Willesden Green issue remains on the boil

Robin Willow caught the public mood tonight when he thundered, 'Who owns Fryent Country Park? Is it the Council? No, it is us the people?  Whose are the trees in Carlton Vale that have been chopped down by the Council? Not the Council's, they are ours - our heritage."

Turning to the platform at the Willesden Area Consultative Forum he said, "The Old Victorian Library belongs to the people of Willesden, not the Council. It is part of our heritage and you haven't the right to take it away from us."

Robin had heard a rumour that Brent Council  were trying to overturn the covenants on Fryent Country Park in order to build on it but that was later denied by Richard Barrett leader  of the increasingly powerful Regeneration and Major Projects Department - and he should know.

However the fact that it is now possible to suspect Brent Council of planning such a move is indicative of the lack of trust residents now have following recent machinations over library closures and other issues.

Speaking about the Willesden Green Library regeneration Elizabeth Proud said that if people wanted to comment on more that cosmetic details of the proposals they were effectively told to 'shut up'. She spoke about the loss of open space, the Victorian Library building and the reduced size of a replacement building that looked like an airport building or a warehouse: 'We know an eyesore when we see one'.

Indeed when Beth Kay and Richard Barrett presented the revised plans the building looked worse than in the earlier artist's impression and there were little more than cosmetic changes to the internal layout and the floor plan. There was slightly more space between the building and the High Road and an indication that the cafe area might include retail space, that 'could' be a bookshop, but would be let at market rates.

One resident said that the plans had been underhand and imposed on residents. The Victorian Library and the open space were the heart of Willesden. She claimed the Council had deliberately run down the cafe and cinema and the 80s library had only been refurbished 5 years ago. She said that the way the Council had behaved was more like something from the old Soviet Union.

She was followed by a woman who said that the Victorian Library and open space were the heart of Willesden and in  response to Richard Barrett's claim that the landmark Victorian Library would be replaced by a new landmark building, the Cultural Centre, she said something that looks like a circus marquee will never be a landmark building. Warming to her theme she said that in removing the open space the Council were not getting rid of anti-social behaviour but of social behaviour it was a space where people could congregate and mix in all their diversity and one where people new to the area could observe local life and feel part of the community. The  Neighbourhood  Bulletin from Brent ward working had said that (contrary to the Council's claim that the space encouraged ant-social behaviour)  'the area outside Willesden Green library is no longer a haven for anyone causing anti-social behaviour' because 'a dispersal order is now in place...'

She said that the real failure had been one of 'management and marketing' and the problem could have been solved with a proper management plan.

In a corrective to the presenters' statement that local councillors had been consulted, Liberal Democrat councillor Gavin Sneddon said that they had warned officers that demolition of the Victorian Library would be controversial and that his colleague Ann Hunter had asked for two plans, one with the Victorian building and one without. The decision to proceed with the plan for demolition did not involve local councillors.

A potential bombshell was partially revealed when Richard Barrett  said that he understood that local historian Phil Grant had been in contact with the Secretary of State for Communities over whether Brent Council was the appropriate body to make the planning decision. Brent Council thought they were but would find out more. Phil said that the issue revolved around Conservation Area consent which would involve Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State, and predicted that the Council would not have a smooth ride with its planning application . He called for no amenities to be closed until full planning consent had been obtained.

No member of the public spoke in favour of the proposals, if anything the opposition has broadened and deepened.

Confused councillors cause chaos at Call In

Tonight's Call In Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the Willesden Regeneration Project descended into chaos tonight when inattentive Labour members apparently missed a vote and enabled a motion supported by two Lib Dems on the committee to be passed. Labour councillors tried to get the vote taken again when they  realised that it put in jeopardy plans to sign the Development Agreement with Galliford Try tomorrow. They tried to argue that the chair, Cllr Ashraf had been unclear when he called for votes for and against, but legal officers ruled that Ashraf had been clear.

As the councillors floundered noisily, asking each other what was happening, the public at first made fun of them and then called for the whole lot to resign.

The motion called on the Executive to reconsider their interim service plan for the period of the Willesden Green redevelopment to include the possibility of using existing closed library buildings in order to provide a comprehensive and financially viable library service.

Legal officers present appeared to say that the effect of this was to postpone any signing of an agreement until the Executive had considered the motion from Scrutiny. This will put back the timetable for the regeneration which is already running behind schedule.The anticipated signing date was only revealed after the vote.

The next Executive is on February 13th and will already have a full agenda which includes the budget. Although the Executive routinely votes down referrals from Scrutiny Committee there will be a further chance for the public to make representations.

Eleven members of the public spoke tonight and any neutral observer would be likely to agree that they spoke better, were more attentive, and made more sense than many of the councillors.

Much of what they had to say was concerned with the poor consultation over the plans.  It emerged that the 'stakeholder consultation' consisted of two evening focus group meetings attended by 5 and 7 people respectively who were unrepresentative of Brent's population. Several complained that there had been no mention of the Willesden Green closure when the Library Transformation plans were discussed and users of the closed libraries had been told that Willesden Green was their nearest alternative,

There were pleas from several different library campaigners for the closed down libraries to be reopened to provide an interim service. If Willesden Green had been near enough to be an alternative for their closed library then the reverse must also be true. A Kensal Rise campaigner argued that there was no justification for paying rent on temporary buildings when that purpose built library was available rent free and had enough space for the Brent Archives.

Nicolette McKenzie from Mapesbury Residents  made an impassioned plea for the Willesden Bookshop. She said that most cultural centres have a bookshop.  Although the bookshop was not part of the council's core service it was part of the bigger moral contract between the council and local residents. She said that the council needed to make some compromise and show goodwill towards residents.

Alison Hopkins for Dollis Hill and Neasden residents reminded the council that they had spent £300,000 on refurbishment of Neasden and were paying rent of £55,000 plus security costs on a building that could be put to use. The area was one of high deprivation and badly need the library..

Jacky Baines said that there had been no consultation over the of the old Willesden Library building and called on the council to listen to residents. She said that an epetition had been launched on the council website. (Available HERE)

Simon Hawkins, speaking for Brondesbury residents said that the first they had heard of the proposals was on January 16th. On the  focus groups he said it was wrong that so much was decided by so few. Consultation was now available only when detailed plans existed and decisions were being made by small groups behind closed doors. He said interim arrangements were incoherent and residents needed reassurance that the project was not a housing scheme with a small ill-thought out library space. He asked what justification there was for removing the cinema. Contrasting the success of the Tricycle he said that the Willesden Green Library Centre had been badly managed and needed a manager of real calibre.

Responses from Cllr Crane (leader member for regeneration and major projects) and Andy Donald, the officer concerned, reiterated that the present building was not fit for purpose and would cost too much to refurbish and anyway the council did not have the money. A developer partnership meant that the project was cost neutral with the council gaining the freehold of the new building by handing council land (the library car park and a section of Chambers Lane) over to the developer for housing.

However it emerged during exchanges that it was the developers who had said there should be no retail in the new building and that the locally listed Old Willesden Library could not be incorporated into the design. This brought calls of 'But you are the client!' from the public seats. 

Cllr Lorber asked then what was the point of people wanting to make representations on the old building and the bookshop when it was a 'done deed'. Residents had had no say in matters that clearly concerned them.

Towards the end, Cllr Ann Hunter, who had been getting more and more agitated during Cllr Lorber's contributions, jiggling around on her seat and clapping her hand to her forehead in apparent exasperation, intervened from the public seats. She berated Cllr Lorber for his caricature of a museum outreach service and praised that of the British Museum. As a Willesden Green councillor she had been to a briefing about the building and had some  input. She had seen the indicative design and thought it was wonderful but was not allowed to tell people about it.

In response to challenges over interim arrangements Jenny Isaac said that the facilities were needed in the Willesden Green area because of the 10,000 users there and because of its high levels of deprivation. In addition to Grange Road negotiations ere in progress for another building. She could not give any details until negotiations had been completed but the council would be providing a book stock, study spaces and IT and other activities normally carried out at Willesden Green would continue to take place. She said that the council hoped to match the number of study places during the revision and exam season but there might be a shortfall at other times.  She gave very high costs for the reopening of the closed libraries that were challenged by Cllr Lorber.

Andy Donald said Galliford Try had a detailed public participation strategy and there would be a chance to make representations at the pre-planning stage, when the  project went to planning committee and during implementation of the plans. He said that council officers were having detailed discussions with Brent Irish Advisory service and the Willesden Bookshop over relocation. They were in contact with landlords and there were a number of premises available from the council perspective. The head of property had begun these discussions. Cllr Crane said that it was hoped the plans  would go to Planning Committee in July 2012 with work to start in October 2012 (possibly later after tonight's vote). As a result of this the Willesden Bookshop would be offered an extension on its premises until the council needed vacant possession.