LETTER: Readers please support my letter to councillors on 'Divest for Palestine'

 

Credit: Middle East Eye

 

Dear Editor,

 

Could you please publish the letter below. I really need Wembley Matters readers who support to it to  add their name to the letter and it's so simple, just email me  (zerinetata@hotmail.com) and I will send them the prepared letter and all they have to do is sign it.

 

Dear Leader and Councillors,

 

BRENT AND HARROW PSC PETITION TO DIVEST FOR PALESTINE.

 

It is with such a heavy heart that I am writing to you about the dire situation in Gaza. Just as you think things could not possibly get any worse, they do.

 

The images are so horrific, especially those of the videos made by the Israeli soldiers themselves. These they have brazenly put on social media, showing their acts of violence against Palestinian men, women and children. They are joking and laughing and do not even bother to  hide their faces or their names. Such is the freedom they are given by the State of Israel, which also allows them to continue the carnage with impunity. 

 

Tragically, it is a Labour government which is arming Israel and is therefore complicit in their war crimes, including genocide, i.e. certain acts committed with the intent to destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

 

Netanyahu has made no secret of his determination to completely destroy Palestine and its people, as he has stated that it is the only way Israel can defend itself. He totally rejects the 2-state solution.

 

Our government is powerless to act against Israeli policy. They are heavily indebted to Israel, having put themselves in a position of accepting almost unlimited funding for many decades. Therefore, we the residents must do something and the only avenue open to us is to petition the powers that be at Brent Council to vote to divest for Palestine.

 

We understand that the UK Lawyers for Israel have already written to Brent Council. We trust this will not deter you from choosing to do the right thing.

 

The lives of the Palestinians are very much in your hands because you will join other local authorities and set an example, which we hope all others will follow.  This surely will help bring an end to the invasion.

 

On behalf of especially the children of Gaza, we implore you to support Council action on this petition.

 

(I would not normally appeal to you to listen to the post below regarding Israel, as there are literally millions going around on social media.  But this one is by a Burmese scholar,  a world renowned expert on genocide. It has no emotive images. He is relating his observations in simple terms and is impartial with no axe to grind. Please, I would urge you to listen to it.)

 

https://x.com/ousmannoor/status/1832506169715212540?t=Rd4RWTUNogb-7h01GNzFqg&s=08

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Zerine Tata

Chair, Hillcroft Crescent Residents Association

 

You can see and sign the Brent and Harrow Petition HERE

Muhammed Butt: We must start at open market rates for Brent property leases in order to provide services residents need. Policy hits East Lane Theatre Club

 

In an article on the new Brent Property Strategy on September 2nd LINK I predicted that some community and voluntary groups would not be able to afford the new rent and leases that Brent Council were going to charge as these will be based on open market rates.

Now the East Lane Theatre Club in North Wembley has felt the icy blast of thet policy. The increase demanded by Brent Council is such that the theatre may have to close. The lease would be £75,000 per annum rather tthan the £1,500 currenly paid.

Previous property strategy has taken into account the social value of community and volunary groups but that seems to have gone out the window. A precursor of the current market led policy was seen at Stonebridge Adventure playground and Bridge Park, and more recently in plans for the commercialisation of Barham Park buildings.

Respected local resident Zerine Tata wrote to Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt about the threat to East Lane Theatre Club.

This is the correspondence:

Dear Muhammed,

 

Re: East Lane Theatre

 

I was not aware that the Council was the landlord and you are increasing their rent to a ridiculous level.

 

This little theatre has been there for decades and one of the few icons  left in Wembley.

 

The Council should be subsidising this theatre, not charging them rent!

 

This theatre gives so much pleasure to local residents, it's like bringing the West End to us.

 

Many residents cannot afford West End prices and have been going to this theatre for many years.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Zerine

 Muhammed Butt's response:

 

Dear Zerine

 

Thank you for your email. I have attached the email I sent to you earlier as reference.

 

As you will see that the council has been subsidising the theatre for 32 years now, and your assumption below that we have not is incorrect.

 

We charge rent to residents who have council properties, the council officers have been tasked to look at every property we have to see what we can realise and from that work we think that we can obtain a much better rent for the property if it was let out, the officers have been in touch with the theatre about the way forward,

 

The council get many requests from many organisations that they require a space, we are not able to work with them to provide a space for them. There are organisations past and present that would love to have a building for £1500 pa for the past 32 years, sadly we cannot continue to rent out that level in todays financial and economic climate.

