Hope for London's public toilet deserts as TfL announces toilet expansion and improvement plan following Green Party pressure

 

Green Assembly member Caroline Russell is able to make fun at herself over a seeming obsession with toilets but in truth it is her campaigning  success that will have an impact on the lives of many Londoners and visitors to London. 

She deserves congratulations because her persistence has paid off with  the London Mayor announcing plans to expand and improve toilet provision. We know that many people are put off using public transport for longer journeys because they fear that they will not find a toilet when needed.  As an ex-teacher who has taken hundreds of primary age children on trips into London I also know how important it is to be able to find a toilet at short notice for a desperate child!

In it Press Release announcing a programme of expansion and improve TfL said:

Transport for London (TfL) has announced its ambitious programme to increase and improve toilet provision on London's transport network, in support of TfL's Equity in Motion plan to make London's transport network more accessible, fair and inclusive. The plan will see new accessible toilets delivered across the network, and improvements made to many existing facilities.

Earlier this year, the Mayor announced the biggest dedicated investment in toilet provision that London's transport network has seen, totalling £3million per year over five years. This will be invested in improving and increasing the number of accessible toilets on the network.

TfL is committed to making toilets more accessible for everyone and closing the gap in existing toilet provision so that Tube, Overground and Elizabeth line customers are always within 20 minutes of a toilet without having to change train. Following engagement with customers, campaigners and staff, a new programme has been developed to ensure new toilets benefit customers who need them most. Stations were then chosen according to a number of factors, including whether the location is a terminus station, operates night services, has step-free access, high passenger footfall, proximity to other toilets on the network, and onward connections. 

TfL is committed to creating new facilities and enhancing existing facilities, including reopening closed facilities, and improving the cleaning of facilities. Following the study, TfL has shortlisted a number of locations for new toilet provision in the first round of works:

• Camden Road Overground station
• Clapton Overground station
• New Cross Gate London Overground station
• South Tottenham London Overground station
• White Hart Lane Overground station
• Morden Underground station
• Hammersmith Underground station

TfL and the Mayor recognise that the provision of toilets is critical to many customers, sometimes determining whether a customer can travel by public transport at all. This is why TfL is also looking to convert a further four existing non-accessible toilets to accessible facilities within this first phase of the project at Amersham, Green Park and Sudbury Hill Underground stations and Seven Sisters Overground station, improving availability at other busy toilets that are currently misused or vandalised. TfL has also made improvements to more than one-third of London Underground stations with toilet provision in recent years, including repairing faults and re-painting areas.

Construction work to deliver new and accessible toilets at these stations is expected to start at several locations within the next year, following detailed assessments to determine viability.

TfL have a map of existing toilet facilities HERE although I would treat with caution as they may not be available due to vandalism or  misuse, particularly in the evening. This is an extract for our area. The Bakerloo/Overground is particularly poorly served:

 

There is also a searchable site for the whole of the UK which is very much a work in progress with users able to add toilets in their area. LINK

The Brent Council website has a short list of public toilets in the borough LINK:

Public toilet - Brent Civic Centre

Address: Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ  

Public toilet - Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre

Address: Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre, Brentfield, Harrow Road, London NW10 0RG  

Public toilet - Douglas Avenue

Address: Douglas Avenue junction with Ealing Road, Alperton, Middlesex, HA0 4PY HA0 4PY  

Public toilet - Empire Way

Address: Empire Way Toilets, Empire Way, Wembley  

Public toilet - Oakington Manor Drive / Harrow Road

Address: Junction of Harrow Road and Oakington Manor Drive, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6QU HA9 6QU  

Public toilet - Roundwood Park

Address: Roundwood Park, Harlesden Road, London, NW10 3SH  

Public toilet - St John's Road

Address: St John's Road (junction with Elm Road), Wembley, HA9 7HU  

Public toilet - Sudbury and Harrow Road Station

Address: Outside Sudbury and Harrow Road Station, Harrow Road, Wembley  

Public toilet - Tavistock Road

Address: Car park, Tavistock Road, Harlesden, London, NW10 4ND  

Public toilet - Vale Farm Sports Centre

Address: Vale Farm Sports Centre, Watford Road, North Wembley, Middlesex, HA0 3HG  

Queens Park and  Roundwood Park have toilets connected with their cafes and Barham Park has limited access via the Community Library. King Edward VII toilets near the Park Lane entrance were demolished years ago due to drug misuse  but publicly accessible toilets are planned for the Stonebridge Boxing Club facility if it gets off the ground.

Brent Green Party has previously argued for a Brent Toilet Scheme that would incentivise cafes and retail premises to allow public access to toilets, perhaps through a reduction in business rates.

Camden are advertising for more businesses to join their Community Toilet Scheme:

Join our Community Toilet Scheme

We are looking to expand our Community Toilet Scheme, and work with more local businesses that would allow the public to use their facilities during normal opening hours (without the need to buy goods or services).

We’d welcome interest from anywhere in the borough, but especially from businesses in Kilburn, Camden Town and Bloomsbury.

We would pay an annual fee to members of up to £750 (including VAT).

Email street.environment@camden.gov.uk to find our more and apply.

Re-designed Wembley Library has re-opened. Now on two floors with a Resident Hub

 

From Brent Council

 

Wembley Library, now home to a brand-new Resident Hub, has officially reopened, unveiling a transformed space designed to better serve the needs of residents and customers.

 

The upgraded facilities have created a space dedicated to fostering knowledge, learning, and community connections in the heart of Brent Civic Centre. 

 

The improvements include a new accessible entrance on Exhibition Way, an expanded library with a larger collection, a new purpose-built children’s library, more study areas and quiet zones - all integrated into a more spacious and versatile library space. 

 

The new Resident Hub on the ground floor features a dedicated customer service area with a digital zone to support residents in accessing online services. Brent Hubs are also located here, along with a range of private rooms for confidential conversations.

 

Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Resident Support and Culture, said: 

 

Our award-winning Civic Centre has served residents and the council well over the past decade but it’s essential for us to adapt and keep pace with the evolving needs of our community. 

 

This exciting new space will enable us to better serve our residents, especially those with the most complex needs. With a brand-new customer service area and an upgraded library, we’ve created a more accessible, comfortable and confidential environment with enhanced facilities for everyone to enjoy. 

 

We look forward to you experiencing the new facilities. Don’t forget to join us for a special event on Saturday 7 December to celebrate the grand opening.

 

LETTER: Readers please support my letter to councillors on 'Divest for Palestine'

 

Credit: Middle East Eye

 

Dear Editor,

 

Could you please publish the letter below. I really need Wembley Matters readers who support to it to  add their name to the letter and it's so simple, just email me  (zerinetata@hotmail.com) and I will send them the prepared letter and all they have to do is sign it.

 

Dear Leader and Councillors,

 

BRENT AND HARROW PSC PETITION TO DIVEST FOR PALESTINE.

 

It is with such a heavy heart that I am writing to you about the dire situation in Gaza. Just as you think things could not possibly get any worse, they do.

 

The images are so horrific, especially those of the videos made by the Israeli soldiers themselves. These they have brazenly put on social media, showing their acts of violence against Palestinian men, women and children. They are joking and laughing and do not even bother to  hide their faces or their names. Such is the freedom they are given by the State of Israel, which also allows them to continue the carnage with impunity. 

 

Tragically, it is a Labour government which is arming Israel and is therefore complicit in their war crimes, including genocide, i.e. certain acts committed with the intent to destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

 

Netanyahu has made no secret of his determination to completely destroy Palestine and its people, as he has stated that it is the only way Israel can defend itself. He totally rejects the 2-state solution.

