Yesterday I tweeted Barry Gardiner MP to ask him to intervene in the Barham Park issue where George Irvin has applied to build four 3 storey houses in a site in the park. The existing pair of modest houses were originally for park workers so had a connection with the park.
Today an election leaflet from 2010, when the General Election and local elections were held on the same day, has come to light that shows that 13 years ago the Brent North MP made an election issue of what he claimed were Lib Dem plans to build on the park:
Apparently the then Brent Council Executive (Lib Dem-Conservative Coalition) had rejected the proposal to build in the park.*
The question now is, 'Why is Barry Gardiner silent on plans going forward to Planning Committee to build houses in the park? He could make his views known to the public and it is open to him to make representations at the Planning Committee. He could even write to the Trustees of Barham Park, chaired by Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt, to ask them to fulfill their obligation to protect the park and enforce the covenant protecting the park from development.
I presume Barry Gardiner still believes what he said in the 2010 leaflet, about protecting the park - surely it cannot be just something he said at election time?
* In 2010 Barry Gardiner was attacking Liberal Democrat and Conservative councllors who decided to use the two empty houses in the park for decanting purposes as part of the total rebuild of the 215 crumbling flats in Roundtree and Saunderton Road council estate on the opposite side from Barham Park.
Barry Gardiner was opposing the sale of the two houses to the Notting Hill Housing Association and claimed that Brent Council was planning to build a massive 20 storey tower (see leaflet image) block in Barham Park.
In reality I understand the then Executive was advised that Notting Hill was interested in the two houses and wanted to redevelop the site for a "small" number of flats to help with the decant while the Estate was being rebuilt. When Notting Hill overstepped the mark and proposed a block of 14 flats on the site they were turned down and the proposed sale to them was aborted.
The demonstration earlier today (Photo: London Renters Union)
From London Renters Union (Brent)
Wednesday 7 June: Brent renters from the LRU today launched the #NotAnotherWinter campaign calling on the council to tackle the epidemic of unsafe housing across the borough. The campaign began with a protest outside Sathy Property Services NW10 4SY, responsible for letting out housing in a state of serious disrepair to two LRU members. The union is calling on Brent council to invest in housing safety andto take proactive enforcement action against dangerous landlords so that no one faces another winter of damp and mould.
Brent council estimates that around 10,000 privately rented homes in the borough present a serious health hazard. While properties remain in poor conditions, this hasn’t stopped landlords raising rents. Although Brent has the second highest level of poverty of any London borough, median monthly rents are now up to £1400, 57% of incomes. Last year, Brent had the highest rate of eviction of any local authority in England and Wales.
Brent Council has a responsibility to identify and deal with dangerous housing. But current plans for a selective landlord licensing scheme do not go far enough in tackling the scale of the problem, only addressing a small proportion of the estimated 10,000 hazards.
Damp and mould is a national issue of public health. Citizens Advice reports that 2.7 million households face damp, mould, or excessively cold homes. The NHS spends an estimated £1.4 bn per year treating patients with housing-related health conditions.
LRU members are calling on Brent council to invest in housing safety by expanding its enforcement team, inspecting more properties, and by fining landlords who profit from unsafe accommodation more swiftly and more often. Members are inviting local residents to sign a petition in support of the campaign. Earlier this year, the Hackney branch of the LRU won a similar £400,000 investment in housing safety.
Farhiya, LRU Member, says:
I'm paying £1900 a month for a two-bedroom flat but my house has had leaks, damp and mould for two years now. It's so bad that it's giving my children asthma. We've had to go to the doctors many times. But when I spoke to the landlord, he just ignored us. I just want my children to feel safe in their home. It shouldn't be this difficult to get our repairs done.
Aminah*, LRU Member, says:
The damp and mould in my flat is so bad that I've developed asthma and serious lung problems. I've also tripped over in the bathroom because the floor gets completely covered with water from the leaks. Even my carer does not want to come round to the flat anymore because the damp and the leaks are so dangerous. I've complained to the agency so many times but they just refuse to deal with the problems. When the council came round to look at the problems, all I was told was to wipe off the mould.
