318 room 'aparthotel' for Elm Road, Wembley Central at Brent Planning Committee tonight

 

Euro Hotel, Elm Road, Wembley Central

Proposed Aparthotel (I don't remember Elm Road being that wide!)

No it's not!

Apart from the Wembley Edge planning application already descibed on Wembley Matters (LINK) another large development proposal that has been around for a while comes to Planning Committee tonight.

This is for the development of the site of the Euro Hotel (previously Elm Hotel) on Elm Road in Wembley Central and the adjoining Spiritualist Church in St Johns Road.

They would be replaced by an Aparthotel covering 10,090 square metres as against the current 1,258 square metres. 

The proposal:

Demolition of existing hotel building and community centre [church?] and erection of a part 6, part 8 and part 10 storey 318 room aparthotel plus basement accommodation with associated ancillary facilities, community floorspace (Use Class F1/F2),servicing, landscaping and cycle and refuse storage.

So what is an Aparthotel. Officers provide the answer:

Apart-hotels are defined within the London Plan as self-contained accommodation (within Use Class C1), providing for short-term occupancy, with a concierge and room service. the length of stay would be limited to a maximum of 90 days per occupant, and a planning condition would secure that residencies at the hotel accommodation of 90 days or more are to be prevented, to ensure that the use of the hotel accommodation would meet the needs identified within the London Plan and Brent Local Plan for visitor accommodation.

 

Each room would have a double bed, with storage, a shower and toilet en-suite and a kitchenette facility. Inclusive access has been confirmed as integral to the design of the hotel. It has been confirmed that10% (16) of the hotel rooms would be accessible in accordance with London Plan policy E10.

Brent received a 33 person petition in favour of the development which appears to include local businesses and 14 objections.

The impact on neighbouring two storey homes in St Johns Road and Elm Road is considerable and unsurprisingly most of the objections come from them:

 From a legal view point, my main objections are:

1) that the location of this planning proposal does NOT fall under the "Tall Building Zone". This is a residential zone and height restrictions should be observed.

2) I have it on good authority that the hotel group own many proprieties around the area of the existing hotel (I believe they own nearly all the houses on Elms Road, many of the houses on St Johns Road going north right up to the bridge and they also own houses on Acacia Avenue). Consultations have been sent by post to all these properties and there needs to be due diligence in identifying who owns the property when the consultations are returned. I strongly believe that the hotel should only be allowed to vote once.

From a personal view point, my objections are:

The planned building development would block out all light, many houses on St Johns Road would be in the shade all year round, with no sunlight ever hitting the windows or paving; this means it will be mostly wet underfoot - even worse with snow and ice which would stay longer than normal.

Parking would be harder for residents, especially on event days: Hotel coaches would take up 3 or 4 parking spaces and would only need 1 permit per day to stay. The plans show that two resident parking bays would be removed and there is already a shortage of spaces. Please note that on St Johns Road, none of the houses on the west side of the road (right up to bridge) have off-street parking.

I would also add there would be major TV disruption for anyone who uses freeview and has a freeview aerial on their roof, as any house north of the proposed development will have their aerials pointing in exactly that direction. TV channels (especially HD) would be limited, or worse still, freeview may not work at all.

For all the reasons listed above, I strongly object.

View from St Johns Road towards the High Road.

 

Officers comment on the loss of the Spiritualist Church:

The redevelopment of the site would involve the loss of the existing Spiritualist Church. A schedule of areas submitted with the application indicates that the existing church building has a total GIA of 145sqm. The application proposes the reprovision of 220sqm of flexible F1/F2 community space over ground and basement floor level, indicating that the social infrastructure space would be fully re- provided.

They conclude regarding the whole application:

The aparthotel proposed with an ancillary flexible F1/F2 space is considered to make efficient use of the land, which would regenerate the site which would provide a positive contribution to the emerging streetscene and the positive employment and economic benefits associated with the hotel.

 

The building is considered to have an appropriate scale and massing of proposed buildings would relate well to the existing and future site context. As the report acknowledges, there is expected to be some impacts on existing daylight and sunlight light conditions to existing residential dwellinghouses nearby.

