Lively consultation on Willesden Green leaves unanswered questions

I started out feeling sorry for Beth Kay from the Brent Council Regeneration Team today as she was once again the council's 'messenger' under fire from many quarters at the latest Willesden Green redevelopment  'consultation'. .This sympathy was reduced somewhat when I heard the presentation and some of her answers to questions.. The Q&A would have gone much better if there had been a neutral chair to keep order and make sure that full answers were provided.

The main feature was the exhibition showing a possible scheme incorporating the 1894 Library. More pictures (above) - more on the Keep Willesden Green blog HERE However Beth gave mixed messages about this. At one stage she had been talkling about dialogue with the community being frustrated by the issue of the the Victorian library and said, "Now the Old Library has been saved we can have conversations about what we want in the new library". However later she said that the retention of the Old Library compromised the scheme, presented challenges and made her nervous in planning terms.

In presenting the results of the top  consultation concerns (Loss of Old Library 45%, Loss of Wiilesden Bookshop 22%, Inadequate parking 18%, Renovation rather than redevelopment 17%, Dislike of design 16%, Insufficient consultation 16%, New building too small 14%, Loss of public space at front of building 14%) she referred to three petitions.  However for the 'Retaining Bookshop' petition and the 'Pause, Listen and Reflect' here presentation only gave the figures for the e-petition, rather than the much larger (sometimes 10 times larger) paper petitions. For the 'Oppose Demolition of the Old Library' petition  the presentation gave both the e-petition and paper petition figures.

I protested that this seriously misrepresented the number of people supporting the first two petitions and she undertook to amend the presentation.

Another conflict arose over the Willesden Bookshop. Beth claimed once again that the bookshop's rent had been subsidised (despite the owner Steve's denial on this blog) and that all bookshops were in crisis. She further claimed that the Bookshop itself had admitted it was not viable. However she said that (yet another) consultant had been appointed to look into the viability of a combined cafe/bookshop.

When it was pointed out that the Willesden Bookshop had now closed despite her presentation stating that the Council was trying to continue non-core services in the interim, she said that the Council was trying to find them premises on the High Road.

Challenged by another member of the audience on the total amount of  money that had been spent on consultants she was unable to provide an answer but implied that Galliford Try was footing the bill.

Questioned about why the planning application had been pulled Beth said this was due to the widespread opposition to the demolition of the Old Library. She did not mention that GLA planners had raised concerns that the proposals did not meet London Heritage policies in meetings with Brent Council officers. With a straight face she stated, "By withdrawing the planning application we have shown it is not a 'done deal' ".

During discussion about why refurbishment of the 1989 hadn't been considered, and when the audience laughed when someone asked 'Who built it if it's no good?" and was answered, to laughter "Brent Council!", Beth claimed that the Chalkhill Estate had been rebuilt and that was the same age as the current library. In fact the old Chalkhill Estate was built in several phases between 1966-70, 20 years earlier than the library.

I did not receive a satisfactory answer to a question about possible conflict over Brent Council's role as instigator of the project, joint partner with the developer, conductor of post partnership public consultation, and decision maker on the planning application. I pointed out that our objections were not just limited to the retention of the Old Library but also concerned the loss of open space, the fact that the housing was unaffordable, loss of bookshop and the provision of council offices, none of which were to be consulted on. Keep Willesden Green had wanted the Council to start again from scratch and involve local people from the start. Beth angrily stated that the provision of council offices was a matter for the council and nothing to do the public, only the Council  knew what they needed.

In the light of the above I asked that Keep Willesden Green be given the space to make their case to the public in the interests of openness and democracy.  To rumbles of disagreement she said that she did not think KWG was representative but added that it had been added to the list of special interest  groups to be consulted in September.   She responded more positively to a suggestion that there should be an ongoing  group to work on the proposals, possibly as part of the Willesden Town Team, or as a separate group.

Old Library may be retained, rest of 'consultation' just tweaking

Details of the new round of consultation on the Willesden Green Library redevelopment published today LINK show how limited any rethink is likely to be.

The Keep Willesden Green group demanded that the Council and developers Galliford Try 'stopped.listened and reflected' on the proposals with the suggestion that they go back to first principles and involve local residents and users from scratch.

Instead it appears that the housing development,  loss of the Town Square and the bookshop are still taken for granted. There is a concession over the Old Library building which goes only as far as that new early sketches will be on display and 'will show how the old library may be retained as part of the building'. These sketches will be on display throughout August for feedback and 'developed proposals will be ready in September'.

The second phase of the consultation to take place between September and October is limited to 'details like how the library space will be divided or what could go inside the old library'. Brent says stoutly, 'We know where we think each activity shold go (e.g. the library, museum etc).  So no consultation on housing, council offices, cafe, Town Square, car park, bookshop space, or the size of the library.

They have organised workshops for specific target groups, which run the risk of setting different groups against each other, rather than working out priorities through face to face discussion:

Tuesday, September 4 - Seniors
Thursday, September 6 - Small and medium enterprises
Tuesday, September 11- Community groups
Thursday, September 13 - Ethnic minority groups
Tuesday, September 18 - Teens
Thursday, September 20 - Families with young children

 Although of course many people will cover several categories so may end up attending 3 or 4 times!

The Council says it will carry out outreach in local schools and will develop details with schools in the Autumn.

The third phase is the 'Interim Strategy: October-November' and the Council say that core services will continue to be delivered at the Willesden Library Centre as well as non-core such as the markets. Unfortunately one vital 'non-core' service, the Willesden Bookshop, has already closed when the Council could have extended its lease during this period.

Reviewing this timetable it seems clear that the Council's intention is to get planning approval in December and  hand over the site to the developers by January 2013.

Meanwhile I am sure Keep Willesden Green campaigners will be considering their next moves in the light of the above.

Closed bookshop a reproach as new consultation on Willesden Green is scheduled for Wednesday

The empty shelves and locked doors of the Willesden Bookshop were a sad sight in Willesden today. The threatened old Victorian Library was clearly reflected in the windows on which were posted Zadie Smith's New York Review of Books article about the Willesden Green redevelopment and an article about the bookshop closure from the Brent and Kilburn Times.

In the few minutes I was there several people came up to use the bookshop and were rather bewildered to find it closed. Just as people had been at the closed libraries when they had come to use them and found them shut down.

This is another photograph along with the Wall of Shame at Preston Library which should make any Brent Labour councillor with a millilitre of socialism left in his or her blood tremble with shame. It was their partnerhip with a private developer, sneaked in behind the back of residents, compounded by their subsequent misinformation about alleged subsidies to the bookshop and failure to provide any real help with relocation, which sounded the death knell of this loved and valuable local resource.

Shame.

Meanwhile on Wednesday the Library Lab (an organisation 'supported' by Brent Council) will be holding a consultation about the redevelopment. I was at Willesden Green to find out more. When I asked if Library Lab would be neutral staff member Joanna said  that they aimed to be more thorough and open than the previous consultations with this one spanning two months. Asked if the previous consultation organisers, Remarkable PR, were still involved and if so what was their role, she said she didn't really know but that there was lot of documentation from them to get her head around before Wednesday.

Wednesday's consultation will be at the Library Lab (the old cafe space within the building) between 11am and 8pm with presentations at noon, 2pm, 4pm and 7pm.

Martin Redston of Keep Willesden Green, told the Wembley and Willesden Observer:

The fact is they (Brent Council and Galliford Try) are making this up as they go along. They hoped to get this all through the back door and weren't expecting this level of opposition. They have given 10 days notice for  this meeting. It is in the middle of the Olympics and when everyone who is not watching it is on holiday. If this isn't a case of burying bad news I don't know what is.

GLA planners torpedoed Old Willesden Library demolition application

GLA planners, advising the Mayor,  have acted before the bulldozers move in, at least as regards the Old Willesden Library.

It can now be revealed that Strategic Planners at the GLA  met with the Galliford Try application team twice during the 6 week consultation period during which the they considered whether the Willesden Green Redevelopment application  complied with the London Plan Policy.

According to Gemma Kendall, Case Officer,  in the meetings before the July 4th deadline, the planning officers:

...expressed serious concerns that the proposed scheme would not comply with the London Plan Policy 7.8 and 7.9 regarding heritage assets and heritage-led regeneration. The applicant subsequently chose to withdraw the application before it was reported to the Mayor on 4th July 2012.

Galliford Try, in what appeared to be a surprise move, withdrew their planning application for the Willesden Green Cultural Centre on July 4th.

It now appears that the combination of unprecedented local campaigning, massive public rejection of the plans,  the views of the GLA planning team and not least the Town Square application combined to force withdrawal.

Meanwhile, appearing to have learnt little, the application team have arranged a consultation day on the revised application in the middle of the August holidays!

Willesden Green: 'Is this all there is?'

Well, that was my reaction in the words of the old song,  when I saw that the proposed consultation with the community and redesign, following the withdrawal of the Willesden Green Redevelopment Planning application, amounts to a one day event.

The truth is that the Keep WillesdenGreen campaign, through its website, public meetings and face to face cobersrtions with local people, has done far more consulting that the developers.

Still it will be worthwhile going along and remaking the points that have galvanised so many local people and library, bookshop and museum users into action:

Dear Resident

 

The planning application for the proposed new Willesden Green Cultural Centre was withdrawn by Galliford Try at the beginning of July.

 

The Council and Galliford Try are now proposing some further engagement activities with local people and other stakeholders to explore the design for the Cultural Centre including what the building will look like and also what activities will take place in and around the building.

 

An open day will be held on 8 August 2012 at the Willesden Green Library Centre in the Library Lab to update all stakeholders. You are welcome to drop in at any  time during the day and we will be available to answer questions. There will be presentations at set times during the day and further information on this will be available at the Library Lab.

 

Thursday 8 August

11am to 8pm at the Library Lab at the WGLC

 

Round 1 to Keep Willesden Green campaigners as developers withdraw planning applications

Galliford Try, the developers of the controversial housing development (with Cultural Centre attached) has withdrawn its two planning application for the site.

Galliford Try and Brent Council say that this is to extend the consultation period for the redevelopment and use the summer to seek local people's views.

The planning applications have received an overwhelming thumbs down from local residents with the planning department unable to keep up with the enormous flood of objections.

Cllr George Crane, lead member for Regeneration and Major Projects insisted that 'this redevelopment has never been a foregone conclusion as some people have claimed and this extra time for discussion demontrates that' but went on to state that the development 'needs to be at no capital costs and result in a quality development - these principles remain unchanged'.

Martin Redston, joint chair of Keep Willesden Green, said that he was overjoyed at the decision but that the campaign would not put its guard down: 'We will be looking for genuine consultation leading to community engagement at all levels'.

Details about consultation events and the time line will be publicised shortly. The further consultation will include the design of the new cultural centre and the activities that people want to see in the building once it's complete.  I understand that the original architects are now working on designs that will include keeping the historic Old Willesden Library.

The shows what a well-informed and determined community based campaign can do. Congratulations to all  all concerned.

Willesden Bookshop selling off stock - but haven't given up yet

The Willesden Bookshop has started selling off its stock at bargain prices today but owner Steve Adams is adamant that this is not the death knell for the shop. This applies to all stock, including children's books.

He said that although the council has extended the lease until the end of August, the shop will be subject to a one week notice (either way) from the beginning of August. "We simply cannot move in one week so we are beginning to clear our stock now.  We are still looking at alternatives in Willesden and hope to carry on, but we have to be practical at the same time."

He says of course that it would be wonderful if the council saw sense and by one means or another the planning application was withdrawn in the next few week.s 

The shop is hoping to be able to carry on the much-valued service to local schools, even if it is not able to have a store front for a period.  More details about this will be sent to schools over the next few days.

Preston Library Garden reclaimed by campaigners

In an expression of love and care for their closed down library, Save Preston Library campaigners restored the garden in front of the building over the weekend. The building is soon to be used to provide extra classrooms for reception pupils and will be managed by nearby Preston Park Primary School. Coincidentally campaigners were also doing a spot of guerilla gardening in the children's playground at Willesden Green Library Centre which is due to disappear if the planning application for flats and a 'cultural centre' are approved this summer.

Read the comments on Zadie's 'North West London Blues'

The New York Review of Books posting of  Zadie Smith's commentary on the Willesden Green Library issue has generated many interesting comments. See them HERE

Dan Jarvis backs Butt's attempt to seek Kensal Rise 'solution'

Dan Jarvis MP

Muhammed Butt has had a rocky start as Brent Council Leader issuing what appeared to be contradictory statements about his room for manoeuvre regarding the future of the closed libraries and then apparently torpedoed by the infamous 2am raid on Kensal Rise Library.

Now Dan Jarvis MP, Shadow Minister  for Culture, who had despaired that Brent Council's closure undermined Labour's opposition to library closures, has stepped in to back a new approach, albeit limited to volunteer solutions.

This was posted on his blog LINK on Friday:

Dan Jarvis MP, Labour’s Shadow Culture Minister, has welcomed Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt’s announcement today of an agreement to work with local campaign groups with the aim of keeping Kensal Rise library open as a community project.

The council is offering to start a dialogue with campaigners based on their offer to run the library at no cost to the council, and help them with a limited package of support, if the remaining obstacles to the transition can be overcome.

Councillor Butt said:

When I took over as the leader of Brent council in May I made it clear that I wanted to improve the relationship between the council and the community. That is what I hope we can achieve with this decision.

I was not leader when the decisions that led to Tuesday’s removal of materials from Kensal Rise library were taken, but that action happened on my watch and I take responsibility for it. Now I am determined to establish a new dialogue with the community in Kensal Rise. To this end, I have had a series of meetings since Tuesday with campaigners, fellow councillors, and council officers.

That does not mean I can offer an easy solution. Our libraries have to bear a share of spending cuts, and I make no apology for that. The deep reductions of over £100 million in Brent's budget imposed by this Tory-led government mean we have to make difficult choices about all our services. But it is also right that we have a meaningful discussion with local campaign groups, and if a way can be found to lessen the impact of the cuts without undermining our financial stability, then we should explore it.

What we have agreed today is to sit down with the campaign groups and work with them on the basis of their proposal to run the library at no ongoing cost to the council. The plan is also dependent on an arrangement being reached with All Soul’s College Oxford, which donated the land to the local community on condition it was used as a library, and on resolving a number of other issues. But the council will make every effort to overcome these obstacles.

As a gesture of my commitment to Kensal Rise library I have instructed officers to return the plaques taken from the library as soon as is practically possible. I have also instructed council officers to prepare a limited but significant package of support to help the transition, if an arrangement can be reached. This will include professional development and technical support, as well as seed funding.

Dan Jarvis said:

This is a very positive result that reflects Labour’s understanding of the importance of libraries to local communities, and the need to have as full a dialogue as possible on any changes to the service.

We hope this decision will mean Kensal Rise library is preserved as an asset for local people to use and develop. It is not an easy way out – it puts a good deal of responsibility on the shoulders of the campaigners and there are a number of issues that will need to be worked through before a final agreement can be reached. But we believe these obstacles can be overcome – and that this is an appropriate balance to strike between the wishes of those that want to see the library preserved and the financial pressures the council faces.

The council deserve credit for this move, and Councillor Butt has shown real leadership in coming forward with a solution at a difficult time for the council. He has my full support as this process continues.

The 'need to have as full a dialogue as possible (with communities)' should also apply to the other closed libraries and to the Willesden Green Redevelopment.

Zadie Smith pitches into Willesden Green battle

Zadie Smith campaigning for Kensal Rise Library

As the deadline for responses to the planning application for the Willesden Green Library Centre redevelopment nears, local author Zadie Smith, has written an illuminating article for the Keep Willesden Green blog where she asks, "What kind of problems is a library?" and pays homage to the Willesden Bookshop.

See the article on the Keep Willesden Green blog HERE  It is also available on the New York Review of Books website HERE

All Souls: Our 20th century Fellows never imagined this would happen

Keep Willesden Green campaigner Susan Clark has received the following response from All Souls College to concerns she expressed about the situation at Kensal Rise Library after Brent Council's dawn raid:

The College has of course been made aware of the “dawn raid” to which you refer. 

It is indeed very sad that the Council has closed the library.  This is something we made clear to the Council would trigger a reverter, thereby resulting in the freehold coming back to the College, something our Fellows of the early 20^th century never imagined would have happened. 

We had hoped the Council might keep the library open, and encouraged them to discuss with the Friends of Kensal Rise Library that possibility.

At present, we have no “exact plans”.  On all property-related matters, however, we are advised by professional advisers.  Some time ago we advised the Friends of Kensal Rise Library to meet with these advisers to discuss what might happen if the site were to revert to our ownership, and I know that at least one meeting has taken place between them.

Yours faithfully,

Tom Seaman

Fellow and Estates Bursar

 

Three weeks to save Willesden Green. Meet May 15th

Begone you pesky petitioners! Brent downgrades petitioner power.

In a constitutional change to be discussed at the Council meeting on May 16th Brent Council is proposing that petitions of 5,000 or more valid signatures should no longer be debated by full Council and that those containing 2,500  valid signatures should no longer require a senior Council officer to give evidence at an overview and scrutiny committee.

Although the Council says its proposal is  a result of the Localism Act 2012 repealing the requirement for councils to adopt a petition scheme and leaving it to the discretion of each authority, there can be little doubt that the Labour Council has been irritated by the petitions organised by the Hindu community over festival funding, library campaigners over the closure of half of Brent's libraries and Keep Willesden Green over the Willesden Green Library Regeneration proposals. The latter was particularly controversial when Democratic Services  refused to hold a Full Council meeting on the issue.

The Council argues that this change will 'make the process more transparent' and will 'direct petitions to the decision maker as set out in the current Standing Order 68(e).

That Standing Order refers to petitions with 50 or more signatures and refers the petitions on upcoming decisions  to the Executive or the General Purposes Committee who can 'make recommendations concerning the petition to Full Council'.

As far as I can see this continues the erosion of democracy in Brent Council removing further citizen's ability to make representations to Full Council rather than the rubber-stamping Labour Executive.  If I was a backbench councillor of whatever political party I would be asking some awkward questions on the issue.

