Brent Greens Raise Deep Concerns Over Independence of Board Appointment to £20m St Raphael’s "Pride in Place" project

 

 

Community celebration on St Raph's

 

Brent Green Party councillors have expressed serious concern regarding the appointment of the Independent Chair to the St Raphael’s Estate Neighbourhood Board, following growing public disquiet and formal governance inquiries over the recruitment process.

 

The £20 million government-backed "Pride in Place" initiative is intended to deliver long-term, community-led investment to support St Raphael’s Estate. However, the recent announcement of Priyesh Patel as the board’s "Independent Chair" has sparked concern from local residents, grassroots community advocates, and commentators.

 

Brent Green councillors share the concerns raised by the local community regarding whether this crucial appointment can genuinely be considered independent. Public records indicate that Mr Patel was employed directly within the Council Leader’s office until August 2025 and has actively engaged in political campaigning alongside Brent Labour candidates. Furthermore, community advocates have raised serious questions over reports that an advertised resident stakeholder interview panel was omitted from the final selection process.

 

The Leader of the Green Group Cllr Mary Mitchell said:

 

We share the deep concerns voiced by local residents and community advocates. Appointing someone who was employed directly in the Council Leader’s political office only twelve months ago and who has been actively on the campaign trail with Brent Labour severely undermines public trust in what is designated as an 'independent' role.

 

I am calling for full transparency about the appointment, the selection process and the safeguards in place to ensure that the role is genuinely independent, including through a conflict of interest and independence review.

 

A non-partisan community role must be open to scrutiny and must command confidence across the political spectrum, and, most importantly among local residents. Residents deserve concrete commitments to guarantee that St Raphael’s residents, and grassroots organisations are independently represented in choices about how the £20m fund is spent.

 

FoI aims to lift the lid on St Raph's Pride in Place Appointment

 

Priyesh Patel (Credit: Brent Council) 

A Freedom of Information request has been submitted to Brent Council by Asif Zamir, Independent Community Advocate on St Raphael’s Estate. It concerns the process involved in the appointment of the Independent Chair of the £20m St Raphael’s Pride in Place Project:

 

I am writing to make a formal request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. My request relates specifically to the recruitment, shortlisting, and final selection process for the newly appointed Independent Chair of the St Raphael’s Neighbourhood Board under the 'Pride in Place' programme.

 

Please provide the following information:

 

1. Resident and Stakeholder Involvement:

 

   * Documentation confirming whether a localised resident stakeholder panel or community interview forum was formed to participate in the evaluation, interviewing, or selection of candidates for this specific Chair position.

   * If a resident or community panel was utilised, please provide the terms of reference or the criteria by which panel members were chosen. If no resident stakeholder panel was involved, please provide any recorded policy justification or decision log detailing why community panel interviews were omitted from this recruitment process.

 

2. Shortlisting and Interview Metrics:

 

   * The total number of applicants who submitted an application for the role of Independent Chair for the St Raphael's Neighbourhood Board.

   * The total number of applicants who were successfully shortlisted and advanced to a formal interview stage.

   * The anonymised scoring matrices, evaluation criteria, or procedural rubrics used by the council selection panel to determine which applicants were granted an interview and which were excluded from the shortlisting stage.

 

3. Independence, Vetting, and Conflict of Interest:

 

   * Given that the successful candidate's public employment record indicates they were an employee of Brent Council until August 2025 before transitioning to a political think tank, please provide any recorded assessments, internal panel minutes, or governance reviews that evaluated how an individual leaving council employment approximately 12 months prior satisfies the strict criteria for an "Independent Chair."

   * Copies of the conflict of interest declarations, political activity disclosure forms, or dual-interest registers completed by the successful candidate during or immediately following the application process regarding their political campaign activity alongside ward councillors.

   * Any internal correspondence or minutes detailing how the candidate’s concurrent political campaigning activities were assessed against the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, ensuring that public funds allocated to the Neighbourhood Board are protected from perceived political bias.

 

Procedural Instruction (Section 12 & Section 16):

 

If you determine that any part of this request exceeds the statutory cost limit under Section 12 of the FOI Act, please invoke your statutory duty to provide advice and assistance under Section 16. In that event, please fulfil all other sections of this request that fall within the limit, prioritising the production of the anonymised scoring matrices and conflict of interest declarations.

 

Priyesh Patel campaigning with Stonebridge councillors

 

 

Asif Zamir speaking to Wembley Matters said:

 

The council advertised for an 'Independent Chair' to lead a board tasked with shaping the future of a £20 million investment on St Raphael's Estate. Yet it is alleged the recruitment process completely bypassed a localised resident stakeholder interview panel that was advertised on their website.

 

Instead, the appointment went to an ex-Brent Council employee who was on the council payroll just 12 months ago, and it has been alleged that he has been actively documented on the local political campaign trail with Stonebridge Labour Councillors who are also involved in the Pride in Place appointment. Residents deserve complete transparency over how this selection was scored and verified.

 

Residents aren't a checkbox exercise. We don't need a board that is set up to manage our expectations from the top down—we need a board that actually represents us. This FOI forces the council to put their scoring and vetting records on display so the community can see exactly how this decision was made.

 

The appointee, Priyesh Patel’s  Linkedin Profile says that he worked out of the Brent Council Leader, Muhammed Butt’s, office from January 2024-August 2025 providing ‘high-level policy, communications, and stakeholder support to Brent's Cabinet Members, ensuring the delivery of strategic objectives across portfolios including housing, regeneration, health, education, and community safety.’

 

Previously he had been a case worker at the House of Commons and is currently at British Future.

 

Sandra  White, appointed to the equivalent post in Harlesden, had lived in the area for more than 20 years an active in the community including Chair of the Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum.  Priyesh Patel has been on Next Door (St Raph’s) since 2024 but has not made any posts. Brent Council’s press statement on Priyesh’s appointment says:

 

A proud St Raph’s resident, Priyesh has been involved in civic and community life in Brent from a young age – including through Brent Youth Parliament and later training and presenting with Brent Youth Radio. Priyesh has a strong interest in interfaith work across the borough and has supported charitable and community initiatives within local faith spaces in Stonebridge, alongside his involvement with Brent Multi Faith Forum.

 

Asif Zamir remarked:

 

I want to make it absolutely clear that this is not a personal attack on Priyesh Patel. I do not know him, and despite years of working on the ground here, he is not someone I or other active resident groups have ever come across within our estate's community advocacy networks. This is entirely about protecting the integrity of our community's voice.

 

When an advertised resident interview panel is bypassed to install an ex-council employee who worked directly inside the Council Leader's political office only a year ago, it fundamentally undermines the word 'Independent'. Our community is fighting to ensure that appointments are made fairly, transparently, and with genuine local oversight. St Raphael's residents have waited too long for this £20 million investment to have its governance handled through closed doors. We deserve a board leader who answers strictly to the people living in these blocks, not to the political networks at the Civic Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandra White on her 'daunting' role in the Harlesden Pride in Place project

 Sandra White (Photo: Brent Council)

Sandra White, chosen by Brent Council to head up the Pride in Place project, added some context to the Next Door link to the Wembley Matters article published recently. 

   

I am both honoured and humbled by taking on this role. The Community Panel will choose how the funds are spent - No one individual will have power, and the ideas will be presented and put forward by local residents - Obviously we can't and won't do everything, but we will have a good go at it.

 

Pride in Place Programme funding over a 10-year period is split into 63% capital and 37% revenue. Capital Funding (63%) is money used for physical assets and infrastructure.

 

Usage: Building or upgrading community facilities, parks, sports grounds, high streets, and public spaces. Revenue Funding (37%) is Money used for day-to-day operational costs and services.

 

Usage: Running local programs, community engagement events, staffing, and civic capacity building.

