Brent's volunteer libraries to employ professional librarian

Campaigners at the 'Wall of Shame' - hoardings surrounding Preston Library now operating again as a community library

Following the closure by Brent Council of 6 of the borough's 12 public libraries volunteers have kept services going at four of the closed libraries. They have now received funding, for a limited period,  to employ a professional librarion to be shared between them.

This is the advertisement for the post:
 

-->

Position description

Title: Professional Librarian

Funding Available: up to £40,000 for period of approx 20 months to 31 October 2018

Commitment: Actual hours will be negotiated but should start by or before 1 April 2017.

Project ends: October 2018

Location: working across Brent

Travel information: Brent is within London Transport Zones 2/4.

Professional community librarian sought by a small network of libraries in Brent, North West London, operating as independent volunteer-run community libraries.

The Brent Community Libraries (BCL) network is made up of four community libraries, spread across Brent, which are at different stages in development and operation. The libraries are all registered charities and each library is supported by a strong group of residents. Brent is one of the most diverse areas in the country and this post offers the opportunity to develop services for people across a wide range of ages, backgrounds and abilities.

The libraries are committed to providing a lively top quality service in their diverse neighbourhoods. We are in an innovative position, collaborating with each other, local community groups and the Council. This is a great opportunity to create a whole new way of approaching how libraries serve the community.

Applicants should have professional library/information science qualification and at least 18 months’ experience of working in a library. Experience of working with community organisations and volunteers is desirable.

The successful applicant will work to develop a community library strategy, train and develop the volunteers who provide the services and liaise with the Brent Library Service, which is strongly supportive of this project, attending meetings as required. They will work at each library, meeting representatives of the community library network by arrangement.

Brent Community Libraries:

·       Barham Library http://barhamlibrary.uk (Friends of Barham Library – FOBL)

·       Cricklewood Library http://cricklewoodlibrary.org.uk (Friends of Cricklewood Library – FOCL)

·       Kensal Rise Library http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org (Friends of Kensal Rise Library – FKL)

·       Preston Library https://brentlibraries.wordpress.com (Preston Community Library – PCL)

For more information about these libraries, please visit their websites (or in the case of FOBL whose website is being update email Paul Lorber on barhamlibrary@hotmail.co.uk.

Brent Council has agreed Voluntary Sector Initiative Funding of £45k (ending Oct 2018) to BCL with FOBL as the contracting entity. £40,000 of this is available for this position.

Application form, job description and person specification can be downloaded from this website or requested from Paul Lorber at barhamlibrary@hotmail.co.uk

Closing date for applications is Friday 10 February

Completed application form with a covering letter explaining your suitability for the position should be sent by email to Paul Lorber at barhamlibrary@hotmail.co.uk

Brent SOS join libraries demonstration in Central London

Some of the Green Party contingent

Writer and broadcaster Michael Rosen addresses the crowd

Sian Berry holds up the Green Party's demands (Photo: Sarah Cox)

March for libraries, museums and galleries from Ian Clark on Vimeo.

Brent Library campaigners were among 2000-3000 people who joined yesterday's march in protest against 'culture cuts' to libraries, museums and galleries. Some cuts come as funding cuts or closures others through the backdoor as out-sourcing and privatisation.

Brent Council closed six of its twelve libraries in the first round of local government austerity cuts. Of the six here are now volunteer libraries at Barham, Preston and Kensal Rise and Cricklewood is on its way.

Neasden Library is particularly missed serving a poor area with many children, as is Tokyngton in Cllr Butt's ward.

In her speech Sian Berry, Green Party Assembly member,  praised library volunteers (she is one too) who had fought to keep library facilities open. She acknowledged it was hard work and would be unnecessary if we had a properly resourced, professionally staffed, comprehensive system.

The rally was addressed by Barnet library staff who were on strike on Saturday. The crowd were warned that cuts and closures, if they had not already arrived, were 'coming to a library near you'.

Relay to mark 4 year annniversary of Brent library closures

Brent Central Hustings Tuesday April 21st 7-9pm

There have been fewer hustings in Brent Central than in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency so this is a chance to meet and question your candidates before polling day. The church is near the corner of All Souls Avenue and Bathurst Gardens,

How will Brent community library campaigns fare in 2015?

As the year draws near its end let's see what the state of play is with the various library campaigns in the borough. These were set up after Brent Council closed 6 of its 12 libraries.

Two libraries,  Neasden and Tokyngton, are now gone for good, but the four others are being supported by community campaigns. This is the current state of play (information from the campaigns' blogs, Facebook pages etc).

CRICKLEWOOD LINK

The campaign is optimistic that it will have a space in the new development but has a wary eye on events at Kensal Rise:

 On 12^th November Brent Planning Committee approved the application to demolish the building that has served as Cricklewood Library since the 1920s, and build a new mixed use development. The new four storey development will have a community space on the ground floor, sharing the building with six flats.

Friends of Cricklewood Library have been named as tenants of the community space, pending legal agreements, and we intend to run a library service, making the most of using the space by making sure it is adaptable and can be rented out to community groups for activities. We’ve got exciting plans/ideas, and a strong team – and there is a lot of talent and energy in the community to draw on.

A big thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign to keep our local library. There is a lot of work to do – but what wonderful chance to run a library/community centre and keep it right here. Please let us know if you would like to be involved – get in touch by email

 KENSAL RISE LINK

Regular readers will know about recent events which saw the building go up for auction and then fail to reach its reserve price. The update on the campaign blog states:

We understand that you may be confused and concerned by the latest turn of events – the auction of the library.

The library building may or may not have a new owner.

The focus of the Friends of Kensal Rise Library has always been, and will continue to be, to work for the establishment of a library in the Kensal Rise Library building. We remain focused on this intention and our resolve is strengthened by the on-going support of the Kensal Rise/Kensal Green community - we are gratified by the trust the community places in us and are heartened by the many messages of support we continue to receive.

We received a letter on the 16th December from All Souls College, who, by the terms of their sale to Andrew Gillick, retain control of the D1 community space, whoever is the owner of the building.

Any subsequent owner of the freehold of the library inherits this obligation regarding the D1 space.

PRESTON LIBRARY LINK

The campaign hopes to be able to run a community library from the old building when it is no longer needed as a temporary annex to Preston Park Primary School.  They hope this will be in Spring 2015 when building work at the school is completed.  During the May local elections Cllr Roxanne Mashari pledged the building at a peppercorn rent to any 'local community group who can provide a sustainable community library.':

We will not open to competitive tender in order to give preference to local groups if they can demonstrate health and safety sustainability etc. and we will offer help and assistance through Brent CVS the voluntary sector and continued support and networking through the Brent libraries forum which has proved successful for the likes of the Friends of Kensal Rise.

The campaign is now asking for more volunteers, donations from local business etc LINK
It has already been using the building out of school hours as a community hub.


BARHAM LIBRARY LINK
 

The Card Room, Barham Park

 This campaign has run temporary libraries in Wembley High Road and at Sudbury Town station. but wants to move back into Barham Park Card Room (above) that has remained empty for some time,
The Council in October 2013 had plans to turn it into a cafe on a similar basis to the one in Roundwood Park but nothing has happened since and the building, donated to the public by Titus Barham remains unused and subject to deterioration.

Friends of Barham Library have said that  they are willing to offer refreshments to the public using the park if they run a community library from the building.

Cllr Michael Pavey has now become Chair of the Barham Trust and there has been a further delay as they review the governance of the Trust.  In response to a letter from Francis Henry, Property Manager for Friends of Barham Library, he said: 

I reiterate what I have said previously: I have absolute biases (I suspect this should be 'no biases' MF) on this issue. I have not been involved in any of these campaigns. My sole interest is to try and use my role to ensure that future generations can enjoy a beautiful Barham Park.

