Brent Community Land Trust Consultation Days - July 12h and July 17th

 

Member Newsletter June 2025 Welcome to Brent Community Land Trust's June Newsletter! Our June newsletter is a little late 😅 , but that’s because  so much has been happening, we wanted to make sure we included all the latest updates. As always, please get in touch with us if you want to find out more. Cabinet Approval In April 2025,  Brent Council's Cabinet granted Brent CLT an extension until March 2026 to develop proposals for the Brentfield Road site, NW10. The Cabinet welcomed and supported our commitment towards encouraging and supporting community-led housing projects in the borugh Learn more July Drop in Sessions We want to hear from you! We're now at an exciting stage, and want to hear your feedback and ideas about our plans to deliver affordable housing.   Drop in and meet us and our architects, Bell Phillips . When: Saturday, Jul 12, 2025 | 10:00am - 1:00pm Thursday, Jul 17, 2025 |   6:00pm - 8:00pm Where: Corner of Gloucester Close/Stonebridge Park, NW10 If you can't attend in person you can still participate by completing our online survey. Introducing Sapphire Independent Housing We have now identifed a preferred Registered Provider, Sapphire Independent Housing, who will work with us to  develop  and manage our first scheme.   Sapphire is a small provider, but manage  several schemes across London.  Their mission is “providing homes to improve lives and enable people to live independently”. Brent CLT  Board met with Sapphire in February 2025 to agree ways of working and next steps, and we are looking forward to working closely with a provider so aligned to our values. Find out more about Sapphire New Board Members We are really pleased to have recruited two new board members to Brent CLT Edith and Cristina bring a great deal of skills and experience to their roles, which will help drive forward the work of Brent CLT. You can read more on our website Our current timeline In June 2025, we signed a grant agreement with the Greater London Authority (GLA). This means we now have funding for the technical and professional support needed to prepare and submit a planning application. Our aim is to submit a planning application by late Autumn 2025. Have you told a friend about Brent CLT? Please do share this newsletter and encourage others to become members of Brent CLT or  to join our mailing list.  Our social media posts are also an easy way to share what we do with a wider audience. Brent CLT Events Calendar 12 Jul 2025 - Community Consultation, 10am-1pm, Gloucester Close/Stonebridge Park, NW10 17 Jul 2025 - Community Consultatiom, 6pm,-8pm, Gloucester Close/Stonebridge Park, NW10 14 Sep 2025 - Queen’s Park Day,  (stall location tbc) 12pm - 5:30pm, Queens Park NW6

Four days left to have your say on proposed Cycle Docking Bays in Brent - full list of sites

 

Brent Council is consulting on the siting of 43 Cycle Docking Bays across the borough following concern about the problems caused by poor parking of Lime Bikes.

They say:

Brent Council is working to improve cycling facilities to encourage residents to adopt active and sustainable travel. By promoting cycling, the Council aims to enhance public health, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality throughout the borough.

 

The cycle hire bay, which has the capacity to store eight bicycles will allow users to rent or return the bicycles at any time.

Each site has its own survey. For some reason the consultation site LINK has the sites listed in reverse alphabetical order. For readers' convenience I list them in alphabetical order below. There are only 4 days left to respond.

C

Cambrudge Avenue, Christchurch Avenue, Church Road, Coventry Close, Curtis Lane.

D

Dollis Hill Lane, Donnington Road (East), Donnighton Road (West), Doyle Gardens, Dyne Road,

E

Ecclestone Place, Exeter Road.

H

Hamilton Road, Harlesden Road, Hartland Road, Harvist Road, Hazel Road, High Street (Harlesden).

K

Kendal Raod, Keslake Road, Kingswood Avenue.

L

Lancelot Road,  Lansdown Grove, Llanover Road, London Road.

M

Mordaunt Road, Neasden Lan, Oakington Manor Drive, Old Norh Circular Road, Oxgate Lane.

R

Rucklidge Avenue.

P

Park Lane.

S

South Way, St Pauls Avenue, Station Approach, Station Terrace, Strode Road.

T

The Avenue, Tokyngton Avenue.

W

Waxlow Road, Wembley Park Drive, Wrentham Avenue.

 

LETTER: Council Tax Support - when is a Consultation NOT a Consultation?

 

 Segment of Brent Cabinet dealing with Council Tax Support (Apologies for poor sound quality on Brent Council recording)

 

Dear Wembley Matters

When is a Consultation NOT a Consultation?

When Labour Brent Council calls something a "Consultation", asks people to express their views and....then ignores them.

A few days ago Martin reported on the drastic CUTS in support to around 17,000 individuals and families in Brent currently receiving support with their Council Tax bills.

In simple terms the Labour Leadership is proposing to cut £8 million from the Council Tax Support Scheme and set up a £1.5 million hardship fund to help the people most impacted and facing the greatest hardship.

