Brent Council's green bin 'grab and smash'

Brent Council has been collecting green bins this month from those households not willing to pay the £40 annual 'garden tax'.

They collected from the close in which I live about 10 days ago and I don't think any household has kept their green bin.

We were told that the green bins would be stored by the Council for re-use and there was some discussion on Streetlife about possible re-use.

Now a Sudbury Court Estate resident writes:

Good afternoon Martin, 

I  thought you would be interested to know about a recent development in connection with the above.  

At home we compost the majority of our garden waste and did not take up Brent's most very generous offer to pay a surcharge for removal of our garden waste. We were advised that redundant bins would be collected during June. 

Today, two vehicles arrived, one to empty any bins containing waste followed by another to take the bins away. The Contractors then proceeded to smash the wheels and the bottoms of perfectly good bins with a hand axe. A pure act of vandalism and a total waste of resources. How environmentally friendly is that? At a time when Brent Council is whinging about Government cuts forcing them to cut services, they are destroying perfectly good equipment which could be used by others. 

I have issued my comments to our local councillor and chairperson of our Residents Association requesting their comments. 

I hope you can investigate this matter in your usual efficient way. 

With very best regards. 

Sudbury Court Estate Resident.

Can anyone shed light on Brent Council's, or is Veolia's, action?

Quintain's exhibition at Wembley Park opens - but do people know about it?

Quintain's exhibition on the next phase of the Wembley Park regeneration opens today at  The Yellow Pavilion, Olympic Way, Wembley HA9 0FA

Local residents are not convinced that the PR agency organising the exhibition have done enough to contact local people. This is what one residents' association wrote to them:

 Is this the minimum time for exhibitions/consultations you have to give to residents who are directly affected by this development?

We are very upset and disappointed that you have not advised every resident who will be directly affected, in good time,  i.e. all the residents who live in the areas around the Stadium development. Even residents at Raglan Court have not been advised and they live right opposite the development! Why wasn't the whole area, which is directly affected,  leafleted?

Now that the Wembley Observer is no longer published and only on line, even if you had mentioned this exhibition, many would not have seen it.

Many of us are already personally affected, as we now have no privacy, as our bedrooms are overlooked and it can only get worse!

Please advise why all the residents were not advised well in advance, as you must have known about this exhibition/consultation a long time ago? Perhaps you really did not want all of us to attend and make our comments and objections? This is totally unacceptable and we really need some answers and for you to extend the time of the exhibition, so that more people can be advised and attend.

We are very sorely aware that Quintain has all the power and finance to influence Brent Council and when there is a huge development with huge profits involved, obviously the residents wishes and needs tend to be ignored.

There is nothing wrong with making huge profits, money makes the world go round, but not at the expense of the existing residents, who feel we are not getting anything in return!  You should be putting back much more and also be far more considerate of  the feelings and needs of the existing residents, who are very side-lined.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Zerine

Zerine Tata, Chair of Hillcroft Crescent Residents Assoc. & Co-ordinator of the Neighbourhood Watch.

As background before visiting the exhibition you may wish to look at these previous posts on Wembley Matters:

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/quintain-wembley-masterplan-public.html (particularly the comments)

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/more-tall-blocks-for-wembley-park-in.html

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/a-decade-on-has-quintain-delivered-for.html

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/brents-relationship-with-quintain-under.html

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Join the Green Bloc on 'End Austerity Now' demonstration June 20th

Roe Green Walled Garden Open Day on Saturday

Raunchy Rockers offer music, dancing, food and laughter!

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Cara Davani leaving Brent Council to take a 'career break'

A Brent Council spokesperson today, said:

'Cara Davani, Director of HR and Administration, will leave the Council at the end of June. She intends to take a career break for a while.

The Council is grateful for the significant contribution that Cara has made over the last 3 years.

Mildred Philips will become interim Director of HR while we consider a range  of options for the provision of the Council's HR services.'

Hampstead & Kilburn CLP nominate Tessa Jowell and David Lammy for London Mayor

Hampstead and Kilburn Constituency Labour Party  tonight nominated Tessa Jowell and David Lammy as their Labour candidates for London Mayor.

This completes the nominations for the three Brent constituencies:

Tessa Jowell - Brent North and Hampstead & Kilburn
Sadiq Khan - Brent Central and Brent North
Diane Abbot - Brent Central
David Lammy - Hampstead & Kilburn

Interestingly, and perhaps marking the increasing distance of Brent's H&K wards from the rest of Brent Labour, of 100 or so individual members present at the H&K meeting, none spoke in favour of Sadiq Khan, the candidate of choice for many of the Brent Council Cabinet.

Reliable source reports that Cara Davani has resigned her position on Brent Council

A reliable Brent Council source reports that Brent Human Resources staff were called into a meeting yesterday to be told that Cara Davani, head of Human Resources had resigned. I am still seeking offiicial confirmation from Brent Council that this is the case,

It was perhaps no coincidence that Carolyn Downs, the new Chief Executive Officer, whose appointment will be confirmed at the next Full Council, was in the Civic Centre yesterday.

Cara Davani has been on annual leave.

Cllr Michael Pavey, who wrote the report on Brent Human Resources is currently on holiday.

Pressure has been on the Council to take action since an Employment Tribunal found that Cara Davani and Brent Council had racially discrminated against Rosemarie Clarke, victimised her and constructively dismissed her. LINK

Fiona Ledden, also named in the case has already left Brent Council and Christine Gilbert will leave in the summer.

As recently as April 30th Cllr Muhammed Butt sat with Cara Davani at the Scrutiny Committee, in an apparent act of solidarity, when Philip Grant tried to speak to the Committee about the Employment Tribunal case. The Committee voted not to hear him. At one point Butt heckled Philip Grant. LINK

Except for Cllr Daly members of that Scrutiny Committee have now been replaced. 

A quick search of this blog will reveal Philip Grant's tireless attempt, backed by meticulous research, to persuade Brent Council of the need to take action on this issue.

If the news is confirmed Philip and Nan Tewari,  who first wrote about the case, deserve thanks as active citizens for standing up for truth and transparency in local government.