Waste Strategy Costs Mount

Will the new Waste Strategy mean no more Brent scenes like this?

The cost of the implementation of the Council's Waste Strategy which involves fortnightly collections of residual waste and expanded dry recycling, has increased following urgent decisions taken by the Chief Executive of the Council under his delegated powers. The costs relate to the deployment of new vehicles and the purchase of more than 100,000 new collection containers.

The original plan to purchase 12 new waste vehicles at a cost of £1.7m, including interest charges, spread over 7 years (approximately £243,000 annually), has been ditched. Instead Veolia will hire vehicles for the remaining two and a half  years of their contract, at a cost of £1.1m, to be paid for by an increase in their contract price. The annual cost will be £440,000, £197,000 more than buying and £493,000 more over the remaining two and a half years. The original plan left the Council with the vehicles when the contract expired but the new plan leaves them owning none.

Officers argue that they  will save £600,000 in total costs in the long term (£1.7m versus £1.1m) and that hiring will 'relieve the Council of the burden of ownership (my emphasis) at the end of the current contract in 2014, which will improve our ability to go to the market for the replacement contract and seek competitive prices.'  My reading of this is that this leaves Veolia holding all the cards at the end of the contract and puts them in a winning position for the new contract - after all Brent will have a waste strategy with no vehicles!

The other additional cost is in waste containers with wheeled bins replacing the current green boxes (I am still waiting to hear if they are going to be recycled). This is a table of the new purchases:

The caddies and kerbside containers will cost £96,300 and Officers deemed this a low value contract not requiring Executive approval.  In the case of the bins Officers considered that it was prudent to conclude arrangements on bins and vehicles at the same time as the two were interdependent.They needed to make a purchase quickly because of  the rise in prices for the oil-based polymer from which thy are made. The total cost of the bins will be £1,693,250 which is £58,000 over budget. The urgency again meant that the Chief Executive made the decision. Officers argue that the deal is still affordable and within budget as they will use the existing container revenue budget of £97,000.

Read the document for yourself HERE

Brent Library Closure Delays

No Brent libraries will be closed until after the last 'A' Level exam on July 1st according to a report on the Libraries Transformation Project going to the Executive on May 23rd. This will mean that no action need to be taken of the referral made by Scrutiny Committee earlier this month after representations from Brent Youth Parliament.

The report acknowledges that it is difficult to give firm dates on the closures 'due to management of variables including contractual notice for facilities, the profile of staff who are leaving and the potential legal proceedings'.

The report states:

The library users may commence legal proceedings against the Council by way of Judicial Review. This could also have implications for the date of closure of the six libraries

Councillors are reminded that a report on the implementation of the Project is not scheduled until April 2012

LINK to report

Defend the Planet Against Government Hypocrisy - before breakfast!

The Lib Dems look as if they are going to renege on yet another promise - is it double figures yet? Environmental organisations have called an emergency demonstration for Monday - a good one for the early risers amongst you:

EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATION

8.00 am at Lib Dem HQ, at 4 Cowley Street, Westminster Demand the Lib Dems stand up for their environmental principles!  Or are they just poodles to the Tory right? 
8.45 am  Move on to Downing StreetDemand that Cameron stick by all he argued for when he supported the Climate Act. Or was that all just green posturing? Is this the most green-backtracking government ever?

The Campaign Against Climate Change say:

This looks like crunch time for this government, and for the country on whether we will have any meaningful targets on emission cuts, or whether they will be watered down in the interests of the business lobby and short term economic interest every time…

The crucial decision will be taken at a meeting on Monday… hence the timing of this demo

Never mind that the targets - even before they are watered down - are not stringent enough in the light of the latest science, anyway. Never mind that the UK’s whole carbon-cutting strategy will rapidly unravel once regular budgets for cutting emissions like this are not maintained. Never mind that delaying emissions cuts risks putting a fatal amount of carbon in the atmosphere before we ever get to making those cuts anyway. Never mind that the fate of billions hangs on us actually getting to grips with the climate crisis and making it our number one priority. Never mind that we will never be able to influence other countries effectively if here at home we are seen to put our own economic welfare before the global environment  we share with the rest of the world….

…still it looks like short sighted, short term, economic considerations are threatening to take us down the path to misery and suffering on a colossal, unimaginable, scale…

See:
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/09/climate-defining-green-moment-cameron
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/09/friends-earth-ipcc-proposals-policywww.monbiot.com/2011/05/09/shaking-the-tree/
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/09/vince-cable-chris-huhne-carbon-emissionswww.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13343055

New Kids on the Box

I bumped into a community TV crew at the Save the NHS meeting on Thursday who have just started operating in the area. They are Brent News Company Television (BNCTV). This is currently a web-based channel. First reports cover Dollis Hill House demolition, Library Closures (an interview with Graham Durham of the Save Cricklewood Library Campaign), and Fryent Country Park's lottery-funded project.

BNCTV says:

We are committed to delivering news reports and all the interesting stories from our Borough.

The diversity and richness of everyday life, economic and social changes in the Borough of Brent make it ever so interesting and relevant to us, local people.

We aim at bringing together all these aspects by creating a regional on-line TV news company.

BNCTV – a company with good values, committed to, focused on and based in Brent.

We are interested in everything about Brent.

It will be interesting to see how they shape up in the months ahead and if they win the advertising that they will need to keep them going.

To see BNCTV follow this LINK

Caroline Lucas speaks out for freedom for Palestine

Activists from Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Brent Stop the War and Brent Green Party were among those who attended the 'End the Siege of Gaza' demonstration at Downing Street. As well as continuing to press the case for government and EU action on the siege the event also helped launch the next Free Gaza Flotilla which will leave in June. The demonstration was noteworthy for the wide range of support it attracted and in particular the increased role of trade unions.

There was a lovely moment when children, complete with scooters, took on the pro-Israel demonstrators who had been allowed to mount a counter-demonstration directly outside the gates of Number 10. More kid power coming a few days after the great 'boy in a skirt' stand-off!

Teather lobbies Lansley, Cameron and Clegg on NHS Changes

Safe in her hands?

In a letter to constituent Sarah Cox, Sarah Teather MP has recognised the concerns of local residents on the proposed NHS changes:

I have received letters from an overwhelming number of constituents on this issue and I am well aware of the strength of feeling. I believe our National Health Service is a major part of this country's history and something to be proud of.

As I am sure you are aware, the Department of Health are taking the opportunity to pause and review the plans and allow for more consultation with GPs and the public.

I have already written to Andrew Lansley, Secretary of State for Health, outlining the concerns that many of my constituents have raised. I have today written to both David Cameron and Nick Clegg to make them fully aware of the views of the people of Brent on the proposed NHS reforms. I will be sure to write again as soon as I received a response.

Sarah Cox responded by saying, "We don't just want the NHS to be part of our history but part of our present and future too!"

Green Fun and Games in Willesden Next Saturday

Click on image to enlarge

Brent Friends of the Earth are announcing the line-up of stalls and a programme of activities for their first ever "Green Fair" on Saturday, 21st May 2011 in Willesden.  This free community event will take place outside the Willesden Green Library Centre, 95 High Road, Willesden, NW10 2SF from 10am - 5pm.

Stalls include free bike-fixing, children’s activities (I will doing parachute games) for Brent School Without Walls), vegetarian food, a bicycle powered smoothie-maker, advice on food waste from “Love Food Hate Waste” and on home energy-efficiency, Brent Council’s environmental projects, local environmental campaigns including Brent Friends of the Earth and Brent Campaign against Climate Change, a furniture re-use charity, and a car club.

A programme of platform activities, compered by Magician Ian Saville, includes demonstrations on gardening and fruit-picking, a “Green Question Time” with local MP Sarah Teather, plus a “Making Willesden Greener” debate with local ward councillors.

Steffi Gray, Community Liaison Officer for Brent Friends of the Earth says,

Our Green Fair will bring together local groups, businesses and individuals with an active interest in the environment, and show Brent residents that there are plenty of options for a low-carbon lifestyle in their area.  We have over twenty stalls, activities for children, a series of short talks and demonstrations throughout the day, plus a platform discussion with local Councillors and a “Green Question Time” with our local MP.  We hope it will encourage people of all ages to go greener.

The Green Fair is open to all.  It is funded by the Brent Ward Working scheme.  See www.brentfoe.com for more details.

Step out to step up fight to save NHS in Brent tonight

Come to the public meeting in Willesden Green Library tonight at 7.30pm to hear from local GPs, health workers, patients and campaigners.

A word or two from Caroline Lucas to galvanise you into venturing out this lovely sunny Spring evening:

Forcing our GPs to take on the extra burden of commissioning health care as Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities are abolished is a reckless strategy.
The fact is, the coalition government knows perfectly well that GPs will have neither the time, the will nor the necessary skills to commission health care - and this is precisely where private companies come in.

Andrew Lansley's proposals will mean that, for the first time, the NHS is opened up to EU competition law. In reality, this puts services up and down the country at the mercy of price competition between providers - making them dangerously vulnerable to a drop in standards.


The Health Bill has attracted criticism from many organisations, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing and UNISON.

When Labour were in power, they welcomed in private healthcare providers and saddled the NHS with huge debts through PFI schemes. Labour started the ball rolling on a transition towards NHS privatisation - now the Tory-led government is taking us ever further down that road..