'Dear Mo and Michael' please confirm your promise on Preston Community Library

https://www.flickr.com//photos/saveprestonlibrary/show/

Preston Community Library have called on Muhammed Butt and Michael Pavey, contenders for the leadership of the Brent Labour Group, and thus of the Council to stand by their promise on the future of their library:

Dear Mo, Dear Michael,

I hope you are both well. You were both present at our public meeting on 7 May 2014 at which Brent Labour Party made a very clear election promise to offer the Preston Library building "at a peppercorn rent to any local group who can provide a sustainable community library........that is our pledge". That promise is the reason why we have invested thousands of hours and many thousands of pounds in creating Preston Community Library.

In recent weeks we have become concerned about that promise. In particular, we noticed that a member of the Cabinet referred to the possibility of housing being built on that site - something never mentioned at the time of the last election.

Can you please confirm that if, this time next week, you are the Leader of Brent Council, you will honour that very clear election promise to support a library in Carlton Avenue East?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Philip Bromberg,
Chair, Preston Community Library

FA to challenge Quintain to preserve Wembley Stadium's iconic status at Planning Committee tonight

 The Football Association are expected to speak at tonight's Brent Planning Committee on the massive planning application for the area around Wembley Station. They have been support by  Clive Beets MP.

Clive Betts MP has written in relation to the proposal following conversations that he had with the Football Association about the proposed developments adjacent to Wembley Stadium. This letter seeks reassurance regarding the potential impact of the development on fans being able to get away from Wembley at the end of the games, about facilities for people with disabilities and about the potential for fans to be held back in “holding pens” at the end of the game. 

According to the analysis undertaken by the FA, the development could add two hours before fans can get out of the car park onto the roads leading away from the stadium. This amount of time is unreasonable and unacceptable, and could lead to reputational damage to Wembley Stadium, the FA and English Football and therefore an adverse effect on Brent Council. 

The FA have advised that fans with disabilities would take an extra 40 minutes on top of the two hours to get away from the parking facilities that are proposed, which may be a contravention of the Disability Discrimination legislation. It is presumed that an equalities impact assessment will be undertaken. 

The FA has also advised that, because of changes to the flow of supporters necessitated by the proposed development, it would be necessary to hold some fans in an area for a period of time after the game had finished. This is a throwback to the problems football had 30 years ago where away fans were held for long periods of time after the games, with football fans effectively criminalised and held behind in certain areas. This would be a disaster both for the image of football, the image of the national stadium and the Council.

Letter of objection from the FA

A letter was received from Martin Glen, Chief Executive of the FA raising issues which are summarised as follows:

The proposals which look to develop high rise blocks close to the stadium will severely damage the iconic view and status of the Stadium. 


Whilst regeneration is vital, it needs to be balanced with Brent’s and the FA’s duty to protect the spirit of what is a great venue. 


Wembley is a part of a national identity and positive celebrations of this should not merely be unhindered, but enhanced. 


The aim of the FA’s objection is to retain the visual power of the stadium to help stimulate every aspect of life in Brent, retaining the emotional response Sir Norman Foster intended for the stadium. 


If the Stadium is to continue to hold a special place in fans’ hearts, it needs to continue to provide a world class experience. All regeneration plans must place supporters at the heart of every day and that development need to ensure their safety and free movement. 


Currently the development does not do this. The parking options and pedestrian and traffic flow are not adequate and need to be reconsidered to ensure Wembley Stadium remains the best venue in the World. 


Helga Gladbaum pays tribute to Tayo Oladapo

Helga Gladbaum has asked me to publish this Guest Blog

 

Tribute to the late Cllr. Tayo Oladapo

I am dismayed that the late Councillor Tayo Oladapo, representing the Labour Party in Kilburn ward for six years and who died at an early age at the end of January of this year has still not been given a decent burial nor a mention in any local publication.

I therefore would like to give my own tribute to Tayo. He was elected to be a Labour councillor in 2010 and he was one of much younger councillors at the time.

Tayo was a member of the Education Scrutiny committee which I chaired for a number of years. He always attended the meetings of that committee and would walk over to me at the end of the meetings to talk about education and other matters. He was very respectful and I had great hopes that he would eventually make an important contribution to the work of the Council.

I remember a number of Brent councillors passing away over the years, notably Cllr. Paul Daisley, leader of Brent Council and MP for Brent Central, Cllr. Reg Freeson, MP for Brent Central for many years and Cllr. Tom Taylor, chair of education for a number of years and leader of the Conservative group. They and others were always honoured for their contribution to the political life of Brent.

I fail to understand why these long-standing traditions have been broken in the case of the late Cllr. Tayo Oladapo. I will remember you, Tayo.

Helga Gladbaum

Councillor for Harlesden ward 2010 to 2014

Wembley Champions turn to poetry to make their point about 'Twin Towers'

Wembley Champions website LINK has published this poem about the Wembley 'Twin Towers' - it is not quite John Betjeman but shows how much they care for where they live. They are asking the Mayor of London to call in the application which was approved by Brent Planning Committee with 4 votes for, 2 against (including the Chair) and two abstentions.

Wednesday's Brent Planning Committee to go ahead

Brent Council Democratic Services confirmed today that Wednesday's Planning Committee wil go ahead.  The meeting was in doubt after the Chair, Sarah Marquis, moved a deferral at yesterday's Planning Committee. Her motion, informed by legal advice, was based on the fact that two meetings in one week, considering major planning applications, with long term impact on Wembley would not be made by a fully informed committee given the amount of paper work involved, including much that was online, and thus would not deliver fairness and justice through due process. LINK

Committee members were not willing to discuss the motion in public and met privately after the public left.

