Brent Council Risk Register reveals potential impact of the cuts

The Corporate Risk Register is an important document that highlights the risks of Council services not being delivered effectively and the actions taken to overcome that risk.

As the budget is reduced and cuts in staffing take place, as well as out-sourcing of services, it is important to keep an eye on the Register which flags up potential issues.

The full document is available HERE but below I have set out some of the main areas. The wording is from the original, except for the correction of some typos and spelling mistakes, with my comments in red.

Under each heading the risk is set out, the impact, and (in italics)  the most recent action undertaken to reduce the risk:

London Welsh School seeking new home in King Edward VII Park, Wembley

The Bowling Green Pavilion, King Edward VII Park

The London Welsh School, currently housed in a building close to Stonebridge Primary School, is looking for new premises due to the proposed expansion of that school.

Stonebridge Adventure Playground, as readers know, is fighting its proposed closure as a result of the Stonebridge School expansion as well as Council proposals to end its funding.

The Welsh School (Ysgol Gymraeg Llundain), a registered charity, is a bilingual primary school of currently around 30 pupils. Wembley Matters visited the school when it was first threatened in 2013.
LINK

 It had its second application  to become a free school turned down by the DfE earlier this year. LINK

Ariel view of Pavilion

After an exhaustive search the Welsh School governors and parents see the only option as building in the currently disused Bowling Green in King Edward VII Park, in Park Lane Wembley.

The plans are for a new building between the pavilion and the bordering back gardens in Princes Court. Some of the residents have objected on grounds of noise, additional traffic and loss of parkland. The Pavilion would also form part of the school with a possible dual use for the Freinds of King Edward VII Park.

The new building planned would be single storey and the Welsh School, following objections, has moved the building 4 metres away from the garden boundary which will be planted with dense shrubbery and trees. They have also agreed to retain a large Norway Maple and other specimens on the site but the revised planting shows the removal of  3 Irish Yew trees and 1 Monterey cypress. They are identified as category B trees which I believe are trees identified as of moderate quality or value capable of making a significant contribution to an area for 20 years or more.

Proposed land swap

The proposed land swap to make up for the loss of public park space is perhaps the most
controversial part of the proposal. The proposed land is next to Collins Lodge, which is currently temporarily occupied to safeguard the building. Some park users claim that the land, currently registered as residential, is already part of the park, at least visually, as it is a lawned area surrounded by low railings. The removal of the railings would be all that was required to make it formally part of the park.

Abandoned area next to Collins Lodge

Arguing that this is not a sufficient land swap to make up for the loss, attention has shifted to land on the other side of Collins Lodge which was previously used for storage and maintenance but now, as can be seen from the photograph, in a very sorry state.

It is an eye sore that would improve the park considerably if it was reclaimed as parkland.


Others have suggested that this could be a better site for the proposed school building.

Another issue that the Planning Committee would need to consider is vehicle access to the proposed new building. There have been problems in the past, including collapsed drains,  with access to Park Lane Primary School, which is closer to Park Lane itself but where vehicles have to access the school through the path into the park.The park gates are locked at night.

The path to the Bowling Green

Access to the proposed Welsh School would be through the same gate but would carry on through the park on what is little more than a footpath.

Large delivery vehicles, waste collection vehicles and emergency vehicles would all have to access the school along the path which is used by pedestrians  including children and their families enjoying the park.

Clearly there is a safety issue here and the path itself may need to be reinforced and perhaps widened affecting the amenity value of the park.

The full details of the planning application can be found HERE

Wembley Central Councillor Sam Stopp has asked for the views of Wembley residents on this proposal. Contact details:
Bus. mobile:  07721 233 038
Bus. email:  cllr.sam.stopp@brent.gov.uk


The Planning Committee will visit the site about 9.35am on Saturday January 10th and the application will be decided by the Committee on Tuesday January 13th, 7pm, Brent Civic Centre.

Season's Greetings to Wembley Matters' readers and contributors

Jean Bonnin www.banana-meinhoff.com

Wembley Matters is taking a seasonal break now.

Can I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to this blog as Guest Bloggers, commenters and readers as well as those who have supplied information by email, phone and post.

I hope that in 2015 we can get ride of the Coalition and start reclaiming our public services and dedicate them to the common good.

It is imperative that we lift up our eyes and recognise that we must redouble our efforts to persuade the international community and its politicians to tackle the climate crisis.

How will Brent community library campaigns fare in 2015?

As the year draws near its end let's see what the state of play is with the various library campaigns in the borough. These were set up after Brent Council closed 6 of its 12 libraries.

Two libraries,  Neasden and Tokyngton, are now gone for good, but the four others are being supported by community campaigns. This is the current state of play (information from the campaigns' blogs, Facebook pages etc).

CRICKLEWOOD LINK

The campaign is optimistic that it will have a space in the new development but has a wary eye on events at Kensal Rise:

 On 12^th November Brent Planning Committee approved the application to demolish the building that has served as Cricklewood Library since the 1920s, and build a new mixed use development. The new four storey development will have a community space on the ground floor, sharing the building with six flats.

Friends of Cricklewood Library have been named as tenants of the community space, pending legal agreements, and we intend to run a library service, making the most of using the space by making sure it is adaptable and can be rented out to community groups for activities. We’ve got exciting plans/ideas, and a strong team – and there is a lot of talent and energy in the community to draw on.

A big thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign to keep our local library. There is a lot of work to do – but what wonderful chance to run a library/community centre and keep it right here. Please let us know if you would like to be involved – get in touch by email

 KENSAL RISE LINK

Regular readers will know about recent events which saw the building go up for auction and then fail to reach its reserve price. The update on the campaign blog states:

We understand that you may be confused and concerned by the latest turn of events – the auction of the library.

The library building may or may not have a new owner.

The focus of the Friends of Kensal Rise Library has always been, and will continue to be, to work for the establishment of a library in the Kensal Rise Library building. We remain focused on this intention and our resolve is strengthened by the on-going support of the Kensal Rise/Kensal Green community - we are gratified by the trust the community places in us and are heartened by the many messages of support we continue to receive.

We received a letter on the 16th December from All Souls College, who, by the terms of their sale to Andrew Gillick, retain control of the D1 community space, whoever is the owner of the building.

Any subsequent owner of the freehold of the library inherits this obligation regarding the D1 space.

PRESTON LIBRARY LINK

The campaign hopes to be able to run a community library from the old building when it is no longer needed as a temporary annex to Preston Park Primary School.  They hope this will be in Spring 2015 when building work at the school is completed.  During the May local elections Cllr Roxanne Mashari pledged the building at a peppercorn rent to any 'local community group who can provide a sustainable community library.':

We will not open to competitive tender in order to give preference to local groups if they can demonstrate health and safety sustainability etc. and we will offer help and assistance through Brent CVS the voluntary sector and continued support and networking through the Brent libraries forum which has proved successful for the likes of the Friends of Kensal Rise.

The campaign is now asking for more volunteers, donations from local business etc LINK
It has already been using the building out of school hours as a community hub.


BARHAM LIBRARY LINK
 

The Card Room, Barham Park

 This campaign has run temporary libraries in Wembley High Road and at Sudbury Town station. but wants to move back into Barham Park Card Room (above) that has remained empty for some time,
The Council in October 2013 had plans to turn it into a cafe on a similar basis to the one in Roundwood Park but nothing has happened since and the building, donated to the public by Titus Barham remains unused and subject to deterioration.

Friends of Barham Library have said that  they are willing to offer refreshments to the public using the park if they run a community library from the building.

Cllr Michael Pavey has now become Chair of the Barham Trust and there has been a further delay as they review the governance of the Trust.  In response to a letter from Francis Henry, Property Manager for Friends of Barham Library, he said: 

I reiterate what I have said previously: I have absolute biases (I suspect this should be 'no biases' MF) on this issue. I have not been involved in any of these campaigns. My sole interest is to try and use my role to ensure that future generations can enjoy a beautiful Barham Park.

Henry had written:

I think the time has now come for you and the other Trustees to stop deferring and make a decision on this issue.

As an Administration you have now announced plans to Cuts Services. The proposals to close Youth & Community and Sports Centres while massively cutting the budget for youth services confirms the need for the voluntary sector to pick up the pieces.
Friends of Barham Library and other Volunteer Library Groups in Brent have picked up the pieces and provided makeshift services, replacing services  lost after you and your colleagues closed 6 libraries. You will recall the arguments against closures including the loss of study spaces for young people, the loss of a local safe 'community facilities' where people could go and the fact that over half the active users of the closed libraries were young people under 19.

Friends of Barham Library can make effective use of the Card Room and other parts of the Barham Buildings still available for access and not let to ACAVA. We can provide a Volunteer Library, a meeting place, venue available for giving advice, study space etc etc we can even arrange to provide refreshments (not a full blown commercial Cafe which has no chance of success). In simple terms we can provide some of the activities lost as a result of a successive and ever worsening cuts in local community facilities and services.

We have a clear record of delivery, ability to source premises, materials, books and cash.

Our shop in Wembley High Road was let to us on a two week notice - we have been there since July 2012. Sudbury Town Underground Station is let to us on similar terms but we have been there and run our activities since September 2013.

To be able to run effective activities over extended hours and to be able to raise more cash from various charitable sources we need more permanent premises and a longer security of tenure. We also need to be in Barham Park.

I and our many supporters find it very odd that the Trustees of the Barham Park Charity were prepared to bring in an organisation such as ACAVA from a long way away, who provide a service which no one asked for, while denying a group of local people, providing activities that local people actually want, a right of access to a building which was gifted to local people for their use.

I am at a loss to understand what your role is. Is it to facilitate and support local people to run activities for the benefit of their local community or is your job to block them. At present all you actions suggest that it is the latter.

I am not one for platitudes and meaningless words. I prefer direct language and straight dealing. So no more dithering on your part (or unnecessary obstruction from your officers). It is time for decisive action on your part.

There is time for you to make a decisive statement before 31 December and a clear indication that you support what we wish to achieve. If you at long last say YES before the end of this year we will ensure that the building is ready to serve local people by 31 March 2015.

If however you have no intention to allow Friends of Barham Library back into the building then please have the decency to say so now. We will all then know where we stand.

It is a measure of the importance of libraries to local people that these campaigns have kept going through difficult times and branched out  imaginatively into other activities in support of their cause. Debate continues about the role of volunteers and the need for a well funded professional library service but there can be no doubt about the commitment and staying power of these campaigners.

The Seighart Independent Library Report for England noted LINK 

There are examples of volunteer only libraries being set up across the country though there is a tendency for these to be established in reasonably affluent areas and there are still  questions over their long term viability. The more disadvantaged localities often have the greater need for such a service but they don’t tend to have the resources, experience or confidence to take over the running of their library.

As they enter 2015 with varying degrees of confidence I wish all the campaigns success in 2015.