Reminder: Event for teachers and other local school workers on Sunday

Family workshops: African soldiers of World War 1

Help clean up the River Brent at Chalkhill on Saturday

From Thames21

June 10 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Come help clean-up the River Brent at Chalkhill Open Space.

Create an inviting space for people and wildlife. No experience necessary and all tools provided-  just be prepared to get stuck in! Finishing up with well deserved refreshments.

All welcome but under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Meet Waterside Close, just off Barnhill Road, HA9 9PB.

A great eating place in Chalkhill, Wembley

A few years ago such a claim would have been met with disbelief but the Lounge Cafe at Chalkhill Community Centre has joined the amazing new Chalkhill Park (oposite the cafe),  the popular and high-achieving Chalkhill Primary School and the diverse local community in challenging the negative stereotypes that used to be attached to the Chalkhill Estate.

Maria Kuehen, Director of the Lounge Cafe says:

This is a second cafe, the first being in Kilburn which has received a Good Food Award (out of half a million food businesses we were one of 160 to achieve this) and also The Time Out Best Cafe 2105. 

Our philosophy is simple. We prepare everything on a daily basis. We make all our soups and specials, have an eclectic breakfast and brunch menu and have an 'ask and we will do our best' policy. 

My food blog mindingbellieswell.blogspot.co.uk has 500 entries which include local restaurant reviews and hundreds of recipes. 

I have also started my programme "Walk, Talk, Fork' at the cafe, aimed at individuals who want to better their health through exercise and healthy cooking lessons. 

People are welcome to book the cafe for an event, a lunch or dinner party as well and we also cater for take out food.

The Cafe is rapidly building a reputation beyond Wembley but retains its community feeling. A recent reviewer on Trip Advisor said LINK:

Of course, it's the first place you'd think of to go and have a good breakfast, not! I mean, c'mon, it's a café in a Community Health Centre. Who wants to eat in those sort of places? Well, put your pre-conceived ideas aside and check it out. Heard of hidden gems? Read on..

Light and airy space with fresh flowers on the table. Good menu choice and reasonably priced. Service was warm, welcoming and attentive. We had breakfast; smoked salmon and scrambled egg on toast for my partner and for me, breakfast burrito. Both delicious.

After settling our bill, and the owner realising we weren't locals, she took great interest in to what our plans were and also gave us a number of her personal recommendations as to where to eat in Central London. That's engaging.

We left very satisfied and what a lovely start to the day.

Visited March 2017

Here is the menu but remember the 'ask and we will do our best' policy:

Lounge Cafe, Chalkhill Community Centre, 113 Chalkhill Road, HA9 9FX  Tel:  07790 506609

Nearest station Wembley Park (Met and Jubilee) 83, 182, 206, 297 buses alight at station or 245 alight at ASDA.

Wembley residents need to get down to Chalkhill on Monday re Spurs proposals on stadium events increase

Councillors have received little notice of this meeting and the public even less.



The proposals will make a big impact on Wembley as Jaine Lunn outlines below.

Wembley resident Jaine Lunn has not been impressed by the proposals.  This is the comment she made on my earlier blog about the meeting:

Meanwhile back in the real world. Local residents will be treated to more disruption to there daily routines as once or maybe even twice a week, 75,000 people visit Wembley Stadium (an international destination renowned the world over).

To the soundtrack of Spurs fans chanting the attributes of Harry Kane, whilst traipsing along the high road, swigging cans of beer, decorating every road within a 1,000 metres of the stadium with litter, overflowing waste bins, using every conceivable nook and cranny as a public urinal. Bumping along the pot holed roads, rattling sinking drains and the mangled manhole covers. Jostling for space amongst the HGV's and Skip Lorries removing rubbish and delivering plant works and materials to all the new developments in process of being demolished or built, of which Brent House, Chesterfield House, and Curtis Lane just to mention a few. Adding to the already daily occurence of gridlocked Wembley, where is takes more than half an hour to drive several hundred metres at peak times.

All the while ensuring the already overcrowded Public Transport system is bursting at the seams, TFL and the Mayor failing miserably in delivering their promises of more buses, less pollution, better air quality. Oh the anticpation of what's to come, I can't wait, but I won't be the only one standing in the queue for the soap box telling you "I told you so". However there will be some winners to this scenario, look at all the overtime Veolia and the Police will be entitled to. Not to mention all the people who work in the Fast Food outlets along the high road, pubs, and security personnel required to keep the peace!

Roll on 2017 a very happy New Year to one and all.

More events and larger capacity at Wembley? Exhibition Monday at Chalkhill Community Centre

From Wembley National Stadium Limited

As part of its preparations for the 2017/18 season, Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) has submitted a planning application to temporarily increase the number of full capacity events at Wembley Stadium.

The application seeks to establish a temporary cap to accommodate up to an additional 31 THFC sporting events at Wembley Stadium between 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018 where the available spectator capacity is increased from 51,000 to up to 90,000.

This would allow up to 36 full capacity THFC home games may be played at Wembley during the season with 5 of these accommodated under the existing event cap. In practice however, the number of games is dependent on progress within knockout competitions and whether fixtures are drawn to be played at home or away. In reality, based on recent averages, the total number of home games likely to be hosted at Wembley Stadium is expected to be in the region of 30.

The application also seeks the associated removal of a limit on temporary traffic management events (Condition 33), to enable effective event day travel planning;

Summary Planning Document:

 

 
The application has been submitted to Brent Council where it is to be assessed on its own merits against the prevailing planning policy.

The FA and WNSL are responsible for ensuring that local residents and the wider community are a key consideration in the organisation of any events that take place at the stadium. A consultation process is underway and further discussions will be held prior to the determination of the application.
Local residents and businesses are invited to attend an exhibition at Chalkhill Community Centre on Monday 30 January 2pm until 9pm to learn more about the planning application and what it entails.

Brent Walk for Change today

The Brent Walk for Change July 17^th

Would you like to join us to explore Brent’s lesser known green areas? 

This will be a shared sponsored walk to enjoy ourselves, exchange ideas and to collect some change from our sponsors to help fund our groups.

It is open to any voluntary organisations in Brent working for Environmental and/or Social Justice.

It will take place on 17^th July 2016 starting at 2.30 at Stonebridge Park station and is about 6 miles

We would be glad if your group would like to join us. If you would then please contact the organisers, Martin Francis and Pam Laurance.

Contact details:

Martin - mafran@globalnet.co.uk   

Pam - info@brentfoe.com    

If you would like to do the walk on your own today or another time the guide is below:

11 year old's postive message for inclusive Chalkhill event

Since the Referendum vote even Brent has seen cases of racist insults against some of our residents so it is good that the Chalkhill Fun Day publicity features a strong inclusive statement from 11 year old Yusra Qamar who says:

My country is the earth. I am a citizen of the world which consists of only one race - the human race

The Fun Day bringing together everyone in the Chalkhill community is on Saturday 16th July.

Raunchy Rockers offer music, dancing, food and laughter!

Add caption

Places still left on Chalkhill IT course which starts tomorrow

Free I.T classes running at Chalkhill Community Centre start tomorrow and every Tuesday after that!

WE HAVE A FEW SPACES LEFT SO BOOK NOW!

The I.T classes provide free I.T training for 8-weeks designed for those who would like to learn about the basic concepts and features of computers and software. 

Learners with little or no knowledge or those who have not used this for some time and wish to refresh their skill are welcome.

The course will start next Tomorrow (9th June) and run for 8 weeks.

There will be a morning class (10:30am- 12:00pm) and an afternoon class (1:00-pm2:30pm).

Please contact me via t.roberts@cvsbrent.org.uk to register interest in booking a place. 

Please note: Places will go fast as there is a high demand already so please don't hesitate to email or pass on to someone who may be interested.

Another high-rise development for Wembley but where is the truly affordable housing?

From the planning document

Shortly after my article about the high rise 20 storey development behind the Brent Civic Centre LINK Quintain have put in their planning application (14/4931) for the South West Lands. This is the area along the Chiltern line going south from Wembley Stadium station which is crossed by White Horse Bridge (below) Full documentation for the Planning Application can be found HERE

New developments in white

This fills in the space currently occupied by shrubbery. The application leaves some options which will probably be decided by Quintain on grounds of viability (or better known as profit) in negotiation with Brent Council.

Some of the blocks are 19 storeys high, just one storey below the blocks planned behind the Civic Centre and three or so higher than the Orbis Hotel next to the White Horse Bridge.

Someone recently asked why, having demolished the tower blocks of Chalkhill and Stonebridge, the Council were now supporting the building of them in Wembley?

This is an artist's impression of the impact on the skyline:

Summary of Planning Application

A hybrid planning application, for the redevelopment of the site to provide seven mixed use buildings up to 19 storeys in height accommodating: outline planning permission for up to a total of 75,000sqm to 85,000sqm mixed floor space including up to 67,000sqm of C3 residential accommodation (approximately 725 units); 8,000sqm to 14,000sqm for additional C3 residential accommodation,

C1 hotel and/or sui generis student accommodation (an additional approximate 125 residential units; or 200-250 bed hotel; or approximate 500 student units; or approximate 35 residential units and 200 bed hotel); 1,500sqm to 3,000sqm for Classes B1/A1/A2/A3/A4/D1/D2; together with associated open space and landscaping; car parking, cycle storage, pedestrian, cycle and vehicle access; associated highway works; improvements to rear access to Neeld Parade; and associated infrastructure full planning permission for a basement beneath Plots SW03 - SW05 to accommodate 284 car parking spaces and 19 motor cycle spaces; Building 3A within Plot SW03 to accommodate 183 residential units and 368 cycle spaces at ground floor; and associated infrastructure, landscaping and open space

In the consultation last year, which got a low number of response, out of the 37 general comments the largest number on a single topic was nine (from Consultation summary):

Nine comments express ed the view that affordable housing/family housing should form part of the development and be delivered quickly.

Nine comments related to specific suggestions for provision of infrastructure/amenities as part of the development. These suggestions included schools, GPs and provision for youth, the elderly and disabled people.

So are the consultees going to get what they requested?  The application gives two scenarios for the amount and type of housing:

In Scenario 1 the proportion of social rented housing is 2.2% and in Scenario 2 5%. This is against Brent's 50% target for affordable accommodation. As usual the definition of affordable is unclear but for the developer seems to include the Intermediate category and is hedged by caveats..

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At present, the proportion of the affordable units is not known as this will be subject to negotiations, planning priorities and viability. Therefore, for the purposes of this assessment, a range of affordable housing provision has been considered to ensure the impacts at both ends of the spectrum are identified and,where necessary, mitigated. The range assessed is between 10% (Scenario 1) and 25% (Scenario 2) by unit. In the event that affordable housing provision falls outside these bounds, a review will be undertaken to identify any new impacts or significant changes to the impacts identified as part of this assessment.

Given the amount of housing Quintain's assessment of the number of children in the development seems low. The number of 3 bedroomed properties, a priority for many Brent families is low. Perhaps the developers are assuming most of the residents with be Dinkies (Double Income No Kids).

From this prediction they suggest there is already enough secondary school places if Gateway and  Gladstone Free Schools open (a gamble?)  and the development will have a 'negligible effect'  locally. However there they may be the need for some Community Infrastructure Levy contribution to primary school places as the development is deemed to have a 'minor adverse effect'. With GP's lists at capacity locally it also suggests a CiL contribution to health provision may be necessary.

It is worth reminding ourselves what was promised in terms of social provision for local people at the beginning of the Quintain development, aside from affordable housing:

Anticipated infrastructure is expected to include (inter alia):

· 2 x 2 forms of entry primary school; a new combined primary (2FE) and secondary school (6FE) on the Wembley Park site;

· Extensions to existing local schools; nursery places;

· At least 2.4ha of new public open space comprising of a new park (1.2ha min) and 3 pocket parks/squares (0.4ha each);

·Improvements to the quality and accessibility of existing open spaces;

·A new community swimming pool; indoor and outdoor sports facilities;

·Play areas; new health facilities with space for 14 GPs and 11 new dentists;

and  new multi-use community facilities.

I recommend that among the hundreds of documents you read the Socio-Economic Chapter of the application which covers some of these issues. LINK

Among the positives about the development are the provision of green space and play space for children although we will need to see details about public accessibility and quality. Some of the buildings will have green roofs.

However once again we have to ask, where is the benefit for the ordinary people of Wembley/Brent and what will the Council do to increase the proportion of truly affordable housing for local people?

Build a stronger, healthier Chalkhill - job vacancy

Michael Stuart, who has done a terrific job on Chalkhill Estate as Well London Co-ordinator, is finishing in March  and the job is now being advertised.

I hope to publish an interview with Michael soon about the work he has done, but meanwhile here are the job details:

Well London Coordinator – £18,000 3 days a week (pro rata £30,000) fixed term one year post, with extension subject to available funding.

Well London is an exciting and ambitious programme that builds stronger local communities by getting people working together to improve their neighbourhoods, health and well-being. We have been working in Chalkhill since August 2012 and are looking for a co-ordinator to further develop the project.

