Monday 8 June 2015

Welsh Harp Centre to continue education function but may have other recreational uses

Readers may recall that I asked Brent Council for more information about the decision to lease out the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre.

I received the message below today:
In response to your recent enquiry, let me first of all apologise for the delay in coming back to you.

Further to this, can I say that the primary purpose of the proposed lease is to maintain the use of the Centre and to not let an asset fall into neglect. The Council would expect any future use of the asset to be compatible with its setting within the Welsh Harp. 

Carrying on from this, please review the responses below to the individual questions raised by you and I hope these details clarify the position. 

I refer to the advertisement in the Brent and Kilburn Times Ref: JXH/609/121

I would be grateful if you could send me a copy of the Drawing referred to in the notice see below
plus a response to the following questions: 
  1. How long is it envisaged that the lease to land and premises, including the office in Planet House will last?– The proposed lease period is for 10 years

2. Is it envisaged that the use of the land and premises will remain for educational purposes? – This is correct but there may also be other recreational related uses .

3. Is the land in question consecrated land subject to any change of use being agreed by the Diocesan of London? (see – We are reviewing the position and will revert to you on this point . http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/could-this- let-welsh-harp-rest-in-peace.html

4. Is it intended that the building and land be leased to one of the following (or a combination): Carey's charity arm, Oakington Manor School, Roe Green Junior School? – The property would be marketed by way of a tender process and the outcome is dependant on the responses received


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Second time in a couple of months brent has reverted to WembleyMatters! This needs to be a banner. As recommended by Brent Council, but not Cllr Butt.

Anonymous said...

Looking at the plan provided, the "Demise" (land and buildings) which the Council is marketing as "Welsh Harp Field Centre" is only the classrooms and small play / picnic area at the north-west corner of the previous Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre. The large area of land on the opposite side of the road, which includes the nature study area and the ponds used by at least a generation of local school children for "pond-dipping", and the small area behind Planet House where the bee hives are sited, have been excluded, so that the intended lessees (Carey's and/or the local schools who have expressed an interest in taking over the facility) will not actually be able to run an Environmental Education Centre there.

I smell a rat! The Council seems to be quietly preparing to sell off most of the land (for development?), leaving just the classrooms as a potential overflow site for primary school expansion, while trying to give the impression that it is actually doing something to replace the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre which it short-sightedly, and against the advice of many local people, voted to stop funding.

Philip Grant.