Call for direct meetings between Wembley Stadium and affected residents over increased events rejected in favour of 'improved collaborative work'

 Cllr Anton Georgiou followed up his question to Cllr Shama Tatler (Regeneration and Planning)   LINK on public consultation about extra Wembley Stadium events at last night's Full Council Meeting.

He said he had asked four questions and the answer to all of them was effectively 'No'.

No to further consultation led by Brent Council.

No to a detailed impact assessment by the Council.

No to an assessment by planning officers of the social impact on the lives of local people of extra events.

No to any direct compensation or benefit to local people impacted by the increased number of event days.

The applicant (Wembley National Stadium Limited)  had said they met with both the leader and Chief Executive of the Council in relation to the application and that they were favourably received. 

Cllr Georgiou asked, 'Why can't the applicant meet with the people who are going to be directly impacted by ever increasing events at Wembley Stadium?'

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, replied in the absence of Cllr Tatler.

For the most part the events at the Stadium are a success, but it would be remiss of us not to recognise the disruption that Event Days can have on Brent residents.

It is imperative that any application from the Stadium, by means of mitigation, strikes a balance with the community. Let's not forget the disruption stretches wider than the Stadium itself. Chiltern Railways recently admitted they didn't have the staff or the capacity throughout the summer.

Brent Council will continue to work in partnership with everyone involved so I will be calling for improved collaborative with residents and stakeholders alike as we negotiate any future terms with the Stadium going forward.

Save Byron Court campaigners call on Brent Council to review school governing bodies to ensure adequate parental representation and share best practice around communications between parents, schools and LA

 The delegation speaks to Full Council and Cllr Gwen Grahl, lead Cabinet member for schools,  responds

Transcript of Save Byron Court campaigners' delegation to Brent Council July 8th 2024

We're from Save Byron Court, campaign fighting against the Government driven forced academisation and takeover of Byron Court Primary School by Harris Federation. Ours is a collective effort by parents, community members and school staff, including many who have taken 15