Henry had written:

I think the time has now come for you and the other Trustees to stop deferring and make a decision on this issue.

As an Administration you have now announced plans to Cuts Services. The proposals to close Youth & Community and Sports Centres while massively cutting the budget for youth services confirms the need for the voluntary sector to pick up the pieces.
Friends of Barham Library and other Volunteer Library Groups in Brent have picked up the pieces and provided makeshift services, replacing services  lost after you and your colleagues closed 6 libraries. You will recall the arguments against closures including the loss of study spaces for young people, the loss of a local safe 'community facilities' where people could go and the fact that over half the active users of the closed libraries were young people under 19.

Friends of Barham Library can make effective use of the Card Room and other parts of the Barham Buildings still available for access and not let to ACAVA. We can provide a Volunteer Library, a meeting place, venue available for giving advice, study space etc etc we can even arrange to provide refreshments (not a full blown commercial Cafe which has no chance of success). In simple terms we can provide some of the activities lost as a result of a successive and ever worsening cuts in local community facilities and services.

We have a clear record of delivery, ability to source premises, materials, books and cash.

Our shop in Wembley High Road was let to us on a two week notice - we have been there since July 2012. Sudbury Town Underground Station is let to us on similar terms but we have been there and run our activities since September 2013.

To be able to run effective activities over extended hours and to be able to raise more cash from various charitable sources we need more permanent premises and a longer security of tenure. We also need to be in Barham Park.

I and our many supporters find it very odd that the Trustees of the Barham Park Charity were prepared to bring in an organisation such as ACAVA from a long way away, who provide a service which no one asked for, while denying a group of local people, providing activities that local people actually want, a right of access to a building which was gifted to local people for their use.

I am at a loss to understand what your role is. Is it to facilitate and support local people to run activities for the benefit of their local community or is your job to block them. At present all you actions suggest that it is the latter.

I am not one for platitudes and meaningless words. I prefer direct language and straight dealing. So no more dithering on your part (or unnecessary obstruction from your officers). It is time for decisive action on your part.

There is time for you to make a decisive statement before 31 December and a clear indication that you support what we wish to achieve. If you at long last say YES before the end of this year we will ensure that the building is ready to serve local people by 31 March 2015.

If however you have no intention to allow Friends of Barham Library back into the building then please have the decency to say so now. We will all then know where we stand.

It is a measure of the importance of libraries to local people that these campaigns have kept going through difficult times and branched out  imaginatively into other activities in support of their cause. Debate continues about the role of volunteers and the need for a well funded professional library service but there can be no doubt about the commitment and staying power of these campaigners.

The Seighart Independent Library Report for England noted LINK 

There are examples of volunteer only libraries being set up across the country though there is a tendency for these to be established in reasonably affluent areas and there are still  questions over their long term viability. The more disadvantaged localities often have the greater need for such a service but they don’t tend to have the resources, experience or confidence to take over the running of their library.

As they enter 2015 with varying degrees of confidence I wish all the campaigns success in 2015.

Final decision on Kensal Rise Library on hold while Department for Communites considers planning application

Brent Council has agreed with the Department for Communites and Local Government to put the final Kensal Rise Library planning application decision.

Responding to a member of the public who had requested a call-in to Eric Pickles, Secretary of state, 
The National Casework Planning Unit state:

Thank you for your email set out below addressed to the Secretary of State, your email will be passed to my colleague Fiona Hobbs who is already considering this application on behalf of the Secretary of State, and while she is working on the case the council have an agreement with us not issue a decision.  I understand from my colleague that Brent council are currently preparing a S106.

This is the content of the e-mail:
 

Dear Secretary of State,

PLANNING APPLICATION 14/0846: FORMER KENSAL RISE BRANCH LIBRARY, BATHURST GARDENS, LONDON, NW10 5JA - LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT 

I believe the above application - granted planning consent on 16 July - should be called in because it raises issues of more than local importance: 

a) the Localism Act 2011, ACV listing and Community Right to Bid regulations appear to have been incorrectly and arbitrarily applied by LB Brent LPA:

i) inconsistent, arbitrary application of Localism Act 2011 to an Asset of Community Value (ASV): points 7 & 8 of the LB Brent LPA case-report (note 1) state unequivocally that 'the fact that the building is listed as a Asset of Community [ACV] value is...a material planning consideration' (7) and 'is also relevant...as a partial change of use to residential is proposed' (8); 

ii) so why did LB Brent LPA's legal advisor tell the 16 July planning committee that the 2011 Localism Act and ACV were 'separate legislation and not under the consideration of this committee' (note 2)? 

iii) LB Brent legal department's failure properly to apply the Community Right to Bid (CRB):

- Kensal Rise Library, subject of planning application 14/0846, was designated an Asset of Community Value (ACV) in December 2012;

- the sale contract for the building wasn't signed until January 2013, ie after ACV-listing, so the 6-month moratorium bidding process should have been enabled; but

- LB Brent LPA chose as the sale-date the earlier date of the Option Agreement (note 3) to purchase the property, signed in November 2012, ie before ACV-listing. Using this earlier date, LB Brent LPA argued that the 6-month moratorium on the sale did not apply.

b) I believe 14/0846 to be, therefore, a suitable test-case for the proper application of the Localism Act 2011 to ACV-listing:

i) it's widely believed that the Option Agreement was signed in order to bypass the provisions of the 2011 Localism Act for a moratorium on the sale of the property's ACV-listing (note 3, para 6.2). 

ii) this was, and remains a controversial sale and change-of-use planning application for one of Brent's few remaining historic buildings (note 4). The possibly deliberate attempt to bypass the ACV provisions of the 2011 Localism Act by then-owner All Souls College, Oxford requires investigation.

The Localism Act/ACV listing and Community Right to Bid is new legislation with little or no case-law to date. I urge you, therefore, to exercise your right to call in the application to ascertain whether correct procedures have been followed.

Notes: 

1 http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/documents/s25283/03 Former Kensal Rise Branch Library Bathurst Gardens London NW10 5JA.pdf

2 awaiting publication of minutes of meeting; 

3 https://www.dropbox.com/s/g20egs1atxoqogr/AS%20OA%202012%20Scan.pdf

4 http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/brents-legal-flip-flopping-over-kensal.html

 

Delay continues over Kensal Rise email fraud: some niggling questions

Guest post by Meg Howarth

On 13 February, Brent council confirmed that ‘we have passed the police all the information they have requested in connection with Kensal Rise Library and that we continue to co-operate fully with their enquiries’. The police had previously stated that ‘[we]have been informed that there is further evidence to support the allegation of fraud and are awaiting receipt thereof. A decision whether to progress the allegation will be made after all the evidence has been scrutinised’ (Police may look again at email fraud evidence in Kensal Rise development, Wembley Matters 6 February).

So a police investigation in to the apparent fraudulent use of local, and other, residents’ addresses in support of a change-of-use planning application for the Mark Twain library is finally underway - five months after the Friends of Kensal Rise Library and others first reported the matter to the council. The Kensington and Chelsea force is handling the affair - developer Andrew Gillick’s head-office for his Platinum Revolver/Kensal Properties firms is in the royal borough.

There is currently no indication of when the police will decide whether or not a prosecution will follow.

Mr Gillick’s original planning application for one of Brent’s few remaining historic buildings was unanimously rejected by the council’s planning committee last September but it’s understood he has a revised application in the offing. That is why a speedy resolution to this tawdry affair is required. Despite the council’s official line that it,  

has a responsibility and obligation to consider any valid planning application that is put forward from any individual(s)...consider[ing] each on its merits in accordance with its statutory obligations’ (Christine Gilbert, acting chief executive)

most people will find it incomprehensible if the planning committee is asked to determine a further application before the outcome of an active police inquiry is known. Speed does not, of course, mean cutting corners. 

Meantime, some niggling questions remain:

Why wasn’t all the information and evidence the council had amassed handed to the police in the first instance, instead of what appears to have been a summary of its findings?

Would an investigation have been launched sooner if the police had received a complete dossier earlier?

Why did it take 10 days before council leader Muhammed Butt’s late-night tweet on 31 January stating that the police weren’t pursuing the investigation - the first (and last) anyone’s heard of the City Police’s NFIB (National Fraud and Investigation Bureau) initial decision to take no further action? The head of Brent’s Audit and Investigation department was informed of this on 21 January but was taking ‘advice’ on what he was ‘able to disclose’. In the event, he never disclosed anything. Did the council want to ensure vacant possession of the site by landlord All Souls College, Oxford)? It knew the completion of the sale of the building to Andrew Gillick was conditional on vacant possession and that the final date for this was 31 January - its lawyers are the only third party to have seen the Binding Agreement to sell the building to this developer. Vacant possession was, of course, achieved by All Souls sending in its heavies at 6am to demolish the pop-up.

Back at the beginning of October, Brent’s legal boss, Fiona Ledden wrote about Brent’s own inquiry into the fraudulent emails that: The [council’s] investigation is continuing and there have been some complications in relation to the work undertaken. It would not be usual to publish findings of any investigation, there may however be some conclusions that we will be able to share’.

At that stage, it seems the council didn’t anticipate police involvement. 

So what changed, and when? Was it the information the council received early in November that a property owned by Andrew Gillick in St Mary’s Terrace, Paddington was sub-let at the time an online-comment using that address appeared in support of the council’s own planning application for the Barham Library Complex? Mr Gillick, the only supporter of that proposed development, was slated to speak at the planning hearing but failed to attend. It was this same address that was previously used twice to support his own change-of-use application for Kensal Rise Library. Any developer is entitled to support her/his own application but if the comments using the developer’s W2 address were submitted in his name when someone else was living there, that surely could give rise to allegations of fraud? 

Information about this, like the theft of Kensal Rise businesswoman Kirsty Slattery’s address which was used to support the developer’s change-of-use application for the 110-year old library building, appears to have been sent to the police only this month.

Why?

Moberly Sports Centre proposals available for comment

The future of the Jubilee and Moberly Sports Centre on the borders of Brent and Westminster have been the subject of much debate.Kensal Triangle Residents have said because so many different views have been expressed they will remain neutral.

Follow this link to see the Kilburn Times  report on the proposals:  LINK

However the KTRA have issued this guide:

Go to the Planning Application by clicking on this LINK

When you comment on the application remember to State 'Object', 'Support' or 'Comment'. At the time of writing of the on-line returns there were 22 Objecting, 9 Supporting and the rest were Comments.

Because of a delay due to an independent financial assessment of the scheme comments can by made up until the end of March,

Supine Brent Council accept NFA in alleged Kensal Rise fraud

Who would Miss Marple suspect?

Accusations of malpractice in planning application in Brent are not new.  There were suspicions about a last minute surge in support for the Willesden Green development LINK, an independent investigation was carried out over Paul Lorber's email interchange with the bidder for the Barham Park library site LINK and currently we have the issue of fake emails submitted for the Kensal Rise Library development. LINK

At the weekend Cllr Muhammed Butt revealed in a sharp email interchange with a Labour Party member that the fraud police had decided not to take their investigation further. A strange decision when such developments are worth millions of pounds.

One would think that Brent Council, as the guardian of council taxpayers' money and responsible for the fair conduct of planning applications, having had their attention drawn to the fake email by KR campaigners,  and finding enough evidence in their own investigation to pass the matter on to Action Fraud, would have established why the police had decided on no further action.

 I am sure Miss Marple would consider the question, 'Who stands to benefit from this fraud?' and then investigate accordingly.

