New free Covid-19 Testing Sites open in Brent from Monday

 From Brent Council

Everyone in Brent aged 12 and over can now get free and regular coronavirus tests, even if they haven’t got symptoms.

These include the new ‘rapid tests’, which provide results within 40 minutes.

It’s important that everyone gets tested even if they feel well, as 1 in 3 people who have COVID-19 show no symptoms but could be sharing the virus with loved ones and around the community without knowing.

Rapid COVID-19 testing is available at the following sites Monday to Sunday, from 9am-6pm (all sites will be closed on bank holidays):

• Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley Park, Wembley, HA9 0FJ
• Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre, Brentfield, Harrow Road, London, NW10 0RG
• Central Mosque of Brent, Station Parade, Marley Walk, London, NW2 4PU
• Ealing Road Library, Coronet Parade, Ealing Road, Wembley, HA0 4BA
• Father O’Callaghan Centre, 22 Hay Lane, London, NW9 0NG
• Harlesden Library, Craven Park Road, Harlesden, NW10 8SE
• Kingsbury Library, 522-524 Kingsbury Road, Kingsbury, NW9 9HE
• The Granville, 140 Carlton Vale, London, NW6 5HE
• The Library at Willesden Green, 95 High Road, Willesden, London, NW10 2SF

The sites at Brent Civic Centre and The Library at Willesden Green are now open. The remaining sites will be open from Monday 21 December 2020.

The rollout of rapid community COVID-19 testing for people without symptoms is being run by Brent Council and the Department for Health and Social Care, and will be available until the end of January when it will be reviewed.

Dr Melanie Smith, Director of Public Health at Brent Council said:

It’s crucial that everyone gets tested regularly, so they can know if they have the virus and this will help to keep their friends and families safe. Testing is free, quick and easy and could save lives, so I want to encourage everyone to book a test today.

I also want everyone to think about the choices they make over the coming days and weeks as we enter the Christmas period. Simply hugging your nanny and grandad or your boyfriend or girlfriend, if they don’t live with you, could spread the virus and put vulnerable people at risk of serious infection and even death.

So please make sensible choices, take extra care and then we can all look forward to a brighter 2021 together as the vaccine is rolled out.

To find out more and book a free COVID-19 test, visit www.brent.gov.uk/covidtesting or call 020 8937 4440.

Barry Gardiner concerned about potential vaccination delay in Brent care homes

 Yesterday Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, in the House of Commons, raised the issue of potential delay in vaccinating people in Brent Care Homes

Barry Gardiner:

Mr James Canning became our first octogenarian in Brent to receive the vaccine earlier this week. While congratulating him and the Wembley Practice team who delivered it, does the Secretary of State share my concern that care homes in Brent have been advised that the 970 doses that are in the vaccine packs cannot be split because of the licensing conditions, meaning that those in our care homes who are over 80 may have to wait until February or for the Oxford vaccine before they get vaccinated? Is that the case? If so, why? That is hardly the “protective ring” around care homes that he promised.

 

Matt Hancock:

I am glad to say that we are making significant progress on tackling this issue. When the hon. Gentleman says it is a licensing concern, that should not be read to imply that it is some bureaucratic rule; it is about ensuring that things are done safely. If the vaccine is not delivered safely to the site, it is not an effective vaccine. Therefore, we are taking it carefully to be able to vaccinate in care homes. There has been some vaccination in care homes across the UK, so it can be done, and I hope we can make good progress soon.

Public Art – a Harlesden Challenge

Thanks to Philip Grant for this intriguing Guest Post:

 

‘Art is vital to renewal. It shows that people care about where they live and work.’ Those words from Gerry Davis, the CEO of Harlesden City Challenge in April 1994, launched a five-year public art project to brighten up an area which had become run down. 

 

But what and where was that public art in the Harlesden area, and what has happened to it since then? If you have any information about, or photographs of, any of those public artworks from the 1990s, please share it with me, so that we can make a permanent record of this part of Harlesden’s history.

 

1.The Sundisc sculpture, in the City Challenge community garden at Morland Gardens.
(Photo by Irina Porter)

 

One artwork I do know about is the Sundisc, which was installed in the Harlesden City Challenge community garden, at the corner of Brentfield Road and Hillside, in 1994. Brent Council plans to build over that site, as part of its redevelopment of the Victorian villa at 1 Morland Gardens, despite strong opposition. 

 

It was made a condition of the planning approval that: ‘the applicant shall ensure the satisfactory re-location of the Sundisc artwork, currently located to the south-east of the site, to an alternative part of the site or in its immediate surroundings.’ The application’s landscape masterplan does not show where this artwork would be re-located to (or any public space large enough for its re-location), so where it would be moved to remains a mystery.

 

The Sundisc sculpture was a collaborative work by two artists. The circle of steel, with scenes from local life cut out from it, was made by Geraldine Konyn, and stands on a raised platform of etched paving, by Guy Paterson, surrounded by a low brick wall. The plaque which stands on a nearby raised bed of shrubs says that this was ‘one of three Public Artworks launched in 1994’, and there may well be more around the Harlesden area, put up over the next few years.

 

2.The “Art in the City” plaque, by the Sundisc at Morland Gardens. (Photo by Irina Porter)

 

 

3.The entrance to the Community Garden and the Sundisc sculpture, from the top of Hillside.
(Photo by Margaret Pratt)

 

Another piece of public art, which I have come across in recent years on my way to outpatient appointments at Central Middlesex Hospital, are two tile murals in Acton Lane, near Harlesden Station. [Regular readers of Wembley Matters will know of my interest in tile murals, at Wembley Park!] These are on the walls of the bridge over the railway lines, and show scenes from the area’s canal and railway history. Does anyone know when these two colourful murals were installed, please, whether they were one of the Harlesden City Challenge projects, and if not, how they came to be here?

 

4.The Acton Lane railway bridge tile murals. (Photos by Philip Grant)

 

There must be other public artworks around the Harlesden area from the 1990s, hopefully still in place, but perhaps some which have already been lost. If you have any information, or photographs, the challenge now is to collect those details together. Please help, if you can.

 

If it is just information that you can provide, please add it as a comment below. If you have digital photos of a Harlesden public artwork that you can share, as well as information, please email them to Martin, martinrfrancis@virginmedia.com and he will forward to me. Hopefully, with your help, we can put together an illustrated record of public art in Harlesden. I would love to be able to share more about it with you, in the New Year. Thank you.

Philip Grant.

Caroline Lucas speaks out against SATs at More Than A Score Rally

Brent Covid19 Event tonight - restrictions, vaccinations, social isolation 6pm tonight

 

ABOUT THIS EVENT
The aim of the event is to signpost Brent residents to key COVID information. We will be looking at:

Current lockdown restrictions Focusing on the upcoming holiday season and what does this mean for me and my family? What can I do if I am feeling isolated? What services are there available for me?

Vaccinations To help you understand the vaccines offered and how they work. Focusing on the flu, COVID-19 and cervical cancer vaccinations.

 
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS
Councillors, Clinical Commissioners and Public Health officials will also be there to answer your questions. So please send us your questions about the above topics before the event by email to info@healthwatchbrent.co.uk

EVENT DETAILS
When: Wednesday 16 December 2020 
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm
Where: Online using Zoom

TO BOOK YOUR PLACE
Please register your attendance

Slow Brent Council fails to act on motorists speeding along a narrow Wembley residential street - residents petition for action

 

Petitioners on Lyon Park Avenue on Sunday 13^th December copyright Paul Bambridge

 

Residents in Wembley have sent a petition to Brent Council officers and elected members demanding urgent action on traffic concerns on Lyon Park Avenue, Wembley, a very narrow residential road. The petition has been signed by over 100 locals who are alarmed at inaction by Brent Council to prevent the serious speeding and dangerous driving that occurs on their road.

