There's a bit of a spending spree on the Cabinet Agenda for September 11th. The Stragetic Community Infrastructure Levy (gained from a levy on new developments) is in a fairly healthy state and there are proposals in the meeting papers for spending on three major projects. (Extracts from Cabinet papers):
Parks Improvements in the Alperton Growth Area - £525,466
The growth in the Alperton Growth area, with 1,400 new homes delivered in the past 10 years and at least 6,500 new homes expected by 2040, is resulting in increasing demand on local parks and open spaces and the need for improvements to them. The parks and open spaces in Alperton have long been identified for investment, initially in the 2011 masterplan and again in the Local Plan. There are also proven public health benefits from improving access to parks and open green spaces.
The estimated cost for the improvement works in the parks and the sports ground is £625,466 and includes 10% contingency and 10% future maintenance cost allowance. This report seeks approval for a budget allocation to this value of £625,466, with an allocation of £525,466 Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (SCIL) and £100,000 from the public health reserve to fund this spend.
South Kilburn Medical Centre - additional £600,000
Cabinet agreed in April 2020 a SCIL contribution of £3.47 million for the 3 medical centres proposed in growth areas (Wembley Park, Grand Union, and South Kilburn). The funding was towards the physical fit out of the medical centres. The South Kilburn contribution was agreed at £1,104 million. A funding agreement was subsequently entered into with the then CCG.
The Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) now advise that due to the increase in costs the South Kilburn medical centre is no longer viable, with a viability gap of £1.2 million. The ICP have agreed to contribute half of this, if the Council agrees to match fund this at up to £600,000 from SCIL.
Harlesden Picture Palace - £3,300,000
This report is part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to create long lasting positive change to Harlesden for the benefit of the communities that live there.
The Picture Palace building is expected to become a significant cultural and community use anchor for the community and the Council has been working with a consortium of local organisations to deliver this exciting project. By approving the use of SCIL for the building refurbishment, it will allow the
project’s ambitions to be realised and for the Harlesden communities to be able to operate and utilise the building in the future.
The refurbishment project helps to meet outcomes within the Borough Plan, namely Strategic Priority 3 Thriving Communities to allow the local community to be involved in and lead on activities for their communities. The project also delivers on an objective within the Black Community Action Plan by developing a community space to be run and managed by local communities. It also helps to achieve objectives within the Local Plan and Infrastructure Delivery Plan by providing community facilities for Brent’s growing population
10 comments:
Received by email: SK Medical Centre: In 1998 we told that if we win the bid for the NDC funding, the first thing we will be able to do is to build a health centre.
When the council stepped in to help us spend the money, they said we would need a health centre to meet the potential increase in population arising from the 2004 Masterplan and today we are still waiting for it
Last year we were told we would be getting a new service with the combined integrated council and health but it was cancelled with both the council and Brent NHS saying they had transferred the funding to provide the running cost of the New health centre opening in 2024.
Received by email: SK Medical Centre It was indeed meant to be the `flagship' of regeneration. In the meantime all permanent doctors at Kilburn Park Medical Centre left out of frustration at the wait, the building has since become unsafe and unusable, and the surgery is now based in the old Neighbourhood Office (and portacabins) in Albert Road. And still waiting.
Anon comment received by email:
Reading this piece I’m struck by the difference in how the community in Harlesden is being dealt by Brent Council compared to us residents in Wembley: https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2023/09/brent-councils-strategic-cil-45m.html
We are gifted Barham Park and its buildings for recreation and community use and the Barham Park Trust should be protecting Barham Park yet they are allowing development of the ex park keepers houses and they now want to turn the older buildings into commercial space with no consultation with us residents re what we actually want and they even won’t allow us residents to sit on the Barham Park Trust Committee.
The Harlesden Picture Palace which was a cinema and then had various commercial uses including as a pub is going to be done up for the community using our community infrastructure levy money and with the community fully involved - why is this so different to what we are experiencing here in Wembley???
Is it just because they have Labour councillors who actually care about their community and a fully committed MP???
why can’t we complete the link road to the North circular?
Anon comment received by email:
Just look who the Councillors are for Harlesden and you can see why they are getting the money. Yes, they are the Duputy Leader, Chair of Planning and the Chair of Audit and standards. Do I need to say more?
Not just that they are getting the CIL money in Harlesden but Brent Council are specifically involving the local community in the plans for in this project.
Why exactly are Wembley residents being treated with such disdain by Brent Council and The Barham Park Trust in decisions about our historic Barham Park and it's buildings
which were bequeathed to us residents in Wembley - our concerns are not being listened to.
The Harlesden Labour Cllr Matt Kelcher who's Chair of Brent Council Planning Commitee voted in favour of the development of the 2 ex park keepers cottages which lie completely within Barham Park. His wife fellow Harlesden Labour Cllr Milli Patel is Deputy Leader of Labour Brent Council and she also sits on Barham Park Trust which which should be protecting Barham Park - do either of them even know anything about our community here in Wembley??? Have they visited our park and the buildings on the park? Have they engaged with local residents here to find out what we need or how we'd like our park and buildings to be managed?
At the Planning Commitee meeting to decide on the planning application for the 2 ex park keepers cottages in Barham Park a Tory opposition councillor asked whether the Planning Commitee should all do a site visit before voting but was told no it wasn't necessary by Harlesden Labour Cllr Matt Kelcher Chair of Brent Council Planning Commitee and Cllr Saqib Butt Deputy Chair of the Planning Committee who's also the brother of Cllr Mo Butt Leader of Brent Council - also on the planning committee is Cllr Ajmal Akram who's the brother in law of Cllr Mo Butt Leader of Brent Council.
There really is something wrong here - it's time for all Wembley Residents to protest against these decisions which are being made by a very close knit group of Labour Councillors at Brent Council.
Are Brent Council gonna spend any money deterring the street drinkers who congregate in these parks and drop their litter everywhere??? If they fined them all for both types of offence the council would make a fortune!!!
Wow...£3.3 million spent on an old cinema and pub...in Harlesden!! Money should be spent improving the pavements so they're not trip hazards and clearing up the menace Street drinkers!!
How long will the telescope last on One Tree Hill before it is stolen or vandalised? What will people look at, the tower blocks going up and the street drinkers all around the park?
Just a reminder that One Tree Hill Recreation Ground is actually in Wembley Central Ward!
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