Duffy back on the attack over Kingdom contracts procurement

In a circular to fellow councillors Cllr John Duffy has raised further concerns over the  awarding to Kingdom of Brent Council's fixed penalty notice littering contract and additional ones after the company was awarded a BHP security contract LINK.

He wrote:

Following on from the council meeting and my new role as a member of the Scrutiny committee.I have further reviewed the Kingdom Securities (KS) figures from 16 June 2016- 26 Jan 2007.The figures (see bottom of the page) show that  the council have received £227k in Fixed Penalty notices (FPN). We have paid Kingdom Securities £201K leaving us with £26k to paid all the on costs. It's likely after all on costs we will have less that 10k to invest in much needed environmental improvements, while KS have walked away with over £100k profit.

Within that £201k we have already written off 388 FPNs at a cost £18K .These 388 FPNs were written-off by the council because they were not either legally issued or the person who dropped the fag-but gave a wrong (Mickey Mouse ) name. However under the scheme introduced by Cllr Southwood and the cabinet the council still  has to pay £46 for every Mickey Mouse ticket.

The figures will change the more people who will pay and we have some awaiting court and no doubt we write off more tickets given to Mr Mickey Mouse,but that is the position today. The issue is how was this scheme allowed without either allowing a VFM assessment or an in-house bid.

This to me is a typical way that some companies have in the past hoovered up local government contracts. When I was a senior officer, companies would approach me all the time with schemes they wanted to by-pass any legislation or Value For Money (VFM) comparisons. They did not want to prove VFM or get involved in any competitive process. They would try and persuade naive politicians that they should be given the contract without looking at the service needs. In Brent there was never a great service need for fag-butts fines , what we needed was a well trained mobile enforcement team, dealing with dumped bags, fly-tips, paan spitting and other environmental problems.

What really worries me is not the hundreds of thousands of pounds of environmental investment the lead member and the cabinet gave away.

What worries me is the fact that KS have just won a service contract for BHP, if this contract was awarded on the piggy back of the FPN contract which itself was awarded to them without any proper VFM assessment or competition that is a concern. If that contract has officers from the environment supporting their bid as a VFM bid and if there is a link I would also be very concerned. However the main issue is that the Scrutiny Committee call this report in  to see if it's value for money and I understand from the chair of scrutiny that meeting will take place in March, if environment officers have given the green light to KS before the Scrutiny Committee, we as Councillors are all wasting our time.

I believe there needs to be an investigation into how the original contract was developed and if there has there been any link between both the FPN and BHP contracts and ensure the council followed all the proper guidelines to achieved VFM for the residents of Brent.

Below are the present figs for the FPN contract.

Keep up the pressure on Trump's Muslim Ban - Saturday US Embassy 11am

Dawn Butler's Article 50 residents' meeting tonight in Wembley Park - will she follow Tulip?

Dawn Butler, MP for Brent Central, is holding a meeting this evening on Article 50 at a restaurant and bar venue in a retail park near Wembley Stadium. The event is now fully booked.

On her Facebook she states:

I will be hosting a residents meeting on the Article 50 vote this evening. We are now at full capacity.

However to ensure I engage with as many residents as possible I will be livestreaming the meeting on this page from 8pm tonight. Do tune in, I will also be answering questions taken from the stream.

Her Facebook address is https://www.facebook.com/DawnButlerBrent

Butler's colleague, Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) has resigned from the Labour front bench over the Labour three line whip on the issue.

What will Dawn do?

In a message Butler blamed the high cost of hiring meeting rooms at Brent Civic Centre for not holding this 'incredibly important' meeting at a larger venue.

If this is the case where does that leave any resident who wants to hire space?

DEMO AGAINST THE MUSLIM BAN OUTSIDE DOWNING STREET AND ACROSS THE UK, MONDAY JANUARY 30TH

Donald Trump has imposed a ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.

That includes people who helped the US army. That includes people on holiday trying to get home via the United States. That includes people trying to be reunited with their dying parents.

it also includes Britons with dual nationality. Like our national hero Mo Farah. Even the Iraq-born Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi.

Theresa May has decided to ally herself with Donald Trump's bigoted, misogynistic government.  It is not only weak, it is a matter of national shame - disgracing our country across the world.

There are moments of terrible injustice throughout history where we look back and rightly ask - what did people do? Future generations will look back at the targeting of Muslims - as we look back at the targeting of Jews - with disgust, horror and shame. If we do not speak out, we are complicit.

Theresa May has betrayed her own people. That doesn't mean we have to. Let's stand in solidarity with those targeted by Donald Trump's hateful government, including the people of this country, outside Downing Street and all over Britain.

Other governments - like Canada, like France, like Germany - have spoken out. Our weak, cowardly government has refused to. Let's not have the same cowardice and betrayal as our own government.

A demonstration was held opposite Downing Street from 6pm-9pm on Monday.

Wembley residents need to get down to Chalkhill on Monday re Spurs proposals on stadium events increase

Councillors have received little notice of this meeting and the public even less.



The proposals will make a big impact on Wembley as Jaine Lunn outlines below.

Wembley resident Jaine Lunn has not been impressed by the proposals.  This is the comment she made on my earlier blog about the meeting:

Meanwhile back in the real world. Local residents will be treated to more disruption to there daily routines as once or maybe even twice a week, 75,000 people visit Wembley Stadium (an international destination renowned the world over).

To the soundtrack of Spurs fans chanting the attributes of Harry Kane, whilst traipsing along the high road, swigging cans of beer, decorating every road within a 1,000 metres of the stadium with litter, overflowing waste bins, using every conceivable nook and cranny as a public urinal. Bumping along the pot holed roads, rattling sinking drains and the mangled manhole covers. Jostling for space amongst the HGV's and Skip Lorries removing rubbish and delivering plant works and materials to all the new developments in process of being demolished or built, of which Brent House, Chesterfield House, and Curtis Lane just to mention a few. Adding to the already daily occurence of gridlocked Wembley, where is takes more than half an hour to drive several hundred metres at peak times.

All the while ensuring the already overcrowded Public Transport system is bursting at the seams, TFL and the Mayor failing miserably in delivering their promises of more buses, less pollution, better air quality. Oh the anticpation of what's to come, I can't wait, but I won't be the only one standing in the queue for the soap box telling you "I told you so". However there will be some winners to this scenario, look at all the overtime Veolia and the Police will be entitled to. Not to mention all the people who work in the Fast Food outlets along the high road, pubs, and security personnel required to keep the peace!

Roll on 2017 a very happy New Year to one and all.

Duffy rubbishes Council litter contract but does he know about BHP?

Cllr John Duffy, elected to the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee by the Labour Group on the evening of the tube strike, has lost no time in setting out his stall in an email to fellow councillors.

Dear All,

As you know I have been elected to the scrutiny committee, albeit the leadership of the Labour party wished to rule my nomination out of time so the leader could play musical chairs with who he wanted to scrutinise the cabinet decisions or council contracts.

Now that I have been endorsed by the full council. I wish to state my view on scrutiny. I believe that just as a puppy, is not just for Christmas, Scrutiny is not just for committees. Members of the committee are duty bound to raise issues of waste and financial mis-management by the Cabinet.

Therefore I listen to Monday night's full council meeting, which seemed to allow cabinet members to make statement without explanation. They were also allowed to avoid questions by saying the problems were caused by a lack of resources. Whereas I believe many problems are caused by government cuts. However the cabinet has to take responsibility for bad polices making which undermining our ability to be efficient and use our limited resource’s to ensure service improvements. Those who care about these issues should read on and those who do not should stop reading now.

