FoI aims to lift the lid on St Raph's Pride in Place Appointment

 

Priyesh Patel (Credit: Brent Council) 

A Freedom of Information request has been submitted to Brent Council by Asif Zamir, Independent Community Advocate on St Raphael’s Estate. It concerns the process involved in the appointment of the Independent Chair of the £20m St Raphael’s Pride in Place Project:

 

I am writing to make a formal request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. My request relates specifically to the recruitment, shortlisting, and final selection process for the newly appointed Independent Chair of the St Raphael’s Neighbourhood Board under the 'Pride in Place' programme.

 

Please provide the following information:

 

1. Resident and Stakeholder Involvement:

 

   * Documentation confirming whether a localised resident stakeholder panel or community interview forum was formed to participate in the evaluation, interviewing, or selection of candidates for this specific Chair position.

   * If a resident or community panel was utilised, please provide the terms of reference or the criteria by which panel members were chosen. If no resident stakeholder panel was involved, please provide any recorded policy justification or decision log detailing why community panel interviews were omitted from this recruitment process.

 

2. Shortlisting and Interview Metrics:

 

   * The total number of applicants who submitted an application for the role of Independent Chair for the St Raphael's Neighbourhood Board.

   * The total number of applicants who were successfully shortlisted and advanced to a formal interview stage.

   * The anonymised scoring matrices, evaluation criteria, or procedural rubrics used by the council selection panel to determine which applicants were granted an interview and which were excluded from the shortlisting stage.

 

3. Independence, Vetting, and Conflict of Interest:

 

   * Given that the successful candidate's public employment record indicates they were an employee of Brent Council until August 2025 before transitioning to a political think tank, please provide any recorded assessments, internal panel minutes, or governance reviews that evaluated how an individual leaving council employment approximately 12 months prior satisfies the strict criteria for an "Independent Chair."

   * Copies of the conflict of interest declarations, political activity disclosure forms, or dual-interest registers completed by the successful candidate during or immediately following the application process regarding their political campaign activity alongside ward councillors.

   * Any internal correspondence or minutes detailing how the candidate’s concurrent political campaigning activities were assessed against the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, ensuring that public funds allocated to the Neighbourhood Board are protected from perceived political bias.

 

Procedural Instruction (Section 12 & Section 16):

 

If you determine that any part of this request exceeds the statutory cost limit under Section 12 of the FOI Act, please invoke your statutory duty to provide advice and assistance under Section 16. In that event, please fulfil all other sections of this request that fall within the limit, prioritising the production of the anonymised scoring matrices and conflict of interest declarations.

 

Priyesh Patel campaigning with Stonebridge councillors

 

 

Asif Zamir speaking to Wembley Matters said:

 

The council advertised for an 'Independent Chair' to lead a board tasked with shaping the future of a £20 million investment on St Raphael's Estate. Yet it is alleged the recruitment process completely bypassed a localised resident stakeholder interview panel that was advertised on their website.

 

Instead, the appointment went to an ex-Brent Council employee who was on the council payroll just 12 months ago, and it has been alleged that he has been actively documented on the local political campaign trail with Stonebridge Labour Councillors who are also involved in the Pride in Place appointment. Residents deserve complete transparency over how this selection was scored and verified.

 

Residents aren't a checkbox exercise. We don't need a board that is set up to manage our expectations from the top down—we need a board that actually represents us. This FOI forces the council to put their scoring and vetting records on display so the community can see exactly how this decision was made.

 

The appointee, Priyesh Patel’s  Linkedin Profile says that he worked out of the Brent Council Leader, Muhammed Butt’s, office from January 2024-August 2025 providing ‘high-level policy, communications, and stakeholder support to Brent's Cabinet Members, ensuring the delivery of strategic objectives across portfolios including housing, regeneration, health, education, and community safety.’

 

Previously he had been a case worker at the House of Commons and is currently at British Future.

 

Sandra  White, appointed to the equivalent post in Harlesden, had lived in the area for more than 20 years an active in the community including Chair of the Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum.  Priyesh Patel has been on Next Door (St Raph’s) since 2024 but has not made any posts. Brent Council’s press statement on Priyesh’s appointment says:

 

A proud St Raph’s resident, Priyesh has been involved in civic and community life in Brent from a young age – including through Brent Youth Parliament and later training and presenting with Brent Youth Radio. Priyesh has a strong interest in interfaith work across the borough and has supported charitable and community initiatives within local faith spaces in Stonebridge, alongside his involvement with Brent Multi Faith Forum.

 

Asif Zamir remarked:

 

I want to make it absolutely clear that this is not a personal attack on Priyesh Patel. I do not know him, and despite years of working on the ground here, he is not someone I or other active resident groups have ever come across within our estate's community advocacy networks. This is entirely about protecting the integrity of our community's voice.

 

When an advertised resident interview panel is bypassed to install an ex-council employee who worked directly inside the Council Leader's political office only a year ago, it fundamentally undermines the word 'Independent'. Our community is fighting to ensure that appointments are made fairly, transparently, and with genuine local oversight. St Raphael's residents have waited too long for this £20 million investment to have its governance handled through closed doors. We deserve a board leader who answers strictly to the people living in these blocks, not to the political networks at the Civic Centre.