Brent Cabinet approves recommendations on statutory process to consult on Islamia Primary move to Brentfield Road site.

A report to Brent Cabinet this morning set out the statutory consultation process that the Governing Board of Islamia Primary School would need to follow to undertake consultation on a proposal to relocate to the Gwenneth Rickus site in 2027.

Officers recommended that Cabinet:

·      notes the historical context and background set out in this report.

·      notes that the Yusuf Islam Foundation (YIF) has issued eviction notices to its Voluntary Aided Islamia Primary School and that the future options for the school are for the school to either relocate or close.

·      notes the proposal to relocate Islamia Primary School to the Gwenneth Rickus site as a 2FE school, subject to statutory consultation.

·      notes that the Governing Board would be responsible for making this proposal through statutory consultation, with Cabinet the final decision-maker.

·      notes that if the school relocated to the Gwenneth Rickus site, the site could be transferred into the name of the YIF, who would be required to hold the site for the benefit of the Islamia Primary School. Further details in terms of ownership would be set out in a Trust Deed. This would ensure that the primary school would be protected from eviction in future.

The proposed site in Brentfield Road, near the Swaminarayan Mandir, is currently occupied by Leopold Primary School, which is based on two sites, Harlesden and Brentfield Road. The latter is due to close with all children to be accommodated on the Harlesden site. Previously the site was used by Brent Teachers Centre and before that, Sladebrook School.

As set out above, the site would no longer belong to Brent Council.

Cllr Gwen Grahl, Lead Member, said the proposal was the only alternative to closure for this popular and effective school. It was a 'realistic and viable' option that would protect the school from eviction threats.

The school's sibling policy and borough wide catchment would remain in place.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council, said that since he began as a councillor in 2006, there had been issues with Islamia because it existed on two sites with pupils having to cross a busy road during the school day, 'Now they will have a place that they can call home.'

 A legal paper on the proposal was withheld from publication.

The Cabinet Paper is available HERE

Cabinet agree £5m towards step free access and other improvements at Alperton Station. Lib Dems claim campaigning success.

Brent Cabinet this morning agreed a £5m payment towards the cost of step free access to to Alperton Station,  mainly funded by Transport for London.  The proposals are for lifts to the platforms rather than bringing the hidden escalator back into use. Other improvements include the toilets. The proposal will involve the loss of the barber shop at on the left of the station forecourt.

The Cabinet were told that the improvements were necessary because of the new building in the Alperton Growth Area  increasing the densification of the area. Cllr Muhammed Butt claimed this was a good use of Strategic CIL contributed by developers to improve infrastucture in areas of development..

The Cabinet Report gives details:

The station has a disused escalator currently hidden from view which accesses the main ticket hall and formerly served the east bound platform. TfL is proposing to use this space to provide one of the platform lifts. Additional space made available on the east bound platform will include some updated waiting facilities.

Delivery of the lift for the west bound platform is more complicated, due to the limited public access only currently provided from the main ticket hall under the underground lines. This, which provides access to the stairs, cannot be modified to incorporate access to a lift. Creating an additional adjacent tunnel under the lines will be prohibitively expensive due to the made ground nature of the structure above. It would also be very disruptive possibly requiring line or station closure. So, TfL will instead use a tunnel structure that currently is made inaccessible on the eastern side by the commercial unit (barbers) currently visible on the station frontage. This commercial unit will need to be removed, and access provided through it from the main ticket hall to a lift. TfL will conduct appropriate negotiations with the current tenant. The shopfront feature will be retained.

In addition to these changes, to address current passenger flow capacity issues at peak times, the number of barrier gates will also be increased. Off the main ticket hall three toilets will also be provided, one of which will be of accessible design, and all of which will incorporate baby changing facilities.

Alperton Liberal Demcrats put out a press release claiming the decision was a win for their campaigning:

The Liberal Democrats are celebrating a major win for Alperton as Brent Council has finally approved a long-overdue upgrade to Alperton Underground Station.

Thanks to years of persistent campaigning— by Liberal Democrat Councillors in Brent and Lib Dem London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari — Alperton Station is now set for a transformational refurbishment including:

●      Step-free access to make the station fully accessible for everyone, including those with mobility issues, parents with buggies, and older passengers.

●      Increased number of ticket gates to ease overcrowding and reduce daily congestion at peak times.

●      Upgraded, fully accessible toilet facilities for a safer, more dignified experience for all passengers

The works are projected to start in 2026, and be completed in 2027. Current plans assume the station will be able to remain open. 

