Gail Tolley, Strategic Director of Brent Childen and Young People to retire

I understand that Gail Tolley, Strategic Director of Brent Children and Young People department, is to retire on August 31st 2022. This follows the Operational Director, Brian Grady's move to Reading so  the department will have two major changes over a short period.

Gail Tolley has been with Brent since 2014, a period in which most of the borough's secondary schools have become academies but nearly all primary schools have remained with the local authority. During that time the School Improvement Service shrunk with some of its functions being taken over by the Brent Schools Partnership. Both academies and local authority schools can buy into the BSP.

During that period education standards have risen in Brent with most schools judged as Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, well above the London average. In 2018 Brent Children's Services were judged overall Good  by Ofsted with Children in Care and Care Leavers achieving Oustanding.

Interviews for a successor are expected to take place in July.

Agencies united in complacency over the Lidding Road Garage development as raw sewage just keeps rolling along in the nearby Wealdstone Brook. Planners recommend approval.

 

Something nasty is stinking out the Neighbourhood

After a Bank Holiday weekend when residents put up with a nasty stench from the Wealdstone Brook as raw sewage drifted lazily through Kenton in the unusual heat, Brent Planners have issued a Supplementary Report on the nearby Lidding Garages Planning Application that is being decided at Planning  Committee tonight.

This follows an additional comment received by planners. Despite the concerns voiced in the comment based on a resident's first-hand  experience,  planning officers are none the less recommending that councillors approve the application.

This is the report:

Brent Council: Wealdstone Brook raw sewage contamination is not a 'major incident'

 Alan Lunt, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment at Brent Council has responded to a local resident who had asked for the sewage contamination of the Wealdstone Brook to be declared a major incident:

Thank you for your email regarding sewage contamination of Wealdstone Brook. 

 

It is important to the council that the appropriate procedures are utilised in this case in order to bring about a swift and successful resolution. 

 

London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP) defines a major incident as; ‘An event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agency’.  

 

It is usually only the most serious incidents with very significant and immediate consequences that justify classification as a major incident. Recently declared  major incidents in London include the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in December 2021, the impacts of Storm Eunice during February 2022 and the chlorine gas escape at Olympic Park during March 2022. While I accept that continuous and long term release of raw sewage into a water course will have ecological impacts if not resolved, a short term odour, however unpleasant, would not normally constitute grounds to declare a major incident.

 

In this case, Thames Water (from whose equipment the sewage emanates) is aware of the issue and actively seeking to rectify the matter. The Environment Agency are also aware and the council is maintaining contact with both organisations. Therefore, the relevant agencies are already involved and declaration of a major incident would not result in any additional action or activity by other emergency responders.

 

Please let me reassure you that the council will continue to monitor the situation and work with other agencies to resolve this highly distressing matter as soon as is possible. I hope that my email clarifies the rationale for our decision that it is not appropriate to declare a major incident in the current circumstances.

 

Tokyngton kids to get their zip wire back

The zip wire in Monks Park/River Park has been broken for several years. What used to be a source of enjoyment for local children was a sad sight with the platform used as a makeshift table for drinkers and their takeaways. Tree branches had grown and tangled with the wire and the seat was missing.

 I had previously advised local children to ask their parents to contact Tokyngton councillors to ask for action but nothing was done.

Last week in the litter strewn park I took pictures of the zip wire and a curious boy rode up on his bike to give his opinion:

 Amazingly despite the long years of neglect Brent Council came right back the same afternoon:

 What a coincidence but welcome all the same.   The next step will be to ensure litter bins are emptied regularly and children have access to the play equipment that is too often occupied by adults.

 
 

Brent Council MUST act on Wealdstone Brook sewage contamination crisis

 Further evidence was sent to me yesterday of the high level of sewage pollution in the Wealdstone Brook in Kenton that increased over the weekend.

Despite an evening exchange of Direct Messages with Thames Water the problem continued. The photographs of the brook in Woodcock Park below were taken yesterday. A public health crisis is threatened.

Yesterday I sent the following request to Brent Council's press desk but have had no response:

As Brent Council is a Category One Responder under the Civil Contingencies Act could the Council state what action they are taking regarding the contamination of the Wealdstone Brook by raw sewage over the Easter weekend. This will include any actions required of  Thames Water.

 

 

 

 

ELECTION PLEDGES: These Brent Council election candidates are pledging to work to divest Brent’s pension fund from fossil fuel investments - ask your candidates to sign up

 From Brent Friends of the Earth

These Councillor candidates in Brent have pledged to do all they can to ensure that Brent Pensions Fund ends its investment in fossil fuels and invests in a just transition to a zero-carbon economy.

 

Jumbo Chan       Brent Council     Harlesden and Kensal Green      Labour

Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam          Brent Council     Wembley Park    Labour

Mary Mitchell    Brent Council     Welsh Harp   Labour       

Ryan Hack           Brent Council     Brondesbury Park     Labour

William Relton   Brent Council     Willesden Green    Green Party

Simon Erskine    Brent Council     Stonebridge     Green Party 

Martin Francis   Brent Council     Tokyngton        Green Party

 

The list will be updated HERE as more candidates sign up.

 

If you are a candidate and would like to take the pledge, please fill in this short form and you will be added to the public pledge list at the bottom of divest.org.uk/elections-2022.

 

Brent Council invests over £20 million of their pension fund money in planet-wrecking fossil fuels.  This also puts members’ pensions in jeopardy as fossil fuel investments now pose a dangerous long-term financial risk.

Cardiff, Waltham Forest, Southwark, Islington, and Lambeth councils have already committed to divesting their pensions.

 If you have any further questions on this, please contact us at Brent FoE or the UK Divest team at ukdivest@gmail.com. Here is a short guide to divestment which provides some more information on the issue. UK Divest is also hosting a webinar for sitting councillors and prospective candidates on Tuesday 26 April which will explore the moral and financial benefits of divesting from gas, oil and coal. If you are interested Please register here  

 

Conservatives confuse Alperton voters

 A leaflet distributed in Alperton ward has confused voters. On one side the leaflet, 'Alperton Ward Matters',  lists the three Alperton candidates.

On the other side, proving just how much Alperton ward matters they list the same three candidates as standing for Wembley Hill ward!

Labour leaflet's ambiguous claims over sources of funding to help residents

 

Under the headline 'Your Labour Council is reducing the cost of living in Queensbury' the Labour Party is distributing the above claims in its election leaflet distributed in the ward.

Some are at best ambigous and suggest help is from the council rather than via the council.  Take for example the £150 refund on Council Tax. The Council's own website is very clear this this comes from the government:

A Council response to a Freedom of Information request by Paul Lorber lists all the Covid-19 grants that have been available and is a valuable source for cross-checking claims over the forthcoming period.

You will note that the Brent Council appears to have been unsuccessful in spending some of the grants available for business, while the Schools Department has, rightly, spent to the full.  Overall the 'repayment' column, totally £70m is concerning - is this unspent money that the council had to pay back to the government?