Make your views known on Landlord Licensing extension

Brent Council is consulting on a licensing scheme for landlords in the private sector. Although  this could be very useful in terms of ensuring the safety and quality of premises, the fair treatment of tenants and might help with issues such as furniture dumping when tenancies change, there are concerns from some that it could be used in conjunction with UKBA to check on the immigration status of tenants. This could result in driving landlords underground and thus defeat the main object of the scheme.

This is Brent Council's communication:

The council already operates a Mandatory Licensing Scheme that covers larger houses with multiple occupation. We are consulting on proposals to introduce Additional Licensing Scheme that would cover smaller houses with multiple occupation across the borough as well as a Selective Scheme that would cover all privately rented homes.

The selective scheme is proposed for three wards – Harlesden, Willesden Green and Wembley Central but we would also be interested to hear your views on whether it should cover a wider area.

Please click on the relevant link below to give us your views:

Tenants and residents’ survey

Landlords and managing agents’ survey

Publicising the fight against the bedroom tax in Wembley today

Brent Housing Action in Wembley today  Photo: Luke Sliminn

Wembley Connects Forum gets a new chair

Cllr Krupa Sheth

Cllr Mitchell Murray

Cllr Krupa Sheth, (Labour Wembley Central) will take over chairing the Wembley Connects forum from Cllr Wilhelmena Mitchell Murray in the next round.

Sheth, who lives in St Michael's Aveneue, won the Wembley Central by-election in late December 2011 at the age of 20. She will be quite a contrast to the 'tough cookie' Mitchell Murray who controversially stopped discussion of Veolia's human rights record in occupied Palestine at the last Wembley Connects on the grounds that a section of the audience found the topic 'offensive'.

Mitchell Murray has a large personality which, accompanied by a sometimes sarcastic sense of humour, was given free reign at the forum. Krupa Sheth's personality and sense of humour has been largely hidden from public view.

Cllr Sheth was involved in her own spot of controversy when a member of the public accused her of texting throughout a vital Planning Committee discussing the Willesden Green Library redevelopment. She defended herself by saying she was looking up information about the issues under discussion.

Cllr Mitchell Murray has taken over the  chair of the Children and Young  People Overview and Scrutiny Committee from Cllr Roxanne Mashari.

Wet and dangerous welcome to 'Destination Wembley'

Leader of Brent Council, Muhamed Butt, told fellow members of the Labour Councillors' Business Network this morning about his plans for 'Destination Wembley'.

I hope councillors and business people from other parts of the country did not arrive via the Wembley Central station 'gateway'. The photograph above was taken at the foot of the steps on the southbound Bakerloo/Overground platform on Saturday.

Visitors to Wembley, already confused and bewildered by the closure of Wembley Park station and the lack of Jubilee and Metropolitan line trains, found themselves splashing through pools of water, avoiding mops and buckets and dodging drips as they squeezed on to the over-crowded platform.

Not a great advertisement for 'Destination Wembley' I am afraid.

Now a secondary free school in Wembley Central based on preparation for work

Madison House, London Road, Wembley

I have written before about the lack of detail provided by would be free school starters and that is appeared to be the case with another proposed secondary free school in Wembley.

The Gateway Academy is reported to have found premises in Wembley Central off Wembley High Road. The entire information posted on their website LINK is reproduced below:

A group of experienced educationalists are looking to establish a new free school in the London Borough of Brent to be located in central Wembley offering education to students from Year 7 through to A-Level.

Gateway Academy shall provide a well-rounded education that will equip today’s generation to compete in tomorrow’s world. Education is in many ways an introduction into the world of employment and it is essential that our students leave school fully equipped to deal with the demands and challenges that employment immediately brings. We therefore seek to equip our students with the skills, abilities, knowledge and experiences necessary to prepare them for this transition and this shall be a focus of the school.

The school shall operate on the following principles:

Global citizenship
Academia
The Arts
Enterprise & Entrepreneurship

For our school to be considered for operation, we need to show evidence of parental and student demand. If you feel that you as a student, or you as a parent, feel that our new school would provide the type of education that would bring out the best in your child, please do complete our online survey at,
www.surveymonkey.com If you have any questions about our potential new school, please do email us to selva@rtc.uk.net or call us at 020 8966 9900

This would leave plenty of space on the back of an envelope! There are no other pages or details on the website..  I understand that the application is for a three form entry school. It will be close to Copland High School which is the only remaining  local authority secondary school in Brent (the others are either academies or faith schools now)  which has been going through a difficult period and is not full in Year 7. A rival secondary free school could further destabilise Copland.

However, following up the website given on the e-mail I found that this led to the Regency Group LINK which specialises in supplementary education and classes for entrance examinations for  grammar and independent schools.

Their Wembley address is

 Regent Learning Wembley

Madison House, 24-28 London Road

Wembley, HA9 7EX

Madison House is a Brent Council property  with several users including BACES.At one stage the entire office building was on sale for £1.7m.

The description of the school above makes it clear that the school sees education as narrowly linked to employment.  The Managing Director of Regent Group's profile is revealing:

The Managing Director of the Group, Mr Selva Pankaj, graduated from the University of SDA Bocconi, Milan with a Master in Business Administration. He has also gained membership of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and The Chartered Institute of Management.

His major achievement is the foundation of Regent Group in 2000 and the development and nurture of it into the multi faceted entity that it is today.

His wealth of corporate experience over 20 years includes work at Prudential Financial Inc, Goldman Sachs, Fortress Investments, Grosvenor Property Fund Management, Rockspring Property Investment Managers, Schroders Property Investment Management, Pricoa Property PLC and Legg Mason Real Estate Inc. His notable successes include:

- Involvement in major capital raises amounting to over €1.5 billion of capital alongside Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch

- Restructuring the tax structures of closed end investment companies that invest and manage a diverse portfolio of Commercial Real Estate, derivatives and investments.

- His direct involvement, including negotiating deals and establishing a purchase price, in the acquisition of Legg Mason Real Estate Inc whilst working for Grosvenor Property Fund Management.

- Co-ordinating IPOs in the NYSE, the LSE and European stock markets.

- Has worked in various corporate entities in the United Kingdom, United States and in Europe, in particular Germany, at a range of senior positions.

It appears that this proposal is another step towards our taxes going to groups intent on the eventual privatisation of our schools.

The human cost of out-sourcing: Justice for the 33

Some of the 33 sacked workers outside Wembley Central today

A demonstration was held today outside Wembley Central station for 33 agency workers employed by Railpeople who were given notice of the termination of their contracts just before Christmas. The agency deployed them in the Wembley Central Group on various duties for London Underground.  The workers had achieved  7 100% consecutive Customer Service marks during the Olympics and now their Olympic 'legacy' is loss of their jobs.

They were turned down for alternative permanent jobs with London Underground (doing the same kind of thing they were doing on short-term, zero hours, no pension contracts). Instead they employed people who hadn't doen the jobs before.  HT apparently told them that although they were good enough to do the jobs as agency staff they weren't good enough to work directly for London Underground.

When London Underground took control of the stations north of Queens Park in 2008 that the casualisation of the job, particularly the use of agency workers, lead to a dispute as a result of which LU assured the RMT that the use of agency staff would be temporary, lasting a maximum of six months. Some of the workers have been with Trainpeople agency for five years!

The RMT has taken up their case and are demanding that all LU trained station staff working for Trainpeople agency should be transferred over to LU without having to apply for the job,

Bob Crow of the RMT made an impassioned speech putting the sackings in the context of privatisation and austerity, Navin Shah AM  cited equality (all the 33 are members of ethnic minorities) as the big issue and promised to take the case up with London Underground, TfL and the Major, and Councillor Nana Asante from Harrow pledged her support.

However the speech that stayed with me was from one of the workers who spoke movingly about the real impact on her and the sense of bewilderment she felt.

Labour win Wembley Central by-election

Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%	(2009 by-election by party)
Krupa Sheth	Labour	1402	48%	Elected   (32%)
Afifa Pervez	Liberal Democrats	1022	35%	Not elected (41%)
Madhuri Davda	Conservative	349	12%	Not elected (15%)
Martin Francis	Green Party	130	4%	Not elected (3%)

Voting Summary

Details	Number
Seats	1
Total votes	2903
Electorate	10574
Num. ballot papers issued	2916
Number of proxy votes	44
Number of ballot papers rejected	13
Number of postal votes sent	1165
Number of postal votes returned	653
Turnout	27%

Share of the Votes (%)

Krupa Sheth	48%	Elected
Afifa Pervez	35%	Not elected
Madhuri Davda	12%	Not elected
Martin Francis	4%	Not elected

GHASTLY STATIONS AND GHOST TRAINS

Central Square has been refurbished, new shops are opening, luxury flats are being marketed but amidst the private affluence of Wembley Central regeneration the station festers in public squalor. Just compare the architects' vision with the actual appearance of the station.  Rumour has it that money has run out and there is certainly no sign of work underway.  This seems to be the fate of much regeneration: money is poured into the profit yielding part of the development and the public service infrastructure part is deprioritised and neglected.  Hailed as a modern gateway to a new Wembley at the planning stage by Brent Council we are left with a ramshackle building which fails to come up to the standard of many an allotment shed.  What is Brent Council doing to get the work completed?

GHOST TRAINS FOR A GHASTLY STATION?

If the station building raises issues about  private-public partnerships in regeneration, the strange case of the Wembley Central 'ghost trains' exposes the absurdities of railway privatisation.

For some time Brent Council has been trying to persuade London Midland and Southern Trains to have more of their trains stopping at Wembley Central.  They think that doing this would give regeneration a fillip by making access to Wembley easier by public transport.  At present London Midland stop trains on their Euston-Milton Keynes-Northampton route on special occasions at the Stadium or Arena - the aim is to have a regular service.  This would also benefit residents who have friends and relations in places like Hemel Hempstead, Leighton Buzzard and Milton Keynes which since the 1950s have rehoused much London 'overspill' from North West London.

Southern have timetabled trains for Wembley Central but there is a catch. Travelling from Milton Keynes towards Harrow and Wealdstone, Shepherds Bush, Clapham Junction, Selhurst and East Croydon, although station destination boards list Wembley Central neither the carriage matrix route indicators  nor the automatic recorded announcements announce that the south bound service is going to stop at Wembley once passengers are on board. Just after Harrow the guard occasionally cuts  in to say the service is going to stop at Wembley, often quickly followed by the recorded voice soothingly announcing that 'The next station stop is Shepherds Bush'. All likely to cause anxiety to Wembley bound passengers who think they may be carried straight through to the Bush!

Mystified? Well so was I so I asked the staff about it.  Apparently Virgin Trains have put conditions on the route which means that apart from a couple of trains, officially south-bound trains should only pick up passengers at Wembley (not let them alight) and north-bound trains should only let them off (not let them board)!  So officially you can't do a return trip from Wembley to Milton Keynes, but you can to Shepherds Bush, Clapham Junction, Selhurst or East Croydon. I was given the impression that Virgin would be happier if no one knew about the trains at all.  The staff, sensibly, think the whole situation is barmy so stop and let passengers on and off as they would at any other station.  However, as Michael Caine might say, 'Not many people know that'.  One official said, 'Well the regulars get to know about it', and another assured me that the situation was due to change in 2012.

Meanwhile the platforms serving these trains are approached through heavy metal gates opening directly on to Wembley Square. Station staff wait at the gates in the wind, rain and snow to check tickets and lock the gates between trains.  The platforms themselves are cold, empty and windswept and I live in fear of being a bit tardy getting off the train  and finding the gates locked against me, abandoned all night with only the famous Wembley Central rats for company.  I did hear about one guard who didn't hop back on the train quickly enough after unoffically letting passengers off, who was left behind on the platform.

If any readers want to risk it, then on a weekday southbound trains are at 4 or 5 minutes past the hour between 9am and 9pm and north bound 7 or 8 minutes past the hour between 9am and 9pm. It could be a magnificent service: only 15 minutes to Shepherds Bush and 27 minutes to Clapham Junction; 5 minutes to Harrrow and Wealdstone and 12 minutes to Watford Junction. The full timetable which includes earlier trains and Saturday trains is available HERE (Book 5).

Meanwhile could Brent Council, the Transportation Unit, and the GLA sort this one out?  I can see no reason why the Big Bad Virgin Wolf should be depriving Brent residents of this useful and potentially very convenient public transport link.

FOR PLANET AND PEOPLE

I've been away from the computer for a while as I have been immersed in the Wembley by-election campaign, but here's a quick update. We have had a warm reception from many voters and the Greens clearly have a higher profile locally than last time we stood. We are serious contenders in this by-election.

There have two incidents recently that have stood out. One was a conversation with a fairly prominent member of the local Labour party who stopped me in the High Road to tell me that the people of Wembley weren't ready to receive the 'environmental message'. I pointed out that the environmental message in my campaign was linked with social justice policies that would make absolute sense to local people. He ended up taking leaflets from me and pressing one into the hands of an acquaintance who happened to be passing.

The other was someone who said he had supported the Labour Party all his life but was now totally disenchanted. He said he had been following what Greens had been saying and that he was impressed by the cool commonsense of Caroline Lucas. He now intended to switch to the Greens in the by-election.

We still have a long way to go of course but we are fighting the by-election on positive policies that will make a difference to people's lives:

1. OUR PLANET Climate Change is a huge threat to human life. We will work to strengthen Brent’s Policy.
We will press for a Schools and Climate Change Conference to explain the issues and take action
2. DECENT HOMES FOR ALL
Free insulation for all homes that need it, reducing heating bills AND Co2 emissions.
Reduce housing lists by building affordable homes and taking over abandoned empty houses.
3. USEFUL WORK AND FAIR WAGES
Encourage green industries into the regeneration areas to create green jobs.
London is too expensive for many people. We want a London Living Wage of £7.45 minimum for all Council employees. We will persuade other employers to take similar action.
4. LOOKING AFTER OUR CHILDREN
Half of our children who live in poverty don’t qualify for a free school meal. Every child should get a free hot and healthy school meal every day.
We are against giving away schools that WE pay for to private sponsors and have fought against the ARK Academy. Existing academies should be returned to the community sector where voters have a say in running them.
We support the building of a new community secondary school in South Brent.
5. OPEN AND HONEST CONSULTATION
Council consultations on the ARK Academy, Wembley Masterplan and care charges have left people feeling ignored. We are not asked about major projects such as the Civic Centre which will replace Brent Town Hall.
We will fight for open and honest consultation and policies.

WEMBLEY CENTRAL BY-ELECTION - A CHANCE FOR THE GREENS

I'll be fighting the Wembley Central By-Election for the Greens and hope to show that we have a range of practical, appealing policies that offer people something different from the other parties.

I would seek to champion and strengthen the Council's recently agreed Climate Change Strategy and translate it into practical measures such as the Council ensuring that all new developments are energy and water efficient and incorporate the technology to produce their own power; implementing a programme of free insulation on a street by street basis as is being carried out in Kirklees; offering loans for people wishing to install their own solar water heating and electricity; ensuring that all council buildings take energy saving measures; and holding a borough wide Climate Change and Education Conference to encourage schools to educate children about climate change, engage them in projects for home and school, and to ensure that school management implement energy and water saving strategies.

I would press for changes in the Council's consultation system so that people are fully involved in how their area develops and feel that they are really being listened to. Often decisions seem to have be made in advance and those who have taken part in consultations feel their views have been ignored and their participation was a waste of time. I have supported residents angry about the potential impact of the Wembley Masterplan on their environment and have steadfastly opposed the Wembley ARK Academy because we have had no say in the Council handing over tax-payer funded education to a financial speculator and because the particular site will mean the loss of playing fields and increase traffic congestion. I support the campaign for a new community secondary school in the south of Brent to serve local people. I would seek to ensure that all major developments, such as the Civic Centre are consulted about at the proposal stage: "Should we have one?", rather than later: "What kind of roof should it have?"

The Council is blithely going forward with regeneration plans involving increased retail, hotel and office space with high rise blocks totally unsuitable for the area, at a time when those sectors are stagnating. Rather than building expensive yuppy flats such as those at Wembley City, I want the Council to build affordable family homes to tackle the long housing waiting list. I would also expect the Council to use its powers to force private landlords to maintain and improve their often sub-standard houses and flats. Every family deserves a decent home.

Regeneration should incorporate measures to bring green industries into the area which would provide jobs and improve the quality of life for all. Many people in Wembley have to work at several low paid jobs to make ends meet and living expenses are much higher in London that elsewhere. I would campaign for the council to adopt the London Living Wage, at present £7.45 per hour (as Lewisham has done), for its employees and encourage local employers to do the same. Families would also be helped by the introduction of Free School Meals for all pupils. This would put an end to the stigma of claiming free meals. It would remove all the difficult forms and bureaucracy associated with making the claim, which often means people who are entitled to the benefit don't apply, and will ensure that every child gets a healthy, decent meal every day. There are pilot projects doing this in other parts of the country and Brent with its high levels of unemployment should put itself forward to be included. I would also press for the adoption of policies friendly to small businesses and locally-owned shops - rather than encourage the domination of the high street by even more supermarkets. This may involve the Council in following the examples elsewhere and making loans available to small businesses.

The Green Party is the only party to oppose City Academies in principle and I will continue to do so. Academies are run by private sponsors with tax-payers money and aren't accountable through governing bodies (the sponsor has a built in majority) or through elected councillors. Where academies have been set up I will seek to get them reintegrated into the local authority system as soon as possible. At a wider level Greens seek the ending of the system of SATs and League Tables which force schools to 'teach to the test' rather than educate pupils. Having seen the stress this causes for pupils, parents and teachers I will support those heads and teachers who decide to boycott the Key Stage 2 SATs next year. I want to see teachers and pupils enjoy teaching and learning again, rather than enduring it.

The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition is falling apart and the administration is lack-lustre. A Green councillor would inject energy and enthusiasm at a time when it is needed and prepare the ground for a positive Green performance at next year's local elections.

Polling day will be Thursday July 23rd.

BY-ELECTION SOON IN WEMBLEY CENTRAL?

Brent Green Party is ready to fight a vigorous campaign to win the Wembley Central seat in the event of a by-election.

A by-election is possible following Cllr Vijay Shah's decision to plead guilty to 11 counts of financial fraud at St. Alban's Crown Court. Cllr Shah is currently an independent councillor having lost Liberal Democratic Party support when charges were first brought against him. The other two councillors in the ward are Liberal Democrats.

Cllr Shah will be sentenced on May13th and if sentenced to three months or more , without the option of a prison sentence, would automatically be disqualified from holding a council seat. According to Wembley and Kingsbury Times sources he is expected to get a prison sentence.

Now that Cllr Shah has admitted fraud reportedly totalling around £50,000, it would be best for the electorate if he stood down immediately to allow a by-election to take place. He should not remain in public office. The Wembley Central electorate facing all the problems of the recession need to be represented by a fully engaged councillor of good standing.

The 2006 Local Election was closely fought between the Lib Dems and Labour:

Daniel Bessong (LD) 1709, Valerie Brown (LD) 1738, Vijay Shah (LD) 1824

Dhirajlal Katana (Lab) 1619, Navaratnam Paramakumaran(Lab) 1443, Zaffer Van Kalwala (Lab) 1420

Candidates from other parties all polled less than 500 votes each but the political landscape has changed considerably since 2006 and it could be an open and exciting contest.