Cabinet agree £5m towards step free access and other improvements at Alperton Station. Lib Dems claim campaigning success.

Brent Cabinet this morning agreed a £5m payment towards the cost of step free access to to Alperton Station,  mainly funded by Transport for London.  The proposals are for lifts to the platforms rather than bringing the hidden escalator back into use. Other improvements include the toilets. The proposal will involve the loss of the barber shop at on the left of the station forecourt.

The Cabinet were told that the improvements were necessary because of the new building in the Alperton Growth Area  increasing the densification of the area. Cllr Muhammed Butt claimed this was a good use of Strategic CIL contributed by developers to improve infrastucture in areas of development..

The Cabinet Report gives details:

The station has a disused escalator currently hidden from view which accesses the main ticket hall and formerly served the east bound platform. TfL is proposing to use this space to provide one of the platform lifts. Additional space made available on the east bound platform will include some updated waiting facilities.

Delivery of the lift for the west bound platform is more complicated, due to the limited public access only currently provided from the main ticket hall under the underground lines. This, which provides access to the stairs, cannot be modified to incorporate access to a lift. Creating an additional adjacent tunnel under the lines will be prohibitively expensive due to the made ground nature of the structure above. It would also be very disruptive possibly requiring line or station closure. So, TfL will instead use a tunnel structure that currently is made inaccessible on the eastern side by the commercial unit (barbers) currently visible on the station frontage. This commercial unit will need to be removed, and access provided through it from the main ticket hall to a lift. TfL will conduct appropriate negotiations with the current tenant. The shopfront feature will be retained.

In addition to these changes, to address current passenger flow capacity issues at peak times, the number of barrier gates will also be increased. Off the main ticket hall three toilets will also be provided, one of which will be of accessible design, and all of which will incorporate baby changing facilities.

Alperton Liberal Demcrats put out a press release claiming the decision was a win for their campaigning:

The Liberal Democrats are celebrating a major win for Alperton as Brent Council has finally approved a long-overdue upgrade to Alperton Underground Station.

Thanks to years of persistent campaigning— by Liberal Democrat Councillors in Brent and Lib Dem London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari — Alperton Station is now set for a transformational refurbishment including:

●      Step-free access to make the station fully accessible for everyone, including those with mobility issues, parents with buggies, and older passengers.

●      Increased number of ticket gates to ease overcrowding and reduce daily congestion at peak times.

●      Upgraded, fully accessible toilet facilities for a safer, more dignified experience for all passengers

The works are projected to start in 2026, and be completed in 2027. Current plans assume the station will be able to remain open. 

Alperton councillor, Charlie Clinton said:

This is a huge win for local residents who’ve been ignored for too long.  Alperton has been the site of hundreds of new flats, and while we do need more homes, this has strained local services to the limit. These upgrades are way past due.

But it is not yet enough.  Brent Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for the investment Alperton deserves - including more Tubes running through the station, a new Health Centre, revamped roads and pavements, and real action to clean up our streets.    

Battle lines drawn on Barn Hill over access

Access road in the distance (centre) from Barn Hill

Residents on Barn Hill are challenging Brent Council's intention to draw double yellow lines on a dead-end slip road off Beverley Gardens, which they claim was intended to give access to the open space for the old and infirm.

The slip road - new houses are behind the green gates at the end

The new houses behind their gates

John Woods, Chair of Barn Hill Residents Association said:

Local residents are not in favour of this proposal because this road is used to drop off many old and invalid people who are unable to walk up to Barn Hill open space to enjoy the environment.

Residents strongly believe that Brent Council has been approached by a local developer, who  built the two houses that use this road,  to install these double yellow lines.

Woods added that he found it hard to belive that this order was passed on the strength of information given by an absentee landlord and one favourable response from a resident.

Clr Michael Pavey, Labour,  Barnhill, told me:

I am completely opposed to these yellow lines. I'll be working with residents to make sure the proposal is rejected.

Consultation on the issue expires on 20th December with a decision likely in mid-January 2013.