 

The impacts would be commensurate with development of this form and such impacts must be balanced against the planning benefits of the proposal. Overall, and on balance, the impacts associated with the development would it is considered be outweighed in this case by the benefits of redeveloping the site, economic benefits and public realm improvements.

 

The Planning Commitee begins at 6pm tonight and  can be viewed HERE

Brent Council event: Help raise awareness of Islamophobia Tuesday 26th November 6pm-8pm Sign -up details.

 From Brent Council

Join Brent Council on Tuesday 26 November for an evening dedicated to raising awareness about Islamophobia. 

 

Over the last year Islamophobic hate crimes increased 365% in the UK, reaching a record high. Brent’s in-person Islamophobia Awareness Month event aims to educate and empower attendees to combat discrimination.

 

More than a fifth of Brent residents identify as Muslim. Councillor Harbi Farah, Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Partnerships, said: “we are proud to celebrate the vast contributions of all of our faith communities, and the unique and positive impact that Muslims have on the life of our borough”.

 

At the event, contributions from community leaders and local artists will bring the theme of this year’s national campaign, “Seeds for change”, to life. It focuses on the power that small actions have in contributing to big change.

 

Cllr Harbi Farah continued: “A truly inclusive community is one where everyone can live without fear or prejudice. This year has brought that truth into even sharper focus.

 

“As a council, we are committed to standing by our Muslim residents and taking meaningful actions to tackle Islamophobia. Together, we can plant the seeds for a future built on understanding, respect, and unity.”

 

Please join us on Tuesday 26th November 2024 from 6pm-8pm in The Conference Hall at Brent Civic Centre. You can sign up for the event via Eventbrite.

 

'One Boy's War' - growing up during the Second World War an illustrated talk: Sunday November 17th 3pm, Preston Community Library

 

Labour Group call on Brent Council to consider a formal twinning arrangement with Nablus in the occupied West Bank

 Nablus (Copyright: istock Getty Images)

The Labour Group have tabled an image for the Full Meeting of Brent Council to consider twinning with the city of Nablus in the Israeli Occupied West Bank.

The Motion:

Brent Twinning with Nablus

 

This Council notes:

 

That Brent currently has a single twinning relationship, that with South Dublin, established in 1997, at a time when Brent had the largest Irish-born population in mainland Britain.

 

That Brent currently has the second highest Arab diaspora in England and Wales, within which there is a significant number of residents of Palestinian heritage.

 

That like Brent, Nablus in Palestine – as one of the oldest cities in the world – has a long and rich history of culture, diversity and dynamism, ranging from historical architecture, a lively economy and a youthful population.

 

That Brent has a long history of internationalism, including conferring on Nelson Mandela the Freedom of the Borough.

 

That a growing number of community and charitable organisations, including Brent Trades Union Council, Brent NEU and Brent Friends of Palestine have developed productive relations with Palestinian organisations and diaspora, further strengthening bonds to the city of Nablus.

 

That through the joint work of Brent Trades Union Council, Brent NEU and of Brent and Harrow PSC, CADFA and the Palestinian Forum in Britain, opportunities have been provided to young Palestinians to meet Brent young people, Councillors and MPs, and share and develop a bond over their experiences in education, sports and culture. Opportunities for visits to Palestine by young Brent residents are being planned.

 

That the establishment of the “Brent-Nablus Twinning Project” organisation provides an opportunity for Brent to explore the potential of a formal twinning arrangement with Nablus through community engagement.

That community organisations and official representatives in Nablus have shown a desire to develop a more formal arrangement of partnership with Brent and have communicated this desire with their partners in Brent, leading to this proposal.

 

This Council believes:

 

Twinning enhances bonds and improves relations between communities, creating friendships through what we have in common, as well as learning from other cultures, traditions and experiences.

 

Twinning allows avenues for growth through togetherness, improving understanding and ability to tackle issues through collaboration, knowledge and skill shares.

 

A successful twinning relationship would promote initiatives like educational collaborations, sports programmes, and heritage preservation workshops, creating long-term connections between residents and institutions and engages with local communities, cultural organisations, and leaders in both twinned regions to support the establishment of the partnership.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

Consider a formal twinning agreement between Brent and the city of Nablus, which sits under the governance of the Palestinian National Authority, and receive a report considering the proposal at a future council meeting.

