Green Party saw the double dip recession coming

The Green Party was the only one of the main political parties to question the basis of the policy to implement cuts Economic Voice said today. The Green Party's  economic adviser Dr Molly Scott Cato argued that cuts would be counter productive.

Economic Voice writes:

Molly argues that politicians are looking at the ‘economy’ in the wrong way. They see council or government spending as an ‘expense’ that must be minimised. For many politicians who have run businesses cutting back on these expenses would seem to be the logical and understandable thing to do as it is exactly what they would do for their own business.

But the problem, says Molly, is that when making cuts you should understand the ‘boundaries’ of your business. For a small business this is relatively easy to define and understand. But when dealing with local government for example, your business boundary encompasses all the businesses and household etc within the local economy.

Any money that is spent within the local economy should therefore be looked at as an income, rather than as an expense. What politicians should be doing is minimising leakage from the local economy, not strangling spending within it. “To cut your own budgets to the bone, or not to spend money budgeted in this period, is like cutting your own income rather than cutting your own outgoings,” she says.

By cutting back on local and central government spending within the ‘boundaries’ we are adversely affecting the circulation of money she says. This then leads to shrinkage, a lower tax take and a growing deficit (sound familiar?)

Full article HERE

Brent Performance Report reveals impact of cuts

Brent' Council's Performance Report for the third quarter of 2011-12 which is published as a supplement to the Performance and Finance Review gives an indication of how both Coalition policy and council cuts are beginning to hit services.

It uses a  RAG (Red, Amber, Green) traffic light system where Red indicates performance below target, Amber performance below expected levels but within tolerance of the target, and Green where performance is as expected and the target met or exceeded.

All the tables below are of services given a warning Red rating. Therese are the services where improvements need to be made. It is fair to point out that many services also achieve Green ratings and these are likely to be publicised in Brent press releases and the Brent Magazine.

The Environment and Neighbourhood Services department has suffered cuts and reorganisations so it is not surprising that out of 12 performance indicators half have a Red rating and 2 an Amber and only one Green. The others are black indicating that the Council thinks performance cannot be fairly measured against a target. In reading the table remember that there is another quarter to go.

Environment and Neighbourhood Services

Performance indicator	2010-11 end of year	2011-12 year to date	2011-12 current target
Volume of residual waste kg per  household	644	453	427
% of household waste sent for recycling	33	35	47
Tonnes of waste sent to landfill	80,000	59,000	53,000
Number of fly-tipping incidents	3882	4435	3000
Active library borrowers as % of population	18.6	13.81	16.4
% of streets below standard for litter	10.2%	11.7% Nov	9%

Despite the Council's claims made for the Library Transformation Project the target  for the percentage of Brent residents who are active borrowers was set below the 2010-11 level and performance is below that lower target. Next year with the closure of Willesden Green for redevelopment. the figure is likely to decline further. The number of library visits  per 100,000 population gets an Amber rating. The target was 4,834 compared with 6,660 in 2010-2011 and after the third quarter stood at 4,606.

The Council ridiculed the Green Party's claims that cuts to street cleansing would result in Brent becoming a dirtier borough but the figures justify our claim and the residual waste/recycling figures are also below  the Council's expectations.

Children and Families

Performance indicator	2010-11 end of year	2011-12 year to date	2011-12 current target
Net shortfall of places at Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds)	n/a	-304	0
Percentage of 16 to 18 year olds not in education, employment or training	5%	4%	4%
Percentage of care leavers in  education, employment or training	71%	64%	80%
Number of looked after children with independent fostering agencies	112	100	89
Number of looked after children placed with in-house foster carers	103	109	127

 

The shortage of school places is a continuing problem which has been addressed by an ad hoc mixture of school expansions, temporary classrooms and bulge classes. Coalition policies giving priority to free schools and academies and providing them with disproportionate amounts of funding, makes it difficult for the Council to build the new schools that are needed.

At the other end of the age range the number of school leavers not in education, employment and training is likely to increase in the recession and the situation has been worsened by the abolition of the Education Maintenance Allowance. The plight of looked after children is highlighted by the number of care leavers who, as they enter adult life, are not in education, employment or training.

Regeneration and Major Projects

Performance indicator	2010-11 end of year	2011-12 year to date	2011-12 current target
% of major planning applications processed within 13 weeks	73	25	70
Gap between Brent and London for working people on out of work benefits	3	3.4	1.4
Number of households living in temporary accommodation	3,019	3.073	2,973
Proportion of residents with no qualifications (gap between Brent and London. Minus figure reflects higher than average gap)	n/a	-4.8	-2.0

The increase in the proportion of people on benefits compared with the London average and the increase in numbers of temporary accommodation are clearly the most worrying items ion the short term but the 'no qualifications' figures builds up problems for the long term.

