Should Ann John participate in Willesden Green planning decision?

Shortly after being ousted as leader of Brent Council, Cllr Ann John joined the Planning Committee. The Committee will shortly be considering the planning application for the controversial redevelopment of Willesden Green Library Centre, which includes the demolition of the 1980s library and the Victorian library, loss of open space and the Willesden Bookshop's loss of premises, in exchange for a smaller library and the building of more than 90 luxury flats.

As leader and Executive member, Ann John was a keen supporter of the regeneration scheme.

Inevitably campaigners have seen a possible conflict of interest here as the Committee (rather like the infamous case Jeremy Hunt in the SkyB matter) exercises a statutorily independent duty.

In the Willesden and  Brent Times this week Ann John rounded on her critics:

This is a cheap shot from people who just want to have a go at me. I will of course approach any planning application with an open mind and take everything into account and following planning guidelines. Backing the scheme pre-planning is not the same as having a pre-conceived notion about it.  I will be looking from a planning point of view only, as will all the planning officers.

The penultimate sentence in her statement is clearly a matter of semantics but with far-reaching consequences. The Council's Constitution (Codes and Protocols)  LINK indicates that campaigners may have grounds for requesting that Cllr John absent herself from discussion of this particular planning application.

A general principle can be extracted from the guidelines on Scrutiny:

Prejudicial interests arising in relation to overview and scrutiny committees

11.

You also have a prejudicial interest in any business before an overview and scrutiny committee of your authority (or of a sub-committee of such a committee) where -

(a) that business relates to a decision made (whether implemented or not) or action taken by your authority's executive or another of your authority's committees, sub-committees, joint committees or joint sub-committees; and

(b) at the time the decision was made or action was taken, you were a member of the executive, committee, sub committee, joint committee or joint sub- committee mentioned in paragraph (a) and you were present when that decision was made or action was taken

Ann John was a member of the Brent Executive that took the decision top go ahead with the Willesden Green Redevelopment.

The guidelines for Planning Committee members state:

30. Members of the Planning Committee shall refrain from personal abuse and party political considerations shall play no part in their deliberations. Members of the Planning Committee shall be respectful to the Chair and to each other and to officers and members of the public including applicants, their agents and objectors and shall not bully any person. Members of the Planning Committee should not make up their mind before hearing and considering all relevant information at the meeting and should not declare in advance of the meeting, how they intend to vote on a particular application or other matter

The question for Ann John is,  to quote a phrase used in the Codes and Protocols,  whether her previous comments are such that  'a member of the public with  knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard as so significant  that it is likely to prejudice your judgement of the public interest'.

I would argue that campaigners' concerns are not a 'cheap shot' as Ann John claims but a legitimate onjection that should be seriously considered by the Council's legal officers.

A new logo for Brent Council?

Brent Council has launched its new logo (below) which it says 'is more representative of the borough as it is today'.  The motto 'Forward Together' appears to have been dropped - which given recent events is probably inevitable.

However, I don't really think this is representative of the borough as it is today - I suggest the following would be more appropriate following the Council's closure of half our libraries

If you have any ideas for a new logo, please send a jpeg to mafran@globalnet.co.uk

All Souls 'distressed' by Kensal Rise raid

Extract from the Guardian website's coverage of Kensal Rise Library:

In an email sent to one campaigner following Tuesday's clearance, All Souls' estate bursar expressed regret at recent events. "The college became aware of what happened yesterday and we find it distressing," wrote Tom Seaman. "We had told the council that we would have been happy for them to have kept the library open, possibly through co-operation with the Friends of Kensal Rise Library, who had developed an interesting business plan. This was not to be, however."

Seaman pointed out that the reversion of the land was a purely legal process, adding: "This is not something we ever wanted to see happen, but because it is the law, is something we cannot change either.
"Any spin being put on this by others is unfortunate, but I hope you at least understand that the college is in no way responsible for the library's closure, nor what happened the other night."

A college official told the Guardian that All Souls had encouraged the Friends of Kensal Rise Library to talk to its agents about the possibility of renting or buying the building. He added that the building had always been intended to serve as a library.

"When we made the gift under the 1854 Literary and Scientific Institutions Act, it was a gift of the freehold to the local community and its democratically elected representatives," he said.

"We made that gift and there was only one condition: that it continued to be used as a library. Others, ie the democratically elected officials of the people of Brent, decided to close that library and therefore they triggered something – which is a law, which we have no control over; it's an act of parliament – and now it's reverted to our freehold."

The official also expressed his surprise at events that had resulted in the reversion. "We never thought that would happen. I am sure our predecessors in the early 20th century never thought this would happen: they gave it away."

Children raise their voices for their library

                             Photo: Lorraine Skinner

 BNCTV seemed to have stopped uploading their videos to YouTube so I cannot embed them here. They have posted a video showing Muhammed Butt talking to campaigners outside Kensal Rise Library earlier this week.  Follow the link to see what he has to say.

The film is notable for the militant primary school children spontaneously voicing their opinions about the library at the beginning of the clip.