Hundreds (possibly thousands) of Brent residents now face having to pay up to £600 a year (£50 per month) more than before. 

At the same time the Brent element of the Council Tax is going up by another 5%  and in 2025/26 the Band D Council Tax will be £2,133.

Brent officers admit that even with the £1.5 million hardship fund in place many residents will not be able to pay, will fall into even greater debt and the Council will be forced to write off many of those debts. 

I went to the Cabinet on the Monday morning 10 February to argue for two changes to the Labour proposals:

1. Doubling of the £1.5 million hardship fund to £3 million 
2. Reject the proposal to use Universal Credit rules of only allowing backdating of Council Tax Support Scheme for just 1 month - for the simple reasons that Universal Credit is far too complicated and that most people are unaware of the Council Tax Support Scheme and will inevitably claim too late - and lose out on what they were entitled to.

I made the point that extra support was needed this year because the CUT was being rushed and the people impacted had very little time to get help, advice or an opportunity to take steps to manage their income or expenditure to be able to afford the extra cost that will hit them from 1 April 2025 just 7 weeks away.

Needless to say my suggestions were rejected out of hand after the usual Councillor Butt rant totally unrelated to the issue. 

Oh, yes Consultation?

In his previous article Martin also published a response to the consultation from the Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB). Their research and a number of case studies highlighted the hardship and impact the drastic Labour Cuts will have on real Brent residents.  The CAB also made some recommendations as to how the worst impact could be mitigated.

Paragraph 10.4 of the Council Report on the issue that went to Cabinet makes the intent of the Brent style "consultation" very clear:

"Given the scale of the budget challenge, the Council’s preferred option was to consult on the proposal which resulted in the saving level needed."

What exactly was the point of the 8 week consultation exercise? Was there any intention to listen to the CAB or anyone else? Of course NOT! 

This was another case of a SHAM Labour Consultation of which we have had many over the years.

So next time you hear a Labour politician shed crocodile tears over the cost of living crisis feel free to point out how much harder they have made things for thousands of Brent residents as a result of their decision.

Yours

Paul Lorber

Still time to respond to Brent Council's proposed service cuts and fees increases

 Brent Council is running a consultation on its Draft Budget that includes some increases in charges as well as service cutbacks. Council Tax is to be increased by 4.99% and Council Tax Support for the vulnerable reduced.

The Council's website explains:

Councils across London are facing a series of unprecedented financial challenges, caused by a perfect storm of continued high inflation, rapidly increasing demand for services and reduced government funding since 2010. 

Across all budgets and service areas, London Councils estimates that boroughs will overspend on their original budget plans by over £600m in 2024/25. 

Brent is not immune to these pressures, with an expensive adult social care bill getting more so every year because of an ageing population as well as soaring levels of homelessness, with around 150 new families presenting as homeless most weeks. 

On top of £222m of cuts made since 2010, a further £16 million must be saved in 2025-26 to balance the books.  

The council has pulled together budget proposals which aim to protect the services residents rely on most as far as possible and protect the organisation’s longstanding healthy financial position. It is now asking for local people’s views on these proposals. 

Proposals in the draft budget include: 

• Increase charge for bulky waste collection from £40 to £55 
• Increase garden waste annual subscription from £65 to £69 
• A 4.99% increase in council tax, with 2% ring-fenced for adult social care 
• Changes to our Council Tax Support Scheme: https://www.brent.gov.uk/news-in-brent/2024/october/council-tax-support-scheme-consultation-gets-the-green-light

View draft budget proposals: Issue - items at meetings - Draft Budget 2025/26

 

BUDGET CONSULTATION ONLINE SESSIONS
THE WEBSITE SAYS CONSULTATION WILL RUN UNTIL DECEMBER 15TH BUT AS YOU CAN SEE THE WILLESDEN EVENT IS IN JANUARY!

Harlesden Connects Online November 26^th 6pm to 7pm

Kingsbury and Kenton Connects Online December 2^nd 6pm-7pm

Kilburn Connects Online December 12^th 6pm-7pm

Willesden Connects Online January 9^th 6pm-7pm

The Wembley Connects took place last week attended by 5 people.

Apart from the charges above there are other charges in the proposal including charging the elderly monthly  for Telecare services (they vary widely across councils) and increases for mortuary and bereavement services.  A £1m cut is based on wider use of reablement services to keep people from reliance on long-term care services and additional respite capacity for individuals with learning disabilities and reduce reliance on residential respite placements.

Care leavers aso suffer  with proposals to halve the number of weekends offered at Gordon Brown Centre for courses to support their independence and a reduction in spend on the SafeBase that supports the health and wellbeing of care leavers in higher education. Given the concerns about the vulnerability of care leavers this seems short-sighted.

