Are our parks and green spaces safe with Brent Council?

A meadow in Fryent Country Park was again used as a car park for football fans on Saturday. This time for those attending the FA Cup Final on the day of a rail workers' strike.  On social media  I expressed were concern about the use of a designated nature reserve for this purpose.

The meadow was  last used as a car park on another train strike day in June last year, this time for fans going to an Ed Sheeran concert. LINK

On that occasion Brent Council told Wembley Matters:

The event field at Fryent Country Park is available for commercial hire and events are very common there. Wembley Stadium approached the council to rent it on the basis the rail strike would create additional parking and traffic pressures in the Wembley area. The council agreed to its rental on the basis this would provide sensible relief across the wider area.

 

As well as a rental income to the council, the parking revenue was agreed to be ring-fenced to improve future event day management arrangements in the Wembley area, for example, more council enforcement, toilets and better fencing.

 

This is unlikely to be a regular occurrence, but the field is available for commercial hire as has always been the case.

 

 

Concern was heightened  by the news that Brent Council planners were recommending that Brent Planning Committee approve George Irvin's planning application to build four 3 storey houses in Barham Park. Liberal Democrat councillor for Sudbury ward, Paul Lorber, has written to Brent  Parks department asking whether this will set a precedent for other sites in the borough:

The Planning Officer recommendation on the Barham Park planning application going to Committee on 12 June 2023 suggests that the Council Housing Policies over rides this and the protection of Parks and Open Spaces is now a dead duck.

It is of some surprise to find that the Park Service made no representations on the Barham planning application and is silent on the issue and the implications for other Parks and Open Spaces.

Perhaps you can explain why?

In view of this can you provide the following:

1.  List of all of Brent’s Parks and Open Spaces which have residential buildings (I am aware of around wood Park and King Edward VII Park for example) and other buildings which on the basis of the Barham Park recommendation are now at risk.
2. How many of the above have been looked at and assessed as suitable for future housing development.
3. Whether in view of planning officers  recommendations the Protection of Parks and Open Spaces needs to be reviewed and strengthened.

Residents across Brent are now asking “is our Park/Open Space safe?” and they need reassurance.

I would appreciate an early reply.

Regards

Paul

PS. As you know there used to be a large House in the middle of Gladstone Park some years back. As it was used as a private residence is the site now suitable and acceptable for a residential development? Is the Council position on Barham Park (silence by the Parks Service and the Barham Park Charity managed by Council officers) a precedent of what residents can now expect in the future?

 

This is the relevant section of the Officers' Report. The promise of the first paragraph is dismissed in the subsequent paragraphs:

 

The Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Plan designated Barham Park including the land within the application site as a Local Green Space under Policy LGS1, with LGS2 relating to Barham Park. This policy highlights that the Local Green Spaces will be given long term protection and proposals for development which is not ancillary to the use of the land for recreational purposes will be resisted. The Local Green Space designation for Barham Park includes the houses and the majority of their curtilages as being within the designated space. It is set out within Neighbourhood Plan policy BP1 (Barham Park) that any proposals for the re-use or redevelopment of park buildings for residential us (Use Class C3) will not be supported.

 

Neighbourhood Plan Policies LGS1, LGS2 and BP1 are relevant to the proposal as the site is within the area defined as Local Green Space by the plan. However, the proposal does not result in the loss of any Local Green Space. The site contains house for which the authorised use is as dwellings within Use Class C3 and as such, the proposal is not considered to result in the redevelopment of park buildings.

The proposal is considered to accord with policies LGS1, LGS2 and BP1. Nevertheless, if one contended that Policy BP1 relates to all buildings within the area designated Local Green Space as opposed to all buildings within the park itself, it is noted that the fall-back position for the applicant would be the continued use of the houses and their curtilages for their current lawful use, for purposes withinUse Class C3. In this instance the proposed redevelopment of the site would continue to be acceptable having regard to the existing use of the site.

 

Moody weather and bright flowers in Fryent Country Park - photographs

 

Rooting out misinformation on tonight's Broadview planning application

 Readers may wonder why so much fuss is being made about the Broadview Garages infill application. My answer in this case would be that it is essential that Brent Planning Committee members should be making decisions based on correct factual information provided by officers and that Brent Council should be doing all in its power to protect our green spaces and the borough's trees - particularly when our tree cover is lower than some comparable London boroughs. Furthermore the Council has a duty to  protect our designated Local Nature Reserve and Grade 1 Site of Importance to Nature Conservation in Fryent Country Park. If accepted this application would set a precedent for nibbling away at the edges of the Country Park.

In an email to the Chair of the Planning Committee and the relevant officers, Philip Grant has provided factual photographic information that MUST be taken into account. Tonight's  6pm Planning Committee meeting can be viewed on a Live Feed HERE:

 

Item 5 - Broadview Garages - application 22/2531

 

I would not normally write to you so close to a meeting, but there is an important point on the Broadview Garages application which you need to be aware of, so that the Planning Committee decision this evening is based on fact, and the correct interpretation of planning law in relation to the facts.

 

It was my objection comments on 9 December which led to the Supplementary Report, but that report still does not reflect the true position over a key point, the location of an environmentally significant ash tree, referred to in the application as tree T1. You can see this, as the closest tall tree to the garages, in photograph BV4, which was submitted as part of my comments and should be available for the Committee to view this evening:

 

 

The application's Arboricultural Impact Assessment ("AIA") said that tree T1 'is growing on the site boundary’, but several Broadview residents in their objection comments pointed out that it is growing within the adjacent Fryent Country Park.

 

Despite this the Officer Report states incorrectly that tree T1 is ‘located within the application site’. I provided photographic evidence that tree T1 is growing within the Country Park, and is NOT located within the application site. Yet the Supplementary Report published yesterday still tries to justify the Officers' false claim that this tree is within the application site!

 

I responded with a further objection comment yesterday afternoon, sending a copy of it (see below*) to the Development Management Manager and Head of Planning, and Mr Glover has replied to confirm that he has received my email. 

 

To prove my point about the location of tree T1, this is the photograph BV7 which I sent to Brent's Planners on 9 December. It was taken from within Fryent Country Park, and shows the base of the trunk of tree T1, the concrete fence post which marks the boundary on the far side of the trunk, and the garages beyond them:

 

 

 

 

The main legal point, which the Brent lawyer attending the Planning Committee meeting this evening needs to be asked to advise members on, in the light of the fact that tree T1 is NOT within the application site, but is actually within the Country Park, which is a Local Nature Reserve and a Grade 1 Site of Importance to Nature Conservation, is the effect of Section 197, TCPA 1990.

 

The Officer Report recommends: ‘That the Committee confirms that adequate provision has been made, by the imposition of conditions, for the preservation or planting of trees as required by Section 197 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.’

 

That recommendation was made on the incorrect assumption that tree T1 was within the application site. Your Committee needs to know whether tree T1 can legally be removed, under Section 197, as proposed in the application. If it cannot, then the application must fail.

 

Thank you for taking the time to consider this email. Best wishes,

 

Philip Grant.

(a resident of Queensbury Ward, within a short walk of Broadview)

 

 

Fryent Country Park ponds still badly affected by drought despite the recent rain

 

 

Affinity Water supplies water to parts of the north of Brent. They warned a few weeks ago that to avoid a hose pipe ban there would need to be above average rainfall over the Autumn and Winter to make up for the impact of the summer drought. If rainfall continued below average, they would need to introduce a hose pipe ban in 2023.

Following the recent heavy rainfall some people have suggested reservoirs would soon be back to normal levels. Yesterday I walked through Fryent Country Park to see how the many ponds were affected by the rain. giving an indication of what might be happening to reservoir levels.

Some were still completely dry and covered in vegetation.  Barn Hill pond on top of Barn Hill had recovered somewhat but still well below normal levels. It has a different geological base from the other ponds and there's some mystery about how it fills with suggestions of springs in the area.

The other ponds have a clay lining. Clay used to be 'puddled', beaten down to remove all the air, making a waterproof surface that retained water in the pond. Tools might be used to beat down the clay but in the past cattle would be driven through to compact the clay and in modern times when ponds are constructed  in schools pupils in wellies do the job! 

In a drought the clay is exposed to the air and the sun's heat and will crack, leading to the loss of water when the pond refills. Cracks can be seen in the dried-out pond in the photograph above. Loss of ponds in the Country Park will impact on the survival of already threatened frogs, toads and newts as well as other pond life such as dragonflies and damsel flies that give much pleasure to visitors.

Maintenance work has been done on some of the ponds and may explain the differences in water retention. Below are some of the ponds I checked yesterday, beginning with Barn Hill pond. 

 

Another Coldplay car park in Fryent Country Park this evening

 

In a comment on my previous post about Brent Council undermining the Aslef and RMT strikes by providing a car park in a Fryent Country Park field, a reader asked about safety and security and who was paying for it. LINK

There are generators with some lighting stands  and a number of stewards. I saw about eight stewards scattered around the area when I visited at 5pm today.  As you can see there is also a portacabin, portaloos and rather a lot of temporary fencing.  There is signage in the field and along the walking route to Wembley Stadium.

It does not look like a temporary operation.

I presume all that is financed from the £20 car parking fee.

Some early arrivals went off to the stadium without raincoats.  They might get very wet if there is heavy rain tonight and it will seem quite a long walk back.

Brent Council undermines Aslef & RMT strikes with special car park in a Fryent Country Park field during Coldplay concerts on strike days

 Readying the car park early this morning

Dawn Butler and Barry Gardiner on the picket line today

Hard to get my head round this. Labour activists tweeted their presence on Aslef picket lines this morning as they joined RMT strikers and Barry Gardiner and Dawn Butler on the picket line.

Meanwhile however, Brent Council was setting up a temporary cara park in a field in Fryent Counrty Park, Wembley and directing Coldplay fans to the Stadium.

Cllr Saquib Butt, a man with many hats, was extolling the virtues of the Council's money making strike breaking on Facebook last night. Saquib is the brother of council leader Muhammed Butt.

This is what he said:

FRYENT PARK **Important information**

Hi all,

 

We have received notification from Brent Council that our partners, Wembley Stadium connected by EE have sought the support of the Council in making the event field at Fryent Park available for customer parking on four upcoming dates as below:

 

13th August – ASLEF strike action affecting National Rail services only

This has a direct clash with the Coldplay concert on 13th August and an indirect clash with the Coldplay concert on 12th August (skeletal services operating / cessation of services on the 12th August in preparation for the strike)

 

18th August – RMT strike action affecting National Rail services only

This has an indirect clash with the Coldplay concert on 17th August (skeletal services operating / cessation of services early on the 17th August in preparation for the strike)

 

19th August – RMT strike action affecting the London Underground network and impacting National Rail services in Wembley

The direct clash with the Coldplay concert on the 19th August has resulted in a change of date to 21st August. This strike action has an indirect impact on the Coldplay concert on 20th August if LU services are not resumed to a full and good service.

 

20th August – RMT strike action affecting National Rail services only

This has a direct clash with the Coldplay concert on 20th August and an indirect clash with the rescheduled Coldplay concert on 21st August (skeletal services operating / slow resumption of services – Chiltern Rail have also confirmed engineering works and no National Rail service from Wembley Stadium station)

 

The event field is available for use on a commercial basis to host events that are proposed by the community or event organisers. We charge a fee for this and hold deposits to account for any grounds damage and the need for reinstatement. Damage to the fabric of the park would always be a key consideration but we are satisfied the recent hot and dry weather will mean the ground is strong enough to withstand the parking without any risk of damage.

 

The Council will benefit from a rental income and the proceeds of the parking sales will go to the ‘Best in Class’ fund that supports event day joint operations.

 

As always, please do reach out to us for any concerns/issues and we will arrange for a response as necessary. 

 

Our contact details can be found here:

Cllr Saqib Butt : https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12945

Cllr Shama Tatler : https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=8853

Cllr Sandra Kabir : https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=396

Cllr Butt answered residents' queries and made no bones about the fact that this was a reaction to the strikes:

Saqib Butt

Author

Hi Jay , the stadium manages fine on normal event days when there are no strikes. This situation has only arisen due to the travelling public not being able to use the trains etc.

Brent Council comes to the rescue of Nicole and Bibaa's memorial tree on Barn Hill

 

Brent Council has come to the rescue of the wilting memorial tree dedicated to murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman after an appeal for help from Wembley Matters. The tree close to Barn hill pond has been badly affected by the current drought.

Brent Council said:

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  Please note we are are getting water to the tree. It is suffering, but we are hoping that some intensive watering will help to revive it.

 

 

Quintain boast of defeating impact of rail strikes as LDO sales soar during Ed Sheeran concert dates

 

In a previous post LINK I asked if the provision of mass car parking on a field in Fryent Country Park by Labour Brent Council had been arranged to defeat the impact of the RMT rail strike during the Ed Sheeran concerts. I suggested Labour councillors might ask the question.

In a press release today Quintain don't mention these alternative arrangements and boast in the face of a cost of living strike that they earned lots of money over the weekend:

Undeterred Ed Sheeran fans triggered a trading surge for stores and restaurants across Wembley Park despite rail strike chaos during the red-headed rocker’s gigs at Wembley Stadium. 

Total sales across the world-famous 15-minute neighbourhood, including London Designer Outlet (LDO), were up by 83% compared to the average performance of each weekend throughout May.   

 

The business boost between Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 June came amid the biggest rail strike in a generation, with swathes of determined ‘Sheerios’ causing footfall at LDO to climb by +45% compared to May’s weekend average. 

 

Hospitality businesses were teaming with Sheeran superfans enjoying themselves ahead of the concerts, with sales at LDO up by two-thirds (+64%) compared to the May weekend average.  

 

Sales at sports and athleisure brands at London’s leading fashion and lifestyle outlet climbed by over two-thirds (+68%), accessories and gifts by +61%, mixed fashion by a quarter (+26%) and health and beauty by 15%.

 

Wembley Park and LDO are enjoying a summer trading boom following the return of more large-scale events at the Stadium and Arena. Earlier this month, Harry Styles sparked a sales surge across the 15-minute neighbourhood and LDO – capital’s leading premium fashion and lifestyle outlet destination.

 

The latest trading figures also revealed that the Shape of You star’s sway over shoppers was greater than that of the ex-One Direction heartthrob’s – with sales across the neighbourhood and LDO during Sheeran’s gigs 4% higher than during Styles’.

 

Other upcoming events at Wembley Stadium that are expected to bolster footfall and sales across the neighbourhood include the UEFA Women’s Euro Final on 31 July, Westlife on 6 August, Coldplay between 12 and 20 August and the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert on 3 September.

 

A host of other events and performances are also taking place at OVO Arena Wembley over the coming months, including The Libertines on 23 July and The National Television Awards 2022 on 15 September. 

 

Matt Slade, Retail Director at Quintain, said: “We’ve enjoyed a Perfect Symphony of world-class stars helping to drive footfall and sale across Wembley Park and London Designer Outlet this summer.

 

“Despite the prospect of the most disruptive rail strikes in a generation grinding London to a hault, Sheerios proved themselves to be a determined fanbase – arriving en-masse at Wembley Park and LDO to enjoy a spot of shopping or grabbing a bite to eat while they waited for the concerts to begin.

 

“It really is testament to Wembley Park’s varied and dynamic offer that visitors continue to flock back to in greater numbers than 2019, enjoy our unparalleled combined retail and leisure offer.”