London on Covid19 Watchlist - "Now is the time for all Londoners to pull together"

 From London Councils

As London goes on the national Covid-19 watchlist, it is a stark reminder that now is time for all Londoners to pull together and take action to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe, and to ensure that London's economy is protected.

There are no additional measures at this stage but it is welcome that that the city’s testing capacity is boosted so that Londoners have timely access to Covid-19 tests and the government must ensure that this is sustained from now on. If Londoners have Covid-19 symptoms they should apply for a test at nhs/coronavirus or call 119.

London boroughs are working with their communities, business and the police to engage, educate, explain, and if necessary enforce the new restrictions and regulations and the government must ensure that it funds these so resources do not need to be drawn from other services.

We ask all Londoners to work together and abide by the national restrictions announced on Tuesday:

1. Office workers who can work from home are being asked to do so.

2. All pubs, bars and restaurants must operate table-service only, except for takeaways.

3. All hospitality venues must close at 10pm.

4. More people must wear face coverings - staff working in retail; all users of taxis and private hire vehicles; and staff and customers in indoor hospitality venues - except when seated at tables to eat or drink.

5. In retail, leisure, tourism and other sectors, government’s Covid-secure guidelines will become legal obligations.

6. From Monday, a maximum of 15 people will be able to attend wedding ceremonies and receptions.

7. The rule of six is being extended to all adult indoor team sports.

8. Business conferences, exhibitions and large sporting events will not be able to reopen from 1 October.

9. Stronger penalties for failing to adhere to government restrictions: a fine of up to £10,000 for businesses that break the rules and the penalty for failing to wear a mask or breaking the rule of six will now double to £200 for a first offence.

Brent Council calls on small local providers to bid for upcoming contracts

From Brent Council

Brent Council is planning an extensive commissioning programme with a number of 2021/22 tender opportunities which will begin from October 2020

 

This includes:

 

•           Healthwatch  Service tender will  be issued in the w/c 5th  of October 2021

•           the Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Contract  (tbc)

•           Advice and Guidance Specialist and Generalist Contract  (tbc)

•           Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service  Contract (tbc)

•           Supported Living and New Accommodation for Independent Living Contracts (NAIL)

 

As a Council, we are particularly keen to support small, local providers respond to these opportunities and as such, we are planning a series of workshops to develop the skills of the sector and ensure that as many organisations are able to bid. All sessions will include a Q&A and attendees will be provided with handouts with key information. Please see below for details of Capacity Building Workshops to be held in October 2020.

 

Please note one registration per organisation.

 

 

Greens call for London-wide recycling system to end postcode lottery on what is recycled

With life thrown into chaos over lockdown, and the craze for banana bread baking, Londoners are throwing away more food than the rest of the nation, as well as binning more plastic, warns Caroline Russell AM.

WRAP, an anti-waste charity, found that Londoners were more likely to have higher levels of food waste, with 43 per cent of us admitting to binning food during lockdown, compared with the national average of 27 per cent. 

 

Even worse was the picture of plastics, the Everyday Plastic project found households were averaging 128 bits of plastic waste in a week, up from 99 bits before the pandemic. 

 

Showing the rise in online shopping and food waste 25 per cent more food packaging, as well as parcel bags and PPE items were thrown away.

Earlier this year Caroline Russell found that no London Borough was able to recycle a list of seven common household items. 

 

In January Caroline asked all councils if they could recycle:

• a broken plastic bucket
• crisp packet
• Tetra Pak container
• Aluminium foil
• black plastic food container
• Biro pen 
• and a bike tyre.
  

She found a lack of London-wide oversight means there is no consistency between boroughs, and residents are left confused as recycling rules vary from one borough to the next. 

 

Although most boroughs (29 out of 32) collect six dry recycling streams Caroline found that Havering was unable to recycle any item from the list and two London boroughs – Enfield and Kensington and Chelsea – were only able to recycle one of the items, Tetra Paks.

 

Caroline Russell says:

As this year’s theme for Recycle Week recognises, our key workers include the people who come to take away our waste and recycling every week under difficult circumstances and maintaining safe social distancing.

 

Londoners have not forgotten the impact of plastic waste but with the rise in plastic being binned it means that Government must take urgent action to address plastic pollution at its source.

 

My research from earlier this year found it’s just too hard to know what to do with your rubbish in London. You can recycle bike tyres in Bexley but not Brent, and Hackney recycles foil but Hammersmith doesn’t.

 

Londoners are deeply concerned about plastic pollution. The Mayor should be asking for the power to take control of London’s waste and sort out this rubbish postcode lottery.

 

Brent's Director of Public Health on new Covid measures as Alert Level raised from 3 to 4

Coronavirus cases are rising among all age groups across the country. The prospect of a second wave of this deadly virus is now real, with infections spreading to people that are more vulnerable.

This week the UK’s Covid-19 alert level was raised from Level 3 to Level 4. To prevent the spread of the virus, new measures have been introduced.

These are:

1. Work from home, if you can. If you cannot work from home, you should continue to attend your place of work.
2. Pubs, bars and restaurants must close at 10pm. They must also operate table-service only, except for takeaways.
3. Wearing a face covering is now the law for staff and customers in shops and hospitality venues, unless you are eating or drinking or are exempt. All users of taxis and private hire vehicles must also wear a mask.
4. From Monday 28 September 2020, a maximum of 15 people can attend a wedding, and up to 30 for a funeral.
5. Stricter enforcement. The fine for failing to wear a face covering or breaking the Rule of Six has doubled to £200. People who fail to self-isolate will face a fine of up to £10,000. Businesses will also be fined if they breach their legal obligations.
6. Shielding. The guidance remains that you do not need to shield, unless you are in a local lockdown area.

Unlike the measures from March 2020, there is no general instruction to stay at home. Schools, colleges and universities will stay open.

You are safest when you follow this advice:

• Wash your hands, or use hand sanitiser, regularly and for at least 20 seconds
• Cover your face, when using public transport or in busy spaces like high streets or shops where it may be more difficult to keep your distance
• Make space, try to stay two metres away from people you don’t live with.

If you develop symptoms of the virus, please immediately self-isolate. You can book a free test online or by calling 119. Please only book a test if you have symptoms.

The fight against this terrible virus is not over. We must all take responsibility together, by following these new rules, to avoid further restrictions and keep Brent safe.

Dr Melanie Smith

Director of Public Health, Brent Council

 

Battle for the bats (and our heritage) at Brent Scrutiny

The call-in of the Stonebridge Annexe contract resulted in officers agreeing to take forward the three actions recommended by the 5 councillors who signed the call-in.  These were that the implementation of the refurbishment contract be deferred until:

1.It is certain that the proposals for 1 Morland Gardens comprised in the 1 Morland Gardens Application have received all necessary consents, including GLA consent; and

2.The legislatively required minimum of three bat emergence/re-entry surveys between May and September in one year have been undertaken, consequent assessments undertaken, the results considered and appropriate response actioned; and

3.The potential requirement of bat surveys for the Stonebridge Annexe considered and (if necessary) dealt with as above

 Much discussion revolved around the lack of legally compliant bats surveys.  Two were added to the agenda but did not cover the period required by law and so there will be delays until compliant surveys are conduction at 1 Morland Gardens.  The Committee has asked that the legal advice given to the Council be published.

Cllr Perrin suggested that the Council were in grave danger of breaking the law on protected species, a criminal offence and Cllr Lloyd pointed out that obtaining a licence regarding development where there were bat roosts was a two stage process with the initial 3 stage process having to be completed before a licence application could be made.

There was concern that the initial Cabinet decision on 1 Morland Gardens had been made without councillors given sight of a report  on protected species. 

Councillors also considered that changes in the Council's constitution should be considered regarding delegated decision making by officers. It had been established that the officer who had made the recommendation that a contract for the Stonebridge Annexe be awarded was also the delegated officer who made the decision to award the contract. Alan Lunt, Strategic Director of Regeneration, said that he had been on leave but would have made the same decision himself. This did not satisfy Cllr Perrin who said it was important that there should be separation of powers in this regard.

 Lunt emphasisied that no contract had been awarded and that this would wait until all the planning processes for 1 Morland Gardens had been completed.

