Council target children's library membership - but where are the libraries?

From Preston Library 'wall of shame'

The drastic drop in library visits and books borrowed since the closure of half of Brent's libraries has challenged fundamentally Brent Council's claim that the 'Libraries Transformation Project' would improve the service and increase uptake.

The department has now written to primary schools urging them to sign children up for library membership and offering class library visits. The children's poet Michael Rosen recently advocated a library ticket for every child when they start school to foster a love of books and this is something I strongly support.

However, the problem is that for Brent primary aged children and for primary classes this will only work if they have a neighbourhood library within reasonable walking distance. Because of the closures this is not the case for many schools and I doubt, given the numbers involved, that outreach staff would be able to cope.

When the Town Hall Library moves to the Civic Centre it will put the library out of reasonable walking distance of children on Chalkhill - not because they can't walk but because the time taken to walk to and from the library would eat into other learning time in an already crowded curriculum. With half an hour in the library this would make an hour and a half out of school - we can hardly expect schools to start booking coaches to take their children to the library!

The aim of encouraging children's membership is laudable but is this also an attempt to boost the visits and borrowing figures?

Dear English Subject Leader,

Every Child a Reader / Every Child a Library Member

As part of Brent Libraries commitment to help develop and foster a lifelong love of books and reading in all Brent children, we would like to encourage all schools to sign children up for membership under our new libraries’ membership  drive. The process of doing this is very simple. If you can provide us with the names of all the children in your school, we will complete library membership forms and issue each child with their own library membership ticket.  This is a special school library ticket that will be kept at the library ready for school class visits.   Borrowed books can be used at school and taken home.  The child’s address will be care of the school address with the school administration email address for communication.  May we stress however that the school will not be liable for any book losses.  Emails will be sent to the school once books have gone three months’ overdue but these emails printed in hardcopy format just need to be brought to the library so that staff can sort out any problems.  There will be no fines to schools.

This is a wonderful opportunity for all Brent children and we would like to encourage you to contact your local library or myself to arrange for library tickets for all your children and of course book regular class visits to the library.  Regular class visits include the opportunity to borrow books from a great range of children’s picture books, graphic novels, fiction and information books, develop information skills and enjoy some lovely storytelling with library staff.  Brent Libraries also offers computers for learning, and some wonderful storytelling, cultural and learning events delivered by some of the best authors and artists in the UK.  There are also after school homework clubs with a qualified teacher to support children’s learning.

We look forward to receiving the list of names from your school for library membership and booking a library visit.  If distance is a problem for visiting your local library, an outreach visit to your school by library staff can be arranged.

Yours sincerely,

 

Sarah Smith

Libraries’ Development Manager

Chalkhill children need summer activities

St David's Open Space very early Sunday morning

I was pleased to see that football posts have now been installed at St David's Close Open Space on Chalkhill. This was one of the requests made by local people and Chalkhill Primary School children at a meeting held with the head of Brent Parks and Sports and Cllr Choudhary in October 2011.

Because of the further delay in the building of Chalkhill Park in my role as Chair of Governors I have backed the request by Chalkhill Pupil School Council for the refurbishment of the BMX track at St David's and installation of a skateboarding area.

The overgrown BMX track

With the new Chalkhill Park now not likely to open until November as work has not yet started (see below) we have asked for the BMX track and skateboarding area to be ready for the summer holiday. Along with activities at Poplar Grove Youth Centre this would give children and youth from Chalkhill some facilities during the break.

The Chalkhill Park site two weeks ago

I understand but have not had confirmed that a contractor has been found to build the Park. Brent Council Parks and Sports department are employing Bike Track to consult with the people of Chalkhill on the possibility of a BMX track or alternatively/additionally a skate boarding/scooter park area.

Leaflet Licensing: regulation gone mad?

Would he fire Ann John?

Despite the Council's clarification of their understanding of 'political purposes' I am still very sceptical about their proposed leaflet licensing system and whether they will be able to enforce it.  For those of you who have not been able (or could not face) downloading the document I print below the proposed Licence Conditions for Distribution of Free Literature.  It made me feel sorry for the poor small businesses trying to make a crust faced with this tangle of regulation.

All licences will be subject to the following standard conditions. Licences may also be subject to specific conditions based upon the application details.

1. All staff engaged in the distribution of free literature shall wear an authorisation badge with photograph of the distributor issued by Brent Council bearing the licence number and showing the name, address and contact telephone number of the licence holder so that it is clearly visible.

2. The above authorisation shall be produced on demand to an authorised officer of the Council or other relevant agency, such as the police.

3. All staff engaged in the distribution of free literature shall wear a hi-visibility safety tabard provided by the licence holder and marked ‘Authorised Distributor’.

4. No free literature shall be left unattended by staff for the general public to take at their discretion.

5. All places in the vicinity of free literature distribution, must be kept free of discarded literature so that the area does not fall below grade B of the Government’s Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse at any time. If an authorised officer of the council judges that the standard has been breached as a consequence of the distribution of free materials, his judgement will be definitive at the time. Challenges to that assessment will only be accepted

through the formal appeal process.

6. The free literature must bear the name and address of the licence holder who is responsible for its distribution unless exemptions have been agreed by the Council.

7. Applications for consent must be made not less than 14 days before the required date for the distribution of free literature.

8. Licences will be subject to the payment of a fee to be paid at the time of the application.

9. No free literature shall be placed on, attached to, affixed to vehicles, buildings, street furniture, telephone boxes or structures.

10. No free literature which encourages irresponsible consumption of alcohol can be distributed. This includes examples of: offering free alcoholic drinks; drink vouches; discounted drink offers; all in bar offers; unduly cheap sales; happy hours and similar promotions. It is recommended that responsible promotions for alcohol carry the Drink Aware message.

11. If an authorised officer requests the consented staff to pick up discarded literature, the staff member shall do so immediately.