 

Explore immediate steps to foster connections, such as cultural exchange programmes, student and school collaborations, and shared community projects, to create a foundation for future growth.

 

Engage with the “Brent-Nablus Twinning Project” organisation to develop a framework for the potential twinning, whilst engaging with local communities, cultural organisations and leaders in both Brent and Nablus to support theestablishment of this partnership.

 

Councillor Ihtesham Afzal

Wembley Hill Ward

BEE Never-Stop Railway to be commemorated if Wembley Edge planning application is approved

 

Boarding the Never-Stop  Railway

 

Brent planning officers have taken up the suggestion made by Wembley History Society (see LINK) that there should be a commemoration panel at the site of the Never-Stop railway station that served visitors to the British Empire Exhibition. The site currently used by a skip hire company will become student accommodation known as Wembley Edge if the application is approved tomorrow.

In a Supplementary Report, mainly made up of corrections to the main report, they propose a new condition: 

An additional heritage condition is also recommended having considered the Wembley History Society comments referred to above. This should read;

“Prior to commencement (but excluding demolition, site clearance and enabling works) details of the introduction of an illustrated local history panel or plaque shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, in consultation with the Council's Heritage Officer, Brent Museum and Archives and Wembley History Society.

Details of which shall include but is not limited to the following:

·        Description of the historical significance of the site and commemorating the British Empire Exhibition history of the development site, including the Exhibition Station, Never-Stop Railway and King's Gate Bridge.

·        Identification of a suitable location within the site where the panel can be installed where it can be easily viewed by the general public.

The historical panel or plaque shall thereafter be installed in accordance with the approved details prior to first occupation of the development hereby approved, and thereafter retained throughout the lifetime of the development.

Reason: In the interest of local history.”

Well done Philip Grant.

England v Ireland Sunday November 17th - road closures , bus route impacts etc

 

Join a toilet procession along Kilburn High Road to call for better public toilets in Kilburn: Saturday 23rd November

 

KOVE CAMPAIGNERS OUTSIDE KILBURN LIBRARY

 

We recently reported on the proposals, after hard and persistent campaigning,  for more toilets at underground stations. Locally the inconvenience at best, and health dangers at worst, of lack of public toilets has been recognised by KOVE (Kilburn Older Voices Exchange).

KOVE are campaigning for better public toilets in Kilburn and will be holding a procession down Kilburn High Road: 

Do you want better public toilets in Kilburn?

 

Join KOVE for a procession down Kilburn High Road to support this vital issue and mark World Toilet Day. We’ll have placards, or bring your own!

Saturday 23^rd November 1.30-2.30pm

 

Meet in Kilburn Library (Camden side: 12-22 Kilburn High Road NW6 5UH   (upstairs room) from 1pm. Light refreshments and socialising at start and end. 

Any queries, email: Michael.Stuart6@gmail.com

Camden Council are installing a Changing Places toilet at Kilburn Library. These facilities provides sanitary accommodation for people with multiple and complex disabilities who have one or two assistants with them which will make the library a more inclusive space.

KOVE said:

Our campaigning efforts are aimed at creating a more inclusive and age friendly Kilburn. We believe in empowering older individuals to actively participate in shaping local policies and decisions, ensuring their perspectives are heard and valued. Some of our initiatives include the upcoming World Toilet Day march, the Kilburn bench audit, campaigns for increased safety on and around Kilburn High Road and the Loos for Kilburn campaign.

Wembley Park: Out go the skips - in come 759 students in 7 accommodation blocks

 

Proposed student buildings

 

The light industry that surrounded Wembley Stadium is fast disappearing as developers buy up land and two storey premises are replaced by tower blocks.

The latest is an unpromising elongated site,  presently used by Glynns Skip Hire as a waste management facility with storage containers, off Fifth Way. It has very limited access.

Architects have managed to wedge in proposals for seven student accommodation blocks along with a cafe and student facilities. The developer has called it Wembley Edge rather than Wembley Wedge!

The elongated site is explained that the site was part of the 'Never-Stop' railway at the British Empire Exhibition and included a railway station.