ENVIRONMENT (CAUSE)

On Monday Cllr Southwood, said we have successfully taken 50 residents to court for non-payment of June 2016 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) for mostly smoking related litter. However as far as I understand the true number is 41. The problem of smokers litter around tube stations and bus stops is an easy way to make money from FPNs as a smoker about to go into a tube station or get on a bus have no alternative but to put out their fags before boarding their train or bus, particularly as we have no cigarette butt disposal bins place close by.

The government in the middle of devastating cuts to service,did however allowed L/As to keep the 100’s thousands of pounds income from those FPNS and was this was one of the only ways councils could raise money for environmental protection.

Unfortunately and bewilderingly Cllr Southwood and the cabinet decided not to use the money for environmental protection. Instead the cabinet decided to outsource the service to Kingdom Securities (KS)  therefore ensuring the majority of the income was not used for Environmental protection but was paid in profits to the private company. KS introduced the service using cheaper less qualified staff and ensured the council agree certain conditions.

(i) They received £46 for every ticket issued, whether the fine was paid OR NOT.
(ii) Residents were not allowed a discount if they paid early unlike all other fine given out by the council.
(iii) The council meets all the costs of appeals and legal support and reviews.
(iii) The service did not undergo a VFM review

These conditions were introduced purely to increase KS's profit and is the cause of the council having no increased resources to deal with other environmental enforcement .The figs show-using June (the period Cllr Southwood mentioned) as an example. The council have received £49k and paid £35K to KS (approx. £25k pure profit a month for KS), whereas the council makes £9k a month after write –off, costs of admin and legal costs, work stations, free use of our car pool etc.

ENVIRONMENT (EFFECT)

I believe that bad policy making by the lead member and cabinet has cost us £25K+ per month of income and  has had the effect of ensuring that we have no strategy or resources for other environmental enforcement. Whereas dog–ends concerns were less than 1% of complaints that are 99% of our enforcement (FPN) strategy.

For example, when Cllr Crane on Monday night rightly raise the issue of dumping behind shops in a private area by the Hyde in Colindale on behalf of his residents.Which is an ongoing issue which has caused concern from residents about the unpleasant and nasty conditions they are forced to live with.They also complaint the place was overrun with rats.

Cllr Southwood reply (I think) went something like this saying we have not the resources or trained officers to deal fly tipping on private land and was therefore was difficult to deal with. Cllr Southwood reply ignores the reality of the situation. There is legislation EPA (S59 private land) where the owner of the land can be fined £5000 if they do not clear the land and £500 a day if they fail to comply.There are also ways of working with the Environment Agency  to ensure any companies using the alley way for fly-tipping are dealt with.However you need qualified, trained officers with a full understanding of legislation, to carry-out surveillance, interviews and ultimately prosecutions. However the cabinet policy of introducing cheap (LLW) unqualified officers has left us deprived of well trained officers to deal with issues as well as ensuring we have no resources.

I believe Scrutiny committee should be asked to look at the way we organise our enforcement section, to ensure VFM, flexibility ,priorities and increased investment.They should also look at the way the FPN are issued and why 154 (20%) are written off, remember we already paid KS over £7k   for the issuing of those ticket and writing them off is a direct lost  and if that is constant over a year it would mean a loss of £84k per year.

I intend to talk to the Chair of Scrutiny to see if there are ways the committee can  review and recommend service improvements.

Cllr Duffy may also be interested in the contract awarded to Kingdom Security on Brent Housing Partnership's estates.  This is Kingdom's own account - they don't seem aware that BHP is soon to be taken back in-house by the Council.:

Kingdom is pleased to have won a new contract with Brent Housing Partnership (BHP) to help tackle anti-social behaviour in north west London on their behalf. The new contract will start on 9^th January 2017.

Kingdom’s Environmental Protection Division will be providing a reception & concierge service in some of BHP’s properties, and will also be carrying out uniformed patrols, both of which are intended to provide reassurance to residents that anti-social behaviour is being tackled and that the lives and properties of residents are being protected.

Anti-social behaviour is something that can affect the lives of a great many people, making their day to day existence a real misery and leaving them feeling helpless, desperate and with a reduced quality of life. It often includes but is not limited to the following:

• Vandalism
• Graffiti
• Fly-posting
• Nuisance neighbours (noisy or abusive neighbours)
• Intimidating groups taking over public spaces
• Acting in a rowdy or inconsiderate manner
• Littering
• Being drunk in public or street drinking
• Aggressive dogs
• Prostitution
• Begging
• Abandoning vehicles
• Using vehicles inappropriately
• Trespassing

We have previously written in detail about tackling anti-social behaviour – our in depth article on the topic, including more information about what it is, who to contact to tackle it, and what action agencies and individuals can take can be found here.

Kingdom will be acting on behalf of Brent Housing Partnership (BHP), an arms-length management organisation (ALMO) and community housing company owned by Brent Council. In 2013 BHP signed a 10 year management agreement with Brent Council. The council owns the homes and takes responsibility for housing policy and strategy, whereas BHP is responsible for day-to-day management of housing services to over 9,500 council tenants and 3,000 leaseholders.

'Sergeant Major' with 'good voice' required to direct detentions at Michaela School - true or a spoof?

Is it a wind-up?  So hard to tell with the Michaela Free School, but this is what appears in Times Education Supplement jobs this week.  It is not currently advertised on the Michaela website and it is unusual to request a CV rather than an application form to be completed with full qualification and employment history as well as safeguarding declaration.

Hoax or real Michaela will get some publicity out of it and headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh (above)  enjoys that as can be seen from the school website.

It says something about the school and its methods that it is hard to tell whether the ad is genuine.

The Chair of Governors of Michaela is Suella Fernandes, Conservative MP for Fareham.

Job details

Job details

Employer	Michaela Community School
Location	Brent
Salary	£22k to £35k – with up to 14 weeks holiday per year
Contract type	Full Time
Contract term	Permanent

Job dates

Posted	26 Jan 2017 New this week
Closing date	23 Feb 2017

Days are 7:30am to 5:30pm, with Friday ending at 3:30pm
Do you like order and discipline?
Do you believe in children being obedient every time?
Do you believe that allowing children to make excuses is unkind?

If you do, then the role of Detention Director at Michaela Community School, could be for you.
This role isn't suited to a would-be counsellor or to someone who wants to be every child's best friend. This role is for someone who believes children need clear, firm discipline. This role is for someone who believes tough love is what children need to become better people and grow into responsible young adults.

We want someone who will analyse data, organise detentions, line-manage staff, be a sergeant major in the detention room, ring parents, be extremely efficient with time and paperwork, have heart-to-heart conversations with pupils and be inspirational.

You do not need any experience, but must be willing to learn on the job. You will need reasonable spoken English, but your written English does not have to be excellent. You must also be
hard-working, willing to get stuck in and own the job like it is the most important thing in the world to you.

We will train you if you are the right person for the job. So don't imagine you cannot do it. If you have presence, passion and a good voice, then we want to meet you!

The salary we are offering is far higher than a job like this would normally pay. This is because we want someone who is truly excellent. Even if we start you at the bottom of the range, the pay will rise quickly if you are good.

You are welcome to visit the school anytime, so please call us on 020 8795 3183 to arrange a visit.
To apply, please send a full CV with a covering letter to info@mcsbrent.co.uk.

Citizen scientists' findings on Brent's deadly air pollution problem

Four Brent community groups have been monitoring air pollution in the southern part of the Borough as part of a citizen science project across London. Four more voluntary associations have now joined forces with them in a campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of air pollution and improve air quality in Brent. Brent Council are supporting this effort.