Does the lack of a police investigation mean Brent Council just goes ahead with hearing the planning application as if nothing has happened. Do the residents who have clearly stated that their addresses were used without their permission, for a cause they did not support, just accept that no further action will be taken?

Instead of any such action Fiona Ledden, Head of Legal and Procurement at Brent Council, copied a complainant into this email, which is a masterpiece in conveying absolutely nothing in four paragraphs.

I am writing to inform you of the outcome of the police investigation into the potential fraudulent use of emails in respect of the planning application for the building of the former library at Kensal Rise.

The Police have now informed the Council that it is not taking further the investigation into potential fraudulent emails in respect of the planning application for the building of the former library at Kensal Rise.

The Council does want to continue to maintain the highest level of integrity with its planning process, since the Council continues to have statutory responsibilities to consider planning applications that are submitted.

I know you will be disappointed by this conclusion but in taking the action, the Council has already demonstrated their continuing concerns with regards to this matter.

If the planning application and committee hearing goes ahead, as if nothing has happened, it will be a strange way of  demonstrating 'continuing concerns' on this matter.

Preston Library Community Hub launches New Year of activity

The redoubtable Preston Library campaigners are battling on as the campaign for their library enters its fourth year.  They and campaigners from the other libraries deserve congratulations for the many varied and creative ways they have continued to fight.

This message was sent to Preston Library supporters:

First of all, can I wish you a very, very happy new year, and thank you for your continuing support. This week sees the third anniversary of the campaign to save Preston Library. The fact that the campaign - here, and in Barham Park, Cricklewood and Kensal Rise - is moving into its fourth year is a testament both to the vital importance of local public libraries and to the hard work of a very remarkable group of people. Please continue to do whatever you can to support the campaign in 2014.

We are fortunate in one respect - the Preston Library building is still in public hands, and is likely to be vacated by Preston Park School at some time in the next eighteen months. As most of you will know, there will be local elections in all London boroughs on May 22, and candidates will be seeking your votes. Please continue to tell candidates and councillors what the loss of the libraries has meant to our communities, and ask them to work with us to restore our public library in Carlton Avenue East.

The next pub quiz - our main source of income - is at 7.30 on Monday 27 January in The Preston, 161 Preston Road HA9 8NG. As usual the quiz will start promptly at 8. This seems as good a moment as any to thank all the people who have helped make these quizzes such a success - Michael, Mel, Dan, the staff of The Preston, but especially Frances, Karen, Deborah, Shelagh and Vanita, who have written the quizzes for us. Without them these events wouldn't be possible. I hope lots of you will come on the 27th.

Our Monday afternoon Community Hub events in the library building will restart on 13 January  These include English classes for those who do not have English as their first language, a creative writing group, and Scrabble. Refreshments are available. These are still early days - anyone who can offer help, or who has ideas for other activities will be very welcome. There are more details on the website.

www.brentlibraries.wordpress.com 

Those pesky Preston people won't give up - get behind them!

Labour must get behind the Gladstone Parents' campaign to defend our schools

Turmoil in the school system is increasing to such an extent that soon the word 'system' will not apply. This was one of the underlying themes at this weekend's AGM of the Anti-Academies Alliance.

The meeting coincided with news that Kensal Rise Primary as a result of its difficulties is now beginning a consultation on the possibility of having ARK Schools, which run the ARK Academy in Wembley and 17 others academies, as its sponsor. Meanwhile Copland High School, the only remaining local authority secondary school in Brent, is anxiously awaiting the outcome of its recent Ofsted inspection. Its performance table LINK position makes it vulnerable to be putting into a category leading to forced academisation. It is worth noting that Crest Boys' Academy is below Copland on several of the outcomes. The staff at Copland  are likely to put up a strong fight agaionst any attempt at forced academisation.

Hearing reports from around the country it became clear that one of the most important elements in the resistance of forced academisation was the role of the local authority. Where they strongly supported their local school AND showed that they had the capacity to support its improvement, the possibility of resisting forced academisation was strengthened.

