FA cap ticket sales for England Women's match at Wembley due to line closures

With ticket sales at 55,000 for England vs Germany on Sunday November 23rd the FA have stopped sales of tickets for what will be the highest attendance ever  for an England  women's football match in the UK, although more than 75,000 watched the Great Britain women's team during the 2012 Olympics.

The cap is a result of both the Metropolitan and Jubilee lines being closed on that weekend and their replacement by buses.

This normally results in confusion on normal weekends with tourists from Wembley's many hotels trying to lug multiple heavy suitcases on to the replacement buses.

Brent Council needs to ensure that TfL is publicising alternative public transport routes well ahead of the match.

One can't but think that the women's game fans are  getting second class treatment from TfL and the FA.

Comments requested on changes to Old Oak/Park Royal Development Corporation area

Message from proposed Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation

The Mayor of London held a public consultation on the proposed establishment of a new Mayoral Development Corporation for Old Oak and Park Royal, which ran from June 18 to September 24, 2014. The proposed Mayoral Development Corporation would support regeneration across the area including delivery of new transport infrastructure, 24,000 new homes, 55,000 new jobs and the protection of Wormwood Scrubs. 

During this public consultation over 300 comments were received and in response two boundary amendments are now proposed.

These proposed boundary amendments include removal of land to the west of the A406 in the London Boroughs of Brent and Ealing, and land to the south of the Wormwood Scrubs in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

More information on the proposed Mayoral Development Corporation and the proposed revisions to the boundary are available on the Greater London Authority website at https://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/planning/consultations

You can provide your comments either via email to oldoakmdc@london.gov.uk, or in writing to the proposed Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation, Post Point 18, Greater London Authority, City Hall, Queens Walk, London SE1 2AA. Paper copies are available upon request by contacting either of the addresses above.

This additional consultation will run from November 5 until 5pm on Wednesday November 26, 2014.

Brent Council guilty of unfair dismissal in another Employment Tribunal case

Brent Council, still  facing unprecedented anger over the Cavani racial discrimination, victimisation and  constructive dismissal case involving  Rosemarie Clarke has lost another Employment Tribunal case.

Marion Hofmann has won her case against Brent Council for unfair dismissal.

The Judgment ordered that Marion was to get all rights and pay as if she had never been dismissed on 18th February 2013 and as if she had been in continuous employment. This include contractural and pension rights.

She is to be re-engaged in the role of Sustainability Officer (Communities) from 30th December 2014.

The papers were signed on October 31st and the Council has two weeks to let the court know if it is going to appeal.

Her dismissal caused anger amongst Brent environmentalists  and led to Francis Henry resigning from the post of Chair of Brent Sustainability Forum, a post he had held for 6 years. LINK

In a letter to the Kilburn Times today, Paul Lorber, former leader of Brent Liberal Democrats, claims that Brent is going to abolish the environment department and delete the post of strategic director of environmental services.  This comes just two weeks after Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt appointed George Crane lead member of the environment, after the resignation of Cllr Keith Perrin.

Ongoing speculation about the reason for Perrin's resignation will now centre on the abolition of the department.

Stonebridge Adventure Playground is NOT SAVED yet - fight goes on

Rumours are apparently going around Stonebridge Estate saying that the Adventure Playground has been saved. This is not true. The Council's granting of Asset of Community Value status helps but on its own will not stop the redevelopment.

What will stop it is a determined campaign by the whole community united in protecting this asset and using every peaceful means necessary to bring the message home to councillors:  THIS PLAYGROUND MUST STAY!

Last night amid the fireworks I seemed to be the only person who turned up for the consultation meeting at the Hub. Unsurprisingly for a day when children and their families are busy having fun.

Either the timing was deliberate to discourage attendance or the Communications Team at Brent Council are extremely poor at their job.

We will need a huge turnout of the generations of Stonebridge and Harlesden people who want to keep the playground at the next consultation meeting which is on November 12th 5-7pm at Stonebridge School.

If you are unable to attend fill in the consultation form here: www.brent.gov.uk/stonebridgeconsultation

or email your response to stonebridge.consult@brent.gov.uk
 

The consultation closes on November 17th

I told the consultation team:

• Stonebridge and Harlesden children need a playground in a high density area to provide space to play, experience challenge and develop physical and teamwork skills
• They need a staffed playground so they and their parents know they are safe
• The playground is a place where parents and carers mix and get to know each other
• Children from many different primary and secondary schools mix happily at the Centre
• The staff are known and trusted by the community and have their respect
• In turn the staff know several generations of local people and have seen them grow from children into youth and adulthood
• This makes a unique contribution to the stability of the area
• The Council is in danger of concentrating on the 'accountancy' in housing and school place provision and missing the social value of what Stonebridge Adventure Playground provides
• Increased density of housing with no 'safety valve' such as the Playground provides will build up potential trouble for the future (more flats are to be built on the site of Bridge Park and Wembley Point across the North Circular Road may be turned into flats)
• The kickabout area (see illustration below) is next to the main road posing a danger both from traffic accidents and traffic pollution
• The Playground's holiday and weekend provision for children with special needs and disabilities is unique and its record of integration very positive
• The Playground also contributes to the mental health and well-being of children and young people through the care and support it offers
• Any Equalities Impact Assessment would have to recognise that in closing the Adventure Playground the Council would be depriving an already disadvantaged community further as well as removing support from children with special needs, disabilities and mental health problems

Stonebridge School and Our Lady of Lourdes next door - kickabout area next to main road and NO Adventure Playground

It is worth noting that the Brent Council website  consultation page introduction does not mention the plans involve the closing of the Sdventure Plkayground ad it merits just two sentences on page five of the consultation booklet.

From the Council website:

We are consulting on the redevelopment of Stonebridge Primary School between 6 October and 17 November 2014.

The current proposals are for the redevelopment of the Stonebridge Primary School site and the area around it.  This site is located off Hillside and is bordered by the canal off Johnson Road, Milton Avenue and Our Lady of Lourdes RC School.

The redevelopment includes the site currently being used as the Stonebridge Primary School annexe on Twybridge Way.

Stonebridge is your community, so it’s important that you tell us what you think of these plans.

These are proposals and no decision has as yet been taken.

Not very transparent is it?