 

The petition has been addressed to the Chief Executive, the Leader of The Council, the Head of Transport in Brent, Brent North MP and local ward Councillors for Wembley Central and Alperton.  This step by residents follows several months of communication with Brent Council officers who have so far refused to commit to any quick actions to alleviate the traffic issues. 

 

Lead petitioners Kay Carroll and Paul Bambridge along with local ward Councillor for Alperton, Anton Georgiou, had an online meeting with a Brent Council officer to request immediate measures before lockdown 2 ended, such as traffic enforcement and additional 20mph signs and Vehicle Activated Signs.  They discussed the traffic survey conducted by Brent Council on Lyon Park Avenue which showed 4,039 speeding vehicles on the road in just one week, some at 40 and 50mph.  

 

Brent Council blame lack of funding for their inability to act fast on residents’ concerns, so far they haven’t contacted the local police to undertake any traffic enforcement action and by the middle of December they can’t even advise how much the extra signage might cost.  

 

Lead petitioner Kay Carroll says:

 

Residents are appalled Brent Council are ignoring our pleas for urgent action regarding speeding traffic on our road. Families should feel safe where they live and when they walk their children to school. We need enforcement action and proper solutions now before there is a truly serious incident.

 

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Alperton, Anton Georgiou says:

 

I am fully supportive of residents’ calls for quick action to deal with the traffic concerns on Lyon Park Avenue. The road is used as a through route for drivers seeking to avoid Ealing Road traffic and this has meant an increase in speeding. It must also be noted this is a busy road for pedestrians and many families and children use it to walk to and from the local schools. The lack of funding argument doesn’t quite add up, surely safety must be a priority – Brent has over £129 million in CIL money, it is about time some of this is spent on urgently dealing with issues like this.

 

London in Tier 3 from Wednesday - Sadiq Khan's statement

 

Statement from the Mayor of London on the capital moving into Tier 3

14 December 2020

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

 

“The Government has decided to move London into Tier 3 from one minute past midnight on Wednesday morning. This is incredibly disappointing for our businesses who have suffered so much already this year. But it’s clear that the virus is accelerating in the wrong direction once again across London and the lives of Londoners are at risk. It would be such a tragedy to lose even more people to this disease when the vaccine is now being rolled out across our city.

 

“We know from bitter experience that when cases start to rise quickly, it’s much better to act early, rather than too late.  This is how we can avoid even tougher restrictions, for longer, further down the road.

 

“The worst thing for London’s businesses and our economy would be yet another full lockdown in the new year.  That’s why I urge Londoners to follow the Tier 3 rules that the Government is putting in place very closely so that we can drive down infection rates as much as possible.

 

“This means hospitality settings, such as bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants are required by the Government to close except for takeaway, delivery and click and collect services. You must continue not to meet other households indoors and to keep to the rule of six while outside.

 

“I don’t want London to be in Tier 3 for a day longer than necessary.  I am hugely concerned about the negative impact that the additional restrictions will have on jobs and many businesses that are already struggling to stay afloat.

 

“We now urgently need much more government support for the sectors of our economy that are being hit the hardest, including hospitality, culture, and leisure. It is crucial that Ministers urgently put in place a compensation scheme for all lost income, based on last year’s returns, for any businesses affected by the further restrictions during this crucial festive period.  The Government must also cover the full cost of Statutory Sick Pay for workers who have to self-isolate, and make wearing face coverings mandatory in busy outdoor public spaces.

 

“We have known from the outset of this pandemic that increased testing will be vital to getting the spread of the virus under control. That is why I have called on the Government to extend regular asymptomatic testing to all those unable to work from home and to London’s students and staff at secondary schools, sixth-form colleges and FE colleges.

 

“It is essential that the Government ramps up testing in schools and colleges immediately as this is where the virus is spreading most. If this does not happen, Tier 3 will not only cause huge damage to our hospitality and cultural industries, but the virus will just continue to spread over Christmas at a time when families may well be meeting up and our NHS is under pressure.

 

“Given the significant increase in infections among 10 to 19-year-olds – Government should consider asking secondary schools and colleges which don’t yet have testing facilities to close early and to reopen a bit later in January to allow time for weekly testing to be put in place. 

 

“The vaccine provides some light at the end of the tunnel, so let’s not fall at what could be the last hurdle. So I’d encourage all Londoners to adhere to the new Government rules so that we can save as many live

Chatsworth Road Horse Chestnut: Neighbour appeals to Brent Council planning chief

 

 

A local resident and neighbour of the Chatsworth Road garden, where the owner has been given planning permission for a gym to be erected at the bottom of his garden, has written to Brent Council’s  Strategic Director for Regeneration, Alan Lunt, appealing the decision. 

 

(Edited version):

 

Dear Mr Lunt

  

I am writing to you regarding an approved planning application for a home gym in the garden of [a house in] Chatsworth Road. This has been approved by a planning officer.

 

I was more than surprised to read that the application was approved considering there were 11 objections? Clearly, the concerns and reasoning behind those 11 objections have been ignored. It seems that this  decision has been decided alone by the officer and she gave her guarantee to save the established tree in question.  

 

The roots of the horse chestnut tree cover an area much wider than the garden in Chatsworth Road, where owners of adjacent gardens have helped maintain the tree and its stunning surroundings for the last 30+ years and in doing so have helped maintained this inner-city natural oasis we have inherited to date. 

 

My daughters are very saddened to hear the news that the application was granted considering they wrote a personal letter to the owner, asking him  to reconsider his desire for the gym and offering alternative solutions. At school. they were taught that preserving nature in a city which is highly polluted is more than important and they have been encouraged to plant trees, look after nature and in turn this will protect wildlife. Green space  in London needs to be protected more than ever before. My children have actually educated me in realising that fighting for preserving nature is more important than destroying it. My 11 year old daughter's question to me, (when I told her the news ) was, "Surely drilling concrete piles directly downwards  and hoping to miss the roots of the tree, would be impossible?" She knows what piles are as we have had many conversations about how buildings are constructed. Living in London and seeing the changes in construction of  buildings over the last 10 years around the area is vast. 

 

 My question to the officer would be, "How is it possible to guarantee the horse chestnut tree’s survival, where one has zero clue where exactly those roots lay underground?  In construction there are always errors made no matter how precise a building contractor claims to be. Once a root is damaged, it’s only a matter of time before it will be starved of water and become susceptible to disease in the porous clay we have in this area.” 

 

The residents of Mapesbury Borders have the same values for protecting nature and the environment for years to come and for the future generations. When we chose to live in this area of natural beauty, we chose to do so based on the pre-existing beauty it gave. For inner London, this is a paradise area of incredible trees, plants, wildlife and for the children who live here, it’s more than important for their future and well-being. For that to be cut short with this futile decision when climate change is at the top of all politicians’ agenda, I am astonished. 

 

How can we challenge this decision? How can we ask others at Brent council to help review this matter? What would be the consequences of the officer’s single-handed decision, should the tree die? Who would be accountable? 

 

My children have not had a reply to the letter they wrote to the owner. Perhaps the issue of looking after nature is unimportant to the owner, even though he bought a property with one of the most beautiful gardens in Brent, the need for a home gym outweighs saving it. After all, Nuffield Gym is a ten minute walk away, I would say that’s more than convenient distance to his home to keep fit? 

 

We would like to appeal the decision that has been made, review the application and discuss the irretrievable damage this project will cause to our tree. So many of the residents in this area enjoy the horse chestnut tree, it’s really stunning. We only want to save it.

 

I really look forward to your support in this matter and hope you can help us with this application to appeal this decision.