Brent Tories: Disrespectful to site children's home in a conservation area - call-in meeting tonight

A special Scrutiny Committee tonight will discuss the call-in by Brent Conservatives of the Cabinet decision to site a children's home in the Barn Hill Conservation area. In their call-in the group say:

This area is in the Barn Hill Conservation area. It should be treated with respect.

Alternative course of action recommended.. To refer the decision back to Cabinet for reconsideration in order to find a cheaper alternative property in a different area

The call-in is unfortunately timed when the Liberal Democrat group are opposing, with a petition, a potential proposal to double the number of councillors needed to request a call in from 5 to 10. At present there are 5 Tories and 3 Liberal Democrats. A requirement for 10 signatures means that neither Tories on their own nor the combined opposition could request a call-in without support from at least two Labour councillors.

Cllr Butt's argument would probably be that the increase would save money on meetings as   politically motivated call-ins would no longer take place.

Certainly Brent Labour moved speedily on social media to denounce the call-in.

 The call-in will be heard at 6pm tonight. Livestream HERE

Brent Tories do not exist on social media so I cannot post a response.

THE CABINET DECISON CALLED-IN

 

Cabinet (15 January 2024) received a report from the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources and Corporate Director of Children and Young People which, in line with the Brent Children’s Residential Home Business Case that had been approved by Cabinet in May 2023, sought approval for the acquisition of a property for renovation to deliver a four bedded children’s care home for young people by March 2025 which would provide four placements, three permanent and one emergency for the Council to deliver and operate a children’s residential home.

 

Having considered the report, Cabinet agreed to approve the acquisition with the minute recording the decision as follows:

 

Councillor Grahl (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools) introduced the report, which set out the Council’s plans to acquire a property as part of the Children’s Residential Home Project.

 

In considering the report Cabinet noted the way in which the proposed acquisition aligned with the objectives within the Brent Children’s Residential Home Business Case approved by Cabinet in May 2023. This included not only supporting the Council in seeking to address the increasing cost of child residential placements for looked after children, with the scheme projected to save the Council approx. £290,000 on an annual basis once operational, but also in delivering the benefits associated with the additional capacity to reduce the need for out of borough placements and enabling more children and young people to receive care closer to home with access to local services and support.

 

Members welcomed the way in which the insourcing of this scheme would enhance service delivery and in recognising the benefits that the proposal would bring to both young people and the Council, Cabinet RESOLVED:

 

(1) To approve the acquisition of the property (address detailed in the exempt appendix of the report) in Wembley HA9 with vacant possession to meet the needs of young people as outlined in the Brent Residential Home Business Case approved by Cabinet in May 2023.

 

(2) To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Children and Young People, to agree the terms of the purchase and acquire the property subject to financial and legal due diligence, vacant possession and contract.

 

(3) To note that the completion of the property needs to take place by the end of January 2024 in order to allow sufficient time to renovate the property within the timescales permitted in the grant agreement with the Department for Education (DfE).

 

THE CONSERVATIVE GROUP CALL-IN

 

a) We are very concerned at the price being paid for this property which is over £1M. We feel that this is not the best use of the limited Council funds.

 

(b) This area is in the Barn Hill Conservation area. It should be treated with respect.

 

(c) There has been no consultation with the residents living in and around the site of the property or the Residents Association. This is preventing residents from voicing their opinions and objections. There has been absolutely no democracy or transparency in the matter, residents feel they have been railroaded into accepting any decision the Council makes.

 

(d) Neither of the two local ward councillors (Cllr Robert Johnson & Cllr Kathleen Fraser) received any notification of this until immediately prior to the Cabinet meeting on 15th January.

 

(e) It appears that no Planning Permission was applied for or granted. If this is the case, then what is the rationale taken as to why Planning Permission was not applied for? No statement appears to have been given.

 

(f) The Council is not acting in the interests of the residents in this matter. A similar care home was opened in Barn Hill which caused untold problems for those living in the area. It was only shut down when the local MP (Barry Gardiner) intervened. The residents do not want to have to deal with a similar occurrence.

 

Action Requested:

 

To refer the decision back to Cabinet for reconsideration in order to find a cheaper alternative property in a different area.

Brent Tories to protest at Civic Centre tomorrow (Wednesday) against clean air measures

 

The anti-ULEZ protest that was to take place at the Brent Council AGM but was knocked on the head by Conservative councillors is now taking place tomorrow, Wednesday 24th May 5-7pm.

The only event taking place tomorrow in the Civic Centre, apart from the library, is a 6pm training session for members of the Planning Committee.  This will mean that Cllr Michael Maurice will be missing for the second half of the 2 hour protest. 

