Green Party's Hannah performs miracles

 

 

Street protest against granting of Adult Gaming Centre licence to 1 Walm Lane, Willesden Green - Sunday June 14th 2pm

 

The Licensing Application for an Adult Gaming Centre comes up at Committee on Thursday (10.30am at the Civic Centre - public can attend, not available on line). LINK 

Brent Green Party have organised a community street protest meeting outside the premises at 1 Walm Lane (the former Lloyds Bank) tomorrow at 2pm to make the case against the granting of the licence. All are welcome to attend to make their voices heard.

Some of the 222 submissions will be read out.

 Before the May council election the three Green Party candidates  for Willesden Green ward made their views known in a submission to the Licensing Committee:     

The Brent Green Party formally objects to the application for a new Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) at 1 Walm Lane. Our objection is centered on the failure of this application to promote the licensing objectives, specifically the protection of children and vulnerable persons, in the context of Brent’s acute socio-economic challenges.

After detailing their objection (available on the link above) they concluded:

The data is clear: Brent is home to some of the most income-deprived children in the United Kingdom. Placing a 24-hour gambling venue in the heart of such a community, supported by a flawed risk assessment that fails to even identify local schools, is an unacceptable risk to public safety and child welfare. No amount of internal staffing or CCTV can mitigate the "invisible harms" of debt, family breakdown, and poverty that will radiate from this premises into the surrounding streets. We urge the Licensing Committee to put the safety of Brent’s children above corporate expansion and refuse this licence.

Other councillors, the GLA member for Brent and Harrow and Dawn Butler and members of the public have also made representations. 

Dawn Butler wrote: 

We know already that these businesses have a propensity to cluster in poorer communities,

which are more susceptible to gambling harm due to the hope that a big win will help them out of their situation.

 

This is a strong community, and it is being blighted by these shops, whose owners hold the area in complete contempt and disregard.

 

I wrote to 7,000 households in Brent, to ask them for their own experiences of gambling and the betting shops in Brent. This was going to form a response to the Government’s Gambling Review, the response to my call for evidence has been stark:

 

97.5% were opposed to betting shops

80% questioned why more shops were being given permission

75% called for the number of stores to be limited

62.5% detailed experiences of anti-social behaviour in the locale of these shops

 

I have heard from families who’ve faced financial ruin because of gambling and from so many people for whom their daily lives are blighted by the associated anti-social behaviour, in particular street drinking and drugs, which circulate in close proximity to these gambling

establishments.

 

To conclude, I strongly urge all to reject this application. The people of Willesden deserve a

vibrant, diverse high street that supports the well-being of all residents, not another exploitative gambling venue that deepens existing harms.

The Interim Director of Public Health for Brent wrote (extract only - also available on the link above):    

Brent is the fourth most deprived borough in London, with a younger-than-average population alongside high levels of ethnic diversity. Within Brent, Willesden also reports a higher than average prevalence of adults with severe mental illnesses (1.7% vs 1.2% Brent average). This demographic profile means Brent is home to a high concentration of groups known to have a greater risk of gambling-related harm. Evidence shows that these high-risk groups are much more likely to experience harm from gambling compared to their counterparts. For example:

 

• 21% of 18–24 year olds are classed as “at-risk” gamblers, compared to 10% of those aged 55–64

• 10.6% of people from minority ethnic groups are considered to be ‘problem gamblers’, compared with 3% of white groups

• Individuals who experience gambling harms are up to 15 times more likely to be at risk of suicide

 

Gambling venues are also known to be disproportionately clustered in areas of higher deprivation. This pattern applies both across Brent as a whole and within Willesden Green specifically. This is significant as research suggests a relationship between gambling behaviour and proximity to gambling venues. For example, studies have found:

 

• People living closer to gambling venues (less that 0.7km away) are twice as likely to be ‘problem gamblers’ than individuals living further away (more than 3.1km away) 

• The likelihood of young people (aged 18-21) encountering gambling problems, as opposed to never gambling, increases by 39% for each additional form of gambling operator located with their local area 

• Higher concentrations of gambling premises are associated with higher rates of ‘problem gambling’ 

• Those living in more deprived areas are more likely to gamble on faster-paced games such as scratch cards and slot machines - which are known to be more addictive.

 

The applicant’s own LARA identifies similar groups as vulnerable, supporting concerns that opening a further venue would do little to protect them from harm. It identifies numerous schools, colleges, medical centres, care homes, children’s play areas, hostels, foodbanks, and drug and alcohol support services, all within a mile radius of the proposed premises. It recognises that these groups are susceptible to out of control gambling, yet categories these risks as ‘low’. This assessment places disproportionate confidence in the proposed mitigation measures and significantly undermines confidence that the risks have been robustly or realistically evaluated.

 

In particular, the proposed controls rely heavily on staff to identify and respond to harmful gambling behaviours, yet the applicant proposes a minimum of only two staff members on site at any given time. Measures to mitigate harm also rely largely on signage and information available in-store, where there is no guarantee that individuals will take notice.

 

Public concern further reinforces these risks. Research indicates widespread anxiety about the impact of gambling venues on children and young people. The SMF report found that 44% of young people aged 14–17 agreed that the presence of gambling venues near their homes increases interest in gambling among their age group, while 27% reported knowing young people who had visited an AGC.

 

Finally, gambling is commonly described as a ‘hidden addiction’, as harmful behaviours often develop gradually without overt warning signs. Normalisation of gambling within everyday environments is therefore one of the most significant risk factors for harm, as it further obscures these early warning signs, minimising the idea that gambling can cause major harm, while increasing exposure for those who may be attempting recovery. Introducing an additional AGC in an area already saturated with gambling premises would further entrench this normalisation and intensify risk.

 

“You’ve got it in your face all the time – high road, on your phone, it’s everywhere. How do you overcome that when wherever you go, it’s right there, staring in your face?

 

 

 

 

The 'Queen of Tricksy Crime' is coming to Preston Community Library on June 25th - Author evening with Janice Hallett

 

Strike Day 18: Why NEU members at Woodfield School are on strike

 

Sainsbury's Alperton redevelopment of car park - consultation Thursday June 11th and Saturday June 13th

 

The Sainsbury's Barratt London leaflet says:

What's proposed:

New homes for local people

New green spaces

New retail and business space

Retention of the current Sainsbury's store

New customer car park for Sainsbury's store 

 

 The store and its car park from above (Google Earth)

 Ward map

BREAKING: Quintain defy local opposition and submit planning application for a 17 storey hotel between Brent Civic Centre and Olympic Way

 

The new hotel and surrounding area

Quintain's plans to activate 2018 planning permission to build a new hotel on the open space outside Brent Civic Centre, currently occupied by Market Square and the Samovar Space, met with stiff opposition last year, not least from current residents of the Quintain estate. They and visitors to the LDO, Arena and Wembley Stadium had got used to using the space, making it a social meeting place amidst all the tower blocks.

This afternoon Quintain released the statement below:

Quintain Submits Detailed Plans for New Development at Wembley Park

Quintain, the developer and asset manager behind Wembley Park, has submitted a reserved matters planning application to Brent Council for Plot NW04, a key site within the developer’s continuing transformation of the 85-acre estate.

Plot NW04 forms part of Quintain’s wider Wembley Park transformation, which has evolved over the past two decades into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood comprising homes, jobs, cultural destinations, and high-quality public spaces.

The site already benefits from outline planning permission granted in 2018 by Brent Council as part of Wembley Park’s ‘North West Lands’ masterplan. That consent established the key development principles, including the scale, height, uses and the requirement to deliver public realm, including a new Civic Square. The newly submitted application seeks approval for the detailed design of the building and surrounding public spaces within these approved parameters.

The proposals include a building ranging from two to 17 storeys, providing a 358-bed hotel alongside ground floor shops and restaurants. A central feature of the plans is the creation of a new permanent civic square, which is larger than proposed under the outline permission and designed to host markets, community events and celebrations throughout the year.

This new public square will replace the temporary “meanwhile” uses previously delivered by Quintain at Market Square and Samovar Space and will complement other nearby public areas including Arena Square, Elvin Gardens and Union Park.

Quintain has undertaken a programme of community consultation to help shape the proposals. This has included engagement with local residents, an online public consultation, and dedicated sessions with the Brent Disability Forum. Feedback gathered has informed both the building design and the public realm.

A planning decision is expected towards the end of the year.  If permission is granted, Quintain will continue discussions with potential hotel operators during 2027.

Quintain will continue to work closely with Brent Council and local stakeholders as the application progresses.

For more information about the proposals, visit: Quintain's public consultation web page or contact development@wembleypark.com.

 

 

www.quintain.co.uk

 

11 Exhibition Way
Wembley
HA9 0FA

 From the Planning Application documents (Reference number 26/1351)  LINK

Olympic Way appears more closed in

Current view of Market Square and Samovar Space play area

 

 

Proposed hotel and Civic Square

Wembley just wild about Harry! Road closures & bus diversions for 12 Harry Styles concerts - 8 on weekdays

 

There will be 12 Harry Styles concert dates at Wembley Stadium  over the rest of this month starting on Friday June 12th and through to July 4th, 

Eight of these dates are on weekdays with road closures starting at 1pm with associated bus diversions. This will impact school children travelling home from school, particularly those using the 206 bus route which will be not run south between Wembley Park and Brent Park. This also affects workers travelling to Brent Park and the industrial estates south of the stadium, including the Amazon warehouse and the Tesco and Ikea stores.

Brent Council approved the increased number of concerts at Wembley Stadium in January 2025 with 8 more major concerts a year. A major event is defined as an attendance of more that 60,000. Decision notice:

The number of major events held at the stadium in any one calendar year shall be restricted to no more than 54 (to exclude European Cup and World Cup events where England/UK is the host nation). This shall be described as the cap. Within the event cap, the number of major events involving UK based domestic association football teams shall be restricted to no more than 25. LINK

A Wembley Hill resident contacted Wembley Matters:

Does this mean that on all these days road closures and bus diversions will be active from 1pm?  Doors open 5pm. Not only that I have appointment at my doctors at Wembley Park Humphry Repton Lane which is also closed on event days, my appointment is for 4.00 p.m.on Friday.

 

Does this mean all locals using bus services 206,92,182 and 83 are again inconvenienced with either no service or diversions.

 

 

Employment & Benefits Support, Chalkhill Community Centre 17th June 3-6pm

 

Welford Centre, 113 Chalkhill Road, Wembley, HA9 9FX 

Wembley Park tube and 182, 206, 223, 245 (Forty Lane) 297 buses.