Harlesden and Kensal Green councillors pledge to campaign for a change in the law after approval of Adult Gaming Centre

 Harlesden and Kensal Green Labour councillors have posted a Facebook comment on the approval of another Adult Gaming Centre by Brent Planning Committee.

We continue to stand up for the residents of #Harlesden and #KensalGreen who are fed up with our neighbourhood being targeted by gambling companies. This week Cllr Chan spoke at the Planning Committee in opposition to the application from Silvertime for a new high street casino on Park Parade, and Cllr Kelcher spoke at Licensing Committee in opposition to the application from Merkur for a new bingo site on the High Street. Unfortunately, the law as it currently operates severely limits the ability of Councils to block these facilities, which is why we’re campaign at a national level.

A little local history...

Plans for a Las Vegas style £320m casino and hotel complex for Wembley Park was put forward by Quintain and Caesars Entertainment back in 2004.  Quintain were not happy when it was turned down:

24 August 2006

Developer Quintain is forced to put forward alternative plan following Brent council's decision

The London Borough of Brent has withdrawn its support for a regional casino in the area meaning developer Quintain will have to progress with alternative plans on the proposed site.

Quintain’s joint venture with Caesar’s Entertainment has now lapsed as the developer will need to come up with an alternative plan for the site which is capable of accommodation up to 203,000 sq m of development.

Nick Shattock, Quintain’s deputy chief executive said: “We are not surprised by this turn of events. Of course, we were aware that both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives campaigned on an electoral ticket to stop the regional casino coming to Brent. Obviously, when they formed a joint administration in July, excluding the Labour party members, who had made the application, there was an increasing air on inevitability of this course of action.”

 

 April 2012 

QUINTAIN Estates and Development is confident of winning Government approval to build a new super-casino at Wembley.

Nick Shattock, Quintain's property director, said he was 'OKî with the Government's latest backtracking on the number of large casinos it would allow nationwide, down to eight at the last count.

He said: 'If it is eight there is just a bigger prize to be chased.’

Quintain unveiled plans in October to build a £335 million gambling and leisure resort on land it owns near the new Wembley stadium in a joint venture with Las Vegas casino owner Caesars Entertainment.

The developer would split the cost with Las Vegas casino owner, Caesars Entertainment in a joint venture to transform a 650,000-square-foot site on the land around the stadium owned by Quintain.

The plans for the complex include a 400 room hotel, a casino to house 110 gaming tables and 1,250 slot machines, numerous restaurants, shops and a performance area.

Battle over another Adult Gaming Centre in Harlesden at Planning Committee tonight

 

The premises

The latest chaper in the battle over an additional Adult Gaming  Centre (AGC) in Harlesden takes place at Planning Committee tonight after a number of applications and Planning Inspectorate appeals.

It pits ward councillors and 19 objectors who oppose the application against the recommendation to approve it made by planning officers.

The Harlesden and Kensal Green ward councillors are Mili Patel, who is deputy leader of Brent Council; Matt Kelcher, who is chair of Brent Planning Committee, and Jumbo Chan.

Clearly officers are seeking to avoid yet another appeal by the applicant to the Planning Inspectorate and rely on some changes in the application and its context to recommend approval.

The narrowest one is the proportion of AGC shop fronts in the area which has been reduced by one such shop front coverting to retail.  The quota is 3% and with this application at 5-6 Park Parade comes in at 2.74%.

 The Officers Report states:

In summary, the proposed change of use would not result in an unacceptable over-concentration of Adult Gaming Centres as defined within the Council’s adopted policies, it therefore would not harm the vitality and viability of Harlesden Town Centre. The proposed development is in accordance with to DMP 1 and BE5 of the Brent Local Plan 2019-2041. The principle of development is in accordance with the Council’s policies and the London Plan and therefore is considered acceptable.

 The proposal is now for one Adult Gaming Centre unit in the double fronted shop rather than an AGC plus betting shop as previously. 

The concern over the impact on crime and anti-social behaviourof another AGC preying on a vulnerable population is undermined by the Planning Inspector's findings:

Comments were received raising concern that the use would result in crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, noting the Police objected to a previous applications. Previous comments from the Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team suggested that adult gaming centres were driver for anti-social behaviour, maps were previously provided showing the location a concentration of anti-social behaviour, violence and drug offences. The comments noted a concentration around the Jubilee Clock and Silvertime gaming centre. The Safer Neighbourhood Teams raised similar concerns with the Appeal Scheme (Appeal Ref:

APP/T5150/W/21/3269557) , a list of offences were submitted and the Inspector was furnished with this.

The Inspector did not support the Local Planning Authorities view in terms of crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder, at paragraph 16 of the Appeal Decision (Appeal Ref: APP/T5150/W/21/3269557) they stated

‘The Council have detailed concerns relating to crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour including comments from local residents and bodies, the Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team and the Metropolitan Police. The Harlesden area is identified as an area of high deprivation with unemployment and homelessness levels generally high. There is no unequivocal link presented to me between these matters and the proposal which would result in a single AGC leading to a harmful effect on crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in the area.'

 Planning Officers' conclude:

The principle of development is acceptable and would not result in an over concentration of AGCs within Harlesden Town Centre as defined within the council's planning policies or result in harm to the vitality and viability of the town centre. The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in terms of impact to character and appearance of the subject property and the wider streetscene and the development would preserve the character of the Harlesden Conservation Area. The proposed development is not considered to have an adverse impact on the amenities of neighbouring properties.

 

Subject to conditions, the proposed use would be acceptable and not result in harm to the locality and neighbouring occupiers. The proposal is considered to be in general accordance with the development plan having regard to material considerations.

Approval is accordingly recommended.

 

 The full Officers' Report is HERE

The meeting is in the Conference Hall of Brent Civic Centre at 6pm tonight. It is also live streamed HERE.

British Reggae Allbums Covers Exhibition - Talks and Music - Monday October 14th 6.30-8.30pm at Harlesden Library

 

Cleaner Greener Harlesden Drop-in Wednesday 18th September Harlesden Library 4.30pm-7.30pm

 

Some forthcoming British Empire Exhibition talks you may wish to enjoy

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

 

Some images from Burma at the British Empire Exhibition

 

If you have found my recent articles about the Pageant of Empire in 1924 of interest, you might like to discover more about the British Empire Exhibition from one (or more) of the three illustrated talks I will be giving over the next few weeks, as part of its centenary.

 

The first, “The Jewel of Wembley – Burma at the BEE”, is on Friday 20 September, from 7.30 to 9pm, in St Andrew’s Church Hall, Kingsbury. This is at regular monthly meeting of Wembley History Society, but visitors are welcome [we just invite a contribution of £3 (£1 for students) towards the cost of the hall]. All the details you should need are here:

 

 

One of the aspects of the Exhibition’s history that I am most keen on is the perspective of people who came here from the countries of the Empire, rather than just the “official” British view. The album on which much of my talk is based contains dozens of newspaper cuttings and photographs. One of the most intriguing of which is an article by a female journalist of her interview with Ma Bala Hkin, the leading actress and dancer of the Burmese theatre troupe at the Exhibition.

 

One of the headlines from the “Evening News” article.

 

If you want to know what Ma Bala thought of the English women she saw in Wembley in 1924, you should come along to my talk!

 

The second of my talks, “A Harlesden Photographer at the B.E.E. – the West Indies at Wembley in 1924”, is a free coffee morning event at Harlesden Library, on Tuesday 8 October from 11am to 12noon. 

 

 

Back in the 1990s, Wembley History Society received a donation of photographs, together with some glass plate negatives, showing images of the Exhibition in 1924, especially from inside the West Indies Pavilion. They were the work of a little-known local photographer, whose stamp was on the back of some of the prints:

 

Harlesden Library seemed the ideal place to present this talk, and you can find more details and reserve your free place on the Brent Libraries, Arts and Heritage Eventbrite website. This talk is part of the Becoming Brent project, re-examining the British Empire Exhibition and its legacy.

  

The final talk I will be giving in the Exhibition’s centenary year is “When Wembley Welcomed the World”. This is being hosted by Preston Community Library on the afternoon of Sunday 27 October (exact time and further details will follow). It will be a free event, but with donations to the work of the community library invited from those who attend.

 

 

This illustrated talk is an introduction to the various nations which took part in the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park in 1924, and their people who came here for the event, but then moves on to show how Wembley has continued to welcome people from across the world ever since the 1920s.

 

I hope that “Wembley Matters” readers will find something of interest in these presentations, and I look forward to welcoming you to any of these events.

 

Philip Grant.

2nd Brent Reggae Album Covers Exhibition Curator's Talk tonight: Harlesden Library - drop-in for free from 6.30pm - 8.30pm

 

Highly recommended, The first one was informative. hilarious at times and very, very friendly.

Celebrating Harlesden's place in Black Music History at the Reggae Tree and Harlesden Library

 Beneath the Reggae Tree outside Hawkeye Records, Craven Park, Harlesden

CLICK TO HEAR THE ALBUM

Yesterday's International Reggae Day celebration in Harlesden took on an international dimension as well as delving deep into the local history of Black Music on this corner of Brent, 'Harlesbridge', combining Harlesden and Stonebridge.

Linking the struggle against South African apartheid with Jamaica, Ghana and the diaspora in England, Kwaku claimed that reggae helped give South Africans the energy to fight for equality (You can hear the great Reggae Mandela album HERE) while Ghana has linked with Jamaica and the UK through their joint concern for the environment through planting of a symbolic Reggae Tree in Accra.:

The Reggae Tree is a symbolic nod to International Reggae Day's Tree Planting Challenge, which is endorsed by Eco-Conscious Citizens. The environmental group's partner organisation, BBM/BMC, planted The Reggae Tree in London in 2018. It's sited in Harlesden, the north-west London area that is the capital of reggae in Britain. IRD2024 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, highlights the importance of reggae to the fight against apartheid in South Africa and the unbreakable bond between Jamaica and South Africa, which is mirrored by the unbreakable bond between International Reggae Day and its original inspiration - South Africa’s Mama Winnie Mandela. During the event, Eco-Conscious Citizens will also launch a plastic bottle recycle bank to raise awareness of Plastic Free July, which is a global movement that encourages individuals to reduce their single-use plastic consumption for the month of July. The group is asking stores to give their customers the choice of buying non-plastic reusable bags, instead of the free, throw-away single-use plastic bags.

Sonny Roberts with his daughter Cleon

Speaking against the background of a huge and noisy Craven Park traffic jam, the Cleon Roberts, daughter of Jamaican record producer Sonny Roberts LINK   Reggae Ambassador, Diane Shrouder-Johnson, spoke of the importance of Harlesden as the capital of  reggae and Black Music, developed during the 50s, 60s and 70s to the present with record shops, selling of records from the backs of cars,  and studios tucked away amidst a spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship.

 

 

Yesterday also saw a special exhibition at Harlesden Library of the Brent Reggae Albums Covers Exhibition which is on until October with curator talks on Monday 12th August, Monday 2nd September and Monday 14th October. 

Kwaku gave a well-informed and humourous commentary on the  album covers and the music, artists and producers involved.

 

 

 

 Towards the end of the talk Kwaku asked the audience whether this was all in the past or continued. Amid the cries from the audience he unveiled a hidden display featuring the the Big Zeeks album cover and the artist himself stepped up from the audience to talk about how much he loved Harlesden and Brent and wanted to give back to the community.

 

 

Big Zeeks pointed out how the album cover features many aspects of Harlesden. Can you spot them all?

 

The history continues.

 

 

Monday July 1st International Reggae Day at the Reggae Tree outside Hawkeye Records, Harlesden 5pm

 

  The Reggae Tree is outside Hawkeye Records

 From Black Music Congress

 

We wish to invite you to the celebration of the 30th anniversary of International Reggae Day (IRD) in Harlesden on Monday July 1 2024: 1. 5.00-6.00pm Runnings Around The Reggae Tree (In front of Hawkeye Records, 2 Craven Park Rd, London NW10 4AB) A gathering led by The Reggae Tree Ambassador Diane Shrouder-Johnson where we highlight musical and environmental issues (the Tree is a product of the IRD Plant A Tree Challenge), plus the rich reggae and black music history of Harlesden, Brent – the capital of reggae in Britain. 

