New SPD on Residential Extensions and Alterations will make it easier to extend Brent residences

 

A new supplementary planning document on residential alterations and extensions will come into force on January 25th 2025 following its approval by Muhammed Butt in his role as Lead Member as well as Brent Council leader.

The aim is to ease the housing pressures by enabling easier extensions to houses and it also contains recommendations on flooding and biodiversity:

The Residential Extensions and Alterations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is consistent with the priorities of the Borough Plan in a number of respects. In relation to the Prosperity and Stability in Brent priority it supports existing residents to meet their housing needs better by enabling them to extend their home more easily to meet their needs than in current guidance. This removes the need to purchase larger more costly homes and the associated moving costs. In relation to the Cleaner, Greener Future priority it seeks to ensure that existing green space, trees, plants and biodiversity is retained as much as possible in development and where possible additional provision is made. It is supportive of incorporation of renewable energy and low carbon space heating sources. It seeks to ensure development avoids areas of flood risk and addressed any additional surface water run-off created by retaining it on site.

 

In relation to the Best Start in Life priority, the ability of occupiers to more easily extend their homes should reduce the potential for over-crowding. It will allow for the opportunity for children to have separate bedrooms, with the associated benefits to sleep/ health and educational attainment. This also feeds into the Healthier Brent priority, as does the need to retain sufficient garden space/ green space which is known to be beneficial to physical and mental health as well as the measures to reduce the effects of climate change which will also be beneficial to health. Providing space may also allow carers  to live in properties to support occupants with a chronic health issue or disability.

 

EXTRACTS

Biodiversity

 

Regardless of any exemptions, you are encouraged to increase the biodiversity of your property by planting trees and flowering plants, retaining areas of long grass, nettles or overgrowth, introducing water features (ponds, bird baths etc) and creating a compost heap. You are also encouraged to include other measures not necessarily addressed by Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), such as Swift bricks, bat and bird boxes and holes in fences for hedgehogs. These are particularly important where features that provide habitats are lost, such as old structures with holes and crevices. Useful information on how to approach this can be found on the Woodland Trust website, and elsewhere.

 

 

Flooding

 

Impermeable hard landscaping with poor drainage can help cause flooding within the borough.

 

You are encouraged to address surface water flooding issues through the provision of natural features, such as rain gardens or green roofs, and by not connecting the drainage of any new hard landscaping to the existing sewer network.

 

If your extension or outbuilding is proposed within an area of surface water flooding, as shown on the Brent Local Plan policies map, you will have to amend your planning application accordingly. You will need professional advice to provide information to support your application, generally in the form of a Flood Risk Assessment. Key factors to consider include the depth and speed of the surface water during flood periods, and the volume of water that could be displaced by your extension or outbuilding.

 

Dimensions of extensions

 

 

Depth

 

For attached homes, such as terraced or semi-detached homes, single storey rear extensions could be up to 6 metres in depth from the original rear wall of your home.

 

For detached homes, single storey rear extensions could be up to 8 metres in depth from the original rear wall of your home.

 

Notwithstanding the above, the depth of single storey rear extensions must not be more than half the length of your garden. The area (sqm) of your garden that is retained should meet the relevant amenity space standards, as set out in Brent Local Plan Policy BH13.

 

Height

 

 Single storey rear extensions up to 3 metres in depth for an attached home, or up to 4 metres in depth for a detached home, could be up to 4 metres in height as long as they have an eaves height of no more than 3

metres.

 

A maximum height of up to 4 metres could be acceptable, for example, where the extension has either a mono-pitched or pitched roof.

 

Single storey rear extensions more than 3 metres in depth for an attached home, or more than 4 metres in depth for a detached home, could also be up to 4 metres in height as long as they have an eaves height of no more than 2.5 metres along the boundary to any neighbouring properties.

 

A height of up to 4 metres could be acceptable, for example, where the extension has a pitched roof

 

PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON THE EXTRACTS FOR GUIDANCE. THE FULL DOCUMENT IS HERE.

 

Kenton escapes Wealdstone Brook flooding - did local environmental action help?

Cllr Sunita Hirani (Kenton) has posted a Tweet re yesterday's flood warning about potential flooding in Kenton (and Wealdstone and Wembley) after heavy rain last night. 

