Call for heat network protection as government’s backstop fails to protect these customers - price rises of up to 700% reported

Wembley Matters has publicised the difficulties ahead for residents whose new blocks are linked to a District Heating Network. These include blocks in South Kilburn and Wembley.  Because there is a single heating source for all the flats in the block  the gas is counted as commercial rather than domestic and thus the cap on bills is not applicable. In addition residents do not have the option of changing their heating supplier as that can only be done by the managers of the block.

Huge bills are anticipated giving rise to great anxiety, particularly those residents of South Kilburn who are being moved from Brent Council properties with their own domestic heating to housing association blocks on District Heating Networks.

There has been next to no information on how this will affect residents although one pensioner anticipates that heating bills alone will be more than his total income.

The Heat Trust issued this statement on Friday:

As approximately 22 million customers brace themselves for Ofgem's price cap rise today, more than half a million households on communal and district heating networks remain locked out of any protection – leaving them exposed to even bigger, unrestricted price rises.

Consumer protection body Heat Trust is warning that urgent government action is needed to support those living on heating systems that are not protected by the price cap.

Heat Trust, the independent national consumer protection scheme for heat networks, says those living on communal or district heating systems are set to be amongst the worst affected by the soaring cost of gas – with residents facing the prospect of being unable to afford to heat their homes.

The government’s price cap does not currently apply to the heat network market, where operators buy gas on the commercial rather than the regulated domestic gas market.

The Director of Heat Trust, Stephen Knight, has written to Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State at BEIS, to request that 500,000 households are not overlooked as the government looks to ease the financial pressure on families and has been promised a meeting with the Secretary of State, alongside others from the sector, later this month.

Heat networks are seen as a major part of the UK’s decarbonisation plans, and can deliver low-carbon, low-cost energy to homes. However, as the market is currently unregulated, consumers are not protected in the same ways as other energy markets. 

The wholesale gas price, which until last autumn had averaged around 1.5p/kWh for decades, peaked at 27p/kWh at the start of March and has averaged around 10p/kWh in recent weeks. This means that when heating operators renew their commercial gas contracts, they are seeing massive increases, which are often passed straight on to consumers.

Consumers and landlords operating heat networks are already reporting examples of price rises of up to 700% - the equivalent of the price of a pint of milk rising from 60p to £4.80.

Heat Trust is calling for government intervention to include:

• Ensuring heat network operators and their consumers receive government support to ensure that their bills rise no faster than those of domestic gas customers.
• Bringing forward its plans to regulate the heat network market via Ofgem which were confirmed in December last year,
• Bringing forward plans to help heat networks improve their efficiency to reduce heat wastage.

Stephen Knight, Director of Heat Trust, said:

The government is committed to making heat networks a key part of its energy policy, and must not leave families living on these schemes behind.

Heat networks have the potential to offer low-cost, low-carbon heat, but without intervention, hundreds of thousands of families are facing horrendous and unaffordable heating bills.

Heat network operators are keenly awaiting further news of the government’s Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) aimed at improving the performance of communal heating projects.

The HNES Demonstrator £4.175m grant scheme has already supported a number of communal networks to improve their performance, but the full scheme is not currently due to be launched for another 12-months (spring 2023), and Heat Trust wants to see this scheme brought forward and expanded to cut bills by reducing heat wastage.

Heat Trust is also calling for changes to the Landlord and Tenant Act rules which currently make it difficult for landlords to buy gas more than 12 months in advance, making them vulnerable to price fluctuations. If they could buy gas for longer periods of time, it might protect consumers from market volatility.

Knight added:  

Our mission is to protect heat network customers.

Commercial gas price increases of this magnitude are simply not sustainable for heat network customers. They are driving up household bills in unprecedented ways – many people will have to choose between heat and food.

Heat networks are commonly used in blocks of flats and are becoming increasingly common with social landlords, meaning the most vulnerable people in society are the ones most affected by the current crisis. We can’t let that happen.

Chess Club returns to Wembley after 68 years absence - opportunities for all ages

 

Website: www.willesdenchess.co.uk

Email: FULTON790@aol.com

Willesden and Brent Chess Club started a chess night at Chalkhill Community Centre early last month and is looking for new members.