12. If litter is created which is in need of urgent clean up, the licence holder will be liable for the full cost of the necessary street cleaning operation.

Can you imagine the contestants on the Apprentice trying to tackle their assignments in Brent?

Seriously, have the Council the capacity and the police the time, to enforce this?

HS2 - your neighbourhood needs you

The pub, Paradise by Way of Kensal Green is at 19 Kilburn Lane, Kensal Green, W10 4AE (Harrow Road end of Kilburn Lane)

The Barnhill by-election debate

Storm clouds over Barn Hill yesterday

A week or so ago I asked my rival Labour candidate in the Barnhill by-election seven questions about his stance on a number of issues.  I have published his responses fully HERE (Under comments).  I welcome the chance to make the discussion accessible to Wembley Matters readers.

It is only fair that I put my own views on the issues forward, although as some were premised on being a member of the ruling party on the Council, they are not directly comparable.

1.This is the case with my question asking about a conflict between the interests of voters and Council policy. I can only say that as a rule Green councillors are not whipped by their Group so they have a degree of independence that does not apply to the other three parties.  There are rigorous democratic processes within the Green Party: one person one vote, twice yearly conference making policy and as in the case of deciding whether to give Ken Livingstone our second preference Mayoral vote, a full and open London Federation of Green Parties debate followed by a show of hands vote. I was attracted to the Green Party by its open democratic nature and suggest that the Brent Labour Party is much more centralist in comparison.

2. I would support a London-wide campaign of  council resistance against the cuts imposed on London boroughs by central government. The cuts are disproportionate compared with councils outside London, unfair and adversely impact on the poorest in our society. Ken Livingstone in the days of the GLC made that organisation a centre of resistance against Margaret Thatcher. He said he would lead such a campaign as London Mayor when I asked him about it at the London Federation meeting.

3. Voting against implementation of cuts if they are clearly damaging local people and the Council's capacity to offer adequate services. With more cuts in the pipeline and now expected to continue beyond 2015. If things continue as they are I  think there will come a point when it is a 'cut too far'. Brent Labour has veered between arguing that they have managed to make cuts that won't hurt people ('transformations' rather than cuts) and admitting that the cuts are bad but their hands are tied. In this way they end up doing the Coalition's dirty work for them - managing and implementing the cuts, rather than fighting them. Coupled with 2 above I would advocate Councils devising a 'needs based' budget in full detailed consultation with local people based on deciding what services are necessary to ensure the quality of life of the people of Brent. These fully costed budgets would then be the basis of the London boroughs challenging the government with Councils potentially refusing to set budgets based on inadequate funding.

4.  The Council's ignoring of the petitions signed by thousands of people on library closures and the Willesden Green Regeneration is scandalous. Worse is their refusal to table the Old Willesden Library and Willesden Bookshop petitions at any Council meeting.

5. I would like to see a thorough overhaul of the Council's consultation system which has lost the confidence of local people and is feeding a cynicism and disaffection about local politics and democratic accountability which is potentially very dangerous. I have outlined previously on this blog LINK some of the ways that consultation is misused by Brent Council.

6. I am opposed to privatisation of council run services with particular dangers posed by private companies running elder care and child protection services. Low pay, lack of training and high staff turnover would put both the elderly and vulnerable children at risk. I reject the idea that our schools need to somehow 'escape' from the 'control of the local authority'. The local authority provides support to schools and ensures that they are accountable to the electorate. Brent primary schools are now performing above the national average. We put that at risk if schools go it alone and the School Improvement Service is cut as a result.  Government funds for expanding school places should be used to build new schools of a child-friendly family size rather than expanding our present schools to accommodate more and more pupils creating impersonal institutions with inadequate play space. I am against our schools converting to academy status and believe they should remain in the democratically accountable local authority 'family of schools'. 

7. Policies -

Champion facilities for children and young people including the early completion of the much delayed Chalkhill Park and refurbishment of the BMX track and installation of a skateboarding area in St David's Close on the Chalkhill Estate.


Reopen the closed libraries and provide adequate local authority finance and professionally trained staff

Press for concerted action by the Council to improve insulation of local housing and promote energy saving measures to reduce carbon emissions and energy bills.

Support parking rules that will help the traders on Bridge Road, Grand Parade and  Preston Road attract customers and thus promote thriving small businesses and diverse high streets.

Promote partnerships between the Council, schools,  the College of North West London and developers such as Quintain to develop training, apprenticeships and jobs in the emerging environmental  technology industries.

Challenge Brent Council's damaging cuts and their sham consultations, giving  local residents a strong  independent voice in the council chamber

Protect our green spaces from development particularly Fryent Country Park and the Welsh Harp

Promote safe cycle routes, particularly from Wembley to the south of the borough which will mean finding safe ways for cyclists to cross the North Circular

Popping into the Pop Up Library

I took  two crates of books into the Barham Pop Up Library today on its first Saturday at Barham Primary School.  There was a plentiful supply of books being processed by the volunteers and many children present. The place was buzzing with a sense of purpose and determination.

Although I support volunteer libraries as an interim measure what I really want to see in the long term is the reopening of the closed libraries (they may have to be on new sites if the Council succeeds in selling any off) properly funded by the local authority and professionally staffed.

Meanwhile the community spirit that has fed the campaign against library closures was very much in evidence and really should shame the Labour councillors who supported the closures which so damage community cohesion and the life chances of our young people.

Plan to double the size of Brent Cross revived.

The Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood Development is digesting a report in yesterday's Evening Standard LINK that Hammersons,  the property developer,  has revived plans to almost double the size of the shopping centre.

The plans would add 600,000 square feet to the existing 800,000 square feet. Alarmingly the Standard suggests that the Section 73 application could be considered in a 'matter of weeks'.

Brent Green Party is a member of the Coalition.

