Islamia parents offered stark choice - either approve the move to Preston ward or the school closes

 Parents of children at Islamia Primary School in Queens Park have been offered a stark choice by the school's Governing Board: approve the move of the school to a site 6 miles away or it will close.

The informal consultation that opened on September 28th and closes on November 2nd will be followed by a formal consultation.

The consultation reveals that the Governing Board rejects Brent Council's favoured option of a refurbishment of present buildings on the present site and the building of a new block to accommodate a 2 forms of entry primary school.

Instead they favour demolition of all buildings on the site and the provision of a new-build two storey school. Brent Council does not think this is deliverable by July 2024 ready for a September 2024 start. The governors say they will endeavout to keep to tight deadlines to make this deliverable.

The consultation maintains the silence on the reason why the Yusuf Islam Foundation gave the school an eviction notice and merely says the Foundation intends to develop the site.

The governors appear to brush off the concerns  of parents unable to travel to the new site and state:

Muslim families who live in the north of the borough do not currently have access to Muslim faith education provision. In the future the population that the school serves may become more local to the new site.

 A parent told Wembley Matters:

This is quite unfair for current families.  Blackmailing tactics . Either approve the move or lose the school.

In reality local families will lose the school anyway.

Plus the consultation is inaccessible to many as it was sent out on the school App rather than via a paper copy.

 The consultation document can be found HERE,

 A consultation meeting for staff will be held on October 10th and there are two consultation meetings on Wednesday October 12th at the school at 9am-10am and 5pm to 6pm.

A further meeting will be held at a site to be confirmed near the Strathcona site on October 13th 6pm - 7.30pm.

 

 

 

 

Regeneration Plans for Masefield House, Wordsworth House, Dickens House, Kilburn Open Space & Carlton Vale Infant School to go to Planning Committee this Autumn

 

These proposal are due to go to Planning during the Autumn. The Council's website states:

The redevelopment site comprising of Masefield House, Wordsworth House, and Dickens House, as well as Kilburn Open Space and Carlton Vale Infant School forms part of the South Kilburn regeneration programme. 

 

What will be delivered?

 

The proposals for this site are being designed by award winning architects Karakusevic Carson Architects and include 5 new mixed-tenure housing blocks, and a new two-form entry primary school. 

Two of the new blocks will front the newly-reinstated Percy Road in line with the Council’s masterplan aspiration. The proposals also include housing blocks along Malvern Road. These have been designed in an urban villa style to complement existing villa blocks in the area, including on Malvern Road. 

 

The exact tenure split is to be finalised during design development, but current proposals envisage 100 new units. This includes approximately 37 affordable units for existing South Kilburn residents. 

 

The proposals have been carefully designed throughout to maximise the retention of existing mature trees and to ensure homes are all dual aspect, allowing for natural light and ventilation.

 

The new school will be a high-quality and sustainable learning environment for pupils aged 3-11. The designs include space for a nursery, specialist teaching areas for music, food/science and art, and additional spaces for children with special educational needs. This includes physical disability, visual impairments, and hearing impairment. The school will also contain spaces that can be securely used by the local community during out of school hours such as a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA). The Council is working with local Kilburn Park and Carlton Vale Schools to see how the schools can benefit from the new school. Future governance arrangements will be subjected to statutory consultation with the schools and the wider school community.  

 

Under the same planning application, proposals are being brought forward for the redevelopment of other parts of the South Kilburn area. This includes an expansion and improvement of the Kilburn Open Space. 

 

As well as this, there will be 52 new mixed-tenure properties (exact numbers to be confirmed through continued design development) on the site currently occupied by Carlton Vale Infant School. This includes a residential block of circa 37 flats facing Kilburn House on Malvern Place. Three shared ownership units will also be in this block.  

 

To help meet local resident’s needs, these proposals also include 15 four-bedroom affordable terraced homes for existing South Kilburn residents.

 

Click bottom right corner for full page view

Quintain signs its single-largest construction contract to date at £227m to deliver a further 769 homes at Wembley Park

 Quintain Press Release (needless to say the views expressed are Quintain's)

 

• This fixed cost contract with long term partner John Sisk & Son will deliver two new residential buildings at plots NE02 and NE03 alongside the completion of the first park in Wembley for over 100 years
• The completion of the two buildings, covering 9,593m in total, is expected in early 2025, with 74% of the homes to be Build to Rent alongside over 100 affordable homes of mixed tenure
• This landmark contract signing is testament to Quintain’s success at Wembley Park over the past 20 years and continued momentum at the 85-acre site

 

Quintain, the developer behind Wembley Park, has signed its largest construction contract to date, awarding £227m to John Sisk & Son (Sisk) to deliver two new residential buildings and significant public green space at Wembley Park. 

 

The buildings, currently known as NE02 and NE03, will be the first to be delivered at Wembley Park’s North East Lands development, the latest quarter of the 85-acre site to be transformed by the developer. Quintain broke ground at North East Lands, which will deliver a total 2,000 homes, earlier this year as the developer celebrates its 30^th anniversary and 20 years at Wembley Park. 

 

The £227m contract between Quintain and Sisk has been agreed at a fixed price. Whilst not uncommon, a fixed price contract committed to by both parties, during a period of high inflation and following the impact of Covid and Brexit, is testament to the exceptional working relationship between the two businesses. This outcome was achieved through early engagement with the wider contractor framework, cultivating transparency and a fair allocation of risk.

 

James Saunders, CEO of Quintain, said: “Whilst the wider economic picture may be one of uncertainty, Quintain is committed to delivering hundreds of new homes for London at the right time and cost. This landmark contract signing is testament to our continued momentum at Wembley Park and our unwavering success at the site for the past 20 years. It gives me great pleasure to bring the North East Lands development forward with Sisk, our long-term construction partner and valued member of our contractor framework.”

 

The commitment to building a further 769 homes at Wembley Park in plots NE02 and NE03, during a period of economic uncertainty, demonstrates Quintain’s confidence in the market and in its Build to Rent product so successfully managed by its Quintain Living team, currently at over 3,000 homes.

 

Ajaz Shafi, COO, UK & Civils, John Sisk & Son, said “John Sisk & Son is thrilled to have formally signed contracts with Quintain for both NE02 & NE03 projects. This is the largest contract we have signed to date with Quintain and the first developments at North East lands. Sisk has an 18-year history at Wembley Park with our client, Quintain. Together we have created over 2,000 homes, along with a 365-bed hotel, 660 bed student resident units, 1,000 bay carpark, and over five acres of incredible public realm, with another 817 homes now currently under construction with the signing of this latest contract. This demonstrates our longstanding relationship with Quintain and the dedication of our staff and supply chain partners. We are extremely excited by this next leg of the journey at Wembley with Quintain and look forward to creating this new neighbourhood within Wembley Park.”

 

The homes will be delivered alongside the completion of Union Park, which is to span a full seven acres across Wembley Park, three and a half of which are already complete and open to the public alongside children’s play areas and water features. Union Park is Wembley’s first new significant public green space in over a hundred years and, once complete, will be complemented by community amenities for local residents and the public.

 

This significant construction contract signed between Quintain and Sisk comes after 18 years of successful collaboration between the two businesses at Wembley Park. The commitment to a continued partnership amongst a challenging market is testament to Quintain’s transparent and supportive approach as a client rather than encouraging a race for the lowest price which traditional tendering methods are known to create.

 

Previous projects between Quintain and Sisk have included the site’s flagship Build to Rent development 743-home Canada Gardens, the 472-home Emerald Gardens development, London Designer Outlet, the Hilton London Wembley Hotel and the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the Grade 2 listed Wembley Arena (now the OVO Arena Wembley).

 

Brent Community skips this weekend and through October. Full details.

 

After some community skips were postponed after the death of the Queen, they have been re-scheduled. These details are taken from the Council website today but please note the Council's advice to check with their webpage LINK before you load up your horse and cart or wheelbarrow!

From the Council website

Representatives from Veolia will join the council’s Neighbourhood Managers to help sort items and ensure they are recycled and reused wherever possible. 

Please check the location and date of your local community skip the day before you go, LINK just in case there are any last minute changes and be aware that we cannot accept builders’ materials (such as rubble), garden waste (including soil), commercial waste, pianos, or clinical and hazardous waste, tyres, fridges, batteries, oil and paint.

 

Queens Park	Harvist Road, near the junction with Chamberlayne Road, NW6 6HJ	Saturday 15 October	10am to 12pm
Kilburn	Priory Park Road, near the junction with St Julian’s Road, NW6 7UN	Saturday 15 October	2pm to 4pm

 

 

Queensbury	Old Kenton Lane, NW9 9ND	Sunday 2 October	2pm to 4pm
Kingsbury	Grove Park Recreation Ground car park, NW9 OLA	Sunday 16 October	10am to 12pm
Kenton	Masonic Centre, Northwick Circle, HA3 0EL	Saturday 22 October	10am to 12pm
Barnhill	Green space outside, Lawns Court, The Avenue, HA9 9PN	Saturday 22 October	2pm to 4pm

 

Wembley Hill	Outside 139 St Johns Road, HA9 7JP	Sunday 9 October	10am to 12pm
Preston	Windermere Avenue, outside the Church of the Annunciation, HA9 8TQ	Sunday 9 October	2pm to 4pm

 

Willesden Green	Chaplin Road, parking bays op 98 – near the junction with Villiers Road, NW2 5PR	Saturday 1 October	10am to 12pm
Dollis Hill	Vincent Gardens, near the bend, NW2 7RJ	Saturday 1 October	2pm to 4pm
Cricklewood and Mapesbury	Cedar Road, parking bays outside number 36, near the junction with Ivy Road, NW2 6SR	Thursday 6 October	6pm to 8pm

 

Wembley Park

North End Road, outside Empire Court, HA9 0AQ

Sunday 2 October

10am to 12pm

 

Allegations of misleading information in Newland Court Planning Statement

Following what he sees as unsatisfactory answers to his questions at the Full Meeting of Brent Council, Marc Etukudo has returned to the fray with a comprehensive email to Brent planners citing what he alleges is misinformation in the Planning Statement prepared by Maddox Planning on behalf of Brent Council as the applicant. I have edited the email  to conform with editorial requirements - words in []:

The residents of both Newland Court and Grendon Gardens first found out of Brent Council's proposal to build 7 town houses by demolishing the garages in Newland Court for the very first time in late June 2022 and only gave us until 13th July 2022 to respond to the newsletter. Only because of this proposal has made me investigate the way LABOUR RUN BRENT COUNCIL operates and I am totally appalled with my findings. They tell their own residents across the borough what they think we want to hear and then do what they want to do when it suits them.

 

I have just been reading the Planning Statement from Maddox Planning dated September 2022 and have found out that these plans were first made in 2020 yet we only found out late June 2022.

 

On page 9 Community Engagement 2.6 it states.....

 

'The Community Communications Partnership, acting on behalf of the London Borough of Brent, carried out a communication consultation programme. A newsletter that included details of the proposed development was delivered to neighbours of the site. The newsletter was accompanied by a feedback form for residents to complete if unable to access the internet. Alongside the newsletter an online consultation was created on Brent Council’s Public Participation Platform (https://haveyoursay.brent.gov.uk) that hosted a PDF version of the newsletter that was delivered and the feedback form as a survey to be completed. Additionally, a virtual exhibition video was included on the online consultation that provided residents with a narrated video tour of the site and plans. The consultation has received 42 responses with the majority if residents expressing support for the proposed development'  

 

[Misinformation]. The communication consultation programme was completely flawed. They made sure that not everybody received the newsletters by delivering them to every other flat in Newland Court and to only a few houses in Grendon Gardens. I know this for a fact because a neighbour and I went to every flat continuously to get signatures for a petition and found out that some flats never received the newsletters. We also got signatures for our petition from the affected houses on Grendon Gardens and all the residents there except one were against this proposal. At Newland Court, 4 were not bothered, 1 said they supported it and 5 did not want to know since they were renting and said it was the leaseholders responsibility. We got about 55 valid signatures (since Brent is saying more than one objection from one household counts as one) from Newland Court and Grendon Gardens, so for Brent to say that they

received 42 responses from residents expressing support for this development is [Misinformation]!!!!! 