She said:

I have been informed this evening that there were no reported floodings in the Kenton area of the Wealdstone Brook yesterday (Monday 15th July 2024) evening. The Environment Agency issued a flood warning for the area of Kenton around the Wealdstone Brook at around 8 pm (Monday 15th July 2024) for potential flooding in the area at around 9pm. My videos taken at about that time show the Brook coping with the volume of water and no flooding on the road around Lindsay Drive roundabout. 

 

Maybe, just maybe, someone, somewhere, will actually admit the fact that the work we did - the Brook Way Community Biodiversity Project CIC, in conjunction with Thames Water, at Lindsay Drive roundabout in clearing the dead, decaying and diseased trees, trunks and branches, actually contributed to avoiding a flooding disaster in the Kenton area yesterday evening. 

 

I can but dream.

 

Just in case... Flood warning advice from Brent Council flooding emergency page

 

Information from Brent Council website in case you are affected  LINK

Flood warnings

When there is a risk of flooding warnings are broadcast on television and radio weather forecasts and travel bulletins. Make sure you know the frequency for your local radio station.

The Environment Agency provides flood warnings and public advice, as well as a 24-hour flood information service.

The number for Floodline is 0345 988 1188 (or Type Talk: 0345 602 6340) where you can listen to recorded flood warning information or speak to an operator for general information and advice 24 hours a day.

The person who can do the most to prepare for flooding is you.

During a flood, you may find you're without lighting, heating or a telephone line so the better prepared you are the better you'll cope if you are caught in a flood situation.

Be Aware. Be Prepared. The time to think is now don't wait until it happens.

See how putting a grab bag may will help you to respond see the preparing for an emergency page.

If your house is potentially at risk from flooding here are some key things to remember.

If you are in a flood risk area find out if you can sign up to the Environment Agency's free 24 hour Floodline Warnings Direct service by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188 (or Type Talk: 0345 602 6340). You can select to receive warnings by phone, text or email.

Keep details of your insurance policy and the emergency contact numbers for your local council, emergency services and Floodline quick dial number somewhere safe - preferably as part of your emergency flood kit.

Know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water mains supplies.

If a flood is forecasted, take valuable items upstairs and take photos for insurance purposes.

Leave internal doors open, or ideally, remove them and store them upstairs.

Outside the house

Move anything not fixed down into a safer location, e.g. dustbins, garden chemicals car oil and similar.

Move your car to higher ground to avoid damage.

Weigh down manhole covers outside the house to prevent them floating away and leaving a hazardous hole.

See our page about who to call regarding drains and gullies for more advice.

For more information on preparing for a flood and other publications visit the Environment Agency's website

Sandbags

We do not supply sandbags or flood protection products directly to the public.

Builder's Merchants and DIY Stores may have sandbags available.

If you can't obtain sandbags, you can make them yourself by filling things like compost bags, old pillowcases or carrier bags filled with earth or sand.

'Flood? What flood? Never heard anything about it,' say Wembley Point developer's agents as Tokyngton Wembley Point towers approved

 

 

Sometimes there is a jaw-dropping moment at Brent Planning Committee. Often it is the sheer audacity of planning officers' justification of developer's failure to meeting the demands of planning guidance. 

Yesterday it was the confession of the Wembley Point developer's agent team that they knew nothing about the August floods at the Argenta House/Tokyngton Avenue site adjacent to the area on which they wish to build. 

 

 

 Heavy pumping equipment at the site

 

They seemed pretty nonchalant about their ignorance but this leads to a second thought. Why did Brent planning officers not inform them about the incident which led to TV and newspaper headlines, with one person having to be rescued from their van and families evacuated.  Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, had even visited the site to reassure residents and tweeted about it. LINK

 

 

Even more troubling, the matter was smoothly passed over and the Committee went on to approve the application, with even the most sceptical coucncillor, Tory Cllr Jayanti Patel (substituting for Cllr Maurice), voting for approval.

This is the modelling of the water flow in the event of a flood - it goes into the Wembley Brook which residents of Tokyngton Avenue should be alert to.

 

"In the event of a flood, floodwater from the River Brent which surfaces on the Site flows around the north and south of the existing Wembley Point building, discharging into Wembley Brook, which is within the demise of Argentina House(sic)"  [Design and Access Statement]

Cllr Dixon abstained on the basis that there was insufficient affordable housing in the scheme (24.8%) against a target of 35% if the Local Plan target of 50% could not be met. She was also concerned about the discrepancy between two independent viability ssessments that led to the reduction in affordable housing. She wanted developers to be more ambitious, even if that meant adding a few storeys to the proposals, and for officesr to be more demanding.

