Breakfast time queues of Romanians at Brent Civic Centre to vote in Presidential election

There were queues from 8am this morning as Romanians now resident locally queued to vote in the second round of the Romanian presidential elections.

Traffic slowed to a crawl between Wembley Park and Wembley Central during the morning as the election queue coincided with the new Wembley Market and the opening of the ice rink.

Turnout was reported to be up to twice as high as in the first round of the election.

If only Brent residents were so keen on voting!

Cats threaten to take over Willesden Green

The 'Cat Walk' mosaic abovewas unveiled on the bridge opposite Willesden Green station yesterday.  It is the first of a series of cat-motif mosaics inspired by the illustrations of Louis Wain, an early 20th century Brent artist.

Community involvement is encouraged through attending participatory workshops to complete the mosaics. Residents are encouraged to say where they would like to see future mosaics installed in the area.

Contact: contact@createmosaic.com

The Willesden Green Town Team are working on a number of projects in Willesden Green and Dudden Hill  to 'develop a thriving, vibrant and economically sustainable and uplifting environment for us to live and work in'. 

I am tempted to annouce a similar project but with a rat-motif and a rather different 'vision' to be installed around Brent Civic Centre but will resist. Miaow.

Council tables termination of funding for Stonebridge Adventure Playground before consultation closes

Dawn Butler, Labour General Election candidate for Brent Central, is among the playground campaigners

Brent Council yesterday published its Forward Plan for the December 15th Cabinet. Headed 'Revenue Funding to Brent Play Association which supports the running costs of Stonebridge Adventure Playground' LINK it proposes to terminate the funding to the Brent Play Association (BPA) at the end of the 2014-15 financial year.

It gives the reason for termination as 'Signficant expenditure/savings > 30% of budget for the function in question'.

The future of the Adventure Playground is currently the subject of a consultation  on proposals about the expansion of Stonebridge Primary School which involves building on its 40 year old site.  The consultation does not close until Monday but the funding cut appears to preempt the consultation outcome..

The threat of closure has created enormous concern on the Stonebridge Estate and a passionate campaign by local residents. Residents were unconvinced by Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt at a recent meeting to discuss the Council's proposals.  LINK

At the meeting Butt insisted, 'Nothing has been decided yet'.

The residents were clearly right.

To support the survival of the Stonebridge Adventure Playground fill in the on-line consultation:
www.brent.gov.uk/stonebridgeconsultation

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

And also sign the petition HERE 

Join the campaign's Facebook group  HERE

Stonebridge has a history of fighting back as this report from 2003 shows: LINK

More tall blocks for Wembley Park in Quintain Development Application

The Plan

The Artist's Impression

Despite earlier assurances from Brent Council and Quintain  Developments about the planning of the area around Wembley Stadium, open spaces and preservation of views, it appears to be rapidly becoming a haphazard high density development with the stadium gradually disappearing beind tower blocks.

The above is submitted as part of a planning application for the area behind the Quality Hotel  and Dexion House LINK. The latter is also due to be redeveloped although so far only a hole in the ground has been dug in front of the building and partial demolition started. . Although there is a signboard about Gateway Free School on the front of Dexion House it is not the school site - just where its closed down information office used to be. It is not clear what has happened to the plans for Dexion House which included student accommodation and a swimming pool open to the public.

Some of the blocks will be 20 storeys high. The Civic Centre and Quality Hotel  are nine storeys for comparison.

This new proposal is for land  (NW06) which will be behind the Civic Centre:

This is another mixed proposal (application spelling retained)

Proposed erection of 1- to 20-storey building comprising 370 residential units, 693 sqm of non-residential floorspace (use class A1 (retail), A2 (financial and professional), A3 (cafe/restaurtant), D1 (community) or D2 (assembley and leisure)) and associated residential parking spaces, private communal landscaped garden, ancillary spaces, and associated plant, landscaping, cycle storage and refuse provision.

As readers know many new development have very little parking space in order to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. Proximity to public transport is often cited as a reason for not providing parking. This site is close to Wembley Park station and several bus routes but has 115 parking places.

Only 10% of the residential units will be affordable, all in one block - and it is not clear what definition of 'affordable' is being used. All blocks will have access to the open space.