Will Teather Topple Tomorrow?

Photo: Pete Firmin (I'm behind the yellow placard)

About 150 Brent Fightback supporters assembled at the Jubilee Clock in Harlesden on Friday to protest against the cuts.  Feeder marches had made their way from Central Middlesex Hospital, the College of North West London and the Mencap Centre in Willesden High Road. 

The strength of the demonstration was reflected in the  number of different causes and trades unions reflected in the banners and speeches. A real unity is building over the cuts as announcement after announcement is made with bewildering speed, often providing a rapid series of blows to the same people each time.

There is clearly no alternative to building a broad-based campaign that will include all the groups campaigning against both government and council cuts and for public services worth defending and investment in a green economy.

The people who went in to lobby Sarah Teather were not very impressed:

"Needless to say, the meeting with Sarah Teather by a deputation was hardly a meeting of minds. Many of the issues brought up at the rally were raised, her reply was essentially to either say we are wrong or to tell us that it would be much worse if she wasn’t in government! Oh, and to blame the Council when it is the government which has cut the Council’s funding."

Wake Up, Wise Up, Rise Up

Teather on Library Closures - Wembley Consultation Tomorrow

Sarah Teather spoke on Radio 4's Any Questions? about Brent library closures LINK. Her views don't  seem to quite chime with those of Brent Council  Lib Dem Group. Thanks to More than Books for this link.

Brent residents can make their voices heard about the cuts, closures and increased charges at the Wembley Area Consultation Forum tomorrow, 7pm Tuesday January 18th. It will be held at Patidar House, 22 London Road, Wembley Central (just around the corner from the station).

'Soap boxes'  (individual 3 minute slots for residents to raise concerns) are held at the beginning of the meeting. Get there early to fill in a slip and hand it to an officer at the start of the meeting. You will need to give your name, telephone number, address and the topic you would like to speak about.

The leader of the Council, Ann John, will speak about Brent's budget and the impact of central government cuts from 7.15pm to 8pm. She will answer questions about the cuts. From 815pm until 9pm there will be a consultation on the Libraries Transformation Project/Closure Programme.

Blackman and Teather Renege on Election Promises

It wasn't just Sarah Teather who reneged on her election promise to oppose a rise in tuition fees. I shared a platform with Bob Blackman, former leader of Brent Conservatives, at a General Election hustings at Harrow College. He spoke against tuition fees and signed the NUS pledge.  Last night he voted for them as  MP for Harrow East and today attacked yesterday's demonstrations.

He stands exposed alongside Sarah Teather.  Both MPs have a large number of students living in their constituency and can expect retribution.

The Green Party continues to maintain its election commitment to oppose tuition fees.

Students at the end of their Teather

Westminster University students demonstrated outside Sarah Teather's Willesden Green office this morning over tuition fees. Full report on Willesden and Brent Times website

It's Teather's Turn Tomorrow

A MESSAGE FROM BRENT FIGHTBACK

Students who study at the Harrow Campus of Westminster University, many of whom live in Brent Central, plan to visit Sarah Teather's office TOMORROW, Tuesday morning at 11 am. People who had hoped to speak to her in her surgery last Friday and those who weren't able to come then might like to come too. 

As the students' Facebook page says:

The University of Westminster's Harrow Campus has many students who reside and vote in the Brent Central area where Lib Dem MP Minister for Children and Families, Sarah Teather, holds a seat.

She is keeping low on the radar and has not announced how she will vote on the 9th. This is good . She is clearly not confident to come out and say she will vote in favour.

We know that in the past, as the Lib Dem Shadow Minister for Education, she has voted strongly-against student top-up fees. let's hold her to account and make sure she follows this logic in the vote on the 9th.

She has also voted against the war in Iraq and the Trident nuclear programme. UWSU has a free education policy and believes that as well as taxing big business, these are two other areas where funding for education could be found. Let's push this message too!

So, this Tuesday we will have a demonstration outside Sarah Teather's constituency office where we will pass over a set of demands including 'a vote against rising tuition fees' and a warning (including signed petitions) that Brent students will not vote for her if she fails to deliver what we've asked.

It will be peaceful and lively demo complete with chanting, singing and a special prize for the most imaginative UWSU/student banner.

Meet outside her office at 11am or, meet at Harrow Campus on the street at 9:30am and we'll travel together.

Lib Dem on Academies: This isn't fair and it will cost us dear

Yesterday's Evening Standard carried a vital letter which challenged the whole Coalition academies policy. Importantly it was written by Kirsty Jerome, executive member for Education and Schools at the Liberal Democrat Sutton council.  She states that if academies open they will take money from other children's services:

There will be less "money which means children with physical disabilities such as hearing impediments or emotional or behavioural problems from damaged backgrounds get early support and which helps children avoid exclusion, detention and attainment issues."

She concludes. "Kids get only once chance at education, yet a huge experiment is about to begin that could leave the most vulnerable behind. This isn't fair and it will cost us dear."

I look forward to seeing Sarah Teather's response in view that special needs children are her responsibility at the Department for Education.

Teather's Tory Troubles

Sarah Teather's troubles worsened on Monday when the Lib Dem Conference passed a motion opposing Tory plans for 'free schools' and critical of academies. She is now on a collision course not only with her past political convictions but with the current convictions of the rank and file of her party.

Still enraptured by Michael Gove she expressed 'secret pride' that the party's conference could still make trouble even when in government, but speaking against the motion claimed that the party could have more impact in government than in opposition. Conference voted against her indicating a lack of confidence in their own Education minister.

Peter Downes, a retired headteacher and Lib Dem councillor, made a cogent case in the Guardian yesterday against the 'five fallacies' underlying Gove's 'vision'.  Having gone through the fallacies he says, "We should go back to the places where decisions are being made - and explain to heads, governors, parents, teachers and councillors that academies and free schools are likely to be divisive, costly and unfair.'

If the Lib Dems have  no confidence in Teather's support for Tory policies, why should we?

Teather must stand up for Brent children

 

Brent children were involved in the Playbuilder consultation on playground improvements

Coalition cuts have again hit Brent children with Michael Gove's announcement of a stop on Playbuilder schemes for new and improved playgrounds. Sarah Teather, MP for Brent Central, will be under renewed pressure as Gove's cuts have already stopped building improvements in four Brent secondary schools, although articulating the Coalition's bias towards academies, he has announced that the Crest Academies building works will go ahead. Teather as 'Children's Minister' is having to defend the indefensible.

I declare an interest here.  I am passionately committed to enhancing children's opportunities for play.  Only one third of 7-14 year olds now play outside compared with 90% of their parents in their own childhoods. In our local election manifesto Brent Greens pledged a 'good local school and safe play facilities a for every child'. Play is vitally important for children's psychological, emotional, social and physical development.  I am a trustee of the Brent Play Association, a member of Play England, a governor of a primary school and run Brent School Without Walls which provides activities for children in Fryent Country Park.  I was one of the facilitators for the children's consultation which took children around Brent's play areas to put together ideas for the implementation of the government's Playbuilder scheme.  The enthusiasm of the children and the range of their ideas was absolutely amazing and inspiring.

All that is now threatened with the Department for Education's bland statement: "The coalition inherited unrealistic spending commitments for 2010-11. Play is important - but investment has to be affordable."

The council's Park Strategy makes it clear that the priority is to provide play facilities in areas where there are deficiences but one of the first areas to be hit is Harlesden and the Bramshill Road site. Two weeks ago I attended another consultation, this time at the Chalkhill Community Centre, where local residents put forward their ideas on play equipment for the new Chalkhill Park which is due toe be built on the old Chalkhill Health Centre site. Local people have already lost the Wembley Park  playing fields now occupied by the ARK Academy, will these cuts mean that they will lose their promised new park?