Jacob Wills, Organiser at London Renters Union, says:
Nobody should have to pay for a home that makes them sick. But thousands of people across Brent live in housing that presents a serious risk to their health. In the wake of the death of Awaab Ishak, it’s clear that the consequences of unsafe housing can be deadly. As long as councils fail to take swift and robust enforcement action, it will be more profitable for landlords to let out dangerous accommodation than to properly maintain their properties. The council urgently needs a credible plan to deal with the 10,000 unsafe homes across Brent. We are calling on the council to invest in housing safety and agree to a concrete timeline to ensure no one faces another winter of damp and mould.
The
Mayor of London has adopted four new pieces of London Plan Guidance (LPG) that
will help build a better London for everyone, delivering a cleaner, greener,
healthier, and more sustainable London.
This
suite of Design and Characterisation LPGs includes:
·Characterisation and Growth Strategy LPG
·Small Site Design Codes LPG
·Optimising Site Capacity: A Design-led Approach LPG
·Housing Design Standards LPG
These
LPG provide further guidance on the implementation of London Plan 2021
policies, including:
·Policy D1 (London’s form, character and capacity for growth)
·Policy D3 (Optimising site capacity through the design-led)
·Policy D6 (Housing quality and standards)
·Policy D9 (Tall buildings)
·Policy H2 (Small sites) among others
All of the areas are relevant for Brent but probably the most important, given Brent Council's activities in building dense and high, is 'Optimising Site Capacity' although it will also be interesting to see how Brent characterises our borough now, after recent developments in Alperton, Wembley Park and South Kilburn and those such as Neasden that are in the pipeline.
EXTRACT
"Good growth across London requires development to optimise site capacity,
rather than maximising density. This means responding to the existing
character and distinctiveness of the surrounding context and balancing the
capacity for growth, need for increased housing supply, and key factors such
as access by walking, cycling and public transport, alongside an improved
quality of life for Londoners. Capacity-testing should be the product of the
design-led approach, and not the driver."
Local activists and Brent TUC joined St Mungos strikers on the picket line in Willesden this morning to show solidarity with their struggle for a decent pay rise to address the 25% real terms reduction in their wages and the erosion caused by inflation.
Outside the St Mungos facility in Pound Lane
Like many charities St Mungos has left its roots to be more of a corporate enterprise with highly paid executives and low paid workers actually on the front line working with the homeless. The changes, as with housing associations comes about as charities and the third sector are called upon to perform functions abandoned by the welfare state.
The support from the public for the strikers came over loud and clear as passing traffic tooted in solidarity.
That support will be demonstrated again when a Solidarity Rally, addressed by Dawn Butler, takes place at noon on Friday June 16th outside Brent Civic Centre in Wembley Park.
The Civic Centre is an appropriate venue as St Mungos gets the majority of its funding from local authorities, many London boroughs, including Brent. The strikers are keen that councils put pressure on the St Mungos management to negotiate a fair deal. Half the workforce of 1,600 are unionised and many taking part in strikes, leading to agency workers with little experience attempting to deliver the service for which the borough pays.
If the contract is failing to deliver there may be a case for councils to suspend their contracts.
This post reflects my personal involvement but of course the most credit must go to the Chalkhill Residents' Association and especially their chair Kathleen Fraser who held on to the vision through thick and thin and played a much larger part, as well as Brent Council Parks Department and the local councillors at the time.
Early Plan 25.03.2010
The official opening of the new Chalkhill Park was on June 8th 2013, 10 years ago today, but as you will see there were other 'unofficial'openings.
The park resulted from a 'pay-back' arrangement when Asda took over some of the estate land for its superstore and the the site of the medical centre and car park on Chalkhill Road was ear-marked for a park.
There were hitches on the way and at one time there were rumours on the estate that the site would be used for flats rather than a park.
The site in 2011
In October 2011 I wrote:
I think my readers deserve some (fairly) good news in the midst of the recession gloom and the closure of half our libraries.
I attended a meeting last week in my role as a school governor regarding
the proposed new Chalkhill Park. The Chalkhill Residents' Association
have been concerned about the park and a proposed Multi Use Games Area
(MUGA) in St David's Close on the estate. The Chalkhill Pupil School
Council had written to ward councillors to expression concern about the
lack of progress on the park and had been told work would commence this
month. In fact nothing seemed to have happened and the weeds were
getting taller and taller.
We were told that work was behind schedule by 4-6 weeks and may fall
further behind if soft planting is delayed by poor weather. However we
were assured that the park should open in May 2012. Bids are still
awaited from contractors who will construct the park.
The residents' concerns about the budget for the project were not fully
answered. It appears to have reduced from £1.3m to something over £0.8m
and there was some confusion over whether the money was from planning
gain following the building of Wembley ASDA on a section of the estate,
and whether the money had originally been held by Metropolitan Housing
Association, the managers of the estate, and late handed over to the
Council. If the latter is the case there may be an issue over the
reduction in the amount.
Putting that aside, we were assured that the promised children's
playgrounds (one for older children and one for younger) and an exercise
area for adults would be built. There would also be a 'kick-about' area
rather than a formal football pitch and a wildlife nature garden.
Residents asked questions about the 'water feature' that had
incorporated into the plans. They had never asked for one and it
appeared to be an expensive item. They said that if anything had to go
because of budget constraints the water feature should be abandoned. It
appears to have been added as a landscape features that would extend the
vista from Brent Town Hall steps, down the avenue of trees, and into
the park. It was unclear whether it was purely ornamental or something
the children might play in: echoes of the fiasco over Lady Di's Memorial
Water Feature!
As by 2013 the Town Hall will have been replaced by the new Civic
Centre, and may have been converted into a hotel, it does appear to be
redundant. It would also use electricity to generate the pumps which
would involve an ongoing cost. We were told that solar panel electricity
generation for the pump wouldn't be suitable. Not very green...
When the MUGA came under discussion we were told that existing
installations at Poplar Close Youth Centre and Chalkhill School's play
area which was shared with the community, made a new one unnecessary.
However Gerry Kiefer, the new head of parks and sports services, said
that she would like to 'start a conversation' about St David's Close
open space. Previously that had not been developed because it was not
overlooked by housing and therefore deemed unsafe for unsupervised play.
However, the newly built flats in the close were now occupied and this
objection no longer stood.
Ms Kiefer offered to look at the possibility of:
1. Erecting goal posts for a football pitch (size to be decided after a
survey), levelling the surface and marking out the pitch. Future mowing
and marking out would have to be borne by the users who were expected to
be the Chalkhill Wanderers football team.
2. Restoring the overgrown BMX cycling course with help from local youth.
3. Looking at the possibility of building a skateboarding facility in St David's Close.
4. She also undertook to look at the Poplar Close MUGA, in particular
the state of the pitches and whether the floodlights were working.
The meeting was facilitated by Councillor Shafique Choudhary (Barnhill
ward councillor) at the request of Kathleen Jackson, Chair of Chalkhill
Residents' Association.
Looking at those undertakings the BMX track was restored and a circuit installed for cycles and scooters in St David's Close (both were consulted with Chalkhill Primary pupils). No skateboarding park was built although some children use skateboards on the BMX. Unfortunately after drug-taking and other anti-social activities in the Chalkhill School community playground during out of school hours, the police advised its closure for unsupervised activities.
The water feature was abandoned although some parents told me this week that they'd love to see at least a paddling pool in the park.
The rain-swept site in January 2012
In January 2012 with little sign of progress I blogged again (extract):
Earlier in 2011 children from Chalkhill School Council had lobbied
ward councillors after repeated delays and this was taken up by the
wider community of children and youth on the estate during the summer
holiday. They were all angry that once again Chalkhill young people had
been deprived of a park during the long summer holiday. They were
determined that they would have a park by Summer 2012.
When I saw that no work had started after the forecast delay of 4-6
weeks I started nagging the ward councillor in my role as Chair of
Governors of Chalkhill Primary School.
Chris Walker, head of planning wrote to all the interested parties
yesterday, January 12th 2012 ( to say that it had been anticipated that work would start in
December 2011/January 2012 (more than 4-6 weeks behind) but that now the
contract will be not be awarded until March 2012 with a six month
contract to completion. On my reading this means that the park will not
be completed until at least September 2012 leaving the local kids with
no park for yet another summer.