 

The theatre has been in the fortunate position to have been able to benefit from being able to have use for the last 32 years at the subsidised rate of £1500 pa.

 

We cannot say its ok for one organisation to continue to have sole use for perpetuity, the council does not have unlimited spaces that we can provide to every organisation in Brent, we would also look to see who else can utilise that space and what value they bring and add to the priorities set out in the councils borough plan.

 

Any decision we make, we will always get some people who will be happy and some who will be upset with us.

 

We have just launched the council's new property strategy which I have attached for yourself, which details the way forward as to how we will be managing the councils assets , namely the properties we have and those that are leased to organisations or individuals.

 

I wish I had properties to give to everyone who comes to myself, sadly that is not the case.

 

I know from officers that there was a meeting arranged with the theatre. I have been saying that the dialogue needs to continue with the officers, I have been open wth everyone that we are reviewing every lease we have in place and that process will continue with everyone.

 

As I said in my email to you earlier, the theatre needs to work with the officer, sometimes we cannot agree, that is life, and we will sadly then have to agree to disagree, and we will then need to go our separate ways.

 

 

Regards

Muhammed

Cllr Muhammed Butt
Leader of Brent Council. 

 

Earlier email

 

Dear Zerine

 

Thank you for the email and for raising the concerns about ELTC, 

 

I would love to be able to provide spaces to every organisation in Brent with a space they can call their own, but sadly that is not the case as the demand for spaces and for people asking us to provide those spaces at reduced prices or peppercorn rent, it’s just not feasible for us to accommodate all these types of requests and it's not financially sustainable for the council to continue in this manner.

 

The council officers are reviewing all properties that the council has and are looking at the terms of all those leases and what value and returns there are not just for Brent but for the wider community in Brent.  

 

The last 14 years have been the most challenging for local government with councils like Brent being stripped bare of the finances that we need to be able to provide even the most basic of services to our residents. 

 

We have lost over £200m in funding that has impacted severely on how and what services we can provide.  

 

ELTC has been in the fortunate position of being able to have had a space since 1992 for the sum of £1500 pa and Brent is proud to have supported the club in that time and I can assure you that there many organisations past and present that would love to have been in that position of having had that space. 

 

As you may know the lease was for 30 years, and this makes it 32 years to date. The council has been quite accommodating for that period, but today the council is in a very different situation to when the lease started, and we are reviewing all policies across the council.

 

The ending of a lease is no different to any other lease and as a responsible landlord we would need to look at what other options may be open to us, I appreciate that you may say that we need to look at helping community organisations, but this lease has been there now for over 30 years, I think we have demonstrated that we have helped this organisation over the 30 plus years they have had use of the space.

 

We have to be honest with ourselves and with organisations that want to utilise the assets that we have, we must make sure that we are trying to achieve the best that we can from everything that we have, the officers have been tasked with looking at all the councils assets and to look at how we can maximise the opportunities and that means that we must look at rental income from all the spaces that we have, this is a duty that is on local government.

 

I am being honest with yourself, we must start at open market rents, so that the rents contribute to the council's borough priorities so that we can provide the services that so many residents need and depend upon.

 

We are being forced to look at redundancies, closing and reducing services, increasing fees and charges, if we are doing this to residents , then I have to be honest with you, the club, and others, we must look at the assets and whether we are attaining the best value and outcomes for the council and the residents that we serve and also look at whether the charges / rents are realistic or attain the outcomes in relation to finance and measurable outcomes that deliver for Brent.  

 

We have just launched a new housing campaign as we have a projected £16m overspend and we are now saying openly to residents that we must move them to Slough, High Wycombe, Birmingham and even further as we cannot find a place in Brent and we now know that many people will not be able to afford a property in Brent or even London. 

 

 https://www.brent.gov.uk/news-in-brent/2024/august/find-a-place-you-can-afford, 

 

I cannot with my hand on my heart say to residents to move out of London unless I can say to myself that I have done everything possible before asking them to move out of Brent. 

 

The rental income could help us to continue to provide the services people need, keep people employed or help towards us being able to secure homes that our residents need. 

 

Virtually every day and even today , I have had residents begging me to help them to find a safe, secure, space for them and their families as they have been made homeless and have been evicted by their landlords. 

 

I have to make some really difficult choices and decisions and whatever decisions I make there will be someone who will disagree with myself.

