Another Coldplay car park in Fryent Country Park this evening

 

In a comment on my previous post about Brent Council undermining the Aslef and RMT strikes by providing a car park in a Fryent Country Park field, a reader asked about safety and security and who was paying for it. LINK

There are generators with some lighting stands  and a number of stewards. I saw about eight stewards scattered around the area when I visited at 5pm today.  As you can see there is also a portacabin, portaloos and rather a lot of temporary fencing.  There is signage in the field and along the walking route to Wembley Stadium.

It does not look like a temporary operation.

I presume all that is financed from the £20 car parking fee.

Some early arrivals went off to the stadium without raincoats.  They might get very wet if there is heavy rain tonight and it will seem quite a long walk back.

LETTER: Brent councillors & officers should have training on disease danger from raw human sewage

 Dear Editor,

Reading all the latest from Neil Nerva and UKHSA (see Notes below) plus other local commentary you can imagine that I am just appalled at the previous lack of action given that indications are that the polio virus is spreading and mutating. Why Brent Council has not declared a ‘Major Incident’ is totally and utterly beyond my comprehension. 

 

Once again, Brent Council is trying to shut the gate after the horses have bolted. The total combined lack of understanding and action is just appalling.

 

Perhaps some in-service training for Councillors and Council Officers on the connection between the presence of untreated raw human sewage in waterways and the spread of diseases might be in order?

 

John Poole

 

Notes:

 

Cllr Neil Nerva (Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care) wrote to all Brent councillors on August 10th attaching the UK Health Security Agency on the health dangers after detection of the pokio virus in waste water in the borough. He stated:

Councillors have a key role to promote vaccination for children aged one to nine.

 UK Health Security Agency Press Release

JCVI has advised all children aged one to nine in London are offered a polio booster vaccine, prioritising the areas where the virus is present. The NHS in London will contact parents when it's their child’s turn to come forward for a booster or catch-up polio dose. Vaccine-derived poliovirus has been detected in sewage in Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. There have been no confirmed cases of polio and the risk to the wider population is low. Across London, childhood vaccination uptake is lower than the rest of the country.

Following the discovery of type 2 vaccine-derived poliovirus in sewage in north and east London, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that a targeted inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) booster dose should be offered to all children between the ages of one and nine in all London boroughs. This will ensure a high level of protection from paralysis and help reduce further spread of the virus. Nationally the overall risk of paralytic polio is considered low because most people are protected from this by vaccination. Many countries globally, including the USA and EU countries like Belgium, provide an additional dose of polio-containing vaccine as part of their childhood vaccination schedule. The NHS in London will contact parents when it's their child’s turn to come forward for a booster or catch-up polio dose - parents should take up the offer as soon as possible. The programme will start with the areas affected, where the poliovirus has been detected and vaccination rates are low. This will be followed by rapid rollout across all boroughs. This booster dose will be in addition to the NHS childhood vaccination catch up campaign across London. It’s important all children aged 1-9, even if up-to-date with their vaccinations, accept this vaccine when offered to further strengthen their protection against the poliovirus. Following the findings earlier this year of type 2 poliovirus (PV2) collected from the Beckton sewage treatment works, further upstream sampling undertaken by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has now identified at least one positive sample of the poliovirus currently present in parts of several boroughs: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. The sampling has also detected the virus in lower concentrations and frequency in areas adjacent to the Beckton catchment area to the South (immediately below the Thames) and to the east of Beckton. However, it is not clear whether the virus has established itself in these areas or if the detections are due to people from the affected area visiting these neighbouring areas. The level of poliovirus found and the high genetic diversity among the PV2 isolates suggests that there is some level of virus transmission in these boroughs which may extend to the adjacent areas. This suggests that transmission has gone beyond a close network of a few individuals. A total of 116 PV2 isolates have been identified in 19 sewage samples collected in London between 8 February and 5 July this year, but most are vaccine-like virus and only a few have sufficient mutations to be classified as vaccine derived poliovirus (VDPV2). VDPV2 is of greater concern as it behaves more like naturally occurring ‘wild’ polio and may, on rare occasions, lead to cases of paralysis in unvaccinated individuals. UKHSA is working closely with health agencies in New York and Israel alongside the World Health Organisation (WHO) to investigate the links between the poliovirus detected in London and recent polio incidents in these two other countries. Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA said: No cases of polio have been reported and for the majority of the population, who are fully vaccinated, the risk is low. But we know the areas in London where the poliovirus is being transmitted have some of the lowest vaccination rates. This is why the virus is spreading in these communities and puts those residents not fully vaccinated at greater risk. Polio is a serious infection that can cause paralysis but nationally the overall risk is considered low because most people are protected by vaccination. The last case of polio in the UK was in 1984, but decades ago before we introduced the polio vaccination programme around 8000 people would develop paralysis every year. It is vital parents ensure their children are fully vaccinated for their age. Following JCVI advice all children aged one to nine years in London need to have a dose of polio vaccine now – whether it’s an extra booster dose or just to catch up with their routine vaccinations. It will ensure a high level of protection from paralysis. This may also help stop the virus spreading further. Jane Clegg, Chief Nurse for the NHS in London said: While the majority of Londoners are protected from polio, the NHS will shortly be contacting parents of eligible children aged one to nine years old to offer them a top-up dose to ensure they have maximum protection from the virus. We are already reaching out to parents and carers of children who aren’t up to date with their routine vaccinations, who can book a catch-up appointment with their GP surgery now and for anyone not sure of their child’s vaccination status, they can check their Red Book. The UKHSA, working with the MHRA, has already increased sewage surveillance to assess the extent of spread of the virus and are currently sampling eight further sites across London. A further 15 sites in London will start sewage sampling in mid-August, and 10 -15 sites will be stood up nationally to determine if poliovirus is spreading outside of London.

