The track in action
THE LETTER SENT YESTERDAY TO THE CEO OF BRENT COUNCIL WORK TO REMOVE THE TRACK WAS DUE TO START TODAY,
Formal request to stop the removal of indoor track at Willesden Sports Centre
Dear Kim Wright, Chief Executive of Brent Council, and Councillor Muhammed Butt Leader of Brent Council
We are writing as Leaders of the Green and Liberal Democrat Groups on the Council to express our serious concerns regarding both the decision and the lack of consultation regarding the removal of the indoor athletics track at Willesden Sports Centre.
You are already aware of our groups’ perspectives on this from previous correspondence. However, this is our formal request to the council to pause on the work due to begin tomorrow to enable a meaningful period of consultation to take place.
It is our understanding that the Council’s position is that the Cabinet decision on 22nd June was a ‘final decision’ to remove the indoor track. However, the Cabinet paper does not make any reference to this. We also understand that this was not communicated to other parties, including Track Academy and Queen’s Park Harriers, until much later.
We therefore believe that the ability for Councillors to provide effective scrutiny was undermined. Had the decision to remove the indoor track been made public as part of the Cabinet papers, Councillors may have wished to call in the decision, as per the Council’s call-in protocol.
Our concern lies not only with your choice to remove the indoor track itself and the scant and in some cases misleading evidence that has been provided, but in the process you followed to make that decision.
This process has demonstrated a complete disregard for the perspectives of Brent residents as well as for Councillor input, scrutiny and the opportunity to represent our communities.
The fact that the decision to remove the indoor track was taken before the equality impact assessment is alarming. This calls into question the legitimacy of the decision made by officers and Cabinet.
The relationship between the Council and our local communities is vital. Although ceasing the planned renovation at this late stage would no doubt incur a financial cost, we believe that the cost of continuing when so many residents and users of the track feel that the Council has not listened to their concerns would incur an even more significant cost – the trust of residents across our borough.
There has already been significant negative press coverage of the Council’s plans for the Sports Centre and the campaign against the removal of the indoor track is growing amongst residents and has support from leading figures in athletics, include the CEO of Athletics England. We believe that without an urgent rethink on the removal of the indoor track, you risk doing further serious reputational damage to Brent Council.
We strongly urge you to use your positions to cease the intended work and to rapidly embark on a consultation process that properly engages with the community around the Track Academy, Queen’s Park Harriers and other regular users of the track, with appropriate opportunities for scrutiny from elected members of the Council.
Yours sincerely,
Cllr Mary Mitchell Cllr Anton Georgiou
Leader of the Green Group, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group
