It is just not possible for me to go to every vital meeting that I advertise on Wembley Matters so I am posting this account from the Hammersmith and Fulham website of their public meeting on the NW London Sustainability and Transformation Plan. How about a similar meeting in Brent, Brent Council?
The decision by
Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing councils to refuse ‘secretive’
hospital closure plans was backed by hundreds at a packed town hall
meeting this week.
Nearly 700 cheered and applauded the leaders of the councils as they
explained why they have refused to sign up to the local NHS
Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP). Councils across the UK
have been asked to endorse similar plans for each region of the NHS,
before they are submitted to government for approval.
“The STP is a deeply cynical re-hash of the earlier flawed plans
which now proposes to close Charing Cross Hospital in 2021,” said Cllr
Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
“There are no good arguments for demolishing Charing Cross or for
selling off much of the land and replacing it with an urgent care clinic
just 13 per cent the size of the hospital. That’s why this
administration will continue its fierce defence of Charing Cross and the
vital local NHS services people rely on.”
The meeting drew campaigners from across the region who have been
fighting plans to close or downgrade services at five out of the nine
hospitals in north west London.
Despite the published plans, an NHS spokesman has said: “We want to
reassure our staff, patients, local residents and partners that Charing
Cross is not closing and that there will be no reduction in the
hospital’s A&E and wider services during the lifetime of the STP,
which runs until April 2021.”
Anne Drinkell, of the Save our Hospitals campaign, said: “This is a
cuts and closures programme. We’re not saying we want no change. But
objectively there’s already not enough capacity in our local hospital so
closing more services would be unsafe.”
Campaigners were united in condemning the tactics being used to force
through drastic reductions in local health services secretively and
without public consultation.
The NHS has pressured councils to approve STPs by linking it to the
release of vital government cash needed to keep councils’ social care
services from collapsing under ever-rising demand.
But Cllr Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, said: “The NHS tried
to bounce us into signing the STP. They tried to get us to agree to the
STP on the basis of a two-page summary and they told us we didn’t need
to see the full document. We insisted, but it didn’t arrive until they
day before we were meant to sign it. And once we finally saw what was in
it, we understood why. There was no way on earth I was going to sign up
to those plans.”
Dr David Wingfield, chairman of the Hammersmith and Fulham GP
Federation, suggested the STP was not equipped to tackle the health and
social care problems facing the borough. He offered to form a ‘grand
alliance’ between GPs, councillors and members of the community to
confront local healthcare challenges.
As an asthma sufferer living in London, I can always tell when the air is
particularly dirty. And when air quality alerts appeared at
bus stops and tube stations all over London last week, the
problem was even more obvious.
It’s a sad truth that on bad days, I often have to get off my bike to use
my inhaler so I can breathe properly. Sometimes it’s not safe for me to
cycle at all.
This is one of the reasons I’m so glad to see the Mayor, Sadiq
Khan, is asking us how he should clean up London’s air.
It gets worse. Air pollution puts
millions of lives across the capital at risk. It’s responsible for
nearly 10,000 early deaths in our city every single year.
Sadiq Khan has said he wants everyone in London to breathe clean air.
But the options he’s put forward won’t bring down pollution levels fast
enough.
Right now, he’s asking everyone in London what they think of his plans.
This is your chance to tell Sadiq to toughen up his proposals to make
a real difference.
London is our home and we deserve
better. The Mayor must protect Londoners' lungs and take the action we
desperately need to clean up our air.
Many thanks for all you do.
Sophie,
London campaigner
DETAIL FROM FoE
Friends of the Earth’s views on the Mayor’s autumn 2016 air
pollution consultation
November 2016
The London Mayor is consulting on “New
proposals to improve Air Quality - Have your say on the introduction of a new
Emissions Surcharge and ideas for improving Ultra Low Emission Zone” which
closes on 18th December 2016
The government’s recent defeat in the High Court (http://www.clientearth.org/major-victory-health-uk-high-court-government-inaction-air-pollution/
) found that the government’s plans for Nitrogen Dioxide air pollution did not
include the measures necessary to bring air pollution within EU legal limits
“as soon as possible” as is required. So now stronger measures will be needed
to clean up our air quicker, and the government will also have to re-model air
pollution on more realistic and less optimistic assumptions.
Along with the rest of the UK, there will need to be
measures adopted so that London will meet EU legal limits sooner than the
government had originally planned – which for London was previously 2025 (when
these limits should have been met by 2010 or 2015 at the very latest).
