Despite calls for the Kensal Rise Library planning application to be postponed until the police investigation into fraudulent emails has been concluded, the new application (by the same developer) will be heard at Brent Planning Committee next week.
For those without long memories, here is how the issue was reported by the Kilburn Times at the time of the last application, just 8 months ago LINK :
It appears to me that whether one is for or against the revised application, until issues around the previous application by the same developer have been cleared up, it will be tainted and should not be tabled.
What price Brent Council's commitment to preventing the subverting of local democracy? Sarah Marquis, with no previous experience as a councillor, but with experience as a lawyer, chairs the Planning Committee.
What does she think?
For those without long memories, here is how the issue was reported by the Kilburn Times at the time of the last application, just 8 months ago LINK :
Council chiefs have called in the police over claims that emails supporting plans to develop an axed library branch were faked.
The action has been taken after an investigation by Brent Council into the allegations surrounding Kensal Rise Library concluded the case should be referred to detectives.
The council’s IT officers scrutinised the emails including IP addresses which are exclusive to each computer.
Cllr Roxanne Mashari, Brent Council’s lead member for environment and neighbourhoods, is responsible for libraries.
She said: “The council compiled a report after their own investigation and we have handed this over to police.
“Abuse of Brent’s planning system will not be tolerated.
“This has now escalated into a police matter and we await the outcome of the police investigation.”
In September, a council report added strength to claims by campaigners Friends of Kensal Rise Library (FKRL) that false statements were made against its fight to retain the Bathurst Road building for community use.
The report stated that when email notifications were sent to everyone who made a statement about the plans on the council’s website 78 were returned as being undelivered with 70 of those belonged to ‘supporters’.
Andrew Gillick, the director of Platinum Revolver Limited which took over the building from owners All Soul’s College in Oxford, hit back with claims that false objections against the application had also been posted on the council’s website.
He had applied for permission to convert the site into six flats, a cottage and a community hub but it was rejected by the council.
Margaret Bailey, chair of FKRL, said:
“We applaud the action of our council and it’s willingness to take seriously this attempt to subvert local democracy and mislead the public.
“Our community is strongly against this development for the library building and these fraudulent emails of support for the development were an attempt to divide and denigrate this community.
“Fraud is illegal and we support a thorough investigation by the police.”
Cllr Mashari added:
“We must keep our eyes on the end result of securing a community library at Kensal Rise.The alleged illegality seems to have been forgotten, or swept under the carpet, with both Brent Council Planning officers and FKRL supporting Gillick's new application.
“I am ready to work with the community and any stakeholder to ensure that this happens and that it is viable and sustainable.”
It appears to me that whether one is for or against the revised application, until issues around the previous application by the same developer have been cleared up, it will be tainted and should not be tabled.
What price Brent Council's commitment to preventing the subverting of local democracy? Sarah Marquis, with no previous experience as a councillor, but with experience as a lawyer, chairs the Planning Committee.
What does she think?