Carnival arrangements for the Brent Harrow Road corridor: Harlesden, Kensal Rise, Kensal Green

 

Thanks to DJ AG for this video

 

Update from local councillors to residents on planning for Notting Hill Carnival which takes place this weekend. 

Brent Council Carnival Information Webpage

Brent’s Brent Council Notting Hill Carnival 2025 webpage is now live - https://www.brent.gov.uk/nottinghillcarnival2025  Please do read and share.

Though the southern part of Brent is not on the formal  Carnival  route, the Harrow Road corridor will be a much visited location  

There have been a series of planning meetings between Brent Council officers, the MP’s office, the metropolitan police and other agencies to learn from previous years’ experience, pass on and seek to alleviate residents’ concerns raised through councillors or by other means and try to ensure that the event is an enjoyable and safe celebration with disruption during and after the event managed as well as is possible.  
 
Carnival begins at 10am on Sunday 24 August and Monday 25 August 2025. The official schedule, including fringe events over the weekend, is on the Notting Hill Carnival https://nhcarnival.org/
 
The following local arrangements will be in place during the event on Sunday, 24 and Monday, 25 August:

Traffic and Parking: We will have a Traffic Management Order (TMO) in place. There will be no parking or waiting at any time (including in parking bays) on certain roads.  The traffic management arrangements are listed here

No parking or waiting (including in parking bays) will be permitted on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 August 2025 in:-

Banister Road;
Chamberlayne Road, between Kilburn Lane and Mortimer Road;
Harrow Road (Kensal Green), between Kilburn Lane and College Road;
Kilburn Lane, the west and north sides, between Harrow Road (Kensal Green) and the south-western arm of Claremont Road;
Mortimer Road, the north side only.

There will also be no waiting (except in parking bays) on Sunday and Monday in: Kilburn Lane, north side, between the south-west arm of Claremont Road and the north-east arm of Claremont Road.

Residents in these streets will be able to park in their neighbouring CPZ, as below and have received letters to this effect:

Mortimer Road residents (KR Zone) and their visitors, will be able to park in KL and KQ zones;

Holders of KC zone permits and their visitors, will be able to park within KL, KR and KQ zones.
 
Parking enforcement: We will also have additional parking enforcement from 7am to 11pm throughout Carnival in the most affected areas. This will include Harrow Road, Chamberlayne Road, Kilburn Lane, Banister Road and Mortimer Road where parking will be suspended.  There will also be additional enforcement in the wider footprint including Kensal Rise, Kensal Green , Harlesden and Queens Park.  The dedicated parking enforcement team in the area will include mobile, foot-patrols and tow-trucks.

There will be a road closure and public safety barriers in Harlesden, to prevent members of the public spilling on to the roads.

 Policing:  Following discussions and concerns raised by councillors, supporting residents’ concerns an increased police presence has been committed including outside the main carnival area.  This will include:

BBQ patrols: Police officers, helped by Council officers will ensure the removal of BBQs or sound systems that have been setup outside any permitted area.
 

Immediate area: Increased Police presence throughout the Notting Hill Carnival weekend.
Harlesden Town Centre: Additional Police resource in Harlesden.

Specialist Licensing Police team available to deal with Licensing contraventions.
Additional Police in Westminster who will support our Brent Policing team where necessary.
 
CCTV: There will be additional CCTV during Carnival and Brent Council officers, linked to police command, will be monitoring CCTV covering the area around the carnival to ensure resident safety.

Toilets: There will be 15 toilets including disabled access toilets along Harrow Road and Kensal Rose station with directional signage for carnival attendees.

Enforcement patrols will team up with local police officers to ensure compliance, including preventing illegal street trading, barbecues and street parties. They will be out early with the police to prevent barbeques and stalls setting up where these are not permitted.

Noise Nuisance patrols will be available to deal with any complaints. Please encourage residents to use our noise app to let us know about anyone.
 
Clean up: Brent has planned and booked extra clean up resources to ensure rapid clean-up during and post event, including inspections of our streets before carnival.

A team will clear the streets between Sunday and Monday from 3am and will include mechanical sweepers, physical sweepers and a pickup crew.

The same will apply on Monday night at the end of the event and in the early hours of Tuesday morning the jet washing crew will begin a deeper clean. Note that full cleaning of adjacent streets will be done as soon as possible but may take more than a day.

Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) canisters.  Because of the gas in the canisters they have to be cleared separately to other waste. (To avoid the high risk of explosion when crushed.) They will therefore only be collected once other waste is cleared from the streets. If you see these in piles across the area, they are for collection by our waste contractor Veolia. Please bear with the team as they clear the canisters up and please DO NOT add them to other bins.
 
 
This and more detailed information on TMOs, parking, safety, cleaning and more can be found here https://www.brent.gov.uk/nottinghillcarnival2025  

TEN days of parking restrictions and disruption in Wembley Park on dates from this Friday until Monday September 8th for Coldplay concerts

 

 

From Brent Coucil

 

Wembley Stadium will be hosting the COLDPLAY MUSIC OF THE SPHERES WORLD TOUR in August on Friday 22 August, Saturday 23 August, Tuesday 26 August, Wednesday 27 August, Saturday 30 August and Sunday 31 August. [Editor's note: Coldplay added  Wednesday 3 September,  Thursday 4 September, Sunday 7 September and Monday 8 September]

Timings

- The COLDPLAY MUSIC OF THE SPHERES WORLD TOUR doors will open at 6pm and road closures will be in place from 2pm for all above events.

We expect the area around Wembley Stadium to be very busy before and after this event so please avoid the area if you can, unless you have a ticket for the event.

 

 

Event day parking

Event day parking restrictions will be in place from 8am to midnight on main roads and from 10am to midnight on residential roads on Friday 22 August, Saturday 23 August, Tuesday 26 August, Wednesday 27 August, Saturday 30 August and Sunday 31 August. [See additional dates above]

Potential Labour candidates for Brent Council 2026 election await the CIB's verdict on their selection

The Campaign Improvement Board (CIB) the external body that is carrying out the selection of Labour Party candidates for the 2026 Brent Council elections will soon be choosing successful applicants from a shortlist to stand in the Brent Council election in May 2026, probably helped by the London Region of the Labour Party.

Decisions on placements - which candidates for which wards - take place after panel interviews that judge whether the candidate is a 'good Labour person' . The panels are made up of Labour members and councillors from outside Brent and they submit the shortlist for decision by the CIB.  

Candidates have been left hanging, not knowing if they have been selected and if selected, the ward they have been allocated. Whatever the individual outcomes the end result is likely to be controversial.

There is still uncertainty over why Brent was selected by the Labour Region for the imposition of external selection. Among the possible issues cited have been an allegation that a candidate paid for friends and families to join the Labour Party in order to vote for him last time round (he wasn't selected), dissatisfaction with the Buttocracy and Cllr Muhammed Butt's longevity as leader, and the Nablus Twinning (a suggestion pushed by Lee Harpin of Jewish News).

There is also speculation over whether any rejected candidates will decide to stand as Independents or join an opposition party.

Of course the most important aspect is what the electorate will make of all this - or will they even notice? 

Watch this space. 

£46k grant to catalogue Brent Trades Council's decades of struggle for workers' rights and social justice

The Brent Trades Council banner at demonstration against privatisation of the NHS (Wembley Matters)

 

From Brent Council

 

Brent Museum and Archives (BMA) has been awarded £45,900.71 from The National Archives’ 'Archives Revealed' grant programme to catalogue a significant local archive collection – the Brent Trades Council collection.

Brent Museum and Archives, located in The Library at Willesden Green, preserves and showcases the history of the London Borough of Brent. It houses a vast collection of over 10,000 objects, including historical documents, photographs, and artifacts as well as council records, local newspapers, and more. 

With this funding, the museum will undertake a detailed cataloguing project of the Brent Trades Council (BTUC) archive, which documents the organisation’s involvement in a wide range of local and national campaigns and social justice issues from the 1960s through to 2013.

The Brent Trades Council is the community branch of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for the London Borough of Brent. It represents union members from organisations including UCU, RMT, GMB, CWU, Brent NEU, and various Unite branches, working in solidarity to champion workers’ rights and social activism.

The cataloguing project will deliver access to this vital collection, enabling local communities, schools, and researchers to explore Brent’s rich history of trade unionism and political activism. BMA will also use the BTUC’s archives to create greater engagement with the borough’s diverse communities and encourage conversations about Brent’s past and present identity.

Cllr Promise Knight, Cabinet Member for Customer Experience, Resident Support and Culture said:

 

This funding is a fantastic opportunity to preserve and share the powerful history of the Brent Trades Council. These archives capture the voices and struggles of our local communities and workers, and through this project, we can ensure that their stories inspire and educate future generations.

 

The project is expected to be completed over the next year, with the collection becoming fully accessible for public use and academic research.

 

83 and 302 bus routes diverted in Kingsbury

 From TfL website

Bus Route 302 Disruption

Reason for disruption: PlannedWork

TUDOR GARDENS HA9: Road closed eastbound, from Monday 11 August 08:00 to Friday 5 September 17:00, due to Affinity Water works. During these works, ROUTES 83, N83 and 302 towards Golders Green and Mill Hill Broadway will be diverted via Salmon Street, Fryent Way and Kingsbury Road. STOPS NOT SERVED: Tudor Gardens (BC), Deanscroft Avenue (BD), Lavender Avenue (BE), Queensbury Road (P), Slough Lane (R), Kingsbury Green (S), Kingsbury/Pipers Green (H).

Additional Bus Route Information

Valid from: Mon 11th Aug 2025, 7:00AM UTC
Valid to: Fri 5th Sep 2025, 4:00PM UTC

 

Note: I did see one stop at The Paddocks bus stop but that may have been unofficial. It would be useful  to make it official for those bound for ASDA and Wembley Park - just walk up Kings Drive from the Paddocks bus stop

Your Party Brent branch to consider standing against Barry Gardiner MP at next General Election following his vote to proscribe Palestine Action

 

Graham Durham - ex Brent councillor and ex-member of the Labour Party

 

 From Brent branch of Your Party

 

The Brent branch of the newly formed political party, temporarily  called Your Party, which was launched by Jeremy Corbyn MP and Zarah Sultana MP on 24 July 2025 has criticised Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent West, for his support of the classification of the peaceful non-violent campaign group, Palestine Action, as a terrorist organisation by the Labour government.

One of the local organisers of Your Party, former Brent Labour councillor  Graham Durham, said; 

 

On Saturday 9 August 532 peaceful protestors were arrested by police in Parliament Square.Their only offence was to hold a cardboard handwritten sign stating they opposed the Israeli genocide against Palestinians and supported Palestine Action. Amongst the arrested were  numerous members of the peaceful religious group The Society of Friends (Quakers ) and over half the arrests were of pensioners including 15 people over eighty years old. Charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act are to be made against all arrested.

These charges against peaceful protestors opposing genocide by Israel are only possible because hundreds of Labour MPS voted on 2 July 2025 to proscribe the peaceful non-violent  group in an attempt to halt criticism of the Israeli genocide and the Labour Government complicity in continuing to sell arms and parts to the Israeli Defence Force. For Barry Gardiner MP for Brent West to be one of these MPs is an utter disgrace. Your Party alongside other organisations and international bodies will continue to campaign to end the arms sales and end the genocide, we will not be deterred by Barry Gardiner or Yvette Cooper who arrest us in an attempt to silence our voices.'

As Jeremy Corbyn said, 'These arrests  will go down as one of the most shameful moments in British legal history. No amount of suppression can hide the truth: our government is complicit in genocide'

Graham Durham added, 'As our party grows and organises we will consider standing against Gardiner and other supporters of this represssion at the next general election'

 

90 years ago my Uncle Ron lamented the loss of trees in Honeypot Lane

 

Honeypot Lane (Centre) 1923

 

 

Honeypot Lane beginning to be built up (1935)

When he was 18, my maternal Uncle Ronald (Jefferies) lived with the family in Church Drive, Kingsbury, having only recently moved from Peckham. They all enjoyed what remained of the countryside around Kingsbury, my mother often reminded us when we said we were bored that she used to jump over the ditches of the Welsh Harp and urge us to get off out from under her feet. My Aunt Muriel worked at Bush Farm in Kingsbury during World War 2 and she and my mother kept a pair of goats in the garage of their Crundale Avenue home!

 

When a child my mother looked up to her big brother Ron who tried to educate her about Shakespeare, poetry and music and he clearly made a big impact. He later joined the Communist Party and as an ETU shop steward was indirectly involved in the 1961 controversy LINK.

 

Back in 1935 he was a romantic teenager and on Saturday 15th February wrote a poem about Honeypot Lane that was then undergoing development that seems to have involved the loss of woodland. It is a fairly typical teenage poem (I have some embarrassing examples of my own) but captures a moment of change in our area  that I thought was worth sharing:

 

Ronald Wilfred Jefferies

 

Thanks to Philip Grant for this photograph of Honeypot Lane probably taken around the time of Ron's poem.

 

The Lane

I mourn the loss dearest friend,

No more happy ways I wend,

Amidst thy green and shaded grove, 

Men will execute and move, 

What God gave for their delight,

And put instead an ugly sight,

 

The wind thunders in my ears,

It confirms, trees all they fears. 

'Tis the crack of doom for thee.

Gaunt fingers upraised you plea,

To a grey and windswept sky,

But all in void, for you must die,

 

As they shine through boughs and leaves, 

Moonlight or sunlight magic weaves,

A fairy web along the lane,

Shadows I'll never see again.

Farewell! Around another bend,

Perhaps there lurks some new friend.

 

Ronald Jefferies 

 

1976 - not currently available

 

The volume above contains some background on Honeypot Lane  LINK

 

There is something incredibly rural and homely about the name 'Honeypot Lane' and yet, in the late 20th century, it is an unsuitable and incongruous title for a highway which includes a dual carriageway for part of its length and many factory buildings along its eastern flank.

One explanation for its unusual name was given in Volume 3 but a reader has reminded us that there is at least one other probable reason for the 'Honeypot' title.  There was, and still is, an old country saying, "Stuck like bees on a honeypot", when referring to the effects of a strong adhesive.  Villagers used this expression when describing Honeypot Lane during wet weather, at which times the sticky nature of the moist clay made it almost impassable.  This theory is supported by the existence of another lane of the same name in Alperton, where similar conditions prevailed.

The history of this old lane stretches back over aeons of time; it has been trodden by the feet of armies, robbers and labourers - and even earlier by the Druids and possibly Stone Age men.  It was a brief stage on the long route which connected Dover with Brockley Hill, before continuing on to Holyhead.

It is quite an awe-inspiring thought when one considers that this route, which was once a path, then a track and later a lane, had altered very little in concept for more than two thousand years - until suddenly, in the late 1930s, the whole scene began to change radically.  Put another way, it means that the last forty years in which it has adopted the modern motor highway image represents less than one fiftieth of its known existence.

An interesting aspect of this revelation is that many residents who are not very much beyond the stage of middle age can clearly remember the old Honeypot Lane, which was alternately grassy and muddy, depending upon the season - and even with the advent of the 1930s - was still unmade.  One resident described it as a "one cart track.  Two carts could not pass unless the driver of one opened a gate and backed into a field".

The only signs of civilisation in its entire length were a few isolated cottages (four of which, namely Marsh Cottages, still remain near the 'Green Man'), a sewage farm and an isolation hospital, which later changed its function to that of a maternity centre.

The public house near the junction with Whitchurch Lane was built in the late 1930s but the previous establishment was more commonly known to the local residents as the 'Hog and Donkey'.  Other long-standing public houses in the Lane are The Queen of Hearts' and 'The Honeypot'.

 

Honeypot Lane 2021

 

John Betjeman, of course,  wrote nostalgically about Middlesex LINK:

Dear Middlesex,

Dear vanished country friend.

Your neighbour, London,

Killed you in the end. 

 But I wonder if anyone has written poetry about the more recent changes in Wembley Park, Northwick Park or Alperton? 

  

 

 

 

Blackpink at Wembley Stadium Friday and Saturday. Road closures from 3pm or earlier. Bus diversions. No Bakerloo or Lioness services on Saturday/

 

Come See the Empire – the “Becoming Brent” project ends this weekend.

Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

 

The event at Willesden Green Library on Saturday 16 August. (From Eventbrite)

 

The eighteen month “Becoming Brent” project, using the centenary of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in 1924/25 as a starting point for re-examining how we see this part of our history from different perspectives, comes to a conclusion next weekend. 