Alperton councillor, Charlie Clinton said:

This is a huge win for local residents who’ve been ignored for too long.  Alperton has been the site of hundreds of new flats, and while we do need more homes, this has strained local services to the limit. These upgrades are way past due.

But it is not yet enough.  Brent Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for the investment Alperton deserves - including more Tubes running through the station, a new Health Centre, revamped roads and pavements, and real action to clean up our streets.    

Tragic death of young man in Kingsbury Green altercation in the early hours of Sunday morning. Murder investigation underway.

 Kingsbury Road was closed off between Uphill Drive and Chuch Lane

 

Locals speculated this morning when they found the 83, 302 and SL10  buses were diverted in Kingsbury, and they saw the  Kingsbury Green  open space was sealed off by blue police tape.

The police have now issued the following statement about the incident which, sadly, includes a fatality:

A murder investigation is under way following the fatal stabbing of a man in Kingsbury, North West London.

Police were called to reports of an altercation in Kingsbury Road, NW9 at 03:31hrs on Sunday, 18 May. A 26-year-old man was later confirmed to have been taken to hospital with a stab wound. Shortly after, despite the best efforts of medical staff, he was sadly pronounced dead.

His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers.

Formal identification and a post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

Detective Chief Inspector Allam Bhangoo, who is leading the investigation, said:

Our team of detectives and forensic specialists are working at pace to establish the full circumstances that led to the tragic death of a young man.

We understand this incident will cause concern within the Kingsbury community, and we’re grateful for their continued patience and co-operation. Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, along with a crime scene, as we carry out the early stages of our investigation.

We urge anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could assist us, to come forward as soon as possible.

Anyone who can help is asked to call police on 101, quoting reference: 1052/18May. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Kinsgsbury Road, between Uphill Drive and Church Lane, remains closed at this stage. Please avoid the area where possible.

No arrests have been made at this stage.

First view of new sculpture celebrating the revival of the Welsh Harp

 

The sculpture on the Kingsbury bank of the Welsh Harp (Photo:Philip Grant)

I took an hour off from cultivating my Birchen Grove allotment yesterday to cross over to the Welsh Harp Sailing Club to see a sculpture commissioned by the Canal and River Trust to mark the de-watering and refilling of the Brent Reservoir, popularly known as the Welsh Harp.

Phil Neale, the sculptor, aims to inspire as well as educate, and worked with pupils from Preston Manor High School and Wykeham Primary School  using their drawings as a basis for the cut-outs on the sail. 

The works involved the replacement of the wheels and chains that were part of the original equipment to operate the sluice gates and were retained for Phil Neale who likes to work with recycled material and large scale metal work pieces. The Post Code Lottery provided funding.

 

Phil Neale and boat

 

 Phil explains:

My initial inspiration for the design of this sculpture came from a short video showing very primitive powerboat racing on the reservoir in the early 1930s. I wished to combine this element of the history of the reservoir with the traditional name ‘Welsh Harp’ as well as highlighting the amazing flora and fauna that this Site of Special Scientific interest supports.

Although the powerboats didn’t have sails, the current boats certainly do, so it seemed a golden opportunity to fabricate a ‘sail’ in the shape of a harp and utilise this form to create a condensed artwork that the local schools could help design, as well as informing the students and local community about the local wildlife on their doorstep. The heritage ironwork lent itself to representing waves and water and was luckily a material that could be welded to the sculpture and powder coated all in one, giving a uniform finish and long-lasting protection from the elements.

 

 Nature's colours through the cut-outs

 

Fish on the prow of the boat

 

The recycled pulleys and chains

The sculpture is destined for pride of place in Neasden Recreation Ground on the North Circular Road bank of the Harp and the site is currently being prepared.

 

Drop into the Willesden Green Nest Cafe and purchase a postcard by a local artist to help raise cancer research funds (the coffee is good too!)

'Nest Cafe, Willesden Green', 2024 (Tim Danby)

 

Willesden Green artist Tim Danby is raising funds for Haematology Cancer Care at the University College London Hospital through sales of a postcard of his original painting. 'Nest Cafe, Willesden Green' 2024.

Tim painted the scene at The Nest Cafe between two bouts of Lymphoa.  The picture is on display with other UCLH Patients' Art work until 9th July in the Hospital .

Postcards of the painting are available from The Nest Cafe at Willesden Green Underground Station at a suggested price of 50p.

