Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Become a 'Healthy Space Champion' on Chalkhill

The wildflower meadow at Chalkhill Park

From Well London Chalkhill

As part of the Chalkhill Well London we have some exciting new training to offer you…

If you want to make a change in your local area by learning how to champion food growing, wildlife and biodiversity then come along to FREE training to become a Healthy Space Champion!

Training is open Open to the Well London team and all Chalkhill residents.

You’ll learn about the benefits green space can have on health and well-being and can champion this in Chalkhill. This learning will be done through discussions, group work and practical workshops led by a Community Gardener.

Training takes place in Chalkhill on Thurs 7th Aug, Thurs 14th Aug, Thurs 21st Aug, Thurs 4th Sep. From 6.30 to 9pm.

You will also have the opportunity to create ‘Active Living Maps’ of Chalkhill and use these to inform others where the best places are to improve health and wellbeing. The training includes an ‘inspirational visit’ to a community green space to see urban food growing and / or biodiversity and wildlife in practice.

If you think you can champion green space in your area and support other residents to improve their local environment then please contact Michael Stuart on 07568 575580 or m.stuart@cvsbrent.org.uk  to apply for your place.

Monday, 30 June 2014

Fairview Homes appeal to demolish the Queensbury Pub to be heard


It looks like the Planning Inspectorate may have to open an office in Brent! Fairview Homes have lodged an appeal against Brent Council planning committee's refusal of their plans for the Queensbury pub site at 110 Walm Lane. Fairview want to demolish the Asset of Community Value and replace it with a block of flats.

The hearing is expected to last three days. The Planning Inspector's letter can be found HERE

The Planning Inspector calls on Brent Civic Centre on July 22nd


The closure of half of Brent's libraries continue to reverberate throughout the borough. After the controversial Kensal Rise planning committee deferral and the revised Cricklewood plans, we have a Planning Inspectorate hearing at the Civic Centre on July 22nd into the Barham Park complex of buildings which includes the closed down Barham library.

 On their website Friends of Barham Library write:

A Planning Inspector will hold “informal sessions” to consider Brent Council's Appeal against Refusal of their planning application on Tuesday 22 July at the Civic Centre Empire Way starting at 10a.m.

Brent Council submitted a planning application to change the use of the closed Library space and other parts of the building away from general ‘community uses’. they did so to enable ACAVA to convert most of the building to 29 artist studios for rent.

Friends of Barham Library and others opposed this. The Planning application was REFUSED by the Planning Committee by 6 votes to 1 in November 2013.

Despite this clear decision the Labour Councillors running Brent decided to use taxpayers money to Appeal against the decision of the Council’s own Planning Committee. The Appeal will be decided by an independent Planning Inspector and this is why they are holding these informal session.

Friends of Barham Library will make representations to the Planning Inspector and continue to oppose the Appeal as the consequence is the effective taking away of the buildings in Barham Park away from local people.

The actions of Brent Council are a direct contradiction with the agreement of 22 October 1936 when Titus Barham gifted his home to the people of Wembley when he expressed his wish as follows:
“The settlor is desirous that (his home and gardens) shall be preserved for and dedicated to the recreation of the public”
In our view Brent Council should honour this wish.


Revised plans for Cricklewood Library


Hot on the heels of the Kensal Rise plamming application, revised architect plans for Cricklewood Library have been drawn up (above). The plans show that the community space has been increased slightly bu 30m2 to 180m2. The  library internal space of the current building was almost 300m2 on the ground floor with additional upstairs storage.

The revision includes outside space to the front and rear of the new development and includes a possible 'picture window' facing on to the landscape space.

One apartment has been deleted leaving one at the rear of the ground floor, two  each on the 1st and 2nd floors and one apartment only on the 3rd floor.

The Friends of Cricklewood Library Committee will be meeting soon and the plans are likely to be lodged with Brent planning today.
 
In October 2013 developer Andrew Gillick withdrew plans at the last minute LINK after campaigners said the community space was too small.

Police investigations are continuing into fraudulent emails supporting Gillick's previous planning application for Kensal Rise Library.

CHARITY DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AS LONELINESS AMONG BRENT'S OLDER PEOPLE REACHES 50-YEAR HIGH


Guest blog by Contact the Elderly

Contact the Elderly LINK has declared a state-of-emergency as the number of socially isolated older people in Brent reaches breaking point.

Spurred by concern over the speed at which the government is tackling the problem of a million neglected older people in the UK who are off the radar, and the rate at which these numbers are growing, the charity is taking the issue into its own hands as it heads into its 50th year.

Supported by a network of volunteers across England, Scotland and Wales, Contact the Elderly offers a vital lifeline of friendship to those aged 75 and over, who live alone. The charity’s monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties in Brent enable older people to receive much-needed human contact.

Now the charity is calling for more volunteers to get involved to host a tea party in their home once a year or to drive older guests to and from the parties once a month.

A new study conducted by independent research agency Qa Research reveals that almost one in five (19%) of the older people Contact the Elderly supports joined the charity because they rarely saw another person.

With almost 50 years’ experience, Contact the Elderly knows that the solution to loneliness can be as simple as a regular face-to-face chat over a cup of tea. Some 78 per cent of the older people surveyed feel less lonely as a result of the monthly tea parties. A total of 96% said the tea parties give them something to look forward to.

Local group coordinator Elaine Smith from Wembley says, “We offer a vital lifeline of friendship to some of the loneliest people in Brent. By its nature, social isolation often means that the loneliest people are the hardest to reach. By spreading the word we can encourage more local people to give up just two hours a month as a driver, or a few hours a year as a host.”

With the survey identifying key loneliness triggers as marital bereavement (22%) and lack of mobility (51%); 80 per cent of guests said they felt happier after joining one of the charity’s groups.

Contact the Elderly Founder and Chairman, Trevor Lyttleton MBE, says “Loneliness amongst older people has reached a state of emergency and must not be ignored. For almost 50 years we have been focussing on providing a cost-effective solution, yet the demand for our service has never been so high.

“We know our formula of tea and conversation works, but we simply cannot reach out to the people that desperately need our help without increased volunteers and funding.”

If you want to volunteer for Contact the Elderly or join as a guest, please Contact the Elderly’s North London Development Officer , Isabelle Wise, She can be reached on 020 8445 1333.

#POWEROFCONTACT
To support the appeal, text POWR15 and the donation amount to 70070

Sunday, 29 June 2014

Will Brent's 'garden tax' lead to more Birmingham style fly-tipping?

Green waste dumped by the roadside in Birmingham

The KilburnTimes LINK is reporting that the Council's proposed charge for recycling green waste revealed on this blog last week will be an annual fee of £40.

Brent councillors and officers would be wise to look at what happened in Birmimgham in May when a £35 charge was introduced by that Labour Council.

Initially only 20,000 of the city's 400,000 households signed up to pay the charge and there were mile long queues of angry drivers at city recycling depots LINK

Green waste was fly-tipped by residents wanting to avoid the charge and it became an issue in the local elections. 

Just before the election bin men were allegedy told to clear up all the dumped green waste according to the Birmingham Mail LINK:
But now binmen have allegedly been told to clear the streets of ALL abandoned green waste this weekend, whether householders have paid for the controversial scheme or not.

Senior GMB shop steward Paul Langley, based at Perry Barr depot, told the Mail: “All the dumped garden rubbish is going to be picked up this weekend – just before the election.

“Our overtime has been cut and now our crews are being told to collect it all. It means the 40,000 people who have paid for a green waste bin and those who have simply dumped their rubbish are getting the same service.

“I have just spoken to a manager and he has confirmed it.”
The proposed charges follow the awarding of the multi-million Public Realm contract to Veolia which is due to take parks maintenance from next month in addition to recycling, residual waste collection, street sweeping and BHP grounds maintenance. Councillors claimed at the time that the new contract would save public money and there was no mention of introducing charges for basic services.

This opens the way for other charges for basic services in addition to what we pay in Council Tax.

At the same time as introducing this charge the Council is also considering landlord licensing which amongst other things is aimed at the 'anti-social' issue of untidy and poorly maintained front gardens. The £40 charge hardly seems an incentive to tackle this issue.

And of course we have the Council's anti-fly tipping campaign while this policy looks likely to increase the amount of illegal fly-tipping adding garden waste to the builders' waste currently common on our streets.

Cllr Perrin, new lead member for the environment needs to look at this again.




Thursday, 26 June 2014

Complaint lodged over councillor's alleged non-disclosure of interest in planning application

Local resident Roger Brown has lodged a Corporate Complaint with Fional Ledden, Brent Council's Legal Officer regarding Cllr Ruth Moher which may be on interest to readers aware of recent local planning controversies.

The complaint reads:
I am writing to you in line with your Corporate Complaints Policy regarding complaints about councillors.

The complaint is with regard to planning case 13/2961 (Wembley High Technology College) and her involvement with this together with her lack of disclosure with regard to being both a Governor and Company Director of W.H.T.C  - particularly with regard to the planning meeting of 12th February 2014. 

Both Mrs Moher and Mr Jim Moher are Directors and Governors of WHTC and I believe as such there was a clear breach of Brent's Constitution (and a clear conflict of interests) under the Planning Code of Practice. Their involvement in this particular case and the non disclosure of both of their interests in the register of councillors interests (Brent Council's web site shows there are no such disclosures with regard to this case). Both councillors were in fact listed as first alternates (as listed in the Public Information pack for the supplementary planning committee) and Mrs Moher was allowed to speak at length at the meeting after again failing to disclose her interests. It was pointed out by someone as she spoke that she was a Governor and should not be speaking but she was allowed to continue. In contrast Councillor Singh, a local resident, declared his interests at the start and left the room, taking no part in the meeting.

I have asked Brent Council for a copy of any recording or transcript of this meeting but was told that none existed and was sent the minutes for this meeting instead, which is a poor representation of the meeting itself. I cannot understand why you decide not to record these meeting for which the decisions play a vital part in the lives of the people they blight and affect.

If this situation had take place with an application of a private individual instead of a public body I'm sure, rightly, questions would surely be asked but because it is a council project I believe that all issues with regard to this contentious application appear to be attempted to be swept under the carpet. 

I will also be raising the matter of another WHTC planning application to the council (13/1775) for the failure to disclose information paramount to the case, therefore allowing it to pass unopposed. With this I refer to the reason for the MUGA being built being that of the subsequent planning application 13/2961 as this built upon land  occupied by the current MUGA and no residents were aware of it at this stage due to the council and schools lack of residents consultation in February 2013. The council abjectly still claims that residents were consulted but cannot state to which houses they delivered the notices to, which is frankly laughable.

I would ask to to look into this as a matter of urgency and I will also raise the matter with the Local Government Ombudsman and ask the DFE to conduct a thorough review of this case.



Harrow College shows the way on inclusion and sustainability

Tony Medhurst, Principal, presents award to Priya Ramaiya

I was honoured to be invited to Harrow College Student Awards yesterday as one of the keynote speakers.  I was impressed, and moved, as the award ceremony progressed, at how clear it was that the College and its students valued the inclusion of students with special needs and disabilities.  The range of awards was extraordinary and the talents of the students shone through.

Particularly impressive was Priya Ramaiya (above) whose citation for the Courage and Commitment award speaks for itself:
Priya is one of Harrow College's most courageous, determined and committed sudents. A few years ago she was struck by lightning and had to spend a considerable amlunt of time in hopsital. Her injuries left her in a wheelchair but she has not let what happened to get in the way of her dream of studying medical science. She is an absolutely amazing young lady.
I presented the Environmental Contribution  Award to 'Harrow College Low Carbon Cafe':
During the Big Rig Challenge nine of our students took part in setting up a solar powered shower installation as part of a competition in partnership with WorldSkills and the National Skills Academy. The task included setting up a water harvesting system that could heat water in an envirobmentally friendly way. The learners showed great commitment and enthusiasm during the challenge and gained a valuable insight in to new green deal technologies.
I used the occasion in my keynote speech to urge the students to  harness their talents and determination to answer the challenge posed by climate change:

 
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Thank you very much for inviting me here today. In 2010 I came to the college  take part in the General Election hustings. Perhaps the election result will be different in 2015!
Recently I visited  Harrow Weald campus during Sustainability Week and saw all the work that has been going on to bring home the message that everyone has a role to play in ensuring that there is a world fit for your children and your children’s children. The college is to be congratulated in making sustainability one of its strategic objectives.
A sustainable future is one where we are not living as if we have the resources of three planets rather than one, where we are not increasing emissions of greenhouse gases and thus increasing global warming, where all have enough to eat and no-one is grabbing more than their fair share - or wasting what they do have, where the air we breathe and water we rely on for life are unpolluted.
Climate change and extreme weather events are happening around us now. I see it in small ways as a gardener when strawberries start flowering in November or pear trees blossom before bees emerge from the winter and therefore are not pollinated. We have experienced extreme weather including floods.  We see it on the grand scale in the melting of the ice caps, disappearing glaciers, methane releases from tundra and rising sea levels.
Business is waking up to the threat, Recently a report was published in the US which warns business of the consequences of climate change:
The study says there’s a better-than-ever chance that as much as $23 billion worth of Florida property will be underwater by the middle of the century.

But the report projects something investors call a “tail risk” — a low-probability but extremely high-cost event that pushes losses far above $23 billion. For Florida property, the “tail risk” is that there’s a 1 in 100 chance that by the end of this century, as much as $681 billion worth of property will be submerged.

Robert Rubin, another Wall Street veteran and former Treasury secretary under President Clinton, is also involved in the Risky Business study. He says the threats are widespread across the economy.

“Agricultural yields could fall by 50 percent or more in some parts of the country,” Rubin says. “You could have temperatures that prevented people from working outdoors for some part of the year in certain parts of the country. All of this has massive effects, and all of this is a very realistic projection of what is likely to happen if we don’t act.”

“If we don’t act” – what does that mean? (The end of the world as we know it within a few generations?)
Last year I helped organise a Brent Students Conference on Climate Change and we looked at how the actions we could take to combat climate change.:
These included:
·      The small changes that we can make in our everyday lives – reducing energy and water consumption, walking or riding bikes instead of driving, supporting local businesses and shops, reducing consumption (do you really need to update your phone?), growing your own and providing habitats for plants, insects and animals.
 
·      Action by local councils working with schools, colleges, businesses on insulation, micro-energy production, local food growing, better public transport.
 
·      Looking at developing the green economy locally and nationally through training opportunities in green jobs through colleges and links with universities, green technology, green enterprise zones – the campaign A Million Climate Jobs has has lots of ideas.

However this can all seem small-time when we realize the extent of the problem.
Imagine this scene: Houses have collapsed, bridges are down, people are trapped and crying for help. We scramble in the dust and dirt rescuing those we can.  Meanwhile out to sea, unknown to us a Tsunami is gathering, a huge wave is heading our way. We are concentrating on moving the rocks and bricks, we care (quite rightly) about the desperate people we are trying to rescue. We finally look up at the roar of the sea, but it is too late. The mountainous waves engulf and destroy all in its path – rescuers and victims.
The current economic situation: unemployment, welfare cuts, student fees, housing crisis is like the earthquake. Dealing with it is important and necessary. But Climate Change is the Tsunami – it is coming at us and at an increasing pace.
We have to look up. We have to deal with it. Or it will be too late. We will be engulfed.
And the ‘we’ MUST include governments. The world HAS to work together. The threat is too big for just individual actions.
But that is where this ‘we’ must influence the ‘they’. We need to be part of a movement which will force governments to take action.  They are failing to work together effectively and time is running out. There are talks in Paris in 2015 to once again try and get the nations working together. We have to make sure that this time they produce real results.
So the final part of the action plan after individual actions, local council actions and national economic changes is international action. That is where each and every one of us has to exert pressure on politicians and governments – it is a matter of survival.
Tonight has been fantastic but I urge you to use the skills, knowledge, creativity and determination that you have shown tonight to take part in that struggle for the future of humanity.