Democratic Services said:

I can confirm that the meeting scheduled for Wednesday 11 May 2016 will go ahead.
I am not aware that a proposal to defer tomorrow night's meeting will be tabled.

It would still be possible for the Committee to defer some of the items even if the meeting itself is not deferred.

The Reports Pack for the meeting is 248 pages long LINK

This is a summary of just one of the agenda items. LINK It includes up to 4,000 homes, an 1,800 space 10 storey car park,  hotel, more student accommodation, a three form entry primary school on the site of York House, retail and lots more. It is in Tokyngton ward (as are all the other applications tabled for Wednesday) where Muhammed Butt is one of the three Labour councillors. Apart from the car park this is Outline Permission but obviously will affect the shape of Wembkey for decades to come.

I undestand the Football Association will speak on this application. Cllr Sam Stopp is also due to address the Committee.

PROPOSAL:

22 December, 2015 Tokyngton


Brent Connects Wembley 

Olympic Way and land between Fulton Road and South Way including Green Car Park, Wembley Retail Park, 1-11 Rutherford Way, 20-28 Fulton Road, Land south of Fulton Road opposite Stadium Retail Park, land opposite Wembley Hilton, land opposite London Design

Hybrid planning application, accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment, for the redevelopment of the site including;-

Full planning permission for erection of a 10-storey car park to the east of the Stadium comprising 1,816 car parking spaces of which 1,642 are for non-residential purposes, up to 82 coach parking spaces and associated infrastructure, landscaping and vehicular access.

And

Outline application for the demolition of existing buildings on site and the provision of up to 420,000 sqm (gross external area) of new floorspace within a series of buildings comprising:

Retail/financial and professional services/food and drink (Use Class A1 to A4) up to 21,000 sqm; 


Commercial (Use Class B1) up to 82,000 sqm; 


Hotel (Use Class C1): up to 25,000 sqm; 


Residential (Use Class C3): up to 350,000 sqm (up to 4,000 homes) plus up to 
20,000 sqm of floorspace for internal plant, refuse, cycle stores, residential 
lobbies, circulation and other residential ancillary space; 


Education, healthcare and community facilities (Use Class D1): up to15,000 
sqm; 


Assembly and leisure (Use Class D2): 23,000 sqm; 


Student accommodation (Sui Generis): Up to 90,000 sqm. 
And associated open space (including a new public park) and landscaping; car and coach parking (including up to 55,000 sqm of residential parking and 80,000 sqm non-residential parking) and cycle storage; pedestrian, cycle and vehicular accesses; associated highway works; and associated infrastructure including water attenuation tanks, an energy centre and the diversion of any utilities and services to accommodate the development. 


UPDATE: Butt resigns from London Councils equalities post

Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council has resigned from his post as Equalities lead at the 32 borough cross-party London Councils.

Although Jewish News and Brent and Kilburn Times have attributed this to the Facebook controversy there has been no official confirmation that this was the case and there may well be another reason.

I have put in a request to London Councils and Brent Council asking for a statement about the reasons for the resignation.

UPDATE - I have received this from the London Councils Media Officer:

A London Councils' spokesperson said: "We can confirm that Cllr Muhammed Butt has resigned as equalities lead for London Councils. A new equalities lead will be appointed by our Leaders' Committee in due course. I can also confirm that his resignation is linked to the post that was shared on Facebook."

Marquis attempts to defer the second of this week's Planning Commiittee meetings

At the end of an arduous Planning Committee which went on well beyond the normal 10pm deadline the Chair, Sarah Marquis, made a statement about the controversial decision to hold two Planning Committee meetings this week. LINK

She said that as Chair she was disappointed that the Committee had been put in the position of deciding important applications,  in a short space of time, that would deliver the new Wembley not just in the immediate future but for generations to come.

She said that the Committee had a duty to be fully informed and deliver fairness and justice through due process.   Members needed to feel comfortable with the decisions that they made.

Given that,  as well as the weighty meeting documentation, members had 385 supporting documents to read on line, she wanted to move that meeting due to be held on Wednesday should be  deferred and moved to the next available Planning Committee meeting date.

Cllr Marquis' proposal seemed to throw the Committee members into a state of panic with Cllr Agha questioning whether such a discussion should be held in public - although only three of us had had the stamina to stay until the end of the meeting.

The Committee's legal adviser suggested that Wednesday's meeting go ahead as the date had been set and documentation provided  but that the deferral motion be heard at the beginning.

Cllr Maurice suggested that the Committee meet in private immediately after tonight's meeting with the legal adviser to discuss the motion.

As far as I know that meeting may still be going on...

Complaint after 'flood' of pupil comments on Kingsbury High Lucozade Powerleague Planning Application

Roe GreenVillage Residents' Association have asked Nicky Morgan MP, Seceretary of State for Education, to intervene over the involvement of Kingsbury High pupils in the Lucuzade Powerleague planning application for the school playing fields.

The Residents' Association note a deluge of support for the application lodged on the Brent Planning Portal by pupils and ask whether it is appropriate for pupils not to have had a balanced presentation about the issues involved in a controversial development.

I think the pupils are old enough to be able to express a view but agree with the residents that a balanced presentation should have preceeded any writing - perhaps a debate at the school involving representatives of both sides.