Have your say on Neasden Town Centre Action Plan

 

From Brent Council

Be a part of shaping the future! Join us in developing the Neasden Town Centre Sustainability & Placemaking Action Plan.

Your input will help us create a thriving, vibrant and greener town centre.

Take our quick survey and let your voice be heard. Together, let's make Neasden the best it can be!

Have your say https://haveyoursay.brent.gov.uk/.../neasden-town-centre....

 

The Neasden Town Centre Sustainability and Placemaking Action Plan is an initiative supported by the Mayor’s Civic Partnership Programme (CPP), London’s new regeneration funding programme. It targets areas of need where local authority regeneration objectives align with Mayoral priorities, to address inequalities and support positive change.

Neasden Town Centre is a priority town centre in Brent. Acknowledging its potential to enhance support for residents and contribute to the local economy, Brent Council is collaborating with Sanchez Benton Architects, Rumi Bose, and Concept Culture consultants to develop the Neasden Town Centre Placemaking and Sustainability Action Plan.

The Action Plan will set the foundation for potential improvements in Neasden Town Centre. Answer our survey and help us shape the future of Neasden Town Centre! 

**If you need translated materials, please send us a request via bruna.varante@brent.gov.uk.

There will be workshops on February 13^th and February 17^th DETAILS

 

Will this finally get rid of the Private Eye image of Neasden?

Progress and set-backs in Brent's Climate Strategy on the Cabinet Agenda tomorrow

 Tomorrow's Cabinet will be discussing progress and plans for Brent's Climate Strategy. It is a mixed bag with progress in some areas, with many small projects that contribute to change, but some major areas at a near standstill.

 

As a former 'daily cyclist' I was disappointed by the lack of any plans for an improvement in the borough's cycling infrastructure. There is a promise of more cycle hangars and projects for cargo bike deliveries for town centres and pilot projects for Neighbourhood Sustainability Schemes.  However that does not answer the need for joined up safe cycle routes for commuting and leisure needed across the borough to encourage more cars off the road and reduce pollution. In particular the north-south barrier of the North Circular Road remains to be tackled.

 

The report notes:

 

The council’s delivery of Healthy Neighbourhood schemes in the borough encountered public opposition, which was reported to the council’s Cabinet in January 2022. As a result, one Healthy Neighbourhood in the Stonebridge/Harlesden area has been implemented.

 

The remaining four schemes which were being trialled at Olive Road, Dollis Hill, Preston Road and Tokyngton and Wembley area schemes have been removed. It is acknowledged that collaborative design with the community would help to engender public support for future measures, and these will need to be effective in preventing through traffic and trialled for a longer period, potentially 12 months.

 

This action is therefore being rolled over into the 2022-24 delivery plan, with officers preparing a report for consideration by the Council’s Cabinet on the future approach to developing and delivering Healthy Neighbourhood schemes.

 

The development and implementation of future schemes will depend on future funding being made available for that purpose

 

School Streets have been relatively successful and there are plans for three 'place led' sustainability pilot projects. Two are 'Neighbourhood led' and one 'Development led':

 

Perhaps the most innovative and efficient way of demonstrating greater focus,pace, visibility and impact on the climate and ecological emergency agenda is through the designation and implementation of a new place-based approach.

This would be delivered through piloting ‘Sustainable Neighbourhoods’ in a number of areas within the borough in which the council would seek to target a dedicated proportion of its sustainability investment and activity.

Part of the rationale for this is to forge a strong partnership with local communities within these localities, demonstrating how tackling the climate and ecological emergency relates to local areas in Brent and showcasing the holistic benefits it can bring. Another benefit of this approach is that it would provide the opportunity to learn lessons for delivery in order to replicate the actions undertaken in these pilots in other areas of the borough beyond 2023.

 

There are two key differential elements within Brent’s approach to selecting suitable locations. The first is that we propose to undertake two ‘Neighbourhood-led’ pilots, that would be delivered and completed by the end of 2023, and the second is to undertake one ‘Development-led’ pilot, that would be longer-term and focused around the new development pipeline, aiming to complete by the end of 2025/26.

 

 Selecting 'Neighbourhood led' Pilot

 

Considering the north of the borough, an area around Kingsbury/Roe Green is considered to be a highly suitable area to undertake a neighbourhood- led pilot. The area selected would encompass parts of Queensbury and Kingsbury wards.

When considering the south of the borough, a locality in and around Church End/ Roundwood is a strong candidate for a neighbourhood-led pilot. The area selected would encompass parts of the Roundwood and Harlesden & Kensal Green wards.

 

Selecting a ‘Development-led’ Pilot

The process of selecting a ‘development-led’ pilot area was more dependent on the milestones within the development pipeline and in particular, the timing of the design stages and opportunities to integrate new sustainability considerations. The best opportunities to embed environmental sustainability and potential for net zero new builds is felt to be through incorporating these objectives into the New Council Homes Programme, in particular those schemes which are currently being considered for feasibility.

 

Following review of eight schemes within the council’s New Council Homes development pipeline, South Kilburn was identified as the most suitable area for undertaking a development-led pilot. It is also proposed that an increased emphasis on sustainability is placed on the regeneration plans for St Raphael’s Estate.

I found it difficult to pinpoint exactly what was involved in these pilots and hope that more detail will emerge later.

 

An area where there has been a great focus nationally is the retrofitting of existing properties to make them energy efficient, particularly in the face of the cost of energy crisis. It is an enormous task needing national funding and so local efforts appear quite insignificant and somewhat vague in terms of timelines:

 

The first year of the tower block works programme was due to see work begin on three tower blocks – Kilburn Square, Manor Court and Lodge Court. Unfortunately there has been limited progress on this action in 2021-22 due to a delay in the procurement of the supply chain due to construction market conditions; and due to the need for a more extensive consultation with tenants and leaseholders. This action will therefore be rolled over as a specific action into the new 2022-24 delivery plan.

 

The assessment of the council’s own housing stock has completed and will provide a valuable basis for both the development of a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy for our own stock, and strengthen the evidence base for the council to submit bids for external funding to undertake retrofitting work.

 

We have undertaken three pioneering retrofit pilots on void street properties within our own stock. The properties were fitted with thermal efficient internal and external insulation, energy efficient windows, energy saving heating and power source with photovoltaic panels on the roof. Smart House Measures will also be included to ensure monitoring of energy efficiency after the tenant has moved in. We will apply the learning of the retrofit work undertaken on these building archetypes to similar sites across our stock wherever possible.

 

 

When the regeneration of the Wembley Stadium  area began more than a decade ago Brent Green Party advocated the setting up of a Green Enterprise zone where small innovative green business start-ups would be encouraged by initial business rate concessions and links made with the College of North West London in providing apprenticeships and training in green technologies, retrofitting etc.  LINK Criticism was made of over-reliance on retail in the area to provide jobs.

 

 

Brent Council in a welcome initiative is now engaged in something along those lines in terms of the education aspect but it would make sense to link this with SME business support:

Over the course of this year we have established a strong partnership with United Colleges to deliver a new Green Skills Centre at the Willesden Campus of College of North West London. Scheduled to open in summer 2022, the hub will offer a range of green skills courses for students in the local area and from across the city. The courses available at the new hub will focus on the green agenda and a wide range of construction and engineering subjects. Students will be able to learn about air source heat pumps, electrical vehicle charging, internal and external wall insulation, and a variety of other sustainable technologies. The exciting and forward-thinking new hub will enable educators, employers, and other organisations to work in partnership to develop a programme that promotes employability, learning, and skills.

 

It is hard to do justice to all the documentation in a short blog post so do check out the Delivery Plan and the  Progress Report.

 

 

Additional documents:

• 08a. Appendix A - Climate Strategy 2022-24 Delivery Plan PDF 690 KB
• 08b. Appendix B - Place-based Approach Recommended Sustainable Neighbourhoods pilots (Neighbourhood-Led) PDF 2 MB
• 08c. Appendix C - Place-based Approach Recommended Sustainable Neighbourhoods pilot (Development-led) PDF 806 KB
• 08d. Appendix D - Place-based Approach Enhanced sustainability focus as part of regeneration plans PDF 642 KB
• 08e. Appendix E - Brent Carbon Offset Fund (CO2GO) Allocations PDF 623 KB
• 08f. Appendix F - Climate and Ecological Emergency 2021-22 Delivery Plan Progress Report PDF 663 KB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brent's Interim Climate Emergency Plan - is it enough?

Monday's Full Council Meeting will be presented with Brent Council's Interim Climate and Ecological Emergency Action Plan. This needs to be seen in the context of the Council declaring a Climate Emergency and the setting up on a Climate Assembly  and the recent  consultation on climate change actions concluded last week. The wider context is of course the global climate crisis and at street level issues such as the Mapesbury asphalting of walkways controversy and the community battle to save mature trees in Furness Road.

The Report going to the Council Meeting sets out the following framework which is elaborated in the Action Plan. There has already been criticism that the detailed actions, whilst welcome, are not sufficiently radical and joined up across the Council and such criticisms are likely to be raised at Wednesday's Round Table meeting at Brent Civic Centre which is discussing a Brent bid to the National Lottery Climate Action Fund. 

Community leadership: As the democratically accountable body, we will provide the necessary leadership on this issue to bring the community together to address this issue with a positive and collaborative agenda, ensuring that the carbon neutral transition is fair for all.

Leading by example as a council: Reducing emissions from our own estate and   operations (corporate properties, vehicle fleet, street lighting/signage), from council housing and from our construction programmes; improving the environmental sustainability of the Council’s procurement of goods and services, reducing our dependence on damaging materials such as single use plastics.

Strategic planning and infrastructure:  Ensuring that environmental sustainability goals are fully integrated in strategic plans such as the Borough Plan, Local Plan, Inclusive Growth Strategy, Housing Strategy, Transport Strategy, Parking Strategy, Waste Strategy, Digital Strategy, Joint Strategic Needs Assessment. Creating better recycling, walking and cycling infrastructure; supporting green enterprise and reskilling the workforce; delivering borough-wide decentralised energy schemes including community owned renewable generation.

Partnership: Developing pan-London and cross-borough initiatives where these can improve our impact. Build on existing and create new partnerships with key sectors in Brent including public sector partners, business and industry, energy suppliers, schools, residents’ fora and community groups.

Attracting investment: Ensuring that Brent secures funding from existing and future national and regional programmes for carbon reduction, energy efficiency, waste reduction, air quality, sustainable urban drainage, biodiversity and tree planting.

Enabling: Making it easier for people in Brent to reduce their own impacts, for instance, allocating the Carbon Offset Fund for household, business, school and community carbon reduction initiatives.

Community engagement: Providing direct advice, for instance on recycling, and signposting residents to advice and support from other agencies such as the Energy Saving Trust.

ACTION PLAN (click bottom left for full size version) 

Brent Council steps up action on air quality

When Mayor Boris Johnson concealed London's air pollution crisis as much as he could so Sadiq Khan deserves praise for bringing the issue out into the open, with Green AM Caroline Russell providing much of the pressure. Last week's alerts to Londoners demonstrate the seriousness of the issue.

Brent Council's Cabinet is due to approve the Council's own Air Quality Action Plan for consultation. The Action Plan opens with a declaration:

Brent council acknowledges the impact of poor air quality on health and the need for action to reduce or eliminate air pollution where possible. In Brent it is estimated that 200 premature deaths occur each year which are directly attributable to air pollution as well as further unquantified premature deaths where air quality is a factor. We accept air quality in Brent is poor and recognise significant intervention is required to improve local air quality for all. We have made some progress but accept that further work is needed to meet this challenge. Our air quality action plan demonstrates we are taking this issue seriously and will endeavour to tackle air pollution at source or reduce exposure where this is not possible. 

We will demonstrate our leadership by exploring options for low emission neighbourhoods, promotion of low emission vehicles and fuels where possible, reduce pollutant emissions from our buildings and vehicles and develop meaningful partnerships with others to get the most out of our air quality action measures.

We recognise air pollution as a shared problem and everyone must play their part to commit to continue to work with our communities to achieve air quality improvement. As we understand more about air pollution and the impact on health, we want to empower our residents to make informed choices about their options for travel and participate in decisions about air quality in the areas they live and work in. We must commit to safeguarding those at highest risk to provide additional information and limit or prohibit the development of areas where air quality is likely to be made worse. 

Not all air quality improvements can be delivered directly by our actions and so we will develop partnerships with other Local Authorities, the London Mayor, and other agencies where appropriate to maximise resources where we can and realise wider air quality benefits from our actions. 

We will commit to keeping this air quality action plan under review and will continue to identify new opportunities for air quality action in response to changes in legislation or local air quality as the need arises.

Our ultimate aim is to secure clean air for all especially for those at greatest risk or in the worst affected areas in the borough. We accept that this is likely to be a challenge to fulfil, but commit to investing in air quality action for improvement now and in the future. .

Brent's current Air Quality Management Area

The Action Plan acknowledges the impact of poor air quality on different sections of Brent's population:

...some areas of the Borough are more likely to be affected by poor air quality than others as the wider problems of poverty; deprivation and general poor health make people more vulnerable to the effects of pollution. This contributes to an almost 9-year difference in life expectancy between the most affluent and least affluent wards in the Borough. The council is committed to reducing this gap.

Four Air Quality Action Areas are proposed:

0. The revised action plan includes the creation of four Air Quality Action Areas (AQAA) or hotspots, as Neasden town centre, Church End, the Kilburn Regeneration Area, and Wembley and Tokyngton. These areas were selected based on traffic volumes and levels of traffic emissions, and have been identified as areas of planned development and aligned with the priority areas identified in the current Borough Plan. Brent will develop strategic policies and localised focussed air quality measures in these areas. 
   
   

They will:

·      provide extra assistance and support to ensure that all schools within the AQAAs have and use school travel plans, reducing vehicle use associated with schools, regularly reviewing targets for reducing air pollution and establishing programmes for raising awareness; 


·       provide assistance and support to businesses within the AQAAs with large fleets to have and utilise travel plans. The council and businesses will agree targets for emission reductions; 


·      Identify possible Low Emission Neighbourhoods in each AQAA and draft implementation plans for areas within each; 


·      Consider these sites within these areas as highest priority for public realm improvements (such as additional green infrastructure) especially where there are 
 those at highest risk or the most susceptible are located such as schools, residential properties and hospitals 

·       to educate and raise awareness about local air quality; - working with communities and public health professionals to protect and inform the most vulnerable 

The Plan lists detailed action points for each of these areas:

• Emissions from new developments and buildings
• Public health and community engagement
• Delivery servicing and freight
• Exposure reduction measures
• Cleaner transpor

See the full action points in Appendix 1 below:

 

Click bottom right to enlarge.