I share the view of many parents and teachers involved at Salusbury Primary and Gladstone Park that Labour councillors and  Brent Council officers  have been pretty supine in the face of Gove's bullying policy. Promised letters to the DfE stating the local authority's confidence in Gladstone Park Primary's ability to improve with the support of the local authority have failed to materialise.

 The School Improvement Service is being cut back to its core functions and many of its non statutory, but important, functions are to be taken over by the untested Brent Schools Partnership. This is a consortium of schools that will be both a clearing house for bought-in services and a means of providing mutual support between schools. Headteachers point to the success of a similar grouping in Harrow.

There is now some doubt whether the core School Improvement Service retained by the Council will be fit for purpose with staff leaving ahead of the restructuring and some schools deciding not to buy into the additional services offered. It seems that Haringey Council was unable to guarantee that it had the resources to support Downhills Primary which led to its forced academisation - we don't want Brent schools to have the same experience.

One of the most powerful contributions on Saturday was from teaching staff at an academy who gave a vivid account of the bullying by management that had begun after a honeymoon period. They now feared so much for their jobs that they asked not to be named at the meeting. They told us that in the primary department of the all-through academy 75% of the teacher had left and half of those had done so without another job to go to.

Bullying now appears to run right through the system from the top with Michael Gove, down to individual staff rooms. Parents say it reaches their children in the classroom with the example of Year 5 children (9 and 10 year olds) threatened with being kept in at every break with additional work at home because their mock SAT test results did not meet school targets.

Bullying is clearly evident in the behaviour of DfE 'brokers' , usually private providers, who are employed by the DfE to 'manage' the conversion of primary schools into academies. This has been a key focus for campaigners and has won sympathetic coverage in the press.

One parent summed it up saying:

How can Harris (academy sponsor) come into our school and educate our children when they have so much contempt for the children's parents and families.

 Over and above the bullying theme and the telling personal anecdotes we must continue to emphasise issues of democracy, local accountability and back door privatisation.

The formation of a Parents Against Forced Academies was welcomed and there was a strong call for a nationwide campaign for education to save it from Gove's wrecking strategies along the lines of the  Save Our NHS campaign.

Here in Brent it would be good to see Muhammed Butt and councillors stop shilly-shallying and get behind Gladstone Park parents who have been left to fight for democracy and accountability all on their own.

Users Speak Out For Six Threatened Libraries

From Your News UKTV FACEBOOK

One of the arguments used by campaigners at the High Court was that the Needs Assessment and the Equalities Assessment carried out by Brent Council were inadequate. In just a few minutes this video shows how the closures will impact on the community.

The result of the High Court action is expected to be announced this month and there is a possibility that we will hear next week.

Watch this space.

Kensal Rise Victory?

We have received this message from Doron & Minkie who were campaigning against the re-siting of the Kensal Rise bus stop

Victory!... thank you!


It appears that due to overwhelming community pressure Brent Council have decided to withdraw their new bus lay-by proposal... even though they recently completed pavement works to reposition cables to make way for the proposed bus lay-by!


WELL DONE TO EVERYONE. We submitted a petition to Tim Jackson with over 1500 signatures, and of course copies of all emails. They were also inundated with emails!


This afternoon we have received an email from Emily Tancred (local Lib Dem councillor) , who in turn received an email from Tim Jackson, Head of Transport at Brent. We have asked for a copy of this e-mail and believe it says something to the affect of... the council’s plan for removing these buses by making a bus stop 'was clearly mistaken'.


We are so heartened by the immensely warm and caring community we live and also work in and would like to thank you all for your time, effort and hard work given to help overturn this ludicrous proposal.


Clearly something needs to be done about the buses but hopefully in the future we can be consulted as a community in order to find a sensible solution. We have asked Tim Jackson that we be personally consulted in all future proposals. You will in turn of course be contacted by us with any such news, which of course there will be... the problem with buses and traffic congestion has not gone away!