195 reception pupils without a school for September?

Recently Sarah Teather visited 10 Downing Street with a group of pupils from Braintcroft Primary School to urge the government to do more to ensure every child in the world received an education. Back in Brent the council is wrestling with the problem of rising pupil rolls which at present mean that 193 4 and 5 year olds need a reception school place in September with only 21 vacancies - so 172 Brent children may not be receiving education The council attribute the rise in demand to an increasing birthrate, new housing, inward migration, parental choice and rising standards and achievements in primary schools.

Some schools such as Robert Southwell and Park Lane are due to expand and others will have temporary 'bulge classes' which may not be able to move forward through the school.  The chart below sets out clearly the problem the council is facing. FULL REPORT HERE

Plans for the Quintain regeneration area around Wembley Stadium at one stage included a new primary school and further housing is due to be built there. No Section 106 agreements have yet been triggered by building milestones although Wembley City is now occupied. A new primary school there seems to be something worth urgent consideration.

Lobby and Rally on BSF Cuts and Academies

An urgent lobby of Parliament has been called on July 19th over the cuts in the Building Schools for the Future programme which will affect Alperton, Copland, Cardinal Hinsley and Queens Park schools in Brent. It may also impact on the scheduled rebuild of the Crest Academies (formerly John Kelly Boys and Girls schools).

The BSF cuts are intimately linked with the academies programme because many local authorities were forced to convert schools to academy status to secure BSF funding. A cursory glance at the Michael Gove's notoriously unreliable list shows that there is a bias towards maintaining funding for academies and stopping it for community schools. In many areas only academy projects remain.  LIST HERE (Item 2) (As a good Green I am sending Gove some used envelopes so that he can use the backs of them to work out some more policies).

The Anti-Academies Alliance will be joining the lobby on the 19th July . There will be a Rally at Methodist Central Hall, opposite Parliament at 1pm followed by lobbying. The AAA's focus is on the Academies Bill which gets its second reading that day.  They state:

This Bill seeks to develop a 'revolution' in education policy by which academies become 'the norm'. As it stands, the Bill denies parents (or staff and the local community) the right to any consultation over the decision to seek academy status. It paves the way for an unprecedented deregulation and privatisation of schools. It will create the conditions for the undermining of Local Authority support for schools in vital areas such as SEN, admissions and behaviour. It will prevent the rational planning of school places in the future allowing dis-economies of scale to develop. The new 'free' schools it will encourage with mean other schools have to close.

On July 8th, Lord Hill of Oareford , appointed Academies Minister, wrote to schools considering becoming academies, on a number of issues including the Freedom of Information Act, Special Educational Needs, Consultation and Transfer of Land.. LETTER HERE The letter says that Academies will now be covered by the Freedom of Information Act on a par with maintained schools and that Part 4 of the Education Act 1996, covering Special Educational Needs will now apply to Academies. The section on consultation is weak requiring governing bodies of converting schools to only 'consult those person whom they think appropriate' before entering into funding arrangements with the Secretary of State. Further guidance is promised to be published on the DES website.

An Early Day Motion (EDM 135 02.06.10) has been tabled amending the Academies Bill to ensure proper consultation. You can e-mail your MP to sign it HERE. I suggest you amend the model letter on the site before sending it on.

WILL TEATHER FIGHT FOR BRENT SCHOOLS?

Meanwhile it will be interesting to see Sarah Teather's response on BSF. She told the Wembley Observer (July 8th) that 'Brent schools had been led up the garden path'...'Brent children who desperately need new classrooms have had their hopes raised and dashed, only because Labour wanted parents' votes. The lasting legacy of the previous Labour administration is a string of extravagant election promises and not enough cash to pay for them'.

Six years ago when she argued in the House of Commons for Brent to be included in the BSF programme she didn't appear to think the programme was 'extravagant':

'The executive summary of the Government's consultation document, "Building Schools for the Future", stated: "School buildings are important to pupils' education." The research showed a clear link between capital investment and school standards. In practical terms, the budgetary pressure has prevented the council from taking action to replace the portakabins in the John Kelly secondary schools.

