Sadiq Khan incorporates opposition to fracking into draft London Plan

Anti-fracking protest outside Willesden Green station in 2013

London Local Energy LINK has gone quiet since the summer when it launched a public relations offensive to persuade residents that it was in their interests to support drilling in  Harlesden. LINK

The plans were opposed by local environment groups and Brent Council.

Now Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, has incorporated opposition to fracking in the draft London Plan which is a broad plan to shape the way London develops over the next 20-25 years. The policy comes in the wake of energy companie, including London Local Energy, identifying potential fracking sites in the capital.

Khan said:

There is absolutely no place for fracking in London and I remain firm in my belief that any such application must be refused.

It is my duty to protect the health and wellbeing of Londoners, and it is well documented that the fracking process itself can cause chronic damage to public health, worsen toxic air quality and contaminate water supplies.

The harmful, negative impact of the use of fossil fuels on the environment and on the air we breathe is well known. We must instead focus our resources on developing technologies for the efficient extraction of clean, renewable forms of energy, rather than coming up with more ever innovative ways to keeping burning fossil fuels.

The UK’s Health and Safety Executive estimates that hundreds of people across the country develop lung cancer associated with silica dust exposure, which can occur during fracking. Pollutants such as VOCs and hydrogen sulphide, meanwhile, can worsen neurological problems ranging from dizziness to seizures.There are also fears that the volume of water required in fracking could lead to public water restrictions in areas prone to shortages. 

Rose Dickinson, a Friends of the Earth campaigner  said:

It’s a positive move that the Mayor is stating on principle that London should not be fracked,Though the focus has been in the North of England where most licences have been obtained, wherever fracking rears its ugly head it is opposed - and rightly so because of the known risks from the process.

Petition launched against 25 metre high Welsh Harp phone mast - please sign

Cllr Roxanne Mashari (Labour, Welsh Harp) has launched a petition against the proposed erection of a 25 metre high phone mast on the Welsh Harp. You can sign the petition HERE

The petition to Brent Planning Department says:

Stop the building of a 25 metre phone mast in the beautiful Welsh Harp Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which is the largest nature reserve in Greater London.

Why is this important?

The Welsh Harp is the only Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Brent or Barnet and is home to a wide and rich diversity of wildlife.

We are concerned by evidence suggesting a detrimental impact of wireless cell towers on wildlife as well as the building of such a visibly obstructive structure on the appearance and openness of this piece of Metropolitan Open Land. We believe that to give permission to this structure runs contrary to Brent Council's policy on the Protection and Enhancement of Open Space, Sports and Biodiversity.

The proposed improvement of 3G coverage resulting from the mast would appear to only benefit a very small area and is disproportionate to the greater disruption of land and surrounding wildlife.
The Welsh Harp is a truly unique and important site to local residents but also in its wider scientific, ecological and natural beauty value across London. It is our responsibility to preserve it for generations to come.

We therefore strongly object to the approval of this site for the construction of a Mobile Telephone Mast under application PA 17/4597.

To comment on the planning application individually please follow this LINK

Still time to comment on the 'devastating' Welsh Harp 25 metre phone mast

The various notices from Brent Council give different dates for the closure of consultation on the Welsh Harp Phone Mast ranging from November 23rd on the site notice, November 27th on some consultation letters to December 12th on the website (see above).

The website gives November 6th as the date of the consultation letter but it was not sent out until November 21st.

Residents have also had difficulty in getting their queries answered by Brent Planning department as this comment on their website shows:

I have been frustrated in my attempts to speak to someone in Planning North regarding PA 17/4597.
The case officer assigned on original documents Kieran Amery (x2144)- unsure if messages are picked up - no reply.
The case officer on the recent letter to Freda, Elliot Brown (x 6204) is away till27 Nov last day for the comments!
The general no. on the Council site and Planning North does not lead to a human person!

