Guest post by Philip Grant in a personal capacity
The Community Centre in the foreground next to Harriet Tubman House
A reader asked, 'Where is the money coming from?' with regard to the development proposals for charity 'Making The Leap' proposals for its premises in Kensal Green LINK.
The answer is, out of the charity's "unrestricted funds", raised by
Making The Leap for their general charitable work, much of it from donations.
And it is not a small amount. Their accounts show that in the year ended 31
March 2024 they spent £120k in 'early stage costs' on this building project,
and they have probably spent a lot more since, in paying for all of the expert
consultants producing documents to support their planning application!
The accounts show that the charity's aim is to improve its financial sustainability, and they hope to 'strengthen their balance sheet by demolishing Harriet Tubman House and Hazel Road Community Centre.' [No, I don't understand the economics of that either!]
The notes to the accounts also disclose that 'the viability of the project has not yet been confirmed'. [Now, where have I read about the Trustees of a different charity spending thousands of pounds on plans for the redevelopment of another heritage property, which the local community opposes, and which would go against Brent's adopted planning policies, when the charity has no idea whether its plans will ever be viable?]
And another, as yet unanswered, question on Making The Leap's plans. They own the freehold of Harriet Tubman House,at 28 Hazel Road (allegedly sold to them by Brent Council in 2002 for £1), but they only lease the adjacent Hazel Road Community Centre, from Brent Council.
The planning application requires the demolition of both buildings. Would Brent Council agree to the demolition of a purpose built Community Centre, constructed in the early 2000s and apparently recently refurbished, on land which it owns (especially when the replacement community room in the proposed new development has only half the existing community centre space)?
