to receive a reply from Quintain to the New Year’s Day message I’d sent to their Chief Executive Officer.

 

Olympic Way murals on display in February 2020. (Photo by Mark Price, Brent Council)

 

I’m pleased to say that I have now received a letter from James Saunders at Quintain, and this is the good news:

 

‘Thank you for your letter dated 1stJanuary 2022. We have given your request careful consideration.

 

We share your commitment to celebrating the heritage of the murals and can confirm that when the current advertisement consent for the Spiritflex Vinyl coverings to the abutment walls outside of Bobby Moore Bridge to the South East (SE) and South West (SW) expires on 25thAugust 2022 we will not seek to renew that consent.’

 

This means that these mural scenes, on the walls outside of the Bobby Moore Bridge subway at Wembley Park WILL be back on permanent public display by the end of August this year, after being covered with Quintain’s advertising, apart from short “reveals” since the autumn of 2013. 

 

Tile mural scenes on the east wall of the subway. (Composite by Amanda Rose, courtesy of Quintain)

 

I believe that this is an important step towards getting ALL of the murals, celebrating Wembley’s sports and entertainment history, back on permanent public display. But the battle for the murals on the walls of the subway itself (other than the “footballers” mural, which was put on display again in 2019, as a result of efforts by Wembley History Society) will be for another year.

 

The current “reveal” includes the remnant of the original Pop Music / “Live Aid” mural scene, on the west wall of Olympic Way, seen here in an old photograph:

 

The tile mural celebrating “Live Aid” as it originally looked.

 

Around 2006, TfL constructed a stairway down from the bus stop on the bridge to Olympic Way. In the process they removed much of this mural scene, apart from the drummer, and did a “patch up” with a different type of ceramic tile:

 

The “patched up” mural scene in 2012. (Google Street View image, courtesy of Quintain)

 

In his letter to me of 2 March, James Saunders wrote:

 

‘The newer (square format) tiling to the SW abutment staircase that was installed by TFL in 2006 was removed in c.2016 as the tiles were falling off the rendered wall. We would like to engage with you and the Wembley History Society to find the best solution for that area of the walls. The staircase would prevent a full recreation of the original section of the mural showing Mark Knopfler, Tina Turner and Freddy Mercury, but we are keen to reflect aspects of the original design, where possible.’

 

I’m sure that there are plenty of local people with more artistic and design skill than me! Before I take up Quintain’s offer to engage with them over possible design ideas, I would like to throw the discussion open to YOU

 

You can see the awkward, tapering shape of the area available for a restored (or new?) mural scene commemorating “Live Aid” at Wembley. Its scale at the subway end would have to fit in with that of the murals in the subway, which immediately adjoin it. Would it be best to retain the drummer section as it is, and design out from that? Or would it be better to replace, the drummer section, in order to give a larger “canvas” for a mural design? 

 

Close up view of part of a mural scene, showing how the tile designs are made.

 

It should be remembered that the mural scenes are made up of different coloured ceramic tiles which are oblong in shape, fixed vertically. The close-up example above (showing the way tiles were used to portray Michael Jackson’s dancing feet, in a mural scene currently hidden behind light boxes in the subway) gives an idea of how the mural designs are made.

 

This is the sorry state of the remains of the “Live Aid” mural scene now:

 

The mural scene, as “revealed” on a wet day in March 2022. (Courtesy of Quintain)

 

Can you help to design a much better tribute to “Live Aid”, please, which will grace the walls of Olympic Way as part of the murals celebrating Wembley’s sports and entertainment heritage for decades to come? If so, please suggest your ideas as a comment below, or send them (with a possible design, if you have one) to Martin. Thank you.


Philip Grant.

 

 

Councillors warned about using skip programme for political promotion

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I understand that all Brent councillors this afternoon received a warning from a senior Brent Council officer  that given political sensitivities during the pre-election period, and to avoid complaint, they should bear in mind that community skips are part of a well-established operation programme and not an opportunity for political publicity or promotion.

The message acknowledged that councillors might want to be at these events but that this  should not extend to using them for canvassing or promotional photographs on social media.

The communication followed Wembley Matters story published earlier today raising the danger of political  promotion via the Brent Council official  Twitter account.



