Tonnes of Municipal Waste in Brent 2009-10
WEMBLEY MATTERS News and views on local politics, the environment, climate change, culture and local history
Thursday, 4 August 2011
England v Holland Reduced Price Tickets for Brent Residents
The Football Association has just released a special offer for Brent residents.Reduced price tickets are available for the next England match at Wembley Stadium.
England versus Holland is on Wednesday 10 August with kick off at 8pm.
The reduced tickets are:
- £20 for adults
- £10 for children
Ann John Steps Into 'Difficult' Negotiations with Veolia
Ann John, the Labour leader of Brent Council, is to meet with Veolia the controversial French multi-national, in an effort to resolve difficult and protracted negotiations over changes to its waste management contract. Cllr Powney told last night's scrutiny committee that the talks had been 'complex', 'difficult' and 'complicated' and said that this was the reason Ann John was meeting with the company. Michael Read (Assistant Director, Policy and Regulation, Environment and Neighbourhood Services) quickly stepped in to say that such action was in line with previous practice. £1m was due to be taken out of the Veolia contract. Powney said that the more time spent in negotiations the bigger the financial problem due to the delay. He was clearly vexed with Veolia who seem to have the Council over a barrel. The seven year waste contract ends in 2014 and the procurement process for the new contract will start soon. Clearly Veolia is trying to get as much out of its current contract as possible.
The protracted negotiations and Veolia's efforts to improve its profit margins, has led to further cuts in street cleaning in the borough. Outlying residential streets are to be swept only once a week from October, reduced from three times a week under the previous administration, and weekend sweeping will stop at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. The special seasonal leaf collection will end and leaves will now be swept up once a week along with litter. It was far from clear from officers' comments whether the sweepers will be able to cope with this along with the extra litter caused by the reduction, whethjer the leaves will be kept separate from litter, and if so whether they will be bagged for composting as they are at the moment. In response to Powney's claim that the tonnage of leaves was small and an officer's suggestion that it was a 'symbolic' service, Cllr Paul Lorber(Lib Dem) said that nonetheless it was an important part of the Council's green agenda.
There was cross-party agreement on the health and safety danger of wet and rotting leaves underfoot and Cllr Shafique Choudhary (Labour) pointed out the particular dangers on the steep streets of the Barn Hill area. Paul Lorber asked about the legal risks of the cuts. Cllr Kabir said, "A lot of us are uncomfortable, particularly as it relates to our climate change strategy, but I am pleased that the Council is avoiding redundancies." (In fact although no Brent staff will be made redundant up to 50 Veolia staff will lose their jobs.)
Several councillors, including the chair of the committee Javaid Ashraf (Lib Dem) said that ward councillors would bear the brunt of residents' anger when they realised that their streets were not being swept as often and that their condition had deteriorated .Lorber said that the Executive should have consulted with ward councillors who were expert on their own local areas before these 'high profile and highly visible' changes were introduced. Cllr Powney suggested that the proposed councillor briefing on waste management should be extended to street cleansing. All the changes are due to take effect from October 3rd 2011.
The motion asking the Executive to reconsider the cuts was lost. The press and public (that meant me as I was the only one there) were excluded from a confidential 'below the line' item on this topic which may well have revealed more about the financial risk the Council is running in this area.
As if on cue Veolia has announced today that it is restructuring and reducing its involvement in many countries.
LINK following a half year loss of 67.2mln Euros against a previous profit of 374mln Euros. The shares fell 12.5% on the news.
The protracted negotiations and Veolia's efforts to improve its profit margins, has led to further cuts in street cleaning in the borough. Outlying residential streets are to be swept only once a week from October, reduced from three times a week under the previous administration, and weekend sweeping will stop at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. The special seasonal leaf collection will end and leaves will now be swept up once a week along with litter. It was far from clear from officers' comments whether the sweepers will be able to cope with this along with the extra litter caused by the reduction, whethjer the leaves will be kept separate from litter, and if so whether they will be bagged for composting as they are at the moment. In response to Powney's claim that the tonnage of leaves was small and an officer's suggestion that it was a 'symbolic' service, Cllr Paul Lorber(Lib Dem) said that nonetheless it was an important part of the Council's green agenda.
There was cross-party agreement on the health and safety danger of wet and rotting leaves underfoot and Cllr Shafique Choudhary (Labour) pointed out the particular dangers on the steep streets of the Barn Hill area. Paul Lorber asked about the legal risks of the cuts. Cllr Kabir said, "A lot of us are uncomfortable, particularly as it relates to our climate change strategy, but I am pleased that the Council is avoiding redundancies." (In fact although no Brent staff will be made redundant up to 50 Veolia staff will lose their jobs.)
Several councillors, including the chair of the committee Javaid Ashraf (Lib Dem) said that ward councillors would bear the brunt of residents' anger when they realised that their streets were not being swept as often and that their condition had deteriorated .Lorber said that the Executive should have consulted with ward councillors who were expert on their own local areas before these 'high profile and highly visible' changes were introduced. Cllr Powney suggested that the proposed councillor briefing on waste management should be extended to street cleansing. All the changes are due to take effect from October 3rd 2011.
The motion asking the Executive to reconsider the cuts was lost. The press and public (that meant me as I was the only one there) were excluded from a confidential 'below the line' item on this topic which may well have revealed more about the financial risk the Council is running in this area.
As if on cue Veolia has announced today that it is restructuring and reducing its involvement in many countries.
LINK following a half year loss of 67.2mln Euros against a previous profit of 374mln Euros. The shares fell 12.5% on the news.
Festival cuts go ahead amidst confusion over equalities legislation
There appeared to be some confusion from Labour councillors members last night when discussing the cuts in funding of faith events at Scrutiny Committee. At first Cllr Lesley Jones said it had been a financial decision and that the Equalities Act, previously cited as the reason for stopping funding of religious festivals, did not require the cessation of funding. The required Equalities Impact Assessment had been done after the initial report and further additional responsibilities had been published in April of this year. She said that some respondents in the Consultation had said the festival grants were divisive.Under questioning she later said that both the equalities legislation and financial issues were prime factors in making the decision. Cllr Powney said that this was an Act of Parliament and not a matter of choice. He said that the Council could not decide to ignore it because of what people said during consultation: "Someone will need to explain why funding different religious groups at different rates is not discriminatory."
Addressing the public gallery, overwhelmingly consisting of Hindus concerned about the ending of the Navratri grant, Cllr Helga Gladbaum reminded them of the support given by Brent Council when East African Asians fled Kenya and Uganda and came to settle in Brent. She said that the Council had funded a highly qualified Language Team that had helped children as they settled into Brent schools and the outcome was that our schools are now full of highly achieving children. She told them that times had changed and the Council could no longer afford the Navratri grants: "You are a proud people and are well able to organise events without holding out your hands for money. The money is needed for the elderly and for disabled children."
Liberal Democrat leader, Paul Lorber, who had called in the Executive decision, said that all Brent councillors were aware of the kind of comments they got on these issues and they shouldn't take these few comments into account while ignoring the wider number supporting the festivals. The negative comments were from an underlying 'element' that all councillors know about 'and we wouldn't tolerate racist comments'. He asked about the wider implications of the legislation for the work of Brent Council and whether any other areas were 'at risk' from the legislation. He gave the example of Stonebridge councillors who had financed Jamaica Day from ward working funds and Black History Month.
The Borough Solicitor, Fiona Edden, said that the Council had to pay 'due regard' regard to the legislation and the impact of decisions on 'protected groups' (1) . in consultation some groups had the perception that they were not being provided for. She said that if looked at historically this could be claimed to be the case. She said that the legislation (2) was new and case law on it was still being developed and the law interpreted. It was clear that the libraries case was casting a long shadow over her comments.
Cllr Jones said that the fact that Navratri gets far more money than other, more modestly funded groups, could be seen as divisive. It was nobody's fault but a problem that had developed over the years. She defended spending on a team to promote corporate events, and extolled the virtues of one massive community 'Brent Celebrates' event. (3)
A speaker from the Hindu Council had earlier told the Committee that Brent was renowned all over London for its Navratri celebrations which was the biggest and best in the UK with thousands attending from the different communities. He said that cessation of funding would cause a loss of respect and goodwill and end the positive community engagement involved. He said the the Hindu Council would like to work with the Council on how to deal with the equalities legislation.
Lorber's motion asking the Executive to look again at their decision and its impact on a large section of the community. He called for the money being used for a special Events Unit to be distributed instead to community groups in line with the equalities legislation. He said that such community groups would be better at putting on events than the Council. His motion was lost.
1. Protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.
2. Extract from the Equality and Human Rights Commission website:
Addressing the public gallery, overwhelmingly consisting of Hindus concerned about the ending of the Navratri grant, Cllr Helga Gladbaum reminded them of the support given by Brent Council when East African Asians fled Kenya and Uganda and came to settle in Brent. She said that the Council had funded a highly qualified Language Team that had helped children as they settled into Brent schools and the outcome was that our schools are now full of highly achieving children. She told them that times had changed and the Council could no longer afford the Navratri grants: "You are a proud people and are well able to organise events without holding out your hands for money. The money is needed for the elderly and for disabled children."
Liberal Democrat leader, Paul Lorber, who had called in the Executive decision, said that all Brent councillors were aware of the kind of comments they got on these issues and they shouldn't take these few comments into account while ignoring the wider number supporting the festivals. The negative comments were from an underlying 'element' that all councillors know about 'and we wouldn't tolerate racist comments'. He asked about the wider implications of the legislation for the work of Brent Council and whether any other areas were 'at risk' from the legislation. He gave the example of Stonebridge councillors who had financed Jamaica Day from ward working funds and Black History Month.
The Borough Solicitor, Fiona Edden, said that the Council had to pay 'due regard' regard to the legislation and the impact of decisions on 'protected groups' (1) . in consultation some groups had the perception that they were not being provided for. She said that if looked at historically this could be claimed to be the case. She said that the legislation (2) was new and case law on it was still being developed and the law interpreted. It was clear that the libraries case was casting a long shadow over her comments.
Cllr Jones said that the fact that Navratri gets far more money than other, more modestly funded groups, could be seen as divisive. It was nobody's fault but a problem that had developed over the years. She defended spending on a team to promote corporate events, and extolled the virtues of one massive community 'Brent Celebrates' event. (3)
A speaker from the Hindu Council had earlier told the Committee that Brent was renowned all over London for its Navratri celebrations which was the biggest and best in the UK with thousands attending from the different communities. He said that cessation of funding would cause a loss of respect and goodwill and end the positive community engagement involved. He said the the Hindu Council would like to work with the Council on how to deal with the equalities legislation.
Lorber's motion asking the Executive to look again at their decision and its impact on a large section of the community. He called for the money being used for a special Events Unit to be distributed instead to community groups in line with the equalities legislation. He said that such community groups would be better at putting on events than the Council. His motion was lost.
1. Protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.
2. Extract from the Equality and Human Rights Commission website:
3. Such events can be fraught with difficulty as it is often difficult to untangle cultural and religious strands and there is a danger of the format not respecting aspects of some cultures. It is probably an urban myth but at the extreme end is the story of the Japanese store that celebrated Christmas with a huge model of Santa on a cross. I worked for a primary headteacher a long while ago who was determined to have a 'multicultural Christmas' and was miffed when, at the height of the cultural revolution, the Chinese Embassy gave a shirty reply to her request for information on how the Chinese celebrated Christ's birth!
With major reductions in public spending, organisations in Great Britain are being required to make difficult financial decisions. The equality duty requires public authorities to demonstrate that they are making financial decisions in a fair, transparent and accountable way, considering the needs and the rights of different members of their community. This is achieved through assessing the impact that changes to policies and practices could have on different protected groups.
The duty does not prevent public authorities from making difficult decisions such as reorganisations and relocations, redundancies, and service reductions, nor does it stop public authorities from making decisions which may impact on one group more than another group.
Assessing the impact on equality of proposed changes to policies, procedures and practices is not just something the law requires, it is a positive opportunity for public authorities to ensure they make better decisions based on robust evidence. The assessment does not necessarily have to take the form of a document called an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) but you can choose to do so if it is helpful. It will help you to demonstrate compliance if you:
The equality duty is a legal obligation which should remain a top priority for public authorities, even in times of economic difficulty. Failure to meet the equality duty may result in public authorities being exposed to costly, time-consuming and reputation-damaging legal challenges.
- Ensure you have a written record of the equality considerations you have taken into account
- Ensure that your decision-making includes a consideration of the actions that would help to avoid or mitigate any negative impacts on particular protected groups.
- make your decisions based on evidence
- make your decision-making process more transparent
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
Veolia fails to win Ealing waste management contract
Press Release from Palestine Solidarity Campaign:
In another victory for Palestinian rights, Ealing Council, in London , has failed to select Veolia for a comprehensive tender for its domestic refuse, street cleaning and parks maintenance contract. The contract is worth approx £300m in total over 15 years and one of Ealing Council’s largest single contracts. This is even more significant given the fact that Veolia had the previous parks maintenance contract.
Veolia remains involved in the building and future operation of a light-rail tramway linking Israel’s illegal settlements with West Jerusalem, facilitating Israel's ‘grave breaches’ of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Veolia Transport Israel also runs two bus services serving the same function as the tramway: supporting and consolidating illegal settlements and tying them more closely into Israel .
Sarah Colborne, PSC Director, said: ‘Veolia’s loss of this contract, following its failure in a number of significant bids in Britain and internationally, is a clear sign that Veolia is paying a high price for its complicity in Israel’s occupation and violations of international law. West London PSC, together with other groups and individuals supporting Palestinian rights, wrote and met councillors from across the political spectrum and council officials, and submitted detailed factual and legal analysis. Veolia must realise that until it pulls out of all its activities serving Israel ’s illegal settlements, it will continue to be a target for the movement for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). Through BDS, those committed to peace and justice are sending a message – we don’t buy into Israel ’s violations of Palestinian rights’
Veolia's seven year waste management contract with the London Borough of Brent expires in 2014 and the Council is likely to start the procurement process quite soon.
Labour council leader denounces street sweeping cuts
As Brent Council's cuts in street sweeping are debated at tonight's Scrutiny Committee it is interesting to note the following comment from Westminster about similar cuts there:
Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “This is another example of frontline services and low paid staff bearing the brunt of the Conservatives’ cuts. Residents in north Paddington, Maida Vale and Little Venice are entitled to feel short-changed by the Conservatives for virtually abolishing weekend street sweeping in the most densely populated residential areas. Why are residents paying Council Tax if the Conservatives cannot even guarantee to keep the streets clean at the weekend?
“Someone once said that the streets of London were paved with gold. Now they will say that the streets of Westminster are covered in rubbish.”
Veolia in long-list for West London Waste Contract
The West London Waste Authority has announced the long-list for the new 25 year waste management contract to cover Harrow, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Ealing, Brent and Richmond. Note that bidders may make proposals on sites they control or may acquire, and that they will be invited to submit proposals on the 'most economically advantageous technologies'. Environmentalists will be watching very carefully to see what technologies will be suggested and whether incineration will be one of them:
The West London Waste Authority (WLWA) has long-listed a total of eight bidders for a long term residual waste treatment contract covering the boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, and Richmond upon Thames.
Cory Environmental Ltd, Covanta Energy Ltd, E.ON Energy from Waste AG, FCC/Waste Recycling Group Ltd, SITA UK Ltd, Veolia ES Aurora Ltd, Viridor Waste Management Ltd, and Wheelabrator Technologies Incorporated will now be invited to develop outline solutions as the next stage in the competitive dialogue process that is being employed.
The contract involves treating up to 300,000 tonnes of residual waste per year generated by a population of 1.4 million people, and covers all aspects of treatment including any necessary transport, the operation of transfer stations, and contracts for outputs such as compost, refuse-derived fuel, recyclates etc.
Bids were invited from “single entity” companies, consortia, or joint ventures. The WLWA has offered the three waste transfer stations within its direct control as part of the procurement but also welcomed proposals involving sites within bidders’ control or which they intend to acquire.
Bidders will now be invited to present whatever proposals they feel are the most economically advantageous technology to meet WLWA’s output specification but the authority is stipulating that the technology must be proven in operation on a municipal scale.
The next stage of the tender process will narrow bidders to three or four that will present detailed solutions in the first part of 2012. Two final bidders will submit final tenders in Autumn 2012, and the preferred bidder will be selected in Spring 2013.
Monday, 1 August 2011
Only a few days left to comment on Brent's Green Charter
There are only a few days left to comment on Brent Council's proposed Green Charter which stems from Labour's manifesto at the local elections. The Council sets out the brief as follows:
Brent Council’s administration is seeking to deliver a ‘Green Charter’, in consultation with local residents and other stakeholders, with the aim of the Council reducing its impact on the environment and helping residents to do the same.
Developing Brent into a greener borough needs to be done collectively with our partners, people who live, work and study here, public and private sectors and voluntary groups.The proposed Charter can be seen HERE
All the work that we do and our travelling to work or school has an environmental impact. As a Council, we need to have the policies in place to reduce our impact as much as we can and to create a better vision for the future. The Green Charter brings together all the work the Council is doing to improve, enhance and protect the environment and asks those who live, work or study in Brent, to be more sustainable in their way of life. It also makes suggestions how this can be achieved.
This Charter sets out how the Council takes the environment into account in all of its work and sets out a vision of how residents and the Council can work together. In this way we can best respond fully to the challenge of climate change and reduce our carbon footprint.
Comments should be sent by August 4th to:
Green Charter comments
Marion Hofmann
Brent House
3rd floor Brent House
349-357 High Road
Wembley HA9 6BZ
Email: environment@brent.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 8937 5380
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