Tim told Wembley Matters:

I am not a famous artist. I am just happy to promote the Cancer Charity, the Nest Cafe and simply present a positive and sunny image of Willesden in these fraught times.

 

FA and WFA Cup Finals this weekend - full road closures from 12.30pm on Saturday and 9.30am on Sunday, bus diversions both days DETAILS

 

Standing ovation for inaugural speech by Brent's youngest ever Mayor: 'This is modern Brent'

 

 

Cllr Ryan Hack is Brent's youngest ever Mayor and at yesterday's Mayoral Ceremony made the best speech I have heard in Brent for many a long year.

Brent Council approves Nablus Twinning Partnership to build peace and cooperation

Brent Council last night overwhelmingly approved a twinning protocol and an historic twinning arrangement with the Palestinian city of Nablus.  

The Conservative Group voted against the twinning proposal and the Liberal Democrats abstained. Some Labour members who might have been expected to have reservations were amongst those who gave apologies for absence.

The reasons Conservative members gave for opposition varied from suggesting 'why not other cities or communities' to allegations from Cllr Maurice that Nablus was controlled by Hamas and the association could damage Brent's reputation. 

The Lib Dems and Cllr Kennelly were concerned about attitudes towards gay people in Nablus, although Cllr Kennelly did say he understood that restrictive laws had been repealed. For the Lib Dems, Cllr Lorber asked for undertakings from the Nablus authorities that gay people would be safe there.  If such undertakings were received they would not oppose the twinning.

 Cllr Ithesham Afzal speaking last night

In his speech supporting the twinning initiative Cllr Afzal said: 

Today is a momentous and proud day for Brent,This twinning is for them. For the children who grow up with the weight of occupation, yet still dream of a brighter future, a future of freedom. Because we don’t just speak of values—we live them. We don't just care about change; we make it happen.

Responding to the decision, supported by nearly 2,000 residents and several grassroots Brent organisations, he said

This twinning is about more than symbolism—it is a commitment to shared values, mutual understanding, and global solidarity at a time when so many are looking away. Brent is standing up and showing what it means to build peace and cooperation from the ground up.

 

Members of the Brent-Nablus Twinning Association with Mayor and councillors after the meeting

 

Welcoming the Council's decision the Brent-Nablus Twinning Association pointed out that as a community-driven initiative, the twinning will be independently funded and will not place any strain on council resources. It will instead harness  partnerships and grassroots support to fund and facilitate exchanges and joint programmes. 

The Association explained:

The partnership will include school and youth programmes, artist collaborations, digital storytelling, and community events, designed to foster understanding, celebrate shared culture, and raise awareness of the daily realities faced by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Nablus—an ancient and resilient city in the northern West Bank with a population of over 150,000—is a centre of Palestinian culture, learning, and heritage. Brent, home to the second-largest Arab diaspora in England and Wales, has long stood as one of the UK’s most diverse and internationally minded boroughs.

Roe Green Walled Garden Open Day Saturday May 17th 11am - 4pm

 

1 Morland Gardens – an open letter to two key Cabinet members

 Guest post by local historian, Philip Grant, in a personal capacity 

 

Altamira, the beautiful Victorian villa at 1 Morland Gardens in Stonebridge.

 

Last month, I wrote a guest post asking you to sign the Willesden Local History Society petition, calling on Brent Council and its Cabinet to retain Altamira, the 150-year old Italianate-style Victorian villa in Stonebridge, as part of its forthcoming plans for redevelopment of the former Brent Start college site at 1 Morland Gardens. That petition is still open, until 26 May, and if you haven’t signed it yet I would encourage you to do so, please. You can do that HERE.

 

The Local Democracy Reporter for our area wrote an article about the petition, which was published online on MyLondon, but for some reason has not been published by the Brent & Kilburn Times (nor was a letter sent in by the Society’s Secretary published – strange when that is the local newspaper for Brent!). As part of his research, he asked Brent Council whether they still planned to demolish the locally-listed heritage building, as they originally proposed in 2020. The answer he received was ‘we don’t know yet.’

 

That seems very odd, as Brent has been carrying out a review of its future plans for the Morland Gardens site since November 2023! Were they just covering themselves, as no formal decision has yet been made by Brent’s Cabinet? Or do they think that it should be retained, but are not sure whether those in power at the Civic Centre will still insist that it should be demolished, as that would allow more homes to be built on the site?

 

I’ve been told that the Cabinet’s decision will be made on 16 June, although there is no mention of this in the Council’s Forward Plan. It will apparently be part of the report on “The Future of the Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre” (which comes under Public Health and Leisure). The history society should be able to present its petition to the Cabinet meeting, but my experience from May last year, on another heritage matter, suggests that decisions are taken before petitioners have a chance to have their say!

 

I wanted to make sure that two key Cabinet members had the facts about the heritage building, and Brent’s official heritage policies, before that decision is made, so I sent them the open letter below (the email sending it was also copied to the Cabinet member for Public Health and Leisure, and the three Stonebridge Ward councillors). I hope that good sense prevails, but unfortunately that is not always the case in Brent!

 

 

Philip Grant       

 

                     

The last Annual Meeting of the current Brent administration

Wednesday's Annual Meeting of Brent Council marks the last year of the current administration and the thirteenth year of Muhammed Butt's leadership of the Labour Group and the Council.

The Annual Meeting sees much fussing over ceremonial regalia and flummery, as well as the serious business of appointing Committee members and representatives on outside bodies.

Cllr Ryan Hack will be installed as the youngest ever Brent Mayor and Cllr Kathleen Fraser as his seasoned Deputy.  Whether Cllr Fraser acceedes to the Mayoralty will depend on the outcome of the 2026 local election.

Committee details are not released until just before the Annual Meeting but Butt may attempt a 'refresh' before the election. Watch this space.

The last item on the Annual Meeting Agenda is a proposed Protocol for setting up International Partnerships and a proposed Twinning Arrangement with Nablus on the West Bank of Palestine.

The Twinning proposal is accompanied by a very thorough 67 page assessment of the benefits to Brent and the practicalities HERE.

 The twinning proposal has been supported by a 1849 signature petition and Brent Trades Council, Brent NEU, Brent Friends of Palestine and Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign amongst others.

The financial arrangements are covered n the documentation:

The Mayoral Office is likely to spend some of its annual budget on hosting the occasional visit (if in a Twinning arrangement). A maximum budget per twinning or friendship agreement per financial year should be identified and confirmed with the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources by the officer(s) assessing the proposal to ensure funds can be allocated to this budget before any new Internal Partnership Arrangement is agreed.

 

 International Partnering Arrangements would fall under the remit of the Mayor of Brent, but costs related to International Partnering Arrangements must be met by the organisation leading on this. This includes costs for entertaining, gift swaps or costs for printing certificates. There should be no additional financial cost for the Mayor’s Office, or other parts of the council.

 

BREAKING: Brent Labour Party members excluded from candidate selection process for 2026 local elections

 Usually over the next few months Labour Party members would be meeting to select the candidates for their ward in the next local council election in 2026.  In the past there have been allegations of candidates signing up friends and family as Labour Party members a few week before the selection meeting in order to get the maximum vote.

This year is different. 

Selection will be made by external 'assessors' recruited by the London Region of the Labour Party.  Each candidate will have a 30 minute virtual interview.  Candidates will be able to express a preference for their top three wards but sitting councillors will be given first preferences in the allocation of wards.

So what role will rank and file Labour Party members have?

The control by the London Region does not end there. A 'Campaign Improvement Board'  will operate in Brent due to the electoral challenge it faces. It will oversee the selection process and establish a relationship with all Brent candidates ahead of the election. Candidates wil be expected to sign a contract setting out campaigning expectations and any extra support needed.  Training will also be provided.

The Brent Campaign Improvement Board  will include Abdi Duale (NEC), Bella Sankey (Leader of Brighton & Hove Council), and Clyde Loakes (Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest Council). All are well known supporters of Labour leader Keir Starmer.

Cllr Shama Tatler is Vice Chair of the London Regional Executive Committee and a member o the Regional Board for Barnet, Camden, Brent and Harrow.

Islamia Primary move to the Brentfield Road Leopold School site on May 19th Cabinet Agenda. Consultation starts late May/Early June

 

The proposed site for Islamia Primary School, Brentfield Road, Neasden

 On October 11th 2023 Wembley Matters speculated that the Leopold Primary School building in Brentfield Road (Gwnneth Rickus site), that had been earmarked for closure, could be a possible location for Islamia Primary School. LINK. Islamia had been given notice of eviction by the Yusuf Islam Foundation (YIF) that owned the Salusbury Road, Queens Park, site.  The YIF wants to expand the nearby private Muslim secondary schools.

