Brent Council housing performance plummets

A reader writes:

Hi Martin, I received the Winter edition of ‘Your Voice’ the magazine for Brent Council’s tenants and leaseholders this morning and noticed that 5 out of 6 key performance targets had gone down, as they are highlighted in red.

The council told me and other residents that we would see a remarkable transformation in the delivery of services following the transfer from BHP 14 months ago.  I assumed they were going to get better but as their own statistics show, they are nosediving. e.g. The target for Estate Inspections in 2018/19 is 100% but their performance is rated at 48%.

Maybe you might like to ask the council, why are they performing so badly?  The next Housing Scrutiny committee meets this week and you could ask the chair Cllr. Long what has gone so badly wrong? Could it be that the council misled us at the consultation meetings to get us to vote to take the services in-house.  I attended the session at the Willesden Library and ‘my table’ was hosted by Cllr. Butt and I remember him saying, “BHP were useless at managing repairs” but it seems the council are even worse

Chalkhill Residents: Table Top Sale Dec 1st & Residents' Meeting Dec 3rd

Brent Council to debate the Private Rented Housing Sector on Monday

Time is set aside at each council meeting for a non-cabinet member debate. Tomorrow Cllr Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, Willesden Green ward.

One area missing is the high-end purpose built private rented sector such as those built by Quintain in Wembley under the Tipi name.  There aside from rent the service charges have become an issue (see ) and renters have found also themselves trapped into contracts with utility and broad-band suppliers. As these contracts are negotiated for all  residents by the property management company, people cannot search our cheaper suppliers.


Motion for Non Cabinet Member debate

Private Rented Housing Sector

This Council notes:
The important work carried out by the Private Housing Enforcement team:

·      Brent has an estimated 36,000 privately rented properties. The Private Housing Enforcement team carry out between 30-40 planned inspections per week, plus an additional 10-15 unannounced inspection raids. 


·      Brent Council has won 140 landmark prosecution cases against rogue landlords, agents and sub-letters since 2016. The convictions have resulted in more than £1.1m in court fines and costs. 


·      A total of 901 PRS Properties have been improved as a consequence of their interventions, since January 2018. 


·      Brent Council is registered with, and a member of the Housing Ombudsman Service. We also contribute to the renters’ advice service: Advice 4 Renters, and enforcement officers give A4R’s advice leaflets to tenants when they visit. They also signpost tenants to A4R’s website, or SSP Law (solicitor firm contracted by Brent Council to advise tenants). 


This despite the Council operating against a backdrop of prolonged austerity. We therefore also note : 


·      The average price paid for property in Brent in the last year stands at nearly half a million pounds. Consequently it is no small wonder that the proportion of people renting privately has doubled since 2004; half of 18-35s, 1 in 4 families with children, and growing numbers of older people now live in privately rented homes [1]. 


·      That most of England’s 11 million renters are on tenancies with fixed terms of six months or a year; after this period has ended, landlords can evict their tenants with just two months’ notice, without giving them a reason. These ‘no fault evictions’ were introduced under Section 21 of the 1988 Housing Act; before this, renters had much greater security and it was difficult for landlords to evict tenants who paid the rent on time and looked after the property. 


·      Evictions are the number one cause of homelessness with 80% of evictions on no-fault grounds, and 63% of private renters who were forced to move in 2016 evicted not due to any fault of their own but because the landlord wanted to sell or use the property [2,3,4]. 


·      The recent Guardian and ITV investigation into rogue landlords operating in Brent, and note how a number of these criminals wilfully exploit loopholes within existing legislation. 


·      The London Mayor’s online “rogue landlord checker” is available to all Londoners and has received more than 1,000 entries from local authorities. 


·      That Karen Buck MP’s private members bill on “Homes (fitness for human habitation)”, which seeks to require that residential rented accommodation is provided and maintained in a state of fitness for human habitation. We also welcome the progress of the tenants’ fees bill through Parliament. 


This Council believes:

·      That housing is intrinsically linked to poverty and life chances. Children need secure homes from which to excel in their schooling. Adults need a secure home in order to work, flourish, and take part in society to their fullest potential. 


·      The Government has been forced into a U-turn after a Guardian and ITV News investigation revealed that not a single name had been entered into the government’s new rogue landlord database system in more than six months since its launch – and that even when landlords’ names were listed, the public would not be allowed to see them. [5] 


·      Landlord licensing is not fit for purpose until universally implemented, and the problem of rogue landlords is far-reaching beyond borough boundaries. We need an effective scheme, local authorities that are properly resourced and improved tenants’ rights. A national regulatory framework would ensure consistent regulation for all landlords across the country and stop the rogues from switching local authorities. 


·      To fix this broken system, we need a complete rebalancing of the power relationship between landlords and tenants. The underlying issues of the housing crisis will only be solved by the construction of social and genuinely affordable housing on an unprecedented scale, with legislative teeth to punish rogue landlords. 


·      Mass homelessness is a national disgrace, and removing its leading causes should be a priority. 


·      Alongside tackling homelessness, abolishing Section 21 no-fault evictions would help to make renting more secure, improve standards, increase tenant confidence and ultimately contribute towards making renting a viable long-term alternative to home ownership or social rent for the millions who currently cannot access either. 


·      Renters Unions would make it easier for tenants to defend their rights, and for existing unions like the London Renters Union to defend their members

This Council resolves:

·      To support the abolition of Section 21 no fault evictions. 


·      To note that the Council will continue to serve improvement notices and emergency remedial 
action notices on landlords where private rented homes fail physical inspection, which can 
restrict the scope of private landlords to serve retaliatory section 21 notices. 


·      To call for the tightening of legislation so landlords can’t use property agents to hop from 
borough to borough. 


·      To support new renters’ unions to allow renters to organise and defend their rights, and to 
make the housing market fairer.

 
Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson Willesden Green Ward 


Notes: 
Prosecutions: 
https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-news/press-releases/pr6728/https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-news/press-releases/pr6719/ 
Action 4 Renters – annual report 
http://www.advice4renters.org.uk/files/9415/1181/6010/AR_2017.pdf

http://www.advice4renters.org.uk/files/9415/1181/6010/AR_2017.pdf


 

Footnotes: 


[1] English Housing Survey 2016-17

[2] ‘Record numbers left homeless after eviction by private landlords in England’, The Guardian, 28.9.16

[3] ‘How eviction leads to homelessness: “My youngest child doesn’t know what a home is”’, The Guardian, 8.1.18

[4] ‘The state of private renting’, Inside Housing, 2.8.17


[5] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/24/government-policing-of-rogue-landlords-labelled-pathetic


[6] https://www.london.gov.uk/rogue-landlord-checker

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Help with tree planting in Northwick Park and Preston Park Saturday December 1st

This tree planting event on Saturday 1st December in Preston Park and Northwick Park is part of the neighbourhood-wide tree planting weekend, initiated by the Mayor of London. 

The event is listed on this website: https://www.london.gov.uk/events/2018-12-01/volunteer-tree-planting-event

Due to the size of the community tree packs (50 trees in each) and type of trees offered, the Council has also included Northwick Park ias well as Preston Park n the planting scope . The map of the confirmed locations for the trees in both parks is due to be shared by the Council shortly.

The tree planting schedule is as follows for Saturday 1st December:

- Preston Park: 9.30am - 11am - meet in the car park (College Road entrance to the park, opposite Preston Park Primary School) - HA9 8RJ

- Northwick Park: 11.30am - 1pm - meet in front of the Northwick Park Pavilion - HA0 3TQ

Brent Council and Veolia colleagues will support the planting. Volunteers are advised to bring spades/ forks/ trowels and gloves and wear suitable protective footwear on the day. 

Help with tree planting in One Tree Hill Park on Saturday December 1st

Wembley Central and Alperton Residents' Association, with the support of Brent Council and Veolia, have secured 50 trees (English Oak, Silver Birch, Beech, Hornbeam, and Alder) for One Tree Hill Park. They will be planting them on Saturday 1st December 1.30pm to 3pm and invite you and your children to come along and help:

Meeting point by the Bowrons Avenue entrance of the park. Please also bring spades/forks/trowels and gloves if you have them, and wear suitable protective footwear. If residents dont have the tools, fear not, we are working with our friends at Veolia to provide some tools. Children to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Who's going to collect our rubbish after Brexit? Brent Council to call for 'People's Vote'

Of course it is much more than rubbosh collection, Monday's Brent Council meeting are going to debate a report commissioned by the last Full Council on the impact of Brexit on the borough. The full report is available HERE.

It is hard to predict what our EU citizens will do post-Brexit and a lot will depend on the post-Brexit environment and the level of hostility they experience, as well as the future performance of the UK economy and that of their home countries.

Main points:

Leaving the EU will impact Brent, not least because it has the second highest number of European residents in London. Much of its public sector and construction workforce comprise European citizens. The EU settlement scheme offers EU citizens the same rights as they currently enjoy, and is likely to be taken up by our current residents ensuring their continued presence. EU citizens who want to leave due to Brexit are likely to have already left. This theory is borne out in the dip in reception and year one school places required. 

 


Brent has the second highest estimated number of European residents in London comprising a fifth (22%) of its whole population. European residents who come to the UK to work have to apply for a National Insurance number. These applications have been falling steadily since 2014, across London, and saw a sharp decline last year. Since the Brexit vote, the government have introduced the EU settlement scheme, which gives European residents who register, the same rights as they currently enjoy. It is likely that with the introduction of this scheme, current European residents will remain in Brent until they would naturally move on. 

COUNIL EMPLOYEES 


Around 10% of Brent Council employees are originally from the EU. The proportion varies by department and service area with some service areas having one or two staff, increasing to around 20% in others. Customer Services, and CYP have the highest proportion of employees from the EU. It is worth noting that although employees may be from the EU, many have become British Citizens, or have indefinite leave to remain. 

 


VEOLIA CONTRACT

Brent also has a number of contracts with large companies, including with Veolia, who provide the waste and recycling service for Brent. Over half (52%) of the Veolia workforce, and around 70% of its agency staff are from EU countries, and despite paying the London Living Wage, they anticipate it being difficult to attract workers should this source of labour lessen. Although details around migration policies is unknown, it is expected for unskilled labourers to be discouraged from coming to the UK. Currently, the contract comes to an end in March 2023, and the new contract will be commissioned at the height of post-Brexit uncertainty.

 


CONSTRUCTION

27% of London’s construction workforce comes from the EU. Both the Chequers plan, and no deal restrict free movement of labour and could result in a skills shortage in the construction industry as well as pressure on wages, causing construction firms to face higher project costs and reduce current turnovers. 

 


HOSPITALS

There are two hospitals in Brent, Northwick Park and Central Middlesex Hospital. In the NHS in North West London, 7% of all staff are European. This ranges from less than 1% of qualified ambulance staff, to 10% of doctors (including locums). A report by Mercer found that one in three doctors in the UK hope to retire by 2020. Our older population, aged 65 and over is expected to increase by one third over the next ten years, so the demand on our medical services will increase. Staffing shortages is a real problem for the NHS nationwide, and plans need to be made both locally, and nationally to attract more young people to the field. 

 


SCHOOLS

Schools in Brent have a large proportion of EU students, which reflects the local community. Last year there was a dip in the number of school places required for reception and year one. The school place projections suggest that this dip will last for a few years, and then numbers will rise again. The falling demographics are caused by different reasons, including a reduction in migration as people are choosing not to come to Brent. The number of pupils that qualify for the English as an Additional Language (EAL) measure in reception and year one has fallen by nearly 10%. 

 


Although schools are responsible for their own budgets, and managing their staff, the council is working with schools adversely affected by the drop in pupil numbers, putting plans in place to mitigate the financial risks associated with changing pupil numbers for example agreeing short-term caps on admission numbers. 


Cllr Neil Nerva wil be moving h following motion on behalf of the Labour Group:

Motion for a People’s Vote

This Council notes:

It is now twenty-eight months since the referendum in which 72,523 Brent residents voted by a clear majority, to maintain the current benefits Britons enjoy, by staying in the European Union. 


In the months since, the “Vote Leave” campaign has been fined by the Electoral Commission, and, the Chancellor has conceded that leaving the EU without a deal would blast an £80bn black hole in the creaking public finances. 

 


Those that voted to leave, did not vote to be poorer. But it is some of our poorest residents that will be hardest hit; with a squeeze in living standards brought on by increased inflation and the depreciation of the pound. 

 


That, despite promises to the contrary, Government engagement of local political leaders has been virtually non-existent. 
   That the London Assembly, the neighbouring boroughs of Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham have all passed motions that back a “People’s Vote” on the final deal and an option to stay within the European Union. 


This Council believes:

That Brent is better off together. And put simply, we are a global borough, united in opposition to any form of Brexit that has deleterious effects on our residents. 

 


That leaving the EU will disproportionately impact Brent, not least because Brent has the second highest number of European residents in London. Moreover, many of the public services our residents rely upon, from their GP to their waste collection, are provided by dedicated European citizens. 