Brent residents on District Heating Networks face unsustainable rise in bills as the energy crisis worsens

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District Heating Networks (DHN) promised a more environmentally sustainable heating system through a single heating plant for multiple properties rather than expensive individual gas boilers.

 

Research published as long ago as 2002 LINK concluded:

 

The result is that, although the DHN is affected by much higher embodied energy (mostly for piping and civil works) than that required by domestic gas boilers, the energy consumption and the polluting emission rate is so low as to balance the difference with the competing technology in a few years.

 

By 2015 Which LINK was discussing some drawbacks:

 

Many of us don’t trust energy suppliers, but what if you were stuck with one supplier for as long as you lived in a property, with no control over the price you pay? This is the reality for many district heating customers.

 

More than 200,000 homes across the UK are connected to a district heating network. This is where heat from a central source is distributed to properties through a network of pipes. And its use is growing, particularly in built-up urban areas. The Government thinks district heating could provide heat to eight million homes by 2030.

 

There are benefits; it can be low carbon and there’s no need to maintain a gas boiler. However, there is currently very little protection for consumers living in properties connected to district heat networks.

 

They have no choice in who they get their heat from. No access to an ombudsman should they have a complaint. And no control over the price they pay.

 

We’ve uncovered unacceptable detriment

 

Over the past year we have been conducting a major investigation of district heating. We spoke to customers on district heating networks, including those of you who shared your views here on Which? Convo. We found widespread dissatisfaction, with cost a major concern.

 

The people we surveyed had concerns ranging from worry that they had been mis-sold district heating, to confusion around what was included in their bills. Many of them felt let down and frustrated by poor customer service and complaints handling procedures.

 

It’s an emotive issue, as one private homeowner from London told us:

‘We are stuck between the supplier and the developers, with each blaming the other for the lack of hot water. All the while we … face numerous outages and so have to boil a kettle to wash or bath my two and a half year old in.’

 

We also looked at the cost of district heating and found a huge difference in the price paid by customers. Some were paying up to 25% more for their heating than if they’d been on a standard gas deal, and that includes all the additional costs of installing and maintaining a gas boiler. In many cases, district heating customers couldn’t understand why they were being charged a high standing charge, despite not having the heating on and using little or no hot water.

 

District heating – what’s the solution?

 

We have been working with the industry on Heat Trust, a voluntary consumer protection scheme. Heat Trust aims to replicate many of the protections available to those with gas or electric heating, such as access to an ombudsman and guaranteed standards of performance. However, as a voluntary scheme, it won’t cover all consumers and it won’t tackle the issue of fair pricing.

 

Access to affordable and reliable warmth and hot water is a fundamental right; we rely on it for comfort and health. Everyone deserves a fair deal and great customer service from their heat supplier. However, there’s a danger that district heating companies will take advantage of their unregulated, monopoly position.

 

By January  2022 Leaseholder Knowledge pulled no punches :

 

Leaseholders who get their heating and hot water from communal systems face price hikes of nearly 500%, and are unable to switch suppliers for a better deal.

 

They feel like “captives” who are being “extorted” by their “monopoly” providers, they tell the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership

 

A major issue is that properties in DHNs are counted as commercial rather than domestic entities and are therefore not entitled to the energy cap. In January of this year Energy Live News reported:

 

The government has been urged today to take urgent action to protect around half a million homes living on communal and district heating networks.

 

The Heat Trust suggests these homes could be hit hardest by the soaring gas pricesbecause heat networks operators purchase gas on the commercial rather than domestic markets.

 

Commercial gas prices are currently around four times pre-crisis levels. The Heat Trust said commercial gas saw a 1000% price increase last year, rising from 1.5p per unit to 15p per unit before Christmas.

 

The report notes that consumers and landlords operating heat networks are already reporting examples of price rises of up to 700%.

 

The authors of the report called for the government to intervene by allowing heat network operators to purchase gas at the capped domestic tariff rates.

 

No action has been taken by the Government and the war in Ukraine is pushing up world energy prices leaving tenants in DHNs (large scale) or Neighbourhood Heating Networks  (covering a small number of buildings) facing unsustainable bills way beyond those outlined above from April.