Now Brent Council says campaigns would be exempted from Leaflet Licence scheme

Following my urgent enquiry about the proposed controls on leafleting in designated areas of the borough I have received a clarification from Michael Read, Assistant Director Environment and Protection, for Brent Council. I had asked: Could you clarify that for 'political purposes' would cover groups giving out literature with 'political'  (but non-party political) content such as anti-cuts campaigns, library campaigns etc -  so they would be exempted.

He says:

I am sorry for the delay in replying.  The exemptions including that for political purposes are not at the Council’s discretion.  They are included in the primary legislation which says:

‘(4)Nothing in this paragraph applies to the distribution of printed matter—

(a)by or on behalf of a charity within the meaning of the Charities Act 1993, where the printed matter relates to or is intended for the benefit of the charity;

(b)where the distribution is for political purposes or for the purposes of a religion or belief.’

Whilst the interpretation of the wording would ultimately be a matter for the courts, the council’s view is that the kind of issues you mention would fall within the definition of “political purposes”, would benefit from the exemption and would not need a licence.

The Brent Council press office had told the Willesden and Brent Times that the exemption applied only to 'charities, religious organisations or political parties'  (my emphasis)

This still leaves the issue of small businesses wanting to leaflet a shopping street to drum up business, such as the Windows on Willesden shops that the Council have publicised. As a Green I want to support small local businesses and recognise that the costs of a licence could be prohibitive for such start-up businesses.

Yes, litter is a problem, but so is maintaining the vibrancy of our streets and our local culture. As it is still not clear how these proposals would be enforced and by whom, I would suggest that the whole thing should be dropped.

Air pollution: video on this silent and deadly menace

From the Guardian: LINK 


Jenny Jones, the Green mayoral candidate for London, has accused mainstream political parties of lacking the political courage to tackle air pollution – despite strong evidence that it represents a major public health risk. Jones issued a broadside against the political mainstream as she battles to get London's poor air quality a hearing at mayoral hustings between now and polling day, amid evidence that a problem invisible to the naked eye is now the second biggest public health risk in Britain after smoking, and is linked to around one in five deaths a year in London.

Jones sought to push the environmental agenda at city hall when she served as deputy mayor to Ken Livingstone between 2003-2004. She is urging supporters to give the Labour candidate their second preference vote in the election. In her view Livingstone "did ignore" the problem until his second mayoral term, when he introduced the low emission zone, but she reserves her strongest criticisms for the incumbent Conservative mayor Boris Johnson, who she says "has been absolutely ignoring all the evidence" despite a report landing on his desk mid-term in his tenure that revealed 4,300 Londoners were dying prematurely because of pollution, with an average 11.5 years taken off their lives.

 Jones has repeatedly criticised the incumbent mayor over his use of pollution suppressant vehicles near air quality monitoring stations to deal with the problem in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. The trucks spray adhesive to the road surface, effectively glueing pollution to the ground. Jones said this only serves to lower the pollution measured, rather than tackling the actual problem. She added: "He's burying the problem and pretending it doesn't exist. How does he square that with his role as mayor, trying to protect Londoners and make their lives better. He's actually making their lives worse."

Other air quality campaigners have gone further, with Birkett describing the move as "public health fraud on an industrial scale". Jones has outlined some of the radical measures needed to reduce harmful pollutants by cutting traffic and getting people out of their cars. This includes raising the congestion charge from £10 to £15, slapping a £40 daily charge on "gas guzzlers", an ultra-low emission zone in central London and replacing the central congestion charge zone with a region-wide road pricing scheme after three years.

Jones, whose pledges sometimes raise eyebrows at hustings, says the Greens are not prepared to shy away from radical policies that may be seen as "politically toxic" but are the only way to clean up the problem. "Either politicians are not recognising how serious the problem is, or they are choosing not to see it, but you can't argue against it. The facts are there." She added: "Greens are not frightened to tackle politically toxic things if they feel they are important."

Airborne pollution in the form of fine particulate matter – such as PM2.5, particles of less than 2.5 micrometres – comes mostly from combustion sources, including transport, domestic and industrial sources, and aggravates respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Research shows these PM2.5s are likely to be inhaled deep into the respiratory tract and with other forms of air pollution can reduce the lung capacity of children. Air quality in the capital is the worst in the UK and also ranks among the worst in Europe, with research suggesting that up to 50,000 people die early in the UK every year as a result of air pollution.

Transport for London, which Johnson chairs, insists that trials in London and abroad have shown the effectiveness of dust suppressants in reducing particulate matter (PM10) levels . Leon Daniels, the managing director of surface transport at TfL, said: "Transport for London has always been clear that the use of dust suppressants across London is in combination with other measures to reduce harmful PM10 levels at a range of locations where we know there are higher levels of this pollutant. This is in addition to a range of longer terms, sustainable measures aiming to reduce pollution levels at source across the capital."

Britain is still facing fines of up to £300m over a repeated failure to meet key EU air quality directives since 2005, when Labour was in government and Livingstone was installed at city hall. Under the coalition government, however, there is little sign that concerted action os planned. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently claimed that the costs of meeting EU pollution targets may not match the benefits. But Jones warns politicians need to introduce the radical measures needed amid signs that the problem is worsening. Last month, pollution in London hit record levels due to a mix of weather conditions and traffic fumes, in particular from diesel cars, vans and lorries.

Jones says part of the problem is that the public don't realise the scale of the public health risks attached. "It's not like the smog of the 1950s that was really tangible. Now, the air looks quite clean but actually it's not, but people aren't seeing it. Though if you go to a high building, you can see an orange haze across the horizon and that's the pollution."

The Green party has made a six minute film to highlight the threat to people's health from poor air quality, drawing on the expertise of air quality expert, Professor Frank Kelly, of King's College London, and Simon Birkett, founder for the Campaign for Clean Air in London. Jones believes if parents understand the damage to public health, the public will be more willing to accept that a change in behaviour is necessary. Research by the Campaign for Clean Air in London has found that 1,148 schools in London are within 150 metres of roads carrying 10,000 or more vehicles per day, putting children going to these schools, and living near them, at increased risk of developing asthma, and their parents of developing heart problems.

