Monday 12 June 2017

Don't let them rip the heart out of South Kilburn - meeting Wednesday





From Granville Community Kitchen

 I am really sorry to tell you that the South Kilburn Trust and the RCKa Architects have 'responded'  to our outrage at the loss of the community Main Hall in Granville Plus Centre to a business hub. 
When the community  protested that it was losing the only large public space in the area, they have  responded by taking all the community space in the basement to  create a large 'event space there. 
This event space will have no kitchen. They say this can be hired by the community so is a 'community space'


THIS IS NOT COMMUNITY SPACE!


That means the community lose the Granville Community Kitchen (GCK) and all the other spaces in the basement. It is said the Community Kitchen can go in the 'living room'  kitchen on the ground floor. This space is open to anyone who comes into the building. This means that community groups, groups of parents and children, and vulnerable groups will have not have safe and dedicated space. Our children will not be allowed to be children with no space to play freely or safely. Anyone adult or child with lots of energy will have to be quiet and careful of their behaviour as they may disturb the business users. 

It means the needs of business users are placed first, over the community who have been using the building for generations!

Community users and Business users have different needs! They need separate spaces!

If the building loses it's sense of community purpose THAT IT WAS BUILT FOR it is no longer a community building!

The Mayor of London of London says that London is for All. He speaks of social integration and economic fairness. Where is the social integration in destroying the fabric of the Granville Community Centre and pushing the community out?  Where is the economic fairness if community is not given the opportunities to learn, to gather, to be supported, to express, to celebrate, to mourn? Economic fairness cannot be achieved without the social values that community bring.

Is this the legacy that the GLA, South Kilburn Trust and Brent truly want? One of reinforcing social inqualities? Of widening the gaps between the haves and the have nots? Of increasing social isolation of vulnerable people? Of not investing in the future of  our children and young people? Of having people go hungry? Of valuing money instead of people?

The Granville is the HEART of the South Kilburn community. Rip it out that heart and it dies!!


WE CAN STILL CHANGE THEIR MINDS!

What can you do?

Come to Granville, Carlton Vale, NW6 5HE
This Wednesday 14  June 
3pm - 8pm 

Voice your anger about this! Tell them you want seperate community spaces where we feel safe and that we control.. We want the  original purpose of the building prioritised and kept.

You will need to write it down but people will be there from GCK to help.

Please come and TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS to come too!

-- 
You can find Granville Community Kitchen at
The Granville Plus Centre, Carlton Vale, NW6 5HE
or  follow us at
@GranComKitchen
Like us on Facbook
GranvilleCommunityKitchen

3 comments:

Unknown said...

When you destroy the heart of a community, its called destroying Social Capital, family, friends, the whole demographic. How can we stand by and watch this happen. This is criminal, injustice, on every level. Stand up and fight for your community. Let us all tell Brent Council that what you say and what you do is two different things. The fact that Brent Council have made a decision to totally refute the Localism Act 2011 and go out and behave like Estate Agents, sell off publicly owned land, without any proper consultation is a criminal act. I request that any viewers of Wembley Matters especially if you are of the legal persuasion that understands what is going on, make yourself known, do this as pro-bono and make a difference, this is not on and these people need to be brought to account. Not only in Kilburn, but Brent as a whole. We all know where this ends up. We can look to the US, when they destroyed communities moved them out and built the projects, stop this now!

Philip Grant said...

I agree with Jaine.

This is the text of an email which I have sent this morning to the councillors for the ward where I live, under the heading "South Kilburn Regeneration - local people need their community centres":

'Dear Fryent Ward Councillors,

Although this relates to an area at the other end of the borough, I am writing to ask for your support for the people of South Kilburn who are trying to protect an important community resource in the face of a Brent Council "vision" which does not reflect their needs.

I will "copy and paste" below a statement issued by Granville Community Kitchen, and would ask you to read this and consider carefully their very reasonable case. I believe that a matter related to this is due to be considered at the Cabinet meeting next Monday. I would ask you to take whatever action you can to get the South Kilburn plans reconsidered, with the needs of the local community given top priority.

What is best for our local communities is an issue which concerns residents throughout Brent, and one on which it is right for electors and councillors from across the borough to express their views. I hope that you will do your best to support the people of South Kilburn. Thank you. Best wishes,

Philip Grant.'
(the text of the Granville Community Kitchen statement - copied from the blog above - was included in the email below this).

My Fryent Ward councillors include Shama Tatler, who is a member of the Cabinet, and two senior Labour councillors who have previously been Cabinet members, George Crane and Ruth Moher.

Our elected councillors are supposed to be there to represent the views of their constituents. If you agree with Jaine that we should 'stand up and fight for (y)our community', why not write to your Brent councillors, asking them to support the residents of South Kilburn and their community facilities such as Granville Community Kitchen.

Philip.

Philip Grant said...

REPLY:-

In my comment above, I gave the text of an email which I sent to my Fryent Ward councillors (with copy forwarded to Kilburn Ward councillors, for information).

I received a reply yesterday from Cllr. Shama Tatler, who confirmed that regeneration falls within her Cabinet role, with the Granville development being part of that. She meets regularly with key stakeholders, and said:

'No final design has been decided as the architects are still in the process of public consultation. We want to deliver a centre that incorporates the needs of the community and all organisations involved in the building. I'd invite anyone interested to go to the consultation.'

So, if you live in South Kilburn and/or use the Granville Centre, PLEASE go along to the meeting there TODAY between 3pm and 8pm and have your say.

Philip.