 Apart from the Environment Services fee rise above there is a proposal for a £5 delivery charge for new or replacement binsand a proposal to cease the subscription to the online Recylopedia  resource which recieves 12,000 clicks a month.

A staffing and structural review of Public Realm posts results in the deletion of 3-4 posts which apparently will lead to 'local solutions for local problems.'  I hope Scrutiny Committee will explore what that means.

It is proposed to use an agency for occupational health service:

It is anticipated that a saving £100,000 could be delivered through the outsourcing of the OH contract.  By switching to an external provider, we would only pay the costs for our actual usage. We also pay high agency rates as OH specialists are hard to recruit and there is a national skills shortag. There is a downside in the Risk Assessment:Reduced service and longer waiting times to be seen by an OH professional as the service won’t be inhouse and bespoke. This will be mitigated as far as possible through close monitoring of performance. 

The deletion of 5 posts in Finance and Resorces is mitigated by 'automation'.

Check the list in Appendix below for the proposals  and if you want more details note the reference number and go to Appendix B. Click bottom right corner for full page.

 

 Appendix B - detailed proposals with risk assessments.

 

 

 

Even the lowest income families will pay some Council Tax next year Brent Council proposes. Consultation in progress ending on December 15th.

 

Brent Council is consulting on making changes in the Council Tax Support scheme. As you can see from above their drop-in sessions have attracted very few people. There is still time to take part in the consultation online that ends on December 15th 2024. Residents' Brent Council Tax bill is expected to increase by a further 5% in 2025-26.

The council is seeking savings of £2m on the scheme by revising the proportion of Council Tax  paid by working families in need of support.  The lowest income group would now receive a reduction of 65% rather than the 100%  reduction (ie pay no Council Tax)  at present:

I have embedded the full consultation document below. To take part in the consultation follow this LINK.

 

Brent Council consultations on alcohol and gambling licensing

 As Brent Council consultations have a low profile and a poor response rate I am publicising two more that are in progress. Both affect the daily lives of residents.

FROM BRENT COUNCIL

Statement of Licensing Policy Consultation -Alcohol

Every 5 years the Council is required to review, consult on and re-publish its Statement of Licensing Policy. The current Statement of Licensing Policy is due to be re-published in January 2025.

 

The Statement of Licensing Policy is a document that sets out the Council’s approach to issuing licences for the sale of alcohol and late night refreshment, the management of those licences and the expectations the Council has of licensees.

 

The Statement of Licensing Policy has been reviewed and refreshed to ensure that it is up to date and relevant to Brent’s current circumstances and how they affect the licensed economy.

 

We do encourage you to read the draft Statement of Licensing Policy 2025-2030, however, we have also outlined the key changes below:

 

Key changes and additions for the Licensing Policy

 

1.   The Licensing Policy has been updated for changes in laws and the Section 182 guidance. Including changes in pavement licences, a link to immigration status documentation and the inclusion of a policy to prepare for ‘Martyn’s Law’.

 

2.   In particular new policies have been included to outline expectations in the following areas:

a.   Addressing risks and harms to women and vulnerable people in the night time economy;

b.   Responding to the proposed Martyn’s Law by outlining event and large venue safety and risk assessment;

c.    Highlighting expectations for ‘dark kitchens’ an their premises to improve the operation and oversight of alcohol sales from these premises;

d.   Ensuring licenses are aware of their responsibilities in relation to drink spiking.

e.   Policies outlining expectations on delivery services and the dispersal of patrons from premises.

 

3.   We have also removed the policy on a voluntary Minimum Unit Price, this policy has not been used and other approaches have had a positive impact in the 

 

area of low cost, high strength alcohol sales.

 

The policy must now be fully reviewed, and re-published.

 

We have prepared a revised a draft policy for consultation purposes. The consultation began on August 8^th and ends on September 29^th. LINK

 

Draft Statement of Licensing policy 2025-30.pdf

(1.8 MB)

 

 Gambling Licensing Policy Consultation 2025 - 2028 - Gambling

Under the terms of the Gambling Act 2005, we must review the licensing policy statement every three years.

 

We base this policy on the three licensing objectives, which are:

• a) Preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime.
• b) Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair an open way
• c) Protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gaming.

 

The purpose of the policy is to share:

• the guiding principles that direct us in making licensing decisions
• issues that applicants will need to consider when making an application.
• the ways we will issue licenses
• the role and influence of representations
• how we will communicate with others and undertake our enforcement role in relation to gambling

 

This information is for residents and businesses and those who wish to run gambling establishments.

 

This policy was comprehensively reviewed last year and only minor amendments have been made.

The policy must now be fully reviewed, and re-published.

 

We have prepared a revised a draft policy for consultation purposes. Consultation began on August 5^th and ends on September 29^th.

 

Please fill out the consultation questions via our survey. LINK

 

Draft Statement of Principles for Gambling 2025.28.pdf

(1.3 MB)