Brent recycling and library visit rates fail to meet target

The Brent Council Performance Review report for the first quarter of 2013-14 gives several areas a red rating using the RAG (Red, Amber, Green) traffic light system. Red indicates targets are not being met and Amber a danger that they will not be met.

The volume of residual waste per household is a key measure both environmentally and financially (landfill tax). Currently the year to date total  is 119.7kg per household against a target of 89.

The percentage of household waste being sent for recycling is 42% against a target of 55.6%

Tonnes of waste being sent to recycling is 16,313 against a target of 13,110

These figures contribute to a forecast overspend in recycling and waste of £226,000  Veolia currently hold the contract. Brent Executive on October 14th will choose between Veolia and Enterprise for the new Public Realm Contract to run from 2014.

It is in the area of inspections and investigations for fly-tipping that the discrepancy is most marked with 330 against a target of 1,000.

The figures for the number of streets falling below expected cleanliness measures are not yet available.

Elsewhere the number of library visits per 1,000 of population is 1.150 against a target of 1,215 and the percentage of Brent population who are active library users is 20% against a target of 22%.

Children and Families had a target of zero for secondary and primary schools judged Inadequate by Ofsted  but the figures are respectively 2 and 4.

The reports go to the One Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday 9th October LINK

Brent event to help young people in Rwanda

Event at College of North West London, Dudden Hill

Solidarity with striking teachers

Teachers are on strike today in many parts of the country and it will be our turn on October 17th. Support has been pouring in not only from other trade unionists but from parents and community activists who are seeing at first hand the damage Michael Gove is doing to the system. However, it gets more personal than that because they have also seen how it is affecting teachers and pupils in terms of their quality of life and the way that schools, once the beating heart of their communities, are being torn apart.

Solidarity.

Poetry for all, up and down the Preston Road, in and out of the library...

A message from Preston Community Library

If you have time please come, and encourage others to come, to Preston Community Library at 235 Preston Road,  this Thursday any time between 1 to 4 pm for what is probably a unique poetry event.   

It will take place not just at 235 Preston Road but at various shops and other premises  in  Preston Road.  

Geraldine had a brilliant  idea to bring poetry to the many people working in Preston  Road.  We have been gathering together not just poetry in English,  on this year's theme of water, but in  many Asian and European languages.  

We are taking  them to shops and other premises in Preston Road so they can be read first in the other language and then in English. There has been such an enthusiastic response.    Many have offered us poems in other languages.  Someone has even offered to write a poem for us.

We have nursery rhymes for the pre-school children as well as humorous poetry.  There really is something for everyone for all age groups and nationalities.  

Hope to see you there.

Climate Change:'Stop listening to the siren voices of the fossil fuel lobbyists'

Video LINK

Following yesterday's release of the “Summary for Policymakers” of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said: 

“The scientific consensus on the causes of climate change and the risks is clearer than ever. We are talking about 95% certainty, and consensus of 97% of climate scientists, about the impact of human action on amplifying the greenhouse effect, which has been understood since the 19th century. Those who would deny the science should not have a further place in this debate: the Flat Earth Society continues to exist, but that doesn’t mean we need to take it seriously.”

Natalie continued: “The debate now should be moving away from the science and on to politics and policy. Britain led the way with the Climate Change Act, but has failed to follow that clear statement of intent with effective action. Globally, China and the US are taking steps in the right direction, but that all countries need to move much further and faster.

“The UK needs to maintain leadership, and benefit by leading in adjusting its economy for the low-carbon future. Cutting our addiction to fossil fuel use is good for consumers too. The massive rise in energy bills that has hit UK households hard in recent years is chiefly the result of rising gas bills. Fracking and the ‘dash for gas’ are expensive dead-ends.

“Instead we need to restructure our economy. Green MP Caroline Lucas has highlighted the risks of the ‘carbon bubble’ – the over-valuation of companies based on unburnable fossil fuel reserves. We also need to end the global  $500-billion worth of subsidies being paid for fossil fuel extraction, six times the subsidies being paid to renewable energy.

“Investment in energy conservation and in renewable energy technologies is the right choice both environmentally and economically. The Centre for Alternative Technology has calculated that the job creation potential of a zero-carbon economy could reach 1.5 million, covering a range of skills and sectors across the country, all at least paying a living wage.

“Currently not a penny of government money is going into insulating our leaky, poorly insulated homes, which are a huge factor in fuel poverty. A serious programme of insulation – and of building new, appropriately sited homes that are affordable not just in rent but also in heating and transport costs – could together deliver jobs, tackle poverty, and cut our carbon emissions.”

Bennett concluded: “A further important step would be to produce the long-delayed transport strategy for England, replacing the discredited HS2 plan with an approach that focuses on helping people get between home, work, study and leisure affordably and in a low-carbon way, with a strong focus on walking and cycling, and improving the many ‘Low Speed One’ rail lines around the country.

“Today’s report makes it very clear that the world is running out of time to tackle the threat of uncontrolled climate change, and that climate risks to people here in the UK, such as flooding and summer heatwaves, are even greater. Now is the time for politicians to stop listening to the siren voices of the fossil fuel lobbyists, and act decisively to put us on the path to zero carbon economy.”

Manilow May-hem expected in Wembley next year

Wembley residents are usually stoical in the face of football and music fans taking over their streets for events at the stadium, Arena and Fountain Studios.

These hardened survivors of Barcelona vs Manchester United trembled though at the news that Barry Manilow, and thousands of his fans, will descend on Wembley Arena for a two night engagement on May 13th and 14th next year.

 

Tickets are now on sale at prices ranging from £29.50 to £111.50.

Brent Council pay-offs revealed

Gareth Daniel - pay-off better than a game of conkers

Brent Lib Dems have revealed 'the compensation for loss of office' sums awarded to former Chief Executive Gareth Daniel and former Director of Finance Clive Heaphy as £200,702 and £140,508 respectively. Gareth Daniel went after a row with Muhammed Butt, leader of the council and Clive Heaphy went following his suspension pending investigation of allegations of gross misconduct which were later withdrawn.

 The figure for exit packages breaks down as follows:

• 2010/11 – £3.502 million
• 2011/12 – £4.366 million
• 2012/13 – £2.311 million
• TOTAL – £10.179 million

The Lib Dem claim that  if it was managed more effectively this money could have helped keep closed libraries open, fix potholes and clean streets.

Gareth Daniel did not do as well as his predecessor George Benham. Benham got £700,00 compensation (including a car)  in 1998 when Daniel, then an ex-GLC left-winger, was installed in his place.

Disturbing characters feature in Brent Council horror movie