 

Our government is powerless to act against Israeli policy. They are heavily indebted to Israel, having put themselves in a position of accepting almost unlimited funding for many decades. Therefore, we the residents must do something and the only avenue open to us is to petition the powers that be at Brent Council to vote to divest for Palestine.

 

We understand that the UK Lawyers for Israel have already written to Brent Council. We trust this will not deter you from choosing to do the right thing.

 

The lives of the Palestinians are very much in your hands because you will join other local authorities and set an example, which we hope all others will follow.  This surely will help bring an end to the invasion.

 

On behalf of especially the children of Gaza, we implore you to support Council action on this petition.

 

(I would not normally appeal to you to listen to the post below regarding Israel, as there are literally millions going around on social media.  But this one is by a Burmese scholar,  a world renowned expert on genocide. It has no emotive images. He is relating his observations in simple terms and is impartial with no axe to grind. Please, I would urge you to listen to it.)

 

https://x.com/ousmannoor/status/1832506169715212540?t=Rd4RWTUNogb-7h01GNzFqg&s=08

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Zerine Tata

Chair, Hillcroft Crescent Residents Association

 

You can see and sign the Brent and Harrow Petition HERE

An Afternoon with George the Poet: Refreshingly honest conversation about Empire

The conversation at Willesden Green Library (Credit:Omar Al-Badri)

 

Guest post by  Brent Resident, Farida James

 

George the Poet, world renowned spoken word artist, award-winning podcast host and author was in conversation with Nadia Khan from Golden Threads about his autobiography ‘Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness’ 

 

The event took place at Willesden Green Library on Saturday 26 October to a packed room of community members and was part of the Becoming Brent project - the centenary moment of the 1924 British Empire Exhibition. Becoming Brent promises to decolonise the story of Empire, enable difficult conversations and explore how Empire has impacted the diverse communities in Brent.

 

George’s book speaks to these lofty aims perfectly. As a child of parents with Ugandan heritage, he grew up on St Raphael’s Estate which is nestled away behind the A406 in Neasden. In the book, George writes about his own story which is heavily centred in St Raph’s, his music career and the war on Blackness, and how it has directly impacted him and people of Afro-descended heritage.

 

The conversation was open and honest, discussing themes from the book of which Empire is an important thread. In 2019, George rejected the Member of British Empire (MBE) honour. In the book he said: “The choice was already made for me by the wording of this ‘honour’. I wasn’t necessarily anti-monarchy at this time, but I wasn’t about to co-sign the whole idea of empire by attaching those words to my name.” When asked about what feelings the British Empire conjured up for him, he said: “The British Empire was a system of extraction. In this country, there is such a hubris, there’s such an arrogance, there’s such a dismissal and denial of that history.”

 

The legacy of Empire continues to adversely impact people from the former colonies, and George mentions how Empire has a direct link to his estate, St Raph’s. The Empire stripped its colonies of wealth and resources, and when independence was granted, there was imposed debt, which kept these newly created nations tied to Empire indefinitely. This led to large-scale immigration to the west. In the book, George says: “Eventually, the threat of Black and Brown self-determination was crushed under the weight of crippling debt, imposed by the West on the rest. This debt caused much of the migration that led to St Raphael’s Estate becoming home to thousands of people from Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, Pakistan, and even a few Ugandans.”

 

As well as an insight into George’s life and music career, the book addresses the history of the war on Blackness. George explores the history of Empire, and the exploitation of Africa and its resources. He also talks about racist mainstream narratives, miseducation of the masses as well as the presence of racial superiority and injustice. George spoke about labels and identities like ‘BAME’* being imposed on Black people as if there was not a rich heritage and diversity amongst those of African heritage. The conversation went on to labels being imposed rather than genuine expressions of identity, and George said: “I came to realise that the racial categories we were put in were dreamt up by a group of elites once upon a time.” And he mentioned that when he went back to his parent’s home of Uganda, no such labels existed and that these narrow identities were very much part and parcel of the Empire’s tactic of control.

 

George’s book demonstrates that not much progress has been made in terms of equality and the fight against racism. The discussion centred around the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion industry which is designed to increase awareness and representation from people of global majority backgrounds. George said: “So I’m very suspicious of the DEI industry, of representation politics. Because a lot of the time it’s just tokenism.”

 

The attempts to diversify faces on TV, film and in politics has done nothing to stop systemic oppression, or the increasing racist rhetoric which contributed to the Far Right riots this summer. When speaking about the riots which targeted Muslims, immigrants and people of global majority backgrounds, George mentioned that: “The rhetoric started at the top, at the level of politicians, media pundits, public so-called intellectuals who would normalise the most racist talking points.”

 

Despite reaching the pinnacles of the UK’s higher education establishment at Cambridge University where he studies for his degree in Politics, Psychology and Sociology, George said he learned nothing about Blackness. In his book he mentioned that Cambridge was white privilege at its core. George had to ironically re-educate himself on history after he left university. That is why he states that self-education is important, away from mainstream prescribed reading lists, and George very much is an advocate for education. 

 

 

 

At the event, George’s mum said: “I have this memory of bringing George here (Willesden Green Library), quite literally in his pram and I pushed it all the way down from Gladstone Park. Money was so tight so we had to walk. The two little girls here today- I am so impressed- that is the way to go. Bring them to events like this. Bring them to the library. Me and George’s dad in our wildest dream didn’t know what it would lead to - we just knew that  children needed books and that children needed knowledge. We were not rich, but we brought them to the library. When George rang me to invite me to this event, he and I were quite emotional as this library was very much part of him growing up and our experience. I just want to give a shout out to this library.”

 

The book also goes into detail about how the music industry has become part of the war on Blackness as it exploits Black talent to control the voices of Black artists. George talks about his direct experience of being manipulated by the system and having his work controlled to suit a racist agenda.

 

The feedback from the event was really positive, and the community applauded the opportunity to hear from a respected local champion who has been consistent with his fight against injustice and oppression. The comments included:

 

“Thank you very much George and Nadia, It’s been really interesting informative and inspiring”

“Everybody appreciates George being here, you are fantastic.”

 

“Thank you so much for the event today both of you. Just one quick question, if we want to knowmore about our history and we are confused - how do I de-programme myself? Can you recommend one book that I can go and borrow from Willesden Library and start reading”

“I follow you on your socials and I applaud you for being unapologetically you and speaking your truth. Well done. Especially being a black man and black men’s voices aren’t heard.

“Hi George - it’s been amazing to watch your story.”

“How can we dismantle this view that blackness looks one way”?

 

“A powerful and amazing event…looking forward to more interviews”

 

“Thank you Nadia and George for an afternoon of inspiration and conversation. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to you both and can’t stop telling my nearest and dearest to look out for more like it.”

 

“Great event. George was fantastic. Left me with lots of thoughts and hopes for the future.”

The key takeaways were about the importance of education and not buying into mainstream narratives that are designed to push false truths, maintain an unjust power dynamic and oppress those of global majority backgrounds. The need to decolonise our minds from hundreds of years of oppression must be at the forefront of the fight, with an emphasis on telling our own stories as well as continuous learning from the cradle to the grave. George also gave an important message that Black History Month is bigger than just one month, and when he is invited to corporate events to give a five-minute speech to show that progress is being made, he finds it quite offensive.

 

You can purchase Track Record at mainstream book retailers.

 

*BAME – Black and Minority Ethnic

LETTER: Make a Difference - please buy just one item for a Food Bank every time you shop

 Dear Editor,

A message to Wembley Matters readers:

Please, buy just one item for the Food Bank every time you shop.  Don't think it's not worth doing, as  it is so much better than not giving any. Collectively it  will make a huge difference if every shopper did this, every time they shopped! 

If you can give more, of course that would be really appreciated. Food Banks are really struggling with the increased demands, especially in winter when there are heating bills to pay. Heat or Eat is not just a slogan, it is reality for so many.

Government and supermarkets give little, and so Food Banks are reliant on the generosity of the Public.

So please, just one item is better than none! (Many tinned items are under £1)

Share this with family, friends, colleagues and everyone you know. If you belong to a church or any organisation, please put this up on the notice board. 

This small gesture can make a big difference to so many people's lives!

 

Zerine Tata

Brent Renters Union Community Meeting on Saturday November 2nd at MENCAP - 12-4pm

 

 

Full meeting on Sat 2 Nov, 12-4pm Willesden NW10 2JR Renters, tenants join us! 

 

New members always welcome.

BREAKING: BRENT COUCIL HAS REACHED AGREEMENT WITH LIME BIKES ENABLING THEM TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN BRENT

 

Lime bikes outside St Andrew's Church, Church Lane, Kingsbury

From Brent Council

Lime has agreed to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in the creation of hundreds of bike parking bays across Brent, as part of a comprehensive plan to tackle residents’ safety concerns.

 

The bike hire company was in the limelight after Brent warned that the dockless e-bikes would need to be removed from the borough if a number of concerns were not addressed by 31 October.

 

A plan to improve the way the bike rental service operates in Brent has now been negotiated following a series of constructive meetings, with a new operating model to begin immediately.

 

 Lime Bike parking bay (not in Brent)

 

Under the new plan, which was launched today Lime will:

 

• Introduce and fund the creation of 200 new parking bays, in priority areas. These designated parking bays will be implemented and enforced in phases. All locations will be added before July 1 2025.
• Immediately reduce the size of its fleet in Brent by a third - from 750 to 500 bikes - while these other improvements are made, and consult closely with the council before increasing bike numbers again.
• Introduce zoning changes that prevent the parking of bikes in areas where parking has frequently been poor.
• Introduce automatic ‘slow zone’ speed controls in busy hotspots such as around Wembley Stadium and Wembley High Road, as well as a dedicated events plan for the stadium with the council.
• Increase the number of Lime cyclist patrollers and parking wardens on-the-ground in Brent by 78%, ensuring that any issues reported can be dealt with quickly.
• Remove inappropriately parked bikes within 2 hours of being reported via a newly created email.
• Reinvest the fines from poor parking back into the local community through the council’s Together Towards Zero grant scheme.
• Launch a new resident cycling forum to meet on a quarterly basis and provide a cycle training session each month for Brent residents.

 

Councillor Krupa Sheth, Cabinet Member for Environment and Enforcement, said: 

 

Since raising our concerns with Lime earlier this year, we've spent considerable time at the table with them, communicating residents' issues, outlining our expectations, and closely reviewing their proposals.

 

We’ve squeezed a number of really important improvements out of Lime, and it is welcome that they have listened to residents’ feedback and are taking immediate steps to change.

 

This council supports active travel, but safety is non-negotiable. We hope that we have turned a corner with Lime and expect residents to see real, noticeable improvements from now on. We will hold Lime to these new commitments to ensure they are honoured.

 

Hal Stevenson, Director of Policy at Lime, UK, said: 

 

We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Brent Council to continue offering our service to the tens of thousands of residents that rely on us daily across the borough.

 

Over the past two months, we’ve collaborated closely with the Council to establish an action plan that will deliver immediate, on-street improvements, while also funding the creation of a new network of mandatory parking locations by July 1. 

 

Our significant investment in this network demonstrates our commitment to working alongside Brent to provide long-term solutions that address community concerns, while continuing to support their efforts to ensure more journeys in the Borough are taken by bike.

 

We are listening to our Council partners and taking action to manage the record demand for our e-bikes responsibly.

 

Residents should report badly parked bikes to Lime directly on their website or through their App or alternatively through a new email Brent@li.me or by calling 0800 808 5223.

 

St Raphael's Edible Garden Autumn Programme

 

A reminder of the origins of the Edible Garden (Thanks to Sufra)