Brent Cabinet environment post may not be replaced

Since my post about Cllr George Crane stepping down as lead member for environment and speculation about his replacement LINK, I have heard that the post may be incorporated into an existing cabinet role.

It will be argued that this reflects the reduction in environment responsibilities with most of the Council function out-sourced to Veolia.

It will also conveniently avoid any competition for the role and the testing of loyalties to 'The Leader', Cllr Muhammed Butt.

One of the councillors most qualified for the position challenged the leadership over Council Tax.

Given the power of the Cabinet this will reduce decision making to just 7 people.

Brent Council claim 9,000 plus households have opted to pay £40 'Garden Tax' for green waste collection

Brent Council sent out the following press release last week. I print it unedited.

Two hundred households are signing up for the new garden waste service everyday as new household waste and recycling services in Brent get underway.

As of this month, changes to our waste and recycling services mean that collections from green bins, which were for both food and garden waste, have now ceased and have been replaced by a new food waste container for every household and a separate garden waste collection service.
Residents who want to continue to have their garden waste collected from their green bin will need to pay £40.

So far, 9,000 households have signed up for the service, with this number expected to rise as the warmer weather and longer days mean that residents who previously did not see a need for the service, may decide to opt-in.

UNWANTED GREEN BINS WILL BE COLLECTED IN JUNE

In response to this demand, we are delaying collecting the old green food and garden waste bins until June – when days in the year are at their longest - to provide residents with the option of opting-in at short notice.

However, from June, remaining households that have not signed up for the service will have their old garden waste bin removed.

The changes to the waste collection service also mean a change in how often the bins are emptied.

As of this month, food bins and the blue top recycling bins will now be collected every week, whereas general household waste and the garden waste collections will take place fortnightly.

Collection days for household waste and recycling will remain the same, however households which opt-in to the garden waste bin collection service will be notified of their collection day when they subscribe.

Visit our recycling pages to check your waste and recycling collection days, or to sign up for the garden waste collection service.

Brent candidates' views on the Israel-Palestine conflict

Following last week's hustings on War, Peace and the Middle East readers may be interested in their Brent candidates views on the Israel-Palestine situation.

This is the up to date information received so far from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's questionnaire to candidates. It is long so I have split the page.

BRENT CENTRAL

Shahrar Ali of the Green Party has responded.

They agree the UK Government should uphold the principles of equality, human rights and international law in all its relations and dealings with Israel.

They agree that the construction of Israeli settlements construction of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal and unjustifiable.

They agree that one of the first acts of the next UK Government should be the recognition of Palestine.

They agree that the blockade of Gaza should be lifted immediately.

They agree that we should stop trade with Israel’s settlements on Palestinian land and stop settlement goods being sold in Britain.

They agree that the EU Israel Association should be suspended until Israel meets its human rights obligations.

They agree that the UK Government should stop supplying arms to Israel until it complies with international law.

 

The Green Party believes that the Arab-Israeli conflict persists owingto the failure to find a fair and humane solution to the problems of thePalestinian people; and at the same time offer appropriate guarantees ofsecurity for Israel.

We condemned Israel's ground invasion and bombardment of Gaza in 2014,and continue to call on the UN, the EU and the US to ensure that Israel complies with international law.

We also call on Israel to evacuate illegal settlements within the occupied territories of Palestine. In addition, we call on the government of Israel to dismantle the 'West Bank Barrier' which divides
Palestinian territories, depriving Palestinians of land, water, and employment.

The Green Party supports active participation in the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign which aims to put pressure on the government of Israel to end the Occupation and to give equal rights to Palestinians.

We believe that in the present situation neither the UK government nor UK companies should be selling arms to Israel.

The Green Party is committed to principles of equality, human rights and international law. There can be no lasting peace without justice.'

Barry Gardiner vows to defy Brent Labour Council on Byron Court expansion

Asked by parents at last night's Sudbiry Hustings about the proposed  Byron Court Primary School expansion, Barry Gardiner, Labour candidate for Brent North, reiterated his opposition.  He said that a primary school of more than 1,000 pupils was unacceptable and said that if Brent Council granted planning permission, he would appeal against it to the Labour Secretary of State (if Labour won the election).

The other candidates at the hustings Scott Bartle (Green), Paul Lorber (Liberal Democrat) and Luke Parker (Conservative) also opposed the expansion on varying grounds.

Scott Bartle emphasised the Green's commitment to human sized schools and support for local authorities to be given back the power to plan and build new schools. The Green Party would bring academies and free schools back into the local autoirty family of schools to bring order back to the system. He said that the way Gladstone Free School had failed to open leaving pupils adrift was a scandal.

Barry Gardiner also referred to the 'free school' disaster and criticised the Tory approach to academies which had turned on its head Labour's original concept of a fresh start for failing schools.

Paul Lorber opposed the expansion on grounds of size but said that the real issue was the lack of any land for new schools of any kind in the borough. He mentioned the three form entry primary that Quintain were due to build near the stadium but said that he had no idea when that woudl be built.

Luke Parker wanted more free schools in the borough and claimed that Brent Council were opposed to them on ideological grounds and because they were under pressure from teaching unions.

Scott Bartle, Brent North Green Candidate, speaks out at Sudbury Hustings

The packed hustings was held in a beautiful but dimly lit church so please excuse the quality of the picture.

Who will champion the environment in Brent cabinet?

Cllr George Crane, lead member for Environment, said his farewells to colleagues at this week's Brent Cabinet meeting as he is stading down. Cllr Crane was appointed by leader Muhammed Butt, following Cllr Keith Perrin's rather sudden resignation soon after being elected to the Cabinet. LINK

The post will come up at the AGM and may be contested. Some have argued that the Environment post is no longer important with the department having been savagely cut and services handed over to Veolia through the Public Realm contract. 

I would argue that this makes it more important as private contractors need to be held to account and environmental issues need an experienced and energetic advocate.

For interested Labour councillors this is what the Council website says about the Cabinet. You will note the vagueness in the first sentence on how apppoinments are made. Who is 'they'?

The cabinet is made up of the Leader of the Council and other senior councillors (Lead Members), they have chosen.

Together they provide political leadership and strategic direction for the council, both within individual portfolio responsibilities and as part of their corporate responsibilities.
They take an active approach to ensuring that decisions made by the council are informed both politically and administratively and the council's executive decisions are collective and made by the cabinet.

The cabinet are each democratically accountable to the public and are the public face of the council. As such they act as ambassadors for the council's work in improving Brent.

Leader of the Council: Cllr Muhammed Butt 
Deputy Leader: Cllr Michael Pavey
Adults, Health and Wellbeing: Cllr Krupesh Hirani
Children and Young People: Cllr Ruth Moher
Employment and Skills: Cllr Roxanne Mashari
Environment: Cllr George Crane
Regeneration and Housing: Cllr Margaret McLennan
Stronger Communities: Cllr James Denselow

Enraged locals campaign against Carlton Tavern vandalism

Carlton Tavern after demolition

and before...

Anger is building on the borders of Brent and Westminster over the demolition of the Carlton Tavern on the eve of the building being granted Grade II status by Historic England.

There were rumours today that the company concerned  had gone into liquidation to avoid legal  action.

A demonstration is planned for the evening of Sunday April 26th, more details when it is finalised.

Meanwhile a 38 Degrees petition has been set up LINK with this preamble:

A historic pub in Kilburn which survived being bombed in the Second World War has been demolished by developers behind the backs of the local community.

Developers ripped through the Carlton Tavern on Friday 10th April, despite being considered for statutory listing.

Local Cllr Jan Prendergast from Westminster City Council said:

“I'm horrified for the local residents that this has occurred. It came as such a shock to everyone. There was no prior warning to the council, no approvals and no proper health and safety procedures in place.

“This was a lovely pub and I'm sorry to see it go, but I'm more concerned for the residents in Maida Vale for whom they showed no consideration whatsoever. It was the last building standing in Carlton vale after the WW2 bombings.

“I've lived in the area for 35 years and have never seen anything like this before. We need to take very careful legal advice as to what steps we can take.”

The demolition of the Carlton Tavern demonstrates how vulnerable communities are to speculative and aggressive development tactics. It also demonstrates a complete disregard towards the historic social infrastructure of Kilburn and the wider UK pub heritage stock.

Local pubs are at the heart of our communities and allowing valued pubs such as the Carlton Tavern to be demolished in this way is ludicrous and is denying local residents a say in the future of their neighbourhoods.

James Watson, Regional Pub Protection Advisor for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said:

"Although we welcome the recent changes to planning law which came into effect on 6th April 2015, which afford some protection to ACV-registered pubs, the tragic case of the Carlton Tavern demonstrates just how vulnerable pubs are to rapacious development. We now urge the Government to take this case into consideration and amend planning law to ensure that such demolitions are prohibited unless planning permission is first obtained. This would ensure communities like Kilburn have a say in the future of their local pubs."

The Save the Queensbury, fighting for the pub in Willesden Green, has expressed solidaroty and meanwhile have issued a revolutionary manifesto that challenges all the political parties to match the vision which they percieve through the bottom of a glass LINK

Make your mind up time! Read the Green Party Manifesto here

The Green Party are standing candidates in all the local parliamentary constituencies and feedback on their performance at hustings is excellent.  If you cannot get along to the hustings take a little time to look at the Green Party manifesto. Canidates are Scott Batrtle (Brent North), Shahrar Ali (Brent Central) and Rebecca Johnson (Hampstead and Kilburn)

You can read the short. mini-manifesto here and if this whets your appetite the detailed version is below: