BREAKING: Brent Council will 'listen further' before making a decision on Willesden Indoor Running Track

In response to the formal letter from the leaders of the Liberal Democrat and Green Groups on Brent Council, Kim Wright, the CEO of Brent Council, has decided that the right thing to do is to listen further before a decision is taken on removal of the Indoor Track at Willesden Sports Centre. The potential loss of the track, one of only a few in London, has led to a huge campaign of Track Academy members, local residents, athletes and sports clubs using social media, press and tv coverage and a rapidly growing petition.

 

Kim Wright said: 

The decision on the final configuration, including whether the indoor running tube space is retained for athletics or reconfigured as proposed, is delegated to the Corporate Director of Service Reform and Strategy who plans to make that decision by 25 November 2026.

The Council is inviting representations on the proposals from existing and recent past users of Willesden Sports Centre. All representations previously received will be taken into account, so nobody needs to repeat or resend anything they have already sent us. Any further representations should be sent to leisure@brent.gov.uk by 5pm on Friday 20 November 2026, and will be considered before any decision is taken.

Mary Mitchell, leader of the Green Group on Brent Council said:

This is very welcome news and a huge testament to the community who use the track. We hope that the Council will recognise the value that the track provides and will continue to support and invest in the youth services that Brent so desperately needs.

Anton Georgiou, leader of the Lib Dem Group said: 

I'm pleased that Brent Council has decided to backtrack on its decision to demolish the much-loved indoor track at Willesden sports Centre

The climbdown is a direct result of a community-led campaign, which brought togaeher track users, Track Academy, Queens Park Harriers, residents and the Liberal Democrat and Green Council Groups. 

Brent opposition groups focus on responses to the housing crisis in motions to Full Council

 

Brent Renters demonstration at the Civic Centre, October 2024

 

With the housing crisis deepening Liberal Democrats and Greens both bring motions to Full Council on November 16th seeking support for actions to ease the crisis:

  

Lib Dem Group motion

 

Making Better Use of Empty Homes in Brent

 

This Council notes:

 

 Brent is facing a housing crisis. Thousands of residents are waiting for a council or social home, meanwhile many families live in overcrowded accommodation, temporary accommodation or homes that do not meet their needs.

 

 At the same time, council homes can sit empty for months waiting for repairs, inspections or other processes. There are currently at least 150 vacant council- owned properties - including 8 that have remained empty for a year or more –

and it is unclear whether this number includes properties within the portfolios of i4B and First Wave Housing.

 

 Homes must be safe and brought up to the right standard before new tenants move in. But leaving homes empty for longer than necessary is unacceptable.

 

 Every council home sitting empty represents a missed opportunity to provide a secure and affordable home to Brent residents. It places pressure on the Council's housing waiting list and can increase reliance on expensive temporary

accommodation.

 

 Southwark Council has recently announced a task force to tackle its backlog of empty council homes, focusing on identifying delays and getting properties back into use more quickly. Brent should examine this approach and identify what can

be applied locally.

 

 Brent cannot solve the housing crisis overnight. New homes take time to plan and build, but bringing empty homes back into use is something the Council can act on now. Making better use of the homes we already own must be a priority.

 

This Council therefore believes that:

 

 Empty council homes should be brought back into use as quickly as possible, without compromising safety, compliance or quality standards.

 

 Unnecessarily long void periods represent a missed opportunity to provide a home to Brent residents in housing need.

 

 Delays caused by repairs, procurement, inspections, administration or other Council processes should be identified and reduced wherever possible.

 

 Bringing larger family homes and properties suitable for households with the greatest housing need back into use should be prioritised where appropriate.

 

This Council therefore calls on Cabinet to:

 

(1) Publish details of all void council-owned housing stock – including current void time, property size, and repair work required.

(2) Consider establishing an empty homes task force to tackle the backlog, coordinate services and speed up the return of vacant homes.

(3) Set clear targets for reducing the time council homes remain empty between tenancies, with attention to prolonged vacancies.

(4) Review repairs, procurement, inspections and other processes to identify unnecessary delays and address recurring causes.

(5) Prioritise larger family homes and properties suitable for households with the greatest housing need, consistent with allocations policies and property suitability.

(6) Examine the approach taken by Southwark and other London boroughs and adopt good practice that can help Brent get homes back into use faster.

(7) Report regularly to Cabinet and Full Council on the number of empty council homes, average void periods, prolonged vacancies and progress in reducing unnecessary delays.

(8) Make reducing the number and length of unnecessary council home voids a priority within Brent's response to the housing crisis.

 

Councillor Anton Georgiou

Alperton Ward

 

 

 

Green Group Motion

 

Building Better: Bringing Quality, Public Ownership and Community Value to Housing

 

This Council Notes:

 

 Brent Council has responded to a national housing crisis with intensive development, completing more homes than any other local authority in 2026.

 

 Brent Council has recently changed its social housing allocation policy to attempt to tackle growing demand and dwindling social housing supply, alongside the adoption of national planning reforms that reduce local democratic input.

 

 Despite significant public investment, ‘regenerated’ housing in Wembley and Kilburn remains unaffordable to Brent residents and routinely riddled with major construction defects.

 

 Brent Council recently allowed 143 newly built homes in South Kilburn to be sold directly to private equity to preserve the project’s “financial viability.”

 

This Council Believes:

 

 A philosophy of building as much and as quickly as possible and tinkering with planning laws and allocations schemes will not address the root causes of the housing crisis.

 

 A new approach to housing in Brent is required that considers housing and land ownership, build quality, and wider social benefit, and doesn’t treat housing as a speculative investment asset.

 

 Stronger safeguards and incentive realignments are required to ensure new housing developments deliver high-quality homes, long-term community benefit and genuine affordability.

 

 Providing social housing and protecting biodiverse green spaces are complementary objectives and should not be treated as competing priorities.

 

 Publicly owned land and assets should be used in ways that maximise long-term public value and community benefit.

 

 Community-led housing can and should play a significant role in delivering affordable and sustainable housing, as an alternative to public-private partnerships.

 

 Residents have a right to safe, healthy, climate resilient and well-maintained homes. Poor-quality construction carries unacceptable costs for residents and public finances.

 

This Council Resolves to:

 

(1) Call on the Government to introduce new council powers including reforming Right to Buy, long-term social housebuilding funding and resourcing councils to acquire long-term vacant residential properties and integrate them into the social

housing supply and measures to treat housing principally as a place to live rather  than as a financial asset.

 

(2) Request that Cabinet: [typo on Council website corrected]

 

(a) Conduct a feasibility study to explore community-led housing delivery schemes (such as Community Land Trusts), when council-owned land or property is being considered for development or disposal.

(b) commit, where publicly owned sites are being redeveloped, to endeavour to retain long-term public ownership of the land and associated assets developed thereon.

(c) consider imposing an immediate 20-year moratorium on authorising the sale of housing units to private equity firms or similar institutional investment vehicles.

(d) consider including a standard contractual clause within all future housing development agreements requiring developers to accept financial liability for defects arising from poor workmanship, substandard materials or related construction failures that become apparent within 20 years of completion.

(e) commit to excluding contractors who have previously delivered defective building work for Brent Council under the Procurement Act.

(f) Prioritise, where feasible, the refurbishment, retrofit and re-use of existing homes and buildings over demolition and redevelopment.

 

Councillor Paul Ryan

Kilburn Ward

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appeal after woman dies in Wembley collision. Man charged with dangerous driving,

 

Driving instructor Asif Zamir was one of the first on the scene at Tuesday's collision on The Avenue when an elderly woman was knocked down and sadly died, despite his and others efforts to save her. 

He was moved to make a video appeal on road safety and taking responsibility. An edited version is posted above.

Update from UKNIP  

A 45-year-old man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a woman in her 70s was killed in a collision involving a van in Wembley, north-west London.

Arjan Osmani, of Arnold Close, Harrow, was charged on Wednesday 11 November following the fatal collision on The Avenue.

Metropolitan Police officers were called at approximately 5.45pm on Tuesday 10 November 2026 after reports that a van had collided with a pedestrian.

The woman, who was in her 70s, died following the incident.

Osmani was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with three offences.

Driver Faces Three Charges Following Fatal Collision

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that Osmani has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while uninsured and causing death while unlicensed.

He is due to appear at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 12 November.

The circumstances surrounding the collision remain the subject of a police investigation.

Officers have not released further details about the events leading up to the incident.

Family of Wembley Collision Victim Informed

The woman’s next of kin have been informed of her death and are receiving support from specially trained officers.

Her identity has not been publicly released.

The family have requested privacy as they come to terms with their loss.

Police Appeal for Dashcam and Doorbell Footage

Detectives are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the collision or have information about the circumstances surrounding it.

Police are particularly interested in obtaining dashcam and doorbell camera footage recorded in the area of The Avenue, Wembley, around the time of the incident.

Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the Metropolitan Police on 101, quoting reference 5569/10NOV.

LATEST: Following legal exchanges work on Indoor Track at Willesden Sports Centre at a stop until Friday 13th November

Track Academy have been told that no work on removal of the the indoor running track (Running Tube) at Willesden Sports Centre will take place this week.

This follows legal intervention on behalf of the Track Academy. Brent Council requested an extension of the deadline given until 5pm on Friday 13th November in order to receive final approval for its response to the letter.

 

Westminster shows the way on SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) in Carlton Vale

 

 

Following the recent Brent Scrutiny Committee discussion on preparation for a flood emergency (which incidentally resulted in no recommendations) it may be worth looking at Westminster Council's actions in Kilburn. 

 From Westminster Council: 

SuDS targets

The council is committed to retrofitting SuDS in public spaces and strengthening requirements for SuDS in new developments. The goal is to reduce 15% of surface water above ground during a 1 in 30 year rainfall event by 2030, within designated SuDS catchments.

A wider approach to climate resilience

Westminster’s long term approach to flood risk management responds to climate change and aligns with major regional programmes such as the London Surface Water Strategy, whilst also contributing to wider environmental goals through Westminster’s Sustainable Transport Strategy, Cool Neighbourhoods Strategy and the Greening & Biodiversity Strategy.

SuDS have been identified as an important tool in managing surface water flood risk across the city. The council recognises that SuDS are only part of the solution and is also delivering other measures to tackle flooding, as is outlined in our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy.

To ensure accountability and continual improvement, progress will be monitored annually with a full strategy review every six years, incorporating new data and community feedback.

Westminster City Council is seeking feedback on proposed Sustainable Drainage Systems (otherwise known as SuDS) in Carlton Vale.

The project team will use this feedback to shape design of the proposals.

This project is part of the Council’s wider SuDS Programme, which aims to reduce flood risk and make streets more climate resilient by introducing sustainable drainage in areas where they can provide the greatest benefits.

More detail on the SuDS Programme can be found here.

Have your say

Westminster City Council invites you to share your views on the Carlton Vale SuDS proposals. If you would like to comment on our proposals, please complete the survey here.

The survey will close at midnight on Monday 14 December.   

If you would like to discuss the proposals with the project team, you can attend one of the following events:  

Location	Date	Time
Microsoft Teams (Please register here)	Tuesday 17 November	6-7pm
Park Café, Paddington Recreation Ground, W9 1PD	Saturday 28 November 2026	1-5pm
Park Café, Paddington Recreation Ground, W9 1PD	Tuesday 1 December	12-3pm

The project team will be at the events to answer your questions, and you will also be able to view information about the scheme.    

Hard-copy information and questionnaires are also available at Maida Vale Library, Sutherland Avenue, London W9 2QT. 

Carlton Vale SuDS Proposals

To help reduce flood risk and manage rainwater more effectively, Westminster City Council is bringing forward proposals to deliver Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) along Carlton Vale. These measures are designed to improve the area’s resilience to heavy rainfall while also enhancing the local streetscape and environment.  

 

 

 

Guest Post: Words vs. Deeds: Will Brent’s Cabinet Listen to Their Own Speeches Before Full Council Votes on "Believe in Brent"?

 

Guest post by Cllr Suzanne Gallagher

This week, Brent Council’s new four-year corporate strategy, Believe in Brent (2026–2030), came before the Cabinet on Monday (9 November), ahead of going to Full Council next week for final sign-off.

At the heart of the new plan is Priority 1: "A Borough to Be Proud Of," which promises to make Brent the best place to live, work, and build a future, underpinned by safe, welcoming, and vibrant neighbourhoods. Turn to page 37 of the Cabinet agenda pack, under the heading Healthy, active communities, and the written commitments are impossible to fault:

●      "Every resident can enjoy parks, playgrounds and leisure facilities close to home that are safe, welcoming and vibrant spaces to play, exercise and spend time outdoors."

●      "Everyone can access affordable opportunities to be active, regardless of their age, background or income."

●      "Work with communities where health outcomes are poorer... to reduce health inequalities and make it easier to get the right support early."

●      "Work with partners to encourage more residents to be active, improve their health and wellbeing and live independent lives."

●      "Improve access to affordable physical activity opportunities, particularly for children and young people."

On paper, it reads like a blueprint for thriving youth and community provision. Yet the lived reality for hundreds of Brent residents right now could not be more different.

The Community Fightback at Willesden Sports Centre

At the exact moment Cabinet members were taking turns praising their new strategy on Monday morning, local families, athletes, and coaches were desperate to stop Brent Council from ripping out the indoor athletics track at Willesden Sports Centre.

The very same day, the Council had planned to begin works to uplift one of only five indoor athletics tracks of its kind in the whole of London to replace it with a commercial gym extension.

This decision poses an existential threat to the winter provision of Track Academy, an extraordinary Brent charity founded in 2007 by former international triple jumper Connie Henry MBE that uses the indoor track three times a week to support hundreds of young people aged 5 to 23.

For around 500 young people every week in the colder and wetter months, that indoor track is far more than a running lane. As coaches, parents, and young runners told Clkr Mary Mitchell, Cllr Amandine Alexandre and me when we visited the centre on Saturday, athletics is the hook that brings hard-to-reach young people through the door. Once inside, they receive mentorship, educational support, and a safe, screen-free sanctuary during dark winter nights that keeps teenagers off their phones, supports injury rehabilitation, and boosts their mental health. Older residents, women, and adults with learning disabilities also rely on the space to stay active side by side.

What Cabinet Members Said on Monday vs. The Lived Reality in Willesden

Listening back to what Cabinet members actually said when presenting Believe in Brent on Monday makes the decision to close Willesden’s indoor track look even more irrational and contradictory.

During the discussion, Deputy Leader Cllr Gwen Grahl praised the plan by saying:

"It's so resident focused. We're trying to and endeavouring to deliver on what not only the residents have communicated to us, but also making sure that everything is with them in mind... This is a document that really showcases how each and every member of our borough can thrive through intentional investment, through the intentionality of the policies and the work that is going on behind the scenes."

If the Council’s "behind the scenes" work is truly so resident-focused, why were Track Academy, Queens Park Harriers, parents, and young athletes completely sidelined without proper consultation before the decision to scrap their indoor track was taken? In fact, an Equality Impact Assessment was only carried out after the community demanded one, and even the Council has had to admit that the proposed replacement hall is not a like-for-like facility.

Even more striking were the remarks from Cllr Liz Dixon, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Safety, the very portfolio overseeing the Willesden Sports Centre redesign. Speaking on the new Council Plan on Monday, Cllr Dixon told the chamber:

"The truth is when you travel sometimes from the north to the south of the borough, the diversity or the differences are very stark and there are major inequalities. I think everything we're doing as a council to address that, so that we are more inclusive, is really helpful. Everything in here and the way that we're dealing with public health and community safety, it's ticking all the boxes. Everything we're doing is around the health and the well-being of residents, which is critical as the years go ahead."

How can closing Willesden’s indoor track possibly be described as "ticking all the boxes" on public health and inclusion? Willesden sits in the south of the borough where health inequalities are acute, and the Council’s own Equality Impact Assessment explicitly admits that closing the indoor track will have an adverse impact on girls, disabled young people, ethnically diverse communities, and low-income families. Pursuing a commercially driven gym expansion at the direct expense of those groups does not reduce inequalities, it deepens them.

Meanwhile, Cllr Matt Kelcher rightly highlighted the link between environment, physical health, and mental wellbeing, noting that "happiness as a central focus is something I'm really pleased about," while Cabinet colleagues spoke at length about "taking action to tackle health inequalities" and working to "improve every child in Brent's start in life."

Closing the debate, the Leader of the Council Councillor Butt emphasised the importance of supporting young people and protecting community assets:

"Everyone wants to feel safe in their locality, in their home, in their area. And also have places and spaces which are thriving... We need to make sure we are creating places and spaces where people want to remain in Brent."

I could not agree more. Track Academy is a prime example of a thriving space that gives young people in Brent hope, ambition, discipline, and mentorship. You do not create "places and spaces where people want to remain in Brent" by tearing out a rare London-wide youth asset that already works.

A Week for Reflection Before Full Council

Nobody disputes that Willesden Sports Centre needs investment and modernisation. But rather than destroying a unique indoor track, the Council should be going back to the drawing board, working with Track Academy, Queens Park Harriers, and neighbouring boroughs like Camden and Westminster to promote and enhance this facility.

Over 1,100 people have already signed Track Academy’s petition calling on Brent Council to halt the closure.

