The above recording is from the December 1st Scrutiny Committee. The recommendation to invest targeted 'new money' into the Strategy is clearly important and it was good to see a firmer commitment to investing the Council's pension fund into sustainable energy production rather than fossil fuels. The concern with energy efficiency in the many new builds currently taking place in Brent made me wonder if it would be useful to have Scrutiny Committee investigate this area along with the environmental cost of new build itself.
The issue of the whole Brent Council estate - council housing and council owned buildings, including most of our primary schools - and how they could contribute to emissions reduction and alternative energy production, was not discussed.
The consultation on the Climate Emergency Strategy ends on January 15th 2021 so do consider contributing as an individual or through organisations such as Brent Friends of the Earth.
Ok, that's a bit if a tease but the Planning Officers' report for the redevelopment of Euro-Parts', Euro House, Fulton Road site includes the following comment:
The history of
the site has largely been as agricultural land until the area became managed
parkland forming part of the wider Wembley Park during the late 19th/early 20th
Century. In the 1920s, the site formed part of the area for the British Empire
Exhibition, and this section of the site was occupied by a life size
construction of a coal mine, including a stretch of below ground tunnels, a
brick lined access shaft and an air shaft, as well as above ground structures.
Although the above ground and immediate sub-surface structures were removed
when the site was re-developed for the current industrial use, the report
concludes that there is evidence some of the shafts and tunnel structures could
still exist. For this reason, the report concludes that further work to
identify and record these elements should be undertaken and need GLAAS input if
required.
Images courtesy of Philip Grant/Wembley History Society
The rest of the report is rather more mundane in comparison as approval is suggested for a scheme of one 21 storey block of flats, surrounded by 12 storey 'mansion' blocks and incorporating some light industry space to provide employment - a rather late recognition of the impact of the many sites that are being sold for housing.
The illustrations of the scheme are rather sparse but are very much along the lines of the existing developments. One novel aspect is an objection from Quintain to the proposal on the grounds that it will deprive residents in its NE4 neighbouring site of light and they request a reduction in height. Officers basically tell them that the nature of the redevelopment of the area means they have to put up with it.
It is hard to reconcile the above image with the plans for the area around the buildings that are claimed to include some allotment plots for residents and a walkway alongside the Wealdstone Brook:
On housing the devil is in the detail. There are 493 units of which only 98 are affordable. Of these 80 are at London Affordable Rent and 18 shared ownership.
The application will be decided at Planning Committeee tonight at 6pm. Officers' Report HERE
Overall view of the context of the site that will be developed (outlined in red)
The site now (slightly right of centre)
Masterplan view of the whole site as it will be - this application in foreground left
UPDATE: APPLICATION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY
The first major section of the Northwick Park development comes up at tonight's Planning Committee. If the last meeting was a marathon tonight's may necessitate committee members and officers bringing in their sleeping bags!
The overall Northwick Park master plan is a development shared between partners Brent Council, University of Westminsters, Northwick Park Hospital (NHS) and Network Housing as part of the One Public Estate government sponsored initiative.
This particular site will be familiar with visitors to the hospital who approach from Northwick Park station. They will know the chimney of the energy unit, low buildings, the hospital social club, nursery and some housing on the left side of the ring road as you approach along the footpath.
All will be swept away eventually and replaced with tower blocks ranging from 5-6 storeys to 12-13 storeys, a new nursery building and some small shops. The social club appears unlikely to survive unless space is found on the hospital site and in any case the hospital is said to want to discourage the consumption of alcohol - pity the poor hospital works after an intensive shift!
The Planning Committee will be told that there were just 10 objectors to the scheme and the officers' report dismisses each of them in turn. See LINK.
The proposal:
Full planning permission for demolition of existing buildings and structures on the site, all site preparation works for a residential led mixed-use developmentcomprising 654 new homes, associated car and cycle spaces, a replacement nursery, retail space, associated highways improvements, open space, hard andsoft landscaping and public realm works.
With Cllr Maurice on the committee you can bet parking will take up a lot of the time and here it is not just a matter of parking for the new residents but also parking for hospital workers themselves. The tenure of the housing will also be an issue with another Brent development with a significant amount of shared ownership despite recent publicity over drawbacks to such schemes:
Out of the 654 units, 409 will be private -
Affordable housing: Provision of 245 affordable units comprising:
a. 70 units for affordable rent at London Affordable Rent levels and 26 units for affordable rentat London Living Rent levels, in accordance with the Mayor of London's Affordable HousingProgramme 2016-2021 Funding Guidance (dated November 2016) or the necessaryguidance as it is updated and subject to an appropriate Affordable Rent nominationsagreement with the Council, securing 100% nomination rights on first lets and 75%nomination rights on subsequent lets for the Council.
b. 38 units for affordable rent at rent levels not exceeding 80% of current market rents, andsubject to an appropriate Affordable Rent nominations agreement with the NHS Trust and the Council, securing 100% nomination rights on first lets and 75% nomination rights onsubsequent lets for the NHS Trust and cascaded rights for the Council.
c. 111 units for Shared Ownership, (as defined under section 70(6) of the Housing &Regeneration Act 2008, subject to London Plan policy affordability stipulations that total housing costs should not exceed 40% of net annual household income, disposed on a freehold / minimum 125 year leasehold to a Registered Provider, (and subject to anappropriate Shared Ownership nominations agreement with the Council that secure sreasonable local priority to the units). The condition in brackets has been removed in a supplementary report.
Concerns over the environmental impact of the scheme, impingement on Metropolitan Open Space, housing tenure, the proportion of amenity space, over-shadowing, the impact on views (especially from Harrow-on-the-Hill) are all, as usual, judged on balance to be tolerable given the 'benefits of the scheme.'
Officers judged that capacity in local primary and secondary schools is sufficient to cater for the increased population.
Composed by thousands of Brent school children and young members of Brent Music Service
orchestras, alongside award-winning composer James Redwood and
Brent-born poet Momtaza Mehri. The Brent Anthem represents the kind of
united, diverse community we have in Brent and London.
Young people collaborated with musicians from the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra and Brent Music Service in physical and virtual workshops
throughout the year, writing lyrics and composing melodies to create
this special song as a gift to their home borough.
In celebration, a special 3-minute video and audio track titled 'Sparks
Fly' has been released.
Find out more:
www.brent2020.co.uk/whats-happening/programmes/the-brent-anthem
The Brent Anthem has been created by RPO Resound, the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra’s community and education department, in collaboration with
Brent Music Service, made possible with the generous support of John
Lyon’s Charity and the Brent 2020 Culture Fund.
The Lyrics
RPO Brent Anthem
2020 ‘Sparks Fly’
We stand on this hill, the city a
silhouette on the skyline
We stand on this hill, the city a
silhouette on the skyline
We stand on this hill, the city a
silhouette on the skyline
Streets like a map of hope, our
song carried by the breeze
River Brent take me with you
Winding down brooks and
underground streams
Following the roar of the crowds
to a rainbow of dreams.
The arch like a stretch of arms
reaching across the sky
A bridge to connect us, standing
proudly
Standing proudly, flying high
This is our time this is our place
Chorus 1
Whoah, Hear our voices rise
Whoah, Sparks Fly, streamers in
the sky
Colours swirling like autumn
leaves
Spirits high our voices full of
pride
There is so much joy is these busy
streets
Whoah... Whoah....Whoah...
We are marching to our own London beat.
We are more than a country, more
than a continent
We are the whole world in a line of shops
We bring our own colours
We bring our own flavours
We’re always moving forward and we’re never going to stop.
I’m an Architecture student at the University of
Huddersfield currently carrying out a research project into how the Wembley
area has changed since the new Wembley Stadium has opened and how this has
affected the residents. I would like to gather Brent residents' opinions on the
changes in the Wembley area over the past 13 years so I would be grateful if
any residents could spare a few moments to fill out the questionnaire below, it
shouldn’t take any longer than 10-15 minutes.
Brent Civic Centre lit up for International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020 (Kilburn Times)
Brent's symbolic gesture for International Day Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020 LINK has left a local resident with disabilities feeling jaundiced as his repeated efforts to persuade housing officers and councillors that he needs rehousing because of his mobility and hearing disabililities, have failed to elicit positive action.
He feels trapped and fearful.
The resident is currently housed on an upper floor of a South Kilburn estate tower block that is scheduled for demolition. This means that fire safety measures such as sprinklers have not been installed. He has requested rehousing at a lower level.
The resident, whose case has been covered before on Wembley Matters LINK, said:
In yesterday's Cabinet Agenda papers on Council assets they said
"All our high-rises are safe and we are bringing in additional measures to
reassure our vulnerable tenants".
But I do not feel safe, or reassured as
there is still only one escape route in my block and if a fire was to start on
this escape routebelow me. I feel I could be trapped, or my mobility issues
may affect other residents who would also be in a hurry to escape the building.
The Cabinet paper said "Our Fire Safety works provide
peace of mind for all our resident's" but I do not have any 'peace of mind
because of my mobility issues if I need to evacuate my tower block by the only
escape route which my building has.
Could you through Wembley Matters ask the Council
what I and possibly other disabled residents in a similar situation can do to get 'the peace of mind' that they refer to?
Just to add, a disabled resident at
Grenfell was told before the fire, that she had nothing to worry about, as the
building was safe and this is what Brent Council are saying about all their own
high-rises -they are completely safe.
The resident pointed out that the latest Brent Council Fire Safety Policy document LINK had nothing to say about evacuating from a high rise block in the event of a fire or how disabled people would evacuate in an emergency. Although at Cabinet they used the term 'vulnerable' to describe people eligible for additional safety measures there is no detail about what measures are available or planned.
Following the news about the collapse of Debenhams and the imminent closure of its Harrow store, Emma Wallace, GLA Green Party candidate for Brent and Harrow, has called for government action against owner Philip Green.
Emma said:
I am very sad to hear of the demise of Debenhams and particularly, the Debenhams in Harrow. The closure of this historic and iconic store will leave a huge hole in a local town centre and is another nail in the coffin for the local high street as a place for retail and community. It will also result in thousands of jobs being lost at a time when people are already struggling to get by, with Christmas round the corner, the impact of Covid being felt and with Brexit on the horizon.
The government's universal credit scheme is not fit for purpose and with UC cuts also looming, it will not provide an adequate safety net for people losing their jobs. Whilst we have seen the government handing out contracts to new and unregulated companies with little to no accountability during the pandemic, their response to ordinary British workers has been lacking and confused in this most difficult of years. The government must do the right thing and provide proper financial support for the thousands who are potentially set to lose their retail jobs.
Philip Green, the Debenhams and Arcardia group owner, who ironically was made a Knight in 2006 'For Services to Retail Industry', has been hugely detrimental to the British high street, seeing his scandalous, asset stripping continued unabated for nearly twenty years. The government has again, completely failed to hold Green to account, first seeing the demise of BHS in 2016, leaving the business with £571 million pension debt and now one of the largest and oldest names on the high street collapsing under his tenure. It is essential the govenment now holds Green to account and he clears any existing pensions deficit with the Arcardia retail jobs lost.
From the Brent Council EventBrite page - I hope the Bridge Park campaigners get a look-in to hold the Council to account.
We will be reigniting the conversation on race, identity and the experiences of Black people in an honest and meaningful way.
About this Event
Keynote talks from Lord Simon Woolley and Akala.
Brent Council and Young Brent Foundation want
to facilitate a genuinely community centred conversation on race,
identity and the experiences of Black people in an honest and meaningful
way. Given all that has happened around the world in relation to the
issue of race and racism over the last few months, we believe this will
be a very timely and pertinent conversation for people in the London
Borough of Brent. We are the most diverse local authority area in the
country and home to one of the oldest and largest African Caribbean
communities in London.
Agenda as followed:
Keynote talk; Lord Simon Woolley (Founder, Operation Black Vote)
Video on the Brent Black Community Action Plan
Panel discussion with Brent-based panel members; Ashley
Theophane (British Boxer), Liz Mitchell (Lead Singer, Boney M), Danny
Coyle (Headteacher), Deji Adeoshun (Youth & Community Manager),
Martina Jean-Jacques (Psychotherapist)
In Conversation with Akala & David Okoro; Akala (Artist, Writer & Historian) & David Okoro (Co-founder and Director of Westside Young Leaders Academy)
This event is open to local residents, partners and professionals, and we want the conversation to build on the Brent Black Community Action Plan.
This action plan was developed by and for Brent’s Black community and
we want to use this event to help the community to continue to hold the
council accountable for delivering the actions, which are aimed at
addressing racial inequality.
