Full Brent Local Plan 2019-2041 to be published mid-June

 The Brent Local Plan 2019-2041 was approved by Full Council at the budget setting meeting in February with very little discussion.  At the time only a 'basic' version of the plan was available  which was minus images (tables, maps etc). All 482 pages of that version are available HERE.

It is well worth reading so that you have an idea of how your neighbourhood will be changing over the next two decades.

Brent Council has confirmed that the full version will be available soon:

In terms of publication, we are currently finalising the design and layout of the document. The final ‘glossy’ version of the Plan including all illustrations and maps will be published online in mid-June. A high resolution and an accessible version will also be made available online.

Morland Gardens update – Opposition parties combine to call-in decision

 Guest post by Philip Grant in a personal capacity

The Morland Gardens site, from Google streetview.

 

On 17 May, Martin kindly published an open email I had sent to Alan Lunt, Strategic Director, Regeneration and Environment, setting out why Brent should not go ahead with the award of a contract for its proposed development at Morland Gardens in Stonebridge. Despite my advice, the Strategic Director made his Key Decision to award the contract (to Hill Partnerships Ltd, for a total sum of £37,933,491) on 20 May 2022.

 

The main reason why this c.£38 million contract would be a big financial risk for the Council to enter into is that they don’t have the legal right to build over an area of land at the eastern end of the development site. This is currently public highway and the Harlesden City Challenge Community Garden. 

 

Although they could have dealt with the stopping-up of the highway at any time after planning consent was given for the development in October 2020, the Council only gave notice of the proposed Stopping-up Order in April this year. The period for objections to the proposed order ran out on 26 May, and I explained the reasons for my own objection (there have been others) in a guest blog on 28 April. It may take many months before this matter is resolved, and there is no certainty that an order will be approved.

 

Luckily, it appears that some Brent councillors are “Wembley Matters” readers! I’ve been sent a copy of an email received by the three Lib Dem members and two Conservative councillors, from a senior Governance Officer at Brent Council. This is the main part of that email:

 

‘Hi Councillors Lorber, Georgiou, Matin, Maurice & Hirani 

 

I [am] emailing with an update on the call-in request you’ve submitted regarding the decision taken by the Strategic Director, Regeneration & Environment to award a design and build contract for Morland Gardens.

 

Following my email yesterday I can now confirm that we’ve received the required number of requests for the call-in to be submitted.  As required under the call-in protocol, the reasons and outline of alternative action being sought under the call-in have been considered by the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director of Legal, HR, Audit & Investigations and Head of Strategy & Partnerships, and as a result have been confirmed as meeting the requirements within the protocol and therefore accepted (on the basis of the attached form) to proceed for consideration as a call-in by the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee.

 

Having consulted with the Chair of the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee, I’m able to confirm that the scrutiny meeting to consider this call-in has been scheduled for 6:30pm on Thursday 9^th June 22 with the meeting to take place in person in the Conference Hall, Brent Civic Centre.  As usual the meeting will also be lived streamed for members of the public to follow online.’

 

I will ask Martin to include a copy of the ‘attached form’ at the end of this blog, so that readers who are interested can see what is involved in requesting a call-in.

 

Morland Gardens site plan, from the call-in form

 

I think it is encouraging that councillors in the two opposition parties, including several who were newly elected on 5 May, are willing to work together to ensure that potentially questionable decisions are given close scrutiny. I understand that Councillor Paul Lorber is taking the lead on this call-in.

 

Call-in by itself will not mean any change in this Key Decision, but it will give Scrutiny Committee members the chance to consider reasons for and against the decision, and to question the Lead Member and Council Officers responsible for it. At the end of the meeting on 9 June, they will either decide to refer the matter back to the decision maker, with recommendations, or that they do not object to the decision, so that it can go ahead.

 

It will be interesting to see how the new Chair of this Scrutiny Committee, and the majority Labour councillors, deal with the call-in. You can watch the meeting yourself, either in person or online, to see how our “new” Council operates in practice. Hopefully, this important piece of scrutiny will be dealt with on its merits, and not on party political lines!

Philip Grant

 

 

Consultation on plans for more Wembley Park student accommodation on Gynn's Waste Management site on 5th Way

A communications company has sent a letter to residents and local industry announcing consultation events for proposals to build student accommodation (which they say is 'much needed' !) in 5th Way Wembley. The site is  currently a mixture of industrial uses, the main one being Glynn's Waste Management.

The website says that some of the 654 student rooms will be affordable so presumably some are not.

 

Wembley Edge Property Ltd is bringing forward proposals to provide new high-quality student accommodation at the waste site currently occupied by Glynn’s Waste Management, on land to the north and south of Fifth Way. Alongside much-needed new student rooms, including affordable ones, the plans will deliver a range of student on-site amenities and c.4,000 sqm of modern light industrial workspace to support new and growing businesses.

As part of the development of the proposals for Wembley Edge, a range of public consultation events will be held over the coming weeks. A dedicated website - https://wembleyedge.co.uk/ - has been set up to provide local residents and businesses with further information and updates on our progress.

Consultation Events

• An online webinar will be held on Thursday 9 June 6-7pm.

• Two in-person public exhibitions will be held for local residents to view the emerging proposals and provide feedback:
  

  Wednesday 8 June, 3.30-7.30pm–Brent Civic Centre

   Saturday 11 June,10.30-2.30pm–Brent Civic Centre

  Representatives from the project team will be in attendance to discuss the proposals and answer any questions attendees may have. Details of these events will also be available on the website and printed invitations to the events will be delivered to neighbouring residents and businesses.

  If you have any questions or require any further information about the consultation or proposals, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me by contacting brogers@conciliocomms.com or calling at 07748 481 721, or join us at one of our consultation events.

 Needless to say I think truly affordable family housing is rather more 'much needed'.

We're back!

Apologies for the absence of any new postings this week.  I have not been well but have now recovered enough to catch up on some issues in the pipeline.

Martin Francis

Barn Hill Conservation Group erect panels to educate and inform the public about their work in Fryent Country Park

 

 

Barn Hill Conservation Group who look after the vast Fryent Country Park and the small and beautiful Roe Green wallked gardem, won a grant last year for work on the Gaderbrook that runs though the park. After one of the contractors decided not to charge them for the work the group allocated it to install new interpretative panels in the park and these were unveiled this morning in bright sunshine.

In the video above Maurice Gold gives the background to the group's work which has been going on for more than 40 years to the benefit of all Brent residents. They were one of the first environmental groups in the borough, long before such an interest was fashionable.

 

The Barn Hill Conservation Group

Harlesden Picture Palace Meeting June 9th at 6pm - information and responses to the plans

 

 

Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum held a meeting on Tuesday 17th May at the Salvation Army. A team of designers from The Picture Palace - a former pub acquired by Brent council to create a community centre - was there to present the project. 

 

They were asked a lot of questions by the audience about the future purpose of the building, its refurbishment, the tendering process as well as the long-term financial sustainability of the Picture Palace. 

 

It became quickly apparent that there was a significant frustration among Harlesden residents present at the event. The general feeling was that the community had not been thoroughly consulted and that there was a risk the Picture Palace would not answer the needs of the local community.

 

That’s why Harlesden Neighbouring Forum decided on the spot to schedule an emergency meeting that will be held at the Picture Palace on June 9th. 

 

 

Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum invites you to a dedicated meeting on the Picture Palace. The meeting will be held on Thursday, 9th June 2022 at 6.00 pm.

 

Location: The Picture Palace 26 Manor Park Rd, London NW10 4JJ

The event is open to members and residents. If you are not a member yet, please register at

https://www.harlesdenneighbourhoodforum.com/sign-up

IMPORTANT: We would like to remind our members that the Forum is committed to allowing full participation and safe space.

Brent Council and Asset for Brent will provide information and responses to the questions raised by the residents on the plans for the Picture Palace.

Come and see how you can get involved!

If you have any questions at all or need support, get in touch at info@harlesdenneighbourhoodforum.com

Please note we are all adjusting to changes in the restrictions. Sanitisers and masks will be available at the event.

Community's Bridge Park Complex legal battle is declared over as it runs out of road

 

The long and spirited legal battle for the Bridge Park Complex has been declared over by campaigners following the Supreme Court's decision that there was not sufficient legal public interest to hear the case.

The Bridge Park Community Council and Stonebridge Community Trust issued the following statement this afternoon:

Our Appeal to the Supreme Court has ended they did not grant a hearing on the basis that the argument is not of   sufficient Public Interest. We firmly disagree, but have no further avenues.

 

We have therefore come to the legal end of the Save Bridge Park Campaign.

 

Many thanks to all for your commitment to the battle for Equality and Justice and in particular for our great Afrikan and Caribbean legacy worth of £200million and being sold (given away) for up to £12miilion to private developer General Mediterranean Holdings (GMH)

 

We know that proceedings could have gone differently; had we been allowed to fight the Trial with the original legal arguments.

 

The Community need is very much there, and Brent will not allow a community ownership or control in its projects  and considering the millions Bridge Park is worth the amount Brent is investing back directly in the Afrikan Caribbean Community amount small handouts and no ownership of assets there is not one multi-million pound project or development we control or have long term funding guaranteed.

 

Our 2035 Vision is still credible see our website for details.

 

1. The general cost of our Save Bridge Park Campaign to date:

 

£750,000.00 in Legal work

 

Of that 2. Community donations:

 

£16,500.00

 

And

3. Benefactors:

£18,000.00

 

In the meantime thank you all for your hard work, donations and tireless support.

 

On behalf of

BPCC and

SCT Ltd

A political shift within Brent Labour Group?

With some of the old guard leaving and a host of new comers to the Labour Group of Brent Council there appears to have been a political shift in its composition. The recent elections to officer positions within the group indicated a more finely balanced division between Butt loyalists and those with a left of centre or unaligned approach.  

The results varied for the various posts but the gap between loyalists and the rest was often only 3 or 4 votes. At this stage, with many councillors new to the role and politically untested, it is hard to assess the size and consistency of the left of centre/unaligned  group but the voting indicated 20 plus out of a total of 49 Labour councillors.  This is an advance on the previous administration. Butt is likely to deploy his powers of patronage to try and subdue any potential critics.

As readers will know the number of positions on the council directly elected by the Labour Group has been reduced by Muhammed Butt with most now appointed by him. The Scrutiny Committee is interesting as the chair role is elected by the group but the vice chair, after the council AGM, appointed by Butt.  Kilburn councillor Rita Conneely won 21-17 against Rita Begum for the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny chair while Ketan Sheth surprised with a large majority over Begum and Robert Johnson for the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny chair. Cllr Butt appointed Janice Long as  vice chair of Resources and Diane Collymore vice chair of Commumnity.

Mili Patel won the deputy leader position with 26 votes followed by Daniel Kennely and Ellie Southwood with 23 between them. The leadership of the group was not contested.