 

This a huge role, a daunting role, but this investment can be used to make a difference and by coming together and taking action together we can hopefully build a sustainable foundation for change for the future of Harlesden. Just to add... I'm not a politician but I am a grafter, and I am here to serve. Also just to make this clear - this is a voluntary role - there is a £5K stipend, so not a paid post.

 

Funded by City Challenge money to encourage SMEs in Harlesden (Photo: Brent Council)

The Harlesden City Challenge project, part of an urban regeneration programme initiated by Tory Minister Michel Heseltine in the early 1990s, may have lessons for the Pride in Place project. Gerry Davis was the Chief Executive of Harlesden City Challenge and was based in Challenge House in Harlesden High Street.

£150,000 was spent on artworks some of which still remain scattered around Harlesden, but the real question is what wider impact did the project have on employment, social cohesion on equality. 

The £37.5m 4 year  project is claimed to have created 2,000 jobs, mainly in Park Royal and improvements in housing in Stonebridge and Harlesden. It funded High Street improvements including new street furniture and public art and restored and expanded  adult education and community services at the Victorian Morland Gardens villa. See Philip Grant's article HERE.

Time permitting I hope to look deeper in the City Challenge experience 

 

  

 

Sandra White, Harlesden community leader, to oversee £20 million investment programme in her community

 

Sandra White

 

From Brent Council

Sandra White has been offered the role of Independent Chair of the Neighbourhood Board that will decide how £20 million will be spent to improve Harlesden – part of the government’s Pride in Place programme –over the next 10 years.

Pride in Place is a major government investment programme, designed to deliver visible improvements in places across the country that are facing high inequalities.

Subject to completing the formal appointment process, Sandra will lead the Harlesden Neighbourhood Board, which will develop a long-term plan for the area and ensure that decisions about how the money is spent are made by and for local people.

It builds on recent investment in Harlesden town centre, including the transformation of the iconic Picture Palace into a new community hub, the restoration of historic buildings on Harlesden High Street, and the celebration of cultural heritage with the Harlesden Walk of Music. Together, these improvements to public spaces provide a strong foundation for the next phase of community-led change in Harlesden.

Sandra brings extensive community leadership experience to the role. A Harlesden resident for more than 20 years, she has worked with young people and supported a wide range of community initiatives across the area. She has a longstanding commitment to Harlesden and its diverse communities and has played a key role in community-led decision-making, most recently serving as Chair of the Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: "Pride in Place represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Harlesden. The success of the programme will depend on strong local leadership and genuine community involvement, and Sandra brings both in abundance. Her experience, credibility and deep connection to the area make her an outstanding choice to lead the Neighbourhood Board as we begin this exciting new chapter for Harlesden."

Georgia Gould MP for Queen's Park and Maida Vale said: “Sandra has a proven track record of bringing people together and delivering for the diverse, creative and entrepreneurial community in Harlesden.

“I have seen firsthand her passion for Harlesden and commitment to community led change and I know she will make sure that Harlesden’s residents are leading this programme.

“I am really excited by the huge interest there has been in being part of Pride in Place, and I am looking forward to seeing their ideas come to life.”

Sandra White said: "Harlesden has been my home for more than 20 years, and it is a place and community I care about deeply, so I am genuinely honoured and excited to have been offered the role.

“This investment gives us a rare opportunity not simply to change how Harlesden looks, but to help strengthen and heal our community, build on the incredible talent, creativity and resilience that already exists here, and create new opportunities for our young people and future generations.

“I want this to be a chance for Harlesden to show what is beautiful about our neighbourhood, while also being honest about the challenges we face. I look forward to bringing everyone together to shape a shared vision and create lasting change that Harlesden can truly be proud of."

Harlesden is one of two Brent neighbourhoods selected to receive Pride in Place funding over the next decade, alongside St Raphael’s Estate. The Chair for St Raphael’s will be announced in due course.

If you have an idea for how the money should be spent in Harlesden or St Raphael’s, share it with the Neighbourhood Board by filling out an online form.