Editor's Note:  With primary schools closed for the summer holiday the usual method of communication  with parents of young children is unavailable. Brent Council should be seeking imaginative ways of communicating the urgent information about the need for parents  to take advantage of the vaccination offerfor their children (aged 1-9. Councillors could be doing that for their wards via social media, Facebook sites and Next Door as well as personal contact.

UPDATED: Police appeal to public after 3 shot in Neasden. Section 60 imposed on 3 Brent wards

 From Metropolitan Police

Detectives are appealing for witnesses after three people were shot in Brent on Monday evening.

Police were called to Dog Lane, NW10 at 19:01hrs on Monday, 15 August following reports that a person had been shot.

Officers attended and found a 17-year-old male with a gunshot wound.

Two further victims – a 21-year-old man and another man believed to be aged in his early 20s – were found nearby.

All three males were transported to hospital. The 17-year-old’s injuries have been assessed as non-life changing, the 21-year-old has a potentially life changing injury and the man believed to be in his early 20s remains in a serious but stable condition.

Police firearms officers responded as part of the incident. The suspect/s had fled prior to their arrival.

They provided emergency first aid to the victims until the arrival of paramedics.

An investigation is under way. At this early stage there have not been any arrests.

Anyone with information should call police on 101 with the reference 6551/15AUG.

Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A S60 (Section 60) has been put in place in some Brent wards (Stonebridge, Dollis Hill, and part of Welsh Harp)  after the Neasden shootings.

 

What is a Section 60?

A Section 60 is a power given by an Inspector or above which allows police officers to stop and search anyone in a specific area without needing to have reasonable grounds.

It is granted under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Why are Section 60s put in place?

A Section 60 is put in place if an Inspector or above believes that people will be:

• carrying weapons or
• causing serious violence or
• incidents involving serious violence MAY take place.

in a particular area.

August 22nd Brent Cabinet meeting cancelled

The Cabinet Meeting scheduled on the Brent calendar for Monday August 22nd has been cancelled. Brent Council said this was on the basis  was  that the next Cabinet meeting is scheduled for the start of September (Monday 12th).
 

The agenda for the September cabinet meeting is due to be published on 2 September.

Brent Parks launches Phase 2 consultation on re-vamping of Roundwood Park Children's Playground

Brent Parks Service today launches its Phase 2 consultation on a play area for Roundwood Park which it claims is a result of feedback on the Phase 1 consultation.   The issue of whether the rather garish off-the-peg designs are suitable for a Grade 2 listed Victorian park is not addressed nor the option of having an adventure playground type play space  amongst the trees, so popular in non-Brent Queens Park and previously, before closure,  in Stonebridge.).  The proposed changes in the options are fairly minor.

The consultation ends on September 19th 2022.   I hope that the Service has consulted with children at neighbouring Newfield and Donnington primary schools. This worked really well for the new Chalkhill Park where Chalkhill Primary School pupils fed into the planning stage and gained a sense of ownership. Ironically the playground at the Roundwood Cafe in the park is more 'natural and shaded by trees.

The survey is here.  At present you need to scroll down for Phase 2.

This is the presentation (Click on lower right corner for full size):

 

Brent Council undermines Aslef & RMT strikes with special car park in a Fryent Country Park field during Coldplay concerts on strike days

 Readying the car park early this morning

Dawn Butler and Barry Gardiner on the picket line today

Hard to get my head round this. Labour activists tweeted their presence on Aslef picket lines this morning as they joined RMT strikers and Barry Gardiner and Dawn Butler on the picket line.

