Community gathering for a ceasefire joined by councillors outside Brent Civic Centre

 

A number of Brent councillors last night  joined the gathering outside Brent Civic Centre in Wembley to call for an immediate ceasefire in the current conflict.

Afterwards a candlelit vigil was held for the child victims outside Wembley Park Station. 

 

Drop in on St Raphael's redevelopment proposal this Saturday - Public Meeting February 27th

Brent Housing are to hold two more meetings with residents of St Raphael's Estate. One of the recent meetings was overflowing.  A drop in is being held in a marquee in a car park on the estate on Saturday  rather than in the Children's Centre of the nearby school. Let's hope the gales do not sweep it away. An additional public meeting will be held at the Civic Centre on February 27th.

We want to listen to residents’ ideas, encourage you to get involved and address any concerns. We have arranged four informal drop-in sessions on the estate. The drop-in sessions will be a chance for you to have one-to-one or small group discussions with senior council officers and councillors.

The drop-ins will take place on the following dates:

• Saturday 9 February from 12pm–2pm: Open car park space (Marquee) next to the Living Room, 65-80 Besant Way, NW10 0TY

Public Meeting

We would also like to continue to encourage public debate and have arranged another public meeting:

Wednesday 27 February from 6.30pm-8pm: Conference Hall (3rd Floor) Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ

Stonebridge councillors have  put out a video on Twitter assuring residents that they are interested in hearing their views. See the Twitter post with video here LINK

tps://twitter.com/Brent_Housing/status/1093536872561868806

Consultation opens on new ward boundaries for Brent with 6 fewer councillors

From the Local Government Boundary Commission

LINK TO CONSULTATION PORTAL

Today is the start of a 10-week public consultation on proposals for new council wards and ward boundaries for Brent Council. 

Our consultation will close on 5 November 2018. 

After we have considered all representations made to us during this consultation, we intend to publish draft recommendations in January 2019. 

We will then hold a further period of consultation on our draft recommendations. Our final recommendations are expected to be published in May 2019. 

The new electoral arrangements will come into effect at the local elections in May 2022.

If you represent a local organisation or community group in Brent, please pass this message on to your members or anyone who you think might be interested in the review. You can share the message by email or through social media by using the buttons at the bottom right of the page.

What is an electoral review?

Our electoral review will recommend new electoral arrangements for Brent Council. We will propose:

• the total number of councillors elected to the council in the future;
• the number of wards;
• the number of councillors representing each ward;
• ward boundaries; and
• the names of wards.

How to get involved

This is a public consultation and we welcome views from individuals and organisations across Brent on where they think new ward boundaries should be drawn.

We are minded to recommend that 57 councillors should be elected to Brent Council in the future. 

This is 6 fewer than the current number of councillors. 

We are now inviting proposals to help us draw up a pattern of wards to accommodate 57 councillors.

In drawing up new electoral wards, we must balance three legal criteria, namely:

• to deliver electoral equality: where each councillor represents roughly the same number of electors as others across the borough;
• that the pattern of wards should, as far as possible, reflect the interests and identities of local communities;
• that the electoral arrangements should provide for effective and convenient local government.

We will treat all submissions equally, and judge each case on its merits and against the legal criteria. 

If you wish to put forward a view, we would also urge you to ensure that evidence supports your submission. 

For example, if you wish to argue that two areas should be included in the same electoral ward, make sure you tell us why they should be together, providing evidence about community facilities, ties, organisations, and amenities, rather than simply asserting that they belong together.

There is more advice on our website about how you can get involved in the consultation. 

Our website features technical guidance that explains the process and our policies, as well as guidance on how to take part in each part of the process. 

We have also set up a webpage dedicated to the review of Brent Council, where you can find all the relevant information.

You can also access interactive maps of the current ward boundaries across Brent on our specialist consultation portal. The portal also allows you to draw your own boundaries, mark areas of interest on the map and upload documents directly to the site. 

