Proposed development of Wembley Hospital site, Chaplin Road
There has been much interest in how Labour has clung on to power in Brent following the local election result. The 'arrangement' reached with the Tories where they were recognised as the main opposition group, given chair positions on committees and the deputy mayorship was decisive but in the case of the ostensibly non-political Planning Committee rested with the Chair, Cllr Saqib Butt, brother of Labour leader Muhammed Butt, who has a casting vote in the event of a tied vote.
This fell apart at a previous committee considering the Wembley Hospital planning application where an initial vote of approval, based on the chair's casting vote, was overturned when it was revealed that one approval vote was invalid as the councillor concerned had not been present for the whole meeting. This meant that the application was refused but officers moved quickly to suggest the item was deferred to a future meeting after officers had considered the validity of reasons for refusal.
The item was heard again this week and again there was a tied vote, with the chair using his casting vote for approval. Although the Planning Committee is 'non-political' Labour members voted for the application and Cllr Harshabhai Patel (Conservative). Cllr Michael Maurice (Conservative), Cllr Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam (Green) and Cllr Anton Georgiou (Liberal Democrat) voted against.
Their reasons they opposed approval followed similar lines and included the failure to meet affordable housing guidelines, concerns over parking overspill into nearby streets, loss of daylight and sunlight to neighbouring properties, density and lack of rigour in addressing potential problems of overheating.
Planning Officers confirmed this time that all the reasons given were valid in planning terms.
18 comments:
Butt's London Borough of B~ent, facilitated by the greedy Brent Tories.
Disgusting, bringing democracy into disrepute yet again. We are now into year fifteen of this awful administration who obviously don't care about their residents, and you can see them dancing in the streets and advertising how they've looked after various areas, the ones they need to hold at the elections.
Who was that the councillor was not present the meeting but voted ?
It’s surely a total conflict of interests to have the Leader of Brent Council’s brother as the Chair of the Brent Council Planning Committee? And surely not acceptable that he has the casting vote!
Who can check the legality of this???
What is wrong with the local Green Party opposing NHS hospitals and health centres!!??!
I’ve lost faith in the local Greens. I still vote Green in the national elections, but never again in a local election
In the issue covered in this article it is not an NHS hospital that has been opposed but a development that some councillors thought did not get maximum benefit for residents from the sale of public land (formerly Wembley Hospital) - including the amount of affordable housing that is needed locally.
Why do Labour have a majority on this crucial committee when they didn't win a majority at the last council election?
Why didn't our MP Barry Gardiner object to this?
Because the Tories joined forces with them!
You obviously haven't read the article.
Because they got more votes than any other single party....that is how it works!
10% affordable from 108 homes is more than 50% affordable from zero homes.
The developer purchased the site from the NHS. So if the NHS reduced the price to allow for more affordable homes to be provided, the NHS would have less money to invest in health facilities.
Everyone on here wants their cake and to eat it!
Because he is asleep and does not want to undermine Butt's control of the Labour Party.
29% isn't exactly a mandate is it? Ever the Greens got 22% and they didn't canvass. The Tories almost remove Butt in Tokyngton, and they didn't canvass
Where is the new hospital site?
Reform policies, so no Reform government needed. Especially so, the removal of welfare state infrastructure sites in Brent to support NOT Brent massive population growth. Most Brent residents just pay feudal tribute to their lord masters.
In Richmond people pay tax and then receive a welfare state, which is infrastructure protected so that it is fully able to local protect and assist their health and wellbeing. The old deal. The new deal is Reform policies Brent.
There is no new hospital - just more and more residents not getting the healthcare they need!
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