 A lone voice in the wilderness was Cllr Shafique Choudhary who in the wake of Covid19 held no brief for the protection of bats. 

The complaint made by local historian Philip Grant about the planning process for 1 Morland Gardens has still to be resolved.

I recommend you read the tweets by @MaryDuffinator for a blow by blow account of the meeting.

Barham Park Arts Festival October 3rd-4th

From Friends of Barham Library

This event is still going ahead on Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4 October

Barham Community Library is participating and we’ll convert our Library into an Art Gallery and will display art from at least 2 local artists from Wembley and Sudbury.

 

Queens Park Residents: “Brent Council – please press the pause button on plans to block our streets now!”

 From Queens Park Area Residents' Association

Queen's Park Area Residents' Association (QPARA) learnt a few days ago of Brent draft plans to block certain streets in its area, without prior public consultation, in a scheme under TfL's Healthy Streets initiative. We expect this to be implemented before 30 September.

QPARA supports initiatives which improve air quality and promote healthy lifestyles, including benefits to pedestrians and cyclists. But these new proposals, which would change the flow of much road traffic inside and through its area, are rushed and opposed by the majority of those who have heard about them. QPARA has long advocated a traffic management plan for the area, following proper consultation, but does not see these plans as the answer. While some rush hour rat runs may be diverted, concentration of traffic on key roads like Salusbury and Chamberlayne with schools, shopping, cafes, community facilities and many homes risks more jams, standing traffic and pollution there. These and residential roads like Harvist Road by the park already have long traffic queues towards junctions at busy times. Other streets west of the park, the green heart of the area with its open spaces and children's playground, could become even worse 'rat runs'.

QPARA's Chair Virginia Brand says:

In recent years QPARA has worked closely with Brent on improvements for key roads in our area, looking carefully at ideas in a joint approach. This model works well. This time it's the opposite, a sudden shift from consultation, with predictable confusion and opposition. Councils are suddenly under pressure from the centre to deliver such schemes quickly, but there is everything to be gained by holding fire and find joint solutions. We should take these issues forward with prior discussion and time to involve residents' associations and their communities properly, like so many good projects before.

QPARA has contacted Councillor Shama Tatler, the lead Brent councillor for this scheme, asking for an urgent meeting or at least an assurance of enough time for proper consultation. On 22 September she is proposing a Zoom with all residents’ associations affected in the Queen’s Park and Kilburn areas when minor changes may be tabled but this is NOT a substitute for evidence or proper assessment by those affected.

Brent Trades Council Meeting on current crisis - Wednesday 23rd September 7pm

 

From Brent Trades Council

Don't miss Brent Trades Council'smeeting on Wednesday 23rd September at 7pm

WE WILL NOT PAY FOR THEIR CRISIS, WE WILL FIGHTBACK

Sarah Woolley, Gen Secretary of the BFAWU and Vic Paulino, Unite Community Coordinator for LESE, will attend our meeting and will tell us about developments in their unions and their take on the developing situation. We welcome union reports from delegates.

COVID 19 infections are on the rise in schools, the hospitality industry, and communities resulting in new restrictive measures being imposed by a negligent government could mean more deaths, unless proper protective gear is available and testing, tracing and isolation is  given to all those who need it. The government's testing programme is on the brink of collapse as private companies fail to provide. Risk Assessments in the workplace become more urgent than ever to ensure there are no loss of lives.

The crisis will deepen with the end of furlough and the rise in demand for Universal Credit caused by the rapidly rising  unemployment are calling for fightback from all unions and trades councils.

Brent Trades Council has been campaigning for public measures in Brent to be systematically applied by the Council, met with community groups and workplace union reps and continues to work with unions to ensure health and safety measures are in place and agreed by employers. Not always the case.

I have sent agenda and minutes to delegates, but friends of our trades council are welcome to attend and contribute.

The zoom link for the meeting is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87013274851?pwd=WS8yQmJ5K1U3U1pMcFZmT2V4MWpBdz09

Meeting ID: 870 1327 4851

Passcode: 739183

In solidarity,

Mary Adossides

Chair

Brent Trades Council