Central Services

Performance indicator	2010-11 end of year	2011-12 year to date	2011-12 current target
Serious violent crime rate (per 1000 of population)	1.64	1.72	n/a
Serious acquisitive crime rate (serious thefts, burglaries per 1000 of population)	31.82	33.92	n/a
Serious knife crime rate per 1000 of population	2.05	2.09	n/a
Gun crime rate per 1000 of population	0.39	0.43	n/a
Time taken to process Benefit claims (average number of days)	9.77	8.33	8.0

 

Crime usually increases in a recession and although I am not suggesting a direct causal link, clearly delays in benefit payment do not help.

Adult Social Care

The Council is not meeting its target of 90% of Mental Health Social Care assessments completed within four weeks and the figure currently stands at 65%. Similarly the percentage of social care packages put in place within the recommended timelines following assessment is 65% against a target of 95%.

Financial Report

Adult Social Care is a major financial pressure  and although overspend has reduced compared with the second quarter the General Fund overspend stands at £292,000.  In Children and Families' General Fund there is as underspend on Achievement and Inclusion (School Improvement Service and Connexions which was cut) but an overspend on Social Care partly due to an increase in child protection cases following the baby Peter case.

Environment and Neighbourhood Services had no overall  under or overspend with savings from Neighbourhood Services (including libraries and transportation) offsetting an increase in Environment and Protection costs which receives a Red rating.

The Regeneration and Major Projects General Fund had a small underspend and there were underspends overall on Capital Budgets with that of the Civic Centre underspent as a result of 'adjusted profiled cash flow'. It was originally £51m and reduced to £29.5m.  Children and Families Capital Projects which this department has taken over gets a Red grading with an overspend of £5m.

The Department's main pressure is caused by the housing benefit cap with an increase of 27% in homeless applications and 42% in acceptances compared with last year. The total pressure is forecast at £750,000 for 2011-12.

Beneath all these figures are real people experiencing real hardship as a consequence of  the Government's cuts to national benefits and the  public sector, alongside cuts in local authority funding leading to cuts in Council Services.It all adds up to further evidence of the damage the Coalition's austerity measures are doing to people who are not to blame for the crisis.

Brent Labour to close two day care nurseries

Continuing its unique method of caring for young children and supporting working women,  Brent Executive will be voting to close two of its nurseries on Monday February 13th  if it follows the recommendations of its officers' report:

Recommendations

That members agree

2.1 That Willow nursery be restructured to enable further provision for children with a wide range of disabilities, while retaining its character as a mainstream nursery

2.2 That Council- run day care services at Harmony Children’s Centre be closed from 30 March 2012

2.3 That Council-run day care services at Treetops Children’s Centre be closed from 20 July 2012

2.4 That the building used for nursery services at Harmony Children’s Centre be used to facilitate expansion of Mitchell Brook School in the event that a decision is made to expand the school.

2.5 That officers invite proposals from private, voluntary and independent providers for use of the space at Treetops Children’s Centre as a nursery, expected to be independent of and at no cost to the council, any such proposals to be considered on their merit.

2.6 That the decision on whether to proceed with any such proposal in 2.5 above to use the space at Treetops Children’s Centre, be delegated to the Directors of Children & Families and Regeneration & Major Projects, in consultation with the Lead Member for Children & Families

That members note

2.7 That if the space at Harmony Children’s Centre is not used for the purpose identified in 2.4 above that it will be used or disposed of in accordance with the relevant funding requirements and council policies, and

2.8 That, if a decision is taken not to proceed with proposals received under paragraph 2.5 above, the space inside Treetops Children’s Centre no longer used for nursery services, be used to expand the core functions of the Centre.

 It should also be noted that the Budget Report, also to be considered on Monday,  contains a proposal to review Children's Centres.

Overview of savings, cuts, increased charges in 2012-13 budget

Having summarised the savings (a mixture of cuts, 'efficiencies' and increased charging) in Children and Families Services which amounted to £3,216,000 I now turn to other service areas. Note some relatively minor items are not included but totals are for ALL savings within a department.

ADULT SOCIAL CARE 
Brent Council's favourite word 'Transformation' comes up here in changes to commissioning and procurement through redesign of services giving a saving of £1,223k, by far the largest amount. Changes in transport eligibility 'encouraging independent travel to day care provision' will save £43k, stooping paying Inner London weighting £108k. Closure of day services for learning disabilities and consolidation into John Billam Resource Centre and redesign of the service model will save £433k and commissioning via Phase 1 of the One Council programme a further £402k. Alongside other savings these amount to £2,613,000 with a further £2,200,000 expected in 2013-14 through integration with NHS services although the report notes 'any 'costs resulting are currently not known).

These headings are not very specific and we can expect the details of what they mean on the ground to only emerge on implementation. A key issue will be consultation and whether it will have any effect if the budget has already been agreed.


Total Savings 2012-13: £2,613,000


ENVIRONMENT AND NEIGHBOURHOOD SERVICES
The largest item here is £1,357k for Waste and Recycling through a number of factors including renegotiation with Veolia, increased use of the Seneca (Careys) Materials Recycling Facility and reduction in waste disposal costs with increased diversion from landfill. In addition further savings are anticipated in 2014-15 following retendering of the waste management and street cleansing contract currently held by Veolia.
Reductions in highways maintenance will save £100k, maintenance of Vale Farm £25k (but the Council may have to pay money to bring it up to standard for a new contractor).

'The full effects of  2011/12 saving' on libraries is put at £408k.

The possibility of parks service privatisation appears under the heading of Grounds Maintenance with a reduction in the level of grounds maintenance in parks and open spaces and a promise to 'review options fort delivering grounds maintenance int he future'. This gives a saving of £200k in 2012-13 and £100k in 2013-14. A re-organisation of Transport Services will net £100m and not filling school crossing patrol vacancies £30k this year and £40k for the next two years. Retendering process produced a saving of £75k on street trees with 'no loss of service' and cost saving on the parking contract is put at £200k this year and £300k next. Reductions in management and staff restructuring produces savings of £183k and even the dead don't escape with increased fees for cemeteries alongside sports facilities and parks £40k. (Listed in Appendix D(vi) )

Total Savings 2012-13: £3,259,000 

REGENERATION AND MAJOR PROJECTS 
'Transformation' rears its head again under 'One Council Housing Needs Transformation Project. There is no detail but it gives savings of £1,670k in 2012-13 and another £1,310k in 2013-14. Similarly changes in 'Supporting People' budget produces savings of £900k 2012-13 and another £900k in 2013-14. There is a claim that prices for contracts can be reduced with 'significant impact on users' and that tjhis will be achieved through 'closing under utilised and unpopular shared houses or reducing the number supported through floating support'. Savings of £530m are suggested for a property review: 'getting out of buildings early' which I presume is linked to the Civic Centre.

There are many other items under this heading but the main ones are included above:

Total Savings 2012-13: £1,781,000 (2013-14 £2,440,000)

FINANCE AND CORPORATE/CENTRAL SERVICES
Full year effect of 2011-12 savings through staffing and structure review £269k
Full year effect of ending Inner London Weighting £54k
Savings in human resources through London project Athena £100k 2013-14 £260k
Reorganisation of Customer Services (Finance and Corporate) £300k
Reorganisation of Customer Services (Community and Customer Engagement) £66k
Reduced running costs of Chief Executive's Office £25k

Total Savings 2012-12: £855,000

In addition savings of £1,000k are indicated in 2013-14 and 2014-15 for review of business costs in moving to the Civic Centre

CENTRAL ITEMS 
ONE COUNCIL PROGRAMME
Employee Benefits Project  (savings allocated to service areas) £255k
Future Customer Services £150k 2013-14 £149k
Rents and Services Charges (savings allocated to service areas) £229k
Fundamental Review of Youth Service £100

Total Savings 2012-13: £734,000

In addition savings are indicated for future years:
Civic Centre 2013-14 £2,000k, 2014-15 £1,000K, 2014-15 £500k
Reduced contract prices 2013-14 £750k, 2014-15 £750k, 2015-16 £500k
Increased contract compliance  - ditto-

If any readers can shed light on the impact of any of the above I would be happy to publish your comments.

Save Treetops and Harmony Nurseries

SIGN THE PETITION HERE (More than 160 signatories so far)

Keeping Up with Brent Cuts

I reproduce below an extract from the weekly digest of the local press I circulate to Brent Green Party members. It provides an over-view of the latest news on cuts. The Willesden and Brent Times (WBT) e-edition can be accessed HERE  and the Harrow Times HERE

The contrast between Ann John's comments and the WBT editorial is interesting. The financial reasoning behind the Kingsbury High School academy decision is also significant.

HOW CAN WE AFFORD NEW CIVIC CENTRE WWOp14 (lead letter),  PLAN WILL COST US FOR NEXT 25 YEARS WBTp16, HOW WILL THIS BE PAID FOR? HTp24 Letter from Shahrar Ali as Green Party GLA candidate for Brent and Harrow questioning the financial and environmental claims made for the new Civic Centre currently under construction.
ROAD SWEEPING REDUCTIONS 'WILL MAKE US THE DIRTIEST OLYMPIC BOROUGH' WBTp2 Martin Francis criticises Brent Council's proposed cuts in street cleaning and the abandonment of the seasonal leaf service.
LIBRARY PLANS ARE 'UNLAWFUL' WWOp1 Coverage of the first day in court of library campaigners' application for a judicial review of the Council's decision to close 6 of the 12 Brent libraries. The claim is that the decision failed  to take into account local needs, could lead to indirect discrimination and that the decision was 'predetermined'.
LIBRARY SELL-OFFS ON HOLD WBTp4 Council plans to sell-off two library sites were deferred until August at Monday's Executive due to the judicial review.
JOBS FEAR AS HOSPITALS TRUST FACES £92M FUNDING CUT WBTp2 The NW London Trust (Central Middlesex, Northwick Park, St Marks) is to lose 24% of its budget. Doctors say that it cannot achieve these savings and will fall short by £25-40m.  Health Emergency say that 'it is the people whose care can be put off who will suffer. It is people waiting for operations, older people who need long term treatment and front line staff who will lose out. If staff do not lose their jobs, their their workload will increase....The government has asked for a cut too far'.
CALL FOR ACTION OVER HOSPITAL WAITING LISTS WBTp5 Hospital waiting lists have soared by 10% in Brent with 3,000 people on the lists.  Cllr Zaffar Kalwala (Labour, Stonebridge) says expected cuts will make it worse. The Trust confirmed the rise but said they are on track to better their 18 week target for referrals within the Trust.
NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE REVAMP IS 'NOT TO MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT WBTp5 21 sergeants in the Safer Neighbourhood Teams will have to reapply for the 16 jobs that will remain after cuts. Chief Supt Gardner said that the wards to be reduced are still being considered but that the issue had been anticipated and that Brent invested in three detective sergeants and four detective constables to investigate neighbourhood crime ;so in fact this will not impact on Brent'.
HOMELESSNESS TO 'SOAR' AS CUTS BITE SAYS CHARITY WBTp9 Cricklewood Homeless Concern say that reductions to public sector provision and caps on housing benefit have led to a 'sharp increase' in homelessness. CHC after 20% cuts is struggling to deal with the average 150 people a week who seek their help. More than 10,000 people in Brent are affected by the benefit cap and are already in force for new claimants and will affect existing claimants early next year.
GOVERNORS VOTE FOR ACADEMY PLAN HTp8 The Chair of Governors of Kingsbury High says that one of the reasons for applying for academy status was their need for increased funding  because the equalisation of funding between 6th forms and further education colleges means they would lose £1,016 per student in their 400 pupil 6th form by 2013. FUNDING OF FESTIVALS WILL STOP WBTp2 Brent Executive cut the money for religious festivals in the borough on Monday saying it was unfair to give the money to certain religious festivals. Cllr Paul Lorber said the religious celebration had been open to all and were designed to improve relations between communities. In answer to his question about th Council's retention of fireworks night Cllr Ann John said this had been retained for health and safety and not religious reasons.
MANY SERVICES ARE STILL BEING IMPROVED DESPITE CUTS WBTp15 Column by Ann John, Labour leader of Brent Council who says that despite the cuts 'it is not all doom and gloom' because regeneration is continuing and they've resisted government attempts to force up council rents to unaffordable levels.  She says the Council is making Brent a greener borough through schemes to increase recycling, tackle fly-tipping and getting rid of old inefficient buildings.
COUNCIL MUST LISTEN TO VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WBTp16 Editorial which says that campaigners on various issues could 'hardly have failed to have noticed that the town hall is ignoring your views'. They cite the libraries issue, parking permits and day care centres. On the Stonebridge Day Centre they say, 'Brent council will say they had no choice; but "following orders" is no excuse, the council should have fought to keep the centre, they could have found an alternative to closing it. They could have listened to the people who pay their salaries and expenses, whose votes they canvass for at elections - the very people they are supposed to represent.'