Wembley had its own Club from 1921 until 1954 but the Willesden and Brent Club concentrated on the south of the borough and admit that Wembley has been poorly served.

That is all going to change now with the group effectively now running a Wembley Club every Wednesday that will introduce the game to a new generation of players.

The new venue is in stark contrast to one of Wembley Chess Club's previous homes:

 

Chalkhill Community Centre/Welford Centre 113 Chalkhill Road, Wembley Park, HA9 9FX

Photograph from 'A History of Chess in Brent'

Generally, the accepted age range for Juniors is a minimum of 6 years old  and a a maximun  age of 17. If there is a history of chess in the family the absolute minimum could be 5 years old depending  on the ability of the child to concentrate on increasingly complex games. 

Membership normally runs from early September until late June the following year (January until June this year). Membership entitles you to attend club nights every week and to play in league matches and club tournaments.

Tuition is offered by a certified DBS chess trainer, for juniors as well as adults.

Beginners and players of all abilities are very welcome.

First three visits are FREE!

The Chess Club will be a welcome addition to the many varied activities that take place at Chalkhill Community Centre.

The Chalkhill Community Centre is an short walk from Wembley Park Station (cross the road at the Bridge Road exit, turn left and then right at Paddy Power).

Buses 83, 182, 206, 297 stop on Bridge Road.

Thames Water has not yet started cleaning of sewage in Wealdstone Brook

UPDATE FROM BHRA:  Cleaning and wash down of the Wealdstone Brook sewage pollution  did not start on 31st March nor on 1st April as had been promised.  No works have started to date. Thames Water is aware of the food packages that hopefully are picked up ahead of the rats.

Two locations causing the sewage that are most likely the cause(s) is (are) Rosslyn Crescent and Elexus garage and offices close to Rosslyn Crescent in The Hawthorne Crescent. Thames Water mentioned that no further sewage flow is apparent at the moment, but observers within Brent and Harrow Rivers Alliance (BHRA) have continued photographing the  pollution that is increasing in the very slow moving water.

We await confirmation from Thames Water that the cause has been found - nothing yet. All the the photographs are being kept on file and timed dated.

Arrest made after Wembley Asda stabbing

 From the Brent Metropolitan Police Service

Detectives investigating at stabbing in Wembley have made an arrest as they continue to appeal for information and footage of the incident.

A 33-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, 30 March on suspicion of grievous bodily harm [GBH] with intent. He was taken to a north London police station where he was later bailed to return on a date in late April.

Detectives are appealing for information as a man in his 20s remains in hospital following the attack.

Detective Constable Dawid Ratajczak, from Wembley CID is leading the investigation, he said: “Firstly I want to thank all the people who have come forward so far to speak to us about this shocking incident. Despite today’s arrest I am still keen to hear from anyone who has information or footage.”

Police were called at 17:29hrs on Thursday, 24 March to reports of a stabbing at a supermarket on Forty Lane in Wembley.

Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and found a man, aged in his 20s, with stab injuries. He was taken to hospital where his condition was assessed as not life threatening. His family are aware.

DC Ratajczak continued: “The victim’s injuries are not life threatening, however they were serious and he remains in hospital receiving treatment.

“We are aware that this violent incident will send shockwaves through the local community and residents can expect to see a continued increased police presence in area while we continue with our enquiries.”

A crime scene remains in place and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting CAD 5453/24Mar or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A date with the young Jane Austen – courtesy of Brent Culture Service

 Guest post by Philip Grant

 

Karin Fernald as Jane Austen

 

Jane Austen is one of our great British women writers, who more than 200 years ago had a number of novels published (anonymously, at first). Many of you will recognised the opening words of “Pride and Prejudice”, either from reading the book or seeing it portrayed on TV or film:

 

The opening line from an early edition of “Pride and Prejudice”.

 

But even great authors (as well as much lesser ones who write blog articles!) have to develop their writing skills over time. Jane’s father, the Reverend George Austen, recognised his young daughter’s joy in writing. When she was a teenager, he gave her a notebook in which to write down her stories and short plays. He inscribed at the top of the first page:

 

“Effusions of Fancy by a very young Lady,
consisting of tales in a style completely new”.