Mr Walker explains that this is because all the tenders submitted in the
autumn were unaffordable without reducing the park specification and
that it became apparent that they did not fully comply with the
Council's internal standing orders - so they are going out to tender
again 'and hope that this time we will receive affordable and suitable
tender submissions'. Even that sounds pretty uncertain...
Chris Walker says he realises the situation will be a big
disappointment but says that the Council is doing all it can to minimise
delays.
Eventually a contract was awarded and there were some delays due to bad weather but the new park began to take shape. Progress was eagerly watched by children on their way to and from school, bothe primary and secondary.
The wait was too much for some and on April 25th 2013 I wrote:
25th April 2013
I was greeted by whoops of excitement and shouted greetings
as I passed Chalkhill Park at 6.15pm this evening. As you can see the children
have taken it over and made it their own. It is not yet officially open
and a pensive child outside whispered, 'You know this is illegal'. But a
parent said, 'How can we tell them they can't go in. They have been waiting for
the park for 3 years and here it is now and they just love it!'
A decision will be made tomorrow about a possible earlier opening. There are
concerns that the grass sown between the gaps in the safety matting of the
children's playground, which is at an early stage of growth, will be damaged
but anyone wanting to keep the children out now that they have had a taste of
the park will have quite a job on their hands!
Garth McWilliams who designed the park should be thrilled by the children's
reaction.
This was followed by another post soon after:
The recent warm weather has resulted in children and families making use
of the new Chalkhill Park despite it not yet being officially open and
still surrounded by builders' fencing.
The temptation of green grass and exciting play equipment proved too
much of a temptation after three long years of waiting. A bit of low key
spontaneous direct action resulted in an unofficial entrance being
created.
I recently saw parents sitting chatting while their children played, a
teenager doing her homework on a laptop at a picnic bench and young
people chilling out. It demonstrated to me how badly the park was needed
and how keen people are to get in there and use it.
Today there were 10 labourers working on the park. I checked and was
told that the play equipment has received its final safety check and
that a decision will be made tomorrow on whether the park should open
now with any uncompleted areas being fenced off temporarily,
I think that would be a sensible decision as public use by families
would be likely to deter any misuse of the park and why on earth
shouldn't it be open if it is largely complete?
The official opening by the new Mayor of Brent will be on Saturday June
8th and plans include special activities, performance, bouncy castles,
talent show and much more on the Saturday, outdoor gym equipment
training on Sunday and Chalkhill Primary School pupils will take it over
for a Carnival procession and other activities on the afternoon of
Monday June 10th.
Following April's activities the Council decided to open the park to the public on May 3rd 2013 ready for the Bank Holiday.
May 3rd 2013
Builders' fences were removed from Chalkhill Park today after a final surge of
activity to get the park ready for the Bank Holiday.
News reached Chalkhill Primary School at lunchtime and spread like wildfire
around the playground to cheers from the children.
The weekly School Walking Club were the first to officially use the new
facility. A landscape gardener, stripped to the waist and pushing a laden
wheelbarrow, stopped me and said, 'This makes it all worthwhile. The children's
faces as they swarmed into the park were wonderful. It was amazing It was worth
all the work.'
Parents and children rushed to the park after school and there was widespread
praise from the former for the design. Children were too overcome with
excitement and breathless from trying everything out to say very much but their
big smiles told their own story.
June 2013 preparing for the opening
The plans to build a new park
close to the school presented a great opportunity for work across the
curriculum. More than three years ago children were involved in
submitting possible plans for the park with ideas for the kind of
equipment that should be installed. They had to think about provision for all
ages and safety issues.
The School Council got involved when plans for the park were delayed. They
wrote letters to local Brent councillors, e-mailed them and spoke to them face
to face to urge action to complete the park, emphasising how important it was
for children on the Chalkhill Estate to have somewhere safe to play and the
importance of exercise and play in adopting a healthy lifestyle.
When completion neared they were again involved in putting forward ideas
for the opening ceremony and pupil delegates went to one meeting where
activities, within budget constraints, were planned. In School Council they
came up with the idea of a Junior Friends of Chalkhill Park to litter pick and
take care of the equipment. Within the school there was a competition to make
posters to urge the public to look after the park, pick up litter and clear up
after dogs. The best of these were placed on the park notice boards.