Now Sophia Moussaui, Chair of Islamia Governors, has written to parents to say that the Governors and Brent Council have agreed that the site could offer a positive solution for the future of the Islamia Primary School.

The proposal goes to Brent Cabinet on May 19th and if planned progress goes well Islamia could open on the new site in September 2027. The YIF has extended the eviction notice until August 2027 but states that if the school does not move the eviction will go ahead.

 An informal consultation, managed by the Governing Body, will go ahead at the end of this month if the Cabinet agrees the proposal followed by public meetings at Islamia in the first two weeks of June.

Ms Moussaui writes:

We understand that any change brings questions and we are committed to keep you fully informed as  the process develops.

 The Cabinet Paper (available HERE) includes the following points (my emphasis):

Islamia Primary School (IPS) is one of Brent’s most popular schools as the only state Muslim school in the borough. The school has 418 pupils on roll (School Census January 2025) and each year the 60 Reception places are usually offered to families who applied for the school as their first preference. The school has a high sibling factor with 43% of Reception places in both September 2025 and September 2024 offered to siblings. The majority of pupils on roll are from Brent. The numbers of out-of-borough children offered was historically low. However, this has changed since the school removed a local catchment area from its admission arrangements in 2020. 21.5% of current students live outside Brent.

This is an increase on the figures from January 2024 (17.2%) and January 2023 (14.4%). 36.7% of offers made for Reception in September 2025 are for children who live outside Brent.

 

It is recognised that relocating Islamia Primary School to the Gwenneth Rickus site could give concern to parents and staff who are impacted by and objected to the closure of the Leopold Primary School provision on the site. Other local schools may also be concerned that the location of the IPS on the Gwenneth Rickus site could impact on their pupil numbers. It is the case that Islamia Primary School may attract local pupils in the future. However, as the only Muslim faith school in Brent, IPS draws from a wide area across the borough and for some pupils attending the school the site will be closer to where they live. The school also recruits pupils from other boroughs. Furthermore, the high sibling factor in the school’s intakes (over 40%) means that many families currently attending the school will continue to access places in the future. Given the wide geographic area that the school serves, the school would be expected to develop a sustainable travel plan that includes public transport

 

£2.8m of Targeted Capital Fund was transferred from IPS to Brent by the DfE in 2012 in order to manage and deliver the planned IPS new build following the school’s unsuccessful attempt at delivering the project. The design of the Salusbury Road site expansion referred to in paragraph 3.2.3 was funded using £200K of the TCF and therefore £2.6m remains. The DfE has agreed on an annual basis for this funding to be rolled forward until such time as a permanent solution for IPS has been identified. They have been asked to consider if this funding could be made available for investment in the Gwenneth Rickus site, recognizing that it is not required to provide basic need accommodation. As this would not meet the criteria for the targeted capital programme under which this funding was provided, the DfE may require it to be returned

 

The school’s DSG allocation currently includes £63K in split site funding, which is an element in the national funding formula allocated to schools that operate from more than one site. The school would no longer be eligible for this funding if it relocated to the Gwenneth Rickus site, reducing its per pupil funding by £150 per pupil.

 

The 206 and 224 buses stop near the school and the 18 passes the junction with Brentfield Road. The 260 and 266 stop a little further away in Harlesden. The 206 is already busy with south-north school pupil travel and the service would need to be improved. Double-deckers have already been introduced at some periods.

An Islamia Primary parent commented:

Twenty odd years and they come up with a school miles away. I think  there are many missed opportunities.

Labour Leadership incompetence in the management of the Barham Park Trust could have lost residents up to £100,000 in income, claims Paul Lorber

Another potential  failure in the effective and responsible management of the Barham Park Trust has been revealed by Brent Liberal Democrat Leader, Paul Lorber. Readers will know that the Trustees are all members of the Brent Labour Cabinet with no representation from the community that is supposed to benefit from the Barham bequest.

In an email to Brent CEO, Kim Wright, Lorber alleges that the Trust failed to arrange a lease and collect rent from a Barham Park building occupied by the Young Brent Foundation, thus depriving the Trust of income.

