Butt backs out of Village School consultation meeting and asks for strike action to be called off

There was disappointment and anger last night at The Village School when Brent Council leader did not show up for the consultation meeting about proposals that the school academise in order to become a Multi Academy Trust with Woodfield School.

At the lobby earlier this year Cllr Butt and lead member for children and families, Cllr Mili Patel, had been asked to make a strong and clear statement of opposition to the proposal. Both Brent Central and Brent North CLPs have passed unananimous motions against academisation.

Instead of appearing at the meeting and taking questions, Cllr Butt instead chose to write today to all members of staff about the issue. The position he takes on academisation is weaker than that requested by his own Labour Party members.  He expresses a preference for local authority oversight of schools but appears to believe that The Village has no choice. He also takes a traditional right-wing position on teacher strikes claiming that they 'punish' families and children for government policies and calling for next week's three day strike to be called off.

The letter requires close textual analysis to establish Butt's exact position and even then...

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POTENTIAL TO ESTABLISH A MULTI ACADEMY TRUST

I know there’s some concern and uncertainty about what’s going on so I thought it might help if I set out my position . First of all, I am opposed to the forced academisation of schools and find it deeply regrettable that TVS has been put in a situation with such limited options. 

Responsibility for this rests with government and government alone. That said, circumstances being what they are, I recognise why a formal relationship with Woodfield is a positive thing . I see why, in the present legislative context and financial climate, both schools feel that an official partnership would be in their best interests. And, while forming a MAT may well produce tangible education al benefits, as well as economies of scale, its main purpose will be increasing the likelihood of sustaining both schools’ outstanding status. 

TVS is a fantastic school, there’s no doubt about that – in fact, I’m not sure ‘outstanding’ does it justice. As I see it, its success is a product of all involved being so dedicated to what they do and so determined to ensure every student has every opportunity to realise their fullest potential. My belief is that the school’s greatest asset is this collective strength and I have no reason to suspect this will change as a result of formalising the partnership. 

As Leader of the Council in a time of austerity I know only too well the essential nature of closer collaboration. As a proud trade unionist , I will always champion the enormous value of collective bargaining . Being able to speak with a single, unified voice is a powerful thing and one of the many reasons I welcomed the NUT and ATL teachers ’ unions’ decision to join forces and create the NEU. And, as a member of the Labour Party, I hold on to the central tenet that , by the strength of our common endeavour , we achieve more than we achieve alone. On that basis, I cannot in good conscience seek to deny TVS and Woodfield the same opportunity for sustainable partnership. 

 Of course, I’d much prefer that responsibility for overseeing our schools remain devolved to local government. I think local people are best placed to understand local needs. Equally , I’m not sure that the Secretary of State , the Department for Education , or the Regional School Commissioner have the capacity for nuanced management of what, as a result of this government’s actions , is an unhelpfully centralised and drastically underfunded education system. 

I have said previously that my priority is the best possible educational outcomes for children and young people . What I should have also said is that those outcomes are best served, and can only be assured, by retaining a happy, motivated, stable workforce. I know that TVS is ordinarily a very happy, very special place to work. I also know there are genuinely held concerns that becoming an academy will mean that’s no longer the case. With that in mind, I think it necessary to challenge the suggestion that these proposals will have a detrimental impact . I also need to address claims that, even if a suitable deal can be agreed, any such agreement cannot be guaranteed in perpetuity 

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On the first point, I welcome the school’s pledge to ‘embed core principles’ in a legally binding agreement. This includes an explicit public commitment to abide by national terms and conditions for all existing and future teaching staff and local terms and conditions for all existing and future support staff. This process has the added advantage of being based on an existing Trustees Agreement – drafted in concert with NUT reps – that enabled Manor to convert to academy status and join BSAT without objection last year. On the second, to provide maximum possible certainty, a range of protections will be built into the agreement. This has been described as a ‘triple lock’ but may actually include as many as five provisions designed to make it impossible for fundamental changes to be made in the future by Trustees or Governors without undergoing rigorous public scrutiny or a substantial majority on any relevant vote. 

I’m aware that the NEU have requested a temporary halt to the consultation to try and find an alternative solution . Given how long this matter has been under discussion, and given how closely involved union reps have been throughout , were there another way forward, it surely would have presented itself by now. Again, I wish there was a way for TVS and Woodfield to protect their relationship without having to academise . But , as things stand, there isn’t. With that in mind, the responsible thing to do now is work together and ensure as robust and informed a decision as possible is made.

Furthermore, I think it would be a grave mistake to punish these children and their families for government policies to which we are ideologically opposed. Similarly, I know how hard a personal decision it is to take industrial action, especially when it disrupts the lives of people we care about. And I doubt anyone relishes the prospect of three days’ without pay. I ask then that any further strike action be called off and that those involved instead continue to engage fully in the consultation, ensuring that everyone’s views are made clear. 

As I’ve said, the Labour Party, the Council, and the teachers unions all recognise, value, and benefit from the enormous power of formal partnerships. On that basis , whatever our views on the mechanism, we should all be able to understand and accept the rationale for these outstanding schools doing the same. 

Thank you for taking the time to consider my thoughts – do please get in touch and let me know what you think.

Half-term children's activities at Welsh Harp Centre

'Shunned' Duffy: Labour will be haunted by cemetery asbestos issue

In a comment on this blog LINK last night Cllr John Duffy, said:

I have been, blacklisted, deselected, resigned and shunned by the some Labour Party members. However the issue of the asbestos in Paddington cemetery and how they treated the workforce will not go away and will haunt the Labour Party.

Quintain foresaw Carillion collapse last summer

On January 15th LINK I reported that Quintain had confirmed that Carillion were not active in its Wembley Park development and that the company had decided in September not to go ahead and award them the South West Lands contract which would have been worth £130m.

I remarked that Quintain  

--> appear to have been more canny than the government following Carillion's  profit warnings in July 2017. This has now been confirmed by Quintain's executive director of construction, Max Voyce, in a statement to Construction News LINK:
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Quintain take the financial strength of our contractors and wider supply chain very seriously and during negotiations for a build-to-rent development at Wembley Park, Carillion issued their first profit warning.

We were concerned that the level of loss declared, along with the huge pension deficit, would seriously impact Carillion’s ability to continue to trade and garner the support of the supply chain, increasing the likelihood that our cost and programme objectives would not be met.

We therefore took the view that we would not proceed into contract upon the completion of Carillion’s precontract commission and commenced discussions with McAleer & Rushe, whom we have now successfully contracted with.

Patients' Forum (London Ambulance Service) submits formal complaint to Brent CCG over withheld performance data

The Patients' Forum for the London Ambulance Service has submitted a formal complaint to Brent Clinical Commissioning Group over an alleged breach of its statutory duties.

The complaint claims that both the CCG and London Ambulance Service has stopped sending the Patients' Forum performance data since August 2017 and that their excuse that the data is 'unvalidated' and therefore not available is not reasonable and in breach of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The CCG is thus failing in its statutory duty  to ensure public involvement and consultation in commissioning processes and decisions. (NHS Act 2006 S.14Z2)

Further the Patients' Forum claims that it received no documents for the Clinical Quality Review Group (CQRG) meeting in December 2017 and no papers or notification for the CQRG January 2018 meeting.

Anti-academisation strike action at The Village Special School escalates as Labour Chair of Governors refuses to half process while alternatives are investigated

Last week's picket line

Staff at The Village  Special School, Kingsbury will strike again on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week over plans, led by Brent Labour whip, Cllr Sandra Kabir, who is the school's Chair of Governors, to academise the school.

Over 100 staff staged another 2 days strike on 16^th and 17^th January and the school was closed to all pupils. The strikers said that they would have called off their strike if Cllr Kabir had agreed to halt the process for just 2 months while alternative models of partnership could be investigated with Brent Council. However the Chair has not agreed to what the strikers called a very reasonable request.

Lesley Gouldbourne (Joint Secretary of the National Education Union) said that Brent Council had expressed its opposition to the academisation of Brent schools and that The Leader of the Council Cllr Butt had said that he wanted The Village “to remain in the family of Brent Schools.” He has agreed to put his view to staff, parents and Governors.

There is a consultation meeting at the school tonight for parents and staff. It is not open to the public. 

Some parents have expressed their opposition to academisation and were on the picket line. They have started a Facebook group HERE .

The National Education Union National President Louise Regan attended last week's picket  and said that the fight against academies was a national priority for the National Education Union. 

Kevin Courtney, the national NEU Joint Secretary, also attended and said that in academies local accountability vanishes. Governing Bodies are replaced with Trustees with no staff, parent or local council representation. “Public voices are silenced and private voices get louder” he said.

Cllr Kabir has circulated her Labour colleagues with the arguments for academisation in the face of opposition from both Brent Central and Brent North Constituency Labour Parties and national Labour Party opposition to academisation.

Please make your views known regarding the Governing Body's proposal on academisation (Consultation closes February 9th) by filling in the questionaire HERE or emailing matconsultation@tvs.brent.sch.uk

NOTE: Green Party policy opposes academisation and free schools seeing them as a form of privatisation that removes democratic accountability of schools, worsens staff conditions of service, and enables schools to employ unqualified teachers. Greens favour the integration of academies and free schools into the local authority system with improved accountability and financing.

New report: Urgent action required to tackle London’s dangerous air quality

From the Institution of Mechanical Engineering
 

London’s nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels similar to Shanghai and Beijing

 

Dangerous levels of pollution in the capital are identified in a new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which calls for urgent action to prevent illness and death.

With NOx levels at Paddington station in breach of European limits regarding NO2 for outdoor air quality, the report calls on Government to work with Network Rail to deliver the complete electrification of the main rail lines between Britain’s principal cities and ports and in major urban rail networks. Currently up to 70% of trains passing through the station are powered by diesel engines that are exempt from regulations for modern diesel trains.

Other pollution hot spots include the Bakerloo and Victoria lines, which have the highest levels of airborne respirable dust levels. But currently the impact and level of poor air quality is not well understood, and the report calls for the introduction of a coherent national scheme to monitor emissions from different modes of transport so that informed targets can be set. 

London’s commuters are most at risk during the morning rush hour, with the concentration of pollutants 13% - 43% higher than during afternoon or evening peaks. Another of the report’s recommendations is that incentives should be introduced to encourage freight deliveries outside of peak hours.

Philippa Oldham, lead author of the report and Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:

“London is currently ranked as 15^th out of 36 major global cities in terms of overall air quality, lagging behind other European cities such as Berlin and Vienna. The capital needs to prioritise this issue and create a modern Clean Air Act that takes a holistic approach; it must not just target individual sectors, but encourage everyone to play a role in reducing emissions.”

The A breath of fresh air: new solutions to reducetransport emissions report recommends that Government and industry work together to:

1.     Introduce a national monitoring system, across the different types of transport, recording all types of pollution, to create a coherent picture against which national targets can be set.

2.     Develop incentives for cleaner technologies and encourage the phase-out of legacy vehicles with poor emissions record across the network (for example diesel cars and trains).

3.     Consider incentivising freight and logistic operators to make deliveries outside peak hours.

4.     Conduct a series of trials on existing diesel railway rolling stock, new bi-mode trains and in major stations, to understand the level and effect of exposure to pollutants has on commuters and railway workers.

5.     Conduct a series of trials to understand the impact on the individual of exposure to pollutants in overground and underground railway stations, ports, airports and bus stations.

6.     Create a positive and dynamic campaign that informs the public of the health benefits of switching to lower-emission modes of transport.

7.     Government to work with Network Rail to deliver the complete electrification of the main rail lines between Britain’s principal cities and ports and in major urban rail networks.

8.     Fund research through the Clean Air Fund and Innovate UK to create programmes to clean up various transport modes.

Free Community English Classes in Brent

Big Garden Birdwatch - a Kingsbury garden perspective

Guest post from a Kingsbury resident
 

If, like me, you are lucky enough to have a garden, one of the pleasures of life is to watch the birds that come to enjoy it with you. Next weekend, Saturday 27^th and Sunday 28^th January, sees the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch LINK . On a good year, I can see 8 to 10 different species of birds in my garden in the course of an hour, but if the weather is bad, perhaps only 3 or 4. 

There are some birds which we only see a few times each year. Our garden backs on to the Jubilee Line, and most of our occasional visitors fly in from the railway bank. I suspect that many of them live in Fryent Country Park, which shows the great value of this local nature reserve, and of the wildlife corridors which link it to gardens in the residential areas of Brent.

Yesterday our garden was visited by a Green Woodpecker, which stayed for over 15 minutes and allowed me to take some photographs. I have put three of these together, to illustrate its interesting feeding behaviour:

Although it nests in holes in trees, the Green Woodpecker uses its long beak mainly for eating its favourite food, ants. It can sense where there is an ants’ nest under the ground, then pecks to make a funnel-shaped hole directly above the nest. It seems to know that the ants prefer a site beside our garden path, so that they can easily excavate safe chambers for their eggs out of the sand that the paving blocks rest on. 

Once it has made the hole, the woodpecker puts its beak down, and flicks out its tongue to gather ants. Then it throws back its head, while pulling in its tongue, so that the ants go straight into its throat. It does this a few times, then hops a short distance before making another hole, or looking for another nest to harvest.

It will often be two or three months before we see a Green Woodpecker in our garden again, so the chances are that it will not appear in our Big Garden Birdwatch results. The bird seems to know that it must give the ants’ nests it has raided time to recover before visiting them again, a sensible and sustainable approach to managing its food resources. As well as being a beautiful bird, this woodpecker certainly has “Green” credentials!

Cllr Duffy resigns from Brent Labour Group in protest over asbestos issue

Cllr Duffy's new seating position between Tory front bench and Cllr Carr

Cllr Duffy (Kilburn) resigned from Brent Labour Group  at the beginning of tonight's Full Council Meeting over the lack of support from the Group over the Paddington Cemetery asbestos issue (covered below).

Despite support for Duffy from Cllr John Warren (Conservative Group leader) the Mayor refused to allow discussion of the issue.

Cllr Tom Miller, a member of the Labour Group, tweeted:  'Frustrating at #BrentLive to have people trying to wedge in serious issue of asbestos without sorting out an agenda item or using the correct process generally. Gah.'

Later in the evening the Chair of the Audit Committee appeared to believe that a lengthy private discussion of a report on the asbestos dump and the participation of two independent members of the committee, made an independent inquiry unnecessary as they were satisfied  with the officer's report.

Brent Holocaust and Genocide Memorial Day 2018 - The Power of Words

Thursday 25 January 2018, 7pm to 8.30pm, Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0FJ

 

See events in: Civic centre events, Other council events, Festivals, Arts and culture events

Brent Council is to recognise, commemorate and show respect for all victims of genocide on Thursday 25 January 2018 with a programme at Brent Civic Centre from 7pm to 8.30pm. Light refreshments will be available at 6.45pm.

The programme will begin with a candle lighting ceremony to remember the victims of the Holocaust and genocide survivors around the world including Bosnia, Cambodia, Darfur and Rwanda.

The theme of this year’s event is ‘THE POWER OF WORDS: words can make a massive difference – both for good and evil.

The Holocaust and subsequent genocides took place because the local populations allowed persecution to take place and did not speak out. We aim to remember victims of the Holocaust and other genocide survivors with real life survival stories of what happened in the past in order to prevent it happening again in the future. We will also talk about the steps of genocide and how this builds up to a climate of fear and hatred against particular members of society.

Please join us for an evening of reflection with speakers and communities who have been affected by the Holocaust and other Genocides around the world including Bosnia, Cambodia, Darfur and Rwanda. The programme will also include poetry, music, Holocaust survivor speaker, choir and refreshments.

This free event is open to everyone and registration in advance is not necessary.

Damning photographic evidence of reckless asbestos removal at Paddington Cemetery

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 'We expect our children to be safe when we send them to school. We do not expect the Council to poison their air'

Cllr John Duffy has written the following email to Brent councillors:

Since I wrote my last email, I have received fresh photographic evidence from a resident that is most disconcerting. On the 1^st of December 2017, the council employed a firm to remove approx 15 tonnes of contaminated soil from the graveyard. This procurement seems to have been done in haste as the company employed are not, as far as I can research, experts in the removal of contaminated and waste and their employment followed no proper procurement rules - as if often the case for Brent. I  also do not know whether they are licensed to carry the contaminated waste.

The company removed the soil by mechanical shovel, which is totally the wrong way to proceed. The way the operation was carried out raised a considerable amount of contaminated dust. The council did not supervise the operation or ensure a risk assessment took place. The operation failed to fulfil the basic H+S standards when dealing with Hazardous /Contaminated waste. The use of the shovel and the removal should be carried out in a more controlled fashion to try and limit making airborne dust. The area was fully open to public while the operation took place ,the waste was then placed in an open lorry rather than a locked skip which is required in guidelines on the Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH).

However the worst aspect of the operation was that it took place just feet from the children's playground/garden of  Salusbury Road Primary School.  No risk assessment was done and no effort was made to inform the school to keep the children safe inside during the operation.  Furthermore no effort was made to contain the dust clouds.

The CEO, the Leader of the Council and Lead Member for the Environment must now stop trying to impede an Independent Investigation establishing the full facts of how the waste arrived at Paddington Cemetery and the question of whether workers were instructed to work without protection. 

However, the first thing we must do as a priority is to contact the school and find were children and staff present during the operation. This can be done by comparing class timetables against the work schedule.(I have copied in the head of the school) and establish why the school was not informed that the operation was going on.

I am concerned that the Leader and Cabinet’s decision not to insist on an independent investigation and their failure to ensure the workforce be interviewed has brought the council into disrepute and undermined the workforce human rights. 

I will be moving at tonight's meeting that we set up an independent investigation, as set out in my previous email, to reassure, the workers, residents  grave owners and the school we have nothing to hide and there will be no more cover-ups.

Cllr Duffy adds:
 

I would like to thank Baroness Jones for adding her support to the Friends of Paddington Cemetery. Hopefully, we will now see the commission of an Independent Investigation, where all the individuals who were exposed to asbestos will be interviewed.I believe it is the duty of the CEO and the Leader of the Council, along with the Lead Member for the Environment, to cease the prevarication and answer the questions Baroness Jones has raised.

Namely - 

(1)      Did Council officers knowingly send waste contaminated with asbestos to Paddington cemetery in August 2015 in spite of the fact that they understood it would be disturbed during the burial and gardening process and this would lead to the work-force being exposed to the asbestos?

(2)      On the 24^th June 2017, did Council officers instruct workmen to work on the mound without protective overalls and masks and training?  I believe this to be a very serious matter that put both the workmen and public at risk .

(3)      Why are the CEO, Leader and Lead member for the Environment unwilling to contemplate interviewing the workforce who have been exposed to asbestos since August 2015 and including those exposed to the contaminated dust on June 24^th 2017?

On Friday I spoke to ACAS and they told me it is the responsibility of the CEO as the senior officer to ensure the council fulfils its duty of care to the council’s employees.  This means they should take all steps, which are reasonably possible, to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing. Demonstrating concern for the physical and mental health of your workers shouldn’t just be seen as a legal duty. Legally, employers must abide by relevant health & safety and employment law, as well as the common law duty of care, but they also have a moral and ethical duty not to cause, or fail to prevent, physical or psychological injury, and must fulfil their responsibilities.  I am sure everybody is aware that this would include knowingly instructing workers employees to work in an area contaminated by asbestos without protection.

Support 'Trees for the Triangle' - bring beauty & clean air to Kensal Triangle

Kensal Triangle ResidentsAssociation have launched a campaign to plant more trees in their area and are calling for support to persuade Brent Council to help fund the project. Supporters should email Trees@ktra.co.uk

Green peer adds her voice to calls for independent investigation into Paddington Cemetery asbestos dump

Dust at Paddington Cemetery (FPC)

Jenny Jones (Baroness Jones of Moulsecoom) the Green Party member of the House of Lords, has written to Brent Council supporting  the call for an independent investigation into the asbestos contamination in Paddington Cemetery LINK.

Jones writes:

Cllr Duffy has written to me on behalf of a the Friends Of Paddington Cemetery (FPC), a local residents group. The group have concerns around the issue of the inappropriate use of asbestos contaminated soil to create additional burial sites in the Cemetery. Having read their concerns I am troubled by the lack of transparency being shown by the council and by the secretive way senior officers and leadership of the council are conducting themselves.

Can you tell me how the waste arrived on site and did the council knowingly deliver contaminated (with asbestos) waste to Paddington Cemetery in August 2015?

I am further troubled by the failure of your in-house audit team to interview any residents or member of the workforce who may have been exposed  to the asbestos. NHS guidelines say "While asbestos can be dangerous, it does not present a health risk if left undisturbed, but if material containing asbestos is damaged, it can release a fine dust that contains asbestos fibres. When the dust is breathed in, the asbestos fibres enter the lungs and can gradually damage them over time.” 

The pictures provided by FPC  (above) clearly show a considerable amount of dust being raised by the workman on the mound after the asbestos was discovered. If the council allows those workmen to work on the mound without protective overalls and masks and training, it's a very serious matter that puts both the workmen and public at risk.

Based on the evidence I have seen I should like to add my support to FPC efforts to have an independent investigation. Cllr Duffy has suggested an expert on Health and Safety should oversee this which seems appropriate to me. I hope you agree to an independent investigation.

Remembering Cyrille Regis - Sunday, The Pavilion, Stonebridge

Cllr Tatler on Alperton development: 'Whilst some policies are not met, many are...'

Readers will recall the uproar over Brent Council's approval of a development at 245-253 Ealing Road despite it not meeting many planning guidelines. LINK

A local resident has submitted a question about this to Cllr Shama Tatler at Monday's Council Meeting. This is her anodyne response:
 

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Question from Hiran Patel to Councillor Tatler, Lead Member for Regeneration, Growth, Employment and Skills: 

How were the proposals for development of the old HSBC bank and pub at 245- 245 and 253 Ealing Road approved, even though in my view they appear to break a number of safety regulations?

Response:

Planning applications of this size raise a number of complex, and often competing issues; in this case, involving the redevelopment of the site to provide two buildings, 9 and 10 storeys, for 92 new flats, a pub and a community use, it raised many issues – the appearance and build of the new buildings, the amount of residential provided, the mix of units, parking arrangements, etc. Officers and Committee members balance all of the different issues, including the planning objections, and make their decision against national, regional and local policies. These issues are often finely balanced, and opinions will often differ as to the merits of a particular case. 

Sometimes, one policy objective, (e.g. securing additional housing, or maintaining a public house on the site) might be given more weight than, for example, a reduced level of parking. In this case, the planning merits of the proposal were carefully considered. Officers made some pragmatic judgments around the proposal to achieve, on this allocated site in a housing zone, some 92 new units – a quarter of which are affordable – that works on the site. The committee report makes it clear that whilst some policies are not met, many are, and taking the scheme in its entirety, members felt that the benefits outweighed any harm. 

The question does not mention what safety regulations are broken here. However, it is a long established – and correct – principle, that planning does not duplicate requirements set out in other regulations and laws; these will be assessed by other bodies at the appropriate time, whether that be under Building Regulations or Health and Safety rules