Some of the protesters may be late as they are likely to having difficulty in finding a place to park their cars.

I do not have any firm news of a counter-demonstration by clean air campaigners yet.

Conservatives confuse Alperton voters

 A leaflet distributed in Alperton ward has confused voters. On one side the leaflet, 'Alperton Ward Matters',  lists the three Alperton candidates.

On the other side, proving just how much Alperton ward matters they list the same three candidates as standing for Wembley Hill ward!

UPDATED WITH TORY REPLY: Brent Tories asked 'Where's the money coming from?' on their schools policy

 I received an election leaflet cheekily called 'Barnhill Ward Matters' through my door last week from Brent North Conservatives last week and was puzzled by their education policy. I am awaiting a response to my email below:

I have had your leaflet through the door and would like you to clarify Point 5 of your plan for Brent:

INSPIRING FUTURES THROUGH BETTER EDUCATION

The Conservatives will invest in schools to deliver a higher quality of education to exceed neighbouring boroughs and bring aspiration to all the students in Brent, ensuring all individuals are given an equal opportunity for for life goals.

Local authority schools and academies are funded through the National Funding Formula government funding. The money for local authority schools goes to the Council who then distribute it to schools based on a number of factors agreed with Schools Forum. Academies and free schools are funded directly from the government with the appropriate amount then taken from the LA's schools budget.

There is no direct funding of the running of schools from the Council’s own Council Tax/Business Rates income.

The government is aiming to reduce the role of LAs in deciding how the national funding is allocated to schools:

Since financial year 2018-19, a new National Funding Formula (NFF) has been used to determine how much mainstream schools attract in core revenue funding. There are separate formulas for sixth form, high needs, and early years funding. Pupil Premium (additional money to support disadvantaged children) is also paid via a separate grant.

Currently, the NFF is only being used to work out notional allocations for individual schools. These are then aggregated, adjusted, and passed to local authorities, who then draw up local funding formulas for onward distribution. This is known as a soft NFF.

The government has said it remains committed to introducing a hard NFF, i.e., one with a reduced role for local authorities in deciding allocations. In July 2021, it consulted on completing the NFF reforms, proposing a gradual move toward a hard NFF, but with no deadline for doing so. A further consultation is expected to follow.

My question then is how  will a Brent Conservative administration increase investment in schools so that they exceed the quality of education of neighbouring boroughs?

This is the answer to my email received today (April 12th)  from  Sai Karthik Madabhushi of Barnhill Conservatives. Readers can judge for themselves whether this answers the question:

Dear Martin,

Thank you for your email. I take your point on the changing NFF formula, but the consultations need to run their course and I believe the government will take decisions based on the outcome of these consultations and subsequent deliberations.

Our thoughts in the Manifesto around "Better Education", are centered around the fact that the LA has sufficient funds and resources to ring-fence additional money for education in Brent. We need to help institutions move from Needs-improvement to Good and Good to Out-standing. It bothers us that we are building more homes in the area without planning ahead for more school places for children or the stresses this will place on the existing system.

If representations have already been made to DFoE and they have been unsuccessful or if the LA deems a certain request critical to care or education in a particular school, the LA should consider releasing additional funds on a case-by-case basis. This we believe is critical to helping schools in Brent achieve, if not exceed their goals. 

We are open to suggestions and guidance to do the best thing for the community.

 

Brent councillor allowances frozen as Tories propose axing 2 Cabinet posts

The basic Brent councillor allowance and special allowances will not be increased this year in line with the pay freeze in the public sector.

Meanwhile the Conservatives in their Alternative Budget have suggested a new allowance range and the deletion of two Cabinet positions. LINK 

 Conservative proposals. Note the SRAs (Special Responsibility Allowances)  are in addition to the Basic Allowance.

Basic Allowance (all Members): £10,000.00

Leader SRA: £30,000.00

Deputy Leader SRA: £20,000

Cabinet Member SRA :£20,000 and delete x 2 cabinet posts

Opposition Leader SRA: £8,000

All other SRAS to remain at current level.

 

The 3 person Conservative Group also make the following proposal which includes a smaller Council Tax rise than Labour's 4.99%:

 

Brent Tories sink their differences ahead of May 2018 local elections and trigger Extraordinary Council Meeting

The long running feud between the two rival Conservative groups on Brent Council appears to be over with Councillors Colwill and Kansagra (formerly the Conservative Group) joining the Brent Conservative Group. Councillors Maurice and Davidson had already joined the Brent Conservatives, led by Cllr John Warren.  Carol Shaw remains deputy leader of the group.

