Jackie and the Greenstalk - an eco-pantomime for all the family: July 20th Cricklewood Library and July 21st Barham Community Library

 

Jackie and the Greenstalk - an eco-pantomime for all the family

Come along to the Brent FoE Players' Summer extravaganza, with drama, comedy, music and a timely message on dealing with climate change. Bring your friends and neighbours!

Summer Family Events at Willesden Jewish Cemetery

 

Guest post by Irina Porter

Where would you go on a sunny day to enjoy exploring outdoors in the cool shade of the trees, stunning flowers and urban wildlife? Where can you do this with all the family – from the young ones to the grandparents – experiencing something educational and fascinating? To the cemetery, of course!

 

Willesden Jewish Cemetery (WJC) is not just a place of remembrance, but also a beautiful sanctuary full of life. It is a 20 acre oasis of nature, combined with a beautiful architectural landscape, right in the middle of a busy built up area. Adjacent to Roundwood Park, it forms part of a large green corridor where nature thrives, and it is now open for everyone to explore and enjoy.

WJC opened in 1873 as a garden cemetery. It was nearly full by the 1960s, and now only 20 funerals a year take place there. In 2015, an innovative project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and other benefactors transformed the cemetery into a heritage attraction, with historic displays, interpretation boards, information leaflets, free car parking, disabled access and toilets. The new Heritage Centre welcomes visitors of all faiths and cultures, telling the story of the Jewish community in London and beyond. If you happen to drop by during the opening hours (see the website for details: https://www.willesdenjewishcemetery.org.uk), a friendly volunteer will show you what’s on offer and answer your questions.

Volunteers are at the heart of what we do: from gardening to guided tours, from historical research to front of house. Our friendly team is there to contribute passion, time and expertise to our common cause – to bring this gem of history and nature to a wider audience.

The cemetery runs a busy programme, which includes guided walks, family history advice, Death Café, schools’ visits, World War commemorations and nature events.

This summer we are launching a new programme of activities, aimed at families and children:

 

On Sunday 14 July join us for our Family Discovery Day, a morning of nature exploration, something unique and fascinating for the whole family. A short guided walk offers an introduction to what we have to offer to a young nature lover, as well as taking in the beauty of a historic architectural landscape. Throughout the morning children will be able to take part in creative workshops, such as making bug hotels and butterflies. Our volunteers will share the remarkable stories of some very special people connected with the cemetery. Plus: try on a special hat for a perfect photo opportunity!

If you fancy exploring the cemetery by yourself, we offer discovery trails tailored for different school ages, which uncover stories and secrets hidden within the cemetery's grounds. From spotting symbols of Jewish traditions to unravelling mysteries surrounding intriguing figures, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

For the grown-ups, we offer a leaflet with a map and life stories of 20 remarkable individuals, which will help you navigate through our enchanting gardens and significant monuments as well as a FREE guide on Bloomberg connects: https://www.bloombergconnects.org/

The event is free, there is a small charge of £5 per family for craft activities. For more information and to book, visit: (https://www.willesdenjewishcemetery.org.uk/events/family-discovery)

If you cannot make 14 July, check out our summer workshops for children. Discover the Wonders of Nature sessions which will run on 24 and 31 July, 2pm – 4 pm. We’ll take a short nature walk through our beautiful grounds, exploring the hidden gems of our local ecosystem with our knowledgeable guides. Following the walk, we will run a craft session.

 

 

Using materials sourced from the great outdoors, let your imagination soar as you create beautiful works of art inspired by the wonders of the environment. From nature mosaics to bug hotels, there's something for everyone to enjoy! https://www.willesdenjewishcemetery.org.uk/events/nature-holiday-workshops

Every Wednesday morning in August we will run Creative Collage Workshops. Inspired by the cemetery and expressing this on paper, create beautiful and meaningful collages which tell stories of the past, stirred by the evocative landscape. The workshops are aimed at primary school children but will be suitable and enjoyable for all ages. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Advance booking is essential. https://www.willesdenjewishcemetery.org.uk/events/creative-workshops.

Please feel free to get in touch if you have further questions: either by email (heritage@theus.org.uk) or phone (020 8459 6107). We will be happy to hear from you and welcome you to our very special historic green space.

 

Byron Court Primary School deputation at Brent Council this evening

The Save Byron Court Campaign will be making a deputation at Brent Council this evening. The Agenda item is:

Provision of parent voice and representation within community schools and school communications (deputation to be made by Save Byron Court Campaign Group)

The item will be fairly early in the meeeting which begins at 6pm. The public can attend in person at the Civic Centre or watch on-line at:

 https://brent.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/884549

 

Revised Brent Cabinet portfolios and maternity leave cover. Cllr Tatler takes on New Council Housing Programme

 Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt has published revised Brent Cabinet portfolios included maternity cover for Cllr Promise Knight. Cllr Butt takes on Housing Services, Corporate Landlord Performance, Homelessness and Rough-Sleeping, Private Rented Sector and Housing Associations. 

Cllr Shama Tatler adds the New Council Housing Programme and the Brent Council arms length housing organisations 14B and First Wave Housing to her Regeneration portfolio.

New Cabinet member Cllr Jake Rubin's role is more fully described and includes the Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy.

Cabinet Portfolios

 

Councillor Muhammed Butt – Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing

 

Cross-cutting

* Communications

* Borough Plan 23-27

* Strategic change programme

* London Councils and partnerships

* Brent Black Community Action Plan

 

Housing Services (Maternity Cover from June 17th)*

 

* Corporate landlord performance

* Housing Services

 

Housing Needs and Support (Maternity Cover from June 17th)*

 

* Homelessness and Rough-Sleeping Strategy

* Private Rented Sector and Strategy

* Liaison with Housing Associations

 

Councillor Mili Patel - Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources

 

Finance & Resources

 

* Capital Investment

* Pensions

* Shared IT Service with London Boroughs

 

Organisational assurance and resilience

 

* Health and Safety

* Emergency Planning

* Counter-Fraud and Investigation

 

Governance and Legal Services

 

* Democratic Services

* Legal Services

* Complaints

 

Human Resources

 

* Workforce and Equalities

* Organisational Development

* Diversity Ambassador

Property

 

* Property and assets Strategy

* Income generation

* Facilities Management

 

Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson - Cabinet Member for Resident Support and Culture

 

Residents Services

 

* Customer accessibility

* Customer services

* Citizenship and Registration

* Welfare support

* Debt support

* Council Tax and Business Rates

* Brent Community Hubs

* Brent Libraries

* Heritage and Culture Services

* Mortuaries, Bereavement services and Cemeteries

 

Councillor Harbi Farah - Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Partnerships

 

Public Protection

 

* Community Safety and Anti-Social Behaviour

* Liaison with Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

* Prevent

* Noise Nuisance

* Violence against Women and Girls

 

Communities and Partnerships

 

* Community Engagement

* Community Grants

* Voluntary sector

* Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (external)

 

Councillor Gwen Grahl - Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools Early Help & Social Care

 

* Early Years Learning

* Family Wellbeing Centres

* Children’s Safeguarding

* Children’s Social Care

* Looked after Children and Corporate Parenting

 

Education, Partnerships and Strategy

 

* Youth offending

* Brent Youth Strategy

* Brent Youth Parliament

* Pupil referral units

* SEND provision and Strategy

* Brent Family of Schools

* School Admissions and school place planning

* Schools Forum and schools’ improvement

 

Councillor Neil Nerva - Cabinet Member for Community Health and Wellbeing Adult Social Care

 

* Safeguarding

* Supported living

* Adaptation and support

* End of life care

* Carers support

* Dementia

 

Public Health

 

* Brent Health Matters

* Mental Health

* Substance Misuse

* Healthy Start

* Vaccination campaign

* Food justice

* Sport, physical activity and leisure facilities

 

Integrated Care Partnership

 

* Liaison with health partners

* Health and Wellbeing Board

 

Councillor Jake Rubin - Cabinet Member for Employment, Innovation and Climate Action

 

Insight, Innovation and Priorities

 

* Transformation, digital, IT, data, and innovation

* Corporate performance

* Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy

 

Strategic Commissioning and Capacity Building

 

* Community Wealth Building and Inward Investment

* Procurement strategy

* Social value

 

Employment and Skills

 

* Brent Starts and Brent Works

* Economic Development

* Good work standard and London Living Wage

* Apprenticeships

 

