Minutes for Brent Planning Committee now available

Following a delay caused by the illness and hospitalisation of the officer concerned, the Minutes of the last planning Committee Meeting, which considered the Kensal Rise Library planning application, are now available in time for tonight's meeting.  LINK

Putting aside the possiblity of the recording of meetings so that such a situation does not occur again, I would like to wish the officer concerned a speedy recovery.

£3,000 prize opportunity for effective anti-poverty project

From the All Party Political Group on Poverty

The APPG on Poverty is honoured to announce the Paul Goggins Memorial Prize. Paul Goggins MP was the Secretary of the APPG Poverty and a strong voice for the anti poverty campaign in and outside of Parliament.

The prize will be awarded to the best civil society initiative that can demonstrate that it has reduced poverty in a tangible way.

The prize, worth £3000, will be given jointly by the APPG on Poverty and the Webb Memorial Trust.

We welcome nominations on behalf of local community projects and are looking for innovative and engaging ideas that have worked effectively in and with local communities.

Submissions can take any form, and creative ways of expression are particularly encouraged.  Photographs, videos and other visual supporting evidence will be welcomed.

To enter, the organisation or project will need their local MP to nominate them before 5^th October 2014. MPs of shortlisted projects will be invited to present the proposals in parliament in the autumn, at an awards ceremony to be hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow.

You can find out who your local MP is by following this link and typing in your postcode: http://www.parliament.uk/about/contacting/mp/

 

MPs should submit their nominations to Roxanne Mashari at  info@appgpoverty.org.uk

Solidarity as more Brent residents are summonsed by Brent Council for non-payment of Council Tax

Members of Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group, Brent Trades Council,  Ealing Housing Co-op, Unite Community, Brent Fightback and Brent Green Party stood outside Willesden Magistrates Court today when a new tranche of Brent residents appeared in response to summonses issued by Brent Council for non-payment of Council Tax.

Following Council Tax benefit changes many residents who previously did not have to pay the full amount, and in some cases any, now have to pay. Brent Council's scheme expects more in payment than many other local authorities, some of which have chosen to maintain 100% council tax benefit.

Speaking to local residents as they arrived it became clear that these weren't the 'idle and feckless scroungers' as stereotyped by ConDems and the media.

They were often people on low pay or zero hours contracts who found themselves having to choose between paying their rent or paying the Concil Tax. Needless to say they opted to pay rent to keep a roof over their heads.

Previously Muhummed Butt, leader of Brent Council,  has justified the summonses as the only way to force residents to engage with the Council about their arrears. Today a Brent Council officer was in court to give advice before any formal proceedings and some residents came out having settled terms for payment or been referred for further help with benefits. One resident was complimentary about the helpfulness of the officer.

It does seem a pity that residents had to go to court at all, with all the associated worry and stigma, and I hope backbench councillors and the Opposition will explore with the Cabinet how to better enagage people before matters reach this stage.

Preferably of course it would be best to revise the scheme so that people are not faced with the unpalatable choice of having to choose between payment of Council Tax and payment of rent or purchase of food.  However, the Council approved the scheme earlier this year with only slight modifications, despite protests.

Contacts:
www.unitetheunion.org/community   Pilgrim.tucker@unitetheunion.org
http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.com/  kilburnuwg@gmail.com
Zacchaeus 2000 - Justice for Debtors http://z2k.org/

Residents summonsed to Magistrates Court Tuesday for non-payment of Council Tax

Brent Council has summonsed residents to appear at Willesden Magistrates Court on Tuesday August 19th for non-payment of Council Tax.


Many hard-pressed households now expected to pay Council Tax are already finding it hard to pay rent and buy food for the family. They are likely to be charged £90 court costs on top of their arrears.

In November last year Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt was challenged by demonstrators outside Willesden Magistrates Court when the first of over 3,000 summonsed for non-payment  were due to appear LINK

A demonstration  will take place on Tuesday from 9.30am at Willesden Magistrates Court, 448 High Road, NW10 2DZ (260, 266, 297 bus or Neasden/Dollis Hill on Jubilee line)