In other UK cities Clean Air Zones will need to be in place
to ensure legal limits are met as soon as possible, and rather than 2020 as
previously planned, this must be earlier now - we understand that 2 cities have
said Clean Air Zones can be in place 2018.
And to avoid Londoners having to be exposed to illegal
levels of air pollution longer than other parts of the UK, London must evaluate
what measures, including having a strengthened and widened ULEZ in place, would
be needed for to it to comply by 2018 too.
The Mayor must look at what possible measures could be
introduced by which earliest possible dates – the law requires that this must
be irrespective of cost or any political difficulty. Critical judgements must
be made on how best to protect the health of Londoners and avoid as many as
possible of the nearly 10,000 premature deaths a year air pollution is responsible
for in the capital.
Emissions Surcharge
(ES) or T-Charge
The Mayor proposes this additional charge for the dirtiest
vehicles using the Central London Congestion Charge Zone as an interim measure
before the Ultra-Low Emission Zone comes in.
We support this charge as it is important to take immediate
steps to improve air pollution, but think that this should also include the
newest diesels, at least for cars. We also think that private hire vehicles
should not be exempt.
Ideas for the future of
the Ultra-Low Emission Zone/ULEZ
The Mayor must
strengthen the ULEZ so that it is London-wide for all vehicles including cars –
not just as is currently proposed to stop at the North and South Circular roads,
and with ULEZ standards only applying London-wide for heavy vehicles. The ULEZ
should effectively replace and strengthen the existing London-wide Low-Emission
Zone. With a London-wide scheme in place for all vehicle types all the necessary
levers would be in place and the scheme could be progressively adjusted as
needed.
Bringing forward the ULEZ in Central London
Plans to bring forward the ULEZ from 2020 to
2019 are welcome but even earlier introduction must be evaluated, including for
it to be in place by 2018 – including as strengthened and widened as per the
below.
Expanding ULEZ London wide for heavy
vehicles, buses and coaches
This is welcome, but the Mayor must set up
the ULEZ to be London-wide for all vehicle types including Light Goods Vehicles
(LGVs) and cars, so that all the levers are in place and adjustments can be
made as necessary.
Expanding the ULEZ up to the North and South
Circular roads
This is welcome, but the Mayor must expand
the ULEZ out to be London-wide, where the current Low-Emission Zone / LEZ
boundary already is, so that all the levers are in place and adjustments can be
made as necessary.
Complementary measures needed
Action is needed in London to ensure vehicles
are cleaner, but also that there are fewer of them – all vehicles produce air
pollution from tyre and brake wear, and cause congestion which is bad for
business.
This will require a mix of measures including
planning our communities so that people don’t need to travel unnecessarily to
reach key amenities and work opportunities, making cycling safer and public
transport more affordable, consolidating the myriad freight movements in our
city, and not adding to the air pollution problem such as with new
road-building.
The Mayor has reviewed plans for Thames river
crossings in East London which included 3 road crossings, and while
improvements have been made, he is still currently pursuing at least a new 4-lane
Silvertown road tunnel. This would mean worse pollution for some places which
would not be acceptable – instead a comprehensive package of non-road crossings
and complementary measures must be considered.
The government also
needs to do more to enable London to do more, both directly such as restricting
the sale of dirty vehicles, changes to road-tax to discourage diesels, a
scrappage scheme for the dirtiest vehicles, and also to enable more powers for
the London Mayor and for Local Authorities.
Contact: Jenny Bates, Friends of the Earth
Air Pollution Campaigner: jenny.bates@foe.co.uk
When Mayor Boris Johnson concealed London's air pollution crisis as much as he could so Sadiq Khan deserves praise for bringing the issue out into the open, with Green AM Caroline Russell providing much of the pressure. Last week's alerts to Londoners demonstrate the seriousness of the issue.
Brent Council's Cabinet is due to approve the Council's own Air Quality Action Plan for consultation. The Action Plan opens with a declaration:
Brent council acknowledges the impact of poor air quality on health and the need for action
to reduce or eliminate air pollution where possible. In Brent it is estimated that 200
premature deaths occur each year which are directly attributable to air pollution as well as
further unquantified premature deaths where air quality is a factor. We accept air quality in
Brent is poor and recognise significant intervention is required to improve local air quality for
all. We have made some progress but accept that further work is needed to meet this
challenge. Our air quality action plan demonstrates we are taking this issue seriously and will
endeavour to tackle air pollution at source or reduce exposure where this is not possible.