Brent's 4 Year Budget Strategy Agreed in 30 seconds

Councillor Butt summed up the 2012/13 to 2015/16 budget strategy up in one sentence, no one wanted to speak on it, and it was approved - all within 30 seconds. The budget envisages cumulative 'savings' of £67.5m by 2016. That works out as over £2m per second!

There was a much longer discussion over the Festivals and Events issue. Cllr Ann John said she had been in talks with the Hindu council who no longer wanted to speak. She claimed that the policy had to change because of new Equality legislation which meant that the events funded had to be inclusive and this ruled out financing religious festivals. Cllr Paul Lorber challenged this saying that Festivals such as Eid had always been open to people of all backgrounds and were designed to aid understanding and improve relations amongst Brent's diverse communities. He queried the funding of fireworks night in the context of the gunpowder plot, oppression of Catholics and the events celebration of a protestant victory. Cllr Ann John said that this festival would continue to be funded on health and safety grounds, not religious, because it prevented people being injured by providing an alternative to setting off fireworks in back gardens.

Cllr John  insisted that this year's festivals including Eid, Navaratri,Christmas lights and St Patrick's Day would still take place but the new policy would be implemented next financial year. There was no time however to properly organise Respect and Countryside Day.  Cllr Powney said that new equality legislation had drastically changed what the council could fund. The council was not stopping the festival, just stopping funding them..

There was no discussion of the Street Cleaning savings which will mean the loss of road sweeper jobs and huge reductions in street cleaning frequency. To his credit Cllr Moher was clear about the seriousness of the cuts but was cut off in mid-stream by an impatient Cllr John. Moker did manage to say that he hoped to claw back something from the current negotiations with Veolia.

Other high-speed decisions were made to approve the Alperton Master Plan, future ownership of Brent housing stock and the Arts development strategy. Twelve items were disposed of in 40 minutes much to Ann John's delight.

Gardiner: Brent children's services could be restored at less than the cost of one day's action in Libya

Barry Gardiner MP spoke again about Libya during the Budget debate making the link with cuts:

I did not support the Government in the Lobby on Monday night in the vote on military action in Libya. I pay tribute to our armed services, and to their valour and the work they do, but I cannot support the cost of the military escapade taking place in Libya, and I look to what could have been achieved if the funds being expended there were instead being expended around the rest of our country.

                       

One Tomahawk missile costs £350,000, and 140 of them were launched in the first 48 hours of the attack, which amounts to a cost of £50 million. It is estimated that the cost of prosecuting this military conflict is £6 million each day. The cost of one day of action in Libya could restore in its entirety the £2.25 million of cuts in children's services forced on my community in Brent by this Liberal-Conservative coalition Government. One month in Libya could protect children's services across the whole of London. Nine months in Libya could protect children's services across the entire UK. Aneurin Bevan once said that priorities is the language of socialism. Those are my priorities and that is why I will oppose this Budget.

Cuts - where do we go from here?

There is an organising meeting of Brent Fightback tomorrow Monday March 7th, 7.30pm at the Trades Hall/Apollo Club, Willesden High Road and Brent Friends of the Earth have a meeting on 'The recession and its impact on the environment and the green agenda' at the Rising Sun, Harlesden Road,  7.30pm on Tuesday March 8th. Fightback will be assessing the effectiveness of the lobby of Monday's Council meeting and the current position regarding cuts, planning for the March 26th demonstration, and reviewing future strategy.

The upshot of the Council's decisions is that there were some concessions after community campaigning:  reprieves for the Wembley youth clubs (albeit with two merging), restoration of funding (with 12% cut) for the Law Centre, Citizen's Advice and Private Tenants Rights Groups; reprieve for the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre (with 50% private funding from a local builder).

There may be a temptation to attribute these successes to effective campaigning  but libraries, where campaigning was most vociferous and got national coverage, are still likely to close. Campaigners are rightly asking how the council can set a budget which assumes their closure before the consultation ended. Cllr Powney tries to answer that point HERE  There are also murmurs amongst some councillors that the reprieves are more to do with the Labour leader's 'pet projects' than pressure from rank and file Labour councillors.

Apart from the library campaigns feeling let down by the Council there is also unhappiness in the Charteris Sports Centre campaign where the Council led them to think there was a possibility of a 'Big Society' option (the Campaign was notably absent from the lobby on Monday)  but they have now been told them the Centre will close at the end of March. The issue of the Council stemming/diverting opposition by dangling 'Big Society' possibilities and then going ahead with closure is likely to rankle for some time. This goes alongside the short-term impact of the Council's barring of the public from  the budget meeting and the joking and bantering behaviour of some councillors during the meeting.