For the opening ceremony the children and staff worked with Mahogany Arts to
create carnival costumes, the staff steelband rehearsed, a pupil samba band was
formed, Bollywood dances created and the school choir chose pieces to sing on
the day.
Meanwhile Year 3 pupils collaborated with the Brent and Kilburn Times to
produce a page of the newspaper about the park:
As you can see there was the 'direct action' by school pupils that opened the park on April 25th 2013, and then the council opened it to the public on May 3rd 2013. Finally the official opening was 10 years ago today on June 8th 2013 with the Mayor attending and performances by community groups and school children. Those childen are now at work, college or university!
Chalkhill Primary involved the whole school the following Monday, June 12th 2023 with a Carnival Procession around the park in costumes they had made with the assistance of Mahogany and were accompanied by the staff steel pans band.
By August 2013 the park was contributing to the life of the estate:
August 2013
It was good today to see Chalkhill
residents enjoying their first summer in the new park. The Chalkhill Champions'
Summer Camp was in session with children learning how to put up a tent. The
Camp for children on the estate takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
1-4pm. It will culminate with an entertainment put on by the young people on
Friday August 30th.
Chalkhill Residents' Association have organised a Family Summer Trip to
Littlehampton later in the holiday.
Future 'Happy Dayz Family Fun' activities in the park for Chalkhill
residents include:
August 10th 3pm Scavenger Hunt
August 11th 3pm Family Rounders
August 17th 3pm Family Beat the Goalie
August 18th 3pm Family Picnic/Campsite
August 24th 3pm Family Treasure Hunt
Look for the Green Tent in the park this weekend and sign up.
The new park is having a really positive impact on the local community
according to one resident I spoke to. He lives opposite the park and apart from
some occasional late night rowdiness, he described a friendly atmosphere where
adults accompanying their children and others using the park for chilling out
or exercising on the outdoor gym, are getting to know each other, chatting and
then greeting each other in Asda or elsewhere in Wembley.
For me it underlines the importance of safe and beautiful public spaces which
everyone can enjoy at no cost and where informal social contact can develop in
a natural way. With increasing development and the privatisation of existing
public spaces it is important to safeguard such neutral free spaces.
10 years on June 2023
I popped into the park earlier this week and talked to parents and their children about the park. They were very positive about the facility but there were two main concerns. One was anti-social behaviour of the type that led to the closure of the school community playground to the public. Parents were used to seeing alcohol misuse but were very uneasy about drug-taking and possible dealing. I had heard that the police had been clamping down but it was evidently still happening in a thicket of trees and shrubs. One parent said that she felt safe if there were lots of others in the park but not if there were only a few people.
Another concern was maintenance of the park and especially the flower beds. Although these are not formal there were too many brambles and tree suckers amongst the flowers. There is an ongoing problem with litter. A new parks maintenance contractor comes in this summer so it will be important for residents, the residents' association and ward councillors to monitor performance.
The park is too precious to be allowed to fall into neglect or to be taken over by one age group.
Kathleen Fraser, now a councillor for Barnhill ward that includes the Chalkhill estate said:
It was hard work for the Residents' Association to move the Council to give us trees and hills in the lovely park we have now.
Having admitted earlier this week that the letter to residents encouraging them to attend next week's vital Planning Committee online was a mistake - an old format that cited covid restriction, the Council said that residents could attend in-person.
However, the council website front page notice of Monday's Planning Committee states, 'If you wish to attend this meeting we ask that you join online using the live webcast.'
It's enough to turn this 76 year old into Victor Meldrew!
UPDATE - Brent Council has amended its announcement on the website but it is not exactly encouraging the public to attend in-person as is their right! Anyone would think they really do not want the public there.
Brent Trades Council is urging local activists to support workers at the homelessness charity St Mungos when they strike tomorrow. The workers are striking for a decent pay increase after what was described as a 'pitiful' offer. That is contrasted with high salaries for the bosses of the charity.
The picket is at Pound Lodge at115 Pound Lane, Just opposite Willesden bus garage.(nearest tube Dollis Hill on the Jubilee line.
A rally in support of the St Mungo workers is planned for later this month on June 16th at noon outside Brent Civic Centre. Look out for final details on Wembley Matters.
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