The move necessitates the revision of committee places and as the next Council Meeting is not scheduled until the new year an Extraordinary Council Meeting has been arranged for Monday November 6th  to allocate places.  Who serves on which committee will be a test of the solidarity of the expanded group.

This is the new distribution of the main committees (Details:LINK)

I wonder how much this extra meeting will cost?

Brent Tories first to select candidate for Kensal Green by-election

From Brent Council website

Brent Council has announced that the council by-election is to be held in Kensal Green Ward on Thursday 17 December 2015. This follows the sad death of Cllr Dan Filson last week.

Nominations for candidates must be submitted to the Returning Officer at Brent Civic Centre by 4pm on Friday 20 November.

The person elected on 17 December will be in place for the remainder of the standard four year term of office for a councillor, until May 2018, and will serve alongside the other two councillors elected to that ward in May 2014.

Anyone eligible but not currently registered to vote has until midnight on Tuesday 1 December to register if they wish to vote in the by-election.

Anyone already registered but who wants a postal vote has until 5pm on Wednesday 2 December to submit an application form, which they can get by emailing electoral.services@brent.gov.uk.

Alternatively a form can be downloaded at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

You can also call our Electoral Services office on 020 8937 1372.

Brent Conservatives have been quick off the mark selecting Christopher Alley to contest the seat, presumably on the basis that he can handle a sandwich with panache!

Alley has 28 followers on Twitter @ChrisAlley23

Labour Party members interested in standing need to be free next weekend for interviews and have until 6pm on Wednesday 11th November to return their nomination papers. The papers are available from grover.robert2@gmail.com

It will be interesting to see Brent Momentum's impact on the selection.

Brent Green Party will issue an invitation to potential candidates shortly.

Are you eligible to stand? Details HERE

Update on Brent Conservatives rift

The Kilburn Times LINK has followed up my story on the row between the rival Conservative groups on Brent Council LINK.  I had offered Cllr Suresh Kansagra the opportunity to comment on my piece but he did not respond.

This is what he told the Kilburn Times:

Cllr Suresh Kansagra said they (the Kenton group)  did not attend the (Conservative HQ organised) meeting because they did not recognise it as constitutional and will challenge any decision not made in their favour.

He told the Times: “We called our (Kenton Conservative AGM) meeting on May 11, a proper legal meeting, our constitution and the constitution of the conservative central office. That constitution allows only the leader, the leader of the group and members. They (the Brondesbury Park group)  were not invited because they are not paid members of the group.

“As far as we are concerned we are the conservative group on Brent council unless I am told otherwise from anywhere. Central office does not have the authority to call other AGMs under the constitution of the group.”

He said they were notified to attend the meeting but not consulted.

“We do not recognise them as Conservative Party members,” he said.

 At the Council Annual General Meeting on Wednesday a vote will be taken by the whole Council (56 out of 63 of whom are Labour councillors) on who to recognise as the principal opposition group.

It could be lively.

Cameron abandons Tories to stand for UKIP in election

Barry Cameron, the recently announced UKIP candidate for Queensbury ward is a former Tory and member of the Tory's Barnhill Action Team.

His choice of ward is interesting because several Brent Conservatives are unhappy with the current Conservative Action Team in Queensbury who have been actively trying to build up support in the local elections by actvely backing Narendra Modi in the current Indian election.

Details HERE

Wembley Matters is taking a break

Wembley Matters is taking an Easter break for  a couple of days

Its break will only be interrupted by major news such as Cllr Muhammed Butt joining the SWP, Francis Henry ousting Paul Lorber as leader of  Brent Liberal Democrats, Brent Conservative councillors becoming coherent, Brent Greens supporting Quintain's plans for a nuclear power station in the Civic Centre car park or Lorraine King organising a 'no shopping'  boycott of the London Designer Outlet.

The break will also provide a ceasefire in the Kensal Rise 'Comment Wars' taking place on this blog. Time for reflection and relaxation...

Has anyone seen any Tories in Chalkhill?

It looks as if campaigners in the Barnhill by-election are going to have one sunny day before polling takes place on Thursday and I will be out and about all day today.

A certain camaraderie developed yesterday when I encountered Labour canvassers on Chalkhill with us all dressed as if for an ascent of a rain and windswept Welsh mountain.  Soggy leaflets are even worse when printed with environmentally friendly vegetable based ink on recycled paper!

Although I have seen their leaflets I have still not encountered one Conservative canvasser which makes them rarer than a Boris bus.

As always when canvassing in Brent I am struck by the tremendous variation within one ward.  However there are surprises such as the resident in a mock-Tudor villa at the top of Barn Hill who spoke out in favour of squatting as a way of protecting some of the empty properties in the area from deterioration.