Cllr Lorber asks for an Internal Audit based on the following:

1.  The Council has had a Lease of the former Children Centre space in Barham Park Complex for many years.
2. When that use ceased the space was made available to Brent Young Foundation who were allowed to take occupation before a Lease was prepared and signed.
3. Officers were instructed to prepare and finalise a Lease some 4 years ago but never did. (I expect there were exchanges documenting the terms and basis on which YBF could use the building in advance of the Lease - an unusual situation not available to others). They were due to pay a rent equal to the rent paid by the Council to Barham Park Trust - originally £11,300pa but at some point subject to a review. 
4. Young Brent Foundation were in occupation until now - it is not clear if proper legal process for termination was followed and the space is still being cleared as I write. (Termination was referred to at a recent Barham Park Trust Meeting). 
5. The answers received to date (but not complete and slow in coming) suggest that Young Brent Foundation did not pay any rent, any business rates, any service charges and possibly no utility costs for electricity, gas or water or contribution to insurance.
6. It is also not clear who paid for any of the above.
7. I estimate that the loss mainly to Brent Council but also partly to the Barham Park Trust may be in the region of £100,000.
8. An independent investigation is required as Property and Finance are implicated and YBF clearly has other debts owing to the Council and others including possibly HMRC and the Pensions Authority.  Letters from all these are coming through Barham Community Library and have been passed by me to the Property Unit.
9. The investigation needs to ask a number of questions including why was occupation by YBF allowed without a lease being in place, why was no rent collected, who paid the costs of the business rates and utilities and others. What action is being taken to recover all the debts and losses sustained by Brent Council and Barham Park Trust.
10. I consider this a major failing by various Units of Brent Council. It seems that if you are well connected as people in YBF were you get anything and you get away with anything without effective scrutiny or action. 
11.  It is particularly galling because well established organisations in my Sudbury Ward or in Barham Park which have provided services to local people for years - East Lane Theatre Club, LNER Sports Club and Barham Veterans Club are under threat of closures because of unfair and unrealistic rent demands from the Brent Property Unit. All of these should have had lease renewals a long time ago well before the new Brent Council Property Strategy was out in place which fails to take into account the contribution these organisations provide for local people.  
    

 Cllr Lorber adds:

In view of the above I trust that you will instruct Internal Audit to investigate and for Property and Finance respond fully to my outstanding enquiries.

I am making my request public as part of my Scrutiny duty as the Scrutiny arrangements in Brent Council are ineffective and frankly a waste of time as recent Call Ins clearly show. Labour Councillors are cleared whipped and will never agree to refer an item back to Cabinet however flawed the original decision.

 

UPDATE: Brent Council refers itself to Housing Regulator as result of finding weaknesses in its actions to ensure compliance

 Brent Council is writing to its tenants and leaseholders after it referred itself to the Housing Regulator in relation to its previous building risk assessment actions.

The Council will tell them what actions they are taking following identification of weaknesses in their management of follow-up actions following the completion of the required checks across its estates. The concerns were identified as part of Brent Council's new Housing Management Plan.

Although tenants and leaseholders do not have to take any action themselves if they have further questions about building, fire safety, asbestos, or gas, electrical and general compliance they should email the teams below:

For building safety issues: BHMBuildingSafety@brent.gov.uk
For asbestos related issues: housingasbestos@brent.gov.uk
For fire safety related issues: housingfiresafety@brent.gov.uk
For gas, electrical & general compliance issues: complianceteam@brent.gov.uk

Swindown Borough Council has previously referred itself to the Housing Regulator and you can read about the proces son its web page HERE.

The regulatory standards for social housing landlords are set out HERE

 

UPDATE:

Cllr Lorber has received this response regarding the self-referral  after requesting further information:

 

As it stands I can confirm that fire risk assessments (FRAs) have been carried out on our blocks of flats whether that’s our high-rise blocks or converted street properties.

 

What we have some concerns with, is actions that are registered as a consequence of an FRA and how they have been closed down on our system, True Compliance, that has been in use for around 2 years.

 

At present we are carrying out an audit of this process and have appointed an external Health and Safety Consultant to assist with this.  Until that audit has been completed I’m not able to say what the situation is on individual blocks but rest assured that we will be working hard to rectify these issues over the coming months and prioritising actions according to risk.

 

The Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 is a UK law designed to improve the quality, safety, and accountability of social housing, especially in council-owned homes and this act came into forces around this time last year.

 

In simple terms, the Act gives the Regulator of Social Housing more power to make sure landlords (like us) are doing their jobs properly, keeping homes safe, in good condition, and treating tenants fairly.

 

Councils are now subject to inspections by the Regulator, much like Ofsted inspections, to check that we meet safety and quality standards in the way that we are delivering our homes. We have not been inspected yet, but we could be at any time, and therefore after finding an issue such as this it is far more advantageous to be proactive, transparent, and accountable hence our self-referral.