 

However the starting point for residents in  a local network before those increases is still higher than domestic consumers:

 

These figures are for a one bedroomed property in South Kilburn:

 

Flat energy use - about £600 a year (to date, not reflective of upcoming increases)

Boiler/pump electricity - historically up to £750 a year (to date, not reflective of upcoming increases) 

Heating system maintenance - about £300 a year 

Sinking fund contribution for boiler replacement - £50 a year

Heating System Total: £1,700 

 

On top of this there is the bill for domestic electricity use.

 

The resident can switch suppliers for domestic electricity but not for the Heating Network.  The same applies to the insurance premium which is very high.

The freeholders of building or whoever owns the heating system (sometimes not the freeholder but another investor or energy company) get commission from the whoever they buy energy from and the electricity supplier. This means they do not have an incentive to seek a lower price.

 

SOUTH KILBURN NEIGHBOURHOOD HEATING NETWORK

 

Brent Council on environmental and cost saving grounds is installing a District Heating Network on new developments on the South Kilburn Estate. Attempts by Wembley Matters to ask Brent Council to comment on the repercussions of the current fuel crisis have not been answered. Questions are batted between the Council, housing associations and providers, This is a note from the Minutes of the South Kilburn Tenants Steering Group of 24th November 2021: 

South Kilburn Neighbourhood Heating


Francesca Campagnoli (LB Brent) Francesca introduced herself and provided an update on the proposed South Kilburn District Heat Network. The network is intended to provide heating and hot water for all new homes in South Kilburn in phases between 2024 and 2030. All homes would have individual meters and thermostats with heating and hot water available all year but only billed to individual homes based on usage. The heating will also be underfloor in all new homes with no requirement for radiators.

 

There has been no detailed reply from Fransesca but housing officers have been unable to supply estimates of future heating bills to would be tenants of DHN properties currently being allocated such as Chippenham Gardens, now known as Alphabet.  These are council tenants being moved from buildings due to be redeveloped and clearly would not be able to afford the uncapped energy bills that look likely. I have already heard of someone turning down a property here because of this factor. Tenants will come under the Octavia housing association with energy billed by GURU.

Brent Council set out its proposals for billing in July 2020. LINK


Fuel Poverty Action are very concerned about the issue and published this valuable research last year on tenant action over high prices and unreliability of a DHN:


 

 

District Heating Networks are the preferred option for heating in developments across Brent and it is hard to predict whether in the future this will be the best option. Clearly there needs to be legislation to protect residents.

Meanwhile I would like to hear from tenants and owners of DHN buildings about their experience. Please comment below. 

Brent Elections Returning Officer steps into skips row

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Carolyn Downs, who as well as being Brent Council CEO is also the Returning Officer for the May 5th local elections, wrote to party returning officers this afternoon:

 

Dear all


You will be fully aware that purdah starts on 24th March. All councillors including those who will be seeking re-election have been advised of this and to be very careful of any publicity used in the near run up to that date. A particular issue has been drawn to my attention.  The council has been working with the community and residents associations on a programme of community skips located in wards around the borough where people can take rubbish. This initiative is warmly welcomed by the community. We have a few more to take place between now and 24th March and we have advised all Councillors not to promote themselves through their own or party publicity in relation to these skips. I am sure that you, as agents, would agree that prospective candidates who are not currently Councillors should desist in doing so as well to avoid this valuable initiative being marred for the community by [political] controversy. I would be grateful for your cooperation.

 

Carolyn Downs

Chief Executive

Democracy in Brent – are Cabinet Meetings a Charade?

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Guest Blog (by Philip Grant in a personal capacity)

 

I watched the Live Stream recording of Brent’s Cabinet Meeting on 7 February 2022, as I have an interest in housing matters, and wanted to see how the petition from residents about the Council’s “infill” plans at Kilburn Square was dealt with. Martin published a “blog” about this, and underneath it you can see in the comments that I sent a follow-up email to the Leader of the Council.

 

My email to Cllr. Muhammed Butt linked his attitude at that meeting, and claims that building new Council homes was his top priority, to Brent’s plans to only provide 37 affordable rented homes in the 250-home development on land that it owns at Cecil Avenue in Wembley. Cllr. Butt replied, and his full response was included in my “guest blog” on 9 February.