Despite many objections on the planning portal and 29 properties being affected by restricted access to light and overlooking, there  was no speaker against the 550 unit (only 116 'affordable') homes. This is in marked contrast to the number of public representations at the Mumbai Junction application at the last meeting.

 

 From the Design and Access Statement

 

Although Stonebridge Boxing Club was named as the occupant of the proposed community building in the Design and Access statement, the developer's agent hastily clarified on questioning that it could be another community organisation.

 

The application now goes to the GLA where you can register to be kept informed of progress. LINK

 

Brent Council announcement on new Tokyngton Avenue flooding - industrial pumps may be called in leading to road closures

 Tokyngton Avenue flooded again yesterday and Brent Council issues the statement below. They have promised updates on this LINK.

We are aware of the flooding in Tokyngton Avenue and are working closely with the Environment Agency to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

Over the coming days you may notice more noise outside as passageways are dug to make space for the water to flow away again.

This work is vital to reduce the risk of homes in Tokyngton Avenue being flooded again.

As rain is predicted to fall over the coming days, there is the possibility the Environment Agency will need to bring in industrial water pumps to help drain surface water. These are big systems so we may need to temporarily close some roads and pathways in the area to put this in place.

Thank you for your patience while we do everything we can to get this resolved.

If you experience any further flooding, please call the Environment Agency on 0845 850 3518 immediately and provide the reference number 2174690. You do not need to ring the council or any other agency.

• Provide your name, address, post code and contact telephone number
• Please describe what you are experiencing. For example, is the water level rising, has it flooded your garden, is it coming into you home?
• Please advise where you believe the water is coming from

Once you have contacted the Environment Agency, a Duty Officer will attend the scene if appropriate. They will then decide the best course of action to be taken. Do not let anyone without proper official identification into your home. Council officers and Environment Agency officials always carry identification and will show this when asked.

We are aware that the Environment Agency has provided properties that may be affected by flooding with sandbags for you to use when and if required.

In an emergency, if you need to leave your home because of water entering your property, please call the Fire Brigade on 999.

Thames Water responds to some of Brent Scrutiny's requests for information - others remain unanswered

UPDATE Kilburn Life tweet on Monday April 25th

 

With recent experiences of flooding in the Brent area and the prospect of extreme weather events increasing, along with the large number of new developments in the area, Thames Water has been questioned at the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee. There appearances have resulted in more questions and requests for information. The Tracker table for the meeting on Tuesday April 25th includes updates for information requested at the February  22nd Meeting. LINK

Responses are still awaited on these important requests:

 

Below I list the Committee's requests and the answers received:

9^th February 2023

To receive a copy of the independent review into the events of and response to the floods experienced across London in July when published and Thames Water’s response to the review.

 

Thames Water: All reports can be found here - London flooding response https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/investing-in-our-region/london-flooding-response

 

Remainder requested  22^nd February 2023

 

In relation to the Belsize Road burst water main incident in December 2022, provide detail on how Customer Guarantee Scheme (‘CGS’) compensation is calculated; the criteria for residents to receive compensation; and detail on how many residents’
compensation claims remained outstanding.

 

Thames Water: Where flooding has occurred, we have not paid out compensation directly.

However, as part of their insurance claim customers are entitled to pursue a claim for distress and inconvenience as part of their claim settlement.

For customers who lost their water supply, we have in place our Customer Guarantee Scheme (‘CGS’).

 

This is a scheme by which we automatically pay money into a customer’s account if they lose water for a 12 hour period. If someone is without water for 12 hours, then we will credit their account £30 without them having to contact us. For every extra 12 hours, we will credit another £30. Ofwat’s CGS is entitled in the below scenarios:

i. CGS 2 – Emergency interruption over 12 hours in duration
ii. CGS 6 – Planned un-warned interruptions over 4 hours in duration.
We defined a ‘planned job’ as a job that Thames Water have been notified of but not attended for over 24 hours.
iii. CGS 8 Overrun of a warning. Any duration if the interruption continues after the time we said the water would be restored.

