Tuesday 21 October 2014

Cllr George Crane appointed Brent Council lead member for the Environment to replace Keith Perrin

Hot on the tail of my story about the non-filling of the Lead Member for Environment cabinet post left vacant by the resignation of Cllr Keith Perrin LINK and my suggestion that Cllr Butt was reluctant to have another election for the post, comes this story on the Get West London website LINK

It appears that former Executive member Cllr George Crane has been appointed to the post. There is no press release on the Brent Council website about this:
A former manager of Rolls Royce has been appointed the new lead member of environment at Brent Council.

Councillor George Crane from Wembley has taken up the role after Councillor Keith Perrin stepped down from the position last month.

Councillor Crane has been a councillor for a number of years and was the lead member for regeneration and growth in the last Cabinet.

He has two grown up sons and is retired now but was a senior manager at Rolls Royce for 20 years and after that worked as a buyer for a food manufacturing company in Harrow.

He said: "I am delighted to take on the role of Lead member for Environment at the request of the Leader of the Council.

"I am excited about the portfolio area - there are lots of new things in the pipeline in Brent including improvements to the public realm and waste management including new and more frequent recycling collections from Spring next year. However I am also acutely aware that Brent Council faces some tough challenges with public services facing dramatic cuts in funding from central government, so the Cabinet will have to be making some tough decisions over the coming months.

"I am keen to listen to and engage with residents. I look forward to working with them and other Partners over the coming months."

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just a reminder on George Cranes Environmental Credentials:

http://brentcouncillibdems.com/2013/08/04/councillors-demand-details-labour-leaders-private-talks-with-developers/

Barnet Council papers obtained by Dollis Hill Liberal Democrat councillor Alison Hopkins reveal that top Brent Labour councillors have held ‘friendly’ discussions with the developers behind the highly controversial Brent Cross Cricklewood plans, which could bring thousands more cars onto the streets of Brent.

Internal Barnet Council emails, released as a result of a Freedom of Information request, show Labour Leader Councillor Muhammed Butt and Lead member for Regeneration and Projects Councillor George Crane, accompanied by Director of Regeneration and Major Projects Andy Donald, met the promoters of the massive scheme on Thursday 27 June.

According to the notes of the meeting:

The developers received a “very friendly general reception”
Labour councillors’ attitude was that there were “no fundamental problems”
Cllr Butt and Cllr Crane were “pretty impressed” but might respond to major pressure from residents on the waste issue “for political reasons”
There is no resolution yet to the waste issue
Councillor Javaid Ashraf, Councillor Jack Beck, Councillor Alison Hopkins and Sarah Teather MP in Dollis Hill The Dollis Hill Lib Dem Focus team is standing up for residents: Councillor Javaid Ashraf, Councillor Jack Beck, Councillor Alison Hopkins and Sarah Teather MP

The Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood has consistently campaigned against the current scheme – which includes a waste plant on the A5 close to residents and would hugely increase traffic in the area – and in favour of a sustainable approach to regeneration that puts residents first and improves public transport links.

The previous Brent Cross Cricklewood planning application was unanimously rejected by Brent Council’s planning committee when the Liberal Democrats led the council, after Brent’s council officers recommended refusal.

Councillor Alison Hopkins, who is a founder member of the Coalition, says:

The proposals have not materially changed since Brent Council opposed the previous planning application.It’s not acceptable for the leader of Brent Council to conduct hole-and-corner discussions with the developers while they try to pull the wool over local people’s eyes about what their plans actually mean.

It’s clear from these private papers that residents are still at risk from the massive uncertainty over the waste plant plans.Muhammed Butt and the developers should come clean about the impact of these proposals on Brent residents.

******Perhaps George will now be in a place where he can comment on the waste issue*******

Anonymous said...

'Tough challenges', 'tough decisions', eh? Tough for whom, exactly?
So far, so George Osborne.

Anonymous said...

Who is Councillor Alison Hopkins?

Martin Francis said...

Alison Hopkins was a Lib Dem councilor for Dollis Hill until the local elections.

Anonymous said...

I suspect that the Alison Hopkins obsessive is back on the case (see Alison Hopkins jibes passim).

Anonymous said...

Thanks Martin.

21:19 - I don't think this was quoted by the "obsessive" (!) on the 21st if that's what you're referring to, but I'm very pleased indeed that whoever it was dug it out. It's highly topical: the wretched Hammersons have yet another so-called consultation on the Brent Cross disaster going on. None of the consultation events are happening in Brent, of course. Mo Butt and his merry band seem hellbent on promoting any commercial scheme, regardless of whether it harms Brent. I'd cite Willesden Library, the Queensbury, Electric House and more.

I'm now co-ordinator of the Brent Cross Coalition, and we are stil desperately concerned about the impact of the scheme on Brent, Barnet and beyond. The coalition is cross party, and the original decision by Brent back in 2009 to oppose the plans was also cross party. It's pretty appalling that Butt et al have forgotten that.

Alison Hopkins

Anonymous said...

The 'obsessive' I refer to, Alison, is at 15.38 above, who I suspect is the same person who always gets a little overexcited about you on here. The entry at 15.38 is his attempt to gloat that you're no longer a councillor, I assume, and matches his usual contributions about you.
On the other hand, it could have been an innocent request for information!

Anonymous said...

There is a person who is obsessive about Alison Hopkins? People are strange...

Anonymous said...

Lol, must be a Labour Councillor 21:35

Alison Hopkins said...

10:02 on 24th October - ah, thank you, that makes sense of a sort. ;) As I've said, I do know pretty well who the person is, and I suspect they're breaking the code of conduct, but it's more amusing ti watch them that report it.

12:35 - the only other obsessive about me I know of are my cats, and that's when they're hungry!