Will the Wembley luxury flat bubble burst?

Wembley Park from Barn Hill this morning

Few local people are able to buy or rent the luxury flats that are being thrown up by Quintain and other developers in Wembley Park and it now looks doubtful if overseas investors will be interested.

Morgan Stanley warned this week that  prices of upmarket London flats could fall by as much as 20% this year reflecting the impact of stamp duty increases on buy-to-let homes, a weaker global economy and Brexit fears.

The Evening Standard quoted Trevor Abrahamson, head of Gentree International:

Asian buyers - from Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and China - are walking away from their commitments to buy properties in, for instance, east London and None Elms. They would rather lose 10% than complete for purchase and lose a lot more, even before the developments are complete. The changes to buy to let is the 'straw that broke the camel's back.'

In pockets of London's newly developed areas, where there is a lot of speculative developments, the outcome could quickly turn nasty with buyers drying up, developers having to cut prices and investors dumping their newly acquired flats before construction of them has finished.

The area around Wembley Stadium is rapidly looking like a jumble of unchecked, speculative development rather than the pastel shaded mixture of homes and parks pictured in consultation documents of yesteryear. Dominated by rabbit hutch flats with high spec kitchens, private student accommodation and hotels, the regeneration is beginning to look high risk.

Coincidentally  RIBA have published a study of 'rabbit hutch' homes and concluded:

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Based on our sample, the average new home in England is only 92% of the recommended minimum size.

The average one bedroom home from our sample of 1,159 homes across 41 sites
is 46 sqm. It is 4 sqm short of the recommended minimum for a single storey, one bedroom home for two residents.

4 sqm is just a number. But in lifestyle terms it means...
The equivalent of a single bed, a bedside table and a dressing table with a stool.

3 sqm is the equivalent of a 3 seat sofa and a desk and chair.

4 sqm is the space that allows you to work at home at the computer in the day and also have an extra sofa when you’ve got friends round in the evening. 4 sqm might not sound like much but it could make everyday life a lot more comfortable.

The average three bedroom home from our sample of 3,418 homes across 71 sites
is 88 sqm. It is 8 sqm short of the recommended minimum for a two storey, three bedroom home for five residents.

8 sqm is just a number. But in lifestyle terms it means...
The equivalent of a single bedroom and the furniture you’d expect to t comfortably within it. 7 sqm is the equivalent of a galley kitchen and a coffee table. 8 sqm is the single bedroom you’re missing. It’s the space for a new arrival to the family, the space that means the kids have a room of their own or a spare room for a guest to stay over. It’s the space that could take the kitchen out of the lounge and the sounds
a and smells that go with it.

Brent Youth Parliament elects new officers

From Brent Council

Members of Brent Youth Parliament (BYP) which represents almost 75,000 young people elected their new leadership team recently.

The new executive was elected after speeches and voting among all 72 young people who are members of the parliament, representing their school, youth group and organisation.

The new executive for 2016 are:

• Leesha Varsani – Chair
• Najib Rahman – Deputy Chair
• Shivani Trivedi – Media Representative

In addition, Dilan Dattani was elected as Brent's UK Youth Parliament representative and Jai Patel as deputy representative.

Leesha, who is a sixth-former at Alperton Community school, said:

I want to make sure we are the voice of young people in the borough and that our views are heard among councillors. There are many important issues facing young people and I want to make sure BYP has an impact.

BYP was founded in 2007 and is made up of young people aged from 10 to 19 years old, from all walks of life. It works with the local authority and its elected members to improve services for young people and represent their views.

For more information please email byp@brent.gov.uk.

Defending the Council's role in allotment management

I could only attend the first half of last night's consultation  meeting on self-management of allotments. My impression by the time I left was that the majority of the large audience of allotment holders was sceptical about such a scheme - although that might have been changed by later presentations.

Council officers made it clear from the beginning that the consultation did not constitute a recommendation for allotments to be self-managed, 'nor is there a requirement to do so.'

Despite persuasive speeches from  Richard King of Barnet Allotment Federation and Richard Wiltshire of the National Allotment Society (there were other speakers later) the Q&A sessions revealed problems, not least (although it was said to be only a few hours a week), the amount of work involved in self-management (budgeting, managing lettings, rent collection, bank account, public liability insurance, dispute management) seemed daunting. 'We just want to get on with gardening' someone muttered.

