Brent Council has issued the map below this morning. There is due to be a controlled explosion of the bomb today.
WEMBLEY MATTERS News and views on local politics, the environment, climate change, culture and local history
Friday, 22 May 2015
First pictures of the Wembley bomb
British Army Phootographer Rupert Frere has circulated these pictures of the Wembley bomb via Twitter (@Rupert_Frere #WembleyBomb). Work is going on to defusethe bomb which was found on a building site close to the Civic Centre yesterday.
The Civic Centre will be closed on Friday with skeleton services run from the Bridge Park Leisure Centre.
This is a map of where bombs fell in the area during the London Blitz 7th October 1940 to 6th June 1941. There was additional bombing outside this period of course.
Source LINK
The Civic Centre will be closed on Friday with skeleton services run from the Bridge Park Leisure Centre.
This is a map of where bombs fell in the area during the London Blitz 7th October 1940 to 6th June 1941. There was additional bombing outside this period of course.
Source LINK
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Kilburn councillors 'disenfranchised' claims Cllr John Duffy
Amid the Tory Party infighting last night at the Brent Council Annual General Meeting there was a protest from Cllr John Duffy (Labour, Kilburn) that Kilburn ward councillors had not been given one committee place on the Council.
He claimed that this meant Kilburn residents had been disenfranchised.
Muhammed Butt, Labour leader of Brent Council replied that 'previous conduct' of councillors had been taken into account when selecting committee members.
Duffy attempted to persuade the Council to raise Council Tax earlier this year in an effort to save Stonebridge Adventure Playground, the Welsh Harp Environment Education Centre and Energy Solutions from closure.
He claimed that this meant Kilburn residents had been disenfranchised.
Muhammed Butt, Labour leader of Brent Council replied that 'previous conduct' of councillors had been taken into account when selecting committee members.
Duffy attempted to persuade the Council to raise Council Tax earlier this year in an effort to save Stonebridge Adventure Playground, the Welsh Harp Environment Education Centre and Energy Solutions from closure.
Brent Civic Centre closed tomorrow for controlled explosion of World War 2 bomb - residents' rest centre at Chalkhill Community Centre
Brent Council has issued the following statement about the unexploded Worls War II bomb found near the Civic Centre:
Follow @Brent_Council on Twitter for updates
You may have already heard that Police were called at around 3pm today to a building site on Empire Way, Wembley, to reports of an unexploded device believed to be from World War 2.
It was discovered by builders working at the location and it is believed to weigh approximately 50kg. Road closures along with a 400m cordon is in place around the site which includes the Civic Centre, whilst work is underway to make safe the device.
As a precaution, a number of residential and business addresses have also been evacuated, including residents of Alexander Court and Ada Lewis House. At this stage we do not know exactly how long this incident is likely to last however, a rest centre has been set up at Chalkhill Community Centre for affected residents.
Brent Civic Centre will be closed all day on Friday 22 May as the council has been advised that bomb disposal experts are planning a controlled explosion at some stage tomorrow morning. Business continuity plans are being activated to ensure vital council services keep running although these may be skeleton services in some cases.
Employees who are able to work from home are being advised to do so, unless your line manager has told you otherwise. Some core staff will need to be based at Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre on Friday and your line manager will talk to you if are required. If you are unable to work from home on Friday you are advised not to come to the Civic Centre as it will not be open.
A gold group, chaired by the Chief Executive, has been activated and we will update you with more information about the impact on services when we know more. An emergency phone line is also being set up and live updates will be available on the council website and twitter feed as we get them.
Follow @Brent_Council on Twitter for updates
Final outcome of Tory showdown at Brent's OK Corrall uncertain
Last night's Full Meeting of Brent Council must have left the new Chief Executive Carolyn Downs wondering about the tough task ahead in getting the Council out of its slough of despond, while Christine Gilbert could be forgiven for celebrating her forthcoming liberation by performing cartwheels in the Civic Centre atrium.
The showdown between the two groups of Tory Councillors dominated the business part of the meeting but when the gunfire died down no one could agree on the final outcome.
The 56 Labour councillors may have decided to recognise the Kenton Tories as the principal opposition with the status and funding that goes with that or the decision may have been handed over to a constitutional working party to negotiate on before the next meeting of the General Purposes Committee.
