Brent Greens ask Council for assurances on Paddington Cemetery asbestos dump

Brent Green Party in an open letter to Carolyn Downs, Brent Council Chief Executive, has posed questions about the contaminated waste at Paddington Green Cemetery:

OPEN Letter to CEO London Borough of Brent, Councillor Butt,

Councillor Southwood cc Councillor Duffy

As Green Party Trade Union Liaison Officer for Brent and for the London Federation of Green Parties, and as a council tax paying resident of the London Borough of Brent, I am very concerned to hear from Councillor Duffy’s email, that there are contamination problems arising from the dumping and disposal of asbestos contaminated soil in Paddington Old Cemetery. 

As I am sure the CEO of Brent and the Brent Councillors dealing with this matter, are aware asbestos is relatively safe when undisturbed, but if it is caused to give off dust, which is harmful if inhaled, that dust can give rise to severe health problems which may not be apparent until years later.

I would therefore like assurances that the Council did not deliberately send asbestos contaminated waste to Paddington Old Cemetery, and that once Council became aware of the presence of such waste, it ensured that:

1.  all workers dealing with the waste were fully briefed as to its potentially hazardous nature and advised to inform their GPs of possible exposure.

2.  all workers dealing with the waste were fully equipped with appropriate protection

3.  measures were taken to ensure that the waste would affect members of the public visiting the Cemetery and the students and staff of the school which neighbours the Cemetery.

4.  the school and the NEU Health and Safety representative was notified of the presence of the waste and warned when it was likely to be disturbed.

Yours sincerely Peter Murry

Give your views on Cricklewood HGV Superhub today at the Crown 4pm-8.30pm

From Barnet Council
 

Wednesday 31 January 4pm to 8.30pm
Clayton Crown Hotel, Cricklewood, NW2 3ED

The Brent Cross Cricklewood development is Barnet Council’s most significant growth and regeneration programme.

There will be an opportunity to hear about the scheme in more detail and to view the plans for the replacement waste transfer station and the modernised rail freight facility.

It will be an open drop-in session between 4pm and 8.30pm with opportunities to hear a short presentation with more detail at 5pm and 7pm.

The invite is extended to interested residents who wish to hear more about what the scheme will bring and to discuss issues and concerns they may have with members of the delivery team.

Greens to join NHS Demo on Saturday

Our NHS is on its knees, thanks to ideological attacks and cuts from this Tory Government. In the 70th year of our health service, let's take to the streets to defend it.

The People's Assembly have organised this demonstration, and the Green Party is proud to support it. Join our bloc outside Waterstones, 82 Gower St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6EQ from 11.30am.

Our co-leader Jonathan Bartley will be speaking at the rally at the end of the march, so make sure you stick around. More details on the demonstration can be found HERE

This NHS winter crisis isn't the fault of the immigrants, the disabled, the elderly or the nurses. It's the fault of our Government. This Saturday, join us to defend our NHS.

After Village School strikers lobby him, Muhammed Butt agrees to write to governors saying Brent Council would like the school to stay with the local authority

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt hears from The Village School strike supporters

Supporters of The Village School strikers lobbied Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of the Labour brent Council, at a protest inside Brent Vivic Centre this morning. Today was the first day of three days of strikes against academisation this week.

Cllr Butt was asked to write to the school's governors making the case for staying with the local authority in line with Labour Party policy.

The NEU said:

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After an early morning well attended picket at The Village School, Kingsbury, London a large group of NEU teachers and support staff members made their way to the Brent Civic Centre in Wembley. This was their fourth day of strike action against the Governors plans to turn the school into an academy.

Holding banners aloft and singing their specially written songs a flash mob descended on the steps inside the Civic Centre causing consternation. Lyrics included their signature song, “There’s something shady going on”. 

They refused to leave when asked to by security. 

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Labour Leader of the Council was then called to come and address them and he did. What the staff were asking was for him to write to the Governors and point out the benefits of staying with the Local Authority family of schools rather than go down the privatisation route of academisation. Cllr Butt seemed reluctant to do this. 

He then met a group of the protesters in his office and it was agreed that he would write a letter to the Governors stating that, although it is ultimately the Governors' decision what happens, the Labour Council would prefer the school to stay with the Local Authority.

NEU members were very pleased that their protest had brought about a change in Cllr Butt’s stance and look forward to seeing his letter join the mounting opposition to this unnecessary academisation of an outstanding special school. 

Tomorrow NEU members will be meeting Barry Gardiner, MP at the House of Commons in Westminster to ask him to publicly state his clear opposition to the academisation of The Village School.

Duffy probes further on hazardous asbestos dump at Paddington Cemetery

Cllr John Duffy has submitted further evidence to all Brent councillors and Carolyn Downs, Brent Council Chief Executive Officer in support of his call for an independent investigation.
 

Dear CEO,

It appears there has been a misrepresentation of facts by Council Officers and leading Councillors concerning the Audit Advisory Committee (AAC) report into the discovery of Asbestos found within Paddington Old Cemetery and the Deltasimon report . The AAC report is a completely different report  which should have investigate how the Asbestos arrived at the cemetery and the report is a restricted report ,which the public are not allowed access to. The Deltasimon report is - an independent report to assess the level of contamination and  this report neither sought or commented on the legality of  council actions to transport contaminated to the cemetery, or the council actions following the discovery of the Asbestos in 2015.

The AAC (in-house ) report, is in my opinion, poor and largely irrelevant because of its failure to interview the work-force (gravediggers /gardeners) most at risk in the situation. The report also failed to seek important relevant documents that are clearly available. However the most glaring deficiency is the fact that the report ends in August 2015 - when the deliberate transportation of the asbestos to Paddington Cemetery by the council took place.  Most of the major issues raised by the Friends of Paddington Old Cemetery (FPC) relate to the contravention of health and safety regulations after the concluding date of the AAC report .  These contraventions took place between 9th May 2017 and 30th November 2017.They were not addressed in the AAC report and have since been ignored by officers and senior councillors since.

The issue the AAC report ignores is, I believe, the most important and fundamental. Namely - did the council put the workforce and residents at unnecessary risk by not implementing basic Health and Safety regulations concerning the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulation (COSHH) following its discovery in Carpenders Park and subsequent transfer to Paddington Old Cemetery.  It is accepted that the Council officers knowingly delivered contaminated waste and instructed the workforce  to undertake over 90 burials in the contaminated  ground. The Deltasimon report contained within it a quote  stating that the contamination was therefore "deemed to pose a significant risk to the Brent council contracted grave diggers". Yet not one Gravediggers /Gardeners who handle the asbestos in Carpenters Park Depot  and worked on the contaminated mound ,were interviewed in the AAC report.

The fact is the AAC report missed information than it gathered,  because it ended in August 2015 and ignores the two incidents most concerning local residents ,FPC and some parents .The incidents I refer to  took place on the 24th June 2017*  and  the 30th November 2017*, after the Asbestos  was discovered on May 9th 2017.

The Perfect Storm

The Council say continually that the Asbestos was low-risk (albeit they did not know that when they delivered it to the cemetery) and assert that the simple presence of asbestos does not represent a risk.  They go on to say a risk is only present if the asbestos is disturbed, at which point fibres become air-borne and can be inhaled.  They also say that the ground is damp and this hinders the process of fibres becoming airborne. This statement is generally true. However, the question at hand concerns the way in which the asbestos was handled/disturbed by the council and the question of whether government COSHH regulations were followed to safeguard the workforce, residents and local school. 

After the discovery of the asbestos on May 9th 2017 the council initially took appropriate steps.  They employed Eton Environmental Group asbestos specialists and a specialist sub contractor to undertake all the reopening burials. They carried out their task in a professional fashion, ensuring the area they were working in was protected from the public and the workforce dressed in protective face masks and disposable overalls. 

However, on June 24th 2017 (6 weeks after the asbestos was discovered) the council again instructed work on the mound and bussed workers in from outside of the cemetery (after - as I understand it - other workers refused to work on the mound).  The new workforce had no knowledge of the asbestos contamination. They also had no training or protective equipment, masks, overalls etc, but were instructed to work at the site. The area was not taped off to prevent members of the public visiting graves there. The workforce set about their tasks, as instructed, raising potentially hazardous dust which put themselves and the public at unnecessary risk.  I attach a photo below taken by a resident on the day which I believe illustrates plumes of hazardous dust and the danger that represents.

The suggestion that the ground was damp enough to hinder the asbestos fibres becoming air-borne is complete nonsense. On June 24th 2017, the temperature was between 30 to 32 °C. Three days earlier, Greater London recorded 34.5 °C - the UK's highest June temperature since 1976. The ground was completely dry. I believe both the workforce and public were put at unnecessary risk by the failure of the council to protect them from the airborne dust created by this work, in what can only be described as the Perfect (Asbestos) Storm. 

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

I fully supported the council in employing the specialist contractors, who are both well known asbestos specialists and understand the COSHH regulations in regard to asbestos. They professionally re-opened the graves for burials on the mound and removed the contaminated waste by wheelbarrow from the mound and placed it to the side of the road by the school garden, where green sheeting was place on it to remove the risk of any asbestos dust being blown into the air. Taping was place around the waste to stop people walking on it.  Which would seem reasonably good practice.

However the employment of the company who removed the contaminated waste was neither efficient or as safe.  It would seem this company was not on the approved list of Brent Contractors; they are not asbestos specialists, just a standard waste management /skip hire company. The operation they undertook certainly does not appear to follow COSHH regulations.  Most importantly, they did not contact the school whose garden is immediately adjacent to ensure that no children went out during the operation.  Nor did they cordon off the surrounding area to ensure members of the public did not enter.

The operation failed to meet even basic standards when dealing with Hazardous/Contaminated waste. The use of the giant mechanical shovel (see attached photo) was completely inappropriate and bound to create plumes of hazardous airborne dust. The area was fully open to public throughout the operation, the waste was then placed in an open lorry rather than a locked skip (which is required in COSHH guidelines), and no protective sheeting was placed on the lorry as it drove off, leaving several pieces of asbestos (see attached photo) scattered along the path.

No new evidence?

At Monday's full council meeting The Mayor refused my request for a debate to appoint an independent investigation.  His decision was supported by Cllr Southwood and Cllr Choudry stating there was no new evidence for any further investigation. This position is untenable. There is ample new evidence that was over looked by the AAC report.  

Since that report, officers have received.

(A) The dates of the incidents on 24th June* and the 30th November* and the location of the incidents.  

(B) evidence that Workers were bussed in and instructed to work and they had no protective clothing. 

(C) photographic evidence of airborne dust plumes and that the fact the area was not taped off from the public. 

(D) photographic evidence showing that the removal of the waste was not carried out within Health and Safety regulations.  

(E) The temperature on that day - showing that there was an increased risk contamination because of the dryness of the ground.  None of this issues were even mentioned in the AAC report.

In light of this, could you please confirm three points:

(1) Could you confirm that the AAC report is a internal restricted report and the public will never be allowed to view or reference that report?

(2) Can you confirm that you are aware the DeltaSimons report states "The Client (Brent Council) as landowner (and potentially as employer) has a duty to manage to ensure exposure is kept as low as reasonably practicable; further, the assessment has identified the potential for exposures to exceed a level at which has been considered in civil litigation as being a material contributor to a case of mesothelioma"?

(3) Can you confirm that since new evidence has now been made known to you - in paragraphs  titled "Perfect Storm" and "Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)” above - you will commission an Independent Investigation into the manner in which the council handled issues following the delivery of the contaminated waste in August 2015 - The independent investigator should have knowledge of Health and Safety regulations (COSHH) and a remit to interview all witnesses. The investigator should be agreed by the leader of the Council  (Cllr Butt ) and  the leader of the opposition(Cllr Warren) and a rep from FPC. 

Finally If you, Cllr Southwood and Cllr Butt continue to impede /refuse an independent investigation, will you please pass on the attached photos to  the Asbestos  consultants Deltasimons and ask them if they believe the actions taken by Brent council on the 24thJune and November 30^th 2017 are compatible with the statement in their report highlighted in bold in Question 2. 

Greens back Village School anti-academisation strike

 Pete Murry of Brent Green Party has sent the following message to the National Education Union

As Green Party Trade Union Liaison Officer for Brent and for the London Federation of Green Parties, I am both pleased and sad to be sending support to the teachers at The Village School in Kingsbury for a second time.

I am pleased to convey the support of the Green Party to Trades unionists who oppose academisations, and because, as a UCU member, I have the greatest respect for the NEU members who are now taking strike action again to protect a public education service for the people of Brent which large amounts of council resources have been paid to develop.

I am saddened that the strike is now taking place because of the intransigence of the School Governors and their Chair, (who is also the Brent Labour Group whip), and the refusal of the Brent Labour Leader Muhammed Butt to clearly oppose academisation of the Village School; although it is becoming increasingly apparent that academisation is an expensive and unworkable policy which is of minimal benefit to education.

Village School strike intensifies as NEU complains about Butt's 'hypocrisy'

From the National Education Union in Brent
 

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Teachers and support staff at The Village School in Kingsbury, North West London, are increasing their action to prevent the academisation of their special school. Following their two days of strike action on 16^th and 17^th January members of the NEU* have upped their level of opposition to three days of strikes as management refuses to pause the consultation. 
 

They will be on strike on Tuesday 30^th, Wednesday 31^st and Thursday 1^st. Picket lines outside the school will be in operation each strike day from 7.30 till 9.00.

On Tuesday members and supporters will then take placards and songs to the civic centre for a visible protest from 10.30-11.30.

After Wednesday's picket 35 members will travel to Parliament for a scheduled meeting with Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North. 

At Thursday's picket, members will be joined by Louise Regan, NUT NEU section National President, who is bringing prizes for best contributions to the protest. This will be followed by a big breakfast in the local cafe.

Further, members also voted at a very well attended union meeting on Friday 26^th to strike again on the mornings of February 20th, 21st and 22nd.

Brent Labour Councillor Jumbo Chan said, “I give my full, wholehearted support to the outstanding hardworking and passionate teachers and support staff at The Village School, who work tirelessly every day to nurture the school’s young students and maximise their potential. Like them and many other members of the local Labour Party and trade unions, I strongly oppose the wholly unnecessary, unhelpful and misguided proposed plans to academise such a valuable local asset, and urge others to do the same”.

Members have signed letters of complaint to the Chair of Governors and Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council. In a letter to all staff Muhammed Butt has attacked the staff of The Village and the Union Reps saying that their action is ‘to punish these children’ and of being irresponsible by taking strike action when the truth is staff are seeking to protect it. He recognises the fact that is it the work of the overwhelming majority of staff who oppose academisation who have raised the school to outstanding. Yet he discounts the fact that, as at Copland, if its staff are forced against their will into academisation very large numbers will leave. Thus, as occurred at Copland when it became an ARK academy with experienced and able staff leaving, education will be adversely hit for these very vulnerable children. ARK Elvin is yet again at the bottom of the league for Brent secondary schools, this year well below the others with only 31% A to Cs.

His own constituency Labour Party have unanimously opposed his stance of supporting the move for the school to be turned into an academy. The London Regional Labour Party also oppose academisation. Barry Gardiner, MP opposes the academisation of The Village. Muhammed Butt’s own Union the GMB opposes the move to academisation. The Headteacher and Chair of Governors, shamefully the Brent Council Labour Whip, are arguing that the school has to become a privatised academy despite the huge opposition to this of the staff and increasingly parents. 

Muhammed Butt wrote to all LA schools in December 2015 saying, “The only way to ensure that our schools remain communities, and do not become businesses, is for them to remain under the control of Brent Council. On behalf of Brent Labour’s leadership, I urge you to do all you can to ensure that they do.”

The only clear tangible outcome of academisation has been shown to be vastly increased salaries to those at the top and a wider pay gap between those at the top and the overwhelming number of staff. Muhammed Butt has said that it is his aim to seek to ‘reverse the outsourcing of services’ that Brent has done previously and bring them back in house as a way of providing a better and more economical service which we applaud. But at the same time, in complete contradiction, he is proposing support for the running of yet another Local Authority school to be outsourced. Utter hypocrisy.

A week ago, many members at the school dressed in black symbolising the death of local authority schools. On Friday, they again dressed in black and added red to show their anger. They will continue to wear black on Fridays and the NEU would encourage anyone to join in wearing black too as a show of solidarity. Please send us your photos and we will pass them on to the NEU Reps at The Village

Butt and Brent Momentum at loggerheads over HDV & academisation

Cllr Butt has co-signed the letter criticising the Labour NEC over their intervention on the Haringey Development Vehicle LINK. That, combined with his letter to Village School staff criticising union members over their strike action LINK, has intensified criticism from Brent Labour Party members and Brent Momentum who took to Facebook and Twitter over the weekend to express their views.