Willesden Green councillors oppose the bank closures 'blight' on small businesses and the elderly

 

Wembley Matters published a letter LINK on January 12th setting out the impact of the closure of the Willesden Green branch of National Westminster Bank on the elderly, disabled and those without internet access.

 

It was good to hear thatWillesden Green councillors, Tom Miller, Janice Long and Saqlain Choudry had taken up the issue. with the banks

 

This is their letter in full:

 

We are writing to express our serious concern and disappointment over the announcement to close two bank branches – Lloyds and NatWest – in Willesden Green, both of which are due to close by the end of March this year. With uncertainty over the future of other branches looming, too, Willesden Green has now fallen victim to the surge of branch closures that is blighting local small businesses, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups. 

 

This is very disappointing news, especially given how NatWest has been rooted in the community; and there is real risk that cash provision and access to basic services will be severely affected. We have been contacted by several residents who have expressed their apprehension over this decision.

 

High street bank closures have become an epidemic in the last few years, with over half of bank branches in the UK shutting their doors in the eight years since the Conservatives came to government in 2015. There are now just 3,200 remaining in England – and Willesden Green and Brent are no exception to these dwindling numbers. The banks are a vital point for the community. These closures are yet another nail in the coffin for the UK’s high street banking infrastructure and will see some towns lose more than one bank within a matter of days or weeks – suggesting little thought has been given to the impact on the communities they serve. 

 

Many people, particularly older people and those with disabilities, need access to physical banking services which go much further than access to cash. It’s often about having a real person to talk to, especially for those individuals with serious financial concerns and who are unable to make the transition to an entirely digitised banking system. Trust is greatly enhanced by personal contact, and greatly reduced when there is none. Some services do require in-person verification, and safety concerns over potential financial abuse are often better spotted when customers are able to use these essential face-to-face services. Many local businesses also bank with NatWest, so the feeling of regularity and social interaction will be omitted in other branches. Do you plan to hold sessions for residents explaining the impact of the closure and advising customers further, especially on the more complex, in-person banking operations? Are both NatWest and Lloyds willing to meet with senior management, cabinet lead and local councillors at Brent Council to discuss the implications on residents? 

 

We, of course, understand that regular reviews are a necessary part of business operation, particularly as we move to a more digital world. But we are very disappointed in the lack of consultation with local councillors and residents on this closure. There has been a distinct lack of visibility and inclusion on surveys and feedback from both NatWest and Lloyds, and we have not seen any detailed data regarding the decision to close. Are NatWest and Lloyds willing to share with us any additional data or metrics they have collected that led to the decision to close? Were the views of local councillors or the local authority taken into account at all in this decision? 

 

Communication has been minimal, reasoning obscure, and not enough consideration given to alternative provisions. Residents have told us that they have been advised to use branches elsewhere – such as in Kilburn High Road, Golders Green, and Swiss Cottage – but longer travel times will make journeys more difficult or impossible for some. We are also concerned about a wave of potential job losses with these continued closures, and would welcome some reassurance on the future of your current team members in the Willesden Green branches. 

 

It is clear that, if these closures are unequivocally going ahead in Willesden Green as they are elsewhere in the UK, an alternative course is needed. The Social Market Foundation found that 7 million people, most of them older and poorer, do all their banking in their local high street branch. But it’s not just these groups: research from LINK has found that around a quarter of Britons still use cash at least once a week, and about 10% of the country use it daily. The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium also show that shopping with cash has risen for the first time in a decade, as household budgets are increasingly stretched and the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. At the same time, over half of bank branches have closed, and the Conservatives’ rollout of banking hubs has been much delayed. 

 

The rollout has been painfully slow, leaving many communities to become banking deserts. This has become a particular problem in town centres and on high streets such as ours in Willesden Green. The current plans are totally inadequate for creating a much-needed national network of accessible services, and so we are pleased that the Labour Party have recently committed to accelerating the rollout of banking hubs where people can deposit and take out cash, as well as access wider banking services, as part of our Plan for Small Business. The hubs are designed to be shared by major banks, so customers from almost every bank will be able to use them. 