 

Extra tickets have been made available for “Come See the Empire”, at Willesden Green Library on Saturday 16 August from 2pm to 3.30pm. The session will be led by local historian Lisa Lu, who writes:

 

‘The talk will serve as a continuation of the conversation around this historic event, exploring its origins, goals, and how former colonial nations present themselves today. By comparing the Exhibition's narrative with contemporary perspectives, the talk aims to encourage reflection on Britain's colonial legacy, its impact on Brent, and broader global implications.’

 

You can reserve your free place for this event by “clicking” on the Brent Libraries, Arts and Heritage Eventbrite website.

 

Sunday 17 August will be the final day when you can see “Revisiting the British Empire Exhibition 100 Years On”, in the second-floor gallery at Willesden Green Library. This community-led exhibition looks at a variety of pictures and objects from 1924/25 in the Brent Museum collection, and invites you to share your own experiences and impressions of former British colonies, promoting dialogue and critical thinking around the concepts of decolonisation, migration, and heritage.

 

Back on 1 January 2024, Martin published my guest post on Why we should commemorate the British Empire Exhibition in 2024. I felt it was important that we used the centenary of a major local history event, which has helped to shape Wembley’s progress ever since, as a chance to learn more about Britain’s former Empire, to understand it and its consequences, and to acknowledge its wrongs. The “Becoming Brent” project has helped to do that, and we need to continue to educate ourselves, for the benefit of mutual respect across our wonderfully diverse community.

 

Park Lane School’s Empire Day celebration, May 1920.
(Brent Archives – Wembley History Society Collection)

 

Things have moved on since local schoolchildren were taught what a wonderful thing the British Empire was, and were marched to the recently built Empire Stadium to watch the pageantry of the Exhibition’s opening ceremony on 23 April 1924. Several thousand local people were encouraged to take part in the Pageant of Empire at the Stadium in July and August 1924. They were part of a scene about Queen Elizabeth I, and the celebration of England’s victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588. But the sections of the Pageant dealing with how Britain came to own many other lands either distorted, and sometimes glorified in, the darker side of the Empire’s story. Unfortunately, that was the way in which the British establishment wanted people to see our history then!

 

The British Empire Exhibition logo.

Hopefully, we have learned some lessons from the British Empire Exhibition’s centenary which will help to make Brent a better place in future.

Philip Grant.

Harrow Lib Dems submit FOI on Northwick Park Hydrotherapy Pool decision making and support petition opposing closure

 From Harrow Lib Dems

Closure of Northwick Park Hospital Hydrotherapy Pool

The Harrow LibDems are concerned about the closure of Northwick Park Hospital Hydrotherapy Pool

Northwick Park Hospital recently announced the closure of their Hydrotherapy Pool. 

The announcement appears to have come as a surprise to many including many of patients that have benefitted from the pool.

The Chair of Harrow LibDems has submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to LNWH NHS Trust to ask what for records of decision making relating to the closure of the Hydrotherapy pool.

“We know that patients will be concerned about this matter and we are doing everything we can to find out answers from the Hospital management team on this matter” said Joseph Gaunt, Chair of Harrow LibDems. “It is vital to have facilities like these in our community to help people in recovery”. 

The Harrow Liberal Democrats support petition to stop the closure of the hydrotherapy pool: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-closure-of-northwick-park-s-hydrotherapy-pool 

Healthwatch Brent calls on Trust to reconsider Northwick Park Hydrotherapy Pool closure

 From Healthwatch Brent

 

The hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital, which has been serving people across London for over 40 years, is expected to close at the end of August. 

 

A statement from London North West University Hospital NHS Trust (LWNH) said the new NHS plan makes “a clear distinction” between facilities that should be provided in acute hospitals with those “best provided by community services”. 

 

Hydrotherapy, also known as aquatic therapy, is a form of physiotherapy. It combines massage jets and warm water to help alleviate pain and improve overall motion and muscle strength. Currently the pool supports both NHS and non-NHS patients with musco-skeletal problems such as arthritis, and those recovering from orthopedic surgery. 

 

Thousands of people have backed a petition by Mark Adshead, urging for the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital to remain open. Mark has described the pool as a much-needed lifeline for the community and expects there to be severe consequences for the physical and mental health of patients. 

 

“While we understand that the pool is a popular resource for a small number of patients, it is mostly used by private users. Hydrotherapy is not usually provided in acute hospitals, and the new NHS 10-year plan makes a clear distinction between services that should be provided in acute hospitals and those best provided by community services.   

 

“Our hospital resources must therefore be focused on faster diagnosis, expanding surgical and outpatient services, and providing effective ward care so patients can be discharged promptly and treated equitably.” 

 

Spokesperson for the LNWH trust

 

“This is the only relief I get from painful joints and isn’t available anywhere else in the area.” 

 

Hydrotherapy pool user

 

We urge the LNWH trust to reconsider this decision.

 

If you have used any hospital or community-based services, we would love to hear from you. Share your experiences with us today. We use your feedback to support service design and delivery.  LINK

 

We'll update this section to inform you of the next steps of Healthwatch Brent.

 

'Stark' 826 student accommodation that will 'tower above Cricklewood Broadway' approved by Brent Planning Committee

 

Brent Planning Committee has approved the replacement of the Matalan site on Cricklewood Broadway by two blocks of student accommodation, together comprising 826 beds. The blocks range in height from 3 to 9 storeys

 Previously the developer had permission for a lower height development of 238 residential flats but submitted the new application blaming the change of direction on regulatory changes including new fire safety requirements,

A resident submitted a deputation supporting the application citing the run down nature of the current site and its impact on the area.

In his deputation, Ben Tansley for Northwest Two Residents Association, described th proposed development as too large, bleak, imposing and stark, 'towering above Cricklewood Broadway'.  It was disproportionate in relation to the two storey houses on Temple Road.

Tansley said that the Association supported development of the site but not at this scale.  They would prefer a height of 5 storeys but would perhaps settle for seven.  He argued that the proposal did not comply with the Local Plan.

 There were the usual arguments that purpose built student accommodation would attract students currently renting houses, freeing them up for families if the application was approved. It would help meet London's overall target for student accommodation. The development would provide the equivalent of 300 homes that would count towards Brent Council's housing target.

The application was approved by 5 votes to 3 with Cllr Saqib Butt, Akram and Dixon voting against.

 

Wembley Matters passes 10 million pageviews.

 

 

Didn't notice until a little while ago. Many thanks to all our readers!

Barry Gardiner calls for Hydrotherapy Pool closure to be paused, release of documentation regarding the decision and review of decision in consultation with service users

 

A patient and physiotherapist in an Australian hydrotherapy pool

 

Barry Gardiner MP for Brent West is due to meet Pippa Nightingale, CEO of London North West University Healthcare Trust after her decision to close the Northwick Park Hydrotherapy Pool has resulted in a collective complaint by staff and uproar among patients.

 

In her response to a letter from Barry Gardiner the CEO merely repeated what was in the Trust's reluctantly issued press release.

 

This is the exchange:

 

Dear Ms Nightingale,

I hope this letter finds you well. 

 

I write on behalf of multiple constituents who have contacted me in relation to the impending closure of the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital. I understand this is due to happen at the end of this month, so I would be grateful if you could please treat this issue as a matter of urgency. 

 

I understand that service users were not consulted on the decision to close the pool, nor were they formally notified of the closure in good time. I understand that instead, patients were abruptly informed by reception staff that they could not book any sessions beyond the end of this month. 

 

I understand that the hydrotherapy service provides life-changing treatment to many service users who suffer various limiting and painful conditions. I am told by my constituents of its immeasurable benefits, including one constituent who depends on local access to hydrotherapy to maintain her employment, and in turn her independence and mental wellbeing. 

 

I understand that patients already self-fund their sessions at the pool and they therefore feel that costs currently incurred by the Trust are minimal. I share their concerns that on the other hand, closing the pool will cause deterioration in the patients’ conditions and decrease their independence, resulting in far greater costs for the NHS and social care in the long term. 

 

I am sure you have not come to this decision lightly. However, I would be grateful if you could please: 

 

1.Urgently pause the decision to close the hydrotherapy pool;
2. Release documentation in relation to how the Trust came to this decision;

3. Review the decision in consultation with service users.

 

If there is no way the closure can be avoided, I would be grateful if this could at least be delayed and for the Trust to assist with referring patients to suitable alternatives. 

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response. 

 

Yours sincerely,

Barry Gardiner

 

Dear Barry, 

 

Thank you for your letter of 22 July regarding concerns about the closure of the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital. 