 

At the end of his email to me, Cllr. Butt wrote: ‘I look forward to hearing that you will be watching the next Cabinet meeting; it is a fantastic thing to see more people actively involved with local democracy.’ But how much “local democracy” do we really receive through these Cabinet meetings?

 

Margaret, on behalf of the Kilburn Village Residents’ Association, was allowed to speak to the Cabinet. This was one of the democratic “improvements” which Cllr. Butt introduced after his Labour landslide win in the May 2014 local elections. He told our local newspaper soon afterwards: ‘New proposals allow the public to speak in council meetings for the first time ever is aimed at bettering how the community engages with the council and allows residents to hold us to account.’

 

But how much difference did what she said to them make? How much difference could it have made? I’m afraid that evidence I’ve recently received, under a Freedom of Information Act request, suggests that the decisions supposedly made at public meetings of Brent’s Cabinet, which people can watch and even participate in, have already been made beforehand, at meetings between Cabinet members and Senior Officers behind closed doors.

 


 

Regular readers will know that I have been trying to understand the justification for Cabinet’s decision on 16 August 2021 to allow a private developer to profit from the sale of 152 of the 250 homes on Brent’s Cecil Avenue housing scheme. This is the main site in the Council’s Wembley Housing Zone (“WHZ”). It was difficult to discover the reasoning, partly because most of the supporting documents were “exempt” (= secret), and partly because Cabinet members (and their Officers) were reluctant to provide explanations.

 


Extract from the WHZ report to Cabinet on 16 August 2021.

The statement that ‘Cabinet Members were consulted in July 2020’ was the subject of my latest FoI request, because there was nothing about that in the minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 20 July 2020! 

 

I asked for details and supporting evidence about that “consultation”, and the results were a surprise (to me at least). These showed that, as well as the formal public meetings of Cabinet, for which we can see the agenda and reports and watch a broadcast, there are at least two other types of regular meetings of Cabinet Members and Senior Council Officers, to which we are not invited.

 


Heading from the WHZ Report to the internal Policy Co-ordination Group meeting in July 2020.

 

The “consultation” which the 16 August 2021 Cabinet Report referred to actually happened four days before the 20 July 2020 Cabinet Meeting, at a meeting of the Policy Co-ordination Group (“PCG”), a body that I had never heard of before. In many ways, it appears to be very like a Cabinet Meeting, except that the public are not made aware of it, and are not invited! This is the “preferred delivery option” paragraph from the WHZ Report to that meeting:-

 


 

From this, it appears that the “preferred option”, to involve a private developer who would sell half the WHZ scheme homes for profit, had been on the cards since at least December 2019! It is not only the Report that looks very like one prepared for a Cabinet Meeting. The written record of this meeting, though described as ‘PCG Meeting Action Points’, looks very like the minutes of a Cabinet Meeting. I received this document in response to my FoI request, although Council Officers treated it as an Environmental Information Request, which allowed them to redact one paragraph in it.

 

 

Extract from “minutes” of the Policy Co-ordination Group meeting on 16 July 2020.

 

I understand, and accept, that there does need to be some co-ordination of policies across the different service areas of Brent Council, but does this really need a quasi-Cabinet Meeting to achieve that result?

 

My FoI request had asked for details and evidence of any other discussions of the “preferred delivery option” between July 2020 and the official decision on this at the Cabinet Meeting on 16 August 2021. The response to that produced evidence of another type of internal “Cabinet Meeting”, referred to as a Leader’s Briefing, held on 26 July 2021. This “briefing” appears to be effectively a trial run-through for the Cabinet Meeting, but held three weeks before the public meeting!

 

As well as all members of the Cabinet, the FoI response gave details of the Senior Officers attending:

 

16 Council Officers were invited to attend the briefing, positions below :

 

 

Chief Executive; Head of Executive & Member Services; Strategic Director Children & Young People; Personal Assistant to the Leader of the Council; Director of Finance; Head of Communications, Conference & Events; Strategic Director Community Wellbeing; Strategic Director Customer & Digital Services; Director Legal, HR, Audit & Investigation; Assistant Chief Executive; Governance Manager; Strategic Director Regeneration & Environment; Scrutiny Officer; Head of the Chief Executive Officer; Senior Administrator; Operational Director Regeneration, Growth & Employment; Head of Regeneration.’

 

 

It is interesting that the Head of Communications attends these Leader’s Briefing meetings. Could that be so that he can prepare the publicity for the Cabinet decisions, in advance of them officially being made? 

 

 

The “minutes” of the Leader’s Briefing meeting on 26 July 2021 are in the form of an email from a Governance Officer, and I will ask Martin to attach a copy of that document at the end of this article, should you wish to read them. You will note that there may, or may not, be amendments to the Reports which Cabinet members have received for the briefing, before they appear along with the agenda for the official Cabinet Meeting on 16 August. There was also mention of another PCG meeting, scheduled for September 2021.

 

 

The reports that went to the Leader’s Briefing meeting were marked “Restricted”. This may be because they might be changed, or because they should not be “leaked”, which would reveal that Cabinet members had already considered them before the official meeting. There was actually a slight change in the wording of the “preferred delivery option” paragraph 3.5.1 between the two dates. 

 

 

In the 26 July report (below), members had ‘endorsed’ Delivery Option 2 a year before. In the 16 August report (see third image above), they had ‘indicated a preference’ for it. This may only seem a small difference, but it gives the suggestion, in the first publicly available document, that no final decision had been reached before Cabinet officially considered the matter in August 2021.

 


Extract from the draft WHZ Report to the Leader’s Briefing on 26 July 2021.

 

What happened when Cabinet did consider the WHZ publicly on 16 August 2021 (having previously considered it in private several times since December 2019)? There were problems with the Live Streaming of that meeting, and the recording is only available towards the end of the WHZ item. 

 

 

We hear Cllr. McLennan speaking about the ‘really, really good news’ that WHZ includes a number of larger homes for families in housing need, and that ‘many of them will be affordable’. Cllr. Butt then starts by saying ‘this is actually great news’, and goes on for over a minute, commending how well the Council is doing with its housing programme, and delivering homes for people who need them on its waiting list.

 

 

The Council Leader speaking about WHZ at the 16 August 2021 Cabinet Meeting.


 

The Leader of the Council was actually talking about a Brent housing scheme, on Council-owned land at Cecil Avenue, where 152 of the 250 homes would be sold for profit by a private developer, 61 of the so-called “affordable” homes would be for shared ownership or Intermediate Rent, and only 37 would be available for rent to local people in housing need at London Affordable Rent level! On the other WHZ site, across the High Road, although the 54 flats would be for London Affordable Rent, only 8 of them would be family-sized.

 

 

To me, that performance was just misleading “grandstanding” – playing to the public gallery over a decision that had been made in advance of the formal Cabinet Meeting, and which he hoped no member of the public had actually read the detail of the Report (and could not read any of the details in the “exempt” Appendices to it).

 

 

I asked in the title ‘are Cabinet Meetings a charade?’ You may know “Charades” as a game involving guessing words from acted clues. I think that Brent’s Cabinet are playing a game with the borough’s residents. They are acting at their meetings as if they have considered and decided the Reports attached to their agenda, after hearing what any members of the public or backbench councillors have to say at the Cabinet Meeting.

 

 

A charade (singular) is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘an absurd pretence’. If the items on the Cabinet’s agenda have been considered and decided in advance, at a Policy Co-ordination Group meeting or Leader’s Briefing, then Cabinet Meetings are a charade.

 

 

Philip Grant.

 

Spring awakening as frogspawn arrives on Barn Hill pond

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Frogspawn in Barn Hill Pond this afternoon

I couldn't resist getting out in the sunshine this afternoon and visited the pond at the top of Barn Hill. As I arrived I disturbed a heron that flew silently  just a couple of feet over my head. I had heard that the frogs had been spawning and sure enough the iris bed at the north end of the pond has plenty of spawn.

I put a plea out on Twitter for dog owners to keep their dogs away from that area as last year a group of dogs owners repeatedly threw their dogs stick and balls amongst the spawn, resulting in much splashing around. The owners were busy chatting and I don't think they realised what was happening.  Inevitably, as the water is shallow here, the spawn got churned up in the mud.

Later there was a late frost and more damage was done.

Frogs and toads are in decline and we must do all we can to protect them.

Tackling Food Poverty in Brent: Right to Food Meeting Saturday March 12th March - All Welcome to Share Ideas

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A timely meeting as the Cost of Living and Health crises deepen:

We don’t think anyone in Brent should go hungry. 