The self-managed Allotment Association would take over maintenance of trees, paths, fencing and water and the question immediately arose of the inequality between allotment sites where some would face flooding problems or contain a large number of mature trees that would require maintenance.

Such inequalities would require such allotments to put up rents in order to have a fund to cover major expenditure while others would require less of a contingency and so would have lower rents. A response that there would need to be a 'levelling off' between sites  before they were handed over to Associations was not very convincing.

The audience were not much impressed by the guest speakers revelation that self-management had increased rents and that this was justified by the new freedom they had to improve the allotment.

Speakers from the audience suggested there was a need for an overall body to manage cross-borough waiting list rather than each independent self-managed site to have its own waiting list.

The argument, particularly from Barnet, that self-management was preferable to poor council management ('Easy Council' Barnet wants to get rid of everything anyway) was not in general favourable received, with  praise for the work of the current Allotments Officer, in allotment management, training, promoting organic gardening and sustainability and the overall Council food growing strategy,  despite more general criticisms of the Council.

Brent has 22 allotment sites, only one of which is currently self-managed, with the 21 managed by the Food Growing and Allotments Officer. At the end of January 2016 there were 1,064 plots of which 1,029 were let and a waiting list of 201 individuals.

Officers did refer to the Council's need to make savings and the possibility of budget cuts in the service but also stated that there were no plans to sell off sites to developers.

The legal position is that Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 puts the Council under a duty to provide a sufficient number of allotments with powers to improve, maintain and manage allotments. However, he legislation does not set minimum standards and these powers are discretionary - not a duty: 'Each individual authority can decide how to use these powers and what proportion of its resources to allocate to the service.'

The proponents of self-management quoted this as a reason to opt for self-management as it would be easier to defend allotment provision if it was self-financing.

The almost forgotten 'Big Society' was quoted.

Brent Uncut (if only!) event on March 12th

At the Green Party Conference there was a discussion on whether we could work as part of a 'progressive alliance with the Labour Party. Opinions and experiences were mixed with some claiming that although Momentum had come out of the Corbyn leadership campaign it was little more than an election machine for the Labour Party who would back any Labour candidate, regardless of whether they supported anti-austerity or Corbyn, as a defeat would be seen as a blow for Corbyn.  I hope to post a video of the discussion later.

Meanwhile Brent Momentum has sent out the following invitation. Brent Momentum's event is called Brent Uncut, although of course Brent Labour Council has cut local services to the bone as a consequence of central government slashing local governnment finances. I  would be interested in any comments you wish to make.

What would Brent look like without austerity? Brent Momentum with Brent Trades Council and Brent Fightback presents Brent Uncut: Fighting Austerity for a Better Borough. Come along for a day of workshops and discussions, with:

Shelly Asquith (National Union of Students), Melissa Benn (journalist, writer, campaigner), Dawn Butler MP,  Muhammed Butt (Leader, Brent Council) and Michael Pavey (Dep Leader, Brent Council).

Participate in workshops on: education, transport, health, energy/climate, housing, PREVENT, welfare/disability and culture.

Brent Uncut will be held from 10 - 4 pm on Saturday 12 March 2016 at  Neasden Methodist Church, Neasden Lane North, NW10 0AF.

Please sign up and share via Facebook.

You don't need to be an expert or have been to events like this before. Everybody has great ideas and contributions to make for how we can improve our local area. Come along and be part of the movement for a more democratic, equal and decent society.

In solidarity,

Team Momentum

Where places are available in Brent secondary schools after September 2016 offers

Yesterday was 'offer day' in Brent for Year 6 children to hear news of whether their applications for a secondary school place for September 2016 had been successful. Children who applied by post, rather than electronically, will receive a response today or tomorrow.

The full quota has been filled by most Brent secondary schools with Ark Elvin (formerly Copland), Crest Academy and Newman Catholic College (boys only) having vacancies or small waiting lists.

The table below gives details of how the places were allocated and is worth studying in terms of equal opportunities. Is there an equal distribution of children with special educational needs? What is the impact of 'feeder primary schools' for children from primary schools without such links? What proportion of places go to children with siblings already at the secondary school? How many places were offered to current Year 6 children at the two 'all through' (containing both primary and secondary schools) Preston Manor and Ark Academy (Wembley Park).

There is a continuing imbalance  of school provision between north and south Brent which will be worsened if the proposal for a new North Brent secondary free school goes ahead and if the proposed Gladstone Secondary Free School continues to fail to find premises.

The plight of children who are only children or the oldest in the family (ie no sibling connection), who do not attend a feeder school or the primary department of an all through school, without SEN and who live some distance from their desired school is particularly concerning.

Guidance for parents who are not happy with their school place allocation is available on the Brent Council website HERE

Grunwick Crowdfunder now open - commemorate 40 years since this epic strike

Greens call for arms embargo against Saudi Arabia

Greens in the European Parliament  today call for an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia in the wake of serious allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law by the country in Yemen.

Ahead of the vote in the Parliament today, Greens have put forward a motion condemning the Saudi Arabian-led coalition airstrikes against Yemen; calling for a halt to military confrontation and expressing deep concern that some Member States are still supplying arms to Saudi Arabia in breach of EU arms exports rules. Greens also say that ongoing licensing and direct military training by EU Member States should be considered complicity in war crimes.

Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West, slated the UK government for initiating a secret deal with Saudi Arabia to ensure both states were elected to the UN human rights council and for being the largest arms supplier to the region since 2010; export licences to the kingdom under the coalition government of 2010-2015 totalled nearly £4bn. She said:

It is barbaric and totally immoral that we supply military equipment to a regime engaged in war crimes. Clearly Cameron sees the vested interests of the UK arms industry as more important than the lives of innocent children in Yemen. As for Saudi Arabia chairing the UN human rights council, this is an outrage that insults the many thousands of women, minorities and dissidents who have had their rights abused at the hands of this oppressive regime.

See also a full response to constituents who have contacted Molly regarding the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.

Disabled children miss out on play opportunities - call for action

Last year Brent Council removed the funding from Stonebridge Adventure Playground and demolished it.  The playground had been the site of integrated play facilities for disabled and non-disabled children.

This report makes the case for play.

A report by the national deafblind charity, Sense, reveals the severe restrictions facing disabled children in accessing play. The report identifies failings at every level that result in disabled children missing out on play opportunities that are vital to their emotional, social and physical  development. A lack of attention by government, insufficient funding at a local level and negative attitudes towards disabled children and their families are all barriers highlighted in the report.

The report calls for urgent action to address these inequalities and to enable the Prime Minister to deliver on his recent call to improve the “life chances” of all children.
 
The report follows a three month public inquiry into the provision of play opportunities for disabled children aged 0-5 with multiple needs in England and Wales. Chaired by former Secretary of State for Education and Employment, Lord Blunkett, the inquiry was established in response to parents’ concern that they had fewer opportunities to access play services and settings than families with non-disabled children.

Chair of the Play Inquiry, Lord Blunkett, said:

We know that play is vitally important for children with multiple needs and their families, bringing a wide range of developmental and emotional benefits. However, our inquiry found that all too often the parents of children with multiple-needs point to barriers they face in accessing and enjoying play. It means that disabled children don’t have the same chance to form friendships, and parents are prevented from taking a break from caring. Both disabled children and their parents are excluded from their own communities.
 
I know that there is strong support across the political spectrum for addressing the findings of this report, and I look forward to working with colleagues from all parties to achieve real change for parents and families across the nation.

 Key findings from the report:

92% of parents felt that their child did not have the same opportunities to play as their non-disabled peers, and 81% of parents reported difficulties in accessing mainstream play groups and local play opportunities.

·         51% of children had been turned away from play settings by providers, failing to meet their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.

·         95% of parents said that parents of children with multiple-needs require support to find ways to play with their children.

Majority of parents had experienced negative attitudes towards their child from other parents and most considered this to be the most significant barrier to accessing mainstream play.

·         40% of parents said that additional financial costs was a major barrier to accessing play opportunities

63% of parents said they didn’t have enough information on accessible play opportunities in their area, and word of mouth is commonly used in place of official sources of information.

Families feel there is a lack of specialist support that can be accessed locally, and many make long journeys to access play settings.

There is a lack of strategic approach to funding play for children with multiple needs at local and national levels across England, with no notional funding for special educational needs and provision in the early years


Key recommendations from the report:

National policy:

·         Greater investment in play as part of early years funding to support play in the home and in mainstream services.

·         Developmental play services such as Portage should become a statutory service for disabled children under the age of two, with an increased emphasis on children with multiple needs.

·         Play should be a key strand of the Government’s policy on parenting and should be an explicit part of government-funded parenting classes.

·         The Equality and Human Rights Commission should investigate the exclusion of children with multiple needs from mainstream play settings, and take action to enforce the Equality Act 2010.


Local policy:

·         Local authorities should be required to take action, as necessary, against settings which intentionally exclude disabled children and fail to meet their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.

·         Local authorities should take a lead on increasing awareness and understanding of the general public and other parents about disabled children. This could be centrally funded but locally delivered.

·         Local authorities should consider whether there could be a modest retraining of existing health professionals to enable them to provide the support needed to help families of children with multiple needs to play.

·         Local authorities should provide easily-accessible information for parents to help them to find out about existing play and support services.

Play settings:

Settings should ensure that play staff have received training on disability to help improve the way they support children and families.  This should include responding to medical needs and communicating with children with specialist communication needs.  The training should also enable them to create an environment and ethos which is inclusive and developmentally appropriate.

·         Every play setting should have a play policy statement which stresses the inclusion of every child.

·         Settings should plan carefully prior to the admission of every child in order to ensure their needs are met and that they will be welcomed and understood by other parents and their children.

·         Voluntary sector organisations should do more to share their significant experience of supporting children with specific impairments and multiple needs with public and private play settings.  This could include offering training and toolkits on inclusive play.


Sense Deputy CEO, Richard Kramer, said:

Play is critical in giving children the best start in life and improving outcomes for children and their families. The report makes clear, however, that where a child has multiple needs, the barriers they face to accessing play settings and activities are also multiplied. We hope that local and national policymakers, as well as play professionals, reflect on today’s recommendations, and make the necessary changes that will make access to play a reality for all children.

Sense will use the inquiry findings to campaign for changes to the way play services are designed and delivered. They plan to produce a series of toolkits for parents, providers and commissioners of play.

The full report can be downloaded at: www.sense.org.uk/play

Strong support for joint strike at College of North West London

A UCU officer reported strong support for the joint UCU and Unison strike at the College of North West London today. This was part of a joint national strike across all English colleges demanding £1 per hour extra for all.

UCU said that they are in dispute with college employers because they failed to agree a pay claim aimed at achieving a fair deal for all further education (FE) staff.

Unions claim that the £1 per hour increase is fair, reasonable and not excessive and would go some way to recover the value of pay lost over recent years.

The the Association of Colleges (AoC), however, recommended all of their member colleges to freeze the pay of staff and subsequently declined to re-open talks, despite the recent governmenrt spending review decision to protect core funding for 16-19 year-olds and adult skills would be protected.

Since 2009 Fe workers claim they have received a cut in real terms  of over 17%.

UCU said:

FE has been hit hard by cuts and UCU and others in the sector have campaigned to defend funding. However funding cuts don't tell the whole story, colleges still make choices.

Colleges are deliberately choosing to spend less of their income on staff. Staff are asked to work harder and longer while colleagues lose their jobs and see other terms and conditions cut.

Without the ability to retain and motivate experienced and committed staff, colleges will find it hard to deliver education to our communities.

On Saturday March 5th there will be a conference on Defending Further and Adult Education at SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG.

The conference is supported by UCU, NUS, Action ESOL, NATECLA and the Learning and Work Institute.

Book online HERE

Brent activists join great crowd supporting the Heathow 13 as they receive suspended sentences

A Heathrow village resident, a poet and the Green Mayoral candidate speak out for the Heathrow 13 - not to mention the singing!

Locals joined Plane Stupid actvists, environmentalists and many independents to support the Heathrow 13 when they attended Willesden Magistrates Court to received their sentences. They received a rousing welcome as they arrived and calmly put the case for direct action to combat climate change on the steps of the court.


Brent Green Party, Brent Momentum and Brent Friends of the Earth as well as independent Brent activists were all present demonstrating unity in the face of the threat posed to the planet by climate change.

The unity was also demonstrated by the presence of both John McDonnell, depury leader of the Labour Party and Caroline Lucas, Green MP.

The Heathrow 13  avoided jail  receiving 6 week sentences suspended for 12 months plus community service.

STOP TRIDENT March Saturday Noon Marble Arch

Supported by:
CND
People's Asembly
Compass
Green Party
War on Want
Friends of the Earth
Campaign Against Arms Trade
Greenpeace
Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Methodist Church
Pax Christi
The Church of Scotland
and many more

Heathrow 13 Demonstration on Wednesday in Willesden details

Heathrow 13 Demonstration tomorrow morning from 9am Willesden Magistrates Court. 448 High Road, NW10 2DZ Neasden or Dollis Hill Tube

For all those joining us WEAR RED, and together we will form a massive #redline on aviation expansion!! solidarity http://350.org/heathrow-13-the-uks-first-climate-prisoners/

Final line-up from 9am to 12 noon
9:00-9:25 Heathrow13 interviews, singing, solidarity
9:25-9:30 Heathrow13 Statement
9:30-9:45 Heathrow13 Go in to court
9:45-10:23 Speeches
9.45: Intro by John Stewart
9.47: Caroline Lucas, MP
9.51: John McDonnell, MP
9.55: Tracy Howard (Heathrow resident)
9.59: Andy Slaughter
10.03: Wretched of the Earth
10.07: Sian Berry, Green Mayoral Candidate
10.11: Christine Taylor, Jane Taylor (Heathrow residents)
10.15: Asad Rehman, Friends of Earth
10:19: Neil Keveren (Heathrow resident)
10:23+ Live updates for supporters who can stay outside until sentencing, expected 11.00-12.00.
+ music, samba and much more!!!

Scrutinising Brent Council' new scrutiny arrangements

The Wembley Matters reader who scrutinised Brent Council's new scrutiny arrangements in 2014 LINK  looks at the proposals which were adopted by Full Council yesterday evening in this Guest Blog:

On the positive side, it should be welcome that Brent Council has acknowledged that a single scrutiny committee with a very limited ability to set up Task & Finish Groups to investigate issues in depth has failed to deliver. It would have been more honest, though, if the committee report had not claimed that ‘the disadvantage of a single Scrutiny Committee structure could not necessarily have been foreseen’. The fact that Brent Council alone of all the London Boroughs thought it could manage with a single scrutiny committee with a very limited ability to do work outside of committee meetings ought to have been flashing red warning signals from the outset.

The overall objectives set for the new system are fine, but whether the new arrangements will be able to deliver those objectives is questionable. The proposals are still very committee-oriented ─ but experience over the years from elsewhere shows that Members develop a thorough understanding of key policy and service issues (one of the stated key objectives) best through in-depth Task and Finish Working Groups. There is no indication that more officer time will made available to resource such Working Groups.

More alarmingly, the report says that “Strategic and Operational Directors would still be expected to take a central role in developing the work programme”. This is contrary to the standard good practice of scrutiny being a Member-led function. It is Members who should be taking the central role in developing the work programme, while calling on and using the advice of, amongst others, strategic and operational directors. The danger here is Members are channelled to look at only what Directors are comfortable with Members examining, rather than what really needs a spotlight being shone on it.

Two final points: why is a review of scrutiny arrangements concerning

strategic matters such as budget setting and policy formation delayed until later in the year? And there is no stated commitment to review how the new system is working so that changes might be made to correct any imbalances or deficiencies in its functioning.

Marks out of 10: five.

Mini expenses revolt by two Labour backbenchers

Labour backbencher and former Executive Member Keith Perrin told Full Council last night that he could not vote for an increase in councillor expenses at the same time that the Council was putting up Council Tax. He voted against the proposal and was joined by Cllr Long. They are two of a total of 56 Labour councillors.  I understand that Cllr Helen Carr, Lib Dem, also voted against the increase.

GLA put Land Value Tax on the political agenda with Old Oak in the spotlight

The GLA today publish a report on the potential of a Land Value Tax in London. LINK
The report was commissioned by the GLC Oversight Committee in September 2015 to look at the case for and against the Tax.

In his foreword rapporteur Tom Copley, Labour AM says:  

The greatest challenge facing the next Mayor will be achieving a step change in the level of house building in London. Last year we built fewer than half the number of homes the Mayor’s own estimate says is needed to solve the housing crisis over 20 years. Clearly, new and bold thinking is required. 

This report seeks to offer the next Mayor a potential solution, by examining the argument for and against introducing a Land Value Tax in London. Land Value Taxation provides incentives for bringing land into more productive use, and discourages keeping land empty or derelict. Thus, it would have serious potential to bring more land forward for development, including for
housing. There are examples from cities around the world that have brought in Land Value Taxation that suggest this would indeed happen. 

Our conclusion is that the next Mayor should fund an economic feasibility study and, subject to a positive conclusion, request the powers from the Government to trial a Land Value Tax in part of the city. 

The potential of introducing Land Value Taxation in this country has been discussed for more than a century, and has supporters from across the political spectrum. Economists like the fact that it is highly efficient, with minimal distorting effects on the market. Of course, we recognise that making such a radical change to how we tax land and property would not be without difficulty. 

This report looks at both sides of the argument, and offers the next Mayor a clear course of action to pursue.

The report is particularly concerned with bringing land into use for much needed housing but the arguments for LVT in terms of a more progressive tax to replace Council Tax are also noted:

  Proponents of LVT argue that by replacing council tax and business rates with LVT, not only would the public sector secure returns on its investment in infrastructure, the average tax payer would actually pay less. The tax base would be broader and owners of vacant or underused property would pay more than under the current system.

The Land Value Taxation Campaign LINK make the case for LVT thus: 

A single-issue non-party/all-party organisation based in the UK, we propose that the rental value of land should be collected and used as the principal source of public revenue, as a replacement for present taxes on wages, profits, goods and services. This policy is a prerequisite if chronic economic problems are to be eliminated.

How? Nearly every country in the world is affected by poverty and unemployment; widening divisions between rich and poor; boom-slump cycles; housing shortages; inadequate infrastructure; and damage to the environment. These economic ills persist, seemingly intractably, despite unprecedented developments in science and technology. All of them are ultimately related to the different economic behaviour of 'land' in contrast to man-made consumer and capital goods, whose supply can be, and normally is, varied and transported in response to demand.

Land is otherwise. No more can be made: each plot of land is unique and immovable. Its total supply is fixed. Consequently, the market in land behaves differently from the market in products. Land value comes from the natural and man-made advantages of location, which derive from the presence and activities of the community as a whole.

It follows that the value of land, its rent, is peculiarly suitable as the basic source of public revenue. This is not really taxation, but payment for the right to occupy land and enjoy the benefits of occupation; however, the policy is usually known as "Land Value Taxation" It operates as an annual charge on the rental value of land, assuming that each site was in its optimum permitted use. Since the idea cuts across all political divisions, the Campaign has no party political affiliations.

The GLA report suggests that 'theoretically' the Old Oak and Park Royal Development,  which already gives the London Mayor additional powers, could be the site for him or her to trial LVT.

Brent Council Meeting tonight could be lively...

There are a number of issues on the agenda at Brent's Full Council Meeting meeting tonight that could make it more lively than the usual ritualistic affair.

A 3.99% rise in Council Tax forms part of the budget along with cuts in youth provision that have rather late in the day led to protests by the Mosaic and Granville Youth Centres. The Council retained the funding of the Youth Parliament but cut the actual youth service. A bit like closing a hopsital but keeping the Patents' Forum.

Buried in the budget report is a statement  that I passed on to South Kilburn residents last week and that was picked up by James Powney on Sunday LINK

The South Kilburn Regeneration programme has slipped behind schedule in 2015/16. There is a masterplan review of South Kilburn Regeneration; this means it is being fundamentally reviewed to determine how best to deliver the programme and realise benefits of regeneration for South Kilburn and for its businesses and residents. This review will reconsider the fundamental approach, including whether it is better for the council to retain the South Kilburn Housing Assets, or continue to dispose of them.

Clearly this has far reaching repercussions and Kilburn councillors may well want further detail. James Powney suggests this is a matter for the Scrutiny Committee but an investigation into the South Kilburn regeneration is already supposed to be on their agenda. South Kilburn resident Pete Firmin made a presentation to the Committee in December LINK

The proposal to have two Scrutiny Committees with allowances for each member, as well as the introduction of conferences expenses and a 1% rise in the basic councillor allowance are likely to be controversial.
 
The removal of the deputy leader's allowance from the Brondesbury Park Conservatives and the allocation of a leader's allowance to the Kenton Conservatives will lead to some bitter exchanges between the two groups to the glee of Labour councillors.

Proposals to change the structure of Full Council Meetings  LINK deserve serious consideration but may not escape the usual Punch and Judy politics.

Self-managed allotments- local control or a cover for cuts?

Brent Council is holding a consultation meeting with allotment holders on 'Allotment Associations and Self-Management: The Future of Your Allotments?'  on March 2nd.

As part of the Food Growing and Allotment Strategy LINK tenants will be consulted on their views of self-management:

Councils across the UK are looking at different styles of management with the aim of running allotments more effectively. Having an Allotment Association os the first step to taking more ownership of your site and in its most extreme (sic) form, this means that Allotment Associations lease the sites from the Council and take on the full financial, administration and maintenance management of their sites.

In Brent one allotment site is already self-managed but other sites lack an Allotment Association.

Speakers include:

Richard King, Barnet Allotment Federartion on 'The Barnet experience'
Clare Fuchs, self-management in Hammersmith and Fulham
Richard Wiltshire, the National Allotment Society
Derek Osborne, Chair of the self-managed Old Kenton Lane Allotment Association

In my chats to fellow allotment holders there seems little appetite for self-management but I expect attitudes will vary across the borough.

'Full financial , adminstration and maintenance management' sounds like a considerable amount of work that will be transferred from council officers to volunteers.  Major maintenance such as control of trees, fencing and drainage will clearly be potentially very expensive although water bills, toilet lighting etc will be paid through regular rental income.

There are whole borough issues such as management of waiting lists where people may be interested in plots at more than one site and initiatives such as wildlife friendly gardening, sustainable and chemical free gardening, where the present Food Growing and Allotment Offfcer has performed a vital role, which would be lost if the post is abolished as a result of self-management.

I hope the meeting is well attended and the issues given a good airing.

Could you be an 'Independent Person' to uphold Brent Council standards

At long last, after nudging by Wembley Matters contributor Philip Grant, Brent Council has advertised for three 'Independent Persons' LINK  Closing date for applications is Sunday March 6th:
 

--> Background Information:
Under the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 the way that Brent Council will deal with conduct complaints about its elected and co-opted members in its area is changing.
The statutory regulatory framework has been abolished and the Council is responsible for deciding how to deal with conduct issues at a local level, including adopting its own local code and determining what arrangements it will adopt to deal with complaints. 

The Act provides that the Council must appoint an Independent Person or Persons to assist the Council in promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct amongst its members.
Independent Persons are consulted on decisions to investigate complaints and before a decision is made on an investigated complaint. The Independent persons may also be consulted on other standard matters, including by the member who is subject to an allegation.

In addition, the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 (the 2001 Regulations) and the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (the 2015 Regulations).  The 2015 Regulations, which came into force on 11 May 2015, amend the way that Brent Council will deal with the disciplinary and conduct complaints against the Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer. 

The decision to dismiss the officers has to be taken by the full council but not before full council has considered, amongst other things, any advice, views or recommendations from a ‘panel’ (comprising of ‘independent persons’ appointed in accordance with certain statutory rules).
The Council now wishes to appoint three Independent Persons to assist in discharging these responsibilities.  Full details of the role and responsibilities of the Independent Person are included in this Recruitment Pack.

A fixed allowance of £419 per annum is payable together with reimbursement of travel expenses. The appointment will be for a fixed term of 2 years

Skills and Competencies:

The Independent Person will have:

·     a keen interest in standards in public life.

·     a wish to serve the local community and uphold local democracy.

·     the ability to be objective, independent and impartial.

·     sound decision making skills

·     leadership qualities, particularly in respect of exercising sound judgement.

The Independent Person will:

·     be a person in whose impartiality and integrity the public can have confidence.

·     understand and comply with confidentiality requirements.

·     have a demonstrable interest in local issues.

·     have an awareness of the importance of ethical behaviours.

·     be a good communicator.

·     Be a person with unspent criminal record (Rehabilitation of Offenders Act applies)

Desirable additional criteria are:

·     working knowledge/experience of local government or other public service and/or of large complex organisations and awareness of and sensitivity to the political process.

·     knowledge and understanding of judicial/quasi-judicial or complaints processes.

Means of assessment will be by application form and interview.

NOTE:  You will be required to be contactable during normal working hours by telephone or by email and to be available to attend hearings, some of which may be held in the day time and at relatively short notice.

Eligibility for Appointment
A person cannot be appointed as an Independent Person if they are or were within a period of five years prior to the appointment:

·     a member, co-opted member or officer of the authority.

·     a member, co-opted member or officer of a parish council in the District Council’s area,

·     or a relative or close friend of the above. 

Any involvement in political activity or campaigning, particularly at local level, may affect public perceptions of independence.  Applicants are asked to indicate the nature of such activity and whether it may affect public perception of independence.  
    
Regulations do not prevent Independent Members who previously served on the Council’s Standards Committee from being eligible to apply for the role, as this can assist with continuity of experience and therefore assist in the work of the Committee.

Show your solidarity with the Heathrow 13 facing jail - Willesden Magistrates Court on Wednesday

Rob Basto is one of the Heathrow 13 who face being jailed on Wednesday for fighting for climate justice.

There will be a solidarity demonstration for the Plane Stupid activists outside the Willesden Magistrates Court  from 9am on Wednesday February 24th

TTIP: The Death of Democracy

As the EU Referendum debate gets under way and TTIP (Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership) begins to get some mentions it is worth watching this video in which David Malone reveals the inner workings of TTIP and its repercussions for democracy.

It is a long video, recorded a year ago, but I think deserves wider viewing.

Save Mosaic LGBT Youth Club From Local Government Cuts

From Mosaic LGBT Youth Club due to close at part of Brent Council's overall cuts in the youth service LINK .

 Save Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre from closing down

The Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre in Kilburn is a local government funded LGBT youth centre. It is one of few left in the whole of the capital, it supports teenagers who identify as LGBT or are questioning their sexuality and/or gender identity.

The proposed new structure of the Youth Service would mean that Centre will be closed and only youth clubs still in operation would be just local youth clubs that we never access and don't want to access as they are not meeting our needs as LGBT young people. We do not need or want a space where we have to 'come out' every time, we want space like mosaic where we can be ourselves and be fully accepted, not just tolerated.

This new proposal is a complete disregard to the needs of our community and results of consultation that clearly identified LGBT youth provision as a priority to be safeguarded in the new restructure; even third sector youth organisations agree as they recognise that complexity of that work cannot be met in just any youth club - one size does not fit all!

At the times where schools are still bastions of homophobia and streets are rife with growing homophobic hate crime and parents making LGBT kids like me homeless by kicking them out Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre is something more then just a hang out space, it is home, it is community, it is a listening ear and often non-judgemental advice that we wouldn't otherwise get.

The huge problem with the removal of this Centre would be the impact on the LGBT youth, Mosaic educates us on LGBT history, current community issues, sexual health as well as many other topics. None of these services are currently provided in schools and therefore Mosaic is a vital service which cannot be demolished.

If the Council were to remove the funding for Mosaic who would support a community where 40% of us consider suicide, who would give a community which has a high HIV rate sex education, who would help those struggling to accept their sexuality?

The answer is no-one, as a gay teenager I can tell you that school won't support LGBT students in any significant way and it seems that Section 28 is a piece of legislation that has been repealed, but it is very much alive and well in schools today.

For these and many other reasons that I can't go into here Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre cannot be closed down!

Your sincerely,

Mosaic LGBT Youth Centre Members

Petition HERE

Kensal Rise Library housing units start at £475,000 for a studio

In the same week that the Kensal Rise Library campaign announced a 'night of poetry and readings' by famous actors and writers to help raise £100,000 running costs for their community library in the Kensal Rise building, a studio flat in the building went on sale for £475.000.

The studio is one of two in the building along with one one-bedroomed duplex and 2 two bedroomed duplexes.

In pre-redevelopment attempts to sell the whole building, prices asked were between £1,150,000 and £1,120,00.

Along with the  Willesden Green Library redevelopment LINK it is clear that the 'Brent Libraries Transformation Strategy'  has been very lucrative for developers.

More information on the studio (bedsitter?)  HERE

This is the floor plan:

Foxtons do not mention the community library space in their property details.