We will demonstrate our leadership by exploring options for low emission neighbourhoods,
promotion of low emission vehicles and fuels where possible, reduce pollutant emissions
from our buildings and vehicles and develop meaningful partnerships with others to get the
most out of our air quality action measures.
We recognise air pollution as a shared problem and everyone must play their part to commit
to continue to work with our communities to achieve air quality improvement. As we
understand more about air pollution and the impact on health, we want to empower our
residents to make informed choices about their options for travel and participate in decisions
about air quality in the areas they live and work in. We must commit to safeguarding those at
highest risk to provide additional information and limit or prohibit the development of areas
where air quality is likely to be made worse.
Not all air quality improvements can be delivered directly by our actions and so we will
develop partnerships with other Local Authorities, the London Mayor, and other agencies
where appropriate to maximise resources where we can and realise wider air quality benefits
from our actions.
We will commit to keeping this air quality action plan under review and will continue to
identify new opportunities for air quality action in response to changes in legislation or local
air quality as the need arises.
Our ultimate aim is to secure clean air for all especially for those at greatest risk or in the
worst affected areas in the borough. We accept that this is likely to be a challenge to fulfil,
but commit to investing in air quality action for improvement now and in the future. .
Brent's current Air Quality Management Area
The Action Plan acknowledges the impact of poor air quality on different sections of Brent's population:
...some areas of the Borough
are more likely to be affected by poor air quality than others as the wider problems of
poverty; deprivation and general poor health make people more vulnerable to the effects of
pollution. This contributes to an almost 9-year difference in life expectancy between the most
affluent and least affluent wards in the Borough. The council is committed to reducing this
gap.
Four Air Quality Action Areas are proposed:
The revised action plan includes the creation of four Air Quality
Action Areas (AQAA) or hotspots, as Neasden town centre, Church End, the Kilburn
Regeneration Area, and Wembley and Tokyngton. These areas were selected based on
traffic volumes and levels of traffic emissions, and have been identified as areas of planned
development and aligned with the priority areas identified in the current Borough Plan. Brent
will develop strategic policies and localised focussed air quality measures in these areas.
They will:
·provide extra assistance and support
to ensure that all schools within the AQAAs have and use school travel plans,
reducing vehicle use associated with schools, regularly reviewing targets for
reducing air pollution and establishing programmes for raising awareness;
·provide assistance and support to businesses within the AQAAs with large
fleets to have and utilise travel plans. The council and businesses will agree
targets for emission reductions;
·Identify possible Low Emission
Neighbourhoods in each AQAA and draft implementation plans for areas within
each;
·Consider these sites within these
areas as highest priority for public realm improvements (such as additional
green infrastructure) especially where there are those at highest risk or the most susceptible are
located such as schools, residential properties and hospitals
· to educate and raise awareness about local air quality; - working
with communities and public health professionals to protect and inform the most
vulnerable
The Plan lists detailed action points for each of these areas:
Peter Murry, Trade Union Liaison officer for the London Federation of Green Parties and for Brent Green Party has issued the following statement in support of Indro Sen, suspended by the management of the College of North West London:
As Trade Union Liaison Officer for the London Federation of Green Parties and for Brent Green Party, I was shocked to learn of the suspension of Indro Sen as a lecturer at the College of North West London. It is suggested that this is because of his strong opposition to a proposed merger with the City of Westminster College, and his support at an employment tribunal, of a sacked colleague’s claim of unfair dismissal and victimisation.
Both of these are actions are entirely proper for a University and College Union Branch Secretary to carry out. If Indro Sen’s suspension is a result of his performing the legitimate duties of a UCU Officer, then he himself seems to be threatened with unfair treatment and victimisation.
As a former Lecturer in the College and a retired member of UCU , I am saddened that the College, which provides a valued service to the communities of North West London., and Brent in particular, might bring itself into disrepute because of its treatment of Indro Sen. I am sure that members and supporters of the Green Party, UCU members , and the local communities will support my call for the immediate and full reinstatement of Indro Sen as a lecturer at the College and no further interference with his activities as UCU Branch Secretary.
Friends of the Earth International have just issued the following unusually strong statement from their meeting In Lampung, Indonesia:
We, Friends of the Earth International, the largest
federation of grassroots environmental justice organizations from 75 countries,
gathered at our Biennial General Meeting 2016 held in Lampung, Indonesia,
resolve to challenge, reject and resist the perverse and offensive policies and
inflammatory rhetoric of Donald Trump. The election of Donald Trump is an
affront to our collective vision of a society of interdependent people living
in harmony, wholeness and fulfillment based in principles of equity and human
rights.
