After the extreme heat and drought of the summer in England and extreme weather including overheating, and floods elsewhere with many lives lost it was appropriate that last night's Full Council had a dual focus on the Climate Emergency.
ACE Brent made a presentation on the need for the Council to involve councillors and residents in the challenge society now faces with an even hotter summer forecast next year and floods predicted this Autumn and Winter. They called for greater accountability through a Climate Emergency Scrutiny Committee and the restoration of the Climate Champion role carried out by Cllr Mary Mitchell when she was a Labour councillor.
It was Cllr Mitchell who moved the Green Group's motion on 'Addressing Urban Heat and Climate Inequality in Brent'. An attempt to dilute the motion by the Conservatives was defeated, the Greens accepted a Liberal Democrat amendment and the resulting amended motion was supported by Labour.
The full presentation and debate can be viewed in the video above.
After the meeting Elaine Sheppard of ACE said:
ACE Brent representatives are pleased that the climate emergency finally got more of a hearing in the council chamber last night, with our deputation with our deputation challenging 2 years absence of discussion in the Brent council chamber, and overall lack of accountability despite increasing climate breakdown, and the Green Party motion on urban heat and climate inequality.
Cllr Mitchell said:
We did it! The first Green Party motion in Brent was carried yesterday, marking a significant step in the Council’s recognition of the climate crisis and the actions we must take to protect residents from extreme heat.
We were delighted to receive support from all parties in the chamber, and thank Brent Green Party members for their support, participation and belief that elected Greens make a difference, no matter how large the group! We also thank the Brent Liberal Democrat group for their amendments that strengthened the motion even further.
No resident in Brent should be put at risk because of where they live, how much access they have to green space or shade, or whether or not they can afford air conditioning.
We must act now.
Great! Well done Elaine and Ian, ACE and Friends of the Earth Brent!
ReplyDeleteGreat requests. Fingers crossed they engage as they say..
Leslie from Granville Community Kitchen
Flood risk denial is another. The rivers Westbourne and Brent are not going to disappear anytime soon however much market greed forces that deluded planning policy on Brent residents.
ReplyDeleteThe Greens need to add many amendments to the Brent Local Plan Scoping Study September 2026 which was written as usual by Brent generic. Written as if we all live in Queens Park conserved, valued as human and protected..
ReplyDelete"Amendments" do not just depend on 'politicians' - it is important that local residents respond and identify locations in their areas and set out their preferences. The local plan is developed by considering representations and proposals made and if an issue does not get raised it will/may be overlooked. Most people will not know that a new Local Plan is being developed - so if you can share the information with others that may help.
DeleteWell done to Brent’s Green councillors for bringing this important motion forward, and to the councillors and parties who contributed positively and supported its passage. Credit is also due to ACE Brent for continuing to press for greater urgency, accountability and public involvement.
ReplyDeleteFollowing the extreme heat and drought this summer, action on shade, trees, cool spaces, schools, public buildings and overheated homes is not abstract party politics. These measures could directly protect vulnerable residents across Brent.
As a Kenton ward resident, I watched the full debate because I wanted to understand how our three Conservative councillors represented the ward. Unfortunately, it was extremely difficult to establish who was speaking. The council camera did not always move to the speaker, and speakers were not consistently identified on screen. If any of Kenton’s councillors contributed to the climate debate, I could not confidently tell.
The management of speaking time also made the debate frustrating to follow. I understand why limits are necessary, but the Mayor repeatedly interrupting speakers disrupted their arguments and the viewing experience. A visible countdown, an amber warning light and a discreet sound would be much clearer. A short and consistently applied grace period could also allow speakers to complete a sentence rather than being cut off midway through a point!
Could anyone who attended, or the Kenton councillors themselves, please clarify whether any of our three councillors spoke during the climate debate and how each voted on the Conservative amendment and the final motion?
I am not claiming that Kenton was unrepresented. The problem is that, even after watching the recording, I could not determine whether we were. Residents should not need to recognise every councillor’s voice to understand how their elected representatives participated and voted. That is a transparency and accessibility problem in itself. Thanks - Kenton resident
When will Brent Council stop their contractors pollarding trees in the summer during nesting season, stripping all the leaves that provide shade and reduce heat whilst destroying wildlife habitat and insect populations which birds rely on for food???
ReplyDeleteBrent Council can't even get the basics right!!!
Officers (and developers) have it too easy with generic scoping. Compare Brent to other boroughs scoping and final Local Plans quality Mr Lorber.
ReplyDelete