Only one Labour councillor abstained on the budget.  Other potential rebels, as I predicted, were brought into line by the concessions. We need to re-assess our future relationship with Labour councillors and the potential for joint campaigns after Monday's decisions.  In terms of the Labour Party generally there has been little lead from Ed Miliband, or the London-wide party, on fighting the cuts.

As far as school budgets go, in the two schools where I am a governor we have been looking at the budget for 2011-12. As predicted although the budget figures are stable they disguise the fact that more services will now have to be bought in at higher prices and there will also be inflation in the price of resource and utilities. In my schools, because of relatively high numbers of children on free school meals, there is some cushioning from the pupil premium, but schools with lower numbers of FSM will face budgetary constraints and may have to make staff redundant. These are likely to be classroom assistants, school meals supervisors etc. There will also be pressure to employ contractors for cleaning etc, who pay lower hourly rates than the Brent Council rates - without pension contributions and holiday pay.  At a broader level as central services provided by the Council are reduced, cut or charged at higher prices, there are likely to be more calls for schools to end their links with the local authority and apply for academy status.

So we are likely to see  libraries and the Sports Centre being closed at the end of March, some redundancies/non-renewal of contracts in schools from April, and the national measures (VAT increase, child benefit freeze, public sector wage freeze, cuts in childcare element of the Working Tax Credit) kicking in at the start of the new financial year.  The latter will see an increase in child poverty and problems for families in finding the cash to pay rent/mortgages (council rents are also going up). There will also of course be a rise in local unemployment as public sector job losses mount. The Housing Benefit cap does not now come into force until 2012 but already private landlords are serving eviction notices on tenants they anticipate will not be able to afford the  rent under the cap.


The Friends of the Earth meeting is relevant as it brings a wider perspective which raises the issue of the wider economy. There is now a developing consensus that the post-Big Bang domination of the economy by the financial sector must come to an end but the Coalition, with its anti-state intervention stance, has little to say about the necessary re-structuring. Ed Miliband in his speech to the Resolution (not Revolution!) Foundation on February 28th admitted that the Labour Party was wrong not to focus more on the type of economy they were building, the need to 'break out of the low-pay, low-skill cycle' and the need for high quality jobs. He also supported the introduction of a living wage.  We would go further in wanting to discuss the restructuring of the economy to gear it towards sustainability with the creation of skilled, socially worthwhile employment that both combats climate change and tackles inequality and poverty.

The question now is where does the anti-cuts campaign go from here?  What should be our objective/s? How can we be pro-active, putting forward alternatives, rather than be merely reactive?

Pickles condemns 'tragic' Brent Council

Exchange in the House of Commons yesterday:

Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): Will my right hon. Friend join me in condemning Labour-run Brent council, which at tonight’s budget meeting proposes to close six libraries and all its day care centres, introduce fortnightly refuse collections, and hammer street cleansing and the voluntary sector, while taking the £2.5 million grant that was meant to freeze council tax and applying it to balances?

Mr Pickles: What a tragic council that is. All it needs to do is take a short ride on the tube to see adjoining authorities in London that are protecting libraries, expanding their services and protecting the front line. No doubt it will get its come-uppance.

Protecting the Vulnerable? Looked after Children and Those with Disabilities and SEN Hit

Victoria Climbie

'Transformation' is the Council's sub-Orwellian speak for cuts. The 'Social Care Transformation' is due to save £1,800,000 and I have been able to find few details about it. However the budget document going to the Executive on Tuesday  says that costs will be reduced in: foster placements, children in residential homes, semi-independent living, payments for adopted children as well as families 'without recourse to public funds'. They also expect to save costs on the Youth Offending Team.

A further  £1,300,000 will be saved through 'rationalisation' of fostering and adoption services and a 'rationalisation' of the safeguarding service through a 'streamlined' child protection conference process. The Young Carers Centre will no longer be funded - a vital support for younger children who are carers to older children or adults in their families.  These children often have to have time off school, take responsibility far beyond their years, and probably save other services thousands of pounds. There will also be reductions in the Crisis Intervention Service.

We were told that there would be no cuts in 'front-line' services - nothing could be more front-line than the services above. In a borough that in the past has been no stranger to scandals over inadequate child protection LINK this is just storing up problems for the future.

The budget also impacts on children with Disabilities and SEN. The valued Easter holiday play schemes will be axed. Alongside the cuts in children centres there will be a reduction in Special Educational Needs support for early years.  What many regard as an already under-staffed Education Psychology Service will be decreased further and a whacking £108,000 charge for non-statutory services will be shifted to schools.

All this will delay help for children most in need and add extra pressures on school staff and school budgets. Again the most vulnerable are being hit.

Many Reasons To Save Preston Library - Act Now

Save Preston Library campaigners at action meeting on Saturday

A message from the Save Preston Library Campaign

Brent Council wants to close 50% of libraries in the borough including Preston Library. It will close in June. Once it's gone, it's gone forever. It is likely that the land will be sold to developers and you will have to spend time and money travelling across the borough to access the books and services you pay for with your council tax. Is this fair? First it was education, then disabled centres, then the libraries. What next? Brent Council should be working for you. Don't let them ignore you. Act now!

You can help in many easy ways:

Fill out Brent’s consultation questionnaire at

www.brent.gov.uk/consultation. Paper copies are in the library.

Deadline is 4 MARCH 2011

PLEASE "STRONGLY DISAGREE" WITH COUNCIL PLANS. OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT COUNT.

Come to the Public Meeting: WED 16th FEBRUARY 7.30 - 9.00 pm at Preston Park Primary School, College Road, Wembley, HA9 8RJ.

The more people there, the more the council will take notice.

Sign the online petition (it takes just 30 seconds):

LINK or if this link doesn't work, go to

http://bit.ly/SavePrestonLibraryPetition. (Please sign only one.)

The more signatures, the more councillors will listen. Stand up and be counted.

*****Forward it! Facebook it! Tweet it! ******

Contact your local councillors. They work for you.

Their contact details are posted on http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/ or ask in the library.

Contact your MP. If you live in Brent North, your MP is Barry Gardiner.

Email him at gardinerb@parliament.uk or write to him at The House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

Join the campaign. Subscribe to our emails: SavePrestonLibrary-Subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk;

Join the Facebook Group: http://on.fb.me/fVJNK2.

Publicise the meeting on Wednesday 16th February 7.30pm Preston Park Primary School

If Preston Library is the only library that is accessible to you for whatever reasons, we need to hear from you as soon as possible.

When Preston Library closes for good, the nearest libraries will be Kingsbury Library Plus on Kingsbury High Road, and the Town Hall which will close when the proposed £100 million Civic Centre is built, moving it even further away. Both libraries will only be within walking distance for the very fit and able bodied. For many of us, it will involve transport costs.

Five local primary schools regularly use Preston Library: Preston Park, Byron Court and Wembley Primary as well as children from Uxendon Manor and Mt Stewart. Pupils from Preston Manor and nearby senior schools cram the tables after school to do their homework and revision. They will have to find alternative places much further away from home.

Brent Council wants to close our library. Attend the public meeting! Sign the online petition. 

KEEP OUR LIBRARY LOCAL!

'Savings' list published for February 15th Executive Meeting

The full list of cuts ('savings') have been published as part of the Budget document for the Brent Council Executive meeting on Tuesday February 15th.

They are reproduced on the blog under PAGES. Click on the image to enlarge.

The list will need careful analysis to assess the impact on residents.

CUT AFTER CUT

I compile a weekly press review for Brent Green Party members. Last week's was so full of cuts stories that I thought I would publish it to help readers keep up with Brent Council's assault on non-statutory provision. WBT is Willesden and Brent Times and WWO is the  Wembley and Willesden Observer.


CUTS - LIBRARIES
COMMUNITY GROUPS WELCOMED TO RUN LIBRARIES DUE TO CLOSE WWOp5 Cllr James Powney calls for campaign groups to come up with practical plans to run libraries with volunteers.  He said he had three 'vague expressions of interest' from Kensal Rise, Cricklewood and Preston supporters. ex Lib Dem Councillor Peter Corcoran, campaigning for Tokyngton says 'I don't want to see a situation where it will run for a year, then it closes because people lose interest. The libraries are run by the council and should continue to be run by them. It is their responsibility -that is why we pay our council tax.'
CUTS -JOBS
COUNCIL TO SHED 400 MORE JOBS WWOp9, JOB LOSSES 'HORRIFIC' WBTp1  Following on 350 redundancies last year Brent Council tend to shed 400 more jobs. Letters were delivered to those affected  last Friday and the consultation period will end on April 17th.
CUTS - PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
DON'T HIT THE VULNERABLE WWOp14 Letter drawing attention to the impact of cuts on people with disabilities, mental health issues and autism. The writer says they should not bear the brunt of a crisis caused by bankers.
CUTS-PARKS
PROTESTS AT PLANS TO CHOP PARK WARDENS WBTp2, PARKS WILL BE 'NO-GO' AREAS, SAY RESIDENTS WWOp7 Protests against the axing of 9-1/2 park warden full-time posts affecting Roundwood, Barham,  Gladstone, King Edward VII, Roe Green, Preston and Gibbons Recreation ground. Cllr Powney said he was confident park security would be maintained - 'We will have a lower number of park wardens but they will still be covering the same number of parks, and be performing the same number of patrols. The key difference is that we will be moving away from a static service to a roaming one.'
CUTS - MENTORING
AXE LOOMS OVER GROUP HELPING YOUNG QUIT GANGS WBTp3 Despite referrals from social workers, pupil referral units and youth offender teams this centre run by a former probation officer and social worker is running out of money after government cuts.
CUTS - SPORTS CENTRE
GAME ON: RESIDENTS FIGHT CHARTERIS CENTRE CLOSURE WBTp5 Campaigners and Brent Eleven Streets Residents' Association met to help save the Charteris Sports Centre. Cllr Powney (him again!) said it was losing £100,000 a year. A committee has been set up to meet with the council and to work out a business plan to keep the Centre open. Powney said the plan would have to be convincing in order for the Council to grant a period of grace.
CUTS - EDUCATION MAINTENANCE GRANTS
EMA AXE 'SLAP IN THE FACE FOR STUDENTS'  WBTp13 Brent has the second highest take up of EMA in London with 3,684 claiming. It also has the 6th highest unemployment rate in London. research by the University and College Union shows 70% of students bin poorest areas would drop out of college if the EMA was stopped. Students, Vicki Fagg (CNWL principal) and Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala all protest at its abolition.

Hands Off the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre

Welsh Harp Campaigners at the Brent Fightback Lobby

The Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre, around the corner from the Birchen Grove allotments, offers environmental education and water sports for primary and secondary school children in  Brent  and  neighbouring boroughs and has strong ecological credentials. It is now threatened with closure as one of the non-statutory parts of educational provision.  It has been threatened before and just about survived after mass a mass campaign involving hundreds of children marching to the Town Hall. Now it is run by one full-time teacher and a part-time assistant.  It is part-funded by pupil contributions (usually paid by the school). Basically already a shoe-string operation it gets more than 3,500 pupils visiting a year. It is also used for Away Days for Brent institutions and for team-building exercises.  As well as studying the Science National Curriculum children can take part in orienteering on a 25 stage course and basic water sports. The Centre has two very well-equipped classrooms.

Councillor Jim Moher (Labour) is sympathetic to the campaign to keep the Centre open and letters are pouring into the Council from children and school governor.  The threat to the Centre is likely to be discussed at this week's Brent Primary Headteachers' Conference.  The battle is on.
As chair of governors at two primary schools, a Brent Green Party member and as leader of Brent School Without Walls, which provides complementary activities at a more informal level (no classrooms, toilets or adventure course and only accidental water sports!), I believe that the Welsh Harp Centre is an invaluable resource that has enabled countless children to develop a clearer understanding of ecology and a deeper appreciation of the importance of the natural environment.

If the next generation is to fight to preserve the environment and protect the planet such centres are not a luxury but a necessity. It has been threatened before and Brent children have risen up to defend it - they know its value.  The Welsh Harp celebrated 175 years of existence last year and saw off a threat to develop housing in the vicinity after a strong community cross-party campaign. The anniversary was marked by an open day at the Centre with family environmental activities sponsored by the Council - now they are considering closing it. Brent Greens will play our part in a similar campaign to save a special place that is a tremendous asset for the young people of Brent.

Brent's Cuts and Library Closures Face Public Scrutiny Tonight

Cllr Ann John, leader of Brent Council, will face an audience of residents tonight to answer questions on the Council's cuts strategy which includes the loss of another 300 jobs, closure of day centres for people with learning disabilities and for those with mental health problems as well as increased charges for allotments and pest control.

Cllr James Powney, AKA Flakman, will again present the 'Library Transformation Project' which will close six libraries. This includes three libraries in the Wembley area: Preston, Barham and Tokyngton.


The meeting begins at 7pm at the Patidar Centre, London Road, Wembley (off Wembley High Road), just round the corner from Wembley Central Station. 


Residents who want to speak in a 'soapbox' to air local issues that they are concerned about should arrive a little early to complete a 'Soapbox' form which should be handed to an officer. Soapboxes are held at the beginning of the meeting. Ann John's session will run from 7.15pm until 8pm and the library presentation will be from 8.15pm until 9pm.