There has been some confusion about where the mast will actually be erected. It is not on the sailing club site itself at Birchen Grove as some supposed but close to the opposite bank:

Click on images to enlarge

'The proposed telecommunication tower and equipment would be sited within the South-Western far corner of the Brent Reservoir site. This is a considerable distance from the Sailing Club Grounds, however it is within close proximity to the Neasden Recreation Ground and the rear boundary of residential properties sited along Braemar Avenue and Aboyne Road'

The applicant states that they pre-consulted with ward councillors and Dawn Butler MP but got no response. They rejected Brent Council's pre-application proposed modification on the grounds that lowering the mast would reduce the signal and landscaping was not possible because the base of the mast would be a servicing area:

Pre - application consultation was carried out with the Local Planning Authority, Councillors Agha, Farah and Mashari, and Dawn Butler MP.

We received a formal pre - application response from the Local Planning Authority, stating that the application would be acceptable in principle but amendment s, including reducing the height of the proposed tower and providing landscaping, would be required to mitigate the potential detrimental impact on the surrounding area.

We received no responses from the Ward Councillors or the MP.

Cllr Agha is chair of both the Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee and Brent Planning Committee.

The Joint (Barnet and Brent) Welsh Harp Consultative Committee will be meeting on Tuesday November 28th. There is an item on the agenda for any planning issues, although this particular application is not specifically mentioned. The deadline for booking to make representations to the Committee has gone.

This objection sums up the issues:

I object to the above proposal:

1) Biodiversity and Wildlife

- The Welsh Harp is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI- the only one in Barnet and Brent) is a haven for migratory birds, bees, bats, butterflies and frogs.

There are 153 peer-viewed studies or articles reporting significant effects from EMF exposures on wildlife. http://www.emfresearch.com/emf-wildlife/

A six-year study of trees around wireless cell towers reveals the 'invisible' damage of exposure to RF radiation. Halgamuge, M.N. "Weak radiofrequency radiation exposure from mobile phone radiation on plants."Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, vol. 36, no. 2, 2017, pp. 213-235

A mobile telephone mast in the Welsh Harp /Brent Reservoir will have devastating impact wild life and plants, which in turn will affect human wellbeing via the ecological chain.

2) Metropolitan Open Space (MOL)

- The London Plan which Brent Council follows closely, states Regarding Planning decisions, "the strongest protection should be given to London's Metropolitan Open Land and inappropriate development refused.... and to ...maintain the openness of MOL.

A mobile telephone mast will affect this openness in and around the proposed site.

- Brent's Core Policy (CP18) -Protection and Enhancement of Open Space, Sports and Biodiversity

Open space (including waterways) of local value will be protected from inappropriate development and will be preserved for the benefit, enjoyment, health and well being of Brent's residents, visitors and wildlife. Support (given) ...for the improvement of both open space and the built environment for biodiversity and nature conservation.

I am not against technological progress but we cannot afford to do it at the expense of our precious nature reserve so near central London which is so appreciated by an ever increasing population in the area.

The Brent Reservoir SSSI site is the largest in Barnet and Brent status and is also the largest Local Nature Reserve in Greater London and should therefore be given the strongest protection.

3) 3G Cover

The diagrams for 3G - now and after the proposed installation, do not reflect much of a change, according to the colour coding, with regards to the stated improved coverage. The improvement affects a very small area and is disproportionate to the greater disruption of land and surrounding wildlife.

I am therefore strongly objecting to the approval of this site for the construction of a Mobile Telephone Mast.

To comment on the application go to LINK. Remember to state either that you Object or you Support the application.

Brent Tories call on Brent Council leader to 'clear the air' over planning allegations

Cllr John  Warren has written to Cllr Butt, Leader of Brent Council, regarding this week's Brent and Kilburn Times front page:

Dear Muhammed,
 
                           I refer to the front- page article in this week's Brent & Kilburn Times in respect of the three meetings that you held with the developer R55 earlier this year.It was noted in the article that one such meeting took place the day before the Minavil House  planning decision was made....this was a R55 development.
 
    You will be aware of the considerable public disquiet with Brent's planning process, and the allegations- albeit unproven to date - of your interference in this process.

I would hope you would take this opportunity to " clear the air."

1. What was the purpose of these three meetings,and in broad terms what was discussed?

2. Why were no minutes of these meetings taken - so as to follow LGA guidance?

3.What meetings have you held with other developers in Brent -particularly Quintain- since 2014?

4. Please confirm, for the record, that you have not attempted to influence the votes of any member of the planning committee ?

Regards,

     John

Cllr John Warren

Brent Conservative Group Leader
         Brondesbury Park Ward

The Kilburn Times asks Cllr Butt a vital question - Brent residents are waiting for an answer

Kilburn Times Front Page November 23rd 2017

Brent Council urged to end pension fund investment in Fossil Fuels - how you can support the campaign

Green Party London Assembly Members Caroline Russell and Sian Berry with Brent Green Simon Erskine

Climate change campaigners are urging Brent Council to take its money out of fossil fuels.

A new campaign group, Divest Brent, launched this week. The activists hope to put pressure on the Council to “divest” from the fossil fuel industry by withdrawing any money they have invested in companies involved in digging for or burning coal, oil and gas.

Industry

Recently published figures indicate that the Council has over £37 million invested in the fossil fuel industry through its pension fund.

Campaigner and Green Party activist Simon Erskine explained that the divestment movement had already scored many victories in recent years and has become a powerful method of forcing organisations to consider their contribution to human-made climate change.

He told Wembley Matters: 

It sends a message to the industry and it raises awareness of the issue.

People may not already be aware of where their money is going and might be concerned to learn they are helping to finance the fossil fuel industry.

Fossil fuels belong to the past; they are not the answer to climate change, they are the problem.

In the same way, people no longer want to invest in tobacco or the arms trade.

Earlier this month a protest was staged outside City Hall to call for the Greater London Authority to divest from fossil fuels. The London Assembly has already passed a motion requesting the London Mayor to do exactly that.

Organisations in the UK that have committed to fossil fuel divestment so far include Oxford and Bristol city councils, the University of Glasgow and the British Medical Association. A number of London Boroughs have also committed – including neighbouring borough, Hammersmith & Fulham.

Globally more than 800 institutions (from government, faith-based, philanthropic and educational organisations etc), representing well over $5 trillion in assets, have committed to divest.

Ali Warrington, another Divest Brent campaigner, said:

It’s really exciting to bring the fastest-growing divestment movement in history to Brent. We need to act locally and ensure our representatives do what’s right and invest ethically. The companies they’re investing in are creating devastating climate change, and are insecure investments financially.

To support the campaign sign the petition HERE and email, Facebook and Tweet your friends urging them to sign.

This is the petition:

Brent Council should divest its pension fund from fossil fuel companies to protect the people of Brent. So we ask Brent Council to make a public divestment statement committing the Brent Pension Fund to:

1. Immediately freeze any new investment in the top 200 publicly-traded fossil fuel companies with largest known carbon reserves (oil, coal and gas)
2. Divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds in the top 200 list and shift these funds to lower risk, ethical investments within 5 years
3. Advocate to other pension funds, including the London Pension Fund Authority and Local Government Pension Scheme members to do the same
4. To do the above in a timely manner - by setting up a working group to report back on a strategy to bring about divestment within three months from the submission of this petition

Why is this important?

We believe divestment from fossil fuels to be not only ethically and environmentally correct, but also financially prudent.

Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has encountered. The 20 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1981 and 2016 was the hottest ever [1]. Higher average temperatures are directly linked to extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods and storms.
Scientists have unanimously concluded that these changes are a consequence of human activity, arising from the burning of fossil fuels [2]. Moreover, this activity has resulted in unprecedented levels of air pollution, now regarded as a major world killer [3].

In a speech at Lloyd’s of London in September 2015, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England said that by the time ‘climate change becomes a defining issue for financial stability, it may already be too late’. Carney warned investors that policies to address climate change ‘would render the vast majority of reserves ‘stranded’ – oil, gas and coal that will be literary unburnable’ [4].

In order to continue developing fossil fuel reserves – particularly in the difficult areas where the remaining reserves are located (including the Arctic, the mouth of the Amazon and tar sands in sensitive areas) the developing companies need investment – divestment is a way of cutting off the funds needed to carry out these damaging activities. It also sends a powerful signal to the companies and others that it is time to move away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy.

References:
[1] http://tinyurl.com/y9tkm4sn
[2] http://tinyurl.com/3e3zv
[3] http://tinyurl.com/pqgdd5q
[4] http://tinyurl.com/ycspl5sg

 

Boxpark and Quintain submit planning application to Brent Council

The following is a press release issued by Boxpark and Quintain today. Lots of buzz words but is this what Wembley needs? The planning application  is for a ten year stay at the site.
 

Boxpark and Quintain have submitted the planning application for Boxpark Wembley to the London Borough of Brent – following the announcement in September that Boxpark is coming to Wembley Park, under a 10 year joint venture agreement.

The brand new casual dining and event destination is located directly on Olympic Way (known to fans the world over as Wembley Way) in the heart of the 85-acre Wembley Park site. It will mark a significant step forward for Wembley Park as it looks to grow its reputation as a cultural destination as well as for Boxpark, which will be delivering its biggest premises to date, helping secure its status as one of the UK’s most innovative street food operators.

The 27 tenant units, specially designed to respond to the vibrant Wembley event day experience and to service the ever-growing delivery market, are arranged around a covered event space, which can be transformed from a casual dining experience to a performance space. Unit sizes will range from 500q.ft to 1800 sq.ft and will create a new dining and cultural hub for those living in, working at and visiting Wembley Park.

The dedicated events space will provide a year round events destination, creating and hosting a programme of innovative events for up to 2,000 people. Working together with emerging local artists and established talent from across the country, Boxpark Wembley will further cement Wembley Park's reputation as a destination alive with activity.

Boxpark Wembley will also provide an outstanding event day experience for visitors to the National Stadium and The SSE Arena, Wembley and deliver a local venue for the 4,000 students and 2,000 people who already live at Wembley Park.  The 10 year joint venture will offer year round animation to the area undergoing rapid transformation with 3,000 homes under construction by the end of this year. 

This announcement comes at an important time for the London Borough of Brent as it looks to ramp up its bid to become the London Borough of Culture in 2020.

Speaking about the submission, James Saunders, Chief Operating Officer of Quintain (delivering Wembley Park), said:

“Today marks an exciting day for Wembley Park – and showcases just one of the many changes taking place in the redevelopment of the area, as we move from being a place people associate only with event days – to a cultural hub, coming alive with brand new homes, offices, activities and now a Boxpark.”

Adding to this, Roger Wade, Founder and CEO of Boxpark, said:

“We are delighted to announce the submission of the Boxpark Wembley plans. Boxpark Wembley is the next step in Boxpark design evolution, and features a 20,000 sq ft seating and event space. Our hope is to work closely with the major venues in the area to create an innovative fan experience. But first and foremost we want to create a fantastic Eat, Drink and Play experience for the local community.”

Boxpark Wembley will further cement Wembley Park’s reputation as an emerging creative quarter, and will be neighbours to leading arts organisation, Second Floor Studios and Arts (SFSA) – who are opening 26 affordable studios for creatives in early 2018.

Boxpark Wembley is set to open in late 2018, and will in the coming months begin the process of letting the units to an array of talented traders from across London.

For more information about Boxpark please visit: www.boxpark.co.uk

The planning application can be viewed via the London Borough of Brent planning portal LINK 

Fund-raising concerts in Brent this weekend