This raised a smile or two at Wembley Park Station today

Thank you anonymous station staffer.

Campaigners' determination burns bright on first anniversary of library closures

The 'Light of Learning' runners called into Willesden Green Library this morning as they processed around the borough's closed down libraries to mark the first anniversary of Brent Council's act of cultural vandalism.

There were readings and other events at each venue. At Willesden I read Ghost Town by Nick Toczek and dedicated it to Brent councillors.

The crowd joined in the chorus with enthusiasm:

They're dead but they won't lie down.
They're dead but they won't lie down,
They're in our town and they're walking round.
They're dead but they won't lie down.

More pictures from Willesden on www.keepwillesdengreen.blogspot.co.uk

I would welcome photographs from the events at the other libraries to publish on this website. e-mail them to me at mafran@globalnet.co.uk

Campaigners mark first anniversary of Preston Library closure

Today was the first anniversary of the closing of six of Brent's libraries. This video is a record of Preston Library Campaigners' celebration:

Harlesden Incinerator protest tomorrow

There is a pop-up protest, jointly with Ealing residents, about the proposed "Harlesden Waste Incinerator", at 11am prompt tomorrow (Saturday) at the entrance to Willesden Junction station approach.

Ealing Council is set to approve this large waste plant in November, made up of:

    - an incinerator (not called that, for PR reasons), [see www.ukwin.org] and

    - "anaerobic digestors" (big tanks of decomposing food, to produce compost).

(The "advanced conversion technology facility" mentioned in the planning application IS an incinerator, because it involves

        - dustcart and lorry waste IN

                    (likely to be commercial, rather than domestic,

                    but may change), and

        - ash OUT.

Houses in Old Oak Lane will have dustcart traffic "all day" on the access road, which is only metres from their homes and gardens. The plant capacity is c150,000 tonnes/year.

Some of the dustcarts and lorries will pass through Harlesden. I suspect this will vary from month to month, depending on what contracts the waste plant can sign.

.

Please pass this link on to others.

Photo op. is at 11am on Saturday, Willesden Junction Approach (junction with Old Oak Lane / Station Road).

Refs:

http://www.pam.ealing.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=152202

http://parkroyaltown.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wembley-matters-brent-greens-stopping.html

http://harlesdentown.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/planned-for-harlesden-incinerator-site.html

The 'lost' letter that lost Harlesden its voice on incinerator

This is the letter that Brent Planning Department lost over the summer and did not find until it was too late for the Council, or residents, to have a say in Ealing Council's consultation on an incinerator/anaerobic-digester at Willesden Junction Freightliner site.

We need to know urgently what the Planning Department will do to ensure that it fulfils its duty to represent the interests of Brent residents over such a controversial proposal.

Harlesden residents left out in the cold over new 'energy recovery centre' neighbour

Harlesden residents got a shock last night at the Harlesden Connects forum when they heard of plans to build an 'energy recovery centre' (is this a controversy avoiding term for an incinerator?) at Willesden Junction. It is in Ealing borough but but very close to Brent residents Apparently Ealing's  notification to Brent Council was 'mislaid' so hardly anyone who might be affected had a chance to comment before the conusltation closed last week. Addresses in Ealing and handful of streets in Harlesden received a notification letter in which the development is described thus:

NOTIFICATION OF A PLANNING APPLICATION

Ealing Council has received an application under the Town and Country Planning act 1990 (as amended) which may affect you. I am writing to inform you and invite you to comment on it.  If you do not own the property this letter is addressed to please pass it to, the owner and/or anybody else you think will be interested.

Location:  ENERGY RECOVERY CENTRE CHANNEL GATE ROAD,  PARK ROYAL,  NW10 6UQ

The proposal: Construction of an energy recovery centre comprising a single purpose designed building to provide an advanced conversion technology facility and an anaerobic digestion facility with an integrated education/visitors centre, and four 25-metre high flues; four external anaerobic digestion/digestate tanks; associated access, parking and landscaping;  gas holder tank; emergency gas flare; electrical substation; two weigh bridges; wheel washing apparatus and a security house building

Further information:

You may see further details of the application, case officer, plans and other documents on the council’s website at http://www.pam.ealing.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet  (please note that access is unavailable daily from 11:30pm – 1:00am); or by visiting: Customer Reception, Ealing Council, Perceval House, 14-16 Uxbridge Rd, Ealing W5 2HL

A location map can be found on the council website click on ‘contact us’ then ‘how to find us’.  You are welcome to visit between 9.00am to 4.45 p.m. (the office closes at 5.00pm) Monday to Friday.

One resident commented:

I am reminded of the change to Crossrail construction (a H&F decision?) when the canal-transportation of concrete sections was ditched in favour of road. Now Brent residents suffer as every concrete section gets a tour of Harlesden shops and shoppers before being buried forever at Paddington!

Possibly the most informative document for anyone interested in their new neighbour is this one LINK  I have just tried for 30 minutes to get through to a real person in Ealing Council to ask them about the consultation details  and closing date. I have been driven mad by the automated telephone system and its many options, none  of which include human contact! I have given up in disgust. This is the e-mail address of Peter Lee the planning officer handling the case: LeeP@ealing.gov.uk

Clearly the first thing to say to him is: Please suspend the application until Brent residents have been consulted.

Brent Council shrinks from outright opposition to Central Middlesex A&E closure

The Brent Health Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee last night approved a response to 'Shaping a Healthier Future' which fell far short of outright opposition to the proposals which will mean the closure of Central Middlesex Accident and Emergency.

Although the response contains many reservations about Urgent Care Centres,  community care and transport issues the overall conclusions are anodyne:

Overall conclusions

5.1 The Brent Health Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee believes a strong clinical case for change has been made by NHS North West London and that health services need to be reconfigured to secure better outcomes for patients. This will mean that difficult decisions will need to be taken, but to “do nothing” is not an option and it is in everyone’s interests to ensure that services in London have a sustainable future.

5.2 That said, we urge the Joint Committee of PCTs to consider the following points when making its decisions regarding Shaping a Healthier Future:

(i). Efforts need to be focused on successful implementation of the borough’s Out of Hospital Care Strategy and ensuring this is properly resourced before the reconfiguration of acute services.  Changes to the acute sector are dependent on this – cost shunting, or under resourcing out of hospital care would not be acceptable to the council and will lead to a worse service for patients escalating costs in the acute sector.

(ii). That services to be provided from Central Middlesex Hospital are confirmed as soon as possible. Work should begin with local communities to spell out what the future is for the site so they can be reassured their health and wellbeing won’t be adversely affected by the changes.

(iii). That Shaping a Healthier Future emphasises to TfL the conclusions relating to

transport set out in paragraph 4.11 above.

Earlier in the meeting committee members had subjected Care UK to a grilling regarding the loss of x-rays  and child protection procedures at the Central Middlesex UCC and the time they had taken to answer complaints.  Care UK told them that the problems had been caused by high staff turnover, a large number of interim staff and a failure to recognise the importance of the issues. Cllr Helga Gladbaum stressed the importance of safeguarding children in the brough with its history of cases such as Victoria Climbie, Care UK said that staffing was being stabilised, protocols were in place and there was robust auditing and monitoring. Cllr Sandra Kabir said it was astounding that Brent had not ended up with a terrible disaster on its hands. Dr Sarah Basham, representing the Brent Clinical Commissioning Group said that they had found Care UK willing to listen and learn from each other and they had been open and willing to meet. GPs ere aware of the situation and a feedback mechanism was in place.

There was a lively debate, mainly conducted at a comradely level between councillors apart from a tetchy spat between Cllr Gladbaum and deputy leader Cllr Ruth Moher, on public health. Local councils have now taken over public health functions from the NHS and a proposal had been made to appoint a Director of Health to be shared with the London Borough of Hounslow. The proposal goes before the Executive on Monday.

Phil Newby,  Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement, moved a report advocating such an appointment in a long speech rich in rhetoric but short on substance. He wanted an evangelical leader to drive policy and change. Questioning revealed that the Director would have no budget and would not be part of the Corporate Management Team. Simon Bowen from Brent NHS addressing the committee said that such a 'part-time'  post-holder would be weak and marginalised and it would be hard to recruit to the post. The post was statutory and subject to guidelines. He said that Brent had been transformed in the last 5 years while Hounslow was 5 years behind it. Brent's gains would be put at risk by such an appointment.

Newby defended his report saying that the current Hounslow post-holder had just been given a new job in Croydon and that innovative strategies would be welcomed.

The Committee agreed to recommend to the executive that while they supported mainstreaming public health in the body of the Council that they had serious concerns over sharing a Director with another borough.