 

Jane performed many of her stories to entertain her family. Now local residents have the chance to enjoy some of them too, in an event put on by Brent Culture Service at Willesden Green Library. “We fainted alternately on the sofa – Jane Austen in the Making”, performed by actor and writer Karin Fernald, is on Tuesday 26 April, from 6.30 to 7.30pm. Tickets are £3, and can be booked HERE

 

Heartless property company evicts church, nursery and foodbank

 The Pentecostal City Mission Church, long time occupier of 2 Scrubs Lane, Willesden, has been evicted by developers, Fruition Properties. The Mission is a registered Community Asset and operates a nursery, foodbank, dementia care and other local community services which leaves this vital community lifeline in jeopardy. See previous coverage of the threat to the church HERE.

 

The Mayor’s Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), local MP Andy Slaughter, the GLA’s Culture at Risk team and other community groups have been campaigning to save the church and the services it provides to one of London’s most disadvantaged communities. 

 

Fruition Properties, the developers who are looking to redevelop the site, sought planning permission in 2018. Critical to that permission was that Fruition secured replacement space for the Pentecostal City Mission Church and associated community services as part of the new development. 

 

OPDC, as the local planning authority, has always been very clear that its planning policy requires the re-provision of community floorspace for the Pentecostal City Mission Church within any future scheme on the site. 

 

It is understood that Fruition evicted without warning, on Wednesday 23rd March, entering the building at 7.30 in the morning and changing all the locks, leaving parents unable to drop off their children at the nursery and staff unable to retrieve personal belongings. 

 

Reverend Desmond Hall of Pentecostal City Mission Church said:

We are shocked and saddened that Fruition took possession of this beloved church and vital lifeline for so many community members. As well as a valued place of worship, many families and young children rely on us for support services and food donations. During busy times, we can cater to up to a 1,000 people across one day. What will they do now that Fruition have changed the locks? 

 

We won’t give up hope and with the support of the community, we’ll continue to fight for Pentecostal City Mission Church.

 

David Lunts, CEO of OPDC said: 

 

It is shocking that Fruition Properties have evicted the church. It's hard to believe that with so much local need for services such as this, especially at a time of increasing hardship, any developer could act with such heartlessness. It’s all the more outrageous as our planning policy makes quite clear that space for the church and its community facilities must be part of any redevelopment.

 

I have attempted to engage with Fruition to seek an amicable resolution with the Church, but they have refused to meet.

 

Andy Slaughter MP for Hammersmith said: 

 

It’s unacceptable and quite frankly unbelievable news to hear that a developer has evicted a church, nursery and foodbank at a time where so many families are under financial strain to put food on the table. I have made my position to Fruition abundantly clear on numerous occasions and they have refused to meet to reach a solution, despite the planning policy clearly requiring provision for the church. 

 

 Cllr Matt Kelcher said:

Councillors, Brent Council, the OPDC and local MPs are all in agreement on this issue and Fruition are doing themselves terrible damage by pursuing this – but there is currently a legal process that needs to be gone through first. When this is resolved we’ll be best placed to plan any next steps.

 

I’m pleased that in the meantime, Brent and OPDC are helping the church to find alternative local premises where possible.

 

Thames Water baulks at cost of clearing worst ever sewage pollution of the Wealdstone Brook

From Brent and Harrow Rivers Alliance  BHRA -  Harrow Friends of Wealdstone Brook  Supported by Brent Parks Forum.   

 

 

 

 From This:  Ducks and Wagtails feeding...

 

 

 To This:  60m and growing raw sewage left untreated with no source yet found  

Since around the 6th March there has been a constant flow of sewage into the Wealdstone Brook from a still unidentified site in Harrow.

The Environment Agency were immediately advised and have not responded to repeated updates of  the incremental thick raw sewage flow that continues unabated.   Thames Water - were also advised in the correct manner direct to their office after the contact Pollution Line was in effect blocked with calls about pollution events (we assume).

Brent Officers; and the CEO of Thames Water attended an unprecedented meeting at the Brook at Woodcock Park on 28th March and took part in a morning walkabout of the site and  saw for themselves the worst, longest running pollution event since recording has begun.

We are awaiting action from Thames Water who were concerned that they would have to deploy operatives from another job to attend the site and the cost of the job itself - which involves flushing a tank of clean water into the brook to move the daily increasing 50-70 m of sewage along! 

There was no  reaction from Thames Water to the imminent threat to the wildlife all the way along past the Civic Centre, three schools and into the River Brent through the Wildlife restoration Project that Thames21 runs. The pollution will slowly increase and move along the waterway!   Unless the source is found and remedied the threat to wildlife will be compounded.   As it has been left since the 10th March - 'vacuuming' - out the pollution is now out of the question - Thames Water do not have tanks large enough to cope with the volume that is increasing steadily.   A factory misconnection is suspected......

Now over 400 food packets (we think out of date), have been thrown into the Brook at the trash screen in Kenton - which has now got thoroughly stuck in the midst of the sewage and the bags are exploding open to feed the sewage fungus in the gel - sludge.   This amount of plastic in the sewage will act as fungus and e-coli carriers as they move towards the wildlife water improvement projects further downstream.   

Volunteers cannot reach them where they are located and have come to rest!  

Thames Water could send in operatives but they are concerned about the cost!   

We await some action to stop the sewage flow into what was a duck filled brook!  

We thank the Brent Engineer - who has visited and has now written a full report of the Brook and his findings.    We also thank Brent Parks Officers who are and continue to be supportive, within their capacity.   

It is possible that that the first signs of sewage were on 17th, 23rd and 27th February when reports to the Environment Agency mentioned murky brown water and silt. The sewage outbreak was reported on February 28th.  If an early warning system was in place Thames Water might have investigated much earlier and resolved the issue.

A Thames Water officer has indicated that the cause of the sewage  flow has been located and Friends of Woodock Park have emailed to confirm the location and the need for flushing.  They assume that the sewage currently visible from Becmead Avenue may indicate an equivalent amount underground at the source.

The Wealdstone Brook, marked in blue on an extract from an 1895 Ordnance Survey map

UPDATED: South Kilburn: Flagship or neglect?

Guest post by Pete Firmin, chair, Alpha, Gorefield and Canterbury Tenants’ and Residents’ Association.

 

Brent Council – with the support of planners and architects - likes to praise its regeneration of South Kilburn as a model for others.

 

Yet, beyond the issue of the dubious quality of some of the new housing built in the area, raised in Wembley Matters many times, there is also a big issue around general neglect of the area.

 

To be clear, the area described here, a small part of South Kilburn, is not due for `regeneration’ anytime soon. It does not figure in any masterplan. Not that, even if it was, this would excuse the level of neglect shown here.

 

Everything here has been reported to Brent Council, individual officers and Councillors dating back to November of last year if not earlier.

 

To start at the steps at the corner of Coventry Close and Kilburn High Road. These broken steps have been reported with no response received.

 

 

This rubbish dump has been growing steadily for the best part of a year and reported many times on the Cleaner Brent App. It just gets closed quickly with no explanation. It is not directly on Brent land but is clearly a health hazard.

 

 

This patch of ground (known to residents as the Bermuda Triangle) was created when regeneration hit the area 7 years ago. They still haven’t sorted out whether Brent or Catalyst is responsible for its upkeep, so it just accumulates rubbish.

 

 

Clearly Brent’s responsibility, overflowing like many bins along Cathedral Walk footpath.

 

Mattresses abound, this one was photographed by an estate officer two weeks ago. It is propped up by the metal frame for previous recycling bins. We were promised when they were replaced (a year ago) that they would be removed.

 

 

Broken pane of glass in door of Gorefield House, reported last November.

 

The wonderful bin store next to Gorefield House. Erected by Catalyst during regeneration. For their residents they put up a brick  bin store, but Brent tenants only get a wooden one, which has been falling apart since it was put up. Too near the flats, overflowing bins, never fully cleared. We’ve been told someone in an office worked out how many bins are needed for the number of households…..

 

 

5 of these 7 lights along a footpath created in regeneration have been out for more than 5 months. We’ve been told the issue has been escalated…..

 

 

Damage caused by the flash flood last July. Brent had to be pestered to do anything at all, but we have been left with this botched job which is causing accidents. 

 

 

I could go on, like the numerous street lights not working (one of which has never been connected to the mains), the lift out of order for over a year, and much else, but I hope you get the picture one of a Council which doesn’t seem to care.

 

Pete Firmin

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Pete's problems in getting responses is well illustrated by this exchange that took place only yesterday.