 

What are the best ways to organise in Brent for food justice and security?

Brent Right to Food want to hear your ideas to develop a local food strategy.

We know there is a huge increase in demand for help from Food Banks and Brent Mutual Aid.

 

This will get worse as living costs rise and force families to choose between heating and eating.

 

WHAT IS FOOD POVERTY?

In 2005 the Department of Health defined it as “the inability to afford, or have access to, food to make up a healthy diet”.  The Food Foundation [1]  says  it isthe state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.”

Food poverty affects so many of us - including working parents, pensioners, people with disabilities, zero-hours contract workers and anyone unemployed.

 

You may be one of the 11 million people in food poverty in the UK. Brent Poverty Commission found that in 2020 up to 1 in 3 households (17% - 33%) in this Borough live below the poverty line and 22-43% of Brent’s children live in poverty. The pandemic has made this worse.

 

Food poverty has a major impact on our health – hunger, malnutrition and obesity can lead to diet-related illness far beyond childhood and impacts on our mental health. Studies have shown that poor diet is also linked to disability and earlier death. [2]

 

Key Factors in Food Poverty

·      Low income - people simply cannot afford to buy food

·      Variable quality of affordable food on offer

·      Lack of support for nutrition, budgeting and cooking skills

·      More support needed from suppliers and regulators.

 

Most of us acknowledge the problem – so now we need to tackle it together

 

Your ideas are welcome at the Brent Right to Food Summit

on 12thMarch at Newman College,  Harlesden Road NW10 3RN 4-7pm..

 BUSES 206, 226. 260, 266, 18 / Bus 187 from Harlesden station [ Overground and Bakerloo Line].

 


ALL WELCOME Free entry  - use the link for your ticket.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brent-right-to-food-summit-tickets-268924559597

Sat, 12 March 2022   16:00 – 19:00 GMT

Newman Catholic College
Harlesden Road  London NW10 3RN

 

An afternoon of discussion and debate on the Right to Food, and how it can be implemented in the London Borough of Brent.

 

With participation from:

·      Dee Woods, Granville Community Kitchen

·      Rajesh Makwana, Sufra NW London

·      Kemi Akinola, Be Enriched

 

·      Katie Pascoe, Let's Grow Brent

 

·      Clive Baldwin, Human Rights Watch

 

·      Anne Kittappa, Brent Senior Policy Officer

 

[1] [Food Insecurity Tracking | Food Foundation  says:

 Food insecurity (sometimes referred to as food poverty) is the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. To assess the impact of household food insecurity across the UK, The Food Foundation has been commissioning a series of nationally representative surveys since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic. We track and report on people’s experiences of food insecurity particularly focusing on at risk groups such as families, BAME and ethnic groups, people with disabilities and children on Free School Meals.”

 

[ 2] Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 - The Lancet

Philip Grant’s Deputation for Scrutiny Committee: item 9 – Poverty Commission Update

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Philip Grant's presentation to Scrutiny Committee was abandoned due to poor internet connections.  Here it is: 

The Poverty Commission Update report asks you to ‘Note progress on implementation of the Poverty Commission recommendations as agreed by Cabinet.’

You are a Scrutiny Committee, and you should be questioning this report, not just noting it. Please look at paragraph 3.7, on Housing. What progress has been made on that?

Lord Best’s Poverty Commission identified the cost of housing as a major contributor to poverty in Brent, and recommended a substantial increase in investment in social housing.

Brent’s Cabinet agreed Recommendation 4, which said: ‘We recommend that in pursuing its strategic target to secure 50% of new homes as affordable, Brent gives special consideration to achieving more social rented homes.’

Yet you look at “Housing” in the Update report, and there is not a single mention of social rented homes!

The Update report says that the Council is making great progress with its New Council Homes programme, but how many of those homes are genuinely new homes for people on the housing waiting list?

Of the 655 homes already delivered, 209 at Gloucester & Durham in South Kilburn are actually replacement homes for tenants whose flats were demolished to make way for that development.

Of the homes delivered or ‘onsite’, 92 at Knowles House are for temporary accommodation, not permanent Council homes.