 


That any deal which undermines the principles of the hard-fought “Good Friday Agreement” should face wholesale rejection. 

 


It is evident that a calamitous Brexit will hurt all but the very richest, and that it will be our children, for the first time, poorer, less prosperous, with fewer opportunities than the generation before. 
With this in mind, this Council resolves to: 

Voice its concern against any arrangement that damages the rights or prospects of EU nationals in this proudly diverse borough. 

 


Work with organisations representing EU nationals to help address the uncertainty that this careless Government has left in its wake.

 


To liaise with local businesses, public sector partners, trade unions and our colleagues at the West London Alliance to ensure that Brent remains open for business throughout any transition period. 

 


Call upon Parliament to entrust the British people with a meaningful vote on the final deal; with options to remain in the European Union upon the ballot paper. 



Universal Credit in Brent - an overview

Giselle Winston, of Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group, gave a detailed overview of Universal Credit as it begins to roll out in Brent, at Friday's meeting at Chalkhill Community Centyre organised by Unite Community.

Rally against the far-right Brexiteer opportunists - December 9th

I bumped into an assortment of left-groups, including the Communist Party of Britain Marxist-Leninist, Socialist Party, Community Party of Great Britain and Counterfire on Thursday evening as I was leaving an NEU Climate Working Group at the NEU headquarters.

They were attended a meeting about a 'People's Brexit' aimed at making a socialist case for leaving the EU.

I picked up a CPBML leaflet which said:

Let’s return to the simplicity of our  [referendum] decision. Reinstate the red lines for Brexit. Control over our economy, our borders, our agriculture and fisheries, our food, our laws, our workplaces. That would terrify the EU would-be masters. Only then can real negotiations begin - from the true position of British strength.

Last night in Brent  at Bridge Park there was a meeting, publicised by local Liberal Democrats, with a speaker from the People's Vote campaign aimed at organising Brent residents in favour of a People's Vote on Brexit.

Both camps have some strange bedfellows.

Today I received this from 'Another Europe is Possible'. I don't think for a minute that everyone who favours Brexit is a racist, let alone a fascist, but it is proving a vehicle for some opportunists:

On December 9th, the day before parliament votes on Theresa May’s deal, the far right will march on London under the banner of “Brexit Betrayal”. We will mobilise, in massive numbers, to combat their message of hate and division. And we will demand a serious alternative: a society that works for everyone, and a final say for the people on Brexit.

Join us on December 9th - stand up to the far right

In the face of this moment, it is not enough to simply oppose racism in the abstract. Brexit is being used to attack migrants, end free movement, deregulate the economy, divide communities and legitimise racism in the political mainstream. It is driven at its core by the British wing of a movement that includes Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro, Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders, among others.

Join the demo - let's oppose Brexit together

Tommy Robinson is not just using Brexit as a tool to attract followers. Brexit has from its earliest days been driven by the far right, and the far right will benefit from it for decades to come unless we defeat it and the conditions on which it feeds.

The far right is growing because the economic and political system has failed us. We need decent homes and jobs, we need a transformation of the economy that gives people control over their destinies.

Come together against Brexit and the far right

The far right is growing because the economic and political system has failed us. We need decent homes and jobs, we need a transformation of the economy that gives people control over their destinies.

On December 9th, we will rally in Parliament Square. Join us to demand:

Vote down the Brexit deal
Give the people a final say
Stop the far right - defend free movement

David Lammy MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Manuel Cortes, TSSA general secretary
Ann Pettifor, economist
Mike Galsworthy, Scientists for the EU
Amelia Womack Deputy Leader of the Green Party
Zoe Williams, journalist
Peter Tatchell, human rights campaigner
Michael Chessum, Another Europe is Possible
Nick Dearden, Global Justice Now
Julie Ward MEP
Marina Prentoulis, senior lecturer at UEA
Shaista Aziz, Oxford unites as an anti-racist city and Stop Trump campaigner
Hugh Lanning, former general secretary of PCS
Paul Mackney, formber UCU general secretary
Joseph Healy, Left Unity principal speaker
Niccolo Milanese, European Alternatives
Simon Hannah, author and Lambeth UNISON joint Secretary
Neil Faulkner, archaeologist and historian
Daniel Randall, RMT activist (pc)
Don Flynn, migrants rights campaigner