Crucial Libraries Appeal hearing Thursday - Try and Get Along

The Brent Libraries appeal hearing will begin tomorrow in the Court of Appeal at 10.30 am in Court 63, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London. Please try and come along for the hearing: the physical presence of those who case about cases like this makes a real difference.

The hearing will last 1 ½ days, possibly extending a little into Friday afternoon. The Appellants’  new QC, Dinah Rose, will open and close the case with the Council’s QC making her own submissions half way through. Dinah will argue the Council:

• did not appreciate the likely impact of its plans to close libraries on particular groups in the community, such as Asian people, and without understanding this impact properly could not make a lawful decision compatible with its Equality Act 2010 duties to eliminate discrimination;

•  did not assess need for local library services, especially that of children; and

• was unfair to community groups who put forward proposals to save the threatened libraries.

The legal team cannot be sure when the judgement will be forthcoming but it is likely to be speedy as the Court appreciates the importance of the case.

Evening Standard covers library distance row

Follow this LINK for the story

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.