 

We'll be expecting a vocal contribution by singing Bob Marley's 'One Love'.

 

Afterwards  6.30-8.30pm The Brent Reggae Album Covers Exhibition (Harlesden Library, Craven Park Rd, London NW10 8SE) Local historical musicologist officially unveils and provides the background to how he came to curate the exhibition, followed by a presentation by Colin Brown on The UK Reggae History Online portal, and responses from special guests and attendees. Includes the playlist from the IRD UK 2024 Recommended Album 'Reggae Mandela', which speaks to the IRD @ 30 theme of Riddims & Resistance, plus refreshments

Brent Council to go ahead with formal consultation on halving the size of Leopold Primary School despite overwhelming parent opposition - Gwenneth Rickus site to close

 

Site proposed for closure

Brent Council Cabinet on Monday is set to launch a formal consultation on the closure of the Leopold Primary School Gwenneth Prckus site, Brentfield Road, despite overwhelming opposition at the informal consultation stage. LINK

The Governing Body of the school opposed the proposal as did 86.7% of the consultation respondents.

Brent Council's rationale is based on the need for forward planning as pupil numbers drop and the additional expense involved in running a school on two sites.  They admit that parents' perception is that despite a shared senior management team and governing body, it runs as a separate school from the Hawkshead Road site. 

Certainly it seemed a school in its own right when I visited several times a few years ago and I was bowled over by its ethos and the vitality and talent of the diverse staff and pupils. It was (is) very special. Leopold School (both sites) had a period of difficulty which saw the appointment of an Executive Headteacher to stabilise things and came through with flying colours and improved pupil achievement. It made a postive contribution to the Black Achievement project.

Considerable capital investment was made into the building when it was decided to refurbish what had been  the Brent Teachers Centre into an annex to Leopold Primary to accommodate the 'bulge' of pupils that was moving through the system at the time. 

The Cabinet paper states:

The Local Authority remains of the view that the proposal is required to address the level of spare places in the local area. While concerns raised by parents would need to be taken into consideration if the proposal was implemented, officers are of the view that the Council should move to consult formally on the proposal to cease provision on the Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School.

The building would be used for other educational purposes according to the Cabinet paper but there is no mention of it as a possible site for the Islamia Primary School which is under notice to quit its Queens Park site. SEND and alternative provision are mentioned as possibilities so building expenses would remain.

The closure would lead to job losses and proposals are put forward to manage this process involving talks with trade unions and possible re-location of some staff to the Hawkshead site or re-employment elsewhere.

I embed below officers' responses to the consultation.

Brent Cyclists call for public support for Wembley Central - Harlesden cycling route: why and how

Guest post by Brent Cycling Campaign

 

 

TfL and Brent Council are currently consulting on walking, wheeling and cycling improvements between Wembley Central and Harlesden stations. At Brent Cycling Campaign we are really excited about this proposal which represents an important opportunity for Brent and North West http://London.You can read about the proposals here: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/wembley-harlesden

 

New proposals to improve walking and cycling between Wembley Central and Harlesden are an important opportunity for Brent. Brent Cycling Campaign welcomes and supports plans by Transport for London and Brent Council for safer streets, new cycle lanes, and new pedestrian crossings.

 

After more than three years of planning and public engagement TfL published the new plans on 10th November. The plans connect Wembley Central to Harlesden with a cycle route on quiet roads and protected space between Sylvia Gardens and First Drive across the North Circular. The proposals, which do not reduce the number of lanes for drivers, follow an existing route from London Road onto Tokyngton Avenue, after crossing the North Circular people on bikes are diverted through quiet streets around Stonebridge Park to reach Harlesden Station on Acton Lane.

 

The junction of Harrow Road with the North Circular is the most dangerous junction for pedestrians in Brent. Between 2018 and 2022 there were over 90 collisions along Harrow Road, in January 2022 a person was killed crossing the road at the junction with the North Circular, and since 2018 there have been over 100 injuries and deaths on roads along the route. With quicker and safer pedestrian crossings, and a new protected cycle lane, the improvements to the A404 / A406 junction will be an example of how Brent can be transformed into a welcoming borough for active travel.

 

 

Throughout the plans new and improved pedestrian crossings and footpaths will help connect communities. Some side roads will have raised entrances, meaning people using mobility aids or with pushchairs do not need to go up and down steep kerbs. Extended bus lanes will mean faster, more reliable bus journeys. The new route will make it much easier to access Bridge Park Leisure Centre, with two new pedestrian crossings over the main road where people are not left stranded on pedestrian islands. TfL also plan to improve the lighting and CCTV in Tokyngton Recreation Ground and Stonebridge Park making these areas safer for people traveling alone and after dark.

 

The new proposals miss some important opportunities for better walking and cycling in Brent, for example by not continuing the improvements along Harrow Road to Wembley Triangle, and by not reducing the number of motor vehicles on residential roads. However, we at Brent Cycling Campaign welcome these plans, and hope they represent the start of significant investment in better active travel in Brent. If you would like to have your say and support the proposals please see the consultation on TfL’s website.

 

This article authored by Brent Cycling Campaign first appeared in the Brent and Kilburn Times.

 

AT LAST! TfL consultation opens on safer routes for cyclists between Wembley Central and Harlesden

 

 

I used to do a daily return trip by cycle for work between Harlesden (St Johns Avenue) and Park Lane, Wembley Central. To say it was more dangerous than going over the Berlin Wall would be an exaggeration, but I was often surprised to still be alive at the end of the day.

Next year it will be 5 years since Brent Council and TfL began working on safer cycling and pedestrian routes for the Wembley Centra to Harlesden journey and the long-awaited TfL consultation opens today and closes just before Christmas on December 21st.

 

 

TfL say: 

We have been working closely with Brent Council since April 2019 to develop a project that would make it safer and easier for local people to walk and cycle between Wembley and Willesden Junction.

We are developing the project in phases, and the first phase will focus on the area between Wembley Central and Harlesden stations, where we propose to provide a new high-quality Cycleway and improvements for pedestrians.

The changes would make streets in the area safer and more pleasant by enabling people to walk and cycle more and drive less.

The proposals include a protected two-way cycle lane on the A404 Harrow Road and Brentfield, new and improved cycle and pedestrian crossings over Harrow Road, better street lighting to help make the area feel safer and more trees and plants more welcoming.

This would help us to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions, which could improve local people’s health. It would also address congestion, and help support new developments(External link) (External link) planned across the wider area by providing better walking and cycling links to local businesses and stations.

The changes we would like to make are:

• Introducing a new protected two-way cycle lane on the A404 Harrow Road and Brentfield between Sylvia Gardens and First Drive, with separate low level cycle signals at junctions, new cycle crossings and better connections to other local cycle routes
• Introducing bus stop bypasses for cyclists at bus stops C and K, with the two-way cycle lane behind the bus stop island for cyclist safety
• Improving the quiet road cycle connections to Wembley Central and Harlesden stations
• Improving the route for pedestrians by adding a new crossing over Brentfield near Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre and making existing crossings at the A406 junction more direct, which will reduce crossing times
• We’ll add measures to slow traffic speeds, add better street lighting and drainage, and new areas of planting and trees where space allows along the route
• Improving the service for bus passengers by extending bus stop D so two buses can stop here at a time, and moving stop B in line with the traffic lane so that buses can pull away easily after passengers board
• Other changes to allow us to make these improvements include closing the left turn filter lanes from the A406 onto Harrow Road and Brentfield, making Sylvia Gardens exit only for motor vehicles (currently entrance only), shortening a parking bay on Harrow Road and reviewing parking restrictions on the quiet road connections. We would also move bus stop ‘Sunny Crescent’ 90m to the eastern side of Wyborne Way to make space for the new cycle lanes

 

The maps below will give you a more detailed idea of the proposals:

 

Two drop-in events are planned to discuss the proposals:

Public drop-in event 9th December

Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre, Brentfield, Harrow Road, London NW10 ORG (10:00 - 14:00)

 

Public drop-in event 12th December

Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre, Brentfield, Harrow Road, London NW10 ORG (15:00 - 19:00)

 

You can find the full online consultation here including further information: 

https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/wembley-harlesden

 

I have embedded the consultation form below in case you would like to preview it before responding or perhaps  prefer to answer offline.