Bleak Winter for Housing Benefit Families

Estate agents in Brent are already taking action

The Winter Bulletin from the Brent Citizens Advice Bureau has two pieces of worrying news.

The first concerns the impact of changes in Housing Benefit, which although not in force until January 2012 is already having an impact, with private landlords taking drastic action. I have already seen this in a primary school where I am a governor with tenants receiving notice to quit and families having to move into bed and breakfast hotel accommodation.

Brent CAB say:

Although the government has delayed the changes, evidence is emerging of the impact of the proposed housing benefit cap.

We are receiving a mounting number of enquiries from prospective tenants, who are being rejected by landlords because they rely on housing benefit.


We are also seeing many residents whose tenancy agreement is not renewed because of the HB changes. In other cases, landlords are simply issuing Section 21 notice to evict tenants.


The full implementation of these proposals, next January, is bound to have a devastating effect on Brent residents - of the 10,225 families receiving LHA in Brent, 1,988 are receiving LHA above the cap - and it may be compounded by the pressures on accommodation and other basic services - such as schools and health, as a result of families being displaced from more affluent central London boroughs.


We are already working with Brent Council to look at ways of easing the impact of such changes.


We have also raised our concerns with local MPs. Brent CAN attended a meeting of the Work and Pensions Select Committee to make the case against a cut in housing benefits.

Brent CAB is looking for a multi-agency partnership to support people affected by these changes. We are also trying to secure extra resources to deal with housing benefit cases and displaced families.

If you would like to know more about working in partnership with Brent CAB, please contact Jacqueline.carr@brentcab.co.uk

UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE

Ian Brownhill, Chair of Brent CAB, warns that they have already lost a quarter of their total funding and that more cuts are on the way. The reorganisation of Children's Centres may result in a significant reduction in the service that Brent CAB offers at the Centres. Last year they helped 2,820 families and since April 2009 have gained £3.7m for parents.

He says:

It is alarming to see funding being reduced as part of a budgetary drill, paying little or no attention to outcomes or impact on vulnerable people.

He goes on to welcomes the Council's decision to protect the most vulnerable people from cuts and says:

I trust this policy to be fully implemented, when it comes to deciding on essential advice services for Brent residents and the future of Brent CAB.

He is absolutely right and that is why Brent Fightback is so essential to monitor cuts that the Council is making and ensure that the policy is being followed.

Sign the Willesden and Wembley Observer's Library petition

If you want to save ALL six Brent libraries threatened with closure then go to the Willesden and Wembley Observer's Petition:

Save Brent libraries from closure

You can also make a comment when you sign

Will Teather Topple Tomorrow?

Photo: Pete Firmin (I'm behind the yellow placard)

About 150 Brent Fightback supporters assembled at the Jubilee Clock in Harlesden on Friday to protest against the cuts.  Feeder marches had made their way from Central Middlesex Hospital, the College of North West London and the Mencap Centre in Willesden High Road. 

The strength of the demonstration was reflected in the  number of different causes and trades unions reflected in the banners and speeches. A real unity is building over the cuts as announcement after announcement is made with bewildering speed, often providing a rapid series of blows to the same people each time.

There is clearly no alternative to building a broad-based campaign that will include all the groups campaigning against both government and council cuts and for public services worth defending and investment in a green economy.

The people who went in to lobby Sarah Teather were not very impressed:

"Needless to say, the meeting with Sarah Teather by a deputation was hardly a meeting of minds. Many of the issues brought up at the rally were raised, her reply was essentially to either say we are wrong or to tell us that it would be much worse if she wasn’t in government! Oh, and to blame the Council when it is the government which has cut the Council’s funding."

Hands Off the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre

Welsh Harp Campaigners at the Brent Fightback Lobby

The Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre, around the corner from the Birchen Grove allotments, offers environmental education and water sports for primary and secondary school children in  Brent  and  neighbouring boroughs and has strong ecological credentials. It is now threatened with closure as one of the non-statutory parts of educational provision.  It has been threatened before and just about survived after mass a mass campaign involving hundreds of children marching to the Town Hall. Now it is run by one full-time teacher and a part-time assistant.  It is part-funded by pupil contributions (usually paid by the school). Basically already a shoe-string operation it gets more than 3,500 pupils visiting a year. It is also used for Away Days for Brent institutions and for team-building exercises.  As well as studying the Science National Curriculum children can take part in orienteering on a 25 stage course and basic water sports. The Centre has two very well-equipped classrooms.

Councillor Jim Moher (Labour) is sympathetic to the campaign to keep the Centre open and letters are pouring into the Council from children and school governor.  The threat to the Centre is likely to be discussed at this week's Brent Primary Headteachers' Conference.  The battle is on.
As chair of governors at two primary schools, a Brent Green Party member and as leader of Brent School Without Walls, which provides complementary activities at a more informal level (no classrooms, toilets or adventure course and only accidental water sports!), I believe that the Welsh Harp Centre is an invaluable resource that has enabled countless children to develop a clearer understanding of ecology and a deeper appreciation of the importance of the natural environment.

If the next generation is to fight to preserve the environment and protect the planet such centres are not a luxury but a necessity. It has been threatened before and Brent children have risen up to defend it - they know its value.  The Welsh Harp celebrated 175 years of existence last year and saw off a threat to develop housing in the vicinity after a strong community cross-party campaign. The anniversary was marked by an open day at the Centre with family environmental activities sponsored by the Council - now they are considering closing it. Brent Greens will play our part in a similar campaign to save a special place that is a tremendous asset for the young people of Brent.

Save Charteris Sports Centre: A valuable community resource

This is a message from the campaign to save Charteris Sports Centre

Charteris provides great value gym membership.  It is the only local sports centre, which allows members to  "pay as your go". Apart from “gym” activities, It hosts team sports (e.g. football, badminton) fitness classes, martial arts and yoga.

Charteris is also a valuable community resource, far more than just a gym, offering, children's parties, holiday activities for children and hosts our local cycling project.  It's our "community centre" and now it's set for closure!

Our aim is to keep Charteris SERVICE run by Brent. Unfortunately Charteris Sports Centre sits on land, which can be sold to a private housing developer; Public asset stripping- Private profit!  

We ask Brent to agree to:

1) STOP the threatened closure on the 1st April 2011.

2) Agree to meet with local residents and centre users to discuss the alternatives to the "destruction" of this irreplaceable public resource.

Green Party by-election candidates offers a REAL choice

Alan Mathison

Brent Green Party has selected Alan Mathison to fight the Kenton by-election.  Alan, now retired, has spent most of his working life in universities and housing management. He has been a governor of three schools.  He stood for the Greens in Kenton in last year's local election and received substantial support.

Alan said:

"The Green Party is the only party nationally who are questioning the whole strategy of deficit reduction through cuts. Locally the Labour Party are implementing the cuts imposed by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition and failing to protect the most vulnerable in the process. We are opposed to these cuts and are actively supporting Brent Fightback's efforts at coordinating opposition across sectors and involving both trades unions and users of public services.

Nationally we favour increased taxation of the very rich and heavy taxes on bank profits and bonuses.  We want investment in the creation of socially useful green jobs through the provision of training opportunities and projects that would provide insulation for all homes,  low-cost sustainable housing and public transport, and renewable energy production.  Translated into local action this would help provide jobs at a time of rapidly rising unemployment."

Alan is scathing about his opponents in the by-election:

"The Labour Party's assurance that it would protect the most vulnerable from cuts has proved hollow. The Brent Conservatives and  Liberal Democrats have the colossal cheek to start campaigning against the cuts locally when it is their government that has demanded them.

All three parties voted for the £100m over the top Civic Centre vanity project which is a slap in the face for local people when they see their services being slashed and charges raised. If we want all our libraries kept open and this means not building the Civic Centre, well so be it. Let's not build it!"

Reflecting on Kenton, where he moved eleven years ago, Alan said:

"I enjoy living in Kenton, it is a great place to live, but looking around you can see that it has been neglected by Brent Council. If elected  my priorities would be to tackle Kenton's flooding problems, find ways of relocating  the John Billam children's playground to a safer and more accessible site, seek to end the traffic chaos on Drayton Avenue and put an end to the dangerous speeding on Woodcock Hill.  Kenton would be a much safer and pleasanter place to live if these issues were tackled." 

Anyone willing to help with Alan's campaign should contact me.

Wake Up, Wise Up, Rise Up

Is Brent's Waste Strategy Rubbish or just Low Grade?

Last year Brent Council spent £9 million on landfill tax.  In a bid to save money, increase recycling and reduce landfill, the Council is introducing a new waste strategy.

  Contaminated materials will go to landfill

Residents should be confident that waste which they take the time to separate will actually be recycled and not end up in landfill. Brent Friends of the Earth’s main concern about the strategy is that dry recyclables will no longer be collected from households via green boxes sorted at the kerbside, but using new large wheelie bins in “co-mmingled” collections.  This involves crushing the material, which is later sorted at a processing plant.  A new report by the Institution of Civil Engineers has confirmed our fears about this method that, because of higher levels of contamination, produces low-grade recyclable material, some of which ends up in landfill.  

 Children to pick over our waste?

In particular, paper is contaminated by broken glass, reducing its value and use.  We discovered that Aylesford Newsprint, who currently buy Brent's paper are unlikely to want it under the new scheme, making export more likely.  The UK recycling industry is now struggling because of such poor grade materials.  Do we really want our waste exported, and sorted by child labour in developing countries?  This is something Brent has not ruled out, despite recommendations by a recent Scrutiny committee.

£1.7m for new bins while libraries are closed

 The Council is spending £1.7 million on new wheelie bins to replace the boxes, when the only new materials being collected for recycling are mixed plastics and tetra packs.  This follows £400,000 spent on the free collection of bulky items.  We believe Brent has underestimated the landfill costs from the extra contamination of waste by changing to a “commingled” system.  In view of ruthless closures of libraries and day centres, and cuts to street sweeping, is this really money well spent?  Or are these ill-conceived plans just rubbish?

 
Viv Stein and Elaine Henderson
Brent Friends of the Earth

References:

1.Targets to boost recycling may backfire say engineers - BBC news item http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12172766

2. The report is available at http://www.ice.org.uk/News-Public-Affairs/State-of-the-Nation