More 'potential development opportunities' on Brent's council estates

Proposals for 'fill-in' development of the council's sites across the borough have sometimes been controversial, especially when current residents are opposed to densification, loss of light or the loss of green space.

The council respond that such proposals provide much needed council housing under the New Council Homes Programme (NCHP) and the balance of detriment versus gain is in favour of development. As we have learnt from the reallocation of new homes in Watling Gardens from London Affordable Rent to Shared Ownership things are not always straightforward in terms of genuine affordability.

A new map listing finished, current and potential developments has been issued to ward councilors today. Those on the map below in red  have been identified as 'potential development opportunities.' Ward councillors will be contacted by officers to discuss proposals in their wards.

Nearly a half of the 886 red projects in 'feasibility' are accounted  for by development on the St Raphael's Estate.

It is to be hoped that ward councillors, many of them new, will actively engage with estate residents  early in the process so that they are not presented with a fait accompli.

You should be able to enlarge this map  by clicking bottom right.

 

Good Law Project to sue the Metropolitan Police over failure to properly investigate the Prime Minister over Partygate.

 From the Good Law Project

 

Good Law Project is today issuing formal proceedings against the Metropolitan Police - a day after the force was placed into special measures - for its continued failure to properly investigate the Prime Minister’s attendance at Partygate gatherings and its refusal to answer legitimate questions about how these decisions were reached. 

 

It was only after the not-for-profit campaign organisation issued proceedings against the Met in January 2022 that it agreed to investigate at all. The Prime Minister was eventually fined for attending a lockdown gathering in June 2020. 

 

The Good Law Project case asks why the Met apparently failed to issue questionnaires to the Prime Minister about three other lockdown gatherings - in November and December 2020 and January 2021 - when some civil servants who attended received a questionnaire and, subsequently, a fixed penalty notice.

 

Good Law Project is bringing the case because it believes the public has a right to know the truth about the Partygate investigation. The Met’s actions have raised grave concerns about the deferential way in which it is policing those in power compared to how it policed ordinary people during lockdown.

 

Good Law Project has given the Met multiple opportunities to explain its position.  On 15 June, Good Law Project wrote to the Met for a final time asking it to fulfil its duty to be honest and upfront with the public.  It chose not to respond to the substantive issues raised in the case, and instead responded by denying Good Law Project had the right to bring the legal action (known as ‘standing’). When asked who would have standing to bring the challenge, it refused to answer.  

 

Good Law Project, along with our co-claimant former senior Met Officer Lord Paddick, strongly believe we have standing to represent the public interest on this matter. Due to the Met’s failure to engage with our questions, we have no option but to sue for a second time to seek the truth about the Prime Minister’s conduct during lockdown. 

 

Lord Paddick said:

"Members of the public will have seen Boris Johnson raising a glass at a party which he apparently hasn't been questioned about.  I thought, 'If that had been me, I would have been fined.'  We are determined that the Prime Minister should be held to the same standard as the rest of us." 

 

Jo Maugham, Director of Good Law Project said:

“It's appalling that the UK's biggest police force has been placed under special measures because of a litany of failures. We need the Met to be transparent about its actions and this challenge is grounded in a single, simple idea: for the law to have any meaning, it must apply equally to us all. The Met must explain their seeming lack of action regarding this matter. We won’t stop until the full story is uncovered.”

 

The public’s faith in the Met has been severely compromised this year - it has failed to hold the Prime Minister and those around him to account for their lockdown breaches, and there have also been shocking reports of institutional misogyny, discrimination and sexual harassment. This is its moment to finally begin repairing the damage created by the Met’s inaction and restore the public’s trust.

 

The Met has until 22nd July to respond.  

Bush Farm and Roe Green Walled Garden among groups to win NCIL funding

 

The barn at Bush Farm, badly in need of attention

My Aunt Muriel haymaking at Bush Farm 80 years ago,  Summer 1942

I was pleased to hear that both Barn Hill Conservation Group and the Bush Farm Collective whose Neighbourhood CIL bids were featured on Wembley Matters LINK LINK, succeeded in winning funding.

The Conservation Group will use the funding for infrastructure work at the Victorian Roe Green Walled Garden, including repairs to the barn that visitors will remember as housing an amazing selection of, well I am not too sure what to call them - bric-a-brac, curios, collectors' items?  Always fascinating.  

The Bush Farm Collective will also be using some of the money for restoration work  on its barn (see above) and fencing.  There are plans for a community garden, toilets and outdoor learning facilities. The Collective now has a farming licence and hope to have a small number of animals on site including sheep.

2021 Census data: Population change 2011-2021 for Brent and its neighbours

 

Beware fake Covid-19 Text messages. The NHS never ask for bank details.

I received a text message this afternoon from a number ending in 505 6489 infrming me that I had been exposed to someone with Covid-19 and telling me I was required to take immediate action. A link to health-care-uk.com was given to order a PCR test.

When I tried to forward the text message to my email it was blocked as having a potentially harmful attachment.  Already suspicious of the mobile numbler and the fact that it was not an NHS website I went separately to the website that looks genuine but eventually asks for name, address, mobile and then bank details for 99p postage on the otherwise free PCR test.

Clearly this exploits people who may panic at the news of exposure.

The BBC has published a warning from the NHS:

The NHS is warning about widespread scam text messages telling recipients they have been in close contact with a Covid case.

"We've seen reports of fake NHS text messages about ordering Omicron Covid-19 test kits," it tweeted.

Close contacts of people who have tested positive are no longer advised to test.

The aim of the messages appears to be harvesting financial and personal information.

⚠️ We've seen reports of fake NHS text messages about ordering Omicron COVID-19 test kits.

We never ask for bank details, so please be aware of suspicious messages.

Find out more about scam emails, texts and phone calls ⬇️https://t.co/DV13iNJ6GK

— NHS (@NHSuk) June 21, 2022

More to Watling Gardens 'new homes' than the Council is letting on

 

Watling Gardens with some of the buildings due to be demolished (note the mature trees)

Brent Concil published a press statement last week after the Cabinet meeting which presumably they expect to be used by the local press.

 

Another 125 new council homes for local families

 

125 local families will benefit from new Council homes at Watling Gardens, Cricklewood, after construction was given the go ahead by Cabinet on Monday 20 June 2022.

 

Following close on the heels of last week’s announcement that that we are investing in 155 new homes at the Alperton Bus Garage Development, this latest approval marks a leap forward towards the aim to create 1,700 new council homes by 2028.

 

The high cost of private rented housing was one of the biggest issues identified by Brent’s Poverty Commission, which recommended making building more council homes a priority.

 

Watling Gardens will consist of 125 new council homes, including 45 extra care homes especially designed for disabled and older people, 24 shared ownership homes, to provide an affordable means of getting on the property ladder and 56 London Affordable Rent homes. Building works are expected to begin early next year (2023).

 

Councillor Promise Knight, Cabinet Member for Housing at Brent Council, said: 

 

“We are invested in much-needed council homes, helping local families into affordable, secure homes. This decision to build another 125 properties as council homes in the Watling Gardens Development is yet another step to hitting our promise to create 1,700 council homes by 2028. We are driving that promise forward almost weekly.

 

Brent’s Poverty Commission clearly set out that a safe, secure home is the foundation for every family to build upon. We are determined to keep building and providing those homes for the families who live in Brent.”

 

Cllr Knight was not actually at the Cabinet meeting as she was unwell and Cllr Butt managed the item.

The claim  of 125 new council homes needs some unpacking. 42 homes (the two Claire Court buidlings and bungalows), pictured above, are to be demolished and the occupants have been decanted. That leaves a net increase of 83 council homes. However, since the announced change of tenure, 24 of the 83 will be Shared Ownership instead of London Affordable Rent, requiring a shared annual income of £60,000 to £70,000. This further reduces the number of truly affordable homes to 59.

The press release also leaves out the information that, contrary to the Officers' Report, the change of tenure has to go back to Planning  for approval as pointed out by Philip Grant in a guest post on Wembley Matters. The report was amended at the Cabinet meeting to take this into account.  LINK.

Reacting to the Council's statement Philip Grant said:

It is as if it was prepared before Monday's Cabinet meeting, on the basis that the original recommendations had been approved, without the last-minute amendments.

 

The 125 homes at Watling Gardens are not strictly all "new" Council homes. Up to 34 of the homes will have to be allocated to existing tenants whose homes will be demolished to make way for this development, if they wish to be rehoused at their former Watling Gardens location.

 

For the change from LAR to Shared Ownership to be legally permissible, Brent will have to apply for an amendment to Condition 3 of the April 2022 planning consent. No such application is yet shown on Brent's planning pages. 

 

As the reason for the existing "affordable housing" condition was 'in the interests of proper planning', there is no guarantee that the change would be acceptable. 

 

Any such request for an amendment to the condition should be dealt with by Brent as Local Planning Authority in the same way as they would for any other (unconnected) applicant. Any attempt to apply "political pressure" on Brent's Head of Planning, in order to deliver what the Cabinet and other Senior Officers want, would be improper, and probably unlawful.

 

Of course, none of that is reflected in the press release!

 

Will Ed Sheeran 'Park & Walk' in Fryent Country Park set a precedent?

 

 There was a bit of a buzz on social media yesterday about Fryent Country Park being used as a car park for the Ed Sheeran concerts at Wembley Stadium.  I had seen for myself crowds heading towards Wembley along The Paddocks (rather than the advertised Kings Drive route) often with young children in tow so investigated.  The result was the video above.

Some of the people I spoke to were concerned about the length of the walk (25 minutes was advertised) and particularly anxious about getting back to the field in darkness after the concert.

The recommended route

 

There were complaints about '25 quid to park in a field' lthough that compares with £40 in Wembley Park.

I do not know whether the arrangements were made ahead of the RMT rail strikes or because of them. Labour councillors may be interested to find out to see whether the effect was to undermine union action.

The main issue for locals is whether this will set a precedent, Fryent Way has been used as a coach or car park before for large events, but going into the park  proper is new.  

The new stadium was much vaunted as a public transport destination but that intention has since been overtaken by car park development in the stadium area and local residents renting out their driveways on event days.  Ironically, Brent Council itself took action against Chalkhill Primary School to prevent it making additional income to improve educational opportunities for its children by letting out its playground for event day parking. 

It would be interesting to know where the 'Park and Walk' earnings will be going.

Does Brent Council need planning permission to convert a green space into a car park business?

This is the official information on the Wembley Stadium website:

Fryent Park Car Parking

Event day parking will also be available at Fryent Park (W3W: firms.fully.daring) on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th June, just a 25 minute walk north of the stadium. A map of the car park can be found here. 

This car park will be operational from 1200 on each event day and all walk routes will be signposted to and from the stadium. 

Parking is available at £25 per vehicle: Please visit Wembley’s Park The Car Here website for more details. All event day parking must be pre-booked, otherwise car park access will not be permitted on the day. 

Child-friendly bike ride Sunday 26th June - Roundwood Park to Paddington Rec