Observations can be sent to eric.marchais@brent.gov.uk 

Boris Johnson fails to answer key questions on his free school policy

Following Boris Johnson's announcement that he wanted to encourage more free schools in London and find GLA surplus property for them, Darren Johnson Green Assembly Member put a number of questions to him in order to delve deeper into his policy which could threaten equality of access for children with disabilities and special educational needs as well as reduce public accountability of schools.

The answers indicate that in fact there is no depth to the policy and that it has not been thought through. Londoners deserve more than 'off the top of the head' thinking when it comes to educating our chidlren. Today's league tables for regions and local authorities show London local authoirty secondary schools are rated higher by Ofsted than the England average.

Here are the questions which Boris Johnson apparently found too hard to answer:

Accountability of Free Schools

Question No: 3469 / 2012

Darren Johnson

How will you ensure that free schools you support, financially, with sites or otherwise, are democratically accountable to the local community as well as to the Secretary of State for Education?

Written response from the Mayor

Policy on free schools is set nationally. Please contact the Department for Education for information about free schools and accountability. More information about free schools is available at http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools.

 

*

Free School policies (1)

Question No: 3470 / 2012

Darren Johnson

How will you ensure that there is fair access to free schools for pupils with special education needs, disabilities or on the free school meals register?

Written response from the Mayor

Policy on free schools is set nationally. Please contact the Department for Education for information about free schools and Special Educational Needs, disabilities, and Free School Meals. More information about free schools is available at http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools.

 

Free School policies (2)

Question No: 3471 / 2012

Darren Johnson

How will you ensure that all free schools you support, financially, with sites or otherwise, commit to a close working relationship with the local authority in order to maintain an appropriate focus on borough-wide priorities, including local authority nomination of a member of the governing body and a commitment to sharing performance information?

Written response from the Mayor

Policy on free schools is set nationally. Please contact the Department for Education for information about free schools and their relationship with local authorities. More information about free schools is available at http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools.

 

Free School policies (3)

Question No: 3472 / 2012

Darren Johnson

How will you ensure that all free schools you support, financially, with sites or otherwise, commit to appropriate staffing arrangements to ensure high quality teaching and learning from qualified staff and good employment practices, including in relation to support and contracted staff?

Written response from the Mayor

Policy on free schools is set nationally. Please contact the Department for Education for information about free schools and staffing. More information about free schools is available at http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools.

 

Free School policies (4)

Question No: 3473 / 2012

Darren Johnson

How will you ensure that all free schools you support, financially, with sites or otherwise, commit to community access and use of facilities through agreed extended opening and lettings policies?

Written response from the Mayor

Policy on free schools is set nationally. Please contact the Department for Education for information about free schools and community access. More information about free schools is available at http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools.

 

Free School policies (5)

Question No: 3474 / 2012

Darren Johnson

Will you rule out financial support and the provision of GLA group owned sites for free schools that teach creationism as scientific fact?

Written response from the Mayor

The Department for Education has made very clear that it will not grant approval to any free school application that plans to teach creationism as scientific fact.

 

Building new community schools

Question No: 3467 / 2012

Darren Johnson

Will you press the Government to allow London boroughs to build new community schools in areas where there is a shortage of school places?

Written response from the Mayor

London is facing a severe shortfall of school places and I am grateful that the Government has doubled its funding for basic need addressing the shortage left by the previous Government. I will continue to make the case for London to the Treasury as I have previously successfully done when making joint representations with London Councils. Government funding for new schools, including free schools, presumes that they will be academies. I also want to encourage a new generation of free schools in our capital, to help address the shortage of school places and give parents more genuine choice.

 

Building schools where they are most needed

Question No: 3468 / 2012

Darren Johnson

What steps are you taking to ensure that public funding for new schools is directed towards areas of London where there is the largest anticipated shortfall in school places?

Written response from the Mayor

The GLA currently runs a pan London school roll projections service for boroughs. I will explore how we can expand this to cover all boroughs, and how we can work more effectively to develop an improved, strategic picture of school places in the capital. I will also support the creation of new free schools where there is strong parental demand though not necessarily a shortage of places.