'Brent has a poor stock of school buildings; the lack of available cash for maintenance means that many have a large backlog of minor repairs that may well be more expensive to fix now than if they had been dealt with sooner. Brent is desperate to be part of the second wave of "Building Schools for the Future", which is due to be announced in the autumn. At the moment, some schools are forgoing expenditure in the hope—indeed the expectation—that BSF funding will be made available soon.'

Sarah Teather described the Tories' 'free schools' policy as a 'shambles' during the General Election campaign. I wonder if she agrees with Simon Hughes', Liberal Democrat deputy leader, speaking about free schools on the BBC Politics Show, 'It would be nonsense to take money that could be used for improving existing schools to create new schools'.

Anti-Academies Alliance Website HERE

New Schools....shattered dreams?

Sarah Teather MP spoke about the Building Schools for the Future Pogramme in the House of Commons, July 1st 2004:

As a result of the budgetary pressures, Brent LEA spends a much higher percentage of its school budget on pay—85 to 90 per cent., compared with an average of about 70 per cent. for other LEAs. That is highly significant. High wage costs result in reduced funding for other areas; that is common sense. Brent cannot provide the teaching assistants that it feels it needs; it cannot refurbish buildings; and it has a higher proportion of schools in budget deficit than the rest of London. Some 12 Brent primary schools, about 20 per cent; of the borough's total, are in deficit, compared with 12 per cent. in Greater London. Five Brent secondary schools are in deficit, 37 per cent of the total, compared with 24 per cent in Greater London.

Refurbishment is a particular concern for such schools. The executive summary of the Government's consultation document, "Building Schools for the Future", stated: "School buildings are important to pupils' education." The research showed a clear link between capital investment and school standards. In practical terms, the budgetary pressure has prevented the council from taking action to replace the portakabins in the John Kelly secondary schools.

Brent has a poor stock of school buildings; the lack of available cash for maintenance means that many have a large backlog of minor repairs that may well be more expensive to fix now than if they had been dealt with sooner. Brent is desperate to be part of the second wave of "Building Schools for the Future", which is due to be announced in the autumn. At the moment, some schools are forgoing expenditure in the hope—indeed the expectation—that BSF funding will be made available soon.

On Monday Brent Council said:

Brent Council heard today of Government plans to cut the national Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Four schools will now miss out on an initial investment worth £80m.

Councillor Ann John, Leader of the Council said: "This is dreadful news for Brent. The withdrawal of funding will have a devastating impact on the educational opportunities of Brent's students for generations to come.

"The rising population in the borough has meant a shortage of school places and with many of our schools in poor condition, this investment was vital.

"We will be drawing on the support of our MPs to argue our case to Government for this much-needed investment that goes beyond new buildings.

"Without funding Brent will not be able to meet the demand for pupil places in the future."

Brent awaits further information from the Department of Education.

I await comment from Sarah Teather MP.

Academies Rule OK- Sarah Teather

On Sunday's blog I asked, "How long can (Sarah Teather) go along with undemocratic, cash grabbing academies and the 'shambles' of free schools?"

It didn't take long for her to respond!  In a written answer published yesterday,  as Minister of State for Children and Families, she said:

We will reform the school system so that children with special educational needs and disabilities get the best possible support. We will halt the unnecessary closure of special schools, improve diagnostic assessment for schoolchildren, and remove the bias towards inclusion. We have introduced legislation to make it possible, for the first time, for special schools to become academies. We are committed to offering special schools the additional freedoms that we are giving mainstream schools.

So it seems that she is going all the way with academies that she opposed back in 2007 and with 'free schools' that she dismissed as a 'shambles' during the General Election campaign. Added to that she appears to be suggesting that children with special needs and disabilities should not be integrated into mainstream schools.Umph!