We recognize that the rise of Trump is a manifestation
of a deeply troubling global trend of xenophobia, authoritarianism and racism.
We condemn Trump’s bigotry and his statements that
have threatened and denigrated women, people of color, immigrants, Muslims,
LGBTQ people, and the differently abled. His rhetoric has stoked the flames of
division, prejudice, hostility and hate; as we witness an increase in hate
crimes in the United States, we reaffirm our commitment to create a society
built on equity and diversity.
We refuse to legitimize, let alone support, his
arbitrary and regressive policy proposals, including those that further
deregulate industry, concentrate wealth and political power, eviscerate the
social safety net, promote militarism, and erode human and civil rights. Among
his most egregious and unconstitutional proposals are plans to deport
undocumented immigrants en masse, to construct a southern border wall,
and to create a registry for Muslims – all proposals that evoke the darkest
days in our collective history, and to which we say, never again. Rooted in our
commitment to equity, interdependence and community, we reaffirm our dedication
to a society of inclusiveness and care for the most vulnerable, and assert our
resistance to totalitarianism and fundamentalism in all its forms.
We express our outrage at his hubris and disdain for
environmental protection, particularly with respect to climate change. His
climate denialism, and that of his deputies, threatens to undo decades of
progress in the U.S. and around the world. Drawing on the power of our
grassroots base, and the strength of our global federation, we are fiercely
committed to not let one man, nor one country, deny the validity of
climate science and the popular will to stop momentum on climate action.
The election of Donald Trump reminds us that for
millions of people in the United States there exists a shared experience of
neo-liberalism and corporate globalization that has left them disenfranchised
and angry. The harshness of this system of dominance has created economic
insecurity, rising inequality, social alienation and political marginalization.
The response to this experience must not be used to fuel corporate nationalism,
xenophobia, racism, misogyny and the further destruction of our planet.
We remind ourselves that the story of the 2016 U.S.
election was not only about Donald Trump, but also the ascension of progressive
political values to a level never seen in recent U.S. history. Senator Bernie
Sanders, who drew 1.5 million people to rallies across the country, noted that
“Election days come and go. But political and social revolutions that attempt
to transform our society never end. They continue every day, every week and
every month in the fight to create a nation of social and economic justice.”
Be it resolved, Friends of the Earth International
expresses our deep solidarity with the growing resistance in the United States
which refuses to normalize and legitimize Donald Trump’s inflammatory and
irresponsible approach to public policy. We encourage and support positive
actions by social movements, civil society groups and governments around the
world to resist, discredit, and delegitimize Donald Trump’s odious exercise of
power to inflame division and hate, and we encourage instead actions oriented
towards building a world of equity, justice and peace.
Commenting on the Richmond by-election, Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said:
In all the excitement of the Richmond by-election, one thing has gone missing – and that’s voter choice.
Because of our broken electoral system, people in Richmond had a
seriously limited slate of candidates to choose from. Many felt forced
to vote for candidates who were not their first choice, understandably
putting tactics above the expression of their democratic will. It should
be obvious that in the 21st century, no one should feel forced to choose between head and heart.
The Greens, Conservatives and UKIP all opted to stand aside – a
decision that no party should have to make, and a denial of democracy.
The fact that this happened on both the left and the right shows that
the sorry state of our electoral system hurts everyone across the
political spectrum.
Tactical voting is a scourge on our democracy. This is what happens
when a two-party voting system collides with the reality of modern
politics. It leaves both voters and parties worse off.
With a proportional system for national elections, and Alternative
Vote for by-elections, the problem is massively reduced. You don’t have
to ‘hold your nose’ when you vote – you give your first preference to
the party you actually support, and if they don’t have enough support to
win, your vote is moved to your second choice. It’s not hard. No more
accusations of parties being ‘spoilers’ and handing the seat to x, y or
z.
It’s time we put paid to the awkward and unnecessary debates
about ‘spoiler’ candidates. The way to do that is to have a voting
system where it’s always possible for voters to vote for their preferred
party. That, surely, is not such a radical idea.
Following rumours circulating in the Brent Civic Centre 'village' about the Cabinet role of Cllr Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray, lead member for children and young people, a Brent Council spokesperson said:
"Cllr Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray has informed us that sheis currently unwell and hopes to return in January. Cllr Butt is currently carrying out her statutory duties."
Cllr Mitchell Murray is one of the three Wembley Central councillors. The others are Cllr Krupa Sheth and Cllr Sam Stopp.