Our process is to use the data available to determine the earliest start time of an interruption. This can either be valve operations, pressure telemetry data from assets such as Critical Pressure Points, Pressure Reducing Valve and various others, customer contacts advising of No Water or NST site feedback such as a 0 pressure reading. There are various systems for our team to gather this information, which we collect as evidence for audit purposes so each reportable interruption has an evidence pack to prove our reporting is accurate. Ofwat also have a rule called precautional principle, this is where we have 2 sets of data given us different results, such as 2 different times recorded of a valve operation. In these scenarios we have to take the worst case.

The average time people were out of water was 7.5 hours but as a number were out for over the 12 hour period, we have made 538 payments. We have written to more than 300 other properties which qualified as they are listed in the name of a housing company or local authority so we are finding out who will receive the payment.

 

With regards to recommendation 3 in the London Flood Review (LFR), provide further information on how many planning applications Thames Water had commented on/objected/challenged/made a recommendation for additional mitigation to avoid flooding over the last 5 years.

 

Thames Water: We do challenge planning applications, especially where they fail to meet London Plan / Local Plan policy requirements, although we can only object where there is clear evidence of not meeting existing planning policy requirements.

 
Planning applications reviewed in Brent over the last 5 years:

i. 214 sites reviewed
ii. 321 planning applications relating to those 214 sites
iii. Of those 321 planning applications, we received 213 applications direct from the Council, the other 108 we identified ourselves.

iv. Of the 241 sites, 42 sites had planning conditions requested
v. 63 specific conditions sought on those 42 sites
vi. Of the 27 sites where we sought conditions and planning has been granted, 20 sites have had them attached but on 7 occasions the council chose to approve without our requested conditions.

 

Provide detail on the investment in flood risk management in the Brondesbury Road area as this area has been prone to flooding.

 

Thames  Water: Regarding Brondesbury Road, our reports don’t extend pre-2008. We have the following reports of flooding:

• 2021 - Hydraulic (very heavy rain)
• 2013 - 1 Blockage
• 2009 - 2 Blockages

As such with only one internal flood reported due to heavy rainfall, this Road is not high on the priority flood action list. If Cllrs are aware of any unreported flooding, their assistance in encouraging its reporting would be much appreciated.

 

Thames Water under scrutiny on flooding: 'We have learnt lessons, we have applied them but it sounds like we don’t get it right enough'

 

 

 From the 'late' report presented to Scrutiny Commitee - Source: LINK

 

It was good to see some effective scrutiny at Wednesday's Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee when a Thames Water representative appeared to report on surface water flooding in the borough. Criticism does tend to be sharper of bodies outside the council, but an awful lot of frustration was apparent and questioning from councillors was persistent. Chair of Scrutiny, Cllr Rita Conneely drew attention to the difference between a cash-strapped public sector council and a for profit privatised water company.

Cllr Saqib Butt challenged Alex Nickson from Thames Water on why in his  experience of 5 years on Planning Committee, Thames Water had always just said 'No Objection' to every planning objection. Nickson thought that was not the case in every borough and would check.  

Towards the end of the meeting Cllr Conneely directly addressed Nickson and I think is worth quoting in full to give you a flavour of the exchanges:

Thanks for attending and providing a detailed and helpful contribution, but unfortunately it has still left me with serious concerns about Thames Water's understanding of accountability and partnership working.

The flooding that instigated this entire process led to you attending our Scrutiny Committee in 2021. When Thames Water came last year, what was clearly communicated was that Thames understood that there had been a failure of accountability, there had been a failure of effective communication with the public and local authority, and that there needed to be clarity around responsibilities and accountability.

You said at the beginning of tonight's meeting that you were glad to be here and would be happy to come back again regarding future reviews. Unfortunately, the reality is that when we were inviting Thames Water to attend our meetings for the follow-up they had committed to last year, they were incredibly reluctant and tried to avoid attending for as long as possible. We really had to assert that it was part of our agreement last year that you would come back and report on what happened with the internal review and the independent review [into the floods]. 

Additionally, the Committee publicises reports, that is how the structure of the Committee works - it is a local government function, and Thames Water did not provide us with the documentation that was requested and necessary for the Committee. Your verbal responses tonight have been very good but as none of that unfortunately was provided in advance for Committee members to review, that has limited members' ability to properly scrutinise some of the issues that have been raised tonight.

In addition to that the report that was eventually provided late (LINK), about 2 days ago, couldn't be properly reviewed by the public either and was Brent specific in only one way  so we still have no understanding of what infrastructure upgrades we are going to see in Brent and what funding will be provided. Very few Brent residents at the end of this meeting are going to understand what these commitments mean to Brent - that is something we must see.  I really hope you get back to use regarding the information you have promised tonight very rapidly.

I would like to know that there is an Action Plan for the recommendations that are detailed in the Independent Review. How are we as residents and councillors to know when the recommendations will be delivered? Where are the lessons learnt?  Where will the promised further reports go, and what is the review process?

Alex Nickson replied:

It is entirely my fault that my report was late, I apologise for that, it should have been with you earlier. I didn't realise it was 'required' - I thought it was 'advised'. I apologise to the Committee and residents.

Regarding the Independent Review and tracking, my report says there are 28 recommendations, 3 of which are specifically for Thames to address. 25 of them are more strategic and relate to multi-agency collaboration. These should be reviewed as part of developing the London level strategy and will be determined by the London Level Surface Water Strategic Group as to whether they are appropriate. These actions may, or may o, be taken forward as determined by the Strategic Group. We need collaborative working to manage the risk and not all the actions are entirely down to Thames Water to deliver. There is a tracking process for them and that will be reported on.

You said you wanted us to give you an expectation of what upgrades will be coming to Brent and the level of investment. That will be set out in our next Business Plan 2025-2030, and it will be published for consultation this summer. I have committed to come back to the Committee to tale about out London Level Strategy and our draft plan. That will set out the high-level investment we plan to make. What I would stress is that surface water management is the responsibility of the lead local flood authority [Brent] and therefore it is for us to work with you and support you in the development of detailed plans for Brent - not for us to say what needs to happen: where and when, but a collaborative approach. I believe we have a good working relationship with the borough officers and look forward to doing this in the future.

Cllr Conneely responded.

That is a helpful reassurance but to reiterate, you say that of the 28 recommendations only 3 of them are the responsibility of Thames Water. We need a clear action plan of how Thames are following through those recommendations and effectively lobbying for them. Unfortunately, the concern of the Committee is that similarly to the assurances you gave to Cllr Saqib Butt about planning, which sounds nice on paper, but nothing happens in practice. I represent Kilburn where 17 families in my ward lost their homes in 2021. I'm not interested in words - the commitment we want to see from Thames Water is that there is going to be difference in practice.

My final feedback is on another key issue that was highlighted following the incident in 2021, and highlighted again tonight by Cllr Georgiou, about subsequent incidents involving Thames Water, that of poor communication, particularly around your Control Centre. In 2021 residents were calling up in desperate need of help and the Control Centre was totally unequipped to deal with it and couldn’t signpost residents to what they should be doing. They were simply told to call the fire brigade. As Cllr Georgiou has highlighted there was similar lack of communication last year.  I have at least 3 examples of residents in my ward contacting Thames Water about issues that were definitely their responsibility of residents being told, 'No, that's your local authority'. In one scenario for 3 weeks Thames told my residents that it was a local authority issue until I basically went and stood there for 2 or 3 days until a Thames Operative came out and said it was a sewage issue and your responsibility to resolve but for 3 weeks you told residents. ‘No – call your local authority’.

So, despite the reassurances we were given in 2022 that there had been a massive overhaul and there was going to be a massive training of your Control Centre staff, we have clear evidence in Brent that it continues to be not good enough.

Alex Nickson responded.

If there are particular instances  you’d like us to take up I’d be happy to take that away. Where we’re wrong, I can only apologise. We have increased the capacity of our Call Centre but on the evenings of the 12^th and 27^th of July we were absolutely swamped. We had 4,000 calls an hour coming in and we simply couldn’t manage. We have apologised. We have increased the capacity, we’ve done training, we’ve restructured the way the calls come in and we’ve fundamentally changed the way we prepare head of a storm.  We’ve made sure we have those resources even if the Met Weather Forecast suggests it is unlikely to cause significant flooding.

So, we have learnt lessons, we have applied them but it sounds like we don’t get it right enough.

I will publish the full recommendations made by Scrutiny when they are reported on the Council website.

This evening's Thames Water Update current situation re no water/low pressure/bottled water station + COMPENSATION CLAIMS

 

We’re sorry if you’re experiencing supply and pressure problems.

Whilst most of our customers should now be back in supply following yesterday’s burst pipe in Loudoun Road, there have been some knock on effects to the pipe network that have caused issues for some.