 

The weakness of the current banking hub system is its voluntary character. It arguably shows the weakness of the present regulation when banks are closing thousands of their branches all around the country, withdrawing services to their customers, and then promising banking hubs that they are under no obligation to introduce. The current protocol between lenders and the Government is toothless, and so we support the Shadow Chancellor’s calls for stronger additional powers for the FCA. When a local community demonstrates need and meets the relevant criteria, a banking hub ought to be guaranteed. Considering the shift Willesden Green is about to undergo, we believe that this will be the best course to steer for us as a community. 

 

We therefore will be submitting a formal request to LINK to undertake a review of Willesden Green in light of these branch closures, asking that they assess the viability of opening a banking hub to guarantee that local residents and independent businesses still have access to these essential services. As Labour councillors, we will continue to fight for our communities and ensure that no one is left behind. 

LETTER: National Westminster Bank's Willesden Green closure will hit the elderly, disabled and those without internet access

 

Dear Editor.

I am an elderly resident of Willesden Green and can't walk very far. The National Westminster Bank in Willesden Green is just four minutes from my home but is due to close in February.

The elderly, people with mobility problems and the disabled need an accessible local bank and those are the people who will be most badly impacted by the closure.

The cashiers at the branch know their customerrs well and are aware of those who have mobility problems.  They notice when you are frail and invite you to sit down on a chair to wait rather than have you join the queue and stand for a long time. 

They even offered to identify me as someone with memory problems.

On one occasion I visited the bank with a builder who had done some work for me and needed a cash payment. The cashier leaned over to me and whispered, 'Are you okay? You are giving him a lot of money.' This shows they know their customers and care about them.

People of my generation don't use the cashpoint outside the bank for fear of being mugged and instead use the cashpoint inside the bank. If we have to use the outside cashpoint we feel insecure and fearful. Somone I know was mugged when  withdrawing money at the cashpoint and theft takes place even during daytime.

At the moment I am just about able to do online banking but some people don't have internet access. I am unable to use a mobile phone App which Nat West offer as an alternative. I suspect many other elderly people are in the same situation.

Their statement suggesting that they only had two 'regular customers' in 2022 seems wrong to me judging by the queues I see.  How do they define regular? How do they reach the figures they quote - I would like to see the detail  and methods in their closure  impact assessment.  

When National Westminster closes in February and Lloyds a little later there will be just one bank, Barclays, left in Willesden Green. Barclays Bank is not an ethical choice.

National Westminster suggests we go instead to their branches in Kilburn High Road, Golders Green or Swiss Cottage. Unfortunately Willesden Green has no lift for the elderly or disabled so this makes journeys difficult or impossible for some.

They also suggest banking at the Post Office in  Willesden.  Have they seen the queues that line up outside on the pavement?  I am concerned about personal safety if I withdraw money at the post office.

I would like to see National Westminster Bank withdraw the closure notice and hope others will make their voices heard.

Regards,

Willesden Green resident for more than 40 years.

 

Editor's comment:

After receiving this letter I checked the police crime figures for Willesden Green area. The last available are for November 2023. It shows 21 crimes near the National Westminster bank.

 Breakdown

Theft from the person 5, Anti-social Behaviour 3, Shoplifting 3, all other crime 10.

Source

 

 

Last year AgeUK published a booklet on the impact of the switch to on-line bank on the elderly. You can read it HERE

REMINDER: Closure of some Brent & Harrow sections of Bakerloo line and London Overground next week

 

 

From Transport for London

We need to close part of the Bakerloo line and London Overground. This is so that Network Rail can carry out work to improve their track and infrastructure.

 

This means we need to close:

• The Bakerloo line between Queen's Park and Harrow and Wealdstone
• London Overground between Euston and Watford Junction
•  

These sections of line will be closed between these dates:

• Saturday 11 February to Sunday 19 February 2023

 

During the closure, a regular four to five minute service will continue to run on the Bakerloo line between Elephant & Castle and Queen's Park.

 

The track and associated infrastructure are in urgent need of upgrading. The works will make journeys more reliable in future.

 

Tube

During the closure there will be no Bakerloo line service at these stations:

Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, South Kenton, Kenton, and Harrow & Wealdstone,

 

London Overground

During the closure, there will be no London Overground services between Euston and Watford Junction. London Overground stations will be closed at all stations on this section of line except Willesden Junction.

 

That means there will no London Overground services at:

 

Euston, South Hampstead, Kilburn High Road, Queen's Park, Kensal Green, Harlesden, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, South Kenton, Kenton, Harrow & Wealdstone, Headstone Lane, Hatch End, Carpenders Park, Bushey, Watford High Street, Watford Junction

 

Willesden Junction

Willesden Junction will remain open to these destinations: Stratford, Clapham Junction and Richmond.

 

Alternative routes

• Map of alternative transport during the closures – weekends PDF 116KB 
• Map of alternative transport during the closures - weekdays

PDF 116KB

 

Check before you travel using our travel tools, including TfL Go and Journey Planner.

Bus

 

Use bus routes to reach your destination or connect with alternative rail routes.

• You can access the Metropolitan line at the following stations: Wembley Park, Preston Road, Northwick Park and Harrow-on-the Hill
• You can access the Jubilee line at Wembley Park and stations towards central London

 

Connecting buses

Use these buses to connect to other lines or to get to destinations on the closed sections of the Bakerloo and London Overground lines.

 

Standard TfL fares apply on these routes.

 

Route 718 Queen's Park to Harrow & Wealdstone (Mon-Fri only, all day)

Via Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central, North Wembley, Preston Road, Kenton

 

Route 719 Queen's Park to Wembley Park (07:00-19:00 weekdays, 10:00-19:00 weekends)

Via Kensal Green, Willesden Junction, Stonebridge Park, Wembley Central

 

Route 720 Watford Junction to Harrow-on-the-Hill (all day, every day)

Via Harrow & Wealdstone, Headstone Lane, Hatch End, Carpenders Park, Bushey, Watford High Street

 

London Northwestern Railway (National Rail)

For central London, use London Northwestern Railway services from Watford Junction, Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone and Wembley Central.

 

Wembley Park station closed for Sunday's ParalympicGB show at the Arena

 

Organisers have warned attendees at the Paralympics Homecoming Show at the Wembley SSE Arena that public transport will be disrupted.  It is unfortunate, to say the least, that accessibility will be reduced at a paralympic event. One would expect a coordinated attempt by the organisers and TfL to ensure this did not happen.

 Public Transport - if using public transport then there are several stations and bus stops serving The SSE Arena, Wembley.  However, due to planned works, Wembley Park station will be closed on both Saturday 11^th and Sunday 12^th September and there will be no service on the Jubilee line between West Hampstead and Stanmore and on the Metropolitan line between Aldgate and Harrow-on-the-Hill.

To help you make your journey, Transport for London is providing additional advice on alternative accessible routes using the Bakerloo line and London Overground services as well as replacement bus services for the closed tube routes.  TFL Bus routes will serve Wembley Park as normal.  Click HERE to plan your TFL journey to the venue. 

Chiltern Rail will also be providing an increased service to Wembley Stadium Station before and after the event.

Safe schools support grows: two on-line meetings tonight

 

Schools: Green GLA candidate slams 'chaotic and dangerous government' and backs Harrow Council's action

Emma Wallace

 

Reacting to yesterday's events Green Party GLA candidate for Brent and Harrow said:

Thank you to Harrow Council for taking decisive and sensible evidence based action, advising Harrow's primary schools that they can move to online learning from Monday. 

 

The government's decision to leave out Harrow, whilst all surrounding London borough's including Brent, Barnet, Ealing and Hillingdon having been listed as being able to delay their opening, despite having very similar rates of Covid-19 infection, was inconsistent and nonsensical.  

 

To find out that Gavin Williamson has announced a last minute U-turn advising that all primary schools can now close, except for vulnerable and key worker children, reveals once again the complete incompetence that we have now come to expect from this dangerous and chaotic government.  There is no evidence that the Conservatives are adhering to specialist medical advice or 'following the science' as they so proclaim.