At Grand Union in Alperton, the figures include 23 for shared ownership. The 92 rented Council homes there will be for London Affordable Rent, which is higher than social rent levels.

If you ask how many of the New Council Homes Brent says it can deliver by 2024 will be at social rent levels, I think you’ll find the answer is “none”.

One place where Brent could increase investment in social housing is the former Copland School site. It is vacant land, owned by the Council, which has had full planning permission to build 250 homes there for over a year.

I wrote to Cabinet members last August, when that item was on their agenda, urging them to fulfil their Poverty Commission promises, and make at least some of this development homes for social rent.

Instead, they approved a proposal which allows 152 of the new homes there to be sold privately. Of the 98 Council homes, 61 would be for shared ownership, and only 37 for London Affordable Rent.

Overall, the Wembley Housing Zone scheme claims to provide 50% “affordable housing”. But the balance of that is 54 flats at London Affordable Rent level on the Ujima House site, and only 8 of those would be family-sized homes.

There would be NO social rented homes. That’s the reality hidden in this Poverty Commission Update.

You, as a Scrutiny Committee, need to challenge that, and demand that Brent Council does better.

You can recommend that in meeting its Poverty Commission commitments, it should invest in more social rent housing as part of the New Council Homes programme, including at its Cecil Avenue development.

Thank you for listening to me. I’d be happy to answer any questions.

Metroland Festival: John Betjeman film and talks on March 12th and March 15th

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 From Preston Community Library.  Please note that the meeting on the 12th is in-person at the Library's temporary premises in Ashley Gardens. (Directions below) These meetings are part of their Heritage Project's Metroland Festival.


 This event is on Zoom:


Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman in his poem Middlesex.

Gentle Brent, I used to know you
Wandering Wembley-wards at will,
Now what change your waters show you
In the meadowlands you fill!
Recollect the elm-trees misty
And the footpaths climbing twisty
Under cedar-shaded palings,
Low laburnum-leaned-on railings
Out of Northolt on and upward to the heights of Harrow hill.




A unique invitation to Brent local election candidates - Community Assembly Saturday 19th May 385 High Road, Willesden

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 An interesting and enterprising meeting coming up with a unique perspective (Click on image to enlarge):
 




 


Concerned Byron Court Primary School staff issue Open Letter calling for support in opposing academisation and for a ballot of staff and parents before any decision is made

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Concerned staff at Byron Court Primary School have written an Open Letter to Brent education officers, Brent councillors, the National Education Union and all three Brent members of Parliament to raise their concerns about the possibility of the local authority school becoming an academy.

Academisation means that the school is directly funded through the Department for Education and is no longer under Brent Council oversight.  There is no direct local democratic accountability. 

In the Open Letter they say:

We love our school and are committed to it.  It is because of this commitment that we are rated outstanding by Ofsted.  At a time when our children need stability academisation is being pursued.  We need time and support to focus on our professional duties to help our children who are experiencing the trauma of the pandemic and ensure that they are able to catch up on years of lost learning

For many years we have been very proud to be a local authority school (along with all but a few primary schools in Brent).  Brent Local Authority have helped us build a beautiful school. We have worked tirelessly through the pandemic to support our children in every way we can.  We love our school and are committed to it.  It is because of this commitment that we are rated outstanding by Ofsted.  At a time when our children need stability academisation is being pursued.  We need time and support to focus on our professional duties to help our children who are experiencing the trauma of the pandemic and ensure that they are able to catch up on years of lost learning.
 
They allege  the staff feel intimidated under the leadership of the new headteacher who joined the school last summer and that experienced staff have left and others are contemplating leaving: 'academisation will be the last straw.'

The staff question the legality of the Chair of Governors allegedly being paid to provide financial services to the school, having previously been its finance manager and are concerned that he is not independent.

The Open Letter continues:

We understand that the decision to academise will be for the governing body to make.  Unfortunately, we have not been able to meet with governors directly or been provided with an opportunity to share our position with them.  We have no way of contacting them directly or speaking with them openly.
 
Staff express concern that academisation is being discussed at a time when the staff governor's period of office is coming to an end and allege this will enable academisation to be pushed through.