If you’re still experiencing supply problems, we’ve re-opened our bottled water station at Willesden Sports Centre, in Donnington Road NW10 3QX.

Water Quality

As you’d expect, we’ve carried out a series of tests and can confirm there are no quality issues with the returning water supply.

You can find more information about what to expect as your water returns here.

If you’ve still got problems with your supply

We’re working to resolve these as quickly as possible. We’re really sorry for the ongoing disruption and distress caused.

We expect repairs to the original burst to take several days, and in the meantime, Loudoun Road is likely to remain closed for some time.

Details on our bottled water station

Our bottled water station is accessible on foot or by car. If you drive there, we can load water into your vehicle. It’s for essential use, like drinking, cooking and hand washing, so please be considerate and don’t take more than you need.

If you have a neighbour who’s unable to get to the site, please let us know and we’ll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out.

We’ll provide any further updates on this page when we have further information.

Editor's comment - COMPENSATION

 

 You can claim £30 compensation from Thames Water for loss of your water yesterday (more if you have still no water today or subsequent days) and should get it credited to your account within 20  working days There are also other categories if you were affected in additional ways.

 

LINK TO CLAIM FORM

LAST UPDATE FOR THIS EVENING: No Water/Low Pressure & Flooding NW1, NW2, NW6, NW8, NW10, W1W, W1, W2, W8, W9 & W10

FROM THAMES WATER

 

We are really sorry if you have been affected by the earlier burst pipe in Loudoun Road. All customers should now be back in supply. Pressures is returning to the affected areas and will continue over the coming hours. You can find more information about what to expect as your water returns here.

If you’re still experiencing no water, please get in touch to let us know.

The bottled water station at Willesden Sports Centre, in Donnington Road NW10 3QX remains open until 11 pm this evening for any customers still experiencing low water pressure.

It’s for essential use, like drinking, cooking and hand washing, so please be considerate and don’t take more than you need., we can load water into your vehicle. Our bottled water station is accessible on foot or by car. If you drive there

If you have a neighbour who’s unable to get to the site, please let us know and we’ll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out.

If you’ve been affected by flooding

Our loss adjusters will back at Swiss Cottage Library tomorrow from 9 am. The loss adjusters will be available to talk to residents who’ve been flooded to help with the next steps.

We’re really sorry for the flooding and distress this has caused.

Planning continues on repairs to the burst pipe. It’s one of our biggest, measuring three-and-half-feet across, so we’re expecting this to take several days. Don’t worry – we’re rerouting water around the network to maintain supplies while we fix things.

This will be our last update of the evening. Please check back  tomorrow for updates.

Conservative Motion on Flooding in Brent

 Conservative motion currently being heard

Measures to tackle Flooding in Brent

In the past few years, flooding in Brent and other areas is getting more frequent and severe. Whilst this is partly due to climate change and global warming, it also reflects the massive level of regeneration, development and building on green and brown fields sites which is detrimental to the drainage of rainwater and it is felt future planning policy must reflect.

We are losing more green and open spaces which used to soak up the rain water.

 

The Council’s policy of tarmacking footpaths also does not allow water to permeate in the ground. Just a little rain and we observe streams of water flowing on the roads and pavements.

We notice that flood water collects in low lying areas and does not recede for a few days after it rains which means that in the current situation more frequent and severe flooding will take place.

We appreciate that Brent alone cannot stop global warming and climate change and recognise that the borough has a Flood Risk management Strategy in place, however we can take further steps to mitigate the consequences and protect our residents’ lives and property.

As a result this Council calls on Cabinet to:

1) Reverse the policy of tarmacking the footways and replace with paving slabs and bricks which allows more water to soak in the ground, especially in known flood risk areas;

2) Reverse the policy of large scale developments which are reducing the green
open spaces and making Brent a concrete jungle;

3) Implement a regular gully cleaning and leaf collection program, especially in the flood prone areas;

4) Implement a regular program of inspecting all drains and gullies in areas
identified as flood risk and repair as necessary and the Council’s responsibility,
including Brent’s brooks and rivers;

5) Introduce a policy that makes it’s illegal to concrete over the whole of a rear
garden as this also impedes the draining of rainwater. We suggest a maximum
of 20% of the rear garden can be paved or concreted over.

If Brent is serious about global warming and climate change and wants to protect its citizens now and for future, it's the least it can do.

Councillor Suresh Kansagra
Kenton Ward