The co-ordinator will be based in Chalkhill and will use community development, project management and volunteer management skills to sustain and develop current activities, increase the capacity of the local community and build relationships with local and statutory organisations. Key areas of work contributing to the Well London health and wellbeing outcomes include:

·         healthy eating

·         physical activities

·         volunteering, employment and training

·         emotional health

·         social and community activities.

It is important to build the skills, confidence and capacity of residents’ groups and activities to be independent and sustainable and to ensure all sections of the local community are involved.

How to apply:  download the Application Form and Job Description/Person Specification from the link below or email m.stuart@cvsbrent.org.uk. Closing date for applications is Sunday 1^st February (midnight), with interviews on Wednesday 11th February. Please return completed applications to m.stuart@cvsbrent.org.uk. For an informal discussion about the post please contact the existing postholder, Michael Stuart, on 0756 8575 580.

Application Form

http://www.cvsbrent.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Well-London-Chalkhill-Application-form.doc

Job Description / Person Specification

http://www.cvsbrent.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Well-London-JD-and-PS-2015.doc

Advert

http://www.cvsbrent.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/WLC-Advert.docx

School Summer Fairs bring the community together

All over the borough this month and next, local primary schools will be holding their Summer Fairs. PTAs and Friends Associations work with staff, governors and pupils to fundraise for those little extras. At the same time the events demonstrate how schools unite a diverse community in a common endeavour and showcase unity in action. It's just schools carrying on as normal but serves as a powerful riposte at attempts to divide us.

Get on your bikes and enjoy Chalkhill cycling facility

The Chalkhill biking site is officially launched on 25 June at 2.30pm. The first BMX club session starts on Saturday 14 June - 1.30pm until 3pm.

The BMX Track

 Chalkhill BMX cycle track – free club membership this Saturday

Come to the Chalkhill BMX track this Saturday at 1pm for the launch of Brent BMX club. Everyone is welcome, from beginners to expert riders of all ages. We have a set of bikes, helmets and gloves available and the first session is completely FREE. We are also providing FREE club membership for people attending the first session. Check out our Facebook page

Brent BMX Club is a volunteer-led club for the local community. Established as part of Access Sport’s BMX Legacy Programme (www.londonbmx.co.uk) and supported by Brent Council we are looking for anyone who would like to get involved in BMX or willing to help out at the clu.

 There are  three tracks at the Barnhill/Chalkhill open space for bike and scooter users to enjoy.

Please note that some club sessions may take priority at certain times.

BMX track

The BMX track design has been created to suit all abilities of riders from beginners to experts as all obstacles are 'rollable', meaning not so confident riders can roll over each obstacle and still carry sufficient speed for the next.

The nature of the obstacles and angle of the berms allow more experienced riders to carry further speed and negotiate the obstacles in a number of different ways.

Family cycle trail

The family cycle trail is a 'Green Grade Trail' based on the International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA) grading of routes and trails.

The difficulty level of the proposed trail equates to 'Leisure and Easy' and is built to IMBA Standards for Green Grade Trails.

The family trail snakes its way around the field with boulder stones placed to add features to the trail and help create a natural segregation from riders and pedestrians.

All aspects of the trail are integrated into the exiting land forms as much as possible for example elevations and deviations of the existing parkland.

Scooter track

The scooter track consists of small low obstacles linking from one to another.

There is a low start hill to allow riders to gain sufficient speed to negotiate the obstacles along the track.

The entire scooter track is finished in asphalt to allow a smooth finish for the small wheeled scooters and bikes.

Find a BMX and cycling club near you

• BMX clubs in Brent
• Cycling clubs in Brent

Chalkhill BMX track ready for use

The cycle facilities at Chalkhill Open Space (Barnhill Road/St David’s Close) are now complete and ready for use by the local community. The facilities provided include a BMX track, a family cycle trail around the perimeter of the open space and a scooter track. More information on the facilities can be found at this webpage: LINK

A few things remain outstanding such as moving the football goalposts away from the cycle trail and time for the grass seed to establish but these do not diminish the availability of the cycle facilities.

The official launch of the facility is likely to be June 25th but children were already enjoying the BMX track when I came by on Thursday evening.

A great addition to the facilities on Chalkhill thanks to Brent Council's Sports and Parks Department.

Chalkhill Park planting comes into glorious flower

Just a year after opening Chalkhill Park is looking stunning this week as the plants come into flower. Congratulations to Garth McWilliam and the team.

(Wild flower meadow)

This should get Chalkhill residents on their bikes!

The site plan

The BMX track

The scooter track

The planning application for a family cycling facility at St David's Close (Chalkhill Sports Ground) has now been posted on the Brent Council website LINK and it looks well thought out and very exciting. A lot of thought has been put into making the facility both safe and challenging and the noisiest track is well away from the houses next to the railway track.

 The initial deadline for comments is November 20th 2013 and the planning officer is Matthew Harvey: matthew.harvey@brent.gov.uk

Only two comments so far appear on the website. One is a simple objection while the other states:

Support: I currently live in a neighbouring borough and would be prepared to cycle 3 miles here to use this facility. I have grown up riding BMX in East London and moved to North London recently I have seen the benefits first hand of what places like this can do for local kids and communities. I've seen kids from all kids of backgrounds become friends, avoid turning to crime and help stay healthy because they had somewhere to go and something to do on the weekends.

I hope there will be similar positive comments from local residents including children.

This is a summary of the facilities from the Planning Application:

Family Cycle Trail

The Family cycle trail will be a ‘Green Grade Trail’ based on the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) grading of routes/trails. The difficulty level of the proposed trail equates to ‘Leisure and Easy’ and will be built to IMBA Standards for Green Grade Trails. 

The Family Trail (Green Trail) will snake its way around the Sports field as indicated on the design. Boulder stones will be placed to add features to the trail and help create a natural segregation from riders and pedestrians. Best possible use will be made of existing land forms and features onsite. All aspects of the trail will be integrated into the exiting land forms as much as possible for example elevations and deviations of the existing parkland.

BMX Track

The proposal relates to the creation of a BMX Track facility to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and British Cycling standards. Further, a post installation inspection will be carried out before the facility is handed over to ensure it meets the standards and safety parameters set by British Cycling and ROSPA

The proposed design has been created to suit all abilities of riders from beginners to experts as all obstacles are to be 'rollable', meaning not so confident riders can roll over each obstacle and still carry sufficient speed for the next. The nature of the obstacles and angle of the berms will allow more experienced riders to carry further speed and negotiate the obstacles in a number of different ways. Each element of the track will be progressive and allow riders to increase their skill level during each visit.

The Start Hill has been positioned to be easily accessible from the entrance to the area. This helps to reduce conflict between riders as well as other users of the sport ground as the easiest way to the track

start it the most desired route. 

The position of the Start Hill also helps to reduce the possibility of riders crossing the track as the Start Hill is the area riders congregate and when positioned as close to the entrance as possible riders are magnetized towards the correct starting position before riding the track. The Track start slope is low to help control the speed of riders entering the first straight. This will give less skilled riders the confidence to try the track as they will not be entering th e obstacles at great speeds. The obstacles have also been designed low. This keeps the speed controlled by not allowing riders to gain lots of speed from long down slopes which high jumps would allow. 

Inexperienced riders can roll each obstacle safely whilst still carrying enough speed to negotiate the next. The track will also be of interest to more experienced riders as they can try to ride the track in different combinations and carry extra speed round the berms. 

Scooter Track

The Scooter Track will be placed at the end of the asphalted access path to the area to allow for ease of access by the users such as young children and families. 

These asphalted access paths will allow users of scooters and other small wheeled bikes ease of access to the Scooter track as they will be of a smooth finish.

The access path will cross over the start or return of the family cycle trail. this will be negotiated with the use of stone boulders to slow both riders on the family trail and users of the scooter track by means of a squeeze area. 

The Scooter Track itself will consist of small low obstacles linking from one to another. There will also be a low start hill to allow riders to gain sufficient speed to negotiate the obstacles along the Track. The entire Scooter Track will be finished in asphalt to allow a smooth finish for the small wheeled Scooters and Bikes. The smoother the finish the easier smaller wheels will be able to travel over the surface. 

Storage Container

The storage container will be supplied to provide a future cycling club valuable storage space for equipment such as bikes, helmets and other safety equipment.

Floodlighting is not proposed and the lack of this provision should minimise recreational noise during the hours of darkness.

Chalkhill: A Growing community

The day after media publicity about the health benefits of gardening it was good to spend yesterday helping out with other volunteers on the Chalkhill allotments.

We were clearing the raised beds for the new season and topping them up with compost. There were problems with growing last year because there was no water source on the allotment that runs alongside the Metropolitan railway line.

That should be resolved shortly after an agreement between Metropolitan Housing and the Well London project on Chalkhill to install a water supply.  Anyone interested in  growing healthy local food and improving their own health through the exercise involved in gardening should look out for publicity regarding bagging one of the plots.