They conclude:
We know that all schools are facing financial challenges.  We know that changes will need to be made and other primary schools are managing the financial challenges.  We accept this.  But the answer is not academisation.  The majority of schools in Brent are struggling financially and they are not considering academisation.  Why should our successful school be pushed into this?
 
Requests from staff 
 
1) This letter should be shared with all members of the governing body immediately.  
2) We ask the staff governor to make clear to all the governing body the strong objection by staff to academisation at all costs.
3) We ask all the governing body to give us immediate assurances that they will not consider academisation and will focus on supporting staff to do the best for our children.
4) We ask our trade union colleagues to intervene and organise for an anti-academisation motion of members to be organised immediately.  The majority of staff are members of the NEU and support this.
5) We call on the Chair of Governors  to immediately step down as chair of governors and remove himself from his finance role with immediate effect.
6) We ask the local authority to investigate without delay how a paid member of staff in a position of financial responsibility can be appointed as chair and remove him.
7) We ask the governing body to immediately re-consider the appointment of a paid member of staff in a position of financial responsibility and remove him.
8) We ask Brent MPs and local councillors to make clear their public support and commitment for local maintained schools.  Brent Labour and the NEU are firmly against academisation.  [] Please state your public commitment for Byron Court remaining a maintained school via Twitter @byron_court or email admin@byroncourt.brent.sch.uk for the attention of the Governing Body.
9) We hope that this letter will dissuade governors from exploring any further action at this time.  However, if the governing body wishes to continue to explore academisation we ask that in accordance with NEU guidance, that the governing body commit to an immediate ballot of all staff and parents before any decision is made about academisation (and separately before any consultation) to inform Governing Body decisions.  We know that stakeholders are against academisation.
10) We ask the staff governor to call for a ballot of parent views on academisation before any further decisions are made.
11) We ask the parent governors to call for a ballot of parent views on academisation before any further decisions are made.
12) We ask all the governing body to ensure that the upcoming staff governor position is filled without delay so that staff views may be fully represented in all decision making.
 

Byron Court Primary possible academisation update

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 The article published last night has been taken down pending clarification.  Meanwhile the leaflet below will be of interest and demonstrates why academisation is an issue for school workers and the community.



Brent National Education Union (NEU) statement on Byron Court and academisation

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 Brent NEU issued the following statement following yesterday's story, subsequently pulled, following doubts over its source:

We know that Byron Court Primary School are considering academisation and the NEU is completely opposed to all privatisation of state education.


As such we are engaging in meetings with our members and the school to ensure that a full and meaningful consultation takes place.

The NEU is prepared to take industrial action when there is any proposal to academise a school. However this is a last resort. The NEU will also issue press releases when we are in dispute with any school.

The article which appeared on this blog previously was not issued by the NEU or by any of our reps or officers but was deliberately written to make it seem as though it was. It is completely unacceptable to us that this "open letter" was sent out widely in the name of school staff, without consulting anyone, and anonymously.

The NEU is supporting its reps and members in the school.

Jenny Cooper
Brent NEU Joint District Secretary

Editor's note: 

I apologise for any problems caused by yesterday's publication which was deleted as soon as I was told it was not NEU's official position.

REMINDER: Brent Right to Food Summit today 4pm - 7pm Newman Catholic College, Harlesden

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 The summit is at Newman Cathloic College in Harlesden 4pm-7pm today. Tickers here:  

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brent-right-to-food-summit-tickets-268924559597


Programme:

Welcome: Alex Colás, Brent Rig ht to Food co-chair

 

16:00-17:00 - Food as Right: International and Legal Perspectives

(Facilitator: Rajesh Makwana)

Clive Baldwin, Human Rights Watch

Dee Woods, Civil Society and Indigenous People's Mechanism western Europe focal point for the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS )

 

17:00-18:00 - The Brent Food System

(Facilitator: Alex Colás )

Rajesh Makwana, Sufra NW London

Katie Pascoe, Let's Grow Brent 

Jake Thomas, JustEat Rider and IWGB union organiser

 

18:00-19:00 - Designing a Right to Food Strategy for Bent

(Facilitator: Dee Woods)

Kemi Akinola, CEO/MD of Be Enriched and Brixton People's Kitchen, and Labour & Co-operative Councillor in Wandsworth

Anne Kittappa, Brent Senior Policy Officer 

 

19:00 - Light Refreshments

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