Between now and next week’s Full Council meeting, where Believe in Brent will be put to a vote, I hope Cabinet members take the time to reflect carefully on the words they spoke on Monday morning. If they truly believe that everything they do is about "the health and well-being of residents," tackling "stark inequalities," and protecting "places and spaces which are thriving," then they must match their words with their deeds, and save the indoor athletics track at Willesden Sports Centre

Sign Track Academy’s petition and write to your councillor here: https://trackacademy.co.uk/protect-brent-athletics

 

You have until tomorrow to comment on 18 storey student accommodation block on Watkin Road, Wembley Park

The proposed block in centre of image

 From the Design and Access Statement by Claridge Architects for Seven Capital

As densification increases and every previous light industrial site is gobbled up for high rise developments in Wembley Park, existing residents are realising that their quality of life is being affected and have been getting organised.  The campaign for the retention of Samovar/Market Square open space is one part of that struggle and specific proposals another.

The replacement of two one storey workshops on Watkin Road by an 18 storey student block is encountering opposition and residents are being urged to object. The deadline for objections is tomorrow Thursday 12th November.

 

LINK TO OBJECT (Application 25/1759)

Your objection should focus on planning issues. You may wish to mention:

* Height and design: Whether an 18-storey building would be too dominant and overbearing for neighbouring homes and the surrounding area.

* Loss of light and overshadowing: How the development could affect daylight and sunlight reaching nearby homes and public spaces.

* Flood risk: Whether the proposal adequately addresses flooding near Wealdstone Brook, including future climate risks.

* Balance of development: Wembley Park already has several large student blocks. Consider whether this proposal provides the right balance of development and meets the wider community’s needs.

* Remember: Explain how the proposal could affect you, your neighbourhood or the wider community. Personal experiences and local knowledge can be very persuasive.

Has Cllr Kelcher satisfactorily answered a question on affordable housing in Brent?

 Brent Council put out this press release on November 6th 2026. Only 7 of the homes are for social rent, 30 are for discredited shared ownership,  and 86 for market sale at prices Brent residents can't afford.

  

The public are able to ask members of the Brent Cabinet questions at Full Council. The question and written answer are published on the Agenda and the member of the public is allowed a follow-up question at the meeting. Full Council is on November 16th.

  

Question from Stephen Thomas to Councillor Matt Kelcher (Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Planning):

 

Can the Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Planning advise what they are doing to address the shortfall and backlog in affordable housing supply across the borough given the level of units being delivered by private developers across Alperton, including the Beresford Avenue and Grand Union developments and all around Wembley Stadium and increase in use of buy to let and student accommodation and properties then being used as Air B&B. These developments are not felt to offer real benefit to local residents whilst also placing additional strain on local infrastructure and already stretched community services.

 

Response from Cllr Kelcher:

 

This administration is very proud of Brent’s record in delivering new homes for our local communities. Brent was recently named the UK’s number one council housebuilder by Inside Housing magazine, with 557 homes completed last year and a further 1,360 in the pipeline. Our wider approach to housebuilding supports a range of homes to meet different needs:

 

We have delivered 155 homes in 26/27 up to Q1 and we expect to deliver a further 300+ homes this financial year including in areas of need such as Alperton, Church End and Kilburn;
 
From Q1 2026-27 to date (including the number of planning permissions granted with affordable homes and across different the tenure types) – 201 LAR homes [London Affordable Rent], 61 Social Rent Homes and 10 Shared Ownership Homes
 
A range of homes for market sale.

 

A borough as diverse as Brent needs all these types of housing. Social housing is essential for residents on our waiting list, while other affordable tenures help households whose needs are not met by the market. We also need homes for the majority of our residents whose incomes place them above the eligibility thresholds for social or other affordable housing. Market-sale homes therefore also have a role in meeting local need and benefiting Brent residents.

LETTER: Local Support Group raises £80,000+ in the past 11 years for traumatised children and their families in Gaza

      

Dear Editor,

Brent Friends of Palestine (BFoP) was set up as a campaigning group for the rights of Palestinians in 2015 by a small group of like-minded people living in Brent. The group was very keen to support a project that worked with children in Gaza or the West Bank. They heard about the Palestine Trauma Centre (PTC UK) which was based in Nuseirat Refugee Camp south of Gaza City. It was founded by Mohamed Altawil who was born and grew up in Nuseirat and escaped via Egypt to begin studying for a PhD in the UK. With David Harrold, a university colleague, he set up the PTC UK. It has a team of workers in Gaza including family therapists, playworkers, sports trainers and clowns. The team seeks to meet the needs of children and young people traumatised by their experience of living continually under siege. Brent Friends of Palestine fundraises to support in particular the PTC UK Days of Joy project which provides fun and sports activities in a range of locations in Gaza on a very regular basis.

Although the outbreak of the Gaza-Israel war in October 2023 limited activities the PTC UK team has continued its Days of Joy activities but on a much smaller scale. It has also provided hundreds of food parcels to families and even tents, and the team has continued to be paid by money sent from the UK. Since the October 2025 ceasefire, the work of the Days of Joy team has expanded and more children, young people and their families are benefiting from this.

Brent Friends of Palestine, over the past 11 years, has held several fundraising events for the Palestine Trauma Centre UK. These include standup comedy, concerts, campaign meetings, street collections, the sale of original Christmas cards, and they have initiated many regular monthly contributions from supporters. Our last fund- raising event, a Jazz Evening, brought the total raised for the PTC UK by BFoP to over £80,000, an amount that the organisation is very proud of.

Your support for the Palestine Trauma Centre UK and Brent Friends of Palestine is very welcome. BFoP have a public meeting on Thursday November 19th with Richard Kuper speaking from Jews for Justice for Palestinians which could interest you.

For more details email: brentfop@gmail.com 

 

PTC UK website: www. palestinetraumacentre.uk

 

Wembley road closures & bus diversions Thursday 12th November from 3.45pm for England v Croatia match

 From Brent Council:

 

-  England vs Croatia kick off will be at 7.45 pm and road closures will be in place at 3.45 pm on Thursday 12 November.

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 Thursday 12 November.

If you have a paper permit, please make sure you clearly display it in your vehicle. If you have an electronic permit, you do not need to display this.

Drink-free zone

We want to create a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors.

To crack down on anti-social behaviour, we will be enforcing a ban on street drinking in the streets around Wembley Stadium before this event, as part of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).

If we find anyone drinking on Olympic Way or in the surrounding streets, they will be asked to hand over their alcohol and enforcement action may be considered.

Road closures

As usual, the following roads will be closed to traffic starting four hours before start of the event and for the duration of the event to help keep pedestrians safe:

• South Way (Pink Car Park to Wembley Hill Road)
• Fulton Road (Empire Way to Rutherford Way)
• Engineers Way (Empire Way to Rutherford Way)

Approximately 45 minutes before the end of the event, Empire Way will also close southbound at the Esso Petrol Station on Wembley Park Drive. This will be followed by closures of Wembley Hill Road from the Triangle (Harrow Road) and the Tesco roundabout on Empire Way. These measures are there to create a safe route for spectators returning to Wembley Central Station.

BREAKING. RACE TO SAVE INDOOR RUNNING TRACK: GREENS & LIB DEMS COMBINE TO CALL ON BRENT COUNCIL TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE REMOVAL OF WILLESDEN SPORTS CENTRE INDOOR TRACK

The track in action

 

 

THE LETTER SENT YESTERDAY TO THE CEO OF BRENT COUNCIL WORK TO REMOVE THE TRACK WAS DUE TO START TODAY,

  

Formal request to stop the removal of indoor track at Willesden Sports Centre

 

Dear Kim Wright, Chief Executive of Brent Council, and Councillor Muhammed Butt Leader of Brent Council

 

We are writing as Leaders of the Green and Liberal Democrat Groups on the Council to express our serious concerns regarding both the decision and the lack of consultation regarding the removal of the indoor athletics track at Willesden Sports Centre.

 

You are already aware of our groups’ perspectives on this from previous correspondence. However, this is our formal request to the council to pause on  the work due to begin tomorrow to enable a meaningful period of consultation to take place.

 

It is our understanding that the Council’s position is that the Cabinet decision on 22^nd June was a ‘final decision’ to remove the indoor track. However, the Cabinet paper does not make any reference to this. We also understand that this was not communicated to other parties, including Track Academy and Queen’s Park Harriers, until much later.

 

We therefore believe that the ability for Councillors to provide effective scrutiny was undermined. Had the decision to remove the indoor track been made public as part of the Cabinet papers, Councillors may have wished to call in the decision, as per the Council’s call-in protocol.

 

Our concern lies not only with your choice to remove the indoor track itself and the scant and in some cases misleading evidence that has been provided, but in the process you followed to make that decision.

 

This process has demonstrated a complete disregard for the perspectives of Brent residents as well as for Councillor input, scrutiny and the opportunity to represent our communities.

 

The fact that the decision to remove the indoor track was taken before the equality impact assessment is alarming. This calls into question the legitimacy of the decision made by officers and Cabinet.

