No Council Tax Benefit review this year as 3.99% Council Tax rise set to be approved by Cabinet

This statement has just been released by Brent Council. It confirms the 3.99% Council Tax rise and Muhammed Butt states the Council's  intention to continue  protect those least able to pay Council Tax.  However, there is no proposal to review the scheme to protect them from this rise as Scrutiny Committee recommended.

Chancellor George Osborne is passing on the burden to raise council tax to local authorities if they want to protect adult social care services.

In his Budget, Mr Osborne admitted that, after years of cuts and with growing numbers of older people needing care, many local authorities could not cover the cost of adult social care services from existing budgets. Such services include care for elderly residents in their own home and support for adults with disabilities or mental health needs.

But instead of providing Government support, the Chancellor has left councils to shoulder the burden by providing the option of raising council tax by an additional 2 per cent.

Leader of Brent Council, Councillor Muhammed Butt said: 

"The indicators are that councils across the political board - Conservative and Labour - will be raising council tax to protect the most vulnerable.

"We in Brent have worked hard to keep council tax frozen for the last six years. We know how hard our residents have to work to pay all their bills.

"But it looks like we agree with the Chancellor that the services for some of our most vulnerable are now at breaking point. It is a shame that, instead of restoring some of the support the Government has withdrawn, he is hitting our residents again by saying the only way out is through a council tax rise."

Following a six-year freeze, and in line with Government expectations, Cabinet papers reveal today (Friday 29 January) that the council's share for the bill could rise by 3.99 per cent while the Olympic levy has fallen, meaning overall an average 'Band D' household would pay an extra 45p per week.

The change is being proposed among a number of cost-saving options as the council wrestles with having to find savings of more than £60million by 2019 due to central Government cuts. Since 2010, the council has delivered savings of £117million as the Government slashes its funding to the authority in half.

The council estimates the move could bring in an extra £4million a year to help bridge part of the gap left by the Government's relentless squeeze on local government spending.

The proposal was a difficult choice which, if approved, would allow the council to protect more services than it would otherwise be able to.

"A combination of dramatic reductions in Government funding over several years and increasing demand for our services, such as adult social care, leaves us between a rock and a hard place," says Cllr Butt.

"These are very tough times and we will continue to take a business-like approach in planning our finances and rigorously explore the most cost effective ways to deliver services to our residents. The bleak financial outlook will inevitably lead to some difficult choices but our aim throughout this process has been to maximise efficiency savings wherever possible. However, the council is so much leaner and efficient than before and we can only shift services online, or sell a building, or merge support services once.

"In addition, unlike previous years, the Government is no longer providing a grant to freeze council tax.

"The vast majority of the savings proposals are either increased efficiency measures, service innovations or a more enterprising approach to income generation, but this is no longer enough if we want to protect the services that residents rely on.

"We're still listening carefully to what local people are saying so if you haven't responded to the consultation yet I would encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Whatever is decided, we will continue to protect the council tax support scheme for those residents on modest incomes to ensure that those less able to pay council tax continue to be supported."

Whatever the Cabinet recommends, following its meeting on Monday 8 February, will be considered by the Full Council meeting later in the month, as setting the budget and the council tax rates is the job of all elected councillors.

Have your say at www.brent.gov.uk/budgetconsultation2016 or visit one of the remaining consultation meetings next week on:

• Monday 1 February, 7-10pm, at The Library at Willesden Green, 95 High Road
• Tuesday 2 February, 7-10pm, The Roundwood Youth Centre, Longstone Avenue, Harlesden
• Wednesday 3 February, 7-10pm, Main Hall, Kingsbury High School, Princes Avenue, Kingsbury.

'Can we survive climate change without changing ourselves?'

Special showing of Pride followed by discussion Preston Park Feb 6th

Tickets can be purchased at the door or bought on line HERE 

Plans for Cargiant's Old Oak Park site

Old Oak Park site today

The 'vision'

Old Oak Park, owned by Cargiant, at 46 acres is the largest privately owned section of the Old Oak Regeneration area that borders on Brent.

Below you will find a presentation on plans for the site.

Ofsted finds much to praise but concerned about disharmony at Sudbury Primary School Academy

-->

The Ofsted Report on Sudbury Primary Academy has now been published and is Good in all categories except Leadership and Management. There is clearly much to celebrate as you can see from the summary above.

The headteacher of the school was suspended by the then Chair of Governors last year to enable an investigation into allegations against her to take place.

The full report is HERE

Ofsted said:

The governance of the academy
 

There is disharmony both within the governing body and in relationships between governors and some members of the leadership team and staff. Governors disagree with one another about whether decisions on teachers’ pay have been determined effectively. Governors act promptly to fulfil their duties when responding to complex staff management and safeguarding matters. However, they are less resolute and consistent in their actions in following up these issues. As a result, some staff say they have lost confidence in governors’ ability to fulfil their duties.

In order to improve the academy must: 

Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that any recommendations of an urgent, independent review of the work of the governing body are promptly acted on. This review should be completed and the outcomes obtained no later than the first half of the spring term 2016.

'We are not responsible for Brent Council', HS2 Select Committee

Pete Firmin,  a South Kilburn estate resident and Arantxa Arranz, a parent from St Mary's Catholic Primary School spoke to the HS2 Select Committee yesterday about the impact of the sinking of the 40m deep shaft at Canterbury Works, next to the school, on children, parents and the local community.

At one point when the lack of consultation from Brent Council about the vent proposal and their failure to enforce 'Considerate constructor' standards with the company regenerating South Kilburn were raised, Chair of the Committee said that they were not responsible for Brent Council.

Arantxa  told the Committee that the school and parents had opposed the building of the shaft, supported by the interim headteacher in May, and then returned after the half-term holiday to find that the interim headteacher had been replaced by an Executive Headteacher and an Interim Executive Board imposed to replace the governing body. After that the school's opposition was ended and communication with parents about their concerns was minimal.

She asked, in some bewilderment, why the change of vent site from one next to Queen's Park station (on a car park) with easy road access and no homes, to one next to a primary school, accessible only by narrow roads and close to housing?  HS2 had initially wanted to build the vent next to the station and had admitted the unsuitability of the Canterbury Works site next to the school.
Peter Bottomley, a Committee member, said that this was because Brent Council had asked the promoters (HS2) for the change and added, 'the detail is not for us'.

The promoters said they had offered up to £500,000 to the school to mitigate the impact of the works but Ms Arranz said that this would not compensate for the impact on the children's learning, possible respiratory problems caused by the works and the anger of accidents outside the school.

HS2 said that the period of 'intense construction' would only last for 6 months with 50 workers on site and 50 truck movement into the site and 50 out during that period.  Over the following 2-1/2 years the workforce would be 25 and most of that work would be internal fitting out of the shaft.



The House of Commons video (View from 11.15 am) can be found HERE

The Pell Frischmann report on the impact of works at the two sites can be found HERE 

Continuing the climate change struggle after Paris - a red-green perspective

This article was first published on the London Green Left blog LINK 

Socialist Resistance organised a forum to talk about the recent Paris Climate Agreement in Kings Cross, London.

Below is Camden Green Party and Green Left supporter Dee Searle's presentation at the forum, where she reflects on what was achieved and where the climate movement goes here, and more broadly on red green matters.

Heathrow 13 Judge's record on 'good character' - a question of integrity

Heathrow 13 outside the Court

District Judge Deborah Wright during the trial of the Plane Stupid activists known as the Heathrow 13 admitted that they were 'people of integrity concerned about climate change' but told them they should expect a custodial sentence despite their previous good character.


Judge Wright has been involved in other cases where she has referred to the  good character of the accused.

Sentencing former Conservative Mayor of Barnet and ex-GLA member Brian Coleman in May 2013 Judge Wright said the “well-known politician” was a man of “previous good character” who had made significant contributions to society.

Coleman had attacked a cafe owner who was filming him parking illegally.  LINK

In 2006 sentencing a policeman who beata man up while on duty and  assaulted another when off duty she said he would have been jailed had it not been for an "exemplary character reference" from his former employers. LINK

Neither case involved  selfless action seeking a safe environment for future generations.

After the trial verdict Plane Stupid said:

Today’s judgment demonstrates that the legal system does not yet recognise that climate defence is not an offence. We took action because we saw that it was sorely needed. When the democratic, legislative and processes have failed, it takes the actions of ordinary people to change them.

Judge Wright will sentence the Heathrow 13 on February 24th at Willesden Magistrates Court and are likely to have many supporters outside expressing solidarity.