Strategic CIL bonanza for some Brent youth facilities

 

The Stonebridge Adventure Playground team and suppporters

Ten years after Stonebridge Adventue Playground was closed by Brent Council, the Council has approved a £4m capital spend on youth facilities in the borough through another raid on the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy Fund. It would have taken a tiny fraction of that amount to keep the much-loved  playground going but hey-ho, that's the way it goes in Brent.

So it is with mixed feeling that I welcome the improvements to youth facilities that are planned. There are a number of caveats to the plans including complications around ownership of some of the facilities, a tight ceiling on expenditure that may mean projects have to do some of their own fundraising if they go over budget or seek partners (that failed with Stonebridge Boxing Club's King Edward VII's park plans) and a long delivery timeline.

Because of the above there is a larger than usual 20% contingency on the budget:

At the end of August 2025, Brent had £156.9m SCIL with £80m committed and £72.9m allocated to pipeline schemes.[total £152.9] Therefore, there is £4m SCIL available for this programme and the Council’s Infrastructure Officer Working Group has approved this as an appropriate use of the SCIL funding.

 

Because these organisations are relatively small, they have limited capacity to undertake major capital projects. Therefore, the intention is Brent project manages the works on their behalf. This creates a risk that Brent is liable for overspends or changes in project specifications. Agreements with these organisations need to be clear that Brent’s maximum budgets are fixed and they will need to cover any shortfalls or changes in project specifications.

 

Organisations can also apply for alternative funding sources to supplement the Council’s contribution. Should organisations successfully apply for additional capital funds officers will seek to investigate these and any other funding streams to potentially reduce the SCIL request for this programme. It is however recommended to proceed with SCIL funding for the whole programme to ensure it proceeds in line with the projected timescale.

 

A welcome innovation is the involvement of a Youth Panel in selecting the projects that will benefit:

Eleven potential projects had feasibility studies undertaken, involving input and feedback from the youth facility provider. Examples of the proposed enhancement works included multi-use games areas, teaching kitchens, extension of existing facilities and amenities, and reconfiguration of currently unusable areas for multi-purpose youth provision.

 

A detailed scoring criteria was developed by officers that included points such as the length of existing lease on the building, location, current condition and anticipated higher levels of participation from disadvantaged and hard to reach young people.

 

Organisations then presented to a Youth Panel during a selection event. The Youth Panel was formed consisting of young people from Brent Youth Parliament, Youth Justice Service, Brent Care Journeys 2.0 and the voluntary and community sector, ranging from 14 to 20 years old. Members of the panel lived in different areas across the borough. Ten organisations ultimately attended the Civic Centre to present their projects to the Youth Panel at a Youth Facilities Capital Investment Programme Selection Event.

These are the projects and costs for each plus some comments from the Youth Panel: 

 

Cricklewood Boxing Club

 

Cricklewood Boxing Club, The Boxing Gym (Dollis Hill Ward) £826k – The current facility, situated in a four-story building located on the edge of a large residential district with nearby schools and community services, has outgrown its capacity. As a result, the club is currently forced to turn people away due to lack of space. This expansion proposal seeks to ensure the club can continue to serve the local community effectively. By upgrading essential facilities such as the kitchen, to provide space for teaching healthyeating, increasing bathroom and changing facilities to provide a more comfortable, hygienic, and accessible environment for young people, improving the connectivity at first floor level between the boxing ring and the gym space, and providing additional usable space where garages are currently located.

 

Jason Roberts Foundation, Gym and Sports Hall flooring (Stonebridge Ward)  £1.06m– This project aims to upgrade the foundation's facility in Stonebridge to better serve its diverse and growing community of young people. By providing a safe, weather-proof and accessible environment, the foundation will be better equipped to serve its mission: creating inclusive spaces that foster healthy relationships, build life skills, and support the personal growth of young people. The Youth Panel were impressed by the organisation hosting additional activities to those usually provided, with one young person stating, “it was unique” … “more than just football, sports that I have never seen before in London – American Football.” One of the female members of the group stated “girls-only football was great” and it “felt like the project is safe”. The feedback included positive comments about a “good sense of community”, with “good outreach and good positive opportunities for growing children and young people”. While The Pavilion venue where Jason Roberts Foundation deliver many of their activities is adjacent to SCIL growth areas, it was unanimously agreed by the Youth Panel that the organisation had a wide reach to young people who reside in neighbouring growth areas and would therefore be SCIL eligible. Jason Roberts Foundation were able to support this with their own data which was provided on request.

 

 The OK Club

 

The OK Club, Sports Hall refurbishment (Kilburn Ward)  £550k – The proposed project will involve a full redesign and refurbishment of key areas within the building to create more inclusive and sustainable spaces. There was, positive feedback from the Youth Panel about the longevity and inclusivity of the organisation and activities – “they own the building which is good” and “it is open to all” and supports “a decent amount of kids.” This in turn means the club will be able to better achieve its goals of meeting the growing needs of young people, improving access and enhancing the safety and well-being of young people in the area.

 

Roundwood School and Community Centre with Sport at the Heart (Roundwood Ward) £390k - The building is spread over three levels, offering a media suite, performance area, outdoor multi-use games area, IT suite, dance studio, art room, café, and flexible meeting spaces. While the existing facilities serve as an essential resource for young people, this project will focus on maximizing the space and improving its functionality to inspire creativity, promote physical activity, and support the well-being of students and staff alike. Members of the Youth Panel wrote in their comments that this project had a “clear vision” and “would have a big impact.” They felt that this was in “an area that is needed, well known, and the impact is already big, and this would increase it.” The organisation, venue and project were described as “youth centred”, “very accessible” and “all ages, safe area”. The young people understood the aims clearly, appreciated the style ofpresentation, and identified that “they [Beckmead and Sport at the Heart] want to help continue providing activities and hobbies for all children and young people including [those with] SEND.” They were also impressed by the “offer of a diverse range of activities for all age groups, all needs and all different groups on the weekends, with SEND specific activities.”

 

Young Brent Foundation, The Anchor Youth Hub (Roundwood Ward) £500k – support the continuing establishment of the new facility, whose tender was awarded in June 2024, with capital investment. The facility will provide young people with access to a wide range of recreational, educational, and wellness opportunities, fostering a safe and supportive environment for personal growth and development. The Youth Panel fed back that “the organisation is well known in the borough and are aware of the context of the area.” There was positive regard towards the organisation, with one young person stating that “They seemed genuine – they showed that they know the situations with different areas and showed evidence of someone with lived experience changing.” There was also an appreciation for how they demonstrated that “they know how to keep young people from trouble.” The project and venue were described as “accessible” and “seems like an  organised project” with “good risk assessment” and it was identified that “there are no gyms in the area so this project fills that.” 

The report suggests that the grants will help residents and you people to see the 'benefits' of development: 

The application of Strategic CIL can be used to demonstrate to communities the benefits that new development can bring, through the provision of key infrastructure projects, place-making and local improvements. This proposal aims to fund structural changes and improvements to premises used by youth organisations to enable better access and an increase in facilities and activities for young people in the London Borough of Brent.

Do remember that these are capital projects and that youth facilities face a cotinuing problem of securing funds to pay staff and running costs.