In late 2016 Transition Town Kensal to Kilburn (TTK2K), Transition Willesden (TW) and Queens Park Area Residents' Association (QPARA) put up “diffusion tubes” to monitor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in their areas. They surveyed main and residential roads, outside schools and in parks. The results are shocking: three quarters of the twenty sites the Transition groups tested exceeded legal limits for the pollutant. This complemented a similar survey of Chamberlayne Road NW10 by Kensal Rise Residents' Association (KRRA) in 2014. All the findings are consistent. They demonstrate that the closer you are to busy routes the more exposed you are to illegal pollution levels.

All eight groups, now including Brent Friends of the Earth (BFoE), Aylestone Park Residents’ and Tenants’Association (APRATA), Kensal Triangle Residents' Association (KTRA) and Brent Eleven Streets (BEST), met last week with Queens Park Cllr Ellie Southwood, Cabinet Member, Environment. They now plan to campaign together and work with others in the community to alert residents of the dangers of air pollution, show how people can reduce their exposure to it and improve air quality. This work builds on a successful track record of residents' associations coming together to energise and engage the Queens Park ward community on air pollution.

Air pollution is a health hazard. It is estimated to be responsible for the premature death of 9,400 Londoners a year and many serious illnesses. This compares with 127 deaths from road accidents in London in 2014. There were 112 early deaths in Brent from air pollution in 2010. Medical research shows that air pollution is linked with cancer, strokes, heart disease and respiratory problems. The main pollutants are nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, particularly from diesel vehicles. The principal source of air pollution in Brent is road traffic, though emissions from heating systems also contribute.

Viv Stein from Transition Willesden says, “Not surprisingly we found the highest levels of NO2 pollution along busy main roads – Cricklewood Broadway down to Kilburn High Road, with many other areas also above what's considered safe. In view of this we are pleased to learn that greener buses will be coming to this heavily polluted route under the Mayor of London's Low Emission Bus Zones, though we will have to wait till at least 2018.

“Though our findings show only a snapshot of pollution over a short period, results are in keeping with other studies across London. We would like to do further monitoring, and involve schools, businesses, residents, health providers and the Council to raise awareness and take action on this public health issue. Along with other local groups we are now planning to raise awareness about vehicles idling, and about the damaging impact of all diesel vehicles, including diesel cars which now make up nearly half of the cars on the road.”

Janey McAllester from Transition Kensal to Kilburn says, “Pollution affects us all. Drivers need to be aware they and their passengers are breathing in a lot more pollution inside their cars than walking or cycling. The less time we spend in cars, the better for everyone. We want to encourage more cycling and work with the Council to help people cycle and walk more.”

Souraya Choukeir from QPARA says, “Air pollution is not something you can see so people are often not aware of how bad it is or of the harm it does. But there are things that we all can do to reduce it and protect ourselves from it such as switching to cleaner, non-diesel vehicles, driving less, and, where possible, walking on less polluted side streets.”

Cllr Ellie Southwood says, “It was great to see residents’associations and green groups coming together to share hard evidence about the problems of air pollution in Brent. I look forward to their helping us develop actions to deliver the Borough’s new Air Quality Action Plan and I am looking forward to working with them to make a positive difference to the air we breathe in Brent."

The two Transition Town groups each set up ten diffusion tubes to monitor NO2 in their areas between September 24th and October 8th. They also tested for particulate matter at a number of sites. This was part of the Cleaner Air 4 Communities programme run by the London Sustainability Exchange (LSx). QPARA monitored ten sites around Salusbury Road in August and October. BFoE have also started monitoring this month.


The groups' findings will add to Brent Council's own monitoring data which measures NO2 at 27 locations across the Borough. Much of Brent is designated an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) as clean air standards are not being met. The Council's new Air Quality Action Plan will be going out for consultation soon. The voluntary groups hope that the plan will engage with their efforts, and make all residents and those who work in Brent aware of the need to combat this serious threat to our health and well being.

To find out more about the Transition groups' project, see their results and join in, see http://ttkensaltokilburn.ning.com/group/air-pollution-monitoring. More on QPARA's project is at http://www.qpark.org.uk/action-groups/environment/.

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