URGENT - Londoners Stand Up for the Freedom Pass: Email Secretary of State, Grant Shapps NOW!

 

Image from Transport For All

From AgeUK London

In a matter of days we will find out if Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster card concessions will be further reduced or even cut entirely. You may have seen the story in the news as part of the coverage around conditions attached to the next funding deal between the government and Transport for London. 

 

We started the campaign to protect older Londoners' travel concessions back in June but the next few days are vital. The government need to know the impact that this will have and they need to hear from those most affected. We have until 31 October to stand up for older Londoners and keep transport affordable.

 

Click here to email the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP.

 

Affordable transform is not a luxury it's a lifeline and can transform lives. Taking travel concessions away from older Londoners who live in the city with the worst pensioner poverty rate in the country and some of the highest living costs in the world will drive up poverty and exacerbate the capital’s social isolation crisis.

 

Please help spread the word

Once you send your email (which you can personalise) you will see an option to share the campaign on Facebook or Twitter. You can also forward this email on to all those that may be interested. We need to get as many people emailing the Secretary of State as possible.

 

We are very concerned that the 60+ Oyster card may be most at risk. If you are a 60+ Oyster holder or know someone that is, it is particularly important to be heard.

 

Time is against us. The next funding deal will be announced by 31st October. Now more than ever, let's raise our voices!

 

Thank you for your support,

 

John, Abi and the Age UK London team

 

P.S. Here is a powerful case study from Deborah, a 60+ Oyster card holder who told us her story earlier this week.

 

Restoring the River Brent to its former glory - local volunteers at work

 

Volunteers have been working with the charity Thames21 to restore the habitats of the River Brent which flows through the borough from the Welsh Harp to the North Circular.

This video is a fitting tribute to their dedication and their vision.

'Matters of balance' reveal conflicts and contradictions in Brent planning policy

 

Video of Gerry Ansell's summing up re the proposal and councillor's reasons for voting against

The Planning Committee of October 14th was notable as the first the be chaired by Cllr Matt Kelcher following the Labour and Council AGM, for its length and for the way in which the themes that emerged during the discussion of the application to redevelop the site of the Willesden Green PoliceSstation revealed some of the conflictions and contradictions in Brent Council's planning policies and guidance.

This is the Council's recording of the decision:

Although the lack of affordability housing in the development took up a great deal of time in the discussion, and was cited as a reason for rejection by some councillors, they were 'cautioned' by Gerry Ansell, Head of Planning and Development Services, that when it came to professional advice on viability there was no viability in this scheme. Independent professional advice was that if the scheme was to be financially viable for the developer all 28 units had to be sold at market rates and no affordable housing could be provided. Planning Officer David Glover said that the concerns over affordable housing could be recorded in the Minutes of the meeting but not in the reasons for refusal.

Ansell said that there were particular factors in this development that reduced viability.  It was in a sensitive location with a building of quality with associated costs for its retention and restoration that reduced land values.

He said that affordable housing was a core Council policy but issues are 'a matter of balance.' He assured councillors that officers pushed developers hard on affordability.

Cllr Arshad Mamhood was particuarly vexed working out that the market value was about £10m and the developer was only required to contribute £143,000 to off-site affordable housing elsewhere. Councillors were told that this could be used for the equivalent of 1-1/2 units elsewhere in the borough.

Cllr Mahmood asked that councillors be able to look more closely at the detail of Viability Assessments so that they could scrutinise them. He was told that they were available on the Council website before applications came to Committee.

 

 The retained police station with the new development behind

The recently liberated (from Cabinet) Cllr Tom Miller, representing his ward, spoke against the development.  He told the Committee:

I feel that with only this proposal on the table, what the Committee are being asked is, 'Would you rather have a development that is out of character with, not just the local area, but a conservation area?' and show we are not serious about preserving that or, 'Would you rather have a proposal that shows we are not serious about having  enough affordable homes?'

It's asking the Local Authority to pick which of our policies we should ditch and that for me has 'REJECT' written all over it. It is throwing down a challenge to the Committte, 'Which of these is not important.'

I'd rather not have a conservation area at all then have a conservation area that allows developers to drive right through it.

Both he and fellow Willesden Green councillor, Cllr Donnelly-Jackson said that they had not been approached bu the developers and consulted.

A positive aspect of the discussion was the planners assertion that they had been keen to ensure the retention of the police station and recognised its historial merit depite it not being a listed building. Cllr Dixon spoke about the important historical character of this section of the High Road.

Other issues that came up were carless developments that just meant residents would spill over into nearby streets to park, the development overlooking neighbour's gardens and in one particular case reducing the light  entering a neighbour's property to almost zero. The sheer bulk of the property in contrast to the local side streets  and the High Road and the lack of proper consultation were major issues - along with the 146 objections to the scheme.

The Committee voted to reject the proposal with Cllr Liz Dixon and Cllr Saqib Butt abstaining.

 

 

 

 

How many disabled people are living in fear in Brent's high rises after Grenfell?

As the number of high rises proliferate throughout Brent and the cladding issue in many tower blocks unresolved, even as the horrors of Grenfell are relived through the current Inquiry, it is worth thinking about the situation of people with a disability in such buildings.

The London Fire Brigade has said that disabled people should not be placed in any accommodation above the 4th floor. One of the fatalities at Grenfell was a woman who had been told by Kensington and Chelsea Council that she would not be housed above the 4th floor, but tragically, she was.

A disabled pensioner in a Brent Council block has approached Wembley Matters to tell us about his situation. 

Since Grenfell he has asked the council to rehouse him on a lower floor and in response they have asked him why he accepted a flat in a South Kilburn high rise above the 4th floor way back in April, 1993.

They have also lost the record of the PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) that he had sent them and demanded proof that he was disabled despite the council's own OT team assessing him last year and installing a wet room and sit down shower as a result. He thinks that this action, in itself, is proof of his mobility needs.

He remarked that the council had found homes for nearly 900 students but had told him that they had no spare home to offer him. A different case of course, and a private provider,  but it clearly rankles.

The resident could see Grenfell from his tower block his tower block as he wrote his email to Wembley Matters and reflected that there had been two fires in his block during his tenancy and he had not known about them until he smelt the smoke. His neighbours and fire officers had shouted warnings to leave the building but he had not heard them because of the hearing impairment he has on top of his mobility problem.

He asks how many other disabled people are living in fear of fire in Brent's high rises in the shadow of the Grenfell disaster?

A good question, deserving of an answer.

Brent Public Health Director is 'happy that risks of Covid transmission have been minimised' for students evacuated to Wembley Park

The Director of Public Health, Brent, Dr Melanie Smith, has responded to the transfer of students from  Notting Hill Genesis accommodation in Brentford to Grand Felda House in Empire Way, Wembley Park.

Dr Smith said:

 I can confirm that a number of students will be transferring this week from Brentford to purpose built student accommodation in Wembley Park.

This morning I reviewed, with Public Health England, the plans to transfer the students and to accommodate them in Wembley Park. I am happy that the risks of COVID transmission have been minimised. Self-isolating students are being re-accomodated with the same flatmates as they have had in Brentford. And, of course, the Tier 2 restrictions mean that students are not permitted to mix with students in other flats. 

This is clearly a difficult time for the students who are having to leave their new homes at a time when some of them are self-isolating because of COVID and we have also reviewed the support being provided to the students by their University and accommodation providers.

We will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis

FURTHER UPDATE: Evacuated Notting Hill Genesis students to be transferred to Grand Felda House, Empire Way in Wembley Park

The affected properties

The Housing Association, Notting Hill Genesis, is to evacuate  a six-block development in Hounslow.   University of West London students from the student accommodation on the site will be transferred to CRM's Grand Felda House in Empire Way.  UWL told the students that the new accommodation was of higher quality and more modern than their present housing. A shuttle bus will run from Wembley to the UWL campus. LINK 

Grand Felda House

 Asked about arrangements for students isolating due to Covid the university said:

Notting Hill Genesis are working with a range of specialist professionals to ensure that all guidelines relating to Covid-19 are followed. As a University, UWL is ensuring that comprehensive risk assessments are carried out by Notting Hill Genesis prior to any removals being undertaken.

UWL provided support at a number of Microsoft Teams meetings. LINK

However, Construction News today (October 20th) reported student uncertainty and anxiety over the arrangements for quarantined students. LINK

The news comes on top of widespread concerns over cladding and the plight of people in leasehold and shared ownership properties who are unable to move because they cannot acquire the necessary fire safety certificate. There are six buildings in the affected development, one of which is 17 storeys high.

This is today's press statement:

Notting Hill Genesis, one of London’s largest housing associations, is to undertake a comprehensive safety review across a six-block residential development in London following expert advice that the construction of the buildings may be putting residents at risk.

Following expert advice provided by consultants employed by Notting Hill Genesis, all residents living in Paragon – about 1,000 people in total – will be asked to leave immediately in order to protect their health and safety while further investigative work is undertaken.

Paragon is a development of six blocks containing a total of 1,059 homes in Brentford, Hounslow. It was developed by Berkeley First, part of The Berkeley Group plc. The estate was owned initially by the former Presentation Housing Association, which became part of Notting Hill Housing – now Notting Hill Genesis – in 2009.

Notting Hill Genesis said that it would ensure that all residents living in the Paragon Estate were able to access safe alternative accommodation this week. It will also work with residents to find a longer-term solution to their housing needs where necessary.

The further investigations will establish the full extent of the structural and fire safety issues that have been uncovered at the development and identify next steps.

Notting Hill Housing group, which became part of Notting Hill Genesis group in 2018, acquired Paragon in 2009.

Earlier building performance issues, together with fire safety issues related to the cladding and the subsequent new Government guidance since the fire at Grenfell Tower, triggered a series of safety checks at Paragon, undertaken by technical consultants, which have each revealed further problems with this development.

Notting Hill Genesis has taken action to address these risks as they have arisen, including establishing waking watches and temporary alarms, and introducing simultaneous evacuation procedures, but the latest advice has prompted the group to act in order to protect its residents.

Kate Davies, group chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis, said:

“First, I want to say how sorry we are to residents that we have had to take this action and disrupt their lives. But, as a not-for-profit housing association, our priority is to provide safe, affordable housing. We always ensure the wellbeing of our residents, so while we are incredibly disappointed to have to make this decision, we believe that we have no choice but to ask people to leave their homes on the Paragon estate.

“I understand that Paragon residents may feel angry or alarmed by this news, as they have every right to be. This is a very distressing time and we are genuinely sorry for the huge amount of disruption and uncertainty that this situation will cause.

“This is a complex situation and we don’t yet have all the answers. We are working to uncover the full extent of the issues at Paragon so that we can provide residents with clarity about timescales, next steps and options as quickly as possible.

“We are doing all we can to support people who live in Paragon through this difficult situation. We have identified safe accommodation for everyone to move into this week and are providing financial as well as mental health and wellbeing support to help them do that. We are also giving everyone a dedicated caseworker to discuss their specific needs both now and for the longer-term where necessary.”

There is no suggestion that any other buildings in the Notting Hill Genesis portfolio will require a similar approach to the one being taken at Paragon. Buildings are being investigated and prioritised based on factors such as height, external materials used and evacuation procedure, and residents informed if further investigation or remedial work is required. Where necessary, and in consultation with fire safety assessors, interim safety measures such as simultaneous evacuation procedures, supported by 24-hour patrols and temporary alarms are in place.

Paragon

Paragon is a scheme that was developed for Presentation Housing Association Limited and Touareg Trust, which was originally a subsidiary of Presentation Housing, by Berkeley First Limited. Presentation transferred its engagements to Notting Hill Housing Trust in 2009. Paragon comprises eight blocks that reached practical completion 2006. The development comprises six blocks of residential and student accommodation, plus two commercial buildings that are not owned by Notting Hill Genesis group.

The six blocks consist of the following:
• Block A - a five-storey building consisting of 41 units of intermediate market rent.
• Block B – three interconnected buildings of four, five and nine storeys with 107 shared ownership leasehold units and 72 intermediate rent.
• Blocks C, D, E and F - 17, 12, 12 and five-storeys respectively, hold a combined 839 units of student accommodation which is occupied by students nominated by the University of West London.

The freeholds of Blocks C through F are owned by Touareg Trust, which is a registered charity and is a subsidiary of Notting Hill Genesis.

Blocks A and B are owned by Notting Hill Genesis. Notting Hill Home Ownership Limited, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Notting Hill Genesis, holds a long leasehold interest at Block B where the shared ownership homes are located.

Photographic catch-up with Wembley Park regeneration

 

I was interested to see the above Tweet this morning as I too had a walk round Wembley Park yesterday to catch up on the progress of the regeneration.  I don't know how many of the tower blocks have cladding issues but I am sure there are matters around service charges, repair charges, leasehold and shared housing that are yet to emerge.

Here are a few pictures taken yesterday giving a general impression. Note that works to join up North End Road with Bridge Road are progressing and the stairs and ramp next to Michaela School,  that led to both Olympic Way and North End Road, are now closed. There is a long detour for Michaela students and North End Road residents in place.

The offices at York House are being converted to accommodation. The Somerville Ark Primary School will be built on the present car park

 

More student accommodation - hard to say whether it will be needed in the medium future

 

Cllr Tatler's speech on the Healthy Neighbourhood schemes

Cllr Shama Tatler, Lead member for Regeneration, has circulated her speech at the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council on Healthy Neighbourhoods on social media. It contrasts with the speech made by Cllr Butt. I reproduce the speech below: