Barry Gardiner MP to speak out against the threat of climate change at Chalkhill meeting

Brent North MP Barry Gardiner is one of the speakers at a public meeting on climate change on Thursday 10th November at Chalkhill Community  Centre in Wembley. The meeting, “Food, Floods and Climate Change:  Pakistan, Africa, Britain” is organised by Brent Campaign Against Climate Change and starts at 7.30pm.

The full list of speakers is: Barry Gardiner MP, Cllr Jonathan Essex: Green Party and Glen Hart: Rail, Maritime and Transport union .

Ken Montague, Secretary of the Brent Campaign against Climate Change says,

The return of devastating floods to the Sindh province of Pakistan may be further evidence that man-made climate change is already a  life-threatening reality to millions of people around the world. The  terrible drought in East Africa, floods in Thailand, the drought that  has killed huge tracts of Amazonian rain forest, are the kind of extreme weather events that scientists predicted would occur with global warming. Although the poor in developing countries are bearing the main costs, droughts and floods in countries like Russia and Australia are pushing up food prices for us in Britain.

“This meeting will discuss the extent of the problem, what action Governments should take at the forthcoming climate talks in Durban, and what we can do to press for climate justice and future food security for ourselves and our children.”

Jonathan Essex says,

It is not the financial crisis that is the issue most visibly affecting millions of the most vulnerable across the world - but food and oil price hikes and floods - already a result of the clash of climate change with business as usual.

A global agreement and action on this issue is not a luxury item but a basic need for many - vital for our wellbeing and that of future generations.'

Don't doubt that together when we stand up for justice it makes it difference - we can act ourselves to live within our planet's limits and raise our voices to start making a diference now. '

This is one of a series of public meetings organised by the Brent Campaign against Climate Change. The free event will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday 10th November 2011 at Chalkhill Community Centre, 113
Chalkhill Road, Wembley, HA9 9FX, across the road from Wembley Park tube station. All are welcome.

Willesden Green Library Report Now Going to December Executive

The Brent Executive will now consider the report on the redevelopment of Willesden Green Green Library at their December meeting. The item was originally tabled for discussion at Wembley's meeting but no report was available on the Council website.

Redevelopment would involve the demolition of the existing building and a rebuild that would include flats and possibly retail outlets. The Council is searching for developers interested in such a scheme. The delay may indicate that the proposals are hitting problems in the current economic climate but could also be linked to the High Court appeal being heard on Thursday and Friday of this week.

If the development were to take place the library would be closed for two years with only minimal alternative facilities and would add a further library to the six already closed by the council.

Central Middlesex Overnight A&E Closure Protest

The Accident and Emergency department at Central Middlesex Hospital is due to close at night from next Monday, 14th November.

An emergency protest has been called for outside the hospital at 12.15pm on Tuesday November 8th.

Please come along if you can to show we are opposed to the run down of our NHS facilities.

Caroline Lucas Speaks At St Paul's Anti-Capitalist Camp

Food, Floods and Climate Change - Public Meeting

Click on Image to enlarge

 

Willesden Green Library Report Missing From Executive Agenda

It appears that officers are going right up to the line over the proposals for the redevelopment (and thus a two year closure) of Willesden Green Library. The Executive Agenda lists the item and states:

This report summarises the procurement process undertaken by the Council to procure a developer partner to redevelop the Willesden Green Library Centre site and requests delegation to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects in consultation with the Director of Legal and Procurement to award and enter into a Development Agreement with the preferred developer partner.

No report is attached despite the meeting only being a week away.  Other councillors and the public will have little time to peruse the document and prepare any submissions they might wish to make to the Executive. At the same time delegation to officers means little further involvement by our elected representatives.

Dogs not consulted on new Control Orders

Details of the proposals on Dog Control Orders have now been published. They will be going to the Council Executive for approval on November 14th.  There has been some opposition from professional dog walkers to the restriction on the number of dogs walked to six per person, with some walkers and the people who employ them arguing there should be no restriction at all. However other respondents suggested a limit of four dogs per person.

The document notes that this is not the same as a limit on the number of dogs walked together. This means that several individuals walking together could have a combined total of more than six dogs. There is a possibility that professional dogs walkers could avoid the restriction if they got a friend or two to accompany them. Clearly this will need to be monitored but overall the restriction seems to be sensible and a way of maximising the enjoyment and safety of open spaces such as Fryent Country Park and the Welsh Harp.

The control order instructing that dogs be kept on a lead in some areas mainly applies to children's playgrounds, sports areas and special areas such as the Roe Green Walled Garden. The report makes it clear that dogs do not have to be kept on a lead in the whole of Gladstone Park s some had claimed.

There is a lovely straight-faced sentence in the consultation report:

It is not possible to consult directly with dogs that may be affected.

The Impact Needs Assessment, including details of the consultation response can be found HERE and a list of the parks and playgrounds where dogs will be required to be kept on a lead in part of the space or the whole area can be found HERE

Save Treetops and Harmony Nurseries

SIGN THE PETITION HERE (More than 160 signatories so far)