 

The relationship between the Council and our local communities is vital. Although ceasing the planned renovation at this late stage would no doubt incur a financial cost, we believe that the cost of continuing when so many residents and users of the track feel that the Council has not listened to their concerns would incur an even more significant cost – the trust of residents across our borough.

 

There has already been significant negative press coverage of the Council’s plans for the Sports Centre and the campaign against the removal of the indoor track is growing amongst residents and has support from leading figures in athletics, include the CEO  of Athletics England. We believe that without an urgent rethink on the removal of the indoor track, you risk doing further serious reputational damage to Brent Council.

 

We strongly urge you to use your positions to cease the intended work and to rapidly embark on a consultation process that properly engages with the community around the Track Academy, Queen’s Park Harriers and other regular users of the track, with appropriate opportunities for scrutiny from elected members of the Council.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Cllr Mary Mitchell Cllr Anton Georgiou

Leader of the Green Group, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

 

SAVE OUR MUCH USED & APPRECIATED PUBLIC SPACE IN FRONT OF WEMBLEY STADIUM. Object by November 19th & help build community amid the high rises

 

Note from the Editor. Below is the view provided by the developer for what the proposed hotel would look like from Wembley Park Boulevard. Captions added.

 

UPDATE ON SANTANDER GAMING CENTRE, KILBURN: BATTLE - APPEAL DISMISSED BUT A FURTHER APPLICATION NOW HAS TO BE FOUGHT

 The large premises of the former Santander Bank on Kilburn High Road (Instant Streetview)

 

UPDATE APPEAL DISMISSED 11.11.26           

The Brent Green Party has welcomed today’s Planning Inspectorate decision (Appeal Ref: 6011515) dismissing an appeal to convert the former Santander bank at 131–135 Kilburn High Road into an Adult Gaming Centre (AGC). Following formal submissions from all five Green Kilburn Councillors and hundreds of local residents, the Inspector ruled the venue would harm Kilburn Town Centre through an over-concentration of gambling and pawnbroker uses, upholding the Kilburn Neighbourhood Plan and Brent Local Plan.  See Inspector’s Report HERE.

However, the fight isn’t over. A fresh licensing application from Golden Slots (Southern) Limited for a "Bingo Premises Licence" at the exact same address is now live on Brent Council’s portal, requiring urgent community objections before 2 December 2026. 

Cllr Suzanne Gallagher, Brent Green Party, said:

We are thrilled the Planning Inspector backed our community and blocked the Adult Gaming Centre appeal, but with Golden Slots now pushing a 24-hour slot machine licence under the guise of 'bingo' and invasive facial recognition technology, we must mobilise again. 

Forcing residents to fight the same unit three times over is a massive distraction from the positive work our community does to make Kilburn a better place. We demand urgent reform of both planning and licensing laws so community fightbacks don't have to be so laborious and time-consuming. Until then, please submit a fresh objection before 2 December so we can beat this again.  

 

 

The Brent Green Party has launched an urgent community fightback against a fresh application by Golden Slots (Southern) Limited to open a new “Bingo” and 24-hour slot machine venue at the former Santander bank branch at 131–135 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7HS.

This latest application comes as local authorities and communities continue to wait for long-overdue statutory reform to the Gambling Act 2005—specifically the repeal of the notorious Section 153 “aim to permit” mandate, which legally pressures councils to presume approval for gambling applications. At Brent Civic Centre, the Brent Labour Party recently brought forward a Gambling Harms Emergency Motion at Full Council, finally and formally acknowledging the full scale of addiction and harm across the borough.

However, warm words and council motions do not stop predatory operators from targeting local high streets. Brent already suffers from over 80 licensed gambling premises, extracting an estimated £18 million annually from local communities and concentrated overwhelmingly in the borough’s most socio-economically vulnerable areas. Until the legal framework actually changes, Brent residents are forced, time and again, to fight every single expansion, variation, and new application from the ground up. It is in this context that the Brent Green Party is mobilising residents once again to defend Kilburn High Road.

Round Two at 131–135 Kilburn High Road: Coming Back “Guns Blazing”

Earlier this year, Macau Casino Slots applied to transform the exact same former Santander bank branch into a gambling hub. Following a powerful, multi-week grassroots mobilisation campaign led by local residents and Green Party campaigners, hundreds of formal objections flooded in. Confronted with determined, well-organised community pushback right ahead of the council licensing hearing, the applicant formally withdrew the application.

Now, the gambling industry has returned to the same site with a new applicant—Golden Slots (Southern) Limited—coming back guns blazing with a series of calculated approaches in its Local Area Risk Assessment (LARA) designed to convince Brent’s Licensing Sub-Committee that the venue will cause no harm to the community.

Despite applying for a “Bingo Premises Licence” (with bingo offered between 09:00 and midnight), the operator’s paperwork reveals plans to keep its “ancillary gaming-machine area” open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week—L, operating purely as an overnight slot machine arcade between midnight and 09:00 when no bingo is even played.

Weaponising Invasive Facial Recognition Technology as “Safeguarding”

Most troublingly, in an effort to mask the severe risks of opening a 24-hour gambling venue in a high-deprivation area already saturated with at least seven other gambling premises and multiple pawnbrokers within 400 metres, Golden Slots is proposing the mandatory installation of invasive facial recognition entry screening alongside a “Verified Player Access” registration scheme.

The Brent Green Party is raising severe concerns over the deployment of biometric surveillance on Kilburn High Road:

• Biometric Mass Surveillance on Our High Street: The Green Party has consistently opposed the rollout of live and biometric facial recognition technology, both by the state and by private corporations, as a disproportionate, privacy-eroding intrusion into civil liberties. Subjecting residents to biometric face scanning and longitudinal tracking by a private gambling company raises profound data protection, consent, and human rights concerns.
• Algorithmic Bias in a Diverse Community: Facial recognition systems are notoriously prone to higher false-match and error rates across ethnic minority groups, women, and younger people. Deploying this technology on Kilburn High Road, one of London’s most multicultural and diverse corridors, risks discriminatory false alerts and unfair targeting.
• A “Tech-Wash” Distraction from Unacceptable Harm: Facial recognition is a surveillance tool, not a public health solution. It cannot prevent a person from gambling beyond their means, nor does it mitigate the cumulative impact of clustering another 24-hour slot arcade next to schools, bus stops, and cash converters.
• Unresolved High Risks & Unproven Legality: Remarkably, the applicant’s own risk assessment admits that its facial recognition system has not yet received the required Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), lawful-processing approvals, or technical sign-offs. Even more tellingly, the operator explicitly excludes facial recognition from its own risk scoring—and still forecasts 12 separate “High” target risks across child protection, concealed gambling harm, financial hardship, cumulative exposure, overnight fatigue, and local crime and disorder.

Cllr Suzanne Gallagher, Brent Green Party, said:

We are still waiting for Westminster to deliver on its promise to reform the Gambling Act 2005 and scrap the ‘aim to permit’ rules, and while Brent Labour has finally passed an emergency motion recognising the £18 million extracted from our communities every year by over 80 gambling venues, motions alone won’t stop Golden Slots. Until the law changes, residents have to fight every single application on the ground.

Earlier this year, our community came together in their hundreds and forced Macau Casino Slots to back down and withdraw their bid for the old Santander bank. Now, Golden Slots has come back guns blazing at the exact same address, attempting to dress up a 24-hour slot machine operation as a ‘bingo hall’ and dangling invasive facial recognition technology to convince the licensing committee they won’t cause harm.

The Green Party is clear: biometric surveillance is not safeguarding. Scanning people’s faces and harvesting sensitive biometric data on a diverse high street is a deeply troubling invasion of privacy and a smokescreen that does nothing to stop financial exploitation or cumulative gambling harm. Even the operator’s own risk assessment admits that 12 separate ‘High’ risks remain unresolved. We beat this proposal once, and we are calling on every Kilburn resident, business, and community group to submit a fresh objection before 2 December so we can beat it again.

How Residents Can Object (Deadline: Wednesday 2 December 2026)

Because this is a brand-new application by a different operator, previous objections against the withdrawn Macau Casino Slots application do not carry over. Residents must submit a fresh representation before 2 December 2026:

• Email: Send objections to Brent Council’s Licensing Team at business.licence@brent.gov.uk
• Reference: Application for a Bingo Premises Licence – Golden Slots (Southern) Limited, 131–135 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 7HS
• Requirements: Include your full name and postal address, and link your objection to the statutory licensing objectives under the Gambling Act 2005:
  • Protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling (citing the 12 unresolved “High” risks, 24-hour slot machine operation, local deprivation, proximity to schools and pawnbrokers, and the inadequacy of unproven facial recognition surveillance).
  • Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder (citing the 3,238 recorded crime and anti-social behaviour incidents in the Kilburn area over the past year and the strain of 24-hour opening on the night-time economy).
  • Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way (challenging the use of a Bingo licence to run a 24-hour gaming machine venue where bingo ceases at midnight). 

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