 Vix Lowthian, Green Party Education Spokesperson said on Twitter on Labour Party nationally:

Labour must not ignore the unions, educators, parents and entire communities. Schools have been opened without adequate safety measures. Now as we reach a crisis, teaching must move to distance learning. Labour have to change tack - it's not about chaos, its about safety.

The National Education Union  Executive is meeting today to discuss their reaction to events as the Covid rates amongst young people continues to rise.  There will be a zoom meeting for all members on Sunday where thousands of school workers are expected.

Commenting on the latest decision by Government to close all London primary schools until 18 January at the earliest, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the NEU, said:

 

It is welcome that, albeit in their usual last-minute fashion, ministers have corrected an obviously nonsensical position - one that it could not justify by evidence or sense.

 

But the question has to be asked: why are education ministers so inadequate and inept? Who is advising them? 

 

And what is right for London is right for the rest of the country. With the highest level of Covid-19 infection, and hospitals buckling under the tsunami of very ill patients, it is time for ministers to do their duty - to protect the NHS by following SAGE advice and close all primary and secondary schools to reduce the R rate below 1. 

 

It is time for the government to protect its citizens, and in particular its children, by shutting all primary schools for two weeks in order for the situation to be properly assessed, schools made much safer and children and their families protected.

Vix Lowthian, Education Spokesperson for the Green Party, will be speaking at a Green Party Trade Union Group Meeting at 4pm this afternoon. The meeting is open to all Green Party members. Email  yrrumuk@googlemail.com for joining details.

 

Update on Strathcona closure process

A Task Group has been set up with officers of the local authority and Roe Green-Strathcona senior management and the Chair of Governors to manage the phased closure of the Strathcona school site.

Although the unions are not part of the Task Group they will be receiving regular reports on its activity from Brent's Operational Director for Children and Families. I understand that the unions' suggestions on avoiding compulsory redundancies are being considered by the authority.

The NEU ballot for strike action is still live.

CIPFA shows how important Brent libraries are to residents

The CIPFA report into public libraries compares the London boroughs with each other. In these tables Brent is 'h' with a black graph block. Brent controversially closed half its libraries creating two major hub libraries at Wembley and Willesden Green and four smaller libraries. Kensal Green, Barham and Preston are run by volunteers while Cricklewood is getting increasingly impatient with developer Octavia Housing as volunteers wait to start running a volunteer library there. (Note: CIPFA do not make judgements so all comments are my own.)

As can be seen from the diagram above Brent has far fewer libraries than the average borough but a slightly higher than average population.

I have long argued that Wembley Library has vastly inflated visitor figures because the electronic counters count Civic Centre staff who use the library entrance off Olympic Way as a short cut to their offices. Apart from entering and leaving at the start and end of the day, some also enter and leave for their lunch break.

As a result although Wembley has the highest number of visitors Willesden green has the highest number of borrowers. Watch our for media claims that Wembley Library has a record number of visitors:

Due to the closures Brent has a low number of what CIPFA call service points:

Overall Brent children borrow more books than average with 5 times more fiction than non-fiction borrowed. Primary class visits to the libraries will account for some of this. Adult fiction book issues is below the average but non-fiction higher which may reflect the large number of students who use the libraries.

 One area of concern is the low number of housebound readers. Some boroughs provide a delivery service, often run by volunteers, and this is something the Scrutiny Committee could investigate.

Book stocks are another measure of the quality of the service and here Brent lags. Children do better than adults which may explain the discrepancy in figures. Residents borrow more books than average even though book stocks are lower than 13 other London boroughs:

When the  'Libraries Transformation Project' was launched much was made of access to computers and other digital resources such as e-books. The figures show Brent is below the average for the number of devices available but that they are well used.

The Brent  libraries website is particularly successful and ease of on-line renewal may account for the low level of overdue fines in Brent:

A proposal to reduce the opening hours for Brent libraries, and the possible complete closure of one, was ruled out after the budget consultation.  CIPFA reports a very positive picture on opening hours with Brent out-performing the average for London boroughs.

The figures indicate that Brent is already spending lower than average on its libraries but it is also collecting less revenue, in terms of borrowing charges, fines and reservation fees. Given the low median income of Brent residents I would oppose an increase in charges but it may be an area that will be vulnerable in the future:

To access the full report follow this LINK

KUWG urge Brent Labour to reject DWP's justification for job centre closures

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group KUWG) are urging Brent councillors on the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee not to accept a DWP report tonight which reports on the closure of Kilburn and Neasden Job Centres. LINK

KUWG's case is set out in the leaflet below (Click on image to enlarge):

 The campaign group are organising a demonstration on March 2nd to mark the closure of the Kilburn Job Centre Plus.

 

Save Our Job Centres - protest November 6th

Via Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

Monday November 6^th 3-4pm

Department of Work and Pensions, Caxton House, 12 Tothill St, Westminster, SW1H

The government has already closed 24 jobcentres since August this year. They plan to close a further 78 Jobcentres by April of 2018.

16 of these Jobcentres are in London.

The poor and vulnerable need local jobcentres, not some superhub that they have to walk miles to reach.

Benefit money is too little to cover regular trips on public transport. People will have to walk. And don't be late or too ill to walk over a mile each way as often as the jobcentre demands– you'll be up for a sanction!

The Tories say that much of the jobcentres' work is now done online, but 5.3 million people in Britain have never used the internet, and 10 million lack the basic digital skills. And millions of these people will be in receipt of benefits.

You can't use the internet if you are learning disabled.

You can't use the internet if you can't afford a computer or a mobile phone contract or or the fee for using library or internet cafe

You can't use the internet if you are illiterate (and six to eight million Britons are borderline or fully illiterate)

Our local Jobcentres, Kilburn and Neasden, serve one of the most deprived areas in the country. If they are closed then over half of the borough of Camden and around two thirds of Brent will be more than half a mile from the nearest jobcentre, i.e. more than a mile round trip. These areas contain heavily populated areas: a lot of people are going to be affected.

In amongst the people who can't use the internet are hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their disability benefit because they aren't disabled enough for the Tories. They may be able to walk just 200 metres, or sometimes panic when out and get lost, or nor be able to plan a journey to places they don’t know, or have epilepsy. They may be seriously depressed or suffering from brain fog brought on by medication or illnesses like Fibromyalgia. They may be recovering from cancer or waiting for a heart operation. They may have variable conditions that mean that they can't guarantee being able to go out at all on any particular day.

But if you miss an appointment, or are simply late, you'll be considered for a sanction!

Let's meet outside the DWP's headquarters at Caxton House and let them know what we think about this.

Save our Jobcentres!

The 16 London jobcentres that are closing are:
Highgate, 24 November 2017
Edgware, 8 December 2017
Finchley, 12 January 2018
Dagenham, 19 January 2018
Southall, January 2018
Kingston, February 2018
Brixton,- 9 February 2018
Neasden 16 February 2018
Clapham 23 February 2018
Kilburn, March 2018
Hammersmith 9 March 2018
Croydon, 16 March 2018
Wandsworth, 23 March 2018
Leytonstone,- 30 March 2018
Hounslow, 10 Montague Road,

An account of a recent meeting on the issue can be found on the Brent Green Party blog HERE

Dire impact of A&E closures in North West London exposed

Closing A&E departments has led to a deterioration in the performance of those that remain in North West London. An anaylsis by Dr Gurjinder Singh Sandhu for the Centre for Health and the Public Interest warns of the risk to patients if further A&Es are closed. 

Across England NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) are proposing the closure or ‘downgrade’ of up to 24 emergency departments.

This analysis shows how A&E performance has suffered across North West London following the closure of two emergency departments in 2014.

Performance against the 95% 4-hour wait target dropped to as low as 60% shortly after the closures, meaning that up to 40% of patients requiring serious treatment had to wait over 4 hours to be assessed and admitted to an appropriate bed. Since then the performance of North West London hospitals has been some of the worst in the country, sometimes managing to treat fewer than half of the patients within four hours. For time-sensitive conditions such as sepsis or respiratory failure such delays are life-threatening.

In addition, since the A&E closures in 2014 the bed occupancy rate in all hospital trusts in North West London has been above 85%, compromising clinical safety through overcrowding.

This paper also points out that the closures aggravate health inequalities, hitting the most deprived boroughs in the region. (See image below)

The full paper by Dr Gurjinder Singh Sandhu can be found here LINK

After closing half its libraries Brent Council agrees Memorandum of Understanding with volunteer libraries

The Brent Council Cabinet is set to approve a Memorandum of Understanding on Community Libraries at its meeting on Monday.  In 2011 the Council closed 6 of the borough's 12 libraries in what they called the Libraries Transformation Projects. Local residents launched campaigns to keep four of the libraries open: Preston, Kensal Rise, Cricklewood and Barham. Neasden and Tokyngton libraries, the former in a very needy area, appear to have gone for good.

The SOS (Save Our Six Libraries) campaign was faced with the dilemma of campaigning for the retention of securely financed, professionally staffed libraries or keeping a local facility going through a volunteer system and fundraising. Some campaigners thought that keeping some kind of service going temporarily would make it easier for a future administration to restore the library.

The Brent libraries issue became something of a national scandal and contributed to Cllr Muhammed Butt's overthrow of Cllr Ann John's Labour leadership. In the event Brent's closures were ahead of the field and other councils, of various political complexion, have since closed libraries  citing government cuts as the reason. Currently there is a militant campaign in Lambeth LINK.

Since then there have been attempts by various lead members to reach an agreement with the volunteer libraries with Preston and Barham facing particular difficulties because the Council is the landlord of their premises.

The Officers' report LINK sets out the current situation:

Brent’s community libraries receive no direct funding from Council library service budgets. They are wholly independent organisations. They are not included within the Council’s statutory service, and they have full flexibility to tailor their offer to local need and interest and are eligible for various funding streams as independent organisations. 


 The four community library premises are:

·      Barham Library, 660 Harrow Road Wembley HA0 2HB (15 year lease) 


·      Cricklewood Library, 152 Olive Road, London NW2 (999 year lease being finalised) 


·      Kensal Rise Library, Bathurst Gardens, London NW10 5JA (999 year lease being finalised) 


·      Preston Community Library, 2 Carlton Ave East, Wembley HA9 8PL (currently has a temporary lease arrangement). 


The MoU (see below) sets out various ways the Council will support the community libraries without committing to any additional expenditure.

The case of Preston Community Library, where uncertainty remains over its premises as Brent Council seeks to redevelop the site, is addressed directly:
 

A temporary lease arrangement is in place until the end of the 2016/17 school year as a short term solution. Long term plans for the site are at the development stage.
 In September 2016 Cabinet agreed to redevelop Preston Park Annexe for new homes and D1 space appropriate for library use. Since then the Council has appointed 5Plus Architects to lead the design of the redevelopment proposals and undertaken workshops with Preston Community Library to understand their long term service delivery needs and spatial requirements. The next stage of the design process will be to translate the findings into a design solution that is supported by Preston Community Library. Further consultation will then be undertaken on design proposals before final decisions are made. 


The development of the site will provide a potential long term solution for Preston Community Library. However at present the medium term options for the library are not clear. Officers will continue to work to address this with the library within the constraints of the Council’s property portfolio and market options. 


 Council officers recognise the strong social value provided by Preston Community Library and are keen to support the group in continuing to provide a service throughout the transition process

In a curious post on his blog LINK, former councillor James Powney, lead member at the time of the Transformation Project, says:

In Barham, Paul Lorber appears to be trying to play the Council for either financial gain or as part of his political manoeuvrings prior to the 2018 elections.  In Preston, the existing group appears to be given an undue influence that does not sit easily with either the Council's financial obligations or the building's ACV status.  Such arrangements can lead to ugly rumours about the integrity of Council decision making even where there is no legally proven case against them. 

  This is the Memorandum of Understanding: