BNP TARGET BRENT CHILDREN'S VIDEO AND HARROW OBSERVER

Following the FA action on their Wembley video, BNP supporters have loaded an official Brent Council video on to their greenarrow.co.uk website.  The video shows children dancing at the Big Lunch event at Wembley and the author says,'This looks like any place in the world but England to me' and disparaging comments about the children are added by his supporters.

The website calls for a boycott of Trinity South newspapers because the Harrow Observer website carried a statement by Barry Gardiner, MP for North Brent, condemning the BNP Wembley video. See his statement HERE

The website calls Gardiner a 'vile creature'and mounts a vitriolic personal attack on him.

I have informed Brent Council about the BNP's use of an official Brent Council video and they are seeking ways of having it removed from the site and discussing what other action they could take.

UNITE AGAINST THIS RACIST BNP PROPAGANDA

Although the FA have taken quick action on the BNP video targeting Wembley, the video is still on You Tube and attracting plenty of hits.

The BNP presenter from South Wales suggests that 'iconic' Wembley has been taken over by foreigners and that this is the fault of Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat policies.   The video centres on the High Road and Ealing Road, and there is a lot of footage around the Wembley Central Mosque and tracking of the diverse shops of the area.

Ironically, if you took away the poisonous commentary the footage could be seen as an example of a vibrant, diverse, multi-racial area where people are getting on with their lives in relative harmony.

However the BNP's aims are clear: to wind people up ahead of major football events and they are playing to the audience of supporters who took part in the English Defence League, British Defence League and football supporters (the 'Casuals') marches which caused mayhem in Luton, as well as those who threaten the Harrow Mosque again on December 13th. Targeting of right-wing football 'supporters' is dangerous when these same supporters will be making their way along streets shown in the video when they travel to Wembley Stadium for matches. The Council and police will need to have contigency plans ready for any sporadic violence and targeting of individuals that may result.

I call on political and religious leaders, community organisations and residents in Brent to condemn the BNP tactics and make a united stand in defence of  our successful diverse, multi-racial and harmonious community. A community of which we are proud and pleased to call our own.

BRENT CROSS - NOW DEMAND PUBLIC INQUIRY

Despite massive local opposition, Barnet Council last night approved the 'pie in the sky' planning application for a massive Brent Cross Shopping Centre expansion. Details remained vague,many questions remained unanswered and the possible toxic implications of the Brent  Cross incinerator hung over the meeting like a black cloud, but the smooth talking and jaw-droppingly patronising Mr Joseph won the day for the developers. A cross-party coalition of councillors (although of course they are non-party on planning matters) passed the application 8-1,with 1 abstention, apparently on the reckless basis of 'we've been waiting for a long time to do something about this, this is all we've got, so we better do it whatever our reservations may be'.

The decision has been condemned by Sarah Teather MP, Navin Shah AM, Darren Johnson AM and Jean Lambert MEP,  (details on Brent Cross Coalition Blog), who are united in calling for a public inquiry.

You can add your own voice to the Public Inquiry call - details HERE

GET YOUR WELSH HARP OBJECTIONS IN BY TOMORROW

Although petitioning is going very well, it is important to get as many objections to the proposed Welsh Harp housing development in as possible, both to show the strength of local feeling to councillors on the planning committee, and as back-up in the event of any appeal by the developer. The current deadline for submissions on the proposed housing development on the Greenhouse Garden Centre is Friday November 20th.

You can see plans and respond directly on the planning website HERE

or e-mail: victoria.mcdonagh@brent.gov.uk
or telephone her on 020 8937 5337
The case number is 09/3220
The developer is: Mr Malcolm Scott, Garden & Plant Centre Developments Ltd, Greenhouse Garden Centre, Grove House, 1 Loves Grove, Worcester, WR1 3BU

RSPB OBJECT TO WELSH HARP PLANNING APPLICATION

The RSPB have submitted an objection to the application for outline planning permission for 71 dwellings on the Greenhouse Garden Centre at the Welsh Harp.

The RSPB call for an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) by virtue of the fact that the development is to be carried out in a sensitive area as defined by the Town and Country Planning Regulations 1999.

They consider that the applicant's document, 'Assessment of Implications on Welsh Harp/Brent Reservoir SSSI and SMINC' has failed to consider the potential impacts on  interest features of the SSSI. They say the document presents no evidence quantifying existing levels of recreational pressure or whether there is capacity at the site for additional recreational activity. They say the document gives no detail on the type, scale and timing of mitigation and that therefore the efficacy of mitigation cannot be assessed.

The RSPB conclude they would like to see all their concerns addressed through an EIA and 'pending the outcome of further assessment work and the review of potential mitigation, the RSPB objects to this planning application'.

The full  RSPB response is available HERE

A MESSAGE FROM THE COALITION FOR A SUSTAINABLE BRENT CROSS DEVELOPMENT

Another milestone in the Coalition's  fight against the monstrous and unsustainable Brent Cross development approaches on Wednesday.

We need you, your friends, neighbours and colleagues to be outside the Hendon Town Hall at 5.30pm on November 18th with your banners, voices, but most of all your determination.

We demand nothing less than a full Public Inquiry so that these ill-thought out and shoddy plans can be thoroughly scrutinised and the concerns of residents, environmental groups and Camden and Brent councils can be properly addressed - not fobbed off by public relations flannel.

Together we can win.We are not going to let Barnet Council blight our lives and those of future generations!

WELSH HARP - BATTLE SHIFTS TO BARNET

The developer who wishes to build houses on the Greenhouse Garden Centre site  in Brent, next to the Welsh Harp Open Space, also wants to build 90 dwellings on the nearby Woodfield Nursery site, Cool Oak Lane, NW9 7NB which he also owns. These are defined as 'large scale dwellings'.

Although the developer has said he wants to build only on one of the sites, redeveloping a garden centre on the other, there is the possibility that both could be built on.The total number of housing units on both sites would be 161.   The Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee, which has councillors sitting on it from both Brent and Barnet, last week decided to oppose both developments.

The Barnet planning application can be found HERE the earliest decision date is November 30th but the target date for decision is January 28th 2010.  You can comment on the application on the above link. So far 10 objections have been received.

Follow THIS LINK for a map of  the area showing the Woodfield site (Red Circle). The glass roofs, plant area and car park of the Greenhouse site can clearly be seen to the left of the Woodfield site. The impact of the development of both sites on the Welsh Harp Open Space and the 'buffer zones' around it would be immense.

WELSH HARP DEVELOPMENT DEAD IN THE WATER?

Housing on the Hendon side of the Welsh Harp - not wanted in Brent

Following on the opposition of Brent Green Party, Welsh Harp Labour Action Team and the Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee to the proposed development of the Greenhouse Garden Centre for housing, Sarah Teather MP,  the Brent Council Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Democratic Conservative groups have all declared their opposition to the scheme.

Sarah Teather has circulated a newsletter in the ward opposing the development and echoing many of the comments made in this blog. The Welsh Harp ward is in the new Brent Central constituency that she will be contesting at the General Election.

The newsletter also contains a petition against the proposed scheme. This adds another petition to those already being circulated by residents and the Labour Party.  The Liberal Democrat group on the council have joined Sarah Teather in opposing the application.

Bob Blackwell, Leader of the Conservative Group told Wembley Matters: "The Conservative Group are totally opposed to any form of housing development on the two sites, both in Brent and in Barnet. The Conservative Group has always supported retaining this open space and campaigned against proposals to develop this area some 10 years ago."  Robert Dunwell, leader of the Democratic Conservative group said that in his considered professional opinion the application should be opposed in principle.

This will all help the campaign against the development ahead of the Planning Committee hearing which is likely to be held on December 16th.  However it is important to remember that as the Committee is a statutory one it is not whipped in the same way as other Council committees. It makes an independent decision, taking into account officers' reports and representations by all parties concerned. Residents should continue to make representations via the Brent Planning Website here.