On the Chalkhill Estate I encountered some real militancy against the Tories based on national issues and there was often a residual reflexive support for Labour until we got into a discussion about the Labour council's record.

Contrasting images of Barnhill ward

Making the most from  small garden on Chalkhill

Sunday morning waiting for ASDA to open

Mock Tudor on Barn Hill Estate

Fly-tipping on Chalkhill Estate

Front garden, Shakespeare Drive

Bluebells on Barn Hill

The site of the proposed Chalkhill Park

Lib Dem mystery in Barnhill by-election

There is no Lib Dem candidate listed for the Barnhill By-election according to Brent Council's website. I will be standing for the Greens, Michael Pavery for Labour and Ratna Pindora for the Conservatives.  There is another candidate named Venilal Vaglela with no party or other description. Vaglela stood as a Conservative candidate in Queensbury ward  in 2002 which Labour won.

Unless Venilal has made a clandestine switch to the Lib Dems this means there is no Lib Dem candidate for the seat which Labour unexpectedly won from the Conservatives in 2010.

In Dollis Hill some reckoned that tactical voting by Tories for the Lib Dems enabled Alison Hopkins to win. The Tory candidate's voted was slashed. Lib Dems won 16% of the vote in Barnhill in 2010 with Labour only 10% ahead of the Conservatives at 44%.  Where those 16% of votes go will be of crucial importance.

Cllr Krupesh Hirani has  tweeted that this may be a Lib Dem tactic to help their Coalition partners but two Tory candidates (or one current and one ex-Tory)  looks like a shot in the foot.

Now Lib Dems Call for Civic Centre Library to be Scaled Down to Save Other Libraries

The new state of the art £100m Civic Centre was agreed by all three political parties during the last administration amidst claims that it was 'cost neutral' in the long term, environmentally friendly and would enhance the status of the borough. Brent Green Party was the only political party to question the project and its cost.

Labour had second thoughts during the election campaign and promised to review the project but once elected decided to go ahead. On December 16th, Reg Colwill deputy leader of the Conservative Group wrote to the local press and said, 'We don't need a new sparkling civic centre at the detriment of people's jobs and front-line services'. Kenton Conservatives launched a campaign to save Preston library. 

Work has already started on the Civic Centre site opposite Wembley Arena. Skanska the builders appointed by Brent Council have outlined their December work programme in a Newsletter. LINK TO NEWSLETTER

Now the Liberal Democrats are suggesting that  the new library at the Civic Centre should be scaled down. They argue that the proposed library is three times the size of the one at the Town Hall and would cost £3m of the total Civic Centre costs.They argue that the money saved by scaling it down could be used to safeguard the future of the six libraries threatened with closure. 


As contracts have been signed and  work has already started it is unclear whether the Conservative bid to abandon the project or the Liberal Democrat's proposal to modify it could be implemented without penalties. I think I can hear the stable door slamming shut after the horse has flown!

It is also uncertain that scale down would release 'real money' (actual cash this year) that could be used to save the threatened libraries.


With the Brent cuts now a national issue the debate will heat up over the next few weeks as the cuts and library closures are discussed at the local consultation forums.

Libraries for Life for Londoners have posted a story on the .library cuts in Brent and made the link with the Civic Centre project. LINK

ARK PLAN APPROVED

The plan for a city academy at Wembley Park sponsored by a hedge fund millionaire, was approved tonight when two Labour councillors supported the Liberal Democrat's proposals.

The Lib Dem's Conservative coalition partners and a Democratic Conservative councillor opposed the plans. They were joined by Cllr. Habhajan Singh (Labour, Welsh Harp) who had earlier unsuccessfully moved for deferral on the grounds that the council should produce an Environmental Impact Assessment and provide fuller detail on traffic issues. The Brent Green Party had made the lack of an Environmental Impact Assessment for such a major project a major plank of its objection to the planning application.

It was heartening to see a councillor willing to step out of the party line to make a stand for the environment. However the actions of fellow Labour councillors James Powney and Ruth Moher means that an unofficial Lib Dem-Labour coalition exists on the city academy issue, despite the overall council being run by a Lib Dem-Conservative coalition.

The chair refused to call me to speak on the Green Party's submission on the curious basis that I represented a political party and that this was not a 'party political issue'! He also refused to call Hank Roberts of the Wembley Park Action Group and would only allow Jean Roberts to speak despite her protests that she had submitted both names. She made an excellent speech and cogent arguments were also made by local residents.

The application will now be referred to the London Mayor's Office and the battle will move on to that ground.

Brent Green Party's submission can be found on its website.