Public urged to support divestment of Brent's pension fund from fossil fuels - sign the petition

A meeting at City Hall on March 6th will bring together councillors and council officers from across London to consider the practicalities of divesting local authority pension funds from fossil fuels. Brent Labour Party's local election manifesto pledged to start the process and other London boroughs have made similar pledges.

Bringing together people from different boroughs is important as council have shifted pension fund investments  into a cross borough Common Investment Vehicle (CIV). Investment decisions will vary borough to borough as their pension funds will be in different positions in terms of the value of their investments versus pension commitments. Some will be looking for a high return to top up funds, with an associated risk, while others will be in a strong position and happy with lower returns on more risk-free investments.

Fossil Free Brent - non-party political campaign has been gathering signatures on a petition setting out the case for divestment and recommended actions by Brent Council:

The petition is below. You can sign it HERE

Brent Council should divest its pension fund from fossil fuel companies to protect the people of Brent. So we ask Brent Council to make a public divestment statement committing the Brent Pension Fund to:

1. Immediately freeze any new investment in the top 200 publicly-traded fossil fuel companies with largest known carbon reserves (oil, coal and gas) [0]

2. Divest from direct ownership and any commingled funds that include fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds in the top 200 list and shift these funds to lower risk, ethical investments before the May 2022 Council elections

3. Advocate to other pension funds, including the London Pension Fund Authority and Local Government Pension Scheme members to do the same

4. To do the above in a timely manner - by setting up a working group to report back on a strategy to bring about divestment within three months from the submission of this petition

Why is this important?

We believe divestment from fossil fuels to be not only ethically and environmentally correct, but also financially prudent.

Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has encountered. The 20 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1981 and 2016 was the hottest ever [1]. Higher average temperatures are directly linked to extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, floods and storms.

Scientists have unanimously concluded that these changes are a consequence of human activity, arising from the burning of fossil fuels [2]. Moreover, this activity has resulted in unprecedented levels of air pollution, now regarded as a major world killer [3].

In a speech at Lloyd’s of London in September 2015, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England said that by the time ‘climate change becomes a defining issue for financial stability, it may already be too late’. Carney warned investors that policies to address climate change ‘would render the vast majority of reserves ‘stranded’ – oil, gas and coal that will be literally unburnable’ [4].

In order to continue developing fossil fuel reserves – particularly in the difficult areas where the remaining reserves are located (including the Arctic, the mouth of the Amazon and tar sands in sensitive areas) the developing companies need investment – divestment is a way of cutting off the funds needed to carry out these damaging activities. It also sends a powerful signal to the companies and others that it is time to move away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy.

References:
[0] http://tinyurl.com/lmskfgk
[1] http://tinyurl.com/y9tkm4sn
[2] http://tinyurl.com/3e3zv
[3] http://tinyurl.com/pqgdd5q
[4] http://tinyurl.com/ycspl5

Brent Council to increase signatory threshold for planning petitions to be considered by Planning Committee

The proceedings of Brent Planning Committee have been a concern for some time with residents often feeling that their views on applications are not sufficiently taken into account.

A proposed constitutional change, ostensibly designed to reduce the burden on the Planning Committee, may have the effect of reducing the chance of a hearing for the objections of local residents on particular proposed schemes.

The present situation is that a petition will only considred by the Planning Committee if it has at least 10 signatures. Identical or proforma letters or emails are currently not treated as individual objections but as if they are signatures on a peition. 

The proposal is that the 'petition' will now only be considered by Committee members if the number is 51 rather than 10. Below that level the petition will now be considered by officers not members and only referred to the Planning Committee if the officer decided it was appropriate.  The provision for a planning application to be considred by the Committee if requested by a least 3 councillors would remain in place.

The proposal:

Planning Petitions 


.        3.7  Standing Orders contained within the Council Constitution provide that for planning applications and other planning issues, there must be at least 10 signatures before a petition is considered by the Planning Committee. This requirement is repeated in the Planning Committee terms of reference. The position in respect of other petitions is that they are only referred to members if the number of signatures exceeds 51. 


.        3.8  It is proposed that the position for petitions relating to planning applications be aligned with that for other petitions. The Planning Committee should deal with the largest and most strategic applications which require a greater level of public scrutiny; rather than smaller scale applications which may only raise local, rather than strategic issues. Big committee agendas increase use of both Councillor time and council resources in terms of preparation, presentations, administration and the general conduct of the Committee meeting; which as things currently stand, is not always the most effective and/or proportionate way of addressing such issues. 


.        3.9  Items which are referred to the committee should warrant consideration by the committee. The threshold for planning objections triggering referral to the committee was increased from 3 to 8. Identical or proforma letters or emails are not treated as objections but as if they were signatures on a petition. Requiring only 10 signatures to a petition, which are easier to obtain than separate objections, can result in minor applications being considered by the Committee. This has related to around 3 applications over the past year and there is clearly scope for this to increase. 


.        3.10  If this change is agreed, officers would consider petitions with up to and including 50 signatures and if the officer felt it was more appropriate for the Planning Committee to consider the application, the Head of Planning would still have the discretion to refer the matter to the committee. The provision for referral of applications to the committee where requested in accordance with the Constitution by at least 3 councillors will remain in place. 


NEW DATE: FEB 21st Love, Fame & Showbusiness with Susie Boyt

See Copland/Ujima proposals on Saturday 10-2 at SEIDs Hub. Wembley

From Your Shout agency

As a reminder we will be at the Social Innovation and Enterprise Hub (SEIDs) on Empire Way, Wembley HA9 0RJ on Saturday 16th February, 10.00 – 14.00. Drop in to see how the proposals for the former Copland School and Ujima House sites on Wembley High Road have progressed since our last event.

Once you arrive at SEIDs please follow the signs to find us (see picture attached).

We hope to see you on Saturday!

Brent Cabinet presses ahead with Bridge Park plans despite huge community opposition

Artist's impression of the replacement Bridge Park

You wouldn't know about the massive community opposition to Brent Council's seizure of the Bridge Park Complex site from the local community, the massive opposition to their plans witb a dodgy off-shore company, or the forthcoming High Court action if you take Brent Council's complacent Press release at face value.

All is well in Brent Council's fairy land!

Here is the press release as published on the Council website:

Plans to create a community hub on the Bridge Park site are now one a step closer after the council's cabinet last night (Monday 11 February) agreed to an enhanced proposal for the Stonebridge site. 

The new plan sets out to offer better leisure facilities, including a 6 lane pool, flexible business spaces, a café, accommodation and more.

The New Bridge Park Centre will have:

• A six lane swimming pool with a moveable floor
• Modern community facilities including 2 function halls and meeting rooms - more than twice the size of current provision
• Flexible business space to support local enterprise
• 72 space car park
• Up to 104 new homes to help vulnerable residents live independently
• 4 Court Sports Hall
• Sauna & steam rooms
• Bigger Fitness Gym with up to 100 stations
• Children's Soft Play Area & Party Room
• A new Clip & Climb
• Café Area
• Studios
• Spin Studio
• Changing Facilities
• Toning Suite
• Consultation Rooms

Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Culture & Leisure, said: "I am pleased that these enhanced plans have been approved by cabinet and delighted that residents could soon get to enjoy a local swimming pool, better community facilities and modern flexible business spaces.

"We are a step closer to delivering a hub that caters for the needs of residents now and in the future. Brent has a growing and aging population and the new independent living homes in this proposal together with the additional housing that the neighbouring Unisys buildings will bring, once rebuilt, with help many residents."

For more information about the proposal visit: www.brent.gov.uk/bridgepark

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Northwick Park Community Garden a step nearer as they win CIL funding

The vision of a community garden in Northwick Park has taken a step forward and is good news, even though a drop in the ocean, in a week when we have read about the imminent demise of the insect population,

The group made this announcement on Facebook:

We are delighted to be able to announce that we have been successful in our application for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding. We received the fantastic news today. A huge thank you to all those who have supported our application, and shared our vision of making a Community Garden in Northwick Park for everyone to enjoy. We are looking forward to making our little part of the world a better place to be!

Facebook site HERE

Video: Ex-soldiers speak out on the cost of war and how their experience made them peace activists

Brent Stop the War has held meetings and demonstrations about the cost of war in terms of victims' deaths, infrastructure destruction, environmental disaster and creation of refugees as well as the financial cost to the economy. Last night's meeting was rather different as we heard first-hand from ex-soldiers whose experience of war has made them into peace activists.

Both speakers are members of Veterans for Peace (UK) but made it clear that they were not speaking on behalf of the organisation but as individual members. VfP (UK) are not a pacifist organisation although some members may be. They believe the country has to be defended but object to counter-productive, dehumanising foreign wars.

The first speaker is Julio Torres, a New Yorker who was in the US army for eleven years including a year in Iraq.  Ben Griffin, the second speaker and founder of Veterans for Peace (UK) served in Northern Ireland, Macedonia, Afghanistan  and Iraq. He was released from the British army after refusing to serve under American command.

Both speakers were open and honest in a meeting which at times became very emotional creating a great bond between the speakers and the audience.

Brent Cabinet approves Knowles House, Harlesden, development

From a Brent Council Press Release

Brent Council's Cabinet has approved a £28 million project in Harlesden to create much-needed social housing together with a new community centre. 

The report to Cabinet laid out plans for Wates Residential to start work on redeveloping Knowles House in Longstone Avenue, with a completion date anticipated during the winter of 2021. 
The works will see the demolition of the existing buildings on the site and the construction of 149 new homes alongside a community centre. 

Cllr Eleanor Southwood, Lead Member for Housing and Welfare Reform, said: "Our Knowles House redevelopment will help homeless residents move away from bed and breakfast accommodation and into more settled and secure homes." 

The new development will also include homes designed for independent living. 

Cllr Harbi Farah, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: "This project will see more homes for people with care needs being housed under Brent's New Accommodation for Independent Living (NAIL) scheme. We aim to support people to live independently for longer and NAIL gives people that freedom and choice." 

This project will attract around £5.7 million in funding from the GLA affordable housing programme. The grant is part of a wider allocation of £65 million awarded to Brent in order to increase the supply of affordable housing in the borough.