The proposed buildings would range in height from 5 to 15 storeys, with building G the furthest north representing the tallest at c.53m. Building A is 11 storeys, building B 14 storeys, building C 11 storeys, building D 13 storeys, building E 14 storeys, building F 11 storeys and building G 15 storeys. Five storey shoulder elements link A and B as well as D and E together. Togather they prvide 759 student units some studio and some in a cluster with shared facilities.

 

Brent Council has established that the waste management business could be transferred to an Alperton site. Nearer sites were discounted as they too could be targets for development.

 

Opposition has come from nearby light industrial businesses fearing a possible negative impact on their own development potential and has resulted in Savills who submitted a Town Planning Statement  on  behalf of the developer, using the Brent Planning Portal to submit a 'Neutral Statement' responding to criticism.  This is very unusual and something I have not seen before:

 We write to respond to the comments made by Dandi Living (dated 20 August 2024) in respect to the above planning application. Dandi Living's comments suggest that the Wembley Edge proposals are being progressed prematurely and without enough consideration of the potential impact on, and relationship with, the adjacent site at Latif House, a site which Dandi Living has a legal interest in. 

The current Wembley Edge proposals are the culmination of extensive pre-application consultation with the local planning authority, GLA, local community and key stakeholders and other consultees between 2020 and submission of the planning application in March 2023.

 A public consultation website, webinar and two public exhibition events were held in 2022, to which Dandi Living provided no feedback. Since submission of the planning application, further detailed discussions have been held with officers, including regarding opportunities for the wider development area with Brent's urban design officers. Again, we note that Dandi Living provided no detailed comments on the application proposals until August 2024. 

Due consideration has been given to the potential for development to come forward on surrounding sites, including the Latif House site noting it's inclusion within the Growth Area, and the First Way site allocation. The proposed layout responds to the urban grain and is set back from the western boundary. The layout ensures that the primary windows serving the proposed student accommodation are over 9m from the site boundary with the Latif House site, and that direct outlook from windows to this site boundary is over 10m. Other secondary windows are high-level obscured windows so as to preserve the amenity of any future development on the Latif House site. 

Any constraints created by the Wembley Edge proposals on Latif House would be typical of development in a built-up urban environment and would not hinder or prohibit the site from being developed in the future. The public realm created as part of the proposals adjacent to Latif House is for service and emergency access only, but this could potentially form part of a larger public realm once neighbouring developments come forward in a cohesive way. 

Turning to Dandi Living's comments relating to daylight, it is not accepted that the Wembley Edge proposals significantly constrain the Latif House site. Any areas of reduced daylight availability to Latif House would likely be limited to a small area of the lower floors directly facing Wembley Edge (as it can be typically expected in a high density urban environment). London Plan Policy D6 requires development to 'provide sufficient daylight and sunlight to new and surrounding housing that is appropriate for its context' and the NPPF requires local planning authorities to 'take a flexible approach in applying policies or guidance relating to daylight and sunlight'. BRE Guidance is also clear on this matter, seeking for daylight availability to be maximised as far as possible, but noting that it is only one of many policy considerations which must be finely balanced. In this policy / guidance context, providing that any future proposals at Latif House are designed to maximise daylight within those lower rooms which front Wembley Edge, both developments could successfully co-exist from a daylight perspective. 

We consider that the Wembley Edge proposals are suitably designed so as not to prejudice the future development potential of the Latif House site.

 

Brent Planning Officers report on the light issues and appear to agree with Savills:

 

Under the BRE guidance the proposed development will have an adverse impact on Arch View House, Kelaty House and the Waterside. That said, the BRE guidance represents best practice guidance, it is not mandatory, and it is a well established approach that the guidelines should be interpreted flexibly, taking into account the need to make efficient use of land to meeting housing needs and site context characteristics.

 

A further important point to note is that given the open and low scale nature of the existing site, it provides higher levels of light to surrounding receptors than would be expected in this urban location and higher density redevelopment of the site, which the site allocation policy supports, would naturally result in some adverse impacts to neighbouring receptors.

 

The identified impact to the properties should therefore be balanced against the benefits of the scheme overall, and Members should therefore consider whether those benefits do outweigh the harm.

As in previous planning applications Brent Planners insist (along with the GLA) that there is a demand for student accommodation and that it will contribution to Brent's housing targets:

Whilst the site allocation policy does not refer specifically to PBSA [Purpose Built Student Accommodation], this type of housing is acknowledged to relieve some of the demand for conventional housing, and this provision would contribute towards Brent's housing supply (at a ratio of 2.5 bedrooms to one conventional housing unit), at the same time contributing towards London Plan housing targets. The proposed provision of 759 student bedrooms would therefore equate to 306 new homes in Brent (on the basis of 2.5: 1 ratio), which would positively contribute towards the boroughs wider housing targets, and to achieving the indicative dwellings capacity of 1, 312 dwellings within the whole of site allocation BCSA9. To date within the wider site allocation planning permission has either been implemented, or granted (but not implemented) for 600 C3 dwellings on the Access Storage site on First Way (ref; 18/4767) and 678 student bedrooms (equivalent to 271 new homes on the basis of the 2.5 : 1 ratio) at the former Cannon Trading Estate site (ref; 17/3799). Combined, each of these schemes if consented and subsequently implemented, including the proposed development would deliver the equivalent of 1, 177 new dwellings across the site allocation, contributing positively towards the indicative site capacity for number of dwellings.

Brent Planning Officers, councillors (including Muhammed Butt, Council Leader) have been involved in meetings with the developers:

 

                          The future view of part of the development from Second Way

A submission to the Planning Committee by local historian Philip Grant provides a heritage footnote:

The site, as indicated in the Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment, owes its origin to the transport infrastructure put in place for the BEE in 1924. 

It was the site of the Exhibition Station, on the loop line specially installed by the London & North Eastern Railway to bring special trains for exhibition visitors into the heart of the BEE site. Running alongside the loop line on the site was the Never-Stop Railway, with its own station. This was a unique form of rail transport, operated by a continuous screw system, installed at the BEE and bringing visitors to and from a station near the north entrance, close to Wembley Park Metropolitan Railway station, to the south of the BEE site near Adams Bridge.

The private "access road", the possible use of which for construction traffic has led to a number of objections, was the BEE's Chittagong Road, running between the Indian and Burma Pavilions. This lead to the King's Gate Bridge, commonly called "Old London Bridge" during the exhibition, which spanned both the L&NER and Never-Stop Railway lines, which carried visitors to the eastern end of the Exhibition Grounds.

If The Edge site is to be developed, its heritage needs to be remembered as part of that development, particularly both railway parts of the BEE heritage and "Old London Bridge", which was at the southern end of that site.

I would request that a condition along these lines be included in any consent given to this application:

'The developer shall liaise with Brent Museum and Archives and Wembley History Society, to prepare and pay for an illustrated local history panel commemorating the British Empire Exhibition history of the development site, including the Exhibition Station, Never-Stop Railway and King's Gate Bridge. This local history panel shall be suitably installed in an open space area within the site, where it can easily be viewed by members of the general public, prior to the occupation of the new buildings on the site.'

Here is a silent film from British Pathe of the Never-Stop Railway:

 

The Planning Committee considering this application is on Wednesday 13th November 6pm at the Conference Hall, Brent Civic Centre or view on-line HERE

Brent Schools update. Islamia Primary'a future remains uncertain. New SEND provision is planned but overall mainstream primary pupil numbers decline presaging budget problems

 I know it is annoying when issues are in the news and then everything goes quiet, so in a Public Question to the next Full Council on November 18th, I requested an update on some of the school stories covered previously in Wembley Matters.

Currently many of our primary schools are experiencing reduced demand following Brexit, and as young families are forced out of the borough in the search for affordable accommodation. This has led to pupil  numbers in schools falling and as funding is per pupil developing budgetary problems. However, there is an increasing need for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.  There are a number of former education sites that are vacant or due to become vacant and may be more if some schools are forced to close or amalgamate if they are no longer financially and educationally viable.

Particularly quiet has been the situation surrounding the state-funded Islamia Primary School. The school was given an eviction notice by Yusuf Islam (AKA Cat Stevens) some years ago but in a consultation parents opposed the closure and were particularly opposed to a move from Queens Park to the vacant Strathcona site in South Kenton.

Here are the questions and answers. I will have a chance for a follow up question arising from the answer I received, so if you have something you would like me to ask please write it as a comment or  below or send it to wembleymatters@virginmedia.com I will only be able to choose one.

Remember, you too can ask a question at Full Council but it has to be sent well in advance of the meeting.

 

Question from Martin Francis to Councillor Gwen Grahl (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Schools)

 

This question regards educational sites in the borough. Can the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools please advise on:

 

(1) any progress in finding a new school site for Islamia Primary School, along with the timetable for any move, if applicable.

 

(2) future plans for:

(a) the Strathcona Site in South Kenton; and

(b) the Gwenneth Rickus Building (Leopold Primary) in Brentfield Road.

 

(3) progress on delivery of the following with timetable for completion and full

opening:

(a) North Brent School, Neasden Lane;

(b) SEND School, London Road, Wembley Central

(c) Post 16 Skills Centre, Welsh Harp

 

(4) Recognising that it is not part of the Council’s Estate but is restricted to educational use, whether you also have any information or have been engaged on the future of the Swaminarayan School (formerly Sladebrook) site in Brentfield Road.

 

Response:

 

The Yusuf Islam Foundation is still considering whether it wishes to proceed with the relocation to the Strathcona site following consultation in autumn 2022. No timescale for the relocation has been agreed. Should this proposed use of the Strathcona site not proceed, the site will be used to develop additional provision for children with SEND. In this event, the local authority would continue to work with the Yusuf Islam Foundation to identify a suitable alternative site for the school.

 

As set out in the refreshed School Place Planning Strategy 2024-2028, agreed by Cabinet on 12 November 2024, consideration will be given to opportunities to use any spare capacity within the primary school sector to expand provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, given the increasing need across the borough.

 

The Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School will continue to be used for mainstream primary provision until September 2027 and the Council has not determined the future use of the site, that could also include provision for SEND.

 

With regards to the other questions:

 

 The North Brent School moved into its new buildings in Neasden in September 2024.

 Wembley Manor, the new secondary SEND school, opened in temporary accommodation this September and the building work is on target for the school to move to its permanent home on London Road in September 2025.

 The design work of the Post-16 Skills Resource Centre based in Welsh Harp is near completion, with a view to building work being completed in 2027.

 

The local authority does not have any information on the future use of the former

site of the Swaminarayan School on Brentfield Road.

Should the Order of the British Empire be history?

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant in a personal capacity

 

Medal of an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). (Image from the internet)

 

I had been hoping to write this article earlier in the centenary year of the British Empire Exhibition, but the excellent recent guest post “An Afternoon with George the Poet: Refreshingly honest conversation about Empire”, reminded me that I had still not done so. I read that George the Poet had turned down the chance to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2019. Like others before him, including Benjamin Zephaniah* and Professor Gus John, George did not want letters after his name that spoke of British imperialism. 

 

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, to give its full name, is one of a number of “orders of chivalry” under which titles and medals are awarded as part of the UK’s “honours” system. Some of them go back centuries, such as the Order of the Garter and the Order of the Bath. “Chivalry” goes back even further, signifying courtesy and valour – just think of the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, or Saint George and the dragon (and those who wave the flag of England’s patron saint in protest against immigrants should remember that if he actually existed, he would have been Turkish now!).

 

15^th century painting of St George, rescuing a princess from a dragon. (Image from the internet)

 

Just as the British Empire is now history, although its legacy is still with us, and the focus for the “Becoming Brent” project, I believe that the Order of the British Empire, or at least that name for it, should also become history. But what is its history? I first started looking into that about 15 years ago, when I was researching the history of the Cox family of Sudbury, and their part in Wembley’s volunteer fire brigade.

 

Wembley’s volunteer fire brigade, with their fire engine, in 1920. (Courtesy of Carol Snape)

 

Edward Cox (standing on the right) was the brigade’s Chief Officer from 1920 until it was replaced by a full-time professional Wembley Fire Brigade in 1936. I found that he, and his brother Ernest (sitting on the running board next to him), had the letters O.B.E. after their names, and wondered how they had come to be awarded that honour.