Meanwhile however, Brent Council was setting up a temporary cara park in a field in Fryent Counrty Park, Wembley and directing Coldplay fans to the Stadium.

Cllr Saquib Butt, a man with many hats, was extolling the virtues of the Council's money making strike breaking on Facebook last night. Saquib is the brother of council leader Muhammed Butt.

This is what he said:

FRYENT PARK **Important information**

Hi all,

 

We have received notification from Brent Council that our partners, Wembley Stadium connected by EE have sought the support of the Council in making the event field at Fryent Park available for customer parking on four upcoming dates as below:

 

13th August – ASLEF strike action affecting National Rail services only

This has a direct clash with the Coldplay concert on 13th August and an indirect clash with the Coldplay concert on 12th August (skeletal services operating / cessation of services on the 12th August in preparation for the strike)

 

18th August – RMT strike action affecting National Rail services only

This has an indirect clash with the Coldplay concert on 17th August (skeletal services operating / cessation of services early on the 17th August in preparation for the strike)

 

19th August – RMT strike action affecting the London Underground network and impacting National Rail services in Wembley

The direct clash with the Coldplay concert on the 19th August has resulted in a change of date to 21st August. This strike action has an indirect impact on the Coldplay concert on 20th August if LU services are not resumed to a full and good service.

 

20th August – RMT strike action affecting National Rail services only

This has a direct clash with the Coldplay concert on 20th August and an indirect clash with the rescheduled Coldplay concert on 21st August (skeletal services operating / slow resumption of services – Chiltern Rail have also confirmed engineering works and no National Rail service from Wembley Stadium station)

 

The event field is available for use on a commercial basis to host events that are proposed by the community or event organisers. We charge a fee for this and hold deposits to account for any grounds damage and the need for reinstatement. Damage to the fabric of the park would always be a key consideration but we are satisfied the recent hot and dry weather will mean the ground is strong enough to withstand the parking without any risk of damage.

 

The Council will benefit from a rental income and the proceeds of the parking sales will go to the ‘Best in Class’ fund that supports event day joint operations.

 

As always, please do reach out to us for any concerns/issues and we will arrange for a response as necessary. 

 

Our contact details can be found here:

Cllr Saqib Butt : https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=12945

Cllr Shama Tatler : https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=8853

Cllr Sandra Kabir : https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=396

Cllr Butt answered residents' queries and made no bones about the fact that this was a reaction to the strikes:

Saqib Butt

Author

Hi Jay , the stadium manages fine on normal event days when there are no strikes. This situation has only arisen due to the travelling public not being able to use the trains etc.

Rising costs hit Brent's New Council Homes Programme and something is stirring on its acquisition of The Falcon pub

Brent Council's Forward Plan gives a preview of what is coming up at future Cabinet Meetings but details at minimal.

This item appears in the Forward Plan for the September 12th Cabinet meeting:

To receive an update on delivery of the New Council Homes Programme and summary paper addressing the effect rising construction costs are having on the programme with options to alleviate.

The paper on 'options to alleviate' risings costs will be of vital interest. I assume possibilties include changes of tenure in developments, more private sales within schemes, changes in the quality of build etc.

 The Falcon

 

Another item for September 12th  is Acquisition of Falcon Public House site, Kilburn Lane

To agree the valuation of the site for the purposes of acquisition by the council.

There is an extensive history to this. Back in 2014 LINK Brent Council took ac tion against HS2 in order to move the HS2  ventilation shaft from the site next to Queens Park station to Canterbury Works in the middle of the South Kilburn Estate:

The Council has approved plans for the Queens Park Car Park site (Site 18 in the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme)  which involves demolition of Cullen House, Keniston House, Premier House and the Falcon Pub and the erection of 137 flats (39 of which are affordable), public space, office and commercial shop space.  The HS2 plans for a ventilation shaft and transformer would disrupt these plans with a loss to the Council and also affect the decanting of residents on the South Kilburn Estate during regeneration.

They were successful, much to the consternation of South Kilburn residents and in 2016 LINK  a Cabinet report included:

The subject comprises the Falcon Public House and includes residential accommodation to the upper floors for occupation by the pub manager on a site of 0.03 hectares. The property ranges in height from one to three storeys. The Falcon Pub itself is understood to comprise the complete ground floor level, with two storeys of residential accommodation above.

The site was formally marketed for £2.75m subject to a tenancy for the Falcon Public House with a passing rent of £24,000 per annum for a 3 year agreement. The exact terms need to be reviewed to ensure vacant possession can be secured relatively easily.

As usual financial details were not published publicly and we are unlikely to be told what the council is paying on our behalf.

Welsh Harp Drought - In 1929!

 I am grateful to the account NW London Time Machine for this link https://twitter.com/time_nw