Call on Harrow school pupils to strike on Friday for a ceasefire in Palestine

 

Judging by the number of young people on the national marches and at local events the situation in Gaza is rapidly becoming their 'Iraq War' when thousands of students walked out. Since then there has of course been the example of Greta Thunberg's climate strikes.

I know little more than what is in the poster above and that support from parents and teachers is welcome. It refers to a school/schools in Harrow of course, and not Harrow the public school!

Candlelit vigil at Kilburn station calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the deaths of so many children

 

Photo: Pete Firmin

A candlelight vigil was held in Kilburn yesterday calling for a ceasefire in the current conflict. The names of Israeli and Gazan children killed in the conflict were read out, interspersed with poetry. A minute's silence for all the victims ended the hour long vigil.

The vigil was organised jointly by Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Brent Friends of Palestine. A collection was made for the Palestine Trauma Centre, a charity supported by Brent Friends of Palestine, whose building has been destroyed by nearby bombing.  The charity works with children traumatised by the ongoing situation.

A spokesperson for Brent and Harrow PSC said:

With the child death toll  rising daily many Brent and Harrow residents have been horrified by the pictures coming out of Gaza and feel a desperate need to do something about the situation. Bringing people together to respect the child victims and emphasise their humanity by naming them and their ages, was a moving act of empathy and solidarity. The call for a ceasefire was heartfelt from a peaceful crowd that represented the diversity of Brent. 

We will be joining hundreds of thousands on Saturday at the march to the US Embassy calling  for a ceasefire. The killing of innocent children must end.

 

 

The National March for Palestine: Ceasefire Now assembles Hyde Park at 12 noon on Saturday and marches to the US Embassy in Nine Elms, avoiding the Westminster area. Details of meeting up points for local people from brent2harrowpsc@outlook.com

 

The Palestine Trauma Clinic after the bombing

 

As Brent Friends of Palestine  don't have a website if you would to to donate to the rebuilding  it is more straightforward to go direct to the Palestine Trauma Centre UK website to donate ..

www.palestinetraumacentre.uk/news

You might  also like to  have a look at the PTC UK online Gallery, ' Gaza: On the Inside; From the Inside' which was put on the website just before October 7th. It has some amazing photographs.

 

A talk with Shrabani Basu, local author of the book 'For King and Another Country' - Preston Library Tuesday 14th November

 

A talk with Shrabani Basu, local author of the book 'For King and Another Country' on Tuesday 14th November, 7pm

Dear Library supporter, We are delighted to welcome back our local author and historian Shrabani Basu, to talk about her book, 'For King and Another Country, Indian Soldiers on the Western Front 1914-18' .  We have heard Shrabani talk about her other books, and she is always very entertaining. She will read excerpts from it and tell us the stories of the soldiers involved. You will have the opportunity to ask her questions. All are welcome.  The event is free but donations are welcome and are needed to maintain the work of the library.   Pub Quizzes A reminder that our next Pub Quiz is this Monday, 6th November at the Preston Pub.  Come at 7.30pm for an 8pm start.  Tickets £5 on the day.  Raffle [donations of prizes always welcome].  All welcome. The quiz after that will be on Monday 4th December. How to find the library: We have moved to Ashley Gardens, which is off Preston Road.  Scroll down for a map.  We are at the end of the cul-de-sac through the gate on the left. There is no car park, so if you are driving, please park on Preston Road. For Wembley Stadium event days, parking restrictions apply.  We do have parking permits for event days, so email us before an event at the library to prestoncommunitylibrary@gmail.com  if you will need one, or just drop in to collect one.

 

Cllr Tatler on the 'perfect storm' facing Brent Council finances

 Cllr Tatler made no bones about it at Brent Scrutiny last night: Brent Council is facing a 'perfect storm' regarding its finances:

 

 

As already reported by Wembley Matters the combination of increased homelessness (150 families a week seeking help from Brent Council), inflation, rising interest rates, rising private sector rents and reduced private sector rental properties as a result of landlords exiting the market; combined has led to a £13m overspend by the Council.

The Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee delved deeper into the repercussions and possible mitigations last night.  

One focus was the 600 plus empty properties that could easily house the 500 families and single people (858 people in all) currently in expensive bed and breakfast accommodation.  The challenge was how to contact the owners so that the Council could lease the property.  Some councillors there were more than 600 empty properties and asked how the  Council collected the figures. A councillor asked if this coudl be checked against the most recent census. In response Cllr Tatler said that the Council could reactivate the campaign to ask residents to report empty properties.

Contact Empty Property Team

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm

Phone: 020 8937 2384 option 1 then option 4

Email: empty.property@brent.gov.uk

 

There are also 600 empty council properties on the South Kilburn estate in blocks that are due to be knocked down. However, officers said many are not habitable and were needed for decanting.

There was a need to look at buying new properties and building on existing council land.  There was a corporate exercise across the Council to ensure it is not missing out on potential subsidies but subsidies were also reducing:

Extract from Officers' Report

The loss of subsidy cost is forecast to rise to £8.6m in 2023/24 (from £3.7m in 2022/23) as rents increase but the Local Housing Allowance  remains unchanged at its current level. Benefits paid to those living in Temporary Accomodation  is limited to 90% of the 2011 LHA rates which, particularly since the pandemic, is significantly less than rents being charged by most private sector landlords today. A percentage of the Housing Benefits subsidy received from DWP when compared to the total amount paid to residents is forecast to reduce by 14% when compared to the average over the last three years (67% versus a 81% average). 

Councillors also asked about loss of Business Rates with commercial properties left empty. Could the Council charge double if left empty for more than 2 years as with empty homes? They were told that was not currently within the Council's powers. Cllr Tatler said that 90% of Brent businesses are SMEs (small and medium enterprises) who had been badly hit and thus no longer viable. Chair Cllr Conneely agreed with Cllr Malloy that she would rather be asking profit-making businesses to pay more than hard-pressed residents.

Cllr Malloy said that he knew of a commercial property in South Kilburn where the big property company owner had smashed all the toilets so they they could claim the property was unusable and therefore not pay business rates. This resulted in an interesting exchange with Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt:

 

 

 Questioned about the possible use of reserves to help meet the deficit the Head of Finance said that Brent's reserves around the mid-way point for London Councils. Much was earmarked for projects and it was prudent to have reserves available for unexpected events such as a pandemic. However, there was a case for a review of use of reserves that were not earmarked. Cllr Tatler pointed out that if reserves were spent they would have to be rebuilt in subsequent years. More information on the status of reserves will be included in the Budget report in February.

 

The Head of Finance noted the cross-party  'Eastbourne letter' to the government published on Wembley Matters LINK from 119 council leaders about temporary accommodation costs. It was signed byu Muhammed Butt.

 

Recommendations:

 

1. Council to lobby government on business rates.

2. Council to have a clearer plan on effective collection of business rates.

3. Council to investigate use of census data to help identify empty properties.

4. Council to work on ways of turning empty properties into usable properties.

Information requests:

Detailed information of subsidy loss.

Data on voids.

List of empty properties if data legislation allows.

 

Consultation meeting at Birchen Grove Garden Centre on Barnet's West Hendon Playing Fields plans - Saturday 18th November 2023

 

 

 

From COMMON PLACE CONSULTATION

 

Barnet Council wants to transform West Hendon Playing Fields into an exciting new park and we want your views on how it should be improved. The new park proposals will include new play areas, recreational spaces, sports facilities, improved infrastructure, and expanded leisure amenities.

Your input is vital to creating a thriving destination that is inclusive and accessible. We are planning engagement opportunities where we would love to hear from you.

1- You can join us in person at our drop-in events to meet the project team, learn more about the project proposal and share your aspirations for the park:

• Session 1: Wednesday, 15 th of November 2023 at Barnet Multicultural Community Centre, NW4 3TA from 3:00pm – 7:30pm.
• Session 2: Saturday, 18 th of November at Birchen Grove Garden Centre, NW9 8RY from 10:00am – 3:00pm.

Both venues have accessible wheelchair entry and toilets.

2- For those who are unable to attend in person, we are running two online webinars on 21st of November for you to learn more about the project proposal and ask any questions that you may have:

• Session 1: 6:00pm – 6:45pm. Register here.
• Session 2: 6:45pm – 7:30pm. Register here.

3- Take part in our survey by 17th of December. This will help us understand how you currently use the park, and your vision and aspirations of the West Hendon Playing Fields.

 

 

Our emerging project vision is to breathe new life into the site, turning West Hendon Playing Fields into a thriving destination that puts People, Place, and the Planet at the core of improvement efforts. The park will be inclusive to all ages and abilities, enhance local wildlife and biodiversity, and offer ample opportunities for physical activity and recreation.

We came up with this vision based on Barnet Council's aspirations for West Hendon Playing Fields, past engagement exercises, and what we know about the area. We need your input to make sure the final vision captures what the community wants. Complete our survey to share how you experience the park, your feedback on the vision and your ideas for improvement. We will use your feedback to design a park that you will enjoy.

 

Who will we be engaging?

We are committed to broad-reaching engagement with a diverse range of communities. We will be engaging with a wide range of groups, including: 

• West Hendon Residents
• Tenants of West Hendon Playing Fields
• Conservation and Nature Groups
• Accessibility-focused groups
• Sports Groups
• Schools in the area
• Voluntary, Community and Faith (VCF) groups
• Local councillors

We will also be consulting with the following organisations to ensure that our proposals meet statutory requirements. They include: 

• Brent Council
• Sport England
• Greater London Authority
• Canal and River Trust
• Metropolitan Police 
• Environment Agency
• Natural England
• Thames Water
• UK Power Networks

How will we be engaging?

We are committed to engaging with residents and stakeholders in a way that is: 

• Resident-first: We put residents first and emphasise the importance of the local community in shaping our proposals.
• Existing Knowledge: We leverage existing knowledge bases and networks from voluntary organisations and other groups to ensure that all communities, especially under-represented groups, have an opportunity to participate. 
• Transparent: We establish clear parameters of engagement from the beginning to promote honesty and transparency.
• Innovative: We use best practices and innovative approaches, both online and in person, to engage with the community.
• Engaging: We raise awareness of West Hendon Playing Fields and generate excitement for our proposals to ensure early activation.
• Tailored: We tailor our engagement topics to the specific aspirations and needs of the community and stakeholders.
• Ongoing: We engage and communicate throughout the project lifecycle to keep you updated and involved.

We believe that these principles will help us to build strong relationships with you and your community, ensuring all voices are heard as we develop the proposals for West Hendon Playing Fields. 

Our Promise of Feedback - Your voice matters!

We will listen to and record every comment you make. Our communication channels will be open, consistent, and transparent. We offer both offline and online communication channels to ensure accessibility for everyone. At the end of each key stage, we will tell you how we incorporated your input into the design of the Playing Fields. Where feedback has not been incorporated, we will clearly explain why. 

 

 

LINK TO KNOWLEDGE MAP to comment on different aspects of the park.

 There was a Master Plan for the area back in a 2018 consultation that includes various proposals LINK

 

UPDATE: Thames Water says sewer service at Wembley Triangle restored and traffic should be back to normal by the end of today.

 

I was told to expect a statement from Thames Water about the situation at Wembley Triangle yesterday but none was forthcoming by midday today so I tweeted them at midday.  The incident began on Thursday. LINK

Their answer is above. 

UPDATE - Neil Levy of Thames Water has sent the following message:

We managed to work all night yesterday to repair the sewer and we have demobilised from the site now.

 
We found that the sewer was severely blocked with rubble, bricks and fat, which we believe may have caused a break in the pipe.

 
We have restored the sewer service and there has been no further flooding or pollution impact to the environment.

 
We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused but traffic should be back to normal by the end of today.

BREAKING: Lyon Park Primary strike suspended pending talks

 Lyon Park Primary strike action has been suspended because the cCuncil stepped in and agreed to fund all the voluntary redundancies applied for and has agreed to facilitate talks, starting tomorrow, to resolve all the other issues. 

 

The NEU will go ahead with the dates of strike action next week if these talks do not resolve the outstanding matters.

Brent Consultation on Adult Social Care opens - reduction in minimum income guarantee and increased charges. Will safeguards be enough?

 

Cllr Neil Nerva, Brent Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care

 

Brent Council opened consultation on changes in Adult Social Care charges on Thursday that propose a reduction in the minimum income guarantee support and increased charges for service users.  This will reduce Brent Council spending on Adult Social Care overall. Adult Social Care is the biggest area of Council spending.

 

Attempting to put a positive gloss on the proposals, Councillor Neil Nerva, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Adult Social Care, said:

These proposals for the charging policy are essential to ensure that we can continue to deliver a high-quality Adult Social Care service for years to come. If adopted Brent’s Adult Social Care charging policy would still be one of the most generous in London but it would be more consistent and sustainable for future years.

The Council said:

The proposed changes to the charging policy are essential to ensure the council can continue to provide the Adult Social Care services thousands of residents rely on in a sustainable way for years to come.

The proposals include:

• Changes to the minimum income guarantee – There is a minimum level of income which a person must be left with after charges are taken. This changes according to a person’s circumstances. Currently, Brent tops this up by 25%. It is proposed to reduce this to 10%. This change only affects the half of service users that contribute towards the cost of their homecare and these people will still receive 10% more than the minimum level of income they need to live, which would be one of the most generous schemes in London. The consultation will ask whether this should be implemented in full in April 2024, or phased over time.
• Increasing the amount charged to service users if they do not participate or cooperate with their financial assessment – The vast majority of service users take part in the financial assessment process, but if after four weeks they do not, it is proposed they are charged the full cost of their care. The average care cost will also be raised for financial assessments that take longer than expected to complete. The consultation will ask whether residents agree with this proposal.
• Increasing the hourly rate charged for homecare from £12.97, which will increase annually – This will impact self-funders (people who pay the total cost of their care) and some people on low incomes who have a small care package, however everyone will be re-assessed to ensure they can afford to pay. The consultation will ask what steps the council should take to support those affected.
• Charges during admissions to hospital – Proposals include not reimbursing service users for the cost of their adult social care while they are in hospital, for up to seven days if they receive homecare, or 28 days if they are in a residential or nursing home

 

In only the second proposal are residents given the opportunity to reject it outright. Public consultation meetings will be arranged to discuss the proposals.

 

More information is available on the Consultation website LINK . This includes a Powerpoint presentation from which I have extracted some case studies below:

 

 

The Council seek to reassure service users:

Share your thoughts on the consultation by Sunday 17 December. The council will then review all feedback and present the final proposals to Brent’s Cabinet in January. The earliest that any changes will take effect is April 2024.