 

A report from the “Middlesex County Times”, 10 February 1917. (Ealing Local History Library)

 

Research in local newspapers (on microfilm) took me back to a night in February 1917, when the Wembley Brigade were called out to a fire in Greenford, with Edward as the fire crew’s Captain and Ernest as the engine’s driver. [Luckily, this was during a three-month postponement to his army call-up, so that a new driver could be trained!] The Wembley firemen organised the effort to bring water from the canal, which stopped the fire at the Purex lead paint factory from spreading to the adjacent National Filling Station No.28. 

 

That “filling station” was not a petrol station, but a large complex of wooden huts used for filling 6-inch diameter artillery shells with high explosive charges and poison gas, for use against the German forces on the Western Front. If the fire had spread, it could have been disastrous for people and property over a very wide area! 

 

It was for honouring actions such as these that King George V established the Order of the British Empire in June 1917. The new Order was principally intended to recognise courageous acts by civilians during the First World War, as distinct from the medals which could already be awarded for distinguished military service. As I wrote in my first BEE centenary year article last January, the King had visited many parts of the British Empire, and considered it to be a family of nations (although not all of equal status), so the name of the Order did reflect that the honours could go to anyone within the Empire, not just to his British subjects.

 

The London Gazette list of OBE medals awarded, July 1920. (Image from the internet)

 

The Cox brothers’ awards of the Medal of the Order of the British Empire were made in July 1920 (‘For conspicuous courage and devotion to duty on the occasion of a fire at a munitions factory’). They were among the names listed alphabetically in the London Gazette, and as you can see from the image above, one of the first names was Ali Akbar Khan of the Indian Police, for his wartime work in the Straits Settlements (now Singapore and parts of Malaysia).

 

Thousands of these medals were awarded, and their holders were allowed to use the letters O.B.E. after their names. But the Order of the British Empire was expanded, to reward contributions to the arts and sciences, and for public service and charitable work. Although these were at first awarded in much smaller numbers, there were other classes of honours within the Order, from bottom to top being Member, Officer, Commander, Knight or Dame, and at the very top, Knight or Dame Grand Cross.

 

I don’t know whether it was because of class snobbery by Officers of the Order, but from 1922 the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was renamed the British Empire Medal. It is now awarded to anyone in Britain or the Commonwealth whose meritorious service ‘is considered worthy of the honour by the Crown’. Those, like the Cox brothers, who had already been awarded the medal could continue to use the letters O.B.E. after their names, but from then on BEM has been the lowest class of honour under the Order, still with “British Empire” in its name.

 

Why hasn’t that name changed, given that the former British Empire had been redefined as a Commonwealth of Nations as far back as 1949? I’m not the first person to ask that question. In fact, a cross-party House of Commons committee, the Public Administration Select Committee, considered it twenty years ago, and published a report “A Matter of Honour: Reforming the Honours System”, including this recommendation:

 

An important recommendation from the Select Committee Report in July 2004.

 

It wasn’t just politicians on the Left who thought this was a good idea. The report includes the views of a former Conservative Prime Minister on removing the word “Empire” and replacing it with “Excellence”, given as part of his evidence to the Committee:

 

‘Mr Major also backed the idea of an Order of British Excellence. This view was a direct reversal of his opinion of 1993, when he told the House that he could “see no advantage or purpose in changing the Order of the British Empire”. Today, he told us:

 

“Although that argument still has force, I believe it is now out of date. In order to remove one of the persistent criticisms of the system, I would now be inclined to propose an “Order of British Excellence” with Awards at the level of Companion (i.e. CBE), Officer (OBE) and Member (MBE). This is minimum change for maximum effect. It retains the familiar abbreviations whilst removing reference to an Empire that no longer exists. It does have an awkwardness with Northern Ireland, but no more so than now”.’ 

 

I don’t know why Tony Blair’s Labour Government did not follow this sensible advice from Parliament. The Order of the British Empire was already “past its sell buy date” then, and is even more so now. I hope that the current Government will look again at this suggestion, but the people with the greatest power to make that change are the “Sovereign” of the Order and its “Grand Master”. They are, respectively, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

 

Do you agree that change is needed? Please feel free to add your comments below.

Philip Grant.

* Benjamin Zephaniah wrote this in 2003 about his reaction to the offer of an OBE: ‘“Me? I thought, OBE me? Up yours, I thought. I get angry when I hear that word ‘empire’; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds of thousands of years of brutality.”