Chicken shops galore for Wembley as two new shops greet pupils returning to school next week despite planning policy

 

New shop on Bridge Road

Secondary school students returning to school next week will find two new chicken shops within a the few hunded yards of Ark Academy and the bus stops that are used by pupils from Preston Manor, Michaela and the Lycee, bringing the total to 6.

The new shop above is particularly problematic because it is at the bus stop that was moved at the time of the reconnection of Bridge Road and North End Road. The pavement there is narrow and the single bus stop serves the 83, 182, 206, 223 and 297 bus routes resulting in large crowds. Imagine the chicken licking crowds of school children mixing with the public at peak times while local families with push chairs and several childre try to get home from primary school. Not very Covid secure...  I have asked Brent Council and TfL to move the bus stop to its old position on a wider pavement away from shops.

Another chicken shop serves the 245 bus route.

Clearly issues are raised about Brent Council's attempts to tackle teenage obesity and its policy to limit fast food outlets near schools.

A Brent JSNA report (2019-20) stated that for the last 5 years Brent had a higher proportion of obese children leaving primary school than the London and National average. These statistics (note 4 years old) are stark. What would have been the impact of lockdown, I wonder?:

 The report notes as an action:

 

 

BUT - CHICKEN SHOPS AROUND ARK ACADEMY AND THE BUS STOPS USED BY MANY SCHOOL PUPILS.

 

Red stars denote fast food chicken outlets

 

Grand Parade, Forty Avenue

Sam's on the corner of Forty Avenue and Bridge Road
 

A new outlet on Bridge Road on the site previously occupied by Nat West Bank

One of the earlier Bridge Road chicken shops

Wok 'n Roe on Bridge Road predates Ark Academy by decades but has a line in spicy and non-spicy chicken and chips as well as other dishes

The latest Bridge Road chicken shop - opened just this week

 

A little further away but heavily frequented by school children at the end of the school day is McDonalds at ASDA. McDonalds controversially replaced the ordinary restaurant some years ago. It is clearly marketed at children.

Note: I have asked Brent Planning and Brent Public Health officers for clarification.

Giving a voice to child casualties of the callous Coalition on Saturday

I heard recently about a child who faced exclusion from a local academy school because of recent lateness. He is late because the family were evicted from their home and moved to temporary accommodation in a bed and breakfast hotel a long way from the school. Dad says they get up at 6.30am. I have seen the sad sight of the  family's belongings, including the children's toys, piled high in their ex-home's front garden because there was no room for their belongings in the two hotel rooms they are allocated.

I have heard about a mother having to improvise cooking facilities in the bathroom of their bed and breakfast hotel so as to be able to feed their children.

There is absolutely no doubt that children are the most vulnerable casualties of the Coalition's war on the poor.  This is something that many teachers acknowledged when they spoke to me during the strike day. They see the children every day, they see the stress in the children's parents and hear from distressed children the possibility that they may be moved to Luton, Milton Keynes, Birmingham away from their friends and family - away from their support systems. In time these families will cost the state far more in treating the consequences of this ill treatment than it will have saved in cutting benefit.

The long term impact on the stability of the family and their mental and physical health is incalculable. The impact on children's life chances hardly bears thinking about.

Saturday's demonstration aims to give a voice to these children.  They will be encouraged to wear their school uniforms to highlight how the benefit cuts, council tax charges, bedroom tax etc are affecting school age children.

I have to attend another local event on that day but hope that this demonstration gets the support it deserves.