Sandra White (Photo: Brent Council)
Sandra White, chosen by Brent Council to head up the Pride in Place project, added some context to the Next Door link to the Wembley Matters article published recently.
I am both honoured and humbled by taking on this role. The Community Panel will choose how the funds are spent - No one individual will have power, and the ideas will be presented and put forward by local residents - Obviously we can't and won't do everything, but we will have a good go at it.
Pride in Place Programme funding over a 10-year period is split into 63% capital and 37% revenue. Capital Funding (63%) is money used for physical assets and infrastructure.
Usage: Building or upgrading community facilities, parks, sports grounds, high streets, and public spaces. Revenue Funding (37%) is Money used for day-to-day operational costs and services.
Usage: Running local programs, community engagement events, staffing, and civic capacity building.
This a huge role, a daunting role, but this investment can be used to make a difference and by coming together and taking action together we can hopefully build a sustainable foundation for change for the future of Harlesden. Just to add... I'm not a politician but I am a grafter, and I am here to serve. Also just to make this clear - this is a voluntary role - there is a £5K stipend, so not a paid post.
Funded by City Challenge money to encourage SMEs in Harlesden (Photo: Brent Council)
The Harlesden City Challenge project, part of an urban regeneration programme initiated by Tory Minister Michel Heseltine in the early 1990s, may have lessons for the Pride in Place project. Gerry Davis was the Chief Executive of Harlesden City Challenge and was based in Challenge House in Harlesden High Street.
£150,000 was spent on artworks some of which still remain scattered around Harlesden, but the real question is what wider impact did the project have on employment, social cohesion on equality.
The £37.5m 4 year project is claimed to have created 2,000 jobs, mainly in Park Royal and improvements in housing in Stonebridge and Harlesden. It funded High Street improvements including new street furniture and public art and restored and expanded adult education and community services at the Victorian Morland Gardens villa. See Philip Grant's article HERE.
Time permitting I hope to look deeper in the City Challenge experience
8 comments:
I thought the Labour MP and the two careerist Labour Councillors in H&KG Green were claiming all the credit and consulting residents outside of the The Community Panel, as if it is all about them! There is a historic item that Labour want to remove next to Altamira. Two faced.
The reminder of the "street furniture" is an interesting point. The aim was to create a distinctive image. The 'different' style street lights and railings looked great when new. The problem was when they got damaged or needed replacing - there was no stock of matching replacements and over time the rest were neglected and looked old and tatty.
A good lesson for the future. If money is to be spent on something similar - make sure it is practical and easy to replace or repair over the years.
Meanwhile Alperton only got £138K which Brent Council wasted on painting Alperton Railway bridge which surely TFL should be maintaining???
Alperton station bridge repainting cost sees Brent Council criticised | Brent & Kilburn Times https://share.google/S5cpMU9qkylFDKwKU
Altamira is a magnificent building which should be saved.
Remember the last time the council spent money in Harlesden around 2013 Paul? The then Brent Director said, "A complete waste of money. We did this 10 years ago and have done it again, and we'll have to do it again in 10-15 years." How right he was.
Remind me where we are spaffing the other £20million? With Brent's poor Leader and his lapdogs, yes, the Tories under the renowned golfer Kansagra.
I wish Sandra White the best, and wish her luck in stopping usless Labour MP and Councillors stealing the show for their own political ends, as they are trying to do already.
Just noticed last week that two of the places the City Challenge signpost points towards outside Morland Gardens no longer function and of course the one for the station is pointing the wrong way. Helen
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