Claremont headteacher rises to the academy bait

Getting 10% more money (at the expense of other schools and centrally provided services) and more curriculum freedom (which the Green Party argue all schools should have), is the bait provided by the government to entice schools to become academies - and Terry Malloy, headteacher of Claremont High School in Kenton has swallowed it hook, line and sinker. He remarks, 'It enhances your income giving you more money to spend on pupils and that's a good thing.' As someone remarked this is a cash grab that will deprive other schools of income and ruin central services that provide support to all schools.

Malloy was speaking somewhat prematurely as the issue has not yet been discussed by Claremont's governing body. That was another government ploy: they wrote to headteachers rather than governing bodies with the 'academy offer' revealing their disregard for the democratic structures currently in place in schools. Headteachers are in charge of the day to day management of schools, governing bodies are responsible for their strategic direction. Changing status is clearly a strategic matter and governing body as community as well as school representatives should take account of the wider impact on other schools and the community.

Labour having so strongly backed the Trojan horse of academies under Blair and Brown are now backtracking, but lack credibility. Ed Balls, speaking to the Guardian, claims that Labour's academy programme was 'a progressive and comprehensive education policy' and 'What the Tories are proposing is a total perversion of that policy. It will be focused on the schools that are already doing well not those who need extra support. And for all the rhetoric about parent power and decentralisation it will remove the requirement to consult local parents or the local authority and will mean thousands of schools reporting directly to the secretary of state.'

In fact under Labour academy governing bodies appointed governors and the academy sponsor was guaranteed a built in majority. The role of local authorities was only latterly partially restored and academy agreements made subject to agreed admissions criteria. We in Brent know how little consultation there was with local parents and community over the Ark Academy and also remember the council survey (quoted recently by John Christie, Brent's Director of Children and Families against the Coalition policy)that showed the majority of Brent residents wanted schools to be run by the local authority - not by charities, private sponsors or faith groups.Labour had already prepared the ground which the Tories are now  enthusiastically occupying.

Sarah Teather Lib Dem, Brent Central, now Children's Minister, was strongly opposed to Labour's version of academies when she was shadow minister for education, but was demoted when the Lib Dem party leadership changed and their policy softened (just in time for Brent Lib Dems to change their line on the ARK Academy). Now in the Coalition she is having to support an even worse version of the Labour policy she so vigorously criticised. During the General Election campaign she described the Tory free school policy as a 'shambles, unless you give local authorities that power to plan and unless you actually make sure that there is money is available, it's just a gimmick'.

 "Trust in me"

Michael Gove, behind the polite, mild manner and silver tongue,(resembling Kaa in the Jungle Book) is a right-wing Conservative who is implementing potentially devastating, ill-thought out policies at reckless speed. He is Teather's boss - how long can she go along with undemocratic, cash grabbing academies and the 'shambles' of free schools?  The fig leaf of the Lib Dem's pupil premium, on the back burner anyway, will not make up for the cuts and privatising that will wreak havoc in local schools.

Debate Afghanistan and the War on Terror? Er, sorry..important engagement....whips won't allow...can't speak because we're elected...can't be bothered

With the UK bogged down in an increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan, the mounting death toll of British soldiers, the realisation of the corrupt nature of the Afghan government, and the impact on many local people of the 'war on terror',  you would think that the politicians who support the war would stand up and defend their policies in front of the voters of Brent.

Far from it. Dawn Butler had pleaded another important  engagement weeks ago but there didn't appear to be any more important election activity anywhere else in Brent that evening. The Metro reports today that just as the hustings were about to begin she tweeted that she 'was sitting in a cafe in Kensal Green resting after door knocking'.

To make matters worse she had nominated local councillors Van Kalwala and Butt to speak on her behalf at the meeting but they withdrew at the last minute. In a message to organisers they said that the Labour Group whip had advised them that due to this being a national issue and the fact that they were local councillors they 'would not be best placed to speak on the topic.' They also said that as elected members they would not be able to speak in a personal capacity either.

