Guest blog by Philip Grant
It is now more than eight months since Brent’s Planning Committee refused an application by
the Barham Park Trust (sole corporate trustee – Brent Council) for a change of use of the
former Barham Park library building from community use to business use. On 3 December
2013, the Trustees (five members of Brent’s then Executive) accepted the recommendation of
a senior Council Officer to appeal against that decision, but it was only last Tuesday, 22 July,
when a Planning Inspector finally held an informal hearing of that appeal at the Civic Centre.
The delay was due in part to the Trust’s appeal not being submitted to the Planning
Inspectorate until the end of March 2014 (it has been suggested that this was to ensure that
the appeal could not be decided before the local elections on 22 May).
Around thirty local people attended the hearing (including two of the Brent Cabinet members who now have Trustee responsibility, for parts of the proceedings), and although less than half of these came forward to speak when given the opportunity by the Inspector, this impressive display of support for the former library building remaining available for local community use will have been noted by him. This was a planning appeal, so the fact that many of them were Friends of Barham Library was only relevant to the extent that it showed a need and demand for the sort of community facility which could be available on a permanent basis in Sudbury, but there were many other reasons shown to the Inspector why Brent’s planning policy CP23, aimed at protecting existing community and cultural facilities that meet the needs of Brent’s diverse community, should be upheld, as the Planning Committee had already decided.
Around thirty local people attended the hearing (including two of the Brent Cabinet members who now have Trustee responsibility, for parts of the proceedings), and although less than half of these came forward to speak when given the opportunity by the Inspector, this impressive display of support for the former library building remaining available for local community use will have been noted by him. This was a planning appeal, so the fact that many of them were Friends of Barham Library was only relevant to the extent that it showed a need and demand for the sort of community facility which could be available on a permanent basis in Sudbury, but there were many other reasons shown to the Inspector why Brent’s planning policy CP23, aimed at protecting existing community and cultural facilities that meet the needs of Brent’s diverse community, should be upheld, as the Planning Committee had already decided.