Old Willesden Library demolition proposals published

The proposed development

Most of the planning documents for the proposed Willesden Cultural Centre are now available on the Brent Council website.  They are numerous and will need careful study. There is a main planning application for the demolition of the Victorian Library, 1980s Library, bookshop etc and the building of 92 flats and the Cultural Centre and an application relating to the Conservation Area. Most of the documentation is replicated on both sites.

Main Planning Application HERE

Conservation Area Application HERE

The future of the Old Willesden Library is of particular interest to many and the Heritage Statement is available below.

One key section states:

The loss of the Old Library is to some extent mitigated through ‘preservation by record’ and the undertaking of the historic buildings survey to English Heritage Level II standards, and which has been used in this report to understand the building’s significance. Should consent be granted for this or future schemes affecting historic fabric, it is recommended that additional recording be undertaken during demolition in order to supplement this report with further details of the building’s history.

It is also recommended that specific elements of the architectural fabric are retained, and where possible, reused within the new building as architectural details, art installations and/or exhibits within the museum space. While it is recognised that the scheme represents the total loss of the Old Library, the retention of certain elements would evoke the cultural memory of the building and help preserve the historic narrative of development on the site. Those pieces that should be considered for retention are as follows, though further elements may be revealed during the demolition process:

· Shell-hood above the former entrance way on the north elevation;

· Parge work on the north elevations and around the tower;

· Plaque commemorating the building on north elevation; and

· Weather-vane on summit of the tower

The remaining historic fabric and fixtures such as window frames should be considered for salvage, and where suitable, deposited in a suitable store such as the Charles Brooking Collection currently housed in Surrey.

Community rallies to Willesden Green cause

The proposed Cultural Centre building from Brondesbury Park

 The Keep Willesden Green Campaign held a well attended inaugural meeting yesterday evening which I chaired.  After a lively meeting many residents came forward to sign up for the campaign's committee and to join working groups on various aspects of the development.

It was great to see the community coming together in such a positive way.

 In a clear challenge to the Council's plans an application has been made to English Heritage to make the old Willesden Library a listed building.

A full report and more images of the proposed development are available on the Keep Willesden Green blog HERE

Keep Willesden Green can be contacted at keepwillesdengreen@hotmail.co.uk

Make you voice heard on Willesden Green regeneration this Thursday

'Keep Willesden Green, a group of concerned residents, will be holding a public meeting about the proposed regeneration of Willesden Green Library Centre on Thursday 16th February, 7pm, Kings Hall, Harlesden Road, NW10 2BS (corner of Kings Road).

The meeting will bring people together to share concerns and will hear from Andy Donald, Director of Major Projects and Regeneration as well as campaigners on the bookshop and preservation of the Old Willesden Library. It is hoped that this will be the start of a dialogue in which residents can have a voice and help shape the future of the area.

MAP 

Willesden Green campaigners get organised

KEEP WILLESDEN GREEN

 Please join us to discuss the development of the

WILLESDEN GREEN LIBRARY

and the impact the proposals may have on Willesden Green

FEBRUARY 16TH 2012 7pm

KINGS HALL, 155 Harlesden Road, Willesden Green, NW10 2BS 

 
Residents have organised a meeting to discuss the Willesden Green Library development proposals and the impact on the Willesden Green area for Thursday of next week (details above)

Details of some of the issues involved can be found on the Keep Willesden Green website LINK but among the issues are:

• Lack of consultation over the original proposals and the 'offer' to be made in the proposed Cultural Centre
• The handing over to developers of council land to finance the development with all profits from housing going to the developer
• The Council-Private Partnership which leaves a lot of decision making to the developer
• The developer's apparent decision that retail in the Centre would not be viable (despite provision for a cafe when there are many available in the vicinity)
• The subsequent loss of premises to the much valued Willesden Bookshop
• The developer's advice that the historic old  locally listed 1894 Willesden Library could not be accommodated in the new plans
• The subsequent loss of  a base for the Brent Irish Advisory Service
• The apparent lack of public meeting rooms in the new Centre when the current rooms have been well-used and are essential to local democracy
• The adequacy of the council's alternative arrangements during the 18month-2 year building period and proposals to reopen some of the closed libraries instead
• Loss of the open space in front of the library
• Lack of parking spaces for disabled visitors

Meanwhile ePetitions are gathering support on the council website and paper versions are also gaining support.

The ePetition calling on the council to allocate space for the Willesden Bookshop currently has 417 signatures and can be accessed HERE 

The ePetition calling for the retention of the Old Willesden Librray building currently has 474 signatories and can be accessed HERE