 

 On page 13, Loss of garages and principle of residential development 4.6 it states.....

 

'With regards to the loss of the garages, the majority of these are all vacant and underutilised. None of these garages are currently being used for car parking. As such, there will be no loss of car parking as a result of the demolition of the existing garages'. 

 

[Misinformation]. 3 garages are still being used for cars and rent is still being paid for them. One is used by a disabled badge holder who is so upset about this proposal and wants to know where she is going to park her car when the garages are pulled down . She claims a council vehicle reversed into her garage a few years ago damaging the door and roof. She had to wait 3 months for the council to repair the damage to  the door and roof and it was when the roof was being replaced that she discovered that all the garage roofs had asbestos. Less than a year later she contracted lung cancer and now only has one lung. She couldn't prove it was the asbestos from her garage so took no action.

 

 On page 14, Quality of Accommodation 4.20 it states that..... 

 

London Plan policy D6 states that housing developments should be of high quality design and provide adequately-sized rooms with comfortable and functional layouts which are fit for purpose. 

 

On page 15, Quality of Accommodation 4.22 it states..... 

 

Policy BH13 requires all new dwellings to have external private amenity space of a sufficient size and type to satisfy its proposed residents’ needs. This is normally expected to be 50sqm per home for family housing (3 bedrooms or more) situated at ground floor level and 20 sqm for all other housing. 

 

House 2 (3B5P) will have an amenity space of 41.6 sqm.

House 5 (3B5P) will have an amenity space of only 32.1 sqm.

House 6 (3B5P) will have an amenity space of 48 sqm.

 

The other houses, 3 and 4 will house up to 7 people. The size of these houses in the tiny plot of land with little amenity space and not fit for purpose.

 

How can Brent Council justify cramming families like tinned sardines in such a crammed site. At least 35+ people in 7 tiny houses.

 

 On page 16 of Neighbouring Amenity 4.29 it states....

 

The guidance states that directly facing habitable room windows will normally require a minimum separation distance of 18m, except where the existing character of the area varies from this. A distance of 9m should be kept between gardens and habitable rooms or balconies. Reduced distances between new frontages may be acceptable subject to consideration of overlooking and privacy as well as high quality design and solutions which can sometimes mitigate impacts and allow for efficient use of land.  

 

It says 'Reduced distances between new frontages may be acceptable subject to consideration of overlooking and privacy'. 

 

No consideration has been taken towards the existing residents of Newland Court as the 18m overlooking rule has been halved, yes halved. Brent Council's new plans states the overlooking distance is 10m but we have measured several times and the 2 angled out buildings that are closest to the new houses measure

8m and 9m from the windows. Do you know how close and imposing the proximity of these new houses are going to be???

 

In my previous emails to you I have highlighted the issues with...

 

PARKING

TREES
BINS 

 

I would now like to raise a point you highlighted in a letter to Mr. T Ghani who was the project manager then dated 31/07/20 where you pointed out....

 

REF: 20/0131/PRE Pre-application Consultation

 

In line with the Council's Statement of Community Involvement, we would encourage you to engage in preapplication consultation with the local community. This is recommended to be in the form of discussing the proposal with neighbours and other nearby occupiers/owners of properties/land / local interest groups. 

 

Equalities

 

In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council must have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity, as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.

 

The plans for the 'infill' of 7 TINY new houses in Newland Court were made since 2020 yet the first we ever heard about it was the end of June 2022. Brent Council have shown nothing but Systemic discrimination towards the residents of Newland Court over their proposed ‘infill’ plans of building 7 TINY town houses by demolishing the garages at Newland Court. They have shown no empathy, been dismissive and ignored our thoughts and feelings to go ahead with this ‘infill’ contributing to a less favourable outcome for the residents (especially the elderly and disabled) of Newland Court who they are treating like nobodies or a minority group.

 

With all the points I have raised above, the fact that there have been lots of misleading factors from Brent Council and the fact that if they are granted  permission to go ahead with these plans. I am sure they will just keep moving the post to suit them at the detriment of the existing residents of Newland

Court and I plead with you not to approve this planning application.

Yours Sincerely,

Marc Etukudo

Newland Court.

Forty Avenue. HA9 9LZ.

 

Celebrate 100 years of Working Class History in Brent Saturday 15th October

 Guest post by Mary Adossides, Chair Brent Trades Council

 

 

On 15 October Brent Trades Council will be celebrating the centenary of the Willesden Trades and Labour Hall’s constitution. The Trades Hall has played a crucial role in the political, economic and social history of Willesden and then Brent since the early 20^th century. 

 

The front of the Willesden Trades and Labour Hall and Apollo Club

 

In her detailed article in the Willesden Local History Society Journal Winter/ Spring 22 edition, Christine Coates,  documents this icon of labour movement history (WLHS website - in case anyone is interested https://willesden-local-history.co.uk/)

 

 The growth of the industrial estates in Park Royal and Cricklewood, saw the growth of trade unions and political organisations and the push to have a venue for meetings meant the Trades and Labour Hall. The Willesden Trades and Labour Hall Society was set up 1922 and bought the Hall in 1924. Through the 20s and 30s, the Hall was mainly used for union and LP meetings with popular speakers such as Sylvia Pankhurst who founded the Willesden Branch of the Communist Workers’ Movement there in 1924.

 

During the 1926 General Strike, the Hall became a strike HQ. A local Council of Action was formed by the Willesden Labour Party with all the local TU branches. A strike bulletin was published and mass meetings were held on local Pound Green with football matches to fill the time between activity. Through the 1920s and 30s, support for unemployed and hunger marchers was organised from the Hall and the National Archives show it was under frequent police surveillance during this period.

 

After WW2, the Trades Hall continued to be an important hub for union and political campaigns. Nelson Mandela was invited to speak but the meeting had to be moved because of numbers. Willesden and Wembley joined to form the London Borough of Brent in 1965 and it became the home for the merged Brent Trades Council.

 

In 1969 an attempt was made to solve financial difficulties of the building with a long-term lease of the ground floor hall to the Apollo Club, a venue for reggae nights and West Indian music. It was a great success (Bob Marley played there). The rent was expected to pay the running cost of the building but did not resolve the hall’s financial difficulties.

 

Tom Durkin, President of Brent Trades Council, speaking to the Grunwick Women strikers during their 2 year strike 1976-1978

From 1976-1978 the rest of the building was used as a base for the Grunwick strikers struggling against workplace exploitation. At that time the Trades Council was probably at its strongest with 21,000 members and 130 delegates affiliated in 74 branches. Thousands joined the mass picket in Chapter Road, outside Dollis Hill in a week in action in June 1977 in solidarity with the Grunwick strikers and marched through Willesden led by Arthur Scargill supported by miners, dockers, printers, post office workers.

 

By the 1980s industrial decline led to a reduction in trade union activity.  Unfortunately without income the building could not be properly maintained. The Hall gradually fell into disrepair but continued to be used by the Apollo Club, the Labour Party, Brent TUC and a few local groups until in late 2019.Its use had to be paused at the start of the pandemic.

 

The Society itself revived in 2019 as an unincorporated group.Any solution which involves retaining the building will involve further serious sums of money and are being considered by the Willesden Trades and Labour Hall Society.

 

On 15^th October from 7pm Brent Trades Council is celebrating its iconic hall :

 

Join our event 100 years of Working Class History in Brent at the Brent Black Music Coop (BBMC) from 7pm, 383 High Road, NW10 2JR, nearest tube Dollis Hill (Jubilee Line). Dawn Butler MP will launch the event, Chris Coates will speak about the history of the building, others will speak about the trade union movement and the Grunwick strike. There will be film, poetry and music. The all female Akabu reggae band will entertain us during the second part of the evening. Tickets available on Eventbrite:

www.tinyurl.com/brent100

 

Mary Adossides

Chair

Brent Trades Council

brenttradescouncil@outlook.com