Councillor Krupa Sheth - Cabinet Member for Environment and Enforcement

Public Realm

 

* Trees and Ecology

* Parks and green spaces

* Clean Air

 

Transport planning, strategy and operations

 

* Roads and pavements

* Waste and recycling

* Street cleaning

* Waste enforcement

* West London Waste Authority

* Parking, Street Lighting

 

Regulatory Enforcement

 

* Building Control

* Regulatory Services and Trading Standards

* Pest Control

* Planning Enforcement

 

Councillor Shama Tatler - Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Growth

 

Inclusive, Regeneration and Planning

 

* Estate Regeneration

* Planning

* Local Plan

* Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

* High streets and town centre improvement

* Strategic growth

* Affordable workplaces

* West London Economic Prosperity Board

 

Strategic Housing (Maternity cover from June 17th)

 

* New Council Housing Programme

* I4B/First Wave Housing

Votes a feature of a talk and a screening at Willesden Green Library in July

 Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

 

I hope that you voted in the General Election on Thursday, whoever you chose to vote for. The right to vote is something that our ancestors had to fight for, and using it can sometimes change things for the better. By coincidence, two free Brent Libraries, Arts and Heritage events at Willesden Green Library this month both involve voting in their stories.

 

Although free public libraries have been under threat, because of the squeeze on spending by local councils since 2010, we do tend to think of them as a normal public service, but that wasn’t always the case.  Acts of Parliament in Victorian times did allow free public libraries to be set up, but only if an area’s residents requested a referendum (or poll) on the subject. This would actually be a vote by local ratepayers on whether they were willing to pay an extra amount (one penny in the pound) to be used to fund such libraries.

 

You might think, when political parties at each election seem to promise not to raise taxes, or even to cut them, that taxpayers would never vote to pay more! But when the Local Board (the official name of the Council for Willesden Parish in 1891) held a poll of ratepayers under the Public Libraries Acts, they voted in favour by more than two to one.

 

 From the “Willesden Chronicle”, 27 February 1891.
(Source: Brent Archives – local newspaper microfilms)

 

Only around 3,300 people voted, out of a population in Willesden of more than sixty-one thousand at that time. This was because not everyone, not even every adult man, had a vote. Only ratepayers, people who paid local land taxes on property they owned, were allowed to vote. This would mainly be men, but if a woman owned property in her own right, and was a ratepayer, she could vote in local elections at that time.

 

If you would like to come to my illustrated talk, “The Willesden Green Library Story”, in the original Victorian section of the library on Thursday 18 July from 6.30 to 7.30pm, you can reserve your free seat HERE.

 

Mary Ann Diaz was a property-owning woman who had the right to vote in local elections in Kingsbury, where she lived from 1889 onwards. However, even in local voting, women were not always equal with men. Mary Ann had married José Diaz, a Spaniard who had come to England to run his family’s sherry business here. He was also a ratepayer and voter, and by 1905 he was the Chairman of Kingsbury Urban District Council.

 

Fears over the number of Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe, stoked by certain national newspapers, led to a Conservative government passing the Aliens Act of 1905, the first British law aimed at restricting immigration. One restriction it introduced was that “aliens” were not allowed to vote, and José Diaz had not managed to submit his naturalisation papers before the “voters list” for Kingsbury was next reviewed. His opponents on the Council took the opportunity to challenge his right to vote.

 

Extract from the “Hendon & Finchley Times”, 6 October 1905.
[Source: Barnet Local Studies and Archives Centre - local newspaper microfilms]

 

Having successfully removed José Diaz from the list of people eligible to vote, his opponents then challenged his wife’s name. Although Mary Ann Diaz owned property, and was a ratepayer herself, her name was also removed from the list, the Barrister saying that ‘...this followed as a matter of course’, because she was married to a man not qualified to vote!

 

Most of us know something of the struggle in this country for “Votes for Women”, and how the suffragette movement succeeded in getting the law changed in 1918, so that women (aged over 30, until equal rights were introduced in 1928) could vote in Parliamentary elections. One of the “forgotten women” of that struggle was Asian, and her story is told in a film being shown at Willesden Green Library on Thursday 25 July from 6.30 to 8pm.

 

You can find more on Sophia Duleep Singh, and the film about her, and book your free ticket to the screening HERE. We owe our votes to people like her!

 

Philip Grant.

Brent General Election Results & Queens Park By-Election result. Shama Tatler loses in Chingford and Woodford Green

 

Dawn Butler (Brent East) and Barry Gardiner (Brent West) have been elected as Members of Parliament (MPs) after winning seats in yesterday's General Election.

The turnout for Brent East was 49.06% and the turnout for Brent West was 51.95%.”

Brent East

Dawn Butler, Labour Party, has been elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent East.

The results in order of votes for each candidate are:

• Dawn Butler, Labour Party (19,370 votes ELECTED)
• Jamila Robertson, Conservative Party (6,323 votes)
• Nida Alfulaij, Green Party (3,729 votes)
• Jonny Singh, Liberal Democrat (2,635 votes)
• Zbigniew Kowalczyk, Reform UK (2,024 votes)
• Aadil Shaikh, Independent (1,846 votes)
• James Mutimer, Workers Party (1,052 votes)
• Amin Moafi, Independent (654 votes)
• Jenner Clarence Joseph Folwell, Independent (169 votes)

Brent West

Barry Gardiner, Labour Party, has been elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent West.

The results in order of votes for each candidate are:

• Barry Strachan Gardiner, Labour Party (17,258 votes ELECTED)
• Sushil Gangadhar Rapatwar, Conservative Party (13,465 votes)
• Paul Lorber, Liberal Democrat (3,013 votes)
• Baston Anthony De’Medici-Jaguar, Green Party (2,805 votes)
• Nadia Klok, Workers Party (2,774 votes)
• Ian Collier, Reform UK (2,061 votes)

Queen’s Park and Maida Vale constituency

Turnout: 38,618

Total votes cast: 51.11%

Surname	First names	Party	Votes
Baxter	Helen June	Liberal Democrats	3,417
Carter - Begbie	Angela Michelle	Reform UK	2,106
Dharamsi	Abdulla Janmohamed	Independent	601
Gould	Georgia	Labour Party	20,126 (ELECTED)
Hersi	Samia	The Conservative Party	5,088
Lichtenstein	Vivien Aviva	Green Party	5,213
Menabde	Irakli	Workers Party	1,792

QUEENS PARK COUNCIL BY-ELECTION

Leslie Anne Smith, Labour Party (3,038 votes ELECTED)

Virginia Leslie Bonham Carter, Liberal Democrat  (1,462 votes)

Ricardo William Davies, Green Party (1,329 votes)

Emily Julia Sheffield,  Conservative Party (1,138 votes)

CHINGFORD AND WOODFORD GREEN

Of interest as Cllr Shama Tatler was standing after the removal of the Labour candidate. In the event just 79 votes separated Tatler and the former candidate Faiza Shaheen who stood as an independent. Tory Ian Duncan Smith held the seat.

SEE LINK 

 

TfL and Quintain call for mitigations if increased 'Large Events' at Wembley Stadium approved. Chiltern Railways still short of rolling stock

 Transport for London, in response the the Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) planning application for an increased number of 'Large Events' at Wembley Stadium and an increase in the crowd threshold, seek mitigations if the application is to approved. Quintain Ltd make representations on behalf of residents on their estate and (perhaps) those further afield.

Given recent coverage on Wembley Matters of public transport difficulties that TfL make it clear that they do not agree with WSNL's claim that eight additional major events will have a 'neglible' impact on the underground and say that this also applies to non-major events.

Unfortunately TfL do not go into detail on the impact on local bus routes but Quintain Ltd call for mitigation of the impact of additional events on bus travel.

Quintain's mosr signifcant demand is:

 To ensure residents' amenity is adequately protected, WNSL should commit to the following restrictions on events:

? a cap on the maximum number of consecutive non -sporting events;
? a cap on the maximum number of non-sporting events per week; and
? a cap on the maximum number of weeks in any calendar year where the maximum number of consecutive non -sporting events or maximum number of non-sporting  events in a week can be held.

The restrictions would go some way to addressing residents' concerns about the impact of events.

Quintain call for WNSL to be responsible for all additional operational and maintenance costs associated with the additional number of events.

TRANSPORT FOR LONDON

Main points highlighted:

Thank you for consulting Transport for London ('TfL') on the above planning application.

For context, TfL is the strategic highway authority in respect of Greater London Authority roads and strategic public transportation provider including London Underground Services, London Overground services, as well as buses.

To summarise, the application proposes a significant increase in events:8 additional major events at the Stadium, not including European and  World Cup events where England/UK is a host nation, to a total of 54 major events per year ii) events which are currently major events (spectator  capacity figure between 51,000 and 59,999) but proposed not to be covered as major events pursuant to this planning application.

TfL is not objecting to the proposals, strictly subject to the local planning authority appropriately securing the necessary transport mitigation  measures set out below:

1. The submitted assessment states that the impact of additional eight major events will have a negligible impact on underground  services. The same conclusion is also reached for non major events. This conclusion is not agreed with. It is essential that all the  necessary mitigation is in place to address the additional pressure that these events put on the TfL public transport network and  associated infrastructure, operational staff and passengers. We note that Chiltern Railways, carrying 8-12 percent of customers to  Wembley events, are currently objecting to the proposals as they do not have sufficient rolling stock and staff to support the proposed  additional major events at Wembley, placing further strain on TfL services.

2. Event days require extra staff at each station, who need to be redeployed from elsewhere. It is also useful to note that the number of  large-scale events happening simultaneously across London has increased, placing further pressure on TfL's resources. TfL request
funding for additional FTEs at Wembley Park Station is secured through the appropriate legal mechanism.

3. Consideration will also need to be given to the non-staff costs accrued by TfL during events. We are happy to meet to discuss the exact  requirement based on more detailed discussion with the applicant. Further information on the queries raised at Point 6 would be
beneficial to inform these further discussions.

4. We also note that Wembley has around 8,000 staff working at the stadium during event days, with a significant proportion of these staff  using Wembley Park Station to get home at night. The Station is having to keep staff on later to account for this, and with the increased
event numbers (including the number of non-major events) this will increase. This will need to be factored into the additional mitigation  measures required.

5. An increase in events will also place additional pressure on the rail infrastructure. TfL will need further details to understand any  potential impact on our rail maintenance due to the proposed increase in events.

6. Please could further information be provided on the following: 

a. What days the additional events are planned to be held? It is important to highlight that the night-tube is only available at the weekend (Friday/Saturday). 

b. It is noted that the applicant has indicated that they are looking for an increase in the number of attendees which  is classed as a non-major event. Please could further detail for this increase be provided including assessment  and justification/rationale in transport terms and demonstrating that no adverse transport effects are likely.

c. It has been indicated that the impact of the proposal on rail and London Underground links has been undertaken  using Steer's demand forecasting model. Further information should be provided on this model, including whether  it includes any outputs from TfL's models and takes into account the growth within the Wembley area.

7. Please note that TfL would not be supportive of any events finishing after 23:00 Monday-Saturday or 22:00 on Sunday. After this time,  services run down quicker, and finish earlier, which will significantly impact on the ability to clear late night crowds.

8. It is noted that the applicant has stated that the effect on bus routes is considered to be negligible. This is not accepted. Could further  information be provided on how this has been determined.

9. It is expected that TfL are consulted through the monthly Wembley Stadium Transport Operations Group Meeting (WSTOG).

TfL colleagues are open to meet to discuss this application and the above comments in more detail.

To conclude, TfL is not objecting in principle to additional events and subject to the applicant providing further information, to the proposed  increased major event cap at the stadium. It is, however, key that additional mitigation necessary to address the additional pressures these  events will have on the public transport network, operational staff and visitors is secured through the appropriate legal mechanism. Further  discussion with TfL on the necessary mitigation measures as set out above is essential prior to the determination of this planning application.

 

 

QUINTAIN LTD

 

24/1329: Variation of Condition 1 (Event Cap) and Condition 2 (Temporary Traffic Management) of  Permission reference 20/4197 to allow for 8 additional major stadium events per event calendar  year.

Thank you for consulting Quintain on the application submitted by Lichfields, on behalf of Wembley  National Stadium Ltd (WNSL), which, inter alia, seeks to vary Condition 1 of the Wembley Stadium  planning permission (ref. 20/4197) to increase the number of major stadium events that can take place during a calendar year from 46 to 54 events.

Quintain is the largest landowner and developer in Wembley Park, owning approximately 35  hectares of land around Wembley Stadium. Through our close working relationship with Brent  Council, and other key stakeholders including WNSL, we have led the successful regeneration of  Wembley Park over the past 20 years delivering 6,000 new homes, retail and commercial floorspace and significant public realm improvements. The improvements delivered include the transformation of Olympic Way with new hard and soft landscaping, lighting and security infrastructure together with the demolition of the Pedway and construction of the new Olympic Steps . These improvements, coupled with the creation of significant new parking facilities, have greatly enhanced  both the everyday and event day experience of visitors to Wembley and helped Wembley Stadium  maintain its standing as London's premier sporting and music venue.

In view of our long-term working relationship with WNSL and Brent, which ensures the impacts of  major stadium events are managed and mitigated, Quintain supports the proposed increase from 46 to 54 major stadium events in a calendar year, subject to the below conditions being formally secured, should the application be approved :

1. The character and land uses around Wembley Park have changed significantly since the
Stadium opened in 2007 and it is important that WNSL continue s to recognise that their
events have an impact on the daily lives of residents and business, and they should be
seeking to mitigate these as part of this application.

From reviewing the representations submitted by local residents, it is clear that event day
management, and in particular stewarding and post-event cleaning, are areas of significant
concern. Therefore, WNSL should commit to paying all the operational and management
costs associated with the additional events and/or any event that exceeds the existing caps
of 22 sporting events and 24 non -sporting events in a calendar year.

WNSL have highlighted the success of the triparty 'Best in Class' initiative between WNSL,
Quintain and Brent, which currently manages the impacts of event days upon the local area
and state this will be implemented for the additional events . Whilst we agree that the 'Best
in Class' principles covering stewarding, parking enforcement, traffic management, toilets
and street cleaning should apply to the additional events, the increased costs associated with
delivering these should be borne wholly by WNSL.

2. To ensure residents' amenity is adequately protected, WNSL should commit to the following restrictions on events:
? a cap on the maximum number of consecutive non -sporting events;
? a cap on the maximum number of non-sporting events per week; and
? a cap on the maximum number of weeks in any calendar year where the maximum
number of consecutive non -sporting events or maximum number of non-sporting
events in a week can be held.

The above conditions should be included in the S106 Agreement (Deed of Variation ) that WNSL indicate they are discussing with Brent Council (Page 29, Lichfields ' Planning Statement, 15 May 2024). As a participant in the Best in Class initiative, and owner of land within the planning application boundary where many of these measures will take place, Quintain would expect to be consulted on the Deed of Variation before it is completed.

Finally, in addition to the above, we would also request that WNSL , TfL and Brent work closely on mitigating the impact Stadium events have upon existing bus routes and services to ensure residents  are able to carry on their daily lives and move around the area on event days with the minimum of disruption.

We request that the Council keep Quintain informed on the progress of the application as it moves towards determination . Should the above conditions not be secured, Quintain reserve the right to make further representations on the application as appropriate.

 

CHILTERN RAILWAYS

 

On behalf of Chiltern Railways, who operate services to London, Birmingham and Oxford via Wembley Stadium station we wanted to put on record our comments on the application for up to 8 additional events to be held at Wembley Stadium each year.

Leisure travel is an increasingly important and significant area of travel demand on our routes. As the key mainline rail operator serving and operating Wembley Stadium Station, we carry between 8 and 12% of customer flows for Wembley events including major football fixtures and summer concerts.

Chiltern Railways have a constructive and ongoing dialogue with the FA and Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL) as the stadium operator, with an established and effective working relationship which supports the transport planning for major events. We were especially pleased to receive the feedback from both UEFA and The Football Association for our recent management of the Champions League Final which included additional services, a charter service for UEFA dignitaries and enhanced arrangements for spectators who required special assistance on their journeys to the stadium.

We recognise that the uplift in the event cap is necessary for commercial reasons, and that as a consequence the actual level of additional travel demand which may arise could be less than the revised event cap allows. We also recognise and are supportive of the positive impact that events at Wembley have on the local and wider economy.