In drawing up new boundaries, the Commission aims to deliver electoral equality for voters in council elections so that each councillor represents roughly the same number of voters. The review also aims to ensure that the new council wards reflect, as far as possible, the interests and identities of communities across Brent.

Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said: “We are asking local people and organisations to help us draw up new wards for Brent. As we develop the recommendations, we will take into account local community identities as well as ensuring electoral equality for voters.

“If you have a view about which communities or neighbourhoods should be part of the same council ward, then we want to hear from you. And if you think a road, river or railway makes for a strong boundary between communities in your part off Brent, then this consultation is for you.

“If you’re interested in the way the borough is run, just log on to our website to explore our interactive maps and have your say.

“Your views will make a difference. 

“We will carefully consider all evidence that is provided during this phase of the review, whoever it is from and whether it applies to the whole of Brent or just a small part of the borough.

“Residents will then have a further chance to have their say after we publish our draft recommendations in January 2019.”

Local people have until 5 November 2018 to submit their views.

Promote the review in your area with our promotional poster

Brent councillors' improved Code of Conduct for 'highest ethical standards'

From Brent Council
 
Brent Council is committed to the highest ethical standards in the work of its elected councillors and co-opted members, embodying the principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

There's been a Code of Conduct in place for many years to help guide elected members, and Brent's recent full council meeting has just simplified and improved this code so that it is easier to understand and follow and so that it promotes the high standards of conduct expected of Brent members.

Click bottom left corner for full size document:

Value for money? Brent councillors' attendance record

It is interesting to look at the attendance record of our councillors as recorded on the Brent Council website before last night's last last Full Council meeting of this administration.

Attendance is recorded as how many meetings each councillor was expected to attend, how many they actually attended, and how many they attended where they were not expected. The latter may be because the councillor has a particular interest in the topic or it is of relevance to their ward.

Expected attendance is as low as 3 (Full Council  meetings) for those councillors without any committee or other responsibility to 23 for the councillor with the most responsibilities.

The councillor with the highest attendance was Cllr Shafique Choudhary with 19 out of 19 expected attendances and 3 additional ones. Cllr Pat Harrison and Cllr Janice Long at 18/18 and 17/17 had 100% attendance with the latter also attending 2 additional meetings.

Bottom of the table were Cllr Sabina Khan with only 2 attendances out of an expected 9 and Cllr Aisha Hoda-Benn with 2 out of 8. This means that they pocketed over £5,000 for each meeting.

The councillor with the highest number of expected attendances at 23 was Cllr Mary Daly and it appears that workload was too much as she only managed to attend 12 meetings.

On the Tory side Cllr Reg Colwill had the best attendance at 11 out of 11 and 2 extra meetings and  Cllr Joel Davidson who made only 5 of the 12 meetings he was expected to attend.

Table of attendancee HERE

Let's get ALL Brent wards signed up to make London a National Park City

The campaign to make London a National Park City focussed on Brent today. Only 10/21 wards have supported the campaign so far. It is likely that some just haven't got round to supporting rather than that they oppose the aim of making London a greener city.

Kenton, Fryent, Barnhill, Preston, Wembley Central, Tokyngton, Dudden Hill, Mapesbury, Kensal Green and Queens Park ward councillors have pledged support (Dark Green on the map).  Some of the councillors in Northwick Park and Kilburn have supported. (Light Green on the map)

Queensbury, Welsh Harp, Dollis Hill, Stonebridge, Sudbury, Alperton, Harlesden, Willesden Green and Brondesbury Park (Light Brown on the map) have not yet pledged support.

If they have not supported the campaign so far please email your councillors to make the pledge. They can do so HERE.

This is what they will be supporting:

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Let’s make London the world’s first National Park City. A city where people and nature are better connected. A city that is rich with wildlife and every child benefits from exploring, playing and learning outdoors. A city where we all enjoy high-quality green spaces, the air is clean to breathe, it’s a pleasure to swim in its rivers and green homes are affordable. Together we can make London a greener, healthier and fairer place to live. Together we can make London a National Park City.

Can any WM readers offer Brent Advocacy Concerns any advice? Councillors, Brent CCG, Brent CVS, Brent Healthwatch not responding.

From Brent Advocacy Concerns

Dear Martin,

I was informed today that our office (in Willesden Centre for Health and Care) has been designated as 'a clinical waste dispersal site'.  The building work to convert it is due to begin on the 2nd Jan. 2018.

I have contacted Brent CCG, councillors, Brent Healthwatch & Brent CVS, so far no one has replied.  We have not been informed about any of this but it looks like we will be evicted before Christmas.

Could you ask your readers if that is the way to treat a disability charity that has been providing services for free, for the last 30 years in Brent. 

Just today I had to turn down a business from NW10 who had asked us to represent one of their clients in an ESA benefit appeal next week.  They wanted to know who would be able to help them but there is no one.  I did suggest Brent CAB but they normally require a lot of notice, whereas we could have helped them now.

...................................................................................................................................................................

The background to this distressing issue can be found HERE

Hear what Brent residents and councillors said at the Planning Commitee on Wembley Stadium application

If you missed the Brent Planning Committee that approved Wembley Stadium/Tottenham's request for more high capacity events at Wembley Stadium you can get a flavour from the sound file below.

Speakers in order were:

RESIDENTS
Dr Ruth Kosmin, Barn Hill Residents' Asssociation and an economist (0.10)
Dr Michael Calderbank, Wembley Park Residents' Association (8.40)
Denise Cheong, Wembley Champions (15.00)
Niral Babla, Wembley High Road Business Association (25.14)
Fatema Karim-Khaku, Barn Hill Residents Association  and transport consultant (30.44)

COUNCILLORS
Cllr Shafiq Choudhary (Barn Hill ward) (36.50)
Cllr Sam Stopp (Wembley Central ward) (43.40)

WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS BY COUNCILLORS
Cllr Ketan Sheth (59.50)
Cllr Muhammed Butt (102.12)

Call for action by councillors to challenge cuts to local government funding

The People's Assembly Against Austerity have put forward these thoughts and actions as a further contribution to the discussion on local government cuts. This is clearly relevant to the debnate at Brent Momentum on Saturday.

The Peoples’ Assembly is completely opposed to Tory Governments cuts and campaigns against them without qualification. We aim to build a national movement to stop the cuts and will support tactics that will help to build this movement.

Local council budgets is one area that has been hit particularly hard by the Government. Some councils have faced a 40% cut to their budgets compared to 2010. This has led to hundreds of thousands of public sector job losses across the country and the closure, or privatisation, of essential services. This inevitably hits the most vulnerable in society hardest. We now face a situation where Central Government is set to impose further cuts to local council budgets and there is difficulty for councils to even provide basic statutory services.

The situation when campaigning against council imposed cuts is therefore more complicated. Our attitude toward councillors and local councils can be considered in three categories:

1.  Those that fully support the neo-liberal austerity agenda and work hard to apply cuts and privatisation of services

2.  Those that are opposed to austerity but have applied cuts locally, reflecting the budget given to the council by Central Government.

3.  Those who are opposed to cuts, vote against local council austerity budgets, try to minimise them and (the better ones) work with others to resist and challenge them.

The PA is opposed to council cuts and supports local groups in their efforts to resist these and build the protest movement. In an ideal situation hundreds of councillors / councils would fall into category 3.

However, to date, not one council has set a ‘needs budget’ or ‘illegal budget’ rejecting cuts to council budgets from the government. However, there are thousands of councillors who fall into category 2 – those that are against having to make cuts but don’t feel like there’s any other option than to set a budget with the allowance set by the government.  On the question of calls for councils to set ‘needs budgets’ or ‘illegal budgets’ we recognise that where that may be done there are legitimate concerns from councillors that the Government will impose commissioners to politically manage the budget set by Government, or simply that they have no other option than to work with the budget they have been given.  Councils will have usable reserves but, in recognising that this is likely to be a long struggle, they may not wish to spend these reserves quickly.  Others may prefer to invest the reserves in socially useful areas, such as housing, which would increase revenues, create local jobs and meet a pressing need.

The job of the anti-austerity movement should be to work with any councillor who is opposed to austerity and create a movement that can shift as many councillors from category 2 to category 3.

The PA is asking local councillors to sign the following letter. To sign follow this LINK

As Councillors we believe this Tory Government's ideological opposition to public services lies behind the deliberate underfunding of Local Authorities.

Councils have faced unprecedented cuts; Local Authority grants in England have been slashed, with £12.5 billion of cuts and half a million Council workers losing their jobs since 2010. Osborne has forced through 40% cuts to Council budgets meaning that local authorities face the reality of cutting frontline services including Adult Social Care and Children's Services, leaving those that rely on them at risk.

We believe that austerity is a political choice. We oppose all cuts from Westminster and believe Osborne’s plans for Local Government will only make a bad situation worse.

We call on the government to reverse cuts to council funding so we are able to provide essential services our communities rely on. Furthermore we call for an end to austerity that is seeing living standards for the majority fall. This is why we also support the national march for Health, Homes, Jobs & Education on Saturday 16 April 2016 in London.

Lancashire councillors vote against Cuadrilla's fracking plans

I have just received this message from Richard Casson of Greenpeace:

Amazing news -- Lancashire just said no to fracking!

In a resounding move that will send shockwaves through the fossil fuel industry, Lancashire councillors voted overwhelmingly against fracking firm Cuadrilla's plans to drill for shale gas.

This is a huge victory for people power. Fracking would be bad news for Lancashire because it could contaminate water and pollute the air.  And it would be bad news for all of us, because burning more fossil fuels like shale gas could lead to catastrophic climate change. It's a win that will be felt far beyond Lancashire's borders.

Click on the image to share it on Facebook and celebrate!
 
In Lancashire, local people have been rallying outside county hall for days. But for the past four years they've run an incredible, grassroots campaign that's inspired so many of us. They've fought hard to win this -- and just last weekend, 65,000 Greenpeace supporters backed their local fight once more by signing an emergency petition to Lancashire council.

This morning I was in Preston. I was lucky to be there outside Lancashire county hall when the news came through and a huge cheer echoed through the crowd. People were hugging each other and celebrating -- the atmosphere was electric!

This is a victory for all of us - and a great surprise because councillors were under huge pressure from the fracking industry and the UK government to let Cuadrilla go ahead.

But over the past months and years, local residents, and organisations across the UK have campaigned to keep fracking out of Lancashire. We’ve signed petitions, emailed Lancashire councillors, and attended protests and fracking action camps.

Today all that hard work has paid off, so please click to share the good news:
https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/fracking-victory

Of course, Cuadrilla and other companies will keep trying to get fracking permits and start pumping chemicals into our soil. But we’ll keep fighting them every step of the way. And now we know the power we have against them, with each victory we will be one step closer to a frack-free UK -- for good.

For now, though, we can celebrate. Thank you - once again - for everything that you've done and continue to do.

Tell YOUR Brent councillor what you think about a possible “pay off” to Cara Davani

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 Guest post by Philip Grant

As regular “Wembley Matters” readers will know, I have been active in seeking to get the Council to ensure that Brent’s Director of HR faces the consequences of her actions in the Rosemarie Clarke Employment Tribunal case, since the Tribunal judgment was published more than nine months ago. Many of you commented on two blogs posted last week about the announcement that Ms Davani is to leave the Council at the end of June. One of the biggest concerns is that she may be receiving a “pay off” from Brent in return for (finally!) leaving, which might also include Brent “picking up the bill” for any damages and costs awarded against Ms Davani personally in the Rosemarie Clarke case (in which she and Brent are separately named respondents).

I had hoped to get some publicity for our concerns about any such “pay off” through a letter to the editor of the “Brent & Kilburn Times”, but there is no letters page in this week’s (18 June) edition. Worse still, the newspaper has also not included its online article about Ms Davani’s departure in the printed version. Instead, the space that it might have occupied carries a photograph of a smiling Cllr Muhammed Butt, alongside a story about a letter he has written to the Tory Party chairman, complaining about the embarrassment which the feuding rival Conservative groups are causing to Brent.

However, I have raised the issue of possible financial malpractice (as a result of conflicts of interest) in connection with any possible financial arrangements arising from Ms Davani leaving the Council, with the Head of Brent’s Audit and Investigation team. I will “copy and paste” below (for reasons explained in its final paragraph) the text of the covering email which I sent on Wednesday evening with my report and supporting evidence. 

The other reason I am writing this “guest blog” is to invite all readers who live in Brent, and who share my concerns, to write to their ward councillors (see the link at the right-hand side of “Wembley Matters” for contact details for local councillors, if you don’t already have them). Tell your councillors (politely but firmly, in your own words, and without abusive language, please) what you think about any possible “pay off” to Cara Davani, and ask them to raise questions about it with senior Council Officers and the Leader of the Council, with a view to ensuring that no such “pay off” is made. You might also wish to copy your email to chief.executive@brent.gov.uk , and to cllr.muhammed.butt@brent.gov.uk , for good measure. Individual messages from local voters, especially if there are a large number of them, can make a difference, so let your councillors know what you think on this matter.

I believe that there is a strong case for Brent not to let Ms Davani’s “friends in high places” give her a leaving gift at the Council’s (that is, our) expense. This is how I set out this belief in the final paragraph of the letter which I hoped would be published this week:

‘It is possible that the total Tribunal awards to Ms Clarke may be in excess of £1 million, quite apart from the Council’s own huge legal costs in fighting the case. The Council will have to pay whatever the Tribunal awards against it as “first respondent”; but funds needed by the Council for providing services (and supporting the jobs of local people who provide them) must not be wasted in making unnecessary and undeserved payments to Ms Davani, or on her behalf. Her actions have already had such a high cost, both financial and reputational, to Brent, quite apart from the harm done to the lives of the victims of her style of managing Human Resources in the borough.’

If you agree, please let the Council, and your councillors, know about it. Thank you.

Philip Grant

Text of my email of 17 June 2015 to the Head of Audit and Investigations (which he has acknowledged receipt of):-

Dear Mr Lane,

Possible Financial Malpractice / Irregularity over leaving arrangements for Director of HR

Following the news last week that Cara Davani, Director of HR and Administration, would be leaving the Council at the end of June, there has been great concern locally about a rumoured “pay off” to her. This concern can be seen in many comments on online blog items, for example

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/reliable-source-reports-that-cara.html

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/cara-devani-leaving-brent-council-to.html

and has also been expressed to me privately by several local councillors, who are aware of my interest in the Rosemarie Clarke Employment Tribunal case, which may (finally!) have something to do with Ms Davani’s departure.

Under Brent’s Anti-Fraud and Bribery Policy, your department has a duty to prevent financial malpractice where possible, so that funds are not lost to the Council because of irregularities such as undisclosed conflicts of interest. I believe that any potential payments, or indemnities, which might be given to Ms Davani as part of her leaving arrangements are likely to involve conflicts of interest, and have set out the reasons for this in the attached report and supporting documents.

I would ask that you ensure, as a matter of urgency, that any financial arrangements with Ms Davani, other than the payment of her basic salary up to the end of June 2015, are suspended until the outcome of a proper investigation into the points I have raised.

I will forward a copy of this email to Brent’s Chief Legal Officer, who will need to ensure that certain documents I have referred to are secured, and made available to you, and may also need to take action over some of the points raised in her role as the Council’s Monitoring Officer.

I intend to publish the text of this email, although not any of its attachments, so that its contents are on public record, thereby hopefully ensuring that there is no attempt by anyone in a position of power at the Civic Centre to stop you from freely carrying out the Policy’s stated intention to ‘investigate any allegation that may have a direct, or indirect, impact of the finances for which [the Council is] responsible.’

Please acknowledge safe receipt of this email and its seven attachments. Thank you. Best wishes

Philip Grant.

Chalkhill families enjoy the sunshine in their very special park

I was lovely to see families out enjoy in the autumn sunshine in Chalkhill Park this afternoon. People were relaxed and happy at this unexpected bonus at the end of the half-term holiday.

More evidence of how important these social open spaces and play facilities are. Councillors may boast about the Civic Centre but I thibk this is, in the long run, a much more significant achievement.

Cricklewood community, religious leaders & councillors unite against nazi threat

The community mobilising against the racists

The SEA on their last outing to Cricklewood

Residents, community associations, faith groups, trade unions and local politicians have united against a demonstration due to be held by an openly nazi group in Cricklewood this weekend.  

 The Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, Bishop of Willesden and Deputy Bishop of London, the North West Islamic Cultural Centre,  Rabbi Aaron Goldstein of the Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Brent Trades Council, Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, Andrew Dismore, London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden and Shahrar Ali of Brent Green Party are among those who have signed a statement initiated by North West London United calling on people to oppose the fascist march on Saturday July 19^th, and show them that there is no place for racism in our multicultural community.  

The Brent Labour Group has changed the date of its budget meeting to enable councillors to attend.

The South East Alliance (an offshoot of the Essex branch of the English Defence League) includes Hitler-worshippers and has links to Ulster Loyalist groups. They are vurulently anti-Muslim. They have declared their intention to march to 113 Cricklewood Broadway, which they claim is the UK headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Metropolitan Police have said that the present occupants have no connection with the Brotherhood.

North West London United is asking everyone who is opposed to SEA’s message of hate to join in a peaceful demonstration this Saturday at 12 noon on Cricklewood Broadway. 

 A spokesperson for North West London United said

Cricklewood is one of the most multicultural areas in the UK and we are proud of our diversity. The intention of this fascist group is to provoke hatred and division, something that has no place in our community. A big presence of local residents to oppose the fascist march on Saturday will send a clear signal that their violent racism is not welcome here.

The full list of signatories so far is HERE

‘Letter to Brent Council? That’ll be £6.40, please.’

(And a reply? Priceless)

Guest blog by 'Elvin Impersonator' 

On Wednesday this week letters were sent to Brent Council nominating, under the provisions of the Localism Act 2011, the extensive green space of Copland’s playing fields as an ‘asset of community value’. The Act requires local authorities to maintain a list of sites and amenities which are used by the public and are part of local life. The letters were signed by representatives of local residents and Copland staff and students.

When it came to posting the letters, however, the bill came to £25.60, or £6.40 per letter, extortionate even by privatisation standards. Why so much? Well it’s the price of experience really. Last year Brent claimed to have no knowledge of a petition posted to them by first class post and signed by hundreds of Copland students opposing the forced academisation of their school. As a result, another petition opposing the Ark takeover was signed by over 400 students and copies posted to all 63 Brent councillors. Again it appears that up to 60 of these must have been lost in the post as replies were received from only three of our elected representatives. Dozens of additional letters written on the subject and sent to those looking for our votes on May 22nd have similarly met with no response whatsoever. As a result it was decided this time to utilise the Post Office service which registers the sending of the letter and effectively tracks it to its recipient. But at a cost.

Whether it was a price worth paying will soon become clear. But if Brent Labour, Lib Dems and Conservatives had sat down and tried to plan how to alienate this group of ordinary voters and drive them into the arms of Farage and the Fruitcakes, they couldn’t have done a better job than they’re doing already. Interesting to see whether the strategy changes over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile at Copland a ‘special meeting’ for staff has been called next week to introduce the new school uniform. Whether this will be the students’ uniform or the one the teachers will have to wear (shiny estate agents suits, gel, blusher etc) has not been made clear. Early booking recommended.