Celebrating Harlesden's place in Black Music History at the Reggae Tree and Harlesden Library

 Beneath the Reggae Tree outside Hawkeye Records, Craven Park, Harlesden

CLICK TO HEAR THE ALBUM

Yesterday's International Reggae Day celebration in Harlesden took on an international dimension as well as delving deep into the local history of Black Music on this corner of Brent, 'Harlesbridge', combining Harlesden and Stonebridge.

Linking the struggle against South African apartheid with Jamaica, Ghana and the diaspora in England, Kwaku claimed that reggae helped give South Africans the energy to fight for equality (You can hear the great Reggae Mandela album HERE) while Ghana has linked with Jamaica and the UK through their joint concern for the environment through planting of a symbolic Reggae Tree in Accra.:

The Reggae Tree is a symbolic nod to International Reggae Day's Tree Planting Challenge, which is endorsed by Eco-Conscious Citizens. The environmental group's partner organisation, BBM/BMC, planted The Reggae Tree in London in 2018. It's sited in Harlesden, the north-west London area that is the capital of reggae in Britain. IRD2024 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, highlights the importance of reggae to the fight against apartheid in South Africa and the unbreakable bond between Jamaica and South Africa, which is mirrored by the unbreakable bond between International Reggae Day and its original inspiration - South Africa’s Mama Winnie Mandela. During the event, Eco-Conscious Citizens will also launch a plastic bottle recycle bank to raise awareness of Plastic Free July, which is a global movement that encourages individuals to reduce their single-use plastic consumption for the month of July. The group is asking stores to give their customers the choice of buying non-plastic reusable bags, instead of the free, throw-away single-use plastic bags.

Sonny Roberts with his daughter Cleon

Speaking against the background of a huge and noisy Craven Park traffic jam, the Cleon Roberts, daughter of Jamaican record producer Sonny Roberts LINK   Reggae Ambassador, Diane Shrouder-Johnson, spoke of the importance of Harlesden as the capital of  reggae and Black Music, developed during the 50s, 60s and 70s to the present with record shops, selling of records from the backs of cars,  and studios tucked away amidst a spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship.

 

 

Yesterday also saw a special exhibition at Harlesden Library of the Brent Reggae Albums Covers Exhibition which is on until October with curator talks on Monday 12th August, Monday 2nd September and Monday 14th October. 

Kwaku gave a well-informed and humourous commentary on the  album covers and the music, artists and producers involved.

 

 

 

 Towards the end of the talk Kwaku asked the audience whether this was all in the past or continued. Amid the cries from the audience he unveiled a hidden display featuring the the Big Zeeks album cover and the artist himself stepped up from the audience to talk about how much he loved Harlesden and Brent and wanted to give back to the community.

 

 

Big Zeeks pointed out how the album cover features many aspects of Harlesden. Can you spot them all?

 

The history continues.

 

 

Brent Council advises its homeless residents to up sticks and move somewhere else where private rents are lower

 Cllr Rita Begum (Kilburn ward) asked a question LINK of Brent Council leader, Muhammed Butt, for the July 8th Brent Full Council Meeting on the plight of the homeless in the borough.

In his response Butt outlines the increasing cost of placements of the homeless in temporary private rented accommodation as well as the rise in the number of people and families presenting as homeless at the Civic Centre.

He cites the limited action that the council has been able to take and goes on to introduce a new campaign that the council will undertake called 'Find a Place You Can Afford':

 

In addition, the council is set to launch a new communications campaign which aims to raise awareness of the deepening homelessness emergency in Brent and the practical realities and life changing consequences this has for homeless  households. 

 

The Find a place you can afford campaign will seek to break the perceived link between homelessness and social housing. For the overwhelming majority of people, becoming homeless does not mean they have a better chance of securing a council home.

 

For most homeless households the most likely sustainable solution to their homelessness will be to find a place they can afford in the private rented sector in a more affordable part of the UK. The council’s communications will seek to encourage the growing number of homeless households to realise more quickly that, for the vast majority, their future housing options are all in the private rented sector in an area they can afford.

 

Amid all the rising tower blocks of high spec flats  in Wembley, Alperton and elsewhere in the borough, the council is admitting that it cannot help those waiting for accommodation on the housing list. Their advice could be seen as ruthlessly honest in refusing to give homeless families any hope of staying near extended family, social netweeks and local schools in Brent.

 

It is rather similar to Norman Tebbit's advice to the workless to 'get on your bike' to find work elsewhere.

Others may see it as another step on the gentrification road.

Watch the videos to hear from some of the candidates for Brent East on a range of General Election topics

 There has been only one General Election Hustings in Brent East so far in the campaign. St Raphael's Voice invited all candidates to attend but Labour, Conservatives and Reform did not accept. Martin Francis substituted for Nida Al-Fulaij the Green Party candidate.

St Raphael's Voice recorded the event on video so that answers could be shared with the wider community.

 There are 9 videos in all on different topics.

Candidates/Participants in attendance:

 

James Mutimer - Workers Party GB 

Aadil Shaikh - Independent

Jonny Singh - Liberal Democrats 

Martin Francis - representing Nida Al Fulaj the  Green Party candidate

 

Candidates not in attendance but invited to attend:

 

Dawn Butler - Labour Party 

Jamila Robertson - Conservative 

Amin Moafi - Independent 

Zbigniew Kowalcyzk - Reform UK 

Jenner Folwell - Independent

Nida Al- Fulaij - Green Party 

 

You can see the full playlist by topic on the link below.

 

Brent East Hustings

Brent & Harrow PSC and Wembley Muslim Centre are holding a Brent West Hustings Tuesday July 2nd 7pm

 

 

TUE 2 JUL - BRENT WEST HUSTINGS 7pm
 

Hosted by Brent & Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign in partnership with Wembley Muslim Centre
Hybrid event - Zoom & in-person

 🕠7pm 📍Wembley Muslim Centre, 1-3 Hazel House, Lancelot Road, HA0 2AL

Register here: https://buytickets.at/brentharrowpsc/1304822
Please submit questions in advance by email to brentharrowpsc@gmail.com

London Sees Annual Drop in Community Spaces with Brent Hit Hardest

 From Foundation for Future London LINK

By Amy Zamarripa Solis

• Freedom of Information requests from East London charity reveal disparities in community spaces available across London boroughs.
• Brent faced the highest number of local authority-run community space closures
• Boroughs like Barnet, Havering, Newham have seen more closures than openings

Research carried out by Foundation for Future London into local authority-run community spaces has revealed that closures are now outpacing new openings in some London boroughs, with 46 community spaces permanently shut down between 2018-2023, nearly 10 a year.

The research – obtained through Freedom of Information requests – revealed 1,758 spaces are currently open, with openings and closures varied between boroughs across London. Brent faced the highest number of closures at 13, while only opening four new spaces. Boroughs including Barnet, Havering, Newham, Hillingdon and Lewisham have also closed more spaces than opening new ones in the five years from 2018 to 2023.

The findings – as part of Foundation for Future London’s Empowering Safer Spaces campaign, run in partnership with local partner Westfield Stratford City – aim to understand young people’s perceptions of existing community spaces across London. The campaign will explore how safe and accessible community spaces across the capital truly are, bringing together government, businesses and academics to discuss the importance of these safe community spaces. Young people, with real lived experiences, will also be represented at the roundtable, meaning all voices will be represented.

The data also revealed that, between 2018 and 2023:

• Barnet and Havering both closed three spaces with just one new opening each
• Newham closed two spaces and opened zero
• Hillingdon and Lewisham both closed one space and opened zero each

Other areas lack community spaces completely – Ealing has the lowest total with just three open to residents. This is followed by Harrow, with only eight, and Lambeth and Haringey with nine.

Areas like Islington – with more than 223 community spaces – seem to have a higher focus on nurturing their community offerings.  Barking and Dagenham also stand out by creating 30 new spaces in the last five years – the highest among all boroughs queried. Tower Hamlets follows with the next highest at 20 newly opened spaces. Finally, while Greenwich closed four, it opened 10 new amenities, bringing its total to 183 spaces.

Foundation for Future London will launch its wider findings at a panel event in July, with support from partner Westfield Stratford City and hosted by University College London. The panel will focus on how London can be made a safe place for everyone, where all feel welcome and have access to equal opportunities.

Sarah Nelson, CEO at Foundation for Future London said:

“The growing lack of safe spaces and services across London is worrying . All young people deserve access to safe spaces to learn, play and grow within their local communities. While some boroughs have made strides in opening new amenities like parks or sports centres, others are falling behind – with closures outpacing openings.

“This trend is particularly worrisome. A lack of safe spaces affects the overall quality of life and developmental opportunities available to young residents. These findings reinforce the need for greater investment to develop and protect vital community spaces across London. Robust community facilities and accessible services and support to young people are integral to fostering equal access to vibrant and supportive environments.”

Alyson Hodkinson, Head of Sustainability UK, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said:

“The vitality of our community spaces is crucial, and the recent findings highlight a concerning trend: closures of such spaces are outpacing new openings in several boroughs, leaving gaps in places where young people can learn, play, and connect. At Westfield Stratford City, we recognise the significance of vibrant community hubs in fostering social cohesion and providing positive outlets for our youth. As an integral part of East London, we are committed to supporting the development of these spaces, ensuring they remain inclusive and inviting environments for all.”

For more information about Foundation for Future London and its Empowering Safer Spaces campaign, visit future.london/programme/empowering-safer-spaces-campaign/.

Brent Council fails dismally to replace felled trees

Brent Council's response to a Freedom of Information Request LINK (converted to an Environmental Information Request) has revealed that in the period 2019-24 1,356 trees were felled and only 762 planted.

How many of the latter survived is not stated. The record for a counci that has declared a Climate Emergency is not very sastifactory.

The full request and not very full answer is reproduced below. For ease I have marked Brent Council's answer in bold:

Environmental Information Regulations 2004

Thank you for your information request received on 12/06/2024. This request is being handled under the Environmental Information  Regulations 2004.
 

I can confirm that Brent Council holds the information you have requested. 
 

Your request and our responses are set out below:

Please could you provide information under the FOIA for the below;

1. How many trees has the local authority, its contractors or other organisations funded by the council planted in the borough between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2024, and how many trees have been removed in the same  timeframe? Where known, please also provide information about the number of trees planted on land the Council has made available to other parties for tree planting. Please provide information in a table with the headings/format below.

- Number of trees planted by the council, its contractors and/or other organisations funded by the council
- Where known, number of trees planted where the council has made land available to other parties for tree planting
- Number of trees removed

2019/20 - 415 felled 464 planted
2020/21 - 192 felled 90 planted
2021/22 - 258 felled 69 planted
2022/23 - 217 felled 83 planted
2023/24 - 274 felled 56 planted

 

For the calendar year 2023 there were 135 (plus) trees planted in parks

2. What are the council's tree planting targets for the period 1 April  2024 to 31 March 2030? How many trees does it intend to plant in the borough over this period (either by the council, its contractors or other organisations funded by the council) and how many does it expect will have to be removed? Where known, please also provide information about tree planting targets on land the council has made or intends to make available to other parties for tree planting. Please provide information in a table with the headings/format below.

- Targets for tree planting by the council, its contractors and/or other organisations funded by the council
- Where known, targets for tree planting on land the council has made or  intends to make available to other parties for tree planting
- Expected number of trees to be removed

2024/25 
2025/26
2026/27
2027/28
2028/29
2029/30

 

For the calendar year 2023 there were 135 (plus) trees planted in parks. A difficulty in providing information is the wide range of tree sizes that the Parks Service manages, from seedlings to mature trees. While the total structural tree canopy may possibly be increasing, the numbers of trees planted or removed can be complicated also by the numbers of trees that arise naturally or are removed naturally. 
 
We do not hold any estimates or targets for trees to be planted, or removed by Parks, for future years up to 2029/30 therefore this is a refusal under regulation 12(4)(a) under the EIR 2004 for this part of your request.

 

 

 

 

 

WILLESDEN GREEN: Controversial Cranhurst Road mixed place of worship/accommodation development Planning Appeal deadline July 8th

 

27 Cranhurst Road, NW2

 

The purple pin marks the property in its suburban context

 

Following refusal of planning permission for extensive alterations to an Edwardian house in Cranhurst Road, Willesden Green the applicant has launched an Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

The application by the Gaudiya Mission  (a Hindu monastic organisation) was for excavation of a basement, the doubling of the number of bedrooms from 4 to 8 and new structures in the garden area.  The house currently has planning permissions for mix as a place of worship and accommmodation.The proposal would have increased the worship area to accommodate more people.

The decision to refuse was made by delegated Brent Planning Officers, not the Brent Planning Comittee.

This is the timetable for the  Appeal:

See LINK

 

'Interested party' comments have to be sent in by Monday July 8th.

This is the proposal as submitted to Brent Council:

Proposed creation of basement, single-storey side to rear extension, rear dormer extension with 2x front rooflights and outbuilding to the rear garden to the premises.

 

REASONS FOR REFUSAL

 

1 The accommodation proposed across the first floor and loft floor levels does not align with the space standards as outlined under policy D6 of the London Plan (2021) and consequently would not provide an adequate standard of accommodation and internal amenity for future residents. As a result, the proposal is therefore contrary to policy DMP1 of Brent's Local Plan (2019-41) and policy D6 of the London Plan (2021).

 

2 The proposed single storey rear and side extension and basement by reason of their design, height and bulk would appear overly prominent, incongruous with and detrimental to the character and appearance of the existing property and surrounding area. As such, the proposal is contrary to planning policies DMP1, BD1, & BD3 of Brent's Local Plan (2019-41), Supplementary Planning Document 2: Residential Extensions and Alterations (2018) and Basement Supplementary Planning Document (2017).

 

3 The proposed rear element at basement and ground floor level, by reason of excessive height and proximity to the boundaries of adjoining properties would have an unacceptable impact to the  neighbouring amenity of the adjoining occupiers. Moreover, the proposal by not offering sufficient natural daylight to the basement and ground floor areas of the premises is deemed to offer poor levels of internal amenity for future occupiers, contrary to policies DMP1, BD1 & BD3 of the Brent Local Plan (2019-2041), the guidance contained within Supplementary Planning Document SPD1 Brent Design Guide (2018) and Basement Supplementary Planning Document (2017).

 

4 The proposal by reason of the insufficient provision of information regarding soft landscaping and planting fails to demonstrate how that the scheme will achieve a satisfactory urban greening factor on the site and provide sustainable urban drainage. The proposal would therefore be contrary to policy policies BD1, BGI1 & BSUI4 of Brent's Local Plan (2019-2041) and policies G5 and G6 of the London Plan (2021).

 

5 By reason of the lack of a Fire Statement, it has not been demonstrated that the proposal will provide a suitable fire safety and safe means of escape strategy for all building users, contrary to Policy D12A of the London Plan (2021).

 

6 By virtue of the lack of details regarding bicycle parking and a statement regarding visitor numbers and opening hours, the proposal does not adequately consider the requirements of Local Plan policy BT2 (2019-41).

 

7 No relevant arboricultural studies were submitted in support of the proposal. As such, it is considered that the applicant has not sufficiently demonstrated that there will not be a harmful impact on trees adjoining the applicant site. Accordingly, the proposal is therefore deemed to be contrary to Policy G7 of the London Plan (2021) and BGI2 of the Brent Local Plan (2019-2041). DocFDN Ref: 23/2411

 

8 By reason of the lack of submission of a suitable Drainage Strategy, it has not been demonstrated that the proposal will achieve greenfield run-off rates for surface water, contrary to Policy BSUI4 of the Local Plan (2019-41)

 

The Officers' Report gives more information on the views of local residents:

 

 

Monday July 1st International Reggae Day at the Reggae Tree outside Hawkeye Records, Harlesden 5pm

 

  The Reggae Tree is outside Hawkeye Records

 From Black Music Congress

 

We wish to invite you to the celebration of the 30th anniversary of International Reggae Day (IRD) in Harlesden on Monday July 1 2024: 1. 5.00-6.00pm Runnings Around The Reggae Tree (In front of Hawkeye Records, 2 Craven Park Rd, London NW10 4AB) A gathering led by The Reggae Tree Ambassador Diane Shrouder-Johnson where we highlight musical and environmental issues (the Tree is a product of the IRD Plant A Tree Challenge), plus the rich reggae and black music history of Harlesden, Brent – the capital of reggae in Britain. 

 

We'll be expecting a vocal contribution by singing Bob Marley's 'One Love'.

 

Afterwards  6.30-8.30pm The Brent Reggae Album Covers Exhibition (Harlesden Library, Craven Park Rd, London NW10 8SE) Local historical musicologist officially unveils and provides the background to how he came to curate the exhibition, followed by a presentation by Colin Brown on The UK Reggae History Online portal, and responses from special guests and attendees. Includes the playlist from the IRD UK 2024 Recommended Album 'Reggae Mandela', which speaks to the IRD @ 30 theme of Riddims & Resistance, plus refreshments