Tuesday, 21 June 2022

Brent’s Mixed Race and Multi-Racial heritage – a new online exhibition

Guest post by Philip Grant in a personal capacity

Back in January I wrote a guest post, asking whether you could help with “By The Cut of Their Cloth”, a local history project to uncover Brent’s neglected mixed-race histories. Co-curators, Harlesden artist Warren Reilly and Dr Chamion Caballero of The Mixed Museum, were working with Brent Museum & Archives, local volunteers and members of the public.

Their “Being Brent” project was uncovering a fascinating collection of stories, which would be put together in an online exhibition. They hoped to have it ready by late March, but because of the wealth of material uncovered, it only launched online last week. Click on the “link”, and you will discover that it was well worth waiting for!

There is a short (and LOUD) introductory video, but I will also mention a few of the stories covered in the exhibition below, to give you a flavour of it.

I first heard about “By The Cut of Their Cloth” when I was researching and writing about Ram Singh Nehra and his Welsh wife, who lived in Wembley in the 1930s. Martin published my story about Nehra in three parts last December, and a full accessible version is available in the local history articles section on the Brent Archives “Google Drive”.

Ram Singh Nehra with wife Myfanwy and their son, early 1930s. (Courtesy of Tyrone Naylor)

The Nehra family’s story found its way into the online exhibition, but it contains many more stories that are new to me. One concerns Marjorie Mayling, the daughter of a Great Western Railway labourer living in Stonebridge, who had a job as a waitress in a Lyons Tearoom at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924. She was serving an Indian customer, Mafooz Ali Khan, and they fell in love. She married him, and within three months they were living in India.

Marjorie appears to have had a happy, and quite luxurious, life with her husband in Bhopal for the next twenty years (she was known in Hindustani as Haseena Begum), and when her sister Phyllis came to visit her in 1926, she too stayed in India and married a wealthy Indian!

Marjorie / Haseena Begum in India, c.1930. (Courtesy of the Mayling family and The Mixed Museum)

Not all of the mixed marriages in the exhibition lasted as long. The American-Chinese magician, “Prince” Fee Lung, met his English wife Jennie when they were both working in London music halls in 1900. After marrying, they set up home in Sandringham Road, Willesden, but six years later Jennie was suing Fee Lung for divorce, on the grounds that he had deserted her. She had been his stage assistant for his “vanishing lady” act, but had left her because she’d become too fat to be able to perform the trick! You can read more details online.

The “By The Cut of Their Cloth” online exhibition contains not only personal histories but a wide range of material, covering multiracial Brent, the Windrush generation, fashion, music and much more as well. You can find and enjoy it yourself on The Mixed Museum website.

One subject area BTCOTC covers is weddings, and I will end this brief introduction with a beautiful wedding photograph, taken at St Andrew’s Church in Kingsbury in April 1991, which also features in the exhibition.

Steve and Juliet Edgar on their wedding day. (Courtesy of Juliet Edgar)

Bookmark the “link”! You’ll want to dip into the Exhibition time and again.

Philip Grant

40 minute Cabinet nods through all item in a 'heavy agenda'

Yesterday's Brent Cabinet completed all 10 decision items in 40 minutes, underlining the fact that this 'public meeting' merely serves as a rubber stamp with any real discussion and debate taking place elsewhere in private.

A member of the public had applied to speak on one of the items but Cllr Butt ruled that the request had not complied with the required amount of notice.

The extensive Climate Strategy item for was dealt with in just 3 minutes with Environment lead Cllr Krupa Sheth reading aloud a short prepared statement. As well as the main report there were six Appendices. We were left unenlightened about what exactly is involved in the creation of 'Sustainable Neighbourhoods' and why there were no plans for safe and accessible cycling routes in the borough.

Cllr Promise Knight was unwell so was not present for two key items including the conversion of 24 in-fill units at Watling Gardens from London Affordable Rent to Shared Ownership. The CEO had to remind Cllr Butt of an addition to the report stipulating that the change had to be approved by the Planning Committee. This appears to have been the result of Philip Grant's intervention covered on Wembley Matters HERE.

It was also left to the CEO to make a passing mention of the risks involved in the arrangements for Brent Council's purchase of hoiusing units at the Euro House development in Wembley Park.

The meeting only livened up, if you can call a couple of questions livening up, at the end when a restructure of the counci's senior management, deleting one post, was discussed.

The items and decisions can be viewed HERE

Sunday, 19 June 2022

Cabinet set to approve financial arrangement to purchase 298 social rent units on Euro House (Wembley Park) site

The blocks on the former Euro House site between the Wealdstone Brook and Fifth Way

Monday's Cabinet will be asked to approve plans for the Council to make an arrangement for the purchase of a lease at three of the blocks that will be built on the former Euro House warehouse site in Wembley Park. The Council claim success in having negotiated an improvement on the amount of affordable housing available and that at social rent. in blocks D and E above It is partly financed by the Council managing 46 lettings at market rent in Block A.

The housing mix has also changed with more family sized accomodation:

The main provisions are below. I have highlighted some of the possible risks.

This report seeks permission to negotiate and thereafter purchase a mix of affordable units in Blocks D and E and market units in Block A forming part of a development of Euro House, Fulton Road Wembley HA9 0TF. The Council will enter into an underlease for up to 60 years of Blocks A, D and E, from an Asset Special Purpose Vehicle (ASPV) who will have entered into a 999 year
headlease with the freeholder. The freeholder is Crown Wembley LP. The Council will have an option with ASPV to acquire the headlease for a peppercorn upon the expiration of the 60 year underlease. The site will be developed by a developer called Regal London. The scheme is due to start in September 2022 with an estimated practical completion date of Q4 2025 for the affordable rented homes

To finance the purchase of this block, the Council will take a lease of up to 60 years from the ASPV, with rents set at current day social rents and indexed at CPI plus 1% subject to a cap of 5% and a floor of 1%. Upon completion of the underlease, a reversionary 939-year lease will be granted at nil rent or peppercorn

The total cost of the lease based on a term of up to 60 years is circa £128M. The social rented units will sit within the Housing Revenue Account and the Council will utilise the most effective mechanism to manage the market rented units. There has not been an opportunity to purchase these units or vary the tenure and size mix through a traditional financing mechanism.

The proposed scheme provides a target of 252 affordable units and 46 market units to be delivered through the lease. To ensure the scheme is financially viable, the Director of Finance in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance and the Operational Director of Property and Assets will negotiate the optimal unit mix that supports the increased delivery of the affordable units from the original proposal. This may result in a variation in the affordable unit and market unit mix from the target mix described in section 3.4 above.

With the proposed target scheme converting 34 market units to social rented units, this will enable the Council to claim £100k per unit for the additionality provided by the scheme and £28k per unit for the remaining 218 affordable units. The total grant claim expected to fund this development is £9.5M.

It has been assumed that the Council will receive 100% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) relief based on the assumption that:

a) The Council is deemed to be a relevant housing provider that is controlled by its tenants; and

b) The application of GLA grant receipts meets the requirements of a qualifying public subsidy.

These assumptions will need to be fully tested with the Council’s tax advisors and HMRC. Failure to secure the SDLT exemption noted above would increase the cost of the scheme.

Don’t miss “A Refugee’s Journey” – Thursday 23 June at 6.30pm - a free online event from Brent Libraries for Refugee Week 2022.

Guest post by Philip Grant

With refugees, and the fight against Priti Patel’s “appalling” Rwanda policy in the news, the free online talk, “A Refugee’s Journey with Gulwali Passarlay” on Thursday 23 June, from 18.30 to 19.30hrs BST, is a timely way to mark Refugee Week.

Most of us would find it hard to imagine what it’s like to face the hardships that refugees and asylum seekers often have to go through to reach sanctuary in a country like ours. They do not always get a good welcome, but Brent has a good record, and this is what our Library Service says about this event they are hosting:

‘Join the author of best-selling book “The Lightless Sky”, Gulwali Passarlay, a dedicated advocate, humanitarian and spokesperson for refugees and asylum seekers across the U.K.

In his talk, Gulwali shares his captivating story of struggle, danger and resilience and how he miraculously survived the harrowing year long journey from Afghanistan to the UK, on his own, after being separated from his brother.’

To get more details, and your free tickets for this online talk, please use this “link” the Brent Culture Service Eventbrite page.

Philip Grant

Brent Cycling Campaign: More questions than answers in Brent's Climate Strategy Update

From Brent Cycling Campaign

We are pleased to see things moving forward over climate, particularly with the ongoing commitment to school streets, the proposal for "Sustainable Neighbourhood" pilots, and the funding of community groups working in this field. However, this update 2022-2024 leaves us with more questions than answers.

The Brent Climate Emergency Strategy 2021-2030 has a dedicated chapter on Transport with the following objective: "By 2030, petrol and diesel road journeys will have at least halved in the borough, being driven as close as possible to zero, with an accompanying increase in journeys made by residents through cycling, walking or public transport." This will not happen by itself if no measures on the ground are introduced to support residents with switching transport modes for at least some of their journeys, if not the majority.

The strategy also mentioned that transport was the "second most important theme that should be prioritised in the eyes of the Brent Climate Assembly as a means of tackling the climate emergency". It also clearly laid out that road transport was one of the biggest sources of carbon pollution in Brent. We are therefore surprised to see the lack of proposals for transport. Cargo bike trials for businesses, and space for parking cycles are important but if there is hardly anywhere to ride that feels safe and convenient, whether you are 7 or 77, this will not amount to a significant change in transport behaviour.

Earlier this year, the Mayor of London outlined what would be required if London were to achieve decarbonisation by 2030: "In order to meet the climate change targets, car traffic must reduce by at least 27% in London by the end of the decade." To achieve this, we need safe space for cycling which is consistent, linked up, safe and inclusive. We need a network of safe routes to schools, to high streets, to hospitals and GPs which are children-friendly and inclusive. We need Climate Safe Streets.

Our question is: where is the urgency to tackle transport? Where is the joined-up thinking? According to the delivery plan to be presented to cabinet on Monday, there will only be two years left for the current administration to build the environment Brent residents will need to choose active travel and move away from car reliance. If by 2026, we do not see the infrastructure in place to support residents transitioning away from motor vehicles, it will be too late.

Progress and set-backs in Brent's Climate Strategy on the Cabinet Agenda tomorrow

Tomorrow's Cabinet will be discussing progress and plans for Brent's Climate Strategy. It is a mixed bag with progress in some areas, with many small projects that contribute to change, but some major areas at a near standstill.

As a former 'daily cyclist' I was disappointed by the lack of any plans for an improvement in the borough's cycling infrastructure. There is a promise of more cycle hangars and projects for cargo bike deliveries for town centres and pilot projects for Neighbourhood Sustainability Schemes. However that does not answer the need for joined up safe cycle routes for commuting and leisure needed across the borough to encourage more cars off the road and reduce pollution. In particular the north-south barrier of the North Circular Road remains to be tackled.

The report notes:

The council’s delivery of Healthy Neighbourhood schemes in the borough encountered public opposition, which was reported to the council’s Cabinet in January 2022. As a result, one Healthy Neighbourhood in the Stonebridge/Harlesden area has been implemented.

The remaining four schemes which were being trialled at Olive Road, Dollis Hill, Preston Road and Tokyngton and Wembley area schemes have been removed. It is acknowledged that collaborative design with the community would help to engender public support for future measures, and these will need to be effective in preventing through traffic and trialled for a longer period, potentially 12 months.

This action is therefore being rolled over into the 2022-24 delivery plan, with officers preparing a report for consideration by the Council’s Cabinet on the future approach to developing and delivering Healthy Neighbourhood schemes.

The development and implementation of future schemes will depend on future funding being made available for that purpose

School Streets have been relatively successful and there are plans for three 'place led' sustainability pilot projects. Two are 'Neighbourhood led' and one 'Development led':

Perhaps the most innovative and efficient way of demonstrating greater focus,pace, visibility and impact on the climate and ecological emergency agenda is through the designation and implementation of a new place-based approach.

This would be delivered through piloting ‘Sustainable Neighbourhoods’ in a number of areas within the borough in which the council would seek to target a dedicated proportion of its sustainability investment and activity.

Part of the rationale for this is to forge a strong partnership with local communities within these localities, demonstrating how tackling the climate and ecological emergency relates to local areas in Brent and showcasing the holistic benefits it can bring. Another benefit of this approach is that it would provide the opportunity to learn lessons for delivery in order to replicate the actions undertaken in these pilots in other areas of the borough beyond 2023.

There are two key differential elements within Brent’s approach to selecting suitable locations. The first is that we propose to undertake two ‘Neighbourhood-led’ pilots, that would be delivered and completed by the end of 2023, and the second is to undertake one ‘Development-led’ pilot, that would be longer-term and focused around the new development pipeline, aiming to complete by the end of 2025/26.

Selecting 'Neighbourhood led' Pilot

Considering the north of the borough, an area around Kingsbury/Roe Green is considered to be a highly suitable area to undertake a neighbourhood- led pilot. The area selected would encompass parts of Queensbury and Kingsbury wards.

When considering the south of the borough, a locality in and around Church End/ Roundwood is a strong candidate for a neighbourhood-led pilot. The area selected would encompass parts of the Roundwood and Harlesden & Kensal Green wards.

Selecting a ‘Development-led’ Pilot

The process of selecting a ‘development-led’ pilot area was more dependent on the milestones within the development pipeline and in particular, the timing of the design stages and opportunities to integrate new sustainability considerations. The best opportunities to embed environmental sustainability and potential for net zero new builds is felt to be through incorporating these objectives into the New Council Homes Programme, in particular those schemes which are currently being considered for feasibility.

Following review of eight schemes within the council’s New Council Homes development pipeline, South Kilburn was identified as the most suitable area for undertaking a development-led pilot. It is also proposed that an increased emphasis on sustainability is placed on the regeneration plans for St Raphael’s Estate.

I found it difficult to pinpoint exactly what was involved in these pilots and hope that more detail will emerge later.

An area where there has been a great focus nationally is the retrofitting of existing properties to make them energy efficient, particularly in the face of the cost of energy crisis. It is an enormous task needing national funding and so local efforts appear quite insignificant and somewhat vague in terms of timelines:

The first year of the tower block works programme was due to see work begin on three tower blocks – Kilburn Square, Manor Court and Lodge Court. Unfortunately there has been limited progress on this action in 2021-22 due to a delay in the procurement of the supply chain due to construction market conditions; and due to the need for a more extensive consultation with tenants and leaseholders. This action will therefore be rolled over as a specific action into the new 2022-24 delivery plan.

The assessment of the council’s own housing stock has completed and will provide a valuable basis for both the development of a comprehensive energy efficiency strategy for our own stock, and strengthen the evidence base for the council to submit bids for external funding to undertake retrofitting work.

We have undertaken three pioneering retrofit pilots on void street properties within our own stock. The properties were fitted with thermal efficient internal and external insulation, energy efficient windows, energy saving heating and power source with photovoltaic panels on the roof. Smart House Measures will also be included to ensure monitoring of energy efficiency after the tenant has moved in. We will apply the learning of the retrofit work undertaken on these building archetypes to similar sites across our stock wherever possible.

When the regeneration of the Wembley Stadium area began more than a decade ago Brent Green Party advocated the setting up of a Green Enterprise zone where small innovative green business start-ups would be encouraged by initial business rate concessions and links made with the College of North West London in providing apprenticeships and training in green technologies, retrofitting etc. LINK Criticism was made of over-reliance on retail in the area to provide jobs.

Brent Council in a welcome initiative is now engaged in something along those lines in terms of the education aspect but it would make sense to link this with SME business support:

Over the course of this year we have established a strong partnership with United Colleges to deliver a new Green Skills Centre at the Willesden Campus of College of North West London. Scheduled to open in summer 2022, the hub will offer a range of green skills courses for students in the local area and from across the city. The courses available at the new hub will focus on the green agenda and a wide range of construction and engineering subjects. Students will be able to learn about air source heat pumps, electrical vehicle charging, internal and external wall insulation, and a variety of other sustainable technologies. The exciting and forward-thinking new hub will enable educators, employers, and other organisations to work in partnership to develop a programme that promotes employability, learning, and skills.

It is hard to do justice to all the documentation in a short blog post so do check out the Delivery Plan and the Progress Report.

Additional documents:

Bush Farm Collective calls for support for its 'You Decide' bid to broaden activities

The Bush Farm Collective, based at Bush Farm, Kingsbury in Fryent Country Park, are seeking support for their community funding bid to improve the facility.

This is their message:

Lets make Bush Farm come to life

Bushfarm has held a number of amazing community events so far, now it is looking to broaden its range of activities in a number of ways from eco and agricultural workshops, music and art. Making these accessible to all, including many who usually would not be able to have these opportunities.

However, it needs your help to make this possible...

Bush Farm has made an application for funding to go towards a year of educational programs, vegetable garden, outdoor learning facilities and dog safe area including an agility course.

Bushfarm needs Brent residents to vote for it in the current funding round, in order to provide these activities for the community.

To vote, simply register first using this LINK. This will give you the time and dates available for you to come and vote.

The vote is just for the Kingsbury and Kenton Brent Connects area and takes place on Saturday June 25th - Neighbourhood CIL bids are from 1pm to 3.30pm.

Note this is the Kingsbury and Kenton Brent Connects Area so it includes Barn Hill and Chalkhill.

VENUE:

Kingsbury High School, Tyler's Hall

Bacon Lane

Kingsbury

London

NW9 9AT

View map

Would you like to be part of Bush Farm?

Bush farm is a place of connection, to give people the chance to be involved in projects they may have never had the opportunity to do so before. We are developing partnerships to deliver community and educational activities. You could become a volunteer or even holding your own classes. we would like to be able to share bush farms amazing space for an array of learning and well being.

Opportunities for volunteers- community gardening, manning events and education programs, marketing and communications

Ideas for classes you could hold- we can host a range of community activites such as yoga, art, music etc if you would like to be involved in delivering in your area of expertise please be in touch

We would love to hear from you. Please send us an email with any questions or ideas.