 

The rent that was being paid of £1500 pa for the last 32 years would have come to about £48000 over that 32-year period , the officers have looked to see what rent can be realised if we went to the open market, and that is the reason for the new rent levels of £75000 pa. 

 

Accepting the rent of £1500 pa is something that we just cannot continue with that low level of rent, the financial loss to the council is too great, and it would be remiss of ourselves if we did not review the situation.

 

I appreciate that this new proposed rent level may seem high, but we also have a duty to make sure that we are realising the best value for the council as well. 

 

I know that people would want me to look at what they are delivering how it has helped them, but that would need to be measured against the council's borough plan priorities and how we can safeguard and support the most vulnerable and needy in our society and community.

 

I have copied in the two senior officers Tanveer and Denish who manage the councils' assets, they have been tasked to review the assets we have and to look at every lease with every organisation that has a lease with us, they are all going through the same process of rent revaluation.

 

I urge ELTC to keep on working with the officers and we can look to see what we can do to help assist. 

 

Thank you for your email and for making the case to support ELTC. 

 

 

Regards

Muhammed

Cllr Muhammed Butt
Leader of Brent Council. 

 

LETTER: Putting the plight of rough sleepers in context - for the majority it is just circumstances

 Dear Editor,

Despite these war-torn unprecedented times, I appeal to you as winter draws in, to spare a thought for Homeless Rough Sleepers, the Forgotten Ones.

These desperate people do not deserve to be neglected and we should not forget that for the majority it is just  circumstances, falling on hard times, which can happen to any one of us.

Their stories are similar. Most of them have contributed to society and had good jobs, a family, a home. Then they lose their job and cannot find another.  Bills start piling up, the Bailiffs are at the door,  and their house is repossessed.  Many then eventually end up living on the streets.

Please, if you see a homeless person on the street, just stop and have a chat.  It is heartbreaking to be told just how much it means to them when someone stops and says hello!  Perhaps give them some food and money.

They have to pay at least £15 to get a bed for one night in a hostel. They cannot get a job, cannot get benefits, all because they do not have an address. Some may drink or take drugs, but perhaps even you would, if you found yourself on the freezing, lonely streets, so desolate, you just want to die.  This is not a lifestyle choice!

Often due to violence or sexual abuse at home, young women and men are the most  vulnerable. They have been forced out onto the streets with no help or support and nowhere else to go.  Ex-servicemen are also amongst rough sleepers. They have fought for this country, surely they deserve better?

As for the council's responsibility,  it states that councils have no obligation to house homeless rough sleepers, until the temperature falls to below zero!  I do not have to tell you how cold it can get well before the temperature falls to zero.

We do little to stop increasing poverty, with thousands of people destitute and suffering and having to remain on the street, with no realistic hope for any permanent home any time soon.  Your donation to homeless charities this winter will help, as the government has once again cut funding and these charities rely mainly on the generosity of the Public.  So please,  give as much as you can to any homeless charity this winter. (The Salvation Army; St Martin's in the Field; St Mungo's; Crisis; Big Issue; Streetlink; Centre Point; Shelter.)

 

Yours,

 

Zerine Tata

Residents prepare to fight Heron House development on Wembley Hill Road

When high-rise redevelopment began around Wembley Station it was clear that it would impinge on the bordering  suburban residential areas and particularly the main thoroughfares of Empire Way, Wembley Hill Road and Bridge Road.

Local resident Zerine Tata is drawing residents' attention to a proposed development at the Heron House site at 109-115 Wembley Hill Road:

"The Wembley Residents Pressure Group Against The Large Redevelopment of Heron House"  are preparing to fight this and we really need your support to sign our petition, which will be emailed to you in due course.


zerinetata@hotmail.com

I will  send you the petition to sign, after the developers  apply for planning permission. This will be at the end of this month. (Their usual ploy to do it in high holiday season!)  We  will then only have 21 days to object, so we need to be prepared.

Zerine

THE HIGH RISE DEVELOPEMENT OF HERON HOUSE, WEMBLEY HILL ROAD, WEMBLEY

Those of us who live in Wembley can expect 11,000 high rise dwellings in the regeneration of the Stadium and High Road Areas. As this regeneration was planned many decades ago, it is a "done deal" and their progress will continue and we can only hope that it will be of benefit to all the residents of Brent.

