Trade Unions and Climate Change Meeting on Thursday

Trade Unionists in the Fight against Climate Change

An evening conference for north London trade unionists and climate activists organised by BRENT TRADE UNION COUNCIL and BRENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. Supported by BRENT UNISON.

Thursday 10 February 7.30pm, Willesden Green Library Centre, 95 High Road, NW10 2SF 

Nearest tube: Willesden Green, Jubilee line. Buses: 52, 98, 260, 266, 302, 460 Free parking behind the library centre, disabled access to all parts.

Agenda

Keynote address John Stewart (Campaign against Climate Change) Session 1 – The fight for climate jobs Speakers: Chris Baugh (Assistant General Secretary PCS) Nick Grant (National Executive NUT) Session 2 – The fight for green workplaces Speaker: Sarah Pearce (TUC Greenworkplaces Project Leader) Chair: Pete Firmin (CWU, President Brent Trades Union Council)

Time for questions and discussion after each session. All welcome.

Further information: go to contact@brentcacc.com.

Former Mayor backs Welsh Harp Campaign

The Willesden and Brent Times reports that Jim O'Sullivan, former Conservative Councillor for Barn Hill ward and a former Mayor of Brent has come out in support of the campaign to save the West Harp Environmental Education Centre.

He said, "It is a valuable asset for the schools in Brent and beyond. It should be saved in the interests of young people". Recalling past threats to the centre he said,  “There is a new generation of people who will hopefully have the same energy and determination to fight to keep the centre."

Brent Primary School Expansion Plans Threatened

Brent's primary school expansion programme is in turmoil following indications that the government timetable may not be met.   The government grants have to be spent by August 2011. £2.932m to be spent on the Islamia Primary School  in Salusbury Road, Queens Park, may now be spent on other schemes as the Council consider there 'is no longer enough time for the school's scheme to be completed to a phase which would allow the money to be spent by the deadline'.

The building of a new two-form primary school on the site of Preston Manor High School may also be delayed despite the fast-tracking of planning consultation: planning permission had been sought before the Council's Executive Meeting on February 15th considers the results of statutory consultation.

The Council has established that there may be restrictions on the use of the school's land through a historical covenant.  The covenant reads:

No building shall be erected upon the land or any part thereof except a private dwelling house or private dwelling houses with or without rustic summerhouses, motor-care houses, cycle houses and greenhouses appurtenant thereto or pavilions in connection with a Sports Ground.

No trade manufacturer or business (except a Sports Ground) shall be carried on upon the land or any part thereof nor shall any building than that of a private dwelling house and appurtenances thereto...

 In a letter to residents (1) Matthew Lantos, headteacher of Preston Manor High School and Richard Barrett (Assistant Director, Regeneration and Major Projects) say that the view of Council officers is that the covenant was probably intended to prevent ad hoc commercial development and not to prevent the school's expansion.

They say an application to the Upper Tribunal to vary the covenant is likely to realise a positive outcome. The school intends to make an application to modify the existing covenants by seeking to limit the use of the land for Educational, Recreational and Community purposes only.

It is unclear how long this will take and there must be some possibility that it won't be successful. The original intention was to open the permanent new school in September 2011, thus meeting the August deadline. Any delay now pay impact on the timetable.

Several school building and refurbishment programmes have been affected by delays stemming from the council re-organisation last year which saw them moved from Children and Families'  Asset Management Team to Regeneration and Major Projects, coming under different assistant directors. This was compounded by the loss of key staff after council cutbacks.

(1) Letter dated 2nd February 2011

Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre - A History of Struggle

Previous demonstration in support of the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre (1980s?)

Willesden and Brent Times reporter Kate Ferguson managed to dig this photograph out of the archives after I mentioned there had been school pupil demonstrations in support the the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre in the past.  Along with the Gordon Brown Outdoor Education Centre, Brent's Hampshire residential field centre, it is non-statutory and is therefore threatened whenever cuts are needed.  Non-statutory does not of course mean 'not valuable' and Brent primary headteachers, governors and pupils have rushed to defend the Welsh Harp, deluging councillors with letters and e-mails.

Latest intelligence is that negotiations are going on with a private company that might fund the centre to some extent as a method of showing its green credentials and commitment to the community.  However, rather than just relying on this the campaign continues.

Viv Stein of Brent Friends of the Earth and Brent Campaign against Climate Change said, “Closing the Welsh Harp education centre will deprive Brent’s children of the unique opportunity to learn about our natural environment that this vital facility offers.  Teaching children about ecology and respecting nature is an invaluable life lesson that we all need to learn to protect our declining wildlife and precious natural habitats.

“This damaging decision is somewhat at odds with Brent’s responsibility to take a lead in improving green space projects and sustainability in schools, as part of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy.  It raises further questions about the credibility of the Labour administration’s supposedly “green” charter, and comes barely a year after cross-party groups successfully fought off a planning application that would have devastated the Welsh Harp nature reserve.”

Primary Academy Under Fire

ARK's new primary academy close to Brent's southern border with Westminster has caused controversy over the lack of consultation on the proposals and fears that it could destabilise local primary schools. The Ark Atwood Primary Academy will be housed temporarily for two years in Third Avenue, off the Harrow Road.

Susanna Rustin has written an article about the issues involved HERE

Brent Youth Stand Up For Their Rights - and their youth clubs

More than  80 Wembley young peopl crowded into the Town Hall tonight to meet with Ann John (Council Leader), Muhammed Butt (Deputy Leader) and Mary Arnold (Lead Member for Children and Families)  and passionately defended the Dennis Jackson Club and Wembley Youth Centre.  The meeting followed a commitment made by Ann John at the Wembley Area Consultation Forum when youth raised the issue of cuts in youth provision.

Ann John outlined the Council's financial difficulties and put the blame squarely on the Conservative led Coalition government.  She said that the Council was having to take controversial decisions including the closure of six libraries, reduced waste collection, closing day centres for the disabled and closing the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre.

She said, "I can't tell you how many e-mails and letters we have received on these and other measures. People feel passionately and there are difficult decisions coming up on Children's Centres. We will be taking a lot of other unpopular decisions."

She emphasised that no final decisions would be made until the budget setting meeting on February 28th.

Speakers from the floor politely but passionately made the following points among many others:

• It is more expensive to send young people to prison than to run youth clubs to keep them out of trouble
• I am a peer volunteer at a Youth Centre and as a performing arts student able to use the space to provide dance activities for others. Where can I do that when it closes?
• What are we doing for the youth? Not just dance and other activities but we need debates to make us think
• Cut back some of the activities rather than closing the centres
• Our  Muslim girls' group provides basketball, ice skating, bowling, first aid training and enables them to do more outgoing activities in the future
• The youth club kept me smiling and motivated me when I don't think any other place could have done that
• I was new to the country and didn't know much English but the club helped me learn English with projects like youth and drugs and preparing for interviews
• It is not just basketball and other sports, we do driving theory classes, first aid training and craft activities
• We are coming up to the 2010 Olympics but our facilities are being taken away
• We understand your difficulties, we want to work with you and what what we have already. Can we do some fund-raising?

One speaker said that he had attend his centre as a small child and now volunteered as a young adult on music activities:

"We want you to come and see what we are doing. I haven't seen any of the managers (councillors?) at the centre. We want you to come and see more and do more. The centre has been neglected by the council. You give us so little that cutting it is an insult. Are chicken shops going to become our youth centres?"

 What the councillors said:

• People are waking up to the fact that if you don't make provision now you have problems later
• This is the worse financial situation local government has ever faced
• We didn't come on the Council to stop doing things. It's painful. We don't like it.
• We need to think outside the box and look at staffing costs and get a breakdown of the hours
• The cuts in respite care were painful. Do we stop  meals on wheels, care at home?
• We promise to take on what you say, go away and talk to other councillors in the Labour group and look at the budget but we won't be able to spend extra money and other people will be hurt
• If we can do something, we promise we will. We'll try and do what we can.

At the end of the meeting Ann John told the audience that she had been impressed by the range of contribution and by the eloquence of the speakers.

Brent Green Party have always pressed for enhanced youth provision as a vital community resource and strongly back the participation of youth in the democratic process through school councils, youth councils and youth parliaments.  We welcome the mobilisation of Wembley youth over this issue and support their campaign. Their speeches last night were clear, confident and convincing and challenged many of the current stereotypes of young people.

CUT AFTER CUT

I compile a weekly press review for Brent Green Party members. Last week's was so full of cuts stories that I thought I would publish it to help readers keep up with Brent Council's assault on non-statutory provision. WBT is Willesden and Brent Times and WWO is the  Wembley and Willesden Observer.


CUTS - LIBRARIES
COMMUNITY GROUPS WELCOMED TO RUN LIBRARIES DUE TO CLOSE WWOp5 Cllr James Powney calls for campaign groups to come up with practical plans to run libraries with volunteers.  He said he had three 'vague expressions of interest' from Kensal Rise, Cricklewood and Preston supporters. ex Lib Dem Councillor Peter Corcoran, campaigning for Tokyngton says 'I don't want to see a situation where it will run for a year, then it closes because people lose interest. The libraries are run by the council and should continue to be run by them. It is their responsibility -that is why we pay our council tax.'
CUTS -JOBS
COUNCIL TO SHED 400 MORE JOBS WWOp9, JOB LOSSES 'HORRIFIC' WBTp1  Following on 350 redundancies last year Brent Council tend to shed 400 more jobs. Letters were delivered to those affected  last Friday and the consultation period will end on April 17th.
CUTS - PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
DON'T HIT THE VULNERABLE WWOp14 Letter drawing attention to the impact of cuts on people with disabilities, mental health issues and autism. The writer says they should not bear the brunt of a crisis caused by bankers.
CUTS-PARKS
PROTESTS AT PLANS TO CHOP PARK WARDENS WBTp2, PARKS WILL BE 'NO-GO' AREAS, SAY RESIDENTS WWOp7 Protests against the axing of 9-1/2 park warden full-time posts affecting Roundwood, Barham,  Gladstone, King Edward VII, Roe Green, Preston and Gibbons Recreation ground. Cllr Powney said he was confident park security would be maintained - 'We will have a lower number of park wardens but they will still be covering the same number of parks, and be performing the same number of patrols. The key difference is that we will be moving away from a static service to a roaming one.'
CUTS - MENTORING
AXE LOOMS OVER GROUP HELPING YOUNG QUIT GANGS WBTp3 Despite referrals from social workers, pupil referral units and youth offender teams this centre run by a former probation officer and social worker is running out of money after government cuts.
CUTS - SPORTS CENTRE
GAME ON: RESIDENTS FIGHT CHARTERIS CENTRE CLOSURE WBTp5 Campaigners and Brent Eleven Streets Residents' Association met to help save the Charteris Sports Centre. Cllr Powney (him again!) said it was losing £100,000 a year. A committee has been set up to meet with the council and to work out a business plan to keep the Centre open. Powney said the plan would have to be convincing in order for the Council to grant a period of grace.
CUTS - EDUCATION MAINTENANCE GRANTS
EMA AXE 'SLAP IN THE FACE FOR STUDENTS'  WBTp13 Brent has the second highest take up of EMA in London with 3,684 claiming. It also has the 6th highest unemployment rate in London. research by the University and College Union shows 70% of students bin poorest areas would drop out of college if the EMA was stopped. Students, Vicki Fagg (CNWL principal) and Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala all protest at its abolition.

Youth meet council leader tonight about Youth Club cuts

Young people concerned about cuts in youth provision are meeting with Cllr Ann John (Leader of the Council) at the Town Hall at 7pm tonight in committee rooms 1,2 and 3. The groups are concerned about

Wembley Youth Club, Dennis Jackson Youth Centre and youth projects at Copland, Monks Park and St. Raphael’s Estate.  They turned out in force at the Wembley Area Consultation Forum last month where they arranged this meeting.

A call has gone out for support so it should be a lively meeting. 
 

Bleak Winter for Housing Benefit Families

Estate agents in Brent are already taking action

The Winter Bulletin from the Brent Citizens Advice Bureau has two pieces of worrying news.

The first concerns the impact of changes in Housing Benefit, which although not in force until January 2012 is already having an impact, with private landlords taking drastic action. I have already seen this in a primary school where I am a governor with tenants receiving notice to quit and families having to move into bed and breakfast hotel accommodation.

Brent CAB say:

Although the government has delayed the changes, evidence is emerging of the impact of the proposed housing benefit cap.

We are receiving a mounting number of enquiries from prospective tenants, who are being rejected by landlords because they rely on housing benefit.


We are also seeing many residents whose tenancy agreement is not renewed because of the HB changes. In other cases, landlords are simply issuing Section 21 notice to evict tenants.


The full implementation of these proposals, next January, is bound to have a devastating effect on Brent residents - of the 10,225 families receiving LHA in Brent, 1,988 are receiving LHA above the cap - and it may be compounded by the pressures on accommodation and other basic services - such as schools and health, as a result of families being displaced from more affluent central London boroughs.


We are already working with Brent Council to look at ways of easing the impact of such changes.


We have also raised our concerns with local MPs. Brent CAN attended a meeting of the Work and Pensions Select Committee to make the case against a cut in housing benefits.

Brent CAB is looking for a multi-agency partnership to support people affected by these changes. We are also trying to secure extra resources to deal with housing benefit cases and displaced families.

If you would like to know more about working in partnership with Brent CAB, please contact Jacqueline.carr@brentcab.co.uk

UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE

Ian Brownhill, Chair of Brent CAB, warns that they have already lost a quarter of their total funding and that more cuts are on the way. The reorganisation of Children's Centres may result in a significant reduction in the service that Brent CAB offers at the Centres. Last year they helped 2,820 families and since April 2009 have gained £3.7m for parents.

He says:

It is alarming to see funding being reduced as part of a budgetary drill, paying little or no attention to outcomes or impact on vulnerable people.

He goes on to welcomes the Council's decision to protect the most vulnerable people from cuts and says:

I trust this policy to be fully implemented, when it comes to deciding on essential advice services for Brent residents and the future of Brent CAB.

He is absolutely right and that is why Brent Fightback is so essential to monitor cuts that the Council is making and ensure that the policy is being followed.

Sign the Willesden and Wembley Observer's Library petition

If you want to save ALL six Brent libraries threatened with closure then go to the Willesden and Wembley Observer's Petition:

Save Brent libraries from closure

You can also make a comment when you sign

Will Teather Topple Tomorrow?

Photo: Pete Firmin (I'm behind the yellow placard)

About 150 Brent Fightback supporters assembled at the Jubilee Clock in Harlesden on Friday to protest against the cuts.  Feeder marches had made their way from Central Middlesex Hospital, the College of North West London and the Mencap Centre in Willesden High Road. 

The strength of the demonstration was reflected in the  number of different causes and trades unions reflected in the banners and speeches. A real unity is building over the cuts as announcement after announcement is made with bewildering speed, often providing a rapid series of blows to the same people each time.

There is clearly no alternative to building a broad-based campaign that will include all the groups campaigning against both government and council cuts and for public services worth defending and investment in a green economy.

The people who went in to lobby Sarah Teather were not very impressed:

"Needless to say, the meeting with Sarah Teather by a deputation was hardly a meeting of minds. Many of the issues brought up at the rally were raised, her reply was essentially to either say we are wrong or to tell us that it would be much worse if she wasn’t in government! Oh, and to blame the Council when it is the government which has cut the Council’s funding."

Hands Off the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre

Welsh Harp Campaigners at the Brent Fightback Lobby

The Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre, around the corner from the Birchen Grove allotments, offers environmental education and water sports for primary and secondary school children in  Brent  and  neighbouring boroughs and has strong ecological credentials. It is now threatened with closure as one of the non-statutory parts of educational provision.  It has been threatened before and just about survived after mass a mass campaign involving hundreds of children marching to the Town Hall. Now it is run by one full-time teacher and a part-time assistant.  It is part-funded by pupil contributions (usually paid by the school). Basically already a shoe-string operation it gets more than 3,500 pupils visiting a year. It is also used for Away Days for Brent institutions and for team-building exercises.  As well as studying the Science National Curriculum children can take part in orienteering on a 25 stage course and basic water sports. The Centre has two very well-equipped classrooms.

Councillor Jim Moher (Labour) is sympathetic to the campaign to keep the Centre open and letters are pouring into the Council from children and school governor.  The threat to the Centre is likely to be discussed at this week's Brent Primary Headteachers' Conference.  The battle is on.
As chair of governors at two primary schools, a Brent Green Party member and as leader of Brent School Without Walls, which provides complementary activities at a more informal level (no classrooms, toilets or adventure course and only accidental water sports!), I believe that the Welsh Harp Centre is an invaluable resource that has enabled countless children to develop a clearer understanding of ecology and a deeper appreciation of the importance of the natural environment.

If the next generation is to fight to preserve the environment and protect the planet such centres are not a luxury but a necessity. It has been threatened before and Brent children have risen up to defend it - they know its value.  The Welsh Harp celebrated 175 years of existence last year and saw off a threat to develop housing in the vicinity after a strong community cross-party campaign. The anniversary was marked by an open day at the Centre with family environmental activities sponsored by the Council - now they are considering closing it. Brent Greens will play our part in a similar campaign to save a special place that is a tremendous asset for the young people of Brent.

Save Charteris Sports Centre: A valuable community resource

This is a message from the campaign to save Charteris Sports Centre

Charteris provides great value gym membership.  It is the only local sports centre, which allows members to  "pay as your go". Apart from “gym” activities, It hosts team sports (e.g. football, badminton) fitness classes, martial arts and yoga.

Charteris is also a valuable community resource, far more than just a gym, offering, children's parties, holiday activities for children and hosts our local cycling project.  It's our "community centre" and now it's set for closure!

Our aim is to keep Charteris SERVICE run by Brent. Unfortunately Charteris Sports Centre sits on land, which can be sold to a private housing developer; Public asset stripping- Private profit!  

We ask Brent to agree to:

1) STOP the threatened closure on the 1st April 2011.

2) Agree to meet with local residents and centre users to discuss the alternatives to the "destruction" of this irreplaceable public resource.

Green Party by-election candidates offers a REAL choice

Alan Mathison

Brent Green Party has selected Alan Mathison to fight the Kenton by-election.  Alan, now retired, has spent most of his working life in universities and housing management. He has been a governor of three schools.  He stood for the Greens in Kenton in last year's local election and received substantial support.

Alan said:

"The Green Party is the only party nationally who are questioning the whole strategy of deficit reduction through cuts. Locally the Labour Party are implementing the cuts imposed by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition and failing to protect the most vulnerable in the process. We are opposed to these cuts and are actively supporting Brent Fightback's efforts at coordinating opposition across sectors and involving both trades unions and users of public services.

Nationally we favour increased taxation of the very rich and heavy taxes on bank profits and bonuses.  We want investment in the creation of socially useful green jobs through the provision of training opportunities and projects that would provide insulation for all homes,  low-cost sustainable housing and public transport, and renewable energy production.  Translated into local action this would help provide jobs at a time of rapidly rising unemployment."

Alan is scathing about his opponents in the by-election:

"The Labour Party's assurance that it would protect the most vulnerable from cuts has proved hollow. The Brent Conservatives and  Liberal Democrats have the colossal cheek to start campaigning against the cuts locally when it is their government that has demanded them.

All three parties voted for the £100m over the top Civic Centre vanity project which is a slap in the face for local people when they see their services being slashed and charges raised. If we want all our libraries kept open and this means not building the Civic Centre, well so be it. Let's not build it!"

Reflecting on Kenton, where he moved eleven years ago, Alan said:

"I enjoy living in Kenton, it is a great place to live, but looking around you can see that it has been neglected by Brent Council. If elected  my priorities would be to tackle Kenton's flooding problems, find ways of relocating  the John Billam children's playground to a safer and more accessible site, seek to end the traffic chaos on Drayton Avenue and put an end to the dangerous speeding on Woodcock Hill.  Kenton would be a much safer and pleasanter place to live if these issues were tackled." 

Anyone willing to help with Alan's campaign should contact me.

Wake Up, Wise Up, Rise Up

Is Brent's Waste Strategy Rubbish or just Low Grade?

Last year Brent Council spent £9 million on landfill tax.  In a bid to save money, increase recycling and reduce landfill, the Council is introducing a new waste strategy.

  Contaminated materials will go to landfill

Residents should be confident that waste which they take the time to separate will actually be recycled and not end up in landfill. Brent Friends of the Earth’s main concern about the strategy is that dry recyclables will no longer be collected from households via green boxes sorted at the kerbside, but using new large wheelie bins in “co-mmingled” collections.  This involves crushing the material, which is later sorted at a processing plant.  A new report by the Institution of Civil Engineers has confirmed our fears about this method that, because of higher levels of contamination, produces low-grade recyclable material, some of which ends up in landfill.  

 Children to pick over our waste?

In particular, paper is contaminated by broken glass, reducing its value and use.  We discovered that Aylesford Newsprint, who currently buy Brent's paper are unlikely to want it under the new scheme, making export more likely.  The UK recycling industry is now struggling because of such poor grade materials.  Do we really want our waste exported, and sorted by child labour in developing countries?  This is something Brent has not ruled out, despite recommendations by a recent Scrutiny committee.

£1.7m for new bins while libraries are closed

 The Council is spending £1.7 million on new wheelie bins to replace the boxes, when the only new materials being collected for recycling are mixed plastics and tetra packs.  This follows £400,000 spent on the free collection of bulky items.  We believe Brent has underestimated the landfill costs from the extra contamination of waste by changing to a “commingled” system.  In view of ruthless closures of libraries and day centres, and cuts to street sweeping, is this really money well spent?  Or are these ill-conceived plans just rubbish?

 
Viv Stein and Elaine Henderson
Brent Friends of the Earth

References:

1.Targets to boost recycling may backfire say engineers - BBC news item http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12172766

2. The report is available at http://www.ice.org.uk/News-Public-Affairs/State-of-the-Nation

Kenton By-election candidates named

Brent Council today announced the list of candidates contesting the Kenton by-election. It marks the return of Robert Dunwell, spotted at the Wembley Area Consultative Forum earlier this week, to local politics. Dunwell a  Conservative councillor until he and Atiq Malik fell out with Bob Blackman and formed the Democratic Conservative Group, will be standing as an Independent.  They did not contest the local election in 2010.

Other candidates are:
Chunilai Hirani (Liberal Democrat)
Suresh Kansagra (Conservative)
Alan Mathison (Green)
Eleanor Southwood (Labour)

The by-election will be held on 17th February.

Civic Centre - No Comment! No Copying...

Brent Council has uploaded a 'Virtual Tour' of the new Civic Centre to YouTube.  Unusually both the 'Comment'  button and the 'Copy Embed Code' facility have been disabled by them.  This means that I cannot put a copy on this blog and that nobody can comment on it.

I wonder why?

Anyway, in the belief that we citizens of Brent, and farther afield, should be able to comment on this £100m project at a time when Brent is cutting basic services, please follow this LINK to see the video and return to Wembley Matters to make a comment below.

Libraries, Civic Centre, Wembley Youth Club, Waste, Allotments, Rats - all discussed but anything gained?

The Wembley Area Consultation Forum was considerably enlivened last night when 20 or so members of the Wembley Youth Club turned up.  They had heard rumours that their club may be closed as a result of cuts and wanted the council to know how important it was to them, and what a positive contribution it made to the lives of youth in the area. They told the audience about the sports available at the club and how taking part enabled them to focus and achieve, with those attitudes transferring into other aspects of their lives.

Cllr Ann John, leader of Brent Council, said that indeed there was a review of the youth service under way and she could give no promises. During the interval Youth Centre supporters crowded round councillors making their case, exchanging contact details and arranging further meetings.  Another battle is on its way!

Their presence was a refreshing change from the usual fairly stodgy (but often valuable) meetings with a cast of regular speakers, mainly of my generation or older. It was good to see a 13 year old stand up and speak his mind directly to councillors and the public.

A member of the Brent Youth Parliament later spoke about the increased  importance of libraries as a place for young people to congregate, borrow books and study,  now that the Education Maintenance Allowance is due to be abolished.

Cllr Ann John made a presentation on the difficulties that the Council had in implementing the 28% expenditure reduction required by the Government. This amounted to £100m over four years, front-loaded so that £37m of that must be cut in the first year. This was on top of the £85m capital grant lost from the scrapping of the Building Schools for the Future programme. Since the election other grants amounting to £6 had been lost.  She said that 350 council posts, mainly in management, had already been cut through voluntary redundancies, non-filling of vacant posts and retirement. A further 350 posts would now have to go and the process of compulsory redundancy had begun. Further savings would be made by making procurement more efficient but all these measures only amounted to £21m. This left £16m still to be found and the council was looking at reducing some services and stopping others: "There is nothing we are not looking at."

With income streams from Central Government reduced and the Council Tax frozen the Council  had to look at cuts in services and increased fees and charges for services in order to balance the budget.

In the question and answer session my suggestion that the Labour Council was finding itself in the unpleasant role of bailiffs, for the Coalition rogue landlords, wasn't well received by the platform. I noted the coincidence of £100m cuts needed and the £100m cost of the new Civic Centre. I recognised building had already started on the Centre but suggested that it had been designed in better times and should now be scaled back. My suggestion that it resembled Brent's own version of Stalin's Palace of Culture also was even less well received.

In response Ann John said that the Civic Centre had been agreed by all parties on the Council, that it would make savings in the long term and that the People of Wembley deserved something back for the inconvenience of  the regeneration of the Wembley Stadium area (if they has asked us we might have asked for something else!) She said that the cost would be recovered over a 25 year period by disposal of other buildings, reduced outgoings and increased efficiency. She claimed that projected revenue savings had increased to an estimate of £4m annually. She emphasised the green credentials of the building.

On the 127% increased allotment fees and the introduced of a £95 fee for rat infestation treatment she said that allotment fees had been very low and were still affordable. She claimed that the previously free rat infestation service had been misused with residents calling that service for other infestations (which they would have paid for) because the rat service was free. The new charges had been introduced as a result of comparison with other 'benchmark' boroughs and private providers. There was support from the audience for my claim that this would worsen the borough's rat problems particularly for multi-occupied houses and flats above shops. One resident called for reduce charges for pensioners who may otherwise be reluctant to call pest control.

Other residents suggested that the new waste strategy was an area where savings could be made - particularly on the cost of new bins. There was also claims that the salaries paid to the top executives of the Council were excessive in the present climate. Cllr John denied that they were out of line with other public sector salaries.

In response to a question from the floor Ann John pledged to continue to fund the Freedom Pass.

Cllr Powney's session on the Libraries Transformation Project was a slow simmer, boiling up at the end in comparison with the roasting he had at the Town Hall. Members of the audience stood up with a Save Our Library banner and there was close questioning of the figures behind the closure plans as well as declarations of the importance of libraries as centres for the community to mingle, as well as for reading, learning and other activities including classes, courses and homework clubs.Speakers emphasised the importance of having a library within walking distance for children, young mothers and the elderly. Cllr Powney got into a spat challenging one young mother who spoke about the difficulties of transporting several children on a bus, including a very young one. He said that loads of people used buses everyday to go to shopping centres as well as libraries and that wasn't a problem - he did it with children himself. Cllr John intervened to say that people who had a library near them should count themselves lucky and very few people had that luck. She said books were much cheaper now than previously and available at more outlets including supermarkets like ASDA.

More hackles rose when James Powney said that there was evidence that many people preferred to go to a bigger library with a 'better offer' and ignored their small local libraries. He rejected suggestions that the proposed Civic Centre mega-library could be scaled down to make money available for local libraries.  He also dismissed suggestions that all libraries could have reduced hours. He said this would mean more librarian redundancies and wouldn't release capital to invest in the service, and having a library open only two days a week wouldn't really amount to keeping it open in most people's eyes.

Asked about what would happen with closed buildings he said that two would revert to their Oxford Colleges; Barham would revert to the Barham Trust, Neasden could be leased to new users, which left Tokyngton and Preston to be sold. He said that without the revenue from the sales money would not be available to invest in an 'improved offer', including e-books. That got a response from a publisher in the audience who said that book sales were on the increase and that traditional books were not on their way out. Other residents questioned whether the service should get into the e-book business at all.

Cllr John, sounding rather more like David Cameron, expressed interest in groups and organisations of volunteers, particularly in trust and covenanted buildings, running the libraries themselves. She said she wanted to hear from them and meet to discuss options.

Sometimes the bailiff's find themselves in such a difficult position that they begin to sound like the landlords. 

Brent's Cuts and Library Closures Face Public Scrutiny Tonight

Cllr Ann John, leader of Brent Council, will face an audience of residents tonight to answer questions on the Council's cuts strategy which includes the loss of another 300 jobs, closure of day centres for people with learning disabilities and for those with mental health problems as well as increased charges for allotments and pest control.

Cllr James Powney, AKA Flakman, will again present the 'Library Transformation Project' which will close six libraries. This includes three libraries in the Wembley area: Preston, Barham and Tokyngton.


The meeting begins at 7pm at the Patidar Centre, London Road, Wembley (off Wembley High Road), just round the corner from Wembley Central Station. 


Residents who want to speak in a 'soapbox' to air local issues that they are concerned about should arrive a little early to complete a 'Soapbox' form which should be handed to an officer. Soapboxes are held at the beginning of the meeting. Ann John's session will run from 7.15pm until 8pm and the library presentation will be from 8.15pm until 9pm.

Teather on Library Closures - Wembley Consultation Tomorrow

Sarah Teather spoke on Radio 4's Any Questions? about Brent library closures LINK. Her views don't  seem to quite chime with those of Brent Council  Lib Dem Group. Thanks to More than Books for this link.

Brent residents can make their voices heard about the cuts, closures and increased charges at the Wembley Area Consultation Forum tomorrow, 7pm Tuesday January 18th. It will be held at Patidar House, 22 London Road, Wembley Central (just around the corner from the station).

'Soap boxes'  (individual 3 minute slots for residents to raise concerns) are held at the beginning of the meeting. Get there early to fill in a slip and hand it to an officer at the start of the meeting. You will need to give your name, telephone number, address and the topic you would like to speak about.

The leader of the Council, Ann John, will speak about Brent's budget and the impact of central government cuts from 7.15pm to 8pm. She will answer questions about the cuts. From 815pm until 9pm there will be a consultation on the Libraries Transformation Project/Closure Programme.

Does Ed support Brent Library closures?

From today's Independent:

The Labour leader Ed Miliband said yesterday his party would back campaigns to save libraries as "a place where community is built, as families get to know each other and form friendships".

Save ALL Brent Libraries

X marks the wards where libraries are due to be closed

Despite the Council cuts being caused by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition policies, Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors are getting behind campaigns to save local libraries. Kenton Conservatives have a local petition going to save Preston library with an eye on the forthcoming by-election on February 17th and the Lib Dems are also petitioning.  At the same time some Labour councillors are unhappy with the proposals and some Brent Labour Party members are campaigning to keep all libraries open.

At the recent Brent Fightback Meeting on 'Are the Cuts Necessary' a pledge  to occupy Cricklewood Library was enthusiastically applauded as was a call for a borough-wide campaign to save all Brent libraries.

The Kensal Rise campaign has a Facebook page LINK and one has also just been set up for Preston library LINK  There are campaigns for all the threatened libraries except Tokyngton (as far as I know).

This week there are Area Consultation Forums in Wembley and Willesden where the closure proposals (officially 'Transformation Project") will be discussed and where council leaders will answer questions on the cuts in general:

Wembley ACF, Patidar House, London Road, Wembley - Tuesday 18th January 7pm
Willesden ACF, College of North West London, Denzil Road, Willesden - Wednesday 19th January 7pm

The 'Additional Paper' outlining the options considered by the Council and the financial implications is available HERE

Carline Lucas Backs EMA Campaign

Parliament will be voting on the Education Maintenance Allowance on Wednesday. This is an allowance that is absolutely essential to give secondary pupils from low income homes a chance to continue their education.

More on the Save EMA WEBSITE

STRENGTHEN THE FIGHTBACK - come to Thursday's meeting

Join the Great Debate on  Thursday January 13th  7.00 pm Willesden Green Library Centre 95, High Rd Willesden NW10 2SF. John McDonnell MP will be debating with a leading Lib Dem ARE THE CUTS REALLY NECESSARY?  

There will be plenty of opportunity for contributions from the floor. This debate has been organised by the Brent Fightback Campaign on a date that was suggested by Sarah Teather the Lib Dem MP for Brent Central who is a minister in the Con Dem government.  However she has withdrawn from the debate as she has ministerial business elsewhere in the country. 

As she withdrew from a previous meeting also on a date that she had suggested, the debate will go ahead in her absence with another Lib Dem speaker.

Brent Library Closures Get National Coverage

Brent's library closures continue to get coverage in the national media. Today's Guardian has four letters following up the weekend coverage LINK

The following letter was particularly to the point:

Cuts should be administered intelligently as if by a surgeon, not willy-nilly on some economic chopping board. Libraries, more than ever, are needed by all ages, especially the young who must prepare for an overcast future. Closing libraries to save money is like cutting off the blood supply to the brain as a labour-saving device for the heart.
Leon Arden
London

 Meanwhile campaigns across the country are beginning to think about occupying the buildings if all else fails. A guide to library occupations is available HERE

Ironically Brent Library Service has a Facebook page entitled We Love Brent Libraries  It includes the following:

We Love Brent Libraries. 
We love meeting authors.
We love reading groups.
We love the information experts.
We love the free events.
We love kids stuff.
We love e-books.
We love learning.

Exactly! Councillors take note.

I couldn't help noticing that Brent's advertising hoarding on the Civic Centre site extolling the virtues of the '21st century library'  doesn't mention books for borrowing - or for pleasure!

Brent Council's New £100m Civic Centre versus Cuts to Vital Services

With Skanksa breaking the ground at the new Civic Centre opposite the Wembley Arena time is running out if the project is to be stopped. This video contrasts Brent Council's boasting about the project with the cuts they are making.

ASDA trolleys stage mass breakout!

Summers Close, Wembley

King's Drive, Wembley

King's Drive, Wembley

ASDA store, Wembley

Well Spring Crescent, Wembley

Well Spring Crescent, Wembley

I reported a dozen or so trolleys that had been abandoned around local streets to the Wembley ASDA Customer Services desk last week and they duly noted down the dumping sites. The trolleys were still  there several days later so I tried to telephone the store but all lines were busy. There was no store e-mail address on the website so I e-mailed ASDA national customer services with all the details.

One of the Service Team replied:

I'm concerned to hear about this as it hadn't been removed by our colleagues from the store. We do employ porters to stop customers taking trolleys. We're also rolling out an industry leading system called Cartronics. When a customer tries to push a trolley out of our car park, the brakes will stop it from moving. These measures help us to limit the number of trolleys removed from our stores.

If any of our customers ever feel the need to complain we certainly want to put things right as soon as possible. I've spoken to the duty manager at our Wembley store and asked him/her to arrange for the trolley to be collected and returned to the store as soon as possible.

When the trolleys were still not collected (these pictures were taken today)  I e-mailed again and was told that it would take 72 hours to remove them! In that time of course children may well have played with them and changed their location. Many will be filled up with rubbish.

Of course customers who remove the trolleys are at fault but surely ASDA have a responsibility to make sure trolleys are not taken out of the store site and to have a quick and effective collection system when they are.

I understand that supermarkets can be fined if they allow trolleys to be taken away and abandoned.

Now Lib Dems Call for Civic Centre Library to be Scaled Down to Save Other Libraries

The new state of the art £100m Civic Centre was agreed by all three political parties during the last administration amidst claims that it was 'cost neutral' in the long term, environmentally friendly and would enhance the status of the borough. Brent Green Party was the only political party to question the project and its cost.

Labour had second thoughts during the election campaign and promised to review the project but once elected decided to go ahead. On December 16th, Reg Colwill deputy leader of the Conservative Group wrote to the local press and said, 'We don't need a new sparkling civic centre at the detriment of people's jobs and front-line services'. Kenton Conservatives launched a campaign to save Preston library. 

Work has already started on the Civic Centre site opposite Wembley Arena. Skanska the builders appointed by Brent Council have outlined their December work programme in a Newsletter. LINK TO NEWSLETTER

Now the Liberal Democrats are suggesting that  the new library at the Civic Centre should be scaled down. They argue that the proposed library is three times the size of the one at the Town Hall and would cost £3m of the total Civic Centre costs.They argue that the money saved by scaling it down could be used to safeguard the future of the six libraries threatened with closure. 


As contracts have been signed and  work has already started it is unclear whether the Conservative bid to abandon the project or the Liberal Democrat's proposal to modify it could be implemented without penalties. I think I can hear the stable door slamming shut after the horse has flown!

It is also uncertain that scale down would release 'real money' (actual cash this year) that could be used to save the threatened libraries.


With the Brent cuts now a national issue the debate will heat up over the next few weeks as the cuts and library closures are discussed at the local consultation forums.

Libraries for Life for Londoners have posted a story on the .library cuts in Brent and made the link with the Civic Centre project. LINK

Library demolition not redecoration

One correspondent said that she had talked to people in one of the libraries and they had seen the discreet 'Transforming Our Libraries' notice but didn't realise it was about closures. She says it sounds more like redecorating than demolition!

There's a serious point here that the title of the consultation conceals the real issue and people will be unaware that they are about to lose their library.  That is why we need maximum publicity. It is rather like the furore over  Brent's waste management strategy questionnaire when they were accused of not mentioning  that residual household waste will only be collected fortnightly in future.

Government minister hits out at Brent charges increase

The political blame game over cuts and increased charges in Brent has taken a new turn with local government minister Grant Shapps criticising Brent's increased fees introduced on January 1st - including the 127% increase in allotment fees which put the price of a small allotment up from £33 to £75. Shapps said councils "should not be using residents as cash cows."

Full story on the BBC website 
More on Brent charges on this blog HERE

Curious Consultations

When Cllr James Powney stated from the platform at the recent Town Hall meeting that 'There is no alternative' to the library closures, someone heckled, "Then why are you consulting us?" Other speakers were equally disenchanted with consultation suggesting that major questions were already decided ahead of consultation outcomes.

A little cynical you may think...

However there was a statutory consultation before the holiday on the proposed expansion of Preston Manor High School so that it will also provide primary education in the future. A report on the consultation outcomes will go to the council Executive on February 11th 2011 and they will decide whether to approve the expansion. Obviously they will approach the issue with open minds and take note of the submissions?

However this month the Council is consulting on a planning application for a new 2 form entry primary school on the Preston Manor High School site - to be decided no earlier than January 20th 2011. (An earlier date had been given but residents protested that consultation letters arrived late because of the Christmas post.)

When we queried why the Council was seeking planning permission before the Executive had discussed whether to expand the school, Brent Council told us:

"The Planning Application has been submitted in advance of the Executive approval to ensure that  the statutory proposal can be implemented on time."

I will leave you to decide whether the statutory consultation was genuine or just another exercise in ticking the boxes.

Mental Health Day Service Cuts

The Agenda for the Jan 17th Executive has just been published. It includes Decommissioning of the Mental Health Community Networks Day Care Service.

The introduction  states:

To reflect the shift towards independence and personalisation within Adult Social Care a review of all services is being undertaken to ensure services are appropriate and sustainable. Given the changing environment and the need for efficiency savings by the Council across Mental Health and the wider organisation a plan to decommission the Community Networks Day Care Service has been proposed. Community Networks provides Day Care to approximately 175 mental health clients in the Brent Borough.

The report gives the following risk assessment:

Possible risk implications
• Reduced care package support may lead to bed blockages and delayed discharges
• Limited capacity to move people on from secondary care services to non statutory
local support
• Longer lengths of stay in supported housing due to lack of capacity to move service
users on to independent living
• Fewer staff to steer service users through the SDS process, which will impact on
Council performance targets
• Current support into employment will be reduced and will therefore impact on the
Council’s performance target.
• Possible local opposition to closure of long-established direct day care provision
• Increased pressure on Mental Health Care Coordinators caseloads