CLARIFICATION (sic) These are the responses I got this morning:
Meanwhile the tweets can tell the story:
The showdown between the two groups of Tory Councillors dominated the business part of the meeting but when the gunfire died down no one could agree on the final outcome.
The 56 Labour councillors may have decided to recognise the Kenton Tories as the principal opposition with the status and funding that goes with that or the decision may have been handed over to a constitutional working party to negotiate on before the next meeting of the General Purposes Committee.
CLARIFICATION (sic) These are the responses I got this morning:
Brent Council Press Office:
The group led by Cllr Kansagra was voted in as the principal opposition last night.
Cllr Michael Pavey (Deputy
Leader - Labour)
As it stands Kenton are the principal Opposition. There is a meeting of the constitution committee next week which will review the situation, but only a vote by Full Council or a change in the number of members in either Tory Group can change this.
The next challenge is to try and allocate Committees between the two.
Cllr Joel Davidson (Briondesbury Park Conservatives)
What happened is that Mo Butt has chosen the Kenton Group to be Principal Opposition, that's what he got his Group to vote for last night. That means that Kansagra and Colwill will once again draw the allowances - 12k and 8k - that come with being Leader and Deputy Leader.The constitutional working party, if there is one, is supposed to negotiate between the 2 Opposition Groups - Brent Tories and Kenton/Butt Group - as to who sits on the 6 main committees - GP, planning, equalities etc.If we can't agree, as seems very likely, then Council will again vote to give all the main committee posts to the Kenton/Butt Group. It's another sad day for democracy in Brent when a Dear Leader can hand-pick a pliant Opposition which has no political affiliation and is committed to giving him as easy a ride as possible. As I asked Butt last night - is 56 Labour Cllrs not enough that you need to co-opt 3 more AND make them the 'Opposition'??
Meanwhile the tweets can tell the story:
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Carolyn Downs to be new Brent Council Chief Executive
Official Brent Council Press release
Carolyn Downs has been announced as the new chief executive of Brent Council.
Chief executive of the Local Government Association since November 2011, Carolyn will bring a wealth of experience to Brent.
Prior to her appointment at the Local Government Association, Carolyn was chief executive of the Legal Services Commission, where her role was to drive performance and secure a stronger financial future.
Carolyn was also previously deputy permanent secretary and director general of corporate performance at the Ministry of Justice. She was responsible for all corporate services, including finance, estates, personnel, risk management, business planning and communications.
From 2003 to 2009, Carolyn was Chief Executive of Shropshire County Council, where she was responsible for a budget of £500 million a year and a staff of 12,000.
Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said:
"I am delighted that after a rigorous and competitive recruitment process, we are able to offer the role of chief executive at Brent Council to Carolyn Downs.
"Carolyn was the outstanding candidate in what was a highly competitive recruitment process, and I am confident that she will bring with her a wealth of public sector experience and enthusiasm to Brent, at a time when this council and local authorities everywhere face such unprecedented challenges.
"I have no doubt at all that with Carolyn's passion for and experience in local government and her drive to succeed, that we have appointed the right person to help navigate the borough through the challenging times ahead and help make Brent a better borough."
Christine Gilbert, the current chief executive at Brent Council, said:
"I would like to congratulate Carolyn on her appointment, her experience and skills will be a huge asset to Brent.
"It has been a great privilege to have served as the chief executive for Brent Council. Brent is a wonderful place and I know Carolyn will be warmly welcomed both inside and outside the civic centre.
"I wish her every success in her new role."
Carolyn will take up the role later in the year, once her appointment has been ratified at a full council meeting on 22 June 2015.
End of Press Release
Carolyn Downs has been announced as the new chief executive of Brent Council.
Chief executive of the Local Government Association since November 2011, Carolyn will bring a wealth of experience to Brent.
Prior to her appointment at the Local Government Association, Carolyn was chief executive of the Legal Services Commission, where her role was to drive performance and secure a stronger financial future.
Carolyn was also previously deputy permanent secretary and director general of corporate performance at the Ministry of Justice. She was responsible for all corporate services, including finance, estates, personnel, risk management, business planning and communications.
From 2003 to 2009, Carolyn was Chief Executive of Shropshire County Council, where she was responsible for a budget of £500 million a year and a staff of 12,000.
Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said:
"I am delighted that after a rigorous and competitive recruitment process, we are able to offer the role of chief executive at Brent Council to Carolyn Downs.
"Carolyn was the outstanding candidate in what was a highly competitive recruitment process, and I am confident that she will bring with her a wealth of public sector experience and enthusiasm to Brent, at a time when this council and local authorities everywhere face such unprecedented challenges.
"I have no doubt at all that with Carolyn's passion for and experience in local government and her drive to succeed, that we have appointed the right person to help navigate the borough through the challenging times ahead and help make Brent a better borough."
Christine Gilbert, the current chief executive at Brent Council, said:
"I would like to congratulate Carolyn on her appointment, her experience and skills will be a huge asset to Brent.
"It has been a great privilege to have served as the chief executive for Brent Council. Brent is a wonderful place and I know Carolyn will be warmly welcomed both inside and outside the civic centre.
"I wish her every success in her new role."
Carolyn will take up the role later in the year, once her appointment has been ratified at a full council meeting on 22 June 2015.
End of Press Release
Further information about Carolyn Downs from the LGASo no connection with Tower Hamlets or Ofsted, just shared intials with the head of Brent HR.
Carolyn Downs has been Chief Executive of the LGA since November 2011.
Before this she was chief executive of the Legal Services Commission where her role was to drive performance and secure a stronger financial future.
She was also previously deputy permanent secretary and director general of corporate performance at the Ministry of Justice. She was responsible for all corporate services, including finance, estates, personnel, risk management, business planning and communications.
From 2003 to 2009, Carolyn was Chief Executive of Shropshire County Council, where she was responsible for a budget of £500 million a year and a staff of 12,000.
Carolyn had worked for the same council as director of environment and community services since 1999 and before this, worked for a range of other councils including Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, Stevenage Borough Council, the London Borough of Haringey, and Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council where she started her working life as a library assistant.
Conservative HQ tell Brent Council Warren's posse are official Conservative Group
The issue of who represent the principal opposition in Brent Council is to be resolved tonight at a Full Council Meeting.
On the eve of the meeting the Leader of the Council, Muhammed Butt, and Christine Gilbert, Interim Chief Executive, have been forwarded the following email from the Conservative Party:
As you are aware it had been decided that the Conservative Party would formally recognise the Annual General Meeting of the Brent Conservative Group that was held on 13th May. All conservative party candidates elected to the Brent Local Authority were invited and the meeting was independently chaired by a North West London Area Officer. All those entitled to attend were given proper notice and details of the nomination procedure for group officers.Cllrs Warren, Shaw and Davidson attended the meeting. However, Cllrs Kansagra, Colwill and Maurice chose not to attend and have subsequently refused to take part in the group.
As a result it is the Group led by Cllr Warren that the Party will formally recognise as the Brent Conservative Group. Furthermore unless Cllrs Kansagra, Colwill and Maurice join the Group they will not be authorised to stand as Conservative Party candidates at future elections.
Please do feel free to contact me if I can be of any further help,
Mark Roberts.
Voluntary Party Manager for the Conservative Party
Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, North West London, Oxfordshire, Suffolk
Green MEPs call for compassion in Strasbourg migration debate today
MEPs will give their views on the European Agenda on Migration presented
by the Commission in a debate with Vice-President Frans Timmermans,
Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos and the Council Presidency
this morning in Strasbourg.
Ahead of the debate Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato and Keith Taylor, Green MEPs for London, the South West and the South East of England united in saying:
Ahead of the debate Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato and Keith Taylor, Green MEPs for London, the South West and the South East of England united in saying:
The European Commission seems, at least, to have understood that EU Member States must together face up to their collective responsibility for refugees.
More opportunities for legal access to the territory of the EU and greater commitment on combating the underlying reasons why refugees flee their country of origin are needed. Along with this, a humane and compassionate response should frame the debate, not a competition to see who can talk toughest.
Seizing and sinking smugglers' boats may have a short term effect, but it also risks more injuries and deaths. Rather than grab headlines, what is needed is a well-resourced, internationally co-ordinated effort to improve the quality of life in departure countries and put people smugglers out of business.
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