Cllr Abdi escalates complaint, alleging Cllr Butt's political interference in Brent Council's planning process

Cllr Abdirazak Abdi has been told that his complaint against Cllr Butt does not come under the members' Code of Contract. Debra Norman, Brent Council's Chief Legal officer said:

The decision by the Labour Group to nominate another member of your group to the Planning Committee was entirely a political group matter. The handling of complaints relating to political group activities, especially the alleged failure to comply with the Labour Group’s standing orders or the rules of natural justice, is a political group disciplinary matter. It is not a council matter and the obligations set out in the code do not apply.

Cllr Abdi replied:

Thank you for your response about my members’ code of conduct complaint against Cllr M Butt.

I would like to make an explicit allegation of political interference in Brent’s planning system by Cllr M Butt.

Cllr M Butt concealed the real reason for his decision on 09 July 2018 by providing an explanation which seemed plausible without scrutiny but which he later changed on 27 July 2018, to provide an alternative basis. 

On 27 July 2018, Cllr M Butt conceded that the reason for his decision on 09 July was due to my voting record, ‘In taking unsubstantiated positions on numerous applications’ excerpt from Cllr M Butt’s e-mail on 27 July 2018. 

I assert that Cllr M Butt interfered with Brent’s Planning system and then tried to make false accusations in regards to my competence, preparedness and conduct in the planning committee. These accusations were not put to me at the time and I wasn’t given an opportunity to challenge.

Again please get in touch, if you decide to investigate this complaint, so I can provide the relevant information I hold. Please use the information I provided in my earlier correspondence as basis to assess the merits of this complaint.

If you decide, to not investigate this complaint under members’ code of conduct.  I’d like to make a formal complaint against the council for not taking my allegations seriously.

Cllr. Butt’s meetings with developer – was Brent’s FoI response True or False?

A guest post by Philip Grant

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A recent blog LINK  published the Council Leader’s reply to questions raised by Cllr. Warren about meetings Cllr. Butt had with a developer, as disclosed by a Brent Council Freedom of Information Act (FoI) response.

Cllr. Butt claimed that the FoI response about meetings in April and May 2017 was ‘an error’, and that these meetings took place ‘at least a year earlier’. If his claim is correct, one or more Council officers have been incompetent, at best, and the confidence that residents should be able to have in the reliability of Brent’s FoI system is undermined.

Carolyn Downs, as Brent’s Chief Executive, is responsible for ensuring that the Council delivers its services efficiently. She also has a responsibility to defend her staff, if they have been wrongly criticised. This is the text of an email I have sent to her, in order to establish the facts:

Leader's meetings FoI response - True or False?

Dear Ms Downs,

Further to our recent correspondence over the local newspaper article on 23 November, "Why did leader meet developers?" the text of Cllr. Warren's questions to Cllr. Butt arising from it, and the Council Leader's reply, are in the public domain - see LINK; I am writing to you to request your urgent action on, and reply to, the serious concern raised by this statement in his reply by Cllr. Butt:

 

'An error was made in responding to the FOI on which your questions are based. The meetings to which you refer occurred at least a year earlier than reported.'

The 'FOI' referred to was issued by Brent Council on 31 October 2017, with the reference: 8353800, and the copy of it which I have seen is embedded as a document in a blog article at LINK.

The reply from Cllr. Butt quoted above is scarcely credible, and I have said so publicly in a comment which explains why I believe that is the case. I attach a copy of the text of that comment, for your information, and that of Cllrs. Butt and Warren, and your Chief Legal Officer, Debra Norman, to whom I am copying this email.

Cllr. Butt has claimed that a Brent Council officer has issued an incorrect response to a Freedom of Information Act request. I am asking you, as Brent's Chief Executive, and Head of Paid Service, whether that claim is true or false.

The FoI letter of 31 October was quite clear. In response to the request:

'Please provide details including the date, time, location, attendees, and minutes (if taken) of any meetings between any Brent Councillor(s) and any representative(s) of the following organisations, between 2012 and now: A. R55 (Developers) B. Colliers International C. HKDD Properties Ltd. D. SF Planning Limited.'

 

the information given was:

'In terms of meetings between councillors and any of the organisations listed the only ones I am able to confirm as having taken place are as follows:

· Wednesday 5 April 2017 10:30-11:30am – Councillor Butt (Leader of the Council) met with representatives from Terrapin Communications and their client R55. This meeting was also attended by Amar Dave (Strategic Director – Environment & Regeneration) and Aktar Choudhury (Operational Director – Regeneration).

· Tuesday 23 May 2017 10:15-11:15am – Councillor Butt (Leader of the Council) and Councillor Tatler (Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Growth, Employment and Skills) met with representatives from Colliers International. This meeting was also attended by Amar Dave (Strategic Director – Environment & Regeneration).

No minutes were produced for either of these meetings.'

In view of the details given of dates, times and attendees, (and there being no record of any other such meetings with the organisations listed in the FoI request since 2012), this information must have been researched by reference to at least some of the people who attended the meetings detailed, and their diaries. Yet Cllr. Butt now claims that the meetings listed did not take place, or that if they did, they 'occurred at least a year earlier than reported' in the Council's FoI response.

I would ask that you, or a trusted colleague, should check personally:

  with the officer or officers responsible for issuing the FoI response (ref: 8353800) of 31 October 2017 as to the source(s) of the information which gave rise to that response, and whether you consider the information given in that response to be reliable and correct 

and,
 

·       with your senior officers, Amar Dave and Aktar Choudhury, and obtain from them details (including date, time and persons present) of any meetings which they have held with the developers R55, or any of their representatives, at which Cllr. Butt was also present, and for any notes made of discussions at those meetings.

I would then ask that you make those details publicly available, so that concerned local people, and the press and blog site which have reported this matter, can know what confidence they can have in the accuracy of Brent Council's handling of Freedom of Information Act requests. 

Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you at an early date. Best wishes,

Philip Grant.

When I receive a reply, I will make it publicly available, as I believe it is important for this “True or False?” question to be resolved openly and transparently.

If you are wondering why it matters when the meetings took place, here is my answer. 

·      If the meetings ‘occurred at least a year earlier than reported’, that would be before the developer, R55, submitted its planning application for the Minavil House site. Cllr. Butt’s explanation that the ‘meetings were to discuss much needed inward investment and the building of essential new homes’ could be a reasonable one (even though notes should still have been taken of the points discussed, in line with the LGA guidelines).

·      If the meetings took place in April and May 2017, with the last of them the day before R55’s application was approved by Planning Committee, then Cllr. Butt may well have misled Cllr. Warren, the Council and the people of Brent. If that proves to be the case, the public can rightly be concerned that he may be trying to cover-up what happened at those meetings (at which notes should have been taken under the LGA’s guidance on “Probity in Planning for councillors and officers”).

Philip Grant

No records kept of Cllr Butt's closed-door meetings with Alperton tower developers

Plans for Minavil House site in Alperton

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Guest Post by Andrew Linnie

It has emerged that, contrary to Local Government Association advice, no minutes or notes were kept of three meetings between Brent Council Leader Muhammed Butt (Labour) and the developers of a controversial £150m tower in Alperton. Not only were there no notes kept, but the meetings took place in a short period before the project was due to be deliberated on by the planning committee, including one meeting the day before the decision was due to be made.

The LGA advises that such meetings, which can be beneficial in allowing councillors and developers to discuss pertinent matters, should take place in the formative stages of a plan. However, meeting with developers and their representatives the day before the council is due to rule on a scheme, especially one of such scale, is unprecedented and brings the entire planning process into disrepute. Councillors are expected to ensure that there is no possibility of predetermination. The final meeting took place on May 23^rd of this year, the day before the committee met to decide. The two previous meetings were in the preceding weeks, on April 5^th and May 10^th respectively. At the latter, Butt and the council’s lead for regeneration Cllr Shama Tatler also accepted lunch as hospitality from the developer’s representatives.

The 26-storey tower is well above the 17-storey limit Cllr Butt and his colleagues promised for the area when they adopted the Alperton Masterplan in 2011. It was opposed by dozens of neighbours, and a petition I arranged, previously discussed on Wembley Matters LINK, gained over 200 signatures. The development was also criticised for failing light tests and being twice the maximum density for the area. Cllr Butt’s colleagues representing Alperton admitted in a letter that many concerns were ignored, but claimed that there was nothing they could do. A freedom of information brought the lack of record keeping to light:

Brent Labour Group punish John Duffy, outspoken Brent councillor - Labour whip removed

Cllr Duffy

In a dedicated meeting of Brent Labour Group held on Monday maverick councillor John Duffy  was deprived of the Labour whip for an indefinite period.

In what one informant described as an ugly meeting reminiscent of a kangaroo court, Duffy was accused of  bullying and bringing the Labour Group into disrepute.

Cllr Butt's allies ensured that a compromise proposal, for a shorter period, was defeated. Duffy's recent criticism of Brent's CEO, Carolyn Downs, appeared to have played a part in the move as well as his revelations concerning Brent's management of its waste services. LINK

Duffy, who was not selected by Labour for the May 2018 elections, has just only six months left as a councillor.

I do hope that this does not prevent Cllr Duffy continuing to speak 'Truth to Power' despite "Power' trying to silence him.

Butt welcomes input from Preston on Community Library Strategy

Titus Bear from Barham Community Library visits Preston Library

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, has copied me into his response to Philip Bromberg of Preston Community Library who requested consultation over the development of a Community Library Strategy LINK:

Philip

Many thanks for attending the cabinet meeting and for your contribution along side the other contributions.

I sincerely do want a positive outcome for all and hence the suggestion from myself for a   Community library strategy that doesn't just cover the PCL but any other community library including the good work being done with Kensal and Cricklewood.

There will need to be a concerted effort from all areas especially from the library service and from property as well.

It would be good to have some input from yourself as we move this forward in formulating this policy. Let me and Michael start the discussion with our officers and WWE will get together soon.

Libraries are under the remit of Cllr Pavey with Phil Porter as the Strategic Director and property is under my remit with Althea Loderick as the Strategic Director for Resources, we will need to work together closely to make sure that we get the best outcomes in making sure that organisations that work with us and deliver services such as PCL are recognised.

Philip please don't hesitate to pick the phone up or contact me if you want to discuss things.

Kind Regards
Muhammed

Cllr Muhammed Butt
Leader of Brent Council

Meanwhile the papers for tomorrow's  Full Meeting of the Council contains this question from Cllr Reg Colwill (Leader of the Kenton Conservative Group) and Cllr Michael Pavey's, Lead Member for Stronger Communities and Libraries, reply:

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7. Question to the Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities from Councillor Reg Colwill, Kenton

The residents of the Preston Ward have done a fantastic job in keeping the library active and working to make sure that all the residents have access to books in a very professional manner.

Will the Council now honour what they told the residents that is that they would give them the library to continue their good work?

If yes, the Committee running the library would like to know when.

Preston Community Library have done an absolutely superb job in keeping a library running in extremely difficult circumstances. They have delivered a truly inclusive range of exceptional activities and have brought the whole community together. 

I would make the small point that although many of the Library volunteers are indeed Preston residents, many others live in Barnhill and surrounding wards - they all deserve immense credit.

We plan to redevelop the Preston Library building to provide new housing, however these plans will also incorporate high quality new community space. Cabinet felt that the published report paving the way for this redevelopment did not sufficiently recognise the excellent work of the Preston Community Library, nor did it do enough to pledge ongoing support for that library. 

Consequently Cabinet committed to take three months to work with Preston Community Library, as well as the community libraries in Cricklewood, Kensal Rise and Barham Park, to develop a new Community Library Strategy over and above which the Council has a duty to provide. In addition to broader issues, this strategy will directly address access to the new Preston Library building.

Cabinet has also stated a very clear preference that both the tender process and the rental level for the new community space at the redeveloped building should be clearly weighted towards social value, rather than financial value. 

All four Brent community libraries are extremely important partners of the Brent Library Service. We are grateful for their excellent work and look forward to working with them to develop an exciting new strategy to assist in securing the long term future of each library.

A 'mumble for Mo' as assault on children and young people is approved by Brent Cabinet

It is customary in government, when spending priorities are being decided,  for each departmental minister to make the case for his or her department to the Treasury and to the Cabinet. Their effectiveness can be gauged by their success,

Transferring that to Brent Council level it was clear at tonight's Cabinet meeting that Ruth Moher, lead member for children and families appeared to have been particularly ineffective. Putting aside Children's Centres, which are Michael Pavey's passion, the main losers were children and young people.

Eric Pickles urged to investigate Brent Council over handling of fraud allegations

Ex-union activist Nan Tewari has written to Eric Pickles, Secretary of Stae for Communities and Local Government, raising a number of issues concerning the handling of allegations that Cara Davani, Brent's Director of Human Resources misused her Brent Council Oyster Card.  The letter is written at a time when Brent Council has dismissed 11 workers over alleged serious breaches of financial regulations and the staff code of conduct.LINK

In the long and detailed open letter Nan Tewari states:

Now after more than a year later [after the initial investigation of the Oyster card issue], it appears that there is only a draft internal audit report of the investigation in existence. Why was the report never finalised? Might it be because the treatment of Ms Davani has been unduly lenient in comparison with others and would therefore not stand up to scrutiny? The audit committee minutes of March 13 notes that it was highlighted that 18 cases of internal fraud were found, resulting in five dismissals and 10 resignations before action could be taken. Ms Davani presides over, and advises on these very disciplinary and dismissal cases and it is difficult to see how her position can remain tenable given what she has done. She is at the head of the council's workforce and as such must be an exemplar of the highest standards of behaviour expected of every person employed to work in the council or provide services to it.

The internal audit report, which is available below, was written about a period of considerable turmoil  in the Council and tensions in the relationship between officers and leading Labour politicians. Following Muhammed Butt's election to Labour and Brent Council leadership, in succession to Ann John,  disagreements developed between him and Gareth Daniel LINK , Chief Executive, which eventually led to Daniel leaving his post. Members. The CMT (Corporate Management Team, had written a letter in support of Daniel.  Fiona Ledden, now head of Legal and Procurement stepped in as Interim Chief Executive.

The audit report is heavily redacted but gives a picture of events. CMT is Corporate Management Team. XXXX indicates redaction.

Butt confirms no 2% council tax rise this year

Mike Bowden, Assistant Director of Brent Finance gave a presentation to the Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee in November 2012  that assumed a council tax rise of 3.5% for the 2013-14 council budget LINK. Shortly afterwards Eric Pickles established a requirement for a local referendum if increases were above a 2% threshold. Last year a number of councils of various political hues increased council tax below the 3.5% threshold that existed then.

I understand that there has been discussion in the Brent Executive as to whether to raise Council Tax with the benefit marginal after grant losses and  a reduced collection rate are taken into account. A rise above 2% would have incurred the cost of a local referendum.  It would of course have been another additional cost for people already suffering from benefit cuts and low or frozen wages. An alternative view is that calling the Coalition's bluff and triggering a referendum could result in a proper political debate about the need to adequately fund  local services and the iniquities of the Coalition's grant reduction to local authorities. Only a very small percentage of local government revenue comes from council taxes and charges.

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt has confirmed via a Facebook interchange with me that there will not be a 2% rise this year. Asked about a possible lower rise he said that the Council was looking at the settlement figures as part of the budgetary process and considering the offer of the freeze grant.

Butt: Early Years Centres threatened by grant cut

Muhammed Butt's office issued this press release today:

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council has demanded that an urgent inquiry is opened to determine what has happened to the £150 million that has reportedly been ‘siphoned’ off from the Government's Early Intervention Grant settlement for 2013-14 by the Department for Education.[i]      

The huge funding gap represents a shocking 10% of the entire Early Intervention Grant, which was established two years ago to fund projects that prevent vulnerable families from developing further problems by giving them the help and support they need.

In Brent, early intervention projects were allocated just over £15 million through the Grant for 2012-13[ii] with a similar amount expected for 2013-14, so in real terms a cut of 10% would translate into over £1.5 million taken away from schemes designed to help the most vulnerable people in society. 

One of the main services the Council currently uses the grant funding for is to run several Early Years Centres in the borough that provide vital child development support to parents, many of whom have no network of friends and family to support them and cannot afford expensive childcare classes. Other beneficiaries of the grant include youth centres and Children’s services.

The news of the cut comes despite a commitment by local Brent MP Sarah Teather, who was recently sacked from her post as Children and Families Minister, who claimed to be championing Early Intervention programmes both in Government and at a local level.

 

Speaking in a Commons debate in February this year, Teather said, ‘I think that everybody throughout the House agrees on the importance of early intervention….Government Members believe that the best way [to deliver it] is to devolve decisions to the local level.’[iii]

Cllr Butt said: ‘Sarah Teather has broken yet another promise to the most vulnerable people of Brent. It’s vitally important that we find out what’s happened to this funding. This grant was supposed to help crack the cycle of deprivation that traps our residents and give them brighter future. It’s a tragedy that it’s no longer available to them.’ 

‘If Michael Gove does not step in immediately to restore this money to the fund it was allocated to, he and his Coalition partners are robbing thousands of children of the very future they promised them by setting up this grant.’

Cllr Butt also said that he is dedicated to making sure that no child in the Borough is left behind at a time when impossible choices have to be made due to the highly punitive cuts imposed on local authorities by the Coalition.

Notes: The Government is now also considering withdrawing the £760m promised to local authorities to fund free nursery provision for up to 40% of all two-year-olds by 2014. The Grant is also under significant threat from further deficit reduction cuts and the Government’s plans to revoke the grant’s ‘ring-fenced’ status.[iv]

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[i] Reported by Graham Allen MP, 25^th October 2012: http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=21245

[ii] £15,113,721: http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/early%20intervention%20grant%20determination%202012-13.pdf

[iii] 27rd February 2012, Hansard: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120227/debtext/120227-0001.htm

[iv] Reported by Graham Allen MP, 25^th October 2012: http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=21245

"We will not let Brent Council's cowardly, middle of the night plundering defeat us"

This morning between 2 and 3am Richard Barrett, Brent's Property Officer, raided and stripped Kensal Rise Library. About 15 workers took the books from the library and also took the murals painted in the 1930's specifically for the library along with all the plaques commemorating the library's opening by Mark Twain.

They took tables and chairs and other assorted objects including a microwave and a box of sticky tape.They were assisted in this action by about 12 police officers.

Campaigners said: 

In a meeting with campaigners last week, the new leader of the council, Muhammad Butt promised that the murals and furniture would not be taken.

We asked him to hold off stripping the library until he had organised a meeting with All Souls College, the council and ourselves.

This action this morning is proof that the council had no intention of trying to ensure that the reverter on the library had not been triggered.

Cllr Mo Butt said he wanted to listen to the community, engage with them.

This is how he listens. By taking this action he has jeopardised the ability of this community to run this library.

We may be finished with Brent council but our campaign continues. We will not let their cowardly, middle of the night plundering defeat us. 

Cllr Butt's words to us are worse than meaningless.  

They reveal what a cowardly, conniving, bunch of dishonest panhandlers they are, but what else would you expect in the Banana Republic of Brent?

Butt: Libraries 'not an issue' in leadership change

In an interview with Michael R Goss of BNCTV LINK incoming Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt  says that the library closure controversy was 'not an issue' in the leadership change which saw him ousting Ann John.  He said the change was 'democracy in action'.

He defended the Civic Centre project and the Willesden Green regeneration and said that the library closure programme was forced on the Council by the Coalition's funding cuts. The interview was conducted yesterday before the Council emptied the Kensal Rise Library. He said that  no action can be taken on Kensal Rise until the outcome of the reverter to All Souls but that once in office he will respond the various e-mail from campaign groups.

In a key passage outlining how he would be different to Ann John he said:

What I want to do is take stock of what we're doing at the moment and see what we need to do taking into consideration the budget we've just implemented.  The we need to engage with our councillors, especially between the front bench and the back benchers - get them involved in the decision making process so everyone has an input and also I want to have more engagement with out residents and the electorate, listen to them rather than just sort of blindly defending our decisions.

I want to be able to go out to them, reach out to them, explain to them as to why we've taken the decisions we have.

Asked if this was an issue in the library controversy he said:

We should have got our messages a bit more clearer and that's why I'm saying we want to engage with people. I think our communication with the library campaigns, the electorate and perhaps within the Council, could have been a lot clearer and we could have explained things in simple terms, easier terms and expressed the enormity of the £32m cuts we had to make.

Muhammed Butt said that the resignation of the Labour Chief Whip was just a matter of taking advantage of the AGM. He expressed confidence in Cllr Shafique Choudhary, the new whip, and said he was confident that the Labour Group would get behind his leadership despite the close 21 to 19 vote.

Butt: Borough unity will make fightback against government more effective

Cllr James Denselow has not waited for the niceties of confirmation by the Full Council to proclaim Muhammed Butt the new leader of Brent Council. LINK  He quotes the following acceptance speech by Butt:

It is an honour to be elected to this position. I would like to pass my deepest thanks to my predecessor Cllr. Ann John and look forward to her continuing to be deeply involved in the Borough that I know she has loved and served for many years.

These are the toughest financial times in the history of Brent. I want to develop a new approach to the relationship between Councillors and Officers, between front and back benchers and between the Labour Party and our residents. I believe that the more united we are as a Borough the more effective our fight back against this government will be.

I stand for responsibility, fairness and the values of equality that underpin the Labour party and I look forward to beginning the hard work for Brent residents in my new role.

Cllr James Powney, architect of the library closures, survived a challenge for his Executive position from Cllr Claudia Hector according to my sources.