Proposal to expand Phoenix Arch Special School to Strathcona site to go to statutory consultation

Monday's Cabinet meeting will take the formal decision to move to a statutory consultation on the expansion of Phoenix Arch Special School at St Raphael's Estate to the vacant Strathcona site in Preston. The consultation will take place over just one month, June 29th to July 27th.

This follows an informal consultation that Brent Council say demonstrated support for the proposal.

 The Cabinet paper states:  

The proposal to expand the school is a response to increasing demand for special school places across the borough for children who present with autistic spectrum condition (ASC). The proposal, that has the support of the Governing Board, would use the expertise at Phoenix Arch Special School to provide for a larger cohort of children than presently.

The Strathcona site was previously used by Roe Green Infants School for primary classes at the time of rising primary school rolls. After closure it was considered as a site for Islamia Primary but this was not popular with parents and Islamia is due to open on the former Leopold site in Brentfield Road.

Phoenix currently has 55 pupils and Strathcona would provide 50 more places, doubling the size of the school. The two sites are some distance from each other and will provide some logistical challenges. 

As well as the consultation reported above there was also a public meeting attended by 30 people. The Cabinet paper reports the issues raised by both consultations:

The reasons respondents provided for supporting the proposal include:

 

 That it creates more places in specialist provision for children with SEND, of which there is currently a significant shortage in Brent. This will mean that children with SEND are not left to struggle in an education system that is not tailored to their needs.

 That it will provide dedicated spaces for children with complex sensory and behavioural needs which can make mainstream settings unsuitable for these children.

 That it will provide for a variety of therapeutic interventions to take place.

 That Phoenix Arch School has a proven track record of delivering excellent outcome for students, evidenced by various anecdotal testimonies.

 That Phoenix Arch is well-run and has a good understanding of the children it supports.

 That it will create jobs and provide opportunities for staff development.

 The view that 50 additional spaces was positive, but it may be insufficient to meet need.

 The proposal being an opportunity to provide a range of provisions, including sensory calming areas within classrooms; therapeutic spaces outside of classrooms; safe playground equipment in outside space; space for Year 6 students who may not transition to mainstream to get used to changing classes; spaces for assessment and therapy.

 

 Concerns raised, primarily at the public consultation meeting, include:

 

 that the proposal would increase noise levels during school hours which would reduce the peaceful character of the neighbourhood.

 that the proposal would lead to an increase in traffic on local roads around the Strathcona site and that the increase in traffic could consequently lead to an increase in air pollution.

 that the proposal could lead to a rise in unsafe parking, which could raise risks for pedestrians and other road users.

 that access to Wembley Commercial Centre should remain unrestricted 24/7 and that proximity to Wembley Commercial Centre would lead to increased noise levels within the school, which could negatively impact students with additional needs who may be particularly sensitive to their surroundings.

 concerns that the satellite site could be expanded further in years to come

 

The Council's response is documented in the Officers' Report HERE 

 

TIMELINE

 

 

Wembley Park councillors call on the public to support the fight to keep the Samovar Space & Market Square in front of Wembley Stadium. Say NO to another hotel.

 

The current open space that will shrink if the proposed hotel is built

The view along Olympic way with the hotel in place

In February this year Wembley Park councillor Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam came out strongly against plans to build on the Samovar Space and Market Square between Brent Civic Centre and Olympic Way, close to the Wembley Stadium steps.

 

He and his co-councillor Cllr Najib Warsame have today reiterated their opposition and have called on residents to support them in fighting  the loss of a space that has become the heart of the area; providing a breathing and relaxation place amongst the towers for football fans, concert goers, shoppers, the young and the elderly alike.

They said:   

Wembley Park has changed quickly in recent years, but too often development has happened without properly listening to the people who live here or taking into account their infrastructure needs. Our public spaces are being sold off to the highest bidder!

 

We are still in fervent opposition to the proposed hotel on Market Square and Samovar Space and we will fight it every step of the way. This is one of the few open, shared spaces in the area — used by families, markets and the wider community — yet many residents only found out about the plans when it was far too late to contest it. There is already an issue with a lack of community in Wembley Park which is developing into a concrete jungle with high rise prisons and we believe this hotel only adds to these issues and does not address them.

 

We will soon be planning our next steps and we would love anyone interested in showing support to contact us!

 

Join our campaign!

   

Cllr.Iman.Ahmadi-Moghaddam@brent.gov.uk

 

Cllr.Najib.Warsame@brent.gov.uk

 

The original public petition opposing the hotel development currently stands at 612 signatories.