Michaela Free School: not needed, not wanted, not interested...

I was only the sixth (and the last) person to attend the Michaela Free School Consultation this afternoon. The first on the attendance list was another opponent of the school so Michaela didn't do very well. There were more people from Michaela itself present than there were members of the public who attended throughout the 2 hours consultation period.

Nevertheless I had an interesting chat with Suella Fernandes, vice chair of the Michaela governing body. When I asked about the appointment of Katharine Birbalsingh as headteacher of the school and the process involved I was told that Katharine was the proposer of the free school so she was the headteacher - 'That's the way it goes with a free school'. When I asked, therefore, what quality control there was of the appointment, given the rigorous procedures involved in the appointment of headteachers in the maintained sector, I was told that the free school application had been 'vetted'  by the DfE.

Turning to the governing body I asked how they had been appointed, Apparently they are supporters of the bid and all 'passionate' about education. She did not demur when I said, 'So you are all self-appointed', that's how it is with free schools, apparently. I was told that apart from herself, a planning barrister, other governors included Chidi Amadi, an ex-pupil of Birbalsingh's and Dr Tony Sewell, CEO of Generating Genius. LINK

When I asked whether parent governors would be elected or appointed I was told they would be 'recruited'. As many free schools and academies have only one or two parent governors I asked how many Michaela would have. That was probably unfair as the governing body is still incomplete and hoping to recruit 'professionals' locally, and the vice chair could only hazard a guess off the record.

 Recruitment of teachers is clearly an issue with Michaela offering English, Maths, Science, History. Geography, Religious  Education, French, Spanish, Music, Art and extended day competitive sport, help with university applications, Latin, Mandarin, business and personal financial skills and social and cultural education.  It was clear from my conversation that staff recruitment had not got very far and I warned that some of these were shortage subjects where it would be hard to recruit.

With the school intending to open in September 2014 with four classes of 30 (presumably Year Sevens) I asked how the range of subjects could be covered by 'about eight teachers' and was told that this would be 'no problem at all'.

Pursuing the thought that parents were being sold a pig in a poke I pointed out that with local secondary schools parents could judge them from their examination results (except for Ark that doesn't have any yet) and Ofsted Reports, but all we had for Michaela were assertions in a glossy brochure: 'That's the way it is with free schools starting out'. But they wanted to offer parents a choice based on tradition and discipline.

With Michaela having been rejected in two areas of South London I asked how they had ended up in Brent. Initially I was told that this was because there was a need here and because of the challenges Brent faced with its multicultural population and people not having English as their first language. When I pointed out that Brent secondary schools were achieving well and amongst the top 10% of schools in the country with a proven track record, the grounds switched to the shortage of secondary places. I pointed out that the Council had published plans to deal with this but was told that Michaela was one of the ways Brent was tackling the shortage. When I pressed further the fact that there was a site available in Wembley at Arena House became the dominant factor.When I suggested that the real need was for a secondary school, open to all, in the south of the borough, Suella suggested that I find them a site.

When I asked about planning permission for a secondary school in Arena House I was confidently told by the planning barrister that it wasn't required. When I pointed out that this meant local people had no say in something that would affect them, yes, you've guessed: 'That's the way it is' but people could come along and tell them about their concerns at the next consultation. In the future there will be school students from Ark, Preston Manor, Michaela and the French School at the Town Hall concentrated in this small area of Wembley. When I said that residents were likely to raise a hue and cry the short response was 'Let them'.

I asked about play space in the new school and Michaela agreed there would be very little and they would look elsewhere in the borough for sports facilities. Apparently no agreement has been reached with the Ark about the use of their facilities. At first they did not seem to know about the Town Hall French School but them confirmed that they had been in negotiations for the building but had dropped out because it would not have been ready in time for September 2014. Instead Arena House will be refurbished - at what cost to taxpayers I do not know - but at a time when the poor state of Copland High School has made national headlines...

Suella Fernandes involvement strengthens Michaela's links with the Conservative Party. (Katharine Birbalsingh's career as a Govite was launched when she addressed a meeting at the Tory Conference). Suella is a daughter of former Brent Conservative councillor Uma Fernandes and herself stood as a Conservative candidate in Fryent ward. She attended a local Brent primary school, Uxendon Manor, but her secondary education was at Heathfield School in Pinner - a Girls Public Day School Trust establishment.

The next consultation is on April 4th, 6-8pm Powell Suite, Chalkhill Community Centre