However, Chiltern Railways does not currently have enough available rolling stock and associated colleagues to fully deliver the existing Wembley events programme and maintain our current published timetable. It is often necessary therefore for Chiltern Railways to remove services from other parts of our network to deliver enough capacity to safely serve Wembley Stadium. Recent examples include the Champions League Final on the 1 June 2024 and the League One Play Off Final on Saturday 18 May 2024. This results in an ongoing negative impact on Chiltern Railways reputation and impacts our regular customer and stakeholder relationships on other routes. We have also had to take the difficult decision not to serve Wembley events where they coincide with other events on the network which require additional rolling stock and colleagues, for example where engineering works close the West Coast Mainline and we are the only operator of services between Birmingham and London. It should, however, be noted that a number of recent events have taken place without additional Chiltern Railways services, and without significant disruption.

Chiltern Railways are working with the Department for Transport to acquire replacement and additional rolling stock for the Chiltern Mainline which would support the service delivery demands of additional Wembley events in the future, but in the meantime travel demand may need to be managed on an event-by-event basis.

If the event cap is extended by a further 8 events Chiltern Railways will continue to assess each event on an individual basis and collaborate with the stadium and other transport operators (including Transport for London) through our established channels and arrangements to support service delivery and accommodate the shared travel demands arising.

We will continue to work closely with the stadium operator as these plans are developed and delivered and welcome their support for our rolling stock proposals.

 

Brent Council turn down request for public consultation meetings on Wembley Stadium's application to hold up to 54 'Large Events' a year with crowd theshold increased from 51,000 to 60,000. Decision expected in August

 

 

Cllr Anton Georgiou has tabled a question to Brent Council over Wembley Stadium's controversial application to increase the number of events and the crowd threshold at the stadium. The council reject a request to hold public consultation meetings on the proposal and suggest the application will go to Planning Committee in August when many residents will be away.

The question and response:

Question from Councillor Georgiou to Councillor Tatler (Cabinet Member for Regeneration Planning & Growth):

 

Large scale events at Wembley Stadium, especially when held on three successive days, have a major impact on the ability of thousands of Brent residents to go about their everyday activities.

 

In 1999, planning permission was granted allowing the Stadium to hold 37 'Large' events, which has subsequently been increased to 46 'Large' events. Now the stadium wants this increased again to 54.

 

Can the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Growth advise:

 

1. Will Brent Council hold consultation meetings to hear first hand the impact the ever increasing number of Large-scale events have on the lives of local people?

 

2. Has Brent Council carried out a detailed impact assessment of how Large Event days affect the lives of local people?

 

3. Will due regard in the planning officers assessment be given to social impacts on lives of local people and not simply financial benefits for the Stadium?

 

4. What direct compensation or benefits can local people expect if the changes proposed were to be approved?

 

Response:

 

The Stadium has applied to vary a condition on their planning consent to allow them to hold up to 8 additional stadium events each year. They are also applying to increase the threshold above which the event cap applies from 51,000 to 60,000 people and to change the distinction between sporting and non-sporting events.

 

Events at the stadium been an important feature of Brent life for over 100 years bringing both benefits and impacts to our residents and businesses. There were no restrictions on the number of events at the previous stadium but an “event cap” was introduced for the new stadium. As you are aware, this started at 37 events and is now at 46 events following previous applications to increase the cap.

 

The Stadium have submitted supporting information with their application which examines the implications and potential impacts of the proposal, and this is available on our website.

 

We are currently consulting on this application, with letters sent to over 50,000 properties in the Wembley Event Day Zone and site notices put up around the stadium. Over 100 comments have already been received and these will all be considered.

 

We are not intending to hold a public meeting prior to the Planning Committee meeting for the application and it’s important that comments on the planning application are provided in writing.

 

Impacts to local residents and businesses are being carefully considered. We do not consider profits for individual organisations such as the stadium, but we do take the wider benefits that a proposal may bring to the local economy into account.

 

We secure measures and obligations that are required to mitigate impacts of a proposal but are not able to secure compensation for local businesses or residents. We must also look at the difference between what can happen now and what could happen if the application is approved.

 

We encourage residents and local businesses to let us know what they think about the Stadium’s proposal. We are still out to consultation, and it is likely that the application will be considered by the Planning Committee in August