The Green mayoral candidate, who polled just 2% in the latest survey of voting intention on May 3, wants more Green party members to be elected to the London assembly to pressure the next elected mayor to show political leadership on the issue. Jones, currently one of two Green assembly members, will also defend her assembly seat in May. She says that one of the measures that needs to be considered by the next elected mayor is simply to close roads from traffic, but admits it is tough getting the message across. "That's why it's incredibly important to have a strong assembly team because then we can speak much more loudly and get the mayor, even if it's not me, to do the right thing."

 Jones is taking part in an event organised by eco-activist group Climate Rush on Thursday evening in protest at the capital's dirty air. The event will begin outside the offices of Defra and protesters will then take over a road, calling it London's "first true clean air zone", and holding a picnic and street party.

Outrage as Brent Council plan to charge citizens for free speech

I thought a speaker at the Willesden Area Consultative Forum might have been rather exaggerating when she likened living under Brent Council rule to  living in the Soviet Union but then we read of Brent's plans to include community groups in plans to licence (and charge) distributors of free literature.  I wrote in my blog breaking news of the plans that the definition of 'political purposes' would be open to interpretation LINK. Campaigns around cuts and libraries etc are 'political' but not representing a political party. It now appears that Brent's interpretation is that exempt activities are those of political parties campaigning at election time. See Brent and Kilburn Times story LINK

So if we want to campaign against Council policies in designated areas we must seek their permission and pay a fee to do so!

Veteran activist Sarah Cox has expressed the outrage that many Brent people feel in a letter to Councillors Gladbaum, Long and Beswick:

Dear Councillors Beswick, Long and Gladbaum,

I am writing to you as my ward councillors and copying this email to Cllr Ann John as leader of the Council because I learned from the local paper that you intend to discuss on Monday a proposal to charge £175 for a license to give out leaflets in the main shopping areas of the borough with a further charge of £75 a day. This proposal, if passed, would represent an outrageous curtailment of human rights. Maybe you have been taking lessons from Uzbekistan or China. You may have been irritated by the distribution of leaflets and collection of signatures from people opposed to cuts and closures of services in the borough, but surely that is an essential part of democracy?

According to the paper, political parties, charities and religious groups will be exempted, but I often give out leaflets for bodies which do not fit any of these categories like Unite Against Fascism, the Stop the War Coalition or Brent Fightback. The cost of leaflets I am likely to give out on any day is probably twenty pounds or less, to charge £175 plus £75 a day (for each person?) is to gag all protest and free speech.

The editor of the Kilburn and Brent Times recognises the threat to democracy posed by you proposal, I am shocked and surprised that you do not. I hope someone will be allowed to speak at Monday's Council meeting to oppose this outrageous idea. I hate litter as much as anyone, but the litter I see on the streets is plastic bags, food wrappings, old clothes and mattresses, not leaflets asking people to protest against library closures, fascism and war.

I hope to hear from you that you will be voting against this proposal.

Green's policy on air pollution menace

London recently

 Air pollution is in the news again this week with Neasden Neighbourhood Watch calling for action after Neasden hit the 32 air pollution 'Bad Days' a year threshold.


 The Green Party's 8 points on air pollution are:

1. We will make sure that air pollution is monitored in the right places, and publicise bad results widely, particularly to vulnerable people such as children and the elderly as part of a campaign to improve the public's understanding of the problem.
2. We will require all schools, retirement homes and care homes to develop air quality action plans that lower pollution in their local area and protect children and residents during bad air episodes.
3. We will tighten up the Low Emission Zone standards and make sure they are properly enforced through vehicle checks, with a new ban on idling for parked vehicles. Introduce a Very Low Emission Zone in central London to exclude all but the cleanest vehicles.
4. We will retrofit all buses immediately if the technology is shown to work, and make sure that all new buses are low emission hybrid, hydrogen or electric models within one year of being elected, and that the entire fleet runs on this technology by 2016.
5. We will introduce a pay-as-you-drive scheme, to encourage people out of their cars, and provide the necessary investment in London's public transport infrastructure.
6. We will buy a fleet of low emission taxis for drivers to rent if they can't afford to buy one, and set-up a clean vehicle fund with low cost loans for small and medium sized businesses to replace dirty vehicles with electric equivalents, offering them a discount on pay-as- you-go driving charges so it is cost neutral.
7. We will work with the Government and Network Rail to reduce emissions from trains and planes. Push for the closure of City Airport, and convert it into the first Community Enterprise Zone. We will lobby to ban night flights over London.
8. We will ensure all planning applications are air quality neutral, and require new developments to reduce air pollution in the most heavily polluted areas.

Championing the people of Barnhill ward

In response to requests from readers here is my leaflet for the Barnhill by-election:

Willesden Green issue remains on the boil

Robin Willow caught the public mood tonight when he thundered, 'Who owns Fryent Country Park? Is it the Council? No, it is us the people?  Whose are the trees in Carlton Vale that have been chopped down by the Council? Not the Council's, they are ours - our heritage."

Turning to the platform at the Willesden Area Consultative Forum he said, "The Old Victorian Library belongs to the people of Willesden, not the Council. It is part of our heritage and you haven't the right to take it away from us."

Robin had heard a rumour that Brent Council  were trying to overturn the covenants on Fryent Country Park in order to build on it but that was later denied by Richard Barrett leader  of the increasingly powerful Regeneration and Major Projects Department - and he should know.

However the fact that it is now possible to suspect Brent Council of planning such a move is indicative of the lack of trust residents now have following recent machinations over library closures and other issues.

Speaking about the Willesden Green Library regeneration Elizabeth Proud said that if people wanted to comment on more that cosmetic details of the proposals they were effectively told to 'shut up'. She spoke about the loss of open space, the Victorian Library building and the reduced size of a replacement building that looked like an airport building or a warehouse: 'We know an eyesore when we see one'.

Indeed when Beth Kay and Richard Barrett presented the revised plans the building looked worse than in the earlier artist's impression and there were little more than cosmetic changes to the internal layout and the floor plan. There was slightly more space between the building and the High Road and an indication that the cafe area might include retail space, that 'could' be a bookshop, but would be let at market rates.

One resident said that the plans had been underhand and imposed on residents. The Victorian Library and the open space were the heart of Willesden. She claimed the Council had deliberately run down the cafe and cinema and the 80s library had only been refurbished 5 years ago. She said that the way the Council had behaved was more like something from the old Soviet Union.

She was followed by a woman who said that the Victorian Library and open space were the heart of Willesden and in  response to Richard Barrett's claim that the landmark Victorian Library would be replaced by a new landmark building, the Cultural Centre, she said something that looks like a circus marquee will never be a landmark building. Warming to her theme she said that in removing the open space the Council were not getting rid of anti-social behaviour but of social behaviour it was a space where people could congregate and mix in all their diversity and one where people new to the area could observe local life and feel part of the community. The  Neighbourhood  Bulletin from Brent ward working had said that (contrary to the Council's claim that the space encouraged ant-social behaviour)  'the area outside Willesden Green library is no longer a haven for anyone causing anti-social behaviour' because 'a dispersal order is now in place...'

She said that the real failure had been one of 'management and marketing' and the problem could have been solved with a proper management plan.

In a corrective to the presenters' statement that local councillors had been consulted, Liberal Democrat councillor Gavin Sneddon said that they had warned officers that demolition of the Victorian Library would be controversial and that his colleague Ann Hunter had asked for two plans, one with the Victorian building and one without. The decision to proceed with the plan for demolition did not involve local councillors.

A potential bombshell was partially revealed when Richard Barrett  said that he understood that local historian Phil Grant had been in contact with the Secretary of State for Communities over whether Brent Council was the appropriate body to make the planning decision. Brent Council thought they were but would find out more. Phil said that the issue revolved around Conservation Area consent which would involve Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State, and predicted that the Council would not have a smooth ride with its planning application . He called for no amenities to be closed until full planning consent had been obtained.

No member of the public spoke in favour of the proposals, if anything the opposition has broadened and deepened.

Brent to charge for licenced leaflet distribution in designated streets

Brent Council is seeking approval for new powers to restrict the distribution of leaflets, flyers, free newspapers and other materials on Brent's streets ahead of the Olympics.

They see this as reducing litter and nuisance and state that  it does not include materials promoting charities or for religious or political purposes.  I can see that there may be problems of definition here.

There are three parts to the plans:

1. Designating particular areas or streets where it will apply
2. A licensing process with a list of charges
3. An enforcement system.

1. The proposed designated areas are:

Kilburn/Cricklewood – Kilburn High Road, Shoot-Up Hill, Cricklewood Broadway, Willesden Lane

Willesden/Harlesden – High Road (Willesden), Walm Lane, Craven Park Road, High Street (Harlesden), Dudden Hill Lane, Station Road (Harlesden).

Wembley – Bridge Road, Wembley Hill Road, Wembley Park Drive, Park Lane, Empire Way, South Way, Rutherford Way, Engineers Way, Olympic Way, Fulton Road, Brook Avenue, Great Central Way, First

Way, Fourth Way, Fifth Way, High Road, Harrow Road, St John’s Road, Lancelot Road, Ealing Road, Ecclestone Place, London Road, Dagmar Avenue, Linden Avenue, Mostyn Avenue

Kingsbury/Kenton/Edgware – Kenton Road, Kingsbury Road, Edgware Road

2. The licences will be subject to:

 

1. An application fee of £175 to cover administrative and part enforcement cost;
2. A £75 re-submission fee will be applied to cover administrative cost.
3. A discount of £25 will be applied to applicants that apply and pay online.
4. The discount is applicable to both applications and resubmissions
5. A fee for each distributor employed for each day of £75 except where the distribution takes place after 1800 hours or before 0800 hours where the fee will be £100 per distributor per day, or for Sundays and bank holidays where the fee will be £165 per distributor per day. 

The licence may be limited by:

 

1. Reference to the material to be distributed;
2. Reference to a particular period, or particular times or dates;
3. .Reference to any part of the designated area/road; or particular distribution

3. Enforcement

It will be a criminal offence to distribute materials in designated areas without a licence and material can be seized. The definition of distribution includes on vehicles and in telephone boxes. Fines will not exceed £2,500.  However it is unclear how, and by whom, this new law would be enforced and the alcohol ban enforcement problem is not a good precedent. 

The proposal will be discussed at the Council Executive on Monday.

More primary schools to get bigger

The Brent Executive is will approve the expansion of three Brent Primary schools on Monday.

Barham Primary in Wembley will expand one form of entry, moving from a total of 630 pupils Reception to Year 6 to 840 at a cost of £4.8m.

Fryent Primary in Kingsbury  will double in size from 420 to 840 pupils at a cost of £8.3m

Michell Brook Primary in Neasden will expand from 420 places to 630 at a cost of £3.8m

Brent Council says all three are 'popular and high performing schools'.

A decision on the expansion of Furness in Harlesden has been postponed until a new headteacher has been appointed.

It is not clear from the documentation whether the amount of outdoor play space has been reduced as a result, noting only that it has been 'reconfigured'.

Shakespeare gets behind libraries campaign

If you are nifty on your feet on Monday you will be able to attend the Town Hall demonstration and this event organised by the Save Preston Library Campaign.

Will Brent Council dismiss thousands more petitioners?

The Keep Willesden Green Campaign will present a petition of more than 3,500 names to the Brent Executive on Monday calling on them to Stop, Listen and Reflect on the Willesden Green Library redevelopment.

Supporters of the petition should arrive at the Town Hall around 6.45pm and bring banners and placards to persuade the wholly Labour Executive to act on this petition which is the third on the issue.

At present the Council has not tabled a report for the Executive dealing with the issues raised by the petitioners.

The petition consists of 331 names on the e-petiiton, 3,108 on the paper version and 170 names from Queens Park Community School.

Keep Willesden Green supporters will also be at the Willesden area Forum this evening where the redevelopment is on the agenda. The Forum starts at 7pm at the College of North West London, Denzil Road.

Jenny Jones gets Wembley talking about the need for change

With Jenny Jones in Wembley High Road this morning

Despite the April showers (normal seasonal weather at last!) Jenny Jones got a warm reception when she campaigned in Wembley High Road this morning. Many locals recognised her from recent TV appearances and were keen to stop and tell what they think about local and London issues.

Two parents of former pupils of mine stopped to say, 'We must get rid of this government. They have no idea of how people like us live. They are doing so much damage'.  Younger people wanted to talk about the EMA and tuition fees and the cloud hanging over their futures.

Among the reporters and cameramen there were a team from BBC London News and Jenny (and Wembley) will be on that tomorrow evening at 6pm.

Our Green mayoral candidate was particularly keen to talk about the environment and how she  wants to make London lead the word in addressing climate change, reducing waste and securing a shared future.

She promised to help Londoners in four key areas:

• Making sure food waste is collected on a weekly basis
• Working with boroughs and central government to make sure all Londoners canm recycle in the same way
• Working with central government to ban carrier bags. reduce unnecessary packaging and use more recyclable and biodegradable materials
• Rolling out the RE:NEW home insulation programme to over a million homes
• Expand the RE:FIT workplace refurbishment programme to cover small and medium sized businesses

Brent homelessness on the rise and worse to come

The extent of Brent's housing crisis is set out in stark terms in a report going before the Council Executive on April 23rd. LINK

Brent Council is expecting to receive 440 homeless applications in the final quarter of this year, the highest since 2007-8.  The rise in demand follows government changes in the Local Housing Allowance which caps the maximum payable for different sizes of accommodation.

While some landlords have accepted a decrease in rental income as a result, others have not and are have evicted tenants; withdrawing from the market or letting to other types of households.

Total current demand on the Housing Register, including homeless households in temporary accommodation and the Transfer list is just over 18.500 households.  In contrast the Council expects only 871 lettings into permanent housing tenancies (Council and Housing Association) by the end of 2011-12. At the end of February 2012 there was a total of 3,136 households in temporary accommodation and this is expected to rise. At the same time the amount of subsidy  the Council receives from central government for self-contained temporary accommodation has been capped and the Council has to meet any shortfall.  The Council has hitherto sought to provide such accommodation within the borough but to minimise costs there has been an increase in out of borough placements, particularly for larger households. Between February 2012 and March 2012 out of borough placements rose from 104 to 120 and the figure is forecast to rise significantly in the future.

As a result of these pressures Executive members are being asked to approve letting projections based on different demand groups. (Appendix D) of the document.

The report assesses the likely impact of the Overall Benefit Cap. The Department of Work and Pensions forecast that in Brent around 3,500 households would be affected. Brent initially though that larger households in the private sector would affected but having worked through some examples they think it wlil be smaller households. For example a couple with three children living in the south of Brent in a 3 bedroomed property could have a £100 weekly shortfall in their housing benefit.

The Council's revised 2011-12 budget for expenditure on temporary accommodation is £2,306,000 which includes a housing benefit subsidy budget loss of £500,000.  As a result of the pressures outlined officers are now forecasting an overspend in the current financial year of £354,000. The temporary accommodation budget for 2012-13 is £3,440,000 in order to mange cost pressures and increased demand. Although the Council expects to break even they state: 'there continue to be significant risks attached to the Council's ability to control demand led pressures..while ensuring statutory duties are met'.

Seven questions for Michael Pavey

A couple of weeks ago, one of Barnhill's Labour councillors stopped me outside the Town Hall to urge me to join the Labour Party.  I told him that I had left the Labour Party 47 years ago  and couldn't rejoin as I still had some socialist principles. He told me that I was wasting my time with the Greens and should join up so I could help change local Labour from within.

I am afraid I guffawed.

There are decent people in Brent Labour Party, and I count some of them as friends, but I don't respect the lack of democracy that is evident in their policy making and decision making. With an all powerful leader, acquiescent Executive, backbenchers limited to ward working and a browbeaten rank and file membership, the party has become separated from ordinary people.

Michael Pavey, Labour's candidate for Barnhill, dropped me a friendly note earlier this week and I am sure that he is a fine fellow: 'I think most people who have dealt with me, think I'm a pretty straight sort of guy and I am..' as Tony Blair said. Having talked to councillors from various parties I recognise that most of them started out as local community activists who wanted to see improvements in their area. Often the choice of party when they decided to stand for the Council was almost incidental, depending on who they bumped into and who asked them, but it is what happens once they are elected that concerns me.


Cllr Ann Hunter remarked recently that she put her ward before party and it is clear that she has had her disagreements with the Lib Dem leadership, and was of course a Labour councillor until she resigned from Labour over Iraq.  She said this openly while some backbench Labour councillors have let it be known privately that they are opposed to library closures and some of the other council  cuts, and there are persistent rumours that in the Executive George Crane has his reservations and Jim Moher is more aware of the contradictions than many.


Despite all this, not one Labour councillor, Executive or backbencher, has come out openly to question any of the policies apart from Cllr Claudia Hector who made her opposition to the demolition of the Old Willesden Library public in a message to the Keep Willesden Green public meeting.  Once enmeshed in the part machine the activist becomes another rubber stamping, silent and privately resentful, automaton.


So given all that I have some basic questions for Michael Pavey:


1. If he is elected, what will he do if there is a clear difference between the interests of people in Barnhill and a particular Council policy?


2. Will he urge his fellow Labour councillors to initiate a London wide Labour Council resistance against the cuts demanded by the Coalition government?


3. If this does not happen and the cuts are clearly damaging local people, at what point will he vote against implementation?


4. Does he support the way Brent Council has ignored the thousands of people opposed to its library closure programme and more recently the regeneration of Willesden Green Library?

5. What will he do to restore the credibility of Brent's consultation system, criticised by many residents, campaigning  groups and our respected local newspaper?

6. Where does he stand on privatisation of council services, council sponsorship of a free school and academy conversions?

7.. What are his policies for Brent Council action (apart from support for the 'back to work scheme'.)  Like the Labour candidate in Wembley Central his literature only refers to GLA and Government issues, and not to what Brent Council have done or will do.

I snogged Ken 20 years ago but I've gone off him now...

It's funny the comments you get when campaigning.  The one above  came from a woman at Kensal Green station last week who had been put off by the male boorishness of both Livingstone and Johnson.  We went on to sensibly discuss the merits of Jenny Jones as a possible deputy mayor to Ken Livingstone.   People vote for all sorts of reasons but the mayoral contest does seem to keep coming back to personalities rather than policies.

The candidate's personal foibles can become an issue.  My mother was keen on Ken as a 'good old Londoner' and  had  a signed photograph of him on her bookcase but she went  'off him' for six months or so when he suggested 'If it's yellow let it mellow - if it's brown flush it down' as part of a campaign to save water! 'Disgusting man!'

Speaking to people last week Jenny does seem to be making progress as people get bored and irritated by the other two and she is seen as being sensible and constructive in contrast. Her intervention on candidates' income tax has won many accolades and generally she is seen as having cut through Boris's bluster with cool facts and observations a number of times.

Jenny is expected to be in Wembley on Wednesday of next week. Do come and talk to her if you can. Full details when I have them.

Barham Pop Up Library to open on Saturday

Friends of Barham Library will be opening a Volunteer POP UP Library on Saturday 21 April 2012 in a former nursery building next to Barham Primary School in Danethorpe Road Wembley.

Barham Library situated in the popular Barham Park is one of the 6 libraries closed by Brent Council last October. The friends of Barham Library have been campaigning ever since to get the Library reopened and have offered to run it with the help of volunteers and through fund raising effort. Brent Council have kept the former library building empty for over 6 months and have so far refused access to local volunteers.

According to Francis Henry, from Friends of Barham Library as over half of Barham Library's active users were young people under 19 years of age it is the local youngsters who have been hurt most by the closure.

Although the Volunteer Library will serve the whole community irrespective of age and background it the loss of a library for young people in particular that is the driving force behind Friends of Barham Library determination to get their library back. It is planned to operate the Saturday Library from Saturday 21 April 2012 until the end of July 2012.

"Barham Library was originally opened on 31 May 1952 and just like the Queen the Library is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year. Opening a Volunteer run Saturday Library next to a local school of helping to provide a much needed library service for local people" says Francis Henry who lives in Sudbury with his family.

Local people are being urged to show their support by coming to the opening of the Barham Volunteer Library on Saturday 21 April based in the old Nursery Building next to Barham Primary School accessed through the school entrance in Danethorpe Road Wembley. The library will be open between 10:30am and 2:30pm. on its opening day.

Friends of Barham Library are also urging local people to help by becoming volunteers, donating books, DVDs and CDs and by helping to fund raise.

Meanwhile the Independent has a story on pop up libraries elsewhere LINK

Getting Brent Youth Parliament involved in climate change issue

BCACC supporters - I am in disguise!

 In my role as Chair of Brent Campaign Against Climate Change I went with Jeff Bartley of Brent Council to talk to the Youth Parliament.

Along with the College of North West London we are planning a Conference on Climate Change for 6th formers and college students. The Conference will take place in March 2013 and we  want to get young people involved in the planning.  It is essential that we have their ideas at an early stage so that the Conference is participative and involving and based on young peoples' concerns.

I introduced the idea and Jeff gave a PowerPoint presentation on the plans so far. BYP members expressed support for a debate to be included in the day and like the idea of  hands on experience with green technologies. Younger members aged 11 and 12 had plenty of comments and contributions as well as their older colleagues and some fundamental questions were asked including 'Is the aim to prevent climate change or deal with its impact?' and 'What has careers advice got to do with climate change?' 

We hope to work on a separate event for primary schools to take place in Autumn this year.

Years ago I was involved in the group which set up the Youth Parliament and so it was good to see it in action. The Parliament reflected Brent's diversity but girls predominated today - perhaps because of the football match happening just down the road at the same time!

Wembley drinking ban unenforceable

 

The ban on public drinking of alcohol for this weekend's semi-finals proved difficult to enforce today in Bridge Road, Wembley.

At 11.30am fans were openly drinking on the street and I asked several police officers what was happening with the ban.

One officer said that they could not possibly enforce it but could try and limit it to certain areas, so drinking was going ahead on the shops side of Bridge Road, where the crowds were, but the ban was being enforced on the Ark Academy side where mainly locals were walking to avoid the fans.

Bridge Road, railway bridge

On the railway bridge officers stood by while drinking carried on but further down the road two officers were making fans pour the contents of their cans onto the pavement.

An officer told me that the Council could pass all the laws they like but it was 'impossible' to enforce with so many fans drinking.  A more senior officer said that it was crazy that drinking was banned on the pavements which belonged to Brent Council but allowed on Olympic Way which was privately owned. He said that it risked confrontation to make someone empty a drink on the bridge pavement, while below fans were openly drinking on the approach to the stadium.

When I remarked that it seemed quiet and peaceful at present, he said the real test would be after the match. Meanwhile fans were leaving the area to claim their seats in the stadium and left their public drinking evidence behind.

Another perspective was provided by a shopkeeper who said that his business had been affected by the ban. He relied on pre-match drinks sales for revenue to keep his business afloat and said because of the ban and the parking restrictions he was thinking of closing. Shops were told to close their off-licences one hour before the match.

The shopkeeper was particularly incensed that ASDA around the corner was able to continue selling alcohol. He felt that the street drinking ban was introduced by Brent Council at the behest of Wembley Stadium where drinks are sold at exorbitant prices.

Missing Lib Dems: cock-up, cop-out or conspiracy?

Despite queries from our assiduous local newspaper reporters, we still don't know why the Lib Dems aren't standing in the Barnhill by-election on May 3rd.

Greens will be pleased though as the failure of Lib Dems to stand will mean that several forests will be saved given the usual scale of their leafleting in by-elections.

Perhaps they realise that they have contributed to a rise in Brent Council's recycling rates through their Wembley Central and Dollis Hill campaigns and no longer want to contribute to Cllr Powney's PR offensive.

If anyone out there knows more about this political mystery please drop us an e-mail or comment below.

Brent Council pension deficit per head highest in England claim Taxpayers' Alliance

The right-wing pressure group, Taxpayers' Alliance, as part of their campaign against 'too generous' local government pensions, has today listed the pension deficit for local councils.

Brent Council has one of the largest deficits per head of population according to their figures:

Top 10 deficits per head

Merthyr Tydfil, £2,268
Brent £2,267
Rhondda, Cyon, Taff £2,063
Gateshead, £2,040
Neath Port Talbot, £2,001
Hackney, £1,931
Hammersmith and Fulham, £1,899
Newham, £1,718
Blaenau Gwent, £1,708
Lambeth, £1,660


LINK

London Greens launch 2012 Manifesto

Green Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones today unveiled the party’s manifesto for the 2012 London elections.

Joined by fellow Assembly Member Darren Johnson and other top candidates from the Party’s London-wide list, Jones set out their vision for a Green London that acts as a model for the world in addressing climate change; a city more equal, healthy and affordable for everyone.

Shahrar Ali is the Green Party's candidate for the Brent and Harrown assembly seat.

Jenny Jones said: “A Green London will be a model for the world in addressing climate change, a city more equal, healthy and affordable for everyone.

“London needs a strong Green voice. We must cut our carbon emissions and be more responsible global citizens. We must protect green spaces, create jobs and look for creative solutions to the massive shortage of affordable housing.

“By voting to elect more Green Assembly Members under the proportional system, Londoners can really make the difference this year.”

The manifesto includes five key promises:

1.   Cutting fares and reducing traffic—ensuring public transport is always cheaper than driving and        cleaning up London’s polluted air.

2.   Improving green spares and the environment—giving everyone access to nature and generating clean energy from waste.

3.   Making housing more affordable—refurbishing a million homes and stabilising rent levels.

4.   Reducing the gap between rich and poor—offering a job or apprenticeship to all young Londoners and creating a Fair Pay Mark for companies who reduce pay inequality

5.   Rebuilding trust in policing—put more officers on the beat and stopping the cuts to back office staff.

Wembley Matters passes 100,000 hits threshold

Earlier today this blog had its 100,000th page view.-  another milestone for this local news and campaigning website.

Many thanks to everyone who visits and especially those who participate by adding comments.

Martin

If Brent Council can't keep our streets clean, what can they do?

Barnhill Road, near Lidl

Out and about leafleting and canvassing in the Preston Road area of Barnhill ward and on Chalkhill this morning it is clear that after library closures and general frustration over Brent Council's poor consultation record, dirty streets is a big issue. Street sweeping was cut last year LINK and when Brent Fightback organised a petition to get the cuts reinstated we were told that residents would not notice any difference,

'If they can't keep our streets clean, what use are they?' seems to be the general view. Of course the public are to blame for dumping rubbish in the first place but the council has an enforcement and a preventative role. On 'The Avenue' I spoke to one man who was using a litter picker to pick up cans, plastic bottles, vodka bottles and crisp packets from his front garden. They had all been discarded by people sitting on his garden wall waiting at the bus stop. He said he had repeatedly asked the council to install a rubbish bin there but to no avail. A simple solution.

On Chalkhill I was struck by the contrast between the cleanliness of common areas within the 'Science blocks' and the street. Metropolitan Housing Association and Pinnacle are clearly doing a good job. Outside as the pictures show Brent Council and Veolia are not:

'Flower beds' on Wembley ASDA's perimeter

The Chalkhill Park site

Chalkhill Road

Corner of Chalkhill Road and Bridge Road

On the Town Hall doorstep at King's Drive

The contract for waste management in Brent comes up for renewal in 2014 and should go out to tender soon. Will it be possible for the bidding contractors to meet the necessary standards of street cleanliness on the reduced budget Brent Council will give them?

Brent gets £30.9m for additional school places

Brent Council is due to get the largest share of the £600m allocated in the autumn statement for provision of additional school places. London gets the bulk of the money because it faces the greatest pressure.

Brent gets £30.9m for 2012-13 which will be very welcome but it will need to be spent wisely.  I am now hearing quite a few reservations about recent school expansions and the resultant loss of play space and other amenities such as assembly halls and school libraries. There is also concern that 'super' primaries of 800 plus pupils while providing additional places, are not conducive to the family centred primary school ethos.

What would be best in my view is construction of new local authority community schools in the areas of greatest need but it is unclear whether the Council will feel able to do this in the face of government pressure for new schools to be academies of free schools.

LINK to allocations

CAMDEN SHOWS THE WAY?

Shortly after I posted this I read Camden councillor Mike Katz's letter in this week's  Brent and Kilburn Times. Headed 'New primary school needed to tackle places shortage' he says that bulge classes are a short-term fix and what is needed, in Camden's case. a new school: 'Labour will continue to back parents and ensure the council delivers on its aspiration of a new school for NW6'.

Let's see similar aspirations for Brent. What news is there of a possible new primary school in Fulton Road, Wembley?