The Conservative candidate for Brent Central, Sachin Rajput, had also said he could not make the meeting but would find a replacement. Despite frequent reminders he submitted no names and there was no Tory speaker.

My personal opinion is that this failure to debate with the public one of the most pressing issues of the day, involving national security, the deaths of British troops, not to mention the enormous economic cost, shows a complete contempt for the people of Brent.

Despite the Labour and Conservative absence the 80-90 people present, the local press and a Middle Eastern TV station, heard passionate and informed presentations from experts on Afghanistan, the 'war on terror', Palestine and Guantanomno.  Shahrar Ali, the Green Party candidate and Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat candidate made considered and detailed responses to the questions from the experts and the audience. 

The main differences that emerged between the parties were on Afghanistan and Trident. The Green Party are for immediate withdrawal from Afghanistan accompanied by a regional peace process and for the scrapping of Trident. The Liberal Democrats are for a review of the Afghanistan commitment and were challenged that their desire to maintain stability though the use of troops would inevitably mean a long term presence. Sarah Teather wanted to retain options on the nuclear deterrent whilst being opposed to the renewal of Trident. On Palestine Shahrar Ali said the Green Party supported all of the PSC's pledges while Sarah Teather wanted to consult with legal experts on trade before commiting to a ban on settlement goods.

In her concluding remarks Sarah Teather said that the Brent Central contest would be a too close to call two horse race and if the audience largely agreed with her that was the way they should vote. She promised that she would be prepared to challenge the Lib Dem whips on issues of principle.

Shahrar Ali said that the Green Party was founded on firm principles of justice and equality. He challenged the the two horse race concept and said that voters should vote in terms of their beliefs and principles. He quoted the 9% plus local vote Greens received in the 2008 GLA elections and said that there was no better time than now than to cast a Green vote.

UNITED CONDEMNATION OF THE BNP

In addition to the Green Party Parliamentary Candidates 'condemnation of the BNP Wembley video (see GREENS CONDEMN BNP VIDEO) other statements have now been made on the issue.

BRENT COUNCIL CROSS-PARTY STATEMENT

All political parties on the council condemn this video.  Brent is one of the most multicultural places in Europe - almost every nation around the world will have a friend or family living within our borders. We are all very proud of the rich mix ofcommunities we have within our borough.

BARRY GARDINER. LABOUR MP FOR  BRENT NORTH

I found this the single most revolting and disturbing thing in my life as a constituency MP. I am proud to represent the most multucultural brough in this country,and indeed, in Europe.

I issue this challenge to the BNP: come back to Brent and dare to stand against me in the next general election.Dare to put what you said on film to the wholeof the British public. Dare to put it to the people of Brent. Those people are British.They are proud to be British and proud to be part of this society.

DAWN BUTLER, LABOUR MP FOR BRENT SOUTH

As one of only two black female MPs I am appalled by the BNP's lame attempt to challenge Brent's diversity which we love, cherish and are extremely proud of.

It is a known fact Nick Griffin has stated that Brent is exactly what he does not want Britain to look like. I received an e-mail froman outraged 12 year-old who happened to be a Hindu ands was extremely upset and annoyed by the way Muslims were portrayed in this clip. Let that be a lesson to the BNP -if you offend one of us you offend us all.

SARAH TEATHER, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MP FOR BRENT EAST

It is despicable for the BNP to try and use the symbolism of Wembley stadium to promote their racist bile. It is also profoundly stupid. Brent has always been a melting pot for people from all over the world, and people get on pretty well thank you.

That BNP group should clear off, and go back to where they came from.

WEMBLEY OBSERVER

THIS FILM IS AN INSULT TO OUR BOROUGH

The peopleof Wembley have formed a united fron this week against a film made by the British National Party,

In a shocking clip entitled The True Face of Immigration, an unnamed member of the South Wales BNP criticises our borough's diverse population and uses it as an example, in his eyes, of how the government's immigration policies have failed.

We are appalled by the video and find it deeply upsetting the way Brent has been portrayed.

One of Brent's main assets is its diversity and it is something to be proud of. Almost every nation around the world will have a friend or family living in our borough and that is what makes Brent so special.

BRENT CROSS - NOW DEMAND PUBLIC INQUIRY

Despite massive local opposition, Barnet Council last night approved the 'pie in the sky' planning application for a massive Brent Cross Shopping Centre expansion. Details remained vague,many questions remained unanswered and the possible toxic implications of the Brent  Cross incinerator hung over the meeting like a black cloud, but the smooth talking and jaw-droppingly patronising Mr Joseph won the day for the developers. A cross-party coalition of councillors (although of course they are non-party on planning matters) passed the application 8-1,with 1 abstention, apparently on the reckless basis of 'we've been waiting for a long time to do something about this, this is all we've got, so we better do it whatever our reservations may be'.

The decision has been condemned by Sarah Teather MP, Navin Shah AM, Darren Johnson AM and Jean Lambert MEP,  (details on Brent Cross Coalition Blog), who are united in calling for a public inquiry.

You can add your own voice to the Public Inquiry call - details HERE

WELSH HARP DEVELOPMENT DEAD IN THE WATER?

Housing on the Hendon side of the Welsh Harp - not wanted in Brent

Following on the opposition of Brent Green Party, Welsh Harp Labour Action Team and the Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee to the proposed development of the Greenhouse Garden Centre for housing, Sarah Teather MP,  the Brent Council Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Democratic Conservative groups have all declared their opposition to the scheme.

Sarah Teather has circulated a newsletter in the ward opposing the development and echoing many of the comments made in this blog. The Welsh Harp ward is in the new Brent Central constituency that she will be contesting at the General Election.

The newsletter also contains a petition against the proposed scheme. This adds another petition to those already being circulated by residents and the Labour Party.  The Liberal Democrat group on the council have joined Sarah Teather in opposing the application.

Bob Blackwell, Leader of the Conservative Group told Wembley Matters: "The Conservative Group are totally opposed to any form of housing development on the two sites, both in Brent and in Barnet. The Conservative Group has always supported retaining this open space and campaigned against proposals to develop this area some 10 years ago."  Robert Dunwell, leader of the Democratic Conservative group said that in his considered professional opinion the application should be opposed in principle.

This will all help the campaign against the development ahead of the Planning Committee hearing which is likely to be held on December 16th.  However it is important to remember that as the Committee is a statutory one it is not whipped in the same way as other Council committees. It makes an independent decision, taking into account officers' reports and representations by all parties concerned. Residents should continue to make representations via the Brent Planning Website here.

BRENT HOSTS AGE OF STUPID DEBATES

The Age of Stupid season at the Tricycle Cinema got off to a good start on Friday. The screenings of this incredible film about climate change are organised by Brent Friends of the Earth and supported by Brent Green Party.

There will be a chance for Brent residents to make their views known to local and national politicians and hold them accountable. Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change secretary will be taking part in a Q&A session after the 5.30pm showing on Sunday March 22nd, Ken Livingstone after the 6pm showing on Monday March 23rd, Shahrar Ali (Green Party Euro candidate) after the 6.30pm showing on Tuesday 24th and Sarah Teather Lib Dem MP 2.30pm, and Jenny Jones Green Party AM 6.30pm on Thursday March 26th.

Meanwhile Brent Council's Strategy on Climate Change has still not been published and is now long overdue. The film underlines the extreme urgency of the situation. We need a Brent councillor to champion the climate change issue and challenge the Council's lethargy and complacency.

Brent Friends of the Earth: www.brentfoe.com

Click here to see the Age of Stupid Trailer.

Details of screenings: http://www.tricycle.co.uk
Film information: http://www.ageofstupid.net