 

I can confirm that the hydrotherapy pool will close on 30 August this year. This is one month later than originally planned to allow more time for engagement with service users, and I hope that this provides you with some additional reassurance around the work we are doing in this area, as you ask in your letter. 

 

We are engaging with our Patient and Carer Participation Group about the pool closure and will take into consideration any concerns that are raised through that forum. While this discussion will not impact upon the decision, it may affect the way in which we manage or communicate the change. 

 

As part of communicating with the pool’s users, we are providing information about all alternative local providers of hydrotherapy. This includes the nearby Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital which has a much larger facility with accessible steps and a hoist. We are therefore assured that all those who use the service will have suitable alternative options.

 

As you note, closing the pool is not a decision we have taken lightly. I would like to reassure you that the decision follows completion of a full quality and equality impact assessment. 

 

We fully recognise that the pool is a popular resource, especially among fee-paying users, who make up most of its users. However, hydrotherapy is not usually provided in acute hospitals, and the new NHS 10-year plan makes a clear distinction between services that should be provided in acute hospitals and those best provided by community services. 

 

You will also be aware of the changes to the NHS financial regime this year, including the funding cap on elective activity. It is now therefore essential to focus all our resources on providing care to acutely unwell patients, and not the funding of community services. This means concentrating efforts on faster diagnosis, expanding surgical and outpatient services, and providing effective ward care so patients can be discharged promptly and treated equitably. 

 

Despite fee-paying users, upkeep and maintenance means the pool has operated at a financial loss to the Trust. If we continued providing this community service, it would reduce the number of appointments we can provide for our acutely unwell patients, resulting in longer waits for essential care. 

 

I appreciate there are aspects around the balance between acute care and community services that you may wish to discuss further. If so, I would be very pleased to arrange a meeting. 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Pippa Nightingale

Chiel Executive

 

Philip Grant: Northwick Park Hydrotherapy Pool – what the NHS Trust Chief Executive wrote (and my reply, seeking to help resolve her problem)

Guest Post by Philip Grant in a personal capacity

From the NHS Trust’s complaints leaflet.

 

There have been several articles on “Wembley Matters” recently, and a lot of interest, about the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust’s decision to close the hydrotherapy pool at Northwick Park Hospital. One recent article shared the reply I had received from Brent Council Leader, Cllr. Muhammed Butt, to an email I had sent to him and the Council’s Chief Executive.

 

That was not the only email I had sent about this matter, and in a “FOR INFORMATION” comment under the blog which reported a statement by the NHS Trust about the closure decision (given to Local Democracy Reporter, Grant Williams), I shared the text of an email I had sent on 28 July to the Trust’s Chairman and its Chief Executive Officer. I made the case that ‘that this facility IS needed locally, and should not simply be withdrawn through a one-sided cost-cutting decision of the NHS Trust.'

 

This guest post will let you know “what happened next”, and update interested readers on the latest position over the closure, as far as I know it.

 

On 30 July, I received an email from the Patient Relations Office at Northwick Park Hospital, with three attachments. The first was a letter from a Complaints Officer, telling me that my email of 28 July was being treated as a complaint, which was being investigated, and that: 

 

‘We aim to complete our investigation by 23 September 2025, and to respond to you shortly after this date.’

 

The second attachment was their complaints leaflet (see above). The covering email also said: ‘Further correspondence will have to be encrypted in line with the Trust’s Information Governance protocols and we have attached a guide created by NHSMail to instruct you on how this is done.’ The attached guide was a fourteen-page pdf document!

 

The front page heading from the Encrypted Emails Guide.

 

The first email may have been the result of the NHS Trust Chairman, Matthew Swindells, kicking his copy of my email into the long grass. I was about to reply to it, saying that my “complaint” (if they wanted to treat it as that for statistical purposes) required a reply from someone at the top of the NHS Trust, long before 23 September (as the plan is to close the hydrotherapy pool on 30 August), but I received a second email. This was again from the Trust’s “Complaints” address, but it included a “link” which I had to follow, in order to download an encrypted letter!

 

The letter, thanking me for my email of 28 July, was signed by Ms Pippa Nightingale MBE, the Trust’s Chief Executive. I can see no reason why its contents need to be treated as confidential, so I will ask Martin to attach a copy of it at the end of this article.

 

While her letter includes some words that recognise the hydrotherapy pool’s importance – ‘I do appreciate how beneficial this pool has been …’, ‘I fully recognise that the pool is a popular resource …’ – the key paragraph is this:

 

‘… we are actively engaging with service users, patient and carer groups and local MPs about the closure and will take into consideration any concerns raised. While this will not impact upon the decision, it may affect the way in which we manage or communicate the change.’

 

In other words, the NHS Trust still plans to close the pool on 30 August. Frankly, that is not an acceptable solution. The hydrotherapy pool is a long-established facility on the Northwick Park Hospital site, and while the new NHS ten-year plan may indicate that the buildings there should in future concentrate on being an “acute” hospital, that is no reason why this important piece of local health care infrastructure (fully refurbished only five years ago) should not be allowed to continue where it is, even if that is under different management.

 

The NHS Trust’s values, as proclaimed in its logo!

 

This is the text of the email I sent on 4 August, in reply to Miss Nightingale’s letter:

 

Your ref: pn/ph/25/7/C12257 - how you can resolve the issue of the Hydrotherapy Pool

 

Dear Ms Nightingale (and Mr Swindells),

 

Thank you for your letter of 1 August, in reply to my email to you both of 28 July 2025.

 

I note that much of your letter is a repeat of the press statement which the Trust made recently about its decision to close the Hydrotherapy Pool at Northwick Park Hospital. You then go on to say that you are actively engaging with a variety of stakeholders, but that 'this will not impact on the decision.'

 

That last statement strongly suggests that you have not grasped the seriousness of the position which the closure decision, and the way it has been handled, has put your NHS Trust in. As things stand, you and Mr Swindells are in danger of bringing the London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust into disrepute.

 

This is the latest position on the mess this decision has got the Trust into, as I understand it:

 

·      It has upset and angered both staff and patients who use the hydrotherapy pool;

·      A petition calling on the Trust to stop the closure of the pool now has 2,600 signatures;

·      Brent Council (and possibly other local Councils whose residents use the pool) have raised serious concerns about the decision, including that they should have been consulted and given the opportunity to scrutinise the decision before any closure can go ahead;

·      I understand that at least one of the local Members of Parliament has taken up the matter at senior levels within the NHS;

·      I also understand that hospital staff have raised a collective formal grievance against the Trust management over the closure of the pool.

 

If you will listen to the advice of a retired Civil Servant, who for years had responsibility for resolving complaints, this is what I would suggest you and the Trust should now do:

 

1.    Acknowledge to yourselves that the decision has been badly handled;

2.    Acknowledge this publicly, and apologise for it;

3.    Put the closure of the pool "on hold", and announce an extension, of at least three or four months, to the proposed closure date;

4.    Actively work with other local healthcare bodies, including those running community healthcare, to find a solution for the future running and finance of the hydrotherapy pool, so that the existing pool facility at Northwick Park Hospital can continue to be used by people from the area it already serves. without a break in that service.

 

Thank you for reading this email. I hope you will give my advice serious consideration, so that the future of the hydrotherapy pool can be resolved on a reasonable and sensible basis, for the benefit of the health and wellbeing of the local community. 

Best wishes,

Philip Grant.

 

I don’t know whether my words will have any effect on the pool’s future, but if you feel strongly about something, I believe it is worth trying to influence a positive outcome!

 

I had copied my email of 28 July to two local MPs. Bob Blackman’s office has asked for my address, so that he can write to me, but I have not received his response yet. Barry Gardiner’s office sent me an email on 4 August, saying that he could not reply to me as I am no longer his constituent (he was my MP from 1997 to 2024, and although I still live at the same address in Brent, boundary changes mean that I now come under Harrow East!). The email did, however, provide this piece of news:

 

‘Rest assured, several of Mr Gardiner’s constituents have already contacted him about this issue, and Mr Gardiner has arranged a meeting with Pippa Nightingale later this week to discuss this in more detail.’

 

So, although Barry Gardiner can’t write to me, I have sent his office copies of Ms Nightingale’s letter and my reply to it, in the hope that this could provide a framework for his discussion with the Trust’s Chief Executive. Let’s hope for the best!

Philip Grant.