Begone you pesky petitioners! Brent downgrades petitioner power.

In a constitutional change to be discussed at the Council meeting on May 16th Brent Council is proposing that petitions of 5,000 or more valid signatures should no longer be debated by full Council and that those containing 2,500  valid signatures should no longer require a senior Council officer to give evidence at an overview and scrutiny committee.

Although the Council says its proposal is  a result of the Localism Act 2012 repealing the requirement for councils to adopt a petition scheme and leaving it to the discretion of each authority, there can be little doubt that the Labour Council has been irritated by the petitions organised by the Hindu community over festival funding, library campaigners over the closure of half of Brent's libraries and Keep Willesden Green over the Willesden Green Library Regeneration proposals. The latter was particularly controversial when Democratic Services  refused to hold a Full Council meeting on the issue.

The Council argues that this change will 'make the process more transparent' and will 'direct petitions to the decision maker as set out in the current Standing Order 68(e).

That Standing Order refers to petitions with 50 or more signatures and refers the petitions on upcoming decisions  to the Executive or the General Purposes Committee who can 'make recommendations concerning the petition to Full Council'.

As far as I can see this continues the erosion of democracy in Brent Council removing further citizen's ability to make representations to Full Council rather than the rubber-stamping Labour Executive.  If I was a backbench councillor of whatever political party I would be asking some awkward questions on the issue.

Old Willesden Library demolition proposals published

The proposed development

Most of the planning documents for the proposed Willesden Cultural Centre are now available on the Brent Council website.  They are numerous and will need careful study. There is a main planning application for the demolition of the Victorian Library, 1980s Library, bookshop etc and the building of 92 flats and the Cultural Centre and an application relating to the Conservation Area. Most of the documentation is replicated on both sites.

Main Planning Application HERE

Conservation Area Application HERE

The future of the Old Willesden Library is of particular interest to many and the Heritage Statement is available below.

One key section states:

The loss of the Old Library is to some extent mitigated through ‘preservation by record’ and the undertaking of the historic buildings survey to English Heritage Level II standards, and which has been used in this report to understand the building’s significance. Should consent be granted for this or future schemes affecting historic fabric, it is recommended that additional recording be undertaken during demolition in order to supplement this report with further details of the building’s history.

It is also recommended that specific elements of the architectural fabric are retained, and where possible, reused within the new building as architectural details, art installations and/or exhibits within the museum space. While it is recognised that the scheme represents the total loss of the Old Library, the retention of certain elements would evoke the cultural memory of the building and help preserve the historic narrative of development on the site. Those pieces that should be considered for retention are as follows, though further elements may be revealed during the demolition process:

· Shell-hood above the former entrance way on the north elevation;

· Parge work on the north elevations and around the tower;

· Plaque commemorating the building on north elevation; and

· Weather-vane on summit of the tower

The remaining historic fabric and fixtures such as window frames should be considered for salvage, and where suitable, deposited in a suitable store such as the Charles Brooking Collection currently housed in Surrey.

Lucas: "I completely support today's strike action"

Caroline Lucas MP,  speaking at a Brighton union rally at midday today in support of today's public sector strikes, said:

"As Vice President of the Public and Commercial Services group in Parliament, I completely support today's strike action.

"This Government's drive to slash jobs, slash pay, and now slash pensions as well  is both socially devastating and economically illiterate.

"The best way to tackle the deficit is to invest in jobs, not to destroy them - and the fairest way to do it is to make those responsible for the financial crisis pay the highest price.

"It cannot be right to demand that ordinary workers up and down the country pay more, work longer, and get less in their pensions.

"The cynical changes to indexation from RPI to CPI inflation means pensions fall by up to 20%.

"Equally worrying, this indexation change will also apply to a number of important benefits, including Disability Living Allowance and Incapacity Benefit.

"That's why it's so important that civil servants, lecturers and other public sector workers come together today to defend each other, demand real negotiation with Government, and to demand no more cuts."

Children's play sliding down the agenda

 

In the wake of cuts to local government budgets, play is sliding down the agenda in many London councils, a survey by London Play has revealed. In the past year over 70 per cent of London's local authorities have either cut play provision - or do not have any play budget left to cut. And there are fears that the worst is yet to come. 

As the scramble for primary school places highlights the rate of growth in London's young population, it has emerged that opportunities for play are becoming fewer and further between. Despite pupil numbers in the capital being predicted to rise by more than nine per cent over the next three years, play facilities are being downgraded and cut back.  Of the 22 councils which responded to the London Play survey, 10 had made cuts to their play services in the past 12 months. Perhaps more worryingly, six had no budget left to cut. Only one council was making modest expansions to its service.

Having slashed its play budget by a massive 66 per cent, Camden stands out as the borough making the biggest reductions. Yet it remains one of the biggest spenders on play in the capital, with a budget of £1.5m - which will now be used to commission play services from the voluntary sector. In comparison, six of the local authorities responding to the survey had no revenue budget for play at all.

Many authorities have worked hard to limit the impact of the cuts on frontline services, and in some cases have developed innovative solutions to enable them to continue to support play. Some play services are linking up and pooling resources with housing providers or other partners who through play are able to engage better with groups they might otherwise have found difficult to reach.

Others are increasing income-generating activities. For example, in Richmond, play workers are being paid to run sessions in schools; the funds raised will support more open access play in future. Richmond's play development manager Barbara Morton explains: "Whilst charging for play ranger services may be controversial, developing a business model has been crucial in order to sustain the service for the future and to continue to offer play provision for the children in the borough." More controversially still, others are exploring the possibility of charging for services, as in the well-publicised case of Wandsworth council and its Battersea Park Adventure Playground.

London Play chair Melian Mansfield commented: "At a time when the number of children in London is rising dramatically, play is being cut. Play is crucial for the health and development of both children and London's communities and these cuts will have a disproportionate effect on both. Councils need to recognise this and treat play as a priority.  All children need to have access to opportunities to play, especially out of doors."

Nicolas Kent to receive Freedom of Brent honour

Nicolas Kent

The Honorary Freedom of the London Borough of Brent will be conferred on Nicolas Kent, the retiring director of the Tricycle Theatre at a special meeting of Brent Council on May 16th

Kent retired as a consequence of Arts Council, Local Council and Brent Council cuts to the theatre's budget. His decision received wide coverage and stimulated debate about the Coalition's attitude to the arts in general and its reliance on philanthropy rather than national and local government funding, as well as the role of the Tricycle Theatre in particular.

Brent Council's Minutes for its January meeting records Kent's swansong: on the Tricycle's contribution:

Nick Kent spoke to the meeting referring to having worked in the borough since 1984.  He expressed his love of Brent and his passion for the Tricycle Theatre.  The theatre was housed in a relatively small building but undertook many activities.  He stated that since 1984, 4.5 million people had visited the theatre as audiences, most of which were from the local area and over 36 million people from around the world had seen productions that had begun at the Tricycle Theatre.  This translated into audiences of around 185,000 a year with many dignitaries also visiting the theatre.  Nick Kent stated that the theatre employed 19 full time staff and 57 part time staff and 50% of the front of house staff came from Brent.  The work of the theatre was designed to promote community spirit and it was proud to represent the borough.  He felt the most important work the theatre undertook was with children and young people.  The Council grant last year of £218,000 was wholly spent on activities for young people and amounted to half the total cost of the programme.  The activities carried out each year involved about 40,000 children, with many being helped to learn English through drama and art.  Nick Kent stated that the theatre attracted £3.3 million into the area and given his role he had been asked by Brent and Camden Councils to get involved in the regeneration of the area and it had been a role he was proud to take on

 The report going before the Council for approval states:

Conferring the title of Honorary Freedom of the Borough is the highest honour that the Council can bestow and so should not be taken lightly. However, it is considered that the retirement of Nick Kent provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate his time at the Tricycle Theatre during which he has placed the theatre on the nation and international map out of proportion to its modest 235 seat size. One of the UK's longest serving and most respected artisticdirectors, he has run the theatre for 28 years and built it into a successful theatre known particularly for its political plays and culturally diverse work.

Brent refuses permission for French Restaurant in Wembley Park

Campaigning outside Montparnasse

It seemed a good sign during the recent election when the Montparnasse Cafe reopened in Bridge Road, Wembley after being closed for several months - I had feared it had gone for ever. I had missed the delicious cakes and excellent coffee.

However, chatting to the owner it was clear that all was not well. After customers had said they would welcome the cafe's development into a fully fledged French Restaurant the owner applied for planning permission. This would involve change of use from Class A1 premises to Class A3 enabling cooking to take place on the premises.

Despite the fact that such a restaurant would enhance the quality of the offer in this area, amongst the betting shops and fried chicken shops, the Planning Committee turned down the application.  This was done on the grounds that it would  increase the proportion of non-retail premises on the parade and increase the number of 'dead frontages': 'Overall. it is considered that the proposal will further impact on this vitality and viability of this primary shopping parade and is considered unacceptable'.

There are no other restaurants (apart from a chicken shop with a couple of tables) on that parade except the Torch and Crock of Gold pubs. A French Restaurant would be distinctive and the only one for miles.

In pursuit of this 'vitality and viability' Brent Council recently approved the replacement of a bar/restaurant on the corner of Bridge Road and Chalkhill Road by an enormous Paddy Power betting shop, the third betting shop in the immediate area. This double frontage shop has a blank frontage.

Montparnasse has organised a petition in support of its application which can be signed at the counter. I urge you to pop in and sign it and sample the coffee and cakes at the same time.

Change of tactics on Wembley drinking ban

The Kilburn Times reported yesterday LINK  that it would be difficult to enforcing the public drinking ban for the FA Cup Final today:

With up to 90,000 fans arriving often with their own drink, it is clear that the street drinking ban cannot be fully enforced with the resources we have.

In this first year it is more about education of the local alcohol industry, football fans coming to Wembley and those officers policing the event. It will take time to eradicate these issues.

We will take action were appropriate.

 When I walked around Bridge Road and Olympic Way today it was clear that the strategy was different compared to the semi finals. There was still plenty of public drinking in evidence but police were confiscating alcohol as people left the Torch Pub...

 and again before they entered Olympic Way...

and at the foot of the steps.

However it was clear from the evidence that by 4.30pm an awful lot of street drinking had taken place:

 And I did see someone urinating on the pavement outside the Torch.

Believing James Powney...

I wrote recently LINK that in my experience Cllr James Powney, despite our differences, has always posted my comments on his blog, but it seems that others have not been so fortunate.

Pete Firm, who is secretary of Brent Trade Union Council and a Labour Party member, posted a comment on the leafleting licence issue some time ago. The comment was about James Powney's suggestion that the campaign around the issue had been 'invented'

Cllr Powney had written:

The mischief started with the Willesden and Brent Times leading with a story that gave the impression that this was an entirely new set of rules, and glossing over the exemptions.  What is striking is that I personally spoke to the reporter and told her that "political purposes" meant a variety of political campaigns, not just political parties

Firmin's comment pointed out  the  Editor's note in the subsequent WBT , at the foot of a letter from Michael Read clarifying exemptions to the licence requirement, which said:

Brent Council's communication team has issued an apology to the Times for issuing an inaccurate statement on which our original report was based.

In other words, as I have also pointed out, LINK the Willesden and Brent  Times story was based on an e-mail from the Council itself.

 The comment was never published on Cllr Powney's blog and Pete wrote on April 30th asking why.

James, Can I ask why you haven’t published my comment (submitted last Thursday or Friday) to you blog post “How To Invent A Campaign”? Pete Firmin

 Firmin has has received no response.

 Coincidentally the latest post on James' blog is pertinent. LINK He is concerned that people don't believe him:

All this helps to create an atmosphere where anything that a Council officer or councillor says is disbelieved.  I have had this many times over the libraries issue, when I have pointed out that an assertion is not true, only to be told that it must be, and to have my interlocuter refuse to believe me even when I refer to documentary proof. 

Pete Firmin and I have both pointed to the 'documentary proof' in the Council e-mail and the Editor's note, that Cllr Powney's accusation about an invented campaign was wrong.

Time to publish Pete Firmin's comment, James?