Further reports on Marylebone Boys School applications for tonight's Planning Committee

A Supplementary Report LINK  has been published for tonight's meeting which provides additional information on the two applications from Marylebone Boys Free School.

Further objections have been received regarding the temporary 4 storey modular building the school wants to build in Brondesbury Park LINK :

One additional objection has been received since the publication of the committee report resulting in a total of three objections from residents and an objection from Cllr Shaw.

This most recent objection raises the following concerns:

· Impact of another school on noise, parking and the peaceful enjoyment of the area.

· The proposal does not benefit residents of Brent.

· The distance of the school from Westminster will lead to many more parents dropping their children off and picking them up by car.

· There are existing traffic problems around Mallorees and on Salusbury Road and Brondesbury Park.

·The site offers visual amenity for the local community and sanctuary for urban wildlife.

·Object to any tree being removed or harmed for a temporary development.

· A four floor building will change the character of the site and is too high and dense.

· Cheap modular construction does nothing to ameliorate the aesthetics of our built environment, nor is it environmentally sustainable

· It’s not clear what will happen to the site once the school no longer need the facility which is important as this application could set a precedent for future development.

Officers respond to these objections in the rport. They also confirm that the other application, to fence off space outside the school's current building  LINK at the former College of North West London College building in Kilburn, includes space owned by Brent Housing Partnership.  This is between the school and Ryde House. BHP confirme that haing originally objected to the proposal they have withdrawn their objection following 'negotiations with the applicant.'

The report also lists further objections by resdients'associations to the proposal for the Moberly Sports Centre in Kilburn Lane

The Planning Committee is at 7pm this evening at Brent Civic Centre.  The public may attend and there are likely to be several delegations from local residents and organisations on various agenda items. A major item will be the proposed expansion of Byron Court Primary School. LINK

Brent Uncut: Fighting austerity for a better borough - Saturday

Readers may be surprised to see  Cllrs Butt and Pavey on a flyer about fighting austerity when they have been giving into it and implementing cuts, but I am assured by an organiser that this meeting is  not about giving Butt and Pavey a 'free pass' but  '..about a critical dialogue with them, taking the Corbyn letter at its word when it asked them to work with community groups and unions to build up a campaign against Tory austerity and its impact locally.'

We shall see.

London housing crisis worsens teacher retention and recruitment difficulties

 The London housing crisis and its impact on young public services workers including teachers and nurses took centre stage at the London Mayoral election hustings last night.

The London Teachers Housing Campaign is opposing the selling off of social social housing and requirements for social housing to move to market rents and calling for rent controls and opposition to the Housing Bill.

Esther Obiri-Darko, Green candidate and teacher

The Green Party GLA candidate for Merton and Wandsworth, Esther Oberi-Darko, backed the NUT's Manifesto call for rent controls and more affordable housing in London through investment by Councils to build homes. This is an issue that teachers' organisations in Brent have recently raised with Muhammed Butt.

Recruitment and retention of teachers has already been hit by the government's education policies, particularly the recent changes in curriculum and assessment, but housing presents a major practical headache for teachers who now face being priced out of the market long with the families of the children they teach.

An NUT Young Teachers' Housing Survey at the end of 2015 found that 60% of young teachers surveyed said that they could not see themselves still teaching in London in five years' time, although in that period 100,000 new school places will be required in London.  These are the stark facts that point to a growing crisis that will put at risk all the gains made in London schools in the last decade.

Of the teachers survey 59% were having to rent privately and 18% were living at home with their parents, more than were buying a property.  The NUT said:

Just like the families of too many of the children that they teach, young teachers are being forced into unsuitable housing, facing high rents and sometimes unscrupulous landlords.

Housing conditions are revealed by individual comments from teachers:

'We are five people sharing a three bedroom flat. This is the only way we can keep costs down.'

'Landlords frequently increase rent, forcing us to move or they sell property and force eviction.'

'It's noisy, horrible and with holes i the walls but it's all that I can afford.'

'We live in a tiny two-bedroom flat with three children. We can't even fit a second bed in the second bedroom. The property has damp and my daughter has asthma.'

'I work in the same borough that I grew up in. I don't want to move away from my life, my roots, just because of ridiculous housing prices.'

At yesterday's election meeting Shaun Bailey,  London List candidate for the Conservatives, seemed confused about policy, at one time seeming to support rent controls and advocating 'controlling landlords'. John Howson for the Lib Dem's was wedded to the market and Labour's Jeanette Arnold didn't bother to turn up. All the candidates supported raising Council Tax on empty properties. None mentioned the recent proposal from a GLA Committee to pilot a Land Value Tax in London LINK . Esther Oberi-Darko spoke about Sian Berry's proposal for a London Renters Union to help exploited private tenants challenge landlords.

On Sunday, March 13th, there is a National Demonstration against the Housing Bill. The Bill includes proposals to  off existing council homes to the highest bidder, removes secure tenancies and imposes 'pay to stay' market-linked rent rises for council and housing association tenants and reduces rights for private renters.

Marchers will meet at 12 noon at Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3TL (Holborn tube)

More information HERE

Women only fitness and self defence classes in Wembley Park

From the Yellow Pavilion

 We've three women's fitness classes every Tuesday and Wednesday during the day. Just turn up, no need to book. The Yellow Pavilion is on Olympic Way between Wembley Park tube and Wembley Stadium. It's on the right just where the pedestrian ramp into the Stadium starts, opposite a crane and near the local Sainsburys.

Self defence for women

Tuesdays 3.45-4.45pm, £5.

Our self-defence classes will keep you fit and also teach you the techniques to defend yourself – this also includes theory during classes. Open to beginners. The room has a screen for privacy. Taught by Nadia Sibany. Just turn up or contact Jamila on 0786 866 2812.

Cuban boxing for Women, mums and young children

Tuesdays 4.50-5.50pm, from 2-7yrs for boys, or any age for girls and adults. £5 per session for each adult or child.

Great fun for kids and women to get fit and learn how to defend themselves at the same time. Taught by Nadia Sibany. Contact Jamila on 0786 866 2812 for details.

Kick boxing for women

Wednesdays 11am-12pm, £5.

Kick boxing is a great exercise to keep fit or lose weight and can also be used as a self-defence technique. Taught by Nadia Sibany or Souad Gharib. Just turn up or contact Jamila on 0786 866 2812.

Book now for Grunwick commemoration mural workshops

Click on image to enlarge

CLICK HERE TO BOOK

This is your chance to partipate in designing a mural which will be installed on a prominent wall in Willesden in Autumn 2016. 

In 1976, six workers walked out of Grunwick Film Processing Laboratory in Willesden and ignited an historic two-year dispute which united thousands to demand better rights for poorly treated workers. 23rd August 2016 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Grunwick Strike, and offers a moment to remember, to commemorate, to celebrate and to learn.

Now the high street that saw 20,000 people come down in a single day to support the strike is looking pretty drab. As you arrive at Dollis Hill tube station and walk past the former Grunwick site to the main road, you’ll see plenty of plain, bare walls and unloved spaces.

We will be installing a mural close to the original site of the Grunwick factory to brighten up our high street with a permanent reminder of the power of our community; and to inspire future generations to come together to challenge injustice.

The workshops will be run by an experienced mural artist who will lead us in looking at a range of archive materials, including photographs and film. Using a variety of materials and printing techniques we will then create our own images of Grunwick which will eventually will be digitally combined to produce a design for the final mural.

Everyone aged 13 and above is welcome. You don't need any artistic ability as full guidance will be given, but if you have any photographs, press cuttings or memories of the dispute then please bring them along to share.

The workshops will run from 10.30am-3.30pm including a lunch break.

We are also running shorter workshops over three weeks on different dates at the Dudden Hill Centre, click here for details.

If you would like to contribute to the Crowdfunder which is riasing money for this project click HERE 

At time of writing £1,600 of the target £12,000 has been raised

Protect our trees - say no to bogus contractors

I thought this article by Brent Council's Principal Tree Officer in the Sudbury Court Residents' Association Newsletter deserved wider circulation. (Click on image to enlarge)

tree surgeons, 

 

Dee, the 'actionist' of Granville Community Kitchen, is a finalist in BBC Food Awards

Dee Woods of South Kilburn's Granville Community Kitchen was announced as a finalist in the BBC Food and Farming Awards today.

Dee, who told Radio 4 that she was an 'actionist' can be heard HERE 04.55-06.40

Congratulations to Dee and the Granville Community Kitchen.

Brilliant work!

Marylebone Boys Free School 'land grab' condemned as open space fenced in

As well as causing ripples with its planning application for a temporary school in Queens Park LINK, Marylebone Free Boys School, has upset residents near its present site at the former College of North West London Building in Priory Road, Kilburn.

Wednesday's Planning Committee will hear an application LINK to erect a 2.4m fence around the open space in front of the building to provide a play area for the free school's pupils.

The space was the subject of a right of way application by Brent Eleven Streets Residents Association  (BEST) which the officer's report say did not progress due to lack of information submitted. The report states that BEST are not going to pursue the application and that anyway a decision on the planning application would not prejudice a future right of way application.

Residents report that a fence has gone up anyway without permission and some see this as private acquisition of public land.

Officers make the following comment to the Planning Committe:

Your officers agree in principle that this area can be enclosed by fencing: it is not a public space and it
does not serve any particular purpose as an area of visual amenity

The following resident's comment is listed on the Planning Portal:

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Is this consultation a scam? Temporary or not - there is a fence going up today 20th Feb 2015 at the Marylebone Boys School/North west London College ?Surely they don’t have permission for this as this consultation is in progress ??? The link area /road /walk through, is a well established right of way and has been for many years going back to at least the early 70s, even before. 

Evidence in the form of plans and drawing sent electronically and hard copy to John Fletcher Team Leader - Development Control proves this clearly. The right of way was well established prior to the new North West London College building being erected (2005) and has always been used by local residents. The right of way is clearly shown on the sales information on page 4 of the Knight Frank sales information that handled sale of this property to the now Marylebone Boys school. The existence of the link road /path area was considered in the planning application to this building and it was considered important to ensure an open view.

 This right of way was always and still is considered as very important to stop crime. The Terrace becoming a narrow passage that is closed in without an open perspective, will leave it vulnerable to crime and the fear of crime (muggings, drug use and rubbish dumping, making The Terrace and walkway between St Julian’s Road and Kilburn High Road a no go area. 

I , alongside residents of Brent Eleven Streets local Residents wish to add that over the last 7-8 years, the residents of Priory Mansions (a homeless hostel) have established a use of Link Road as an open space for children’s play and as a much needed recreation area for families who are housed in cramped conditions in the hostel. For me personally it is a joy to see them playing in this open space and I feel for the families housed in this building who have no immediate space in which their children can play that is close by to keep an eye on them. This use of this important open community space happened over the entire year particularly in the summer months, weekends, evenings and school holidays. With the arrival of the fence they have lost this space and have no voice to gain it back as children never get asked what they need or want. This space has been removed from all of us also .

 The images sent hard copy to John Fletcher Team Leader - Development Control show people using the area as a right of way. Original plans for the college clearly show that the public were not to be kept out. The bike racks were always open for general use. The Knight Frank link to the sale information of the premises clearly shows that the freehold sold did not include the link land. See page 4 the white red and black map where the boundary line clearly shows a path through to the terrace that does not belong to this property http://www.inst.knightfrank.com/documents/fetch/4064 This route through has always been there in our memory and in that of many others who have lived in this area for over 25 years and more. 

Residents very much object to this land grab away from local residents and we strongly object to the fence that has been erected by Marylebone Boys school taking over this space we feel without legal permission to do so. This area is not suitable for a school . It is suitable for a sixth form or FE College such as North west London College where no PRIVATE illegal exclusion zone area is needed . This open design will then fit all as was its intended purpose. Please give back this buildings use to adult education as was intended and as agreed with local residents . This building was a useful resource to community now its just a private no entry, high walled castle for people that are not even local or living in Brent.