 SIGN HERE

Upcoming weekend events in Brent - tea and cake, dog show, making music

 

Daniel's Den Bring & Share Picnic - King Edward VII Park, Wembley Thursday June 18th - 12-2pm

 

Wembley road closures and diversions for Harry Styles Concerts Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (June 17, 19, 20)

 From Brent Council (Note they really did use match terminology!)

 

Wembley Stadium will be hosting the following concerts for Harry Styles Together, Together tour in June 2026 on following dates: Wednesday 17 June, Friday 19 June and  Saturday 20 June.

 

Please read below to see how this might affect you.

 

Timings

 

- Harry Styles Together, Together tour concert doors will open 5.00pm and road closures will be in place at 1.00pm for all above events.

 

We expect the area around Wembley Stadium to be very busy before and after this event so please avoid the area if you can, unless you have a ticket for the event.

Event day parking

Event day parking restrictions will be in place from 8am to midnight on main roads and from 10am to midnight on residential roads on Wednesday 17 June, Friday 19 June and  Saturday 20 June.

 

If you have a paper permit, please make sure you clearly display it in your vehicle. If you have an electronic permit, you do not need to display this.

 

Drink-free zone

 

We want to create a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors.

 

To crack down on anti-social behaviour, we will be enforcing a ban on street drinking in the streets around Wembley Stadium before this event, as part of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).

If we find anyone drinking on Olympic Way or in the surrounding streets, they will be asked to hand over their alcohol and enforcement action may be considered.

 

Road closures

 

As usual, the following roads will be closed to traffic starting four hours before kick-off and for the duration of the event to help keep pedestrians safe:

• South Way (Pink Car Park to Wembley Hill Road)
• Fulton Road (Empire Way to Rutherford Way)
• Engineers Way (Empire Way to Rutherford Way)

Approximately 45 minutes before the final whistle, Empire Way will also close southbound at the Esso Petrol Station on Wembley Park Drive. This will be followed by closures of Wembley Hill Road from the Triangle (Harrow Road) and the Tesco roundabout on Empire Way. These measures are there to create a safe route for spectators returning to Wembley Central Station.

 

Latest information

 

For up-to-date information about Wembley events, please visit the Wembley Stadium website

 

 

The Brent Green Group of Councillors stands in full solidarity with the workers at Woodfield School in their fight against fire and rehire.

Brent Green Group of Councillors has issued the following statement ahead of Wednesday's 'Mega Picket' at Woodfield school.

  

The Brent Green Group of Councillors stands in full solidarity with the workers at Woodfield School in their fight against fire and rehire.

 

The decision by Compass Learning Partnership to issue 47 staff with fire-and-rehire notices is shameful. These are workers who support some of the most vulnerable children in Brent.

 

This dispute raises serious questions about priorities. Whilst support staff are being threatened with dismissal for refusing cuts worth hundreds of pounds a month, the Trust has faced questions over executive pay and financial management. The advertised salary for its CEO role was up to £139,891, yet low-paid frontline workers are being told they must accept worse terms and conditions.

 

We are deeply disappointed that the Labour government has failed to deliver on its promises to working people. Nearly two years into office, workers are still being threatened with fire and rehire while ministers offer little more than warm words. No school worker should face losing their livelihood for refusing to accept a pay cut. Labour has also shown no serious willingness to confront the structural failures of the academy system, which concentrates power in the hands of unelected trusts and leaves staff and communities with little meaningful accountability.

 

The academy system was sold as a way to improve education. Instead, too often it has created opaque structures where highly paid executives make decisions over the heads of staff, parents and local communities. The Green Party opposes the academy model and supports bringing schools back into a democratically accountable local authority system. Education is a public service, not a business opportunity. Yet Labour has chosen to retain the academy system, making only minor changes whilst leaving its fundamental problems intact.

 

We call on Compass Learning Partnership to withdraw the fire-and-rehire notices immediately and return to meaningful negotiations with staff and trade unions. We also call on the government to finally ban fire and rehire and begin reversing the marketisation of our education system.

 

The Brent Green Group will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the workers at Woodfield School.

 

Together Towards Zero relaunches with up to £5,000 available for community climate action projects

 

Sally Scooters

 From Brent Council

 

Residents and community groups are being invited to help create a greener, cleaner Brent as the council relaunches its popular Together Towards Zero (TTZ) community climate action fund.

 

The 15 June relaunch comes as the council celebrates awarding its 100th Together Towards Zero grant, marking four years of community-led climate action across the borough.

 

The scheme offers grants of up to £5,000 for one-off projects that help tackle the climate and ecological emergency while improving local neighbourhoods.

Since launching in 2022, Together Towards Zero has funded 105 community-led projects worth more than £295,000, including:

• Absolute Beginners Factory CIC – helping young people turn discarded nitrous oxide canisters into decorative vases through sustainable manufacturing techniques.
• Sally Scooters – running repair workshops to refurbish discarded scooters and reuse parts.
• StepwithSerg – delivering trainer repair and reuse workshops to reduce waste.
• Sufra NW London – transforming a community garden pond into a thriving wildlife habitat.
• St Mark's Church – creating a biodiverse community growing space by replacing artificial turf with raised vegetable beds.
• Sunahs Crisis Team CIC – hosting plant-based cookery workshops focused on sustainable food choices.
• Friends of Woodcock Park – carrying out a beaver viability study alongside community wildflower planting.
• The Enchanted Forest of Welsh Harp – leading mindfulness and nature-connection walks exploring urban ecology and biodiversity.

 

The fifth round of funding opens on 15 June and will remain available until spring 2027, or until all funding has been allocated.

 

Councillor Jake Rubin, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Employment and Climate Action, said:

 Communities are at the heart of Brent's response to the climate and ecological emergency. Together Towards Zero has shown how local people can make a real difference by delivering practical projects that bring environmental benefits to their neighbourhoods while strengthening community connections.

South Kilburn Regeneration – building what is needed or building what provides profit for developers? Brent Council to sell 143 units to U.S. private equity company

 

Guest post by South Kilburn resident Pete Firmin

South Kilburn Regeneration – building what is needed or building what provides profit for developers?

An acquaintance with more patience than me who closely follows Brent Council documents on the regeneration of South Kilburn recently unearthed the fact that the Council proposes to bulk sell the non-social housing in the current phase of regeneration to a U.S. private equity company, Principal Asset Management. A glance at their website shows Principal Asset Management has no interest in housing as such, but in maximising returns on investment.

This involves 143 `private market units’ in the current phase. Whether a similar deal would be used in the next phase of regeneration (for which a £1 billion contract is due to be awarded shortly) isn’t known, but clearly can’t be ruled out.

The justification for this deal given in Council papers is that the London sales market is "challenging.".

This is a clear indication that these flats are to be sold as `buy to let’. From the earliest stages of the regeneration of South Kilburn, many of the new flats have been sold on the Far Eastern market, this appears to be the first time flats are sold to a foreign owner as a job lot.

All this begs the question “why are flats being built for which there is no market?”.

We have been told from the start of South Kilburn regeneration 20 years ago that social housing to replace that being demolished could only be built if developers could also be built at market rates. This latest venture takes that one step further.

Britain’s, and especially London’s, housing crisis is a crisis of lack of housing which people can pay for while leaving them sufficient to live on. What is desperately needed is housing at social (or preferably Council) rents, not more housing they can’t afford. Terms such as “affordable” which developers and Councils love to use to show how much they care are a smokescreen. The legal definition of `affordable’ is up to 80% of market rent, i.e. unaffordable to anyone on average pay or below.

Principal Asset Management is believed to charge around £2,500 a month for flats in London, not something any of the tens of thousands on Council waiting lists can take on. This bulk sell off just feels like another way of helping the developers make a profit at little risk.

Developers frequently say part way through construction (as happened recently in Camden) that the percentage of social housing they committed to when they were given planning permission is no longer profitable and push for - and usually get - a lowering of that figure. They have Councils over a barrel in negotiations.

Such projects not only fail to deal in the slightest with the housing crisis, but also lead to gentrification of the areas under development, changing the nature of an area without necessarily improving the lot of the original residents at all. On top of which the social housing which is built is, more often that not, of poor quality and smaller and more expensive than that which has been demolished. Social engineering at its worst.

Brent Council needs to recognise that its current approach does nothing to deal with the housing crisis (if anything, it exacerbates it). It needs to not only stand up to developers and their demands, but also fight for a change to national policy. Shelter recently called on the government to “remove the historic debt local authorities owe to the government” for council housing. They say that £29 billion in “historic housing debt” is based on an outdated financial settlement from 2012; that it “sucks away money that could be invested in building new social homes”. Shelter calls for the government to “remove this debt from councils and put it on its own books without affecting the overall national balance sheet”. 

Working with other Councils to push for such a change could go much further to provide decent housing for all, rather than cosy deals only helping developers and private equity.