But, there are still the  smaller high rise developments, which are intrusive and are creeping into residential streets, completely destroying our way of life.  One of those is the proposed redevelopment  of Heron House on Wembley Hill Road,  into expensive high rise flats and commercial businesses.

Wembley Hill Road and all the street off it are totally residential and the existing Heron House was built in the '60s and is not as intrusive, overbearing or dense as the new development will be. The new development is much larger and certainly not in keeping with the character of the streets on and off Wembley Hill Road, which consists of houses, bungalows, small blocks of flats and gardens.

As the Stadium and High Road regeneration  has already planned 11,000 dwellings,  any more high rises in the very near vicinity would have an negative impact on the area with loss of light, privacy and the existing outlook.

It is very unlikely that there will be enough parking space for all the vehicles from the flats and the commercial businesses.   This will be putting even more pressure on the streets around  Wembley Hill Road, where there is already a huge demand for parking spaces and it is almost impossible to find one.

If this large high development is allowed, it will also set a dangerous precedent and before long more developers will want to do the same. This will completely destroy our residential areas,  which we are all trying to hold onto, despite the looming high rises of the Stadium and High Road areas.

These same developers have already expressed an interest in purchasing St Joseph's,  the land opposite Heron house, with a view to building yet another high rise block! We cannot just sit back and do nothing. The more signatures we can get on our petition, the better our chances of stopping these high rise buildings, which are so out of character for Wembley Hill Road and the streets off it.

Due to the height and proximity of this development, it will also devalue our properties, most of which were built in the 1930's and were part of conservation areas before the law changed.

There are many brown-field sites in Brent, where this part/commercial development can be situated and these should be used before encroaching onto our streets and furthermore, what provision has been made for the infrastructure needed?

I am trying not to be too pessimistic, but  these smaller high rise dense developments,  which are causing great concern amongst residents, could happen anywhere and before you know it the whole of Brent could  become a concrete jungle!  I wish I could say with certainty that this will not happen, but the speed with which  these smaller high rises are going up, I am truly fearful.

I love where I live and have lived in the same area for almost 60 years. I know things have to change and progress, but do we have to lose our precious existing residential areas for even more high rises? Surely Brent Council should be aiming for both?

We of course appreciate that more houses are needed, so we propose and would be happy to support lower level affordable family accommodation perhaps some with small private gardens, as this is just the sort of dwelling which is in very short supply

Quintain's exhibition at Wembley Park opens - but do people know about it?

Quintain's exhibition on the next phase of the Wembley Park regeneration opens today at  The Yellow Pavilion, Olympic Way, Wembley HA9 0FA

Local residents are not convinced that the PR agency organising the exhibition have done enough to contact local people. This is what one residents' association wrote to them:

 Is this the minimum time for exhibitions/consultations you have to give to residents who are directly affected by this development?

We are very upset and disappointed that you have not advised every resident who will be directly affected, in good time,  i.e. all the residents who live in the areas around the Stadium development. Even residents at Raglan Court have not been advised and they live right opposite the development! Why wasn't the whole area, which is directly affected,  leafleted?

Now that the Wembley Observer is no longer published and only on line, even if you had mentioned this exhibition, many would not have seen it.

Many of us are already personally affected, as we now have no privacy, as our bedrooms are overlooked and it can only get worse!

Please advise why all the residents were not advised well in advance, as you must have known about this exhibition/consultation a long time ago? Perhaps you really did not want all of us to attend and make our comments and objections? This is totally unacceptable and we really need some answers and for you to extend the time of the exhibition, so that more people can be advised and attend.

We are very sorely aware that Quintain has all the power and finance to influence Brent Council and when there is a huge development with huge profits involved, obviously the residents wishes and needs tend to be ignored.

There is nothing wrong with making huge profits, money makes the world go round, but not at the expense of the existing residents, who feel we are not getting anything in return!  You should be putting back much more and also be far more considerate of  the feelings and needs of the existing residents, who are very side-lined.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Zerine

Zerine Tata, Chair of Hillcroft Crescent Residents Assoc. & Co-ordinator of the Neighbourhood Watch.

As background before visiting the exhibition you may wish to look at these previous posts on Wembley Matters:

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/quintain-wembley-masterplan-public.html (particularly the comments)

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/more-tall-blocks-for-wembley-park-in.html

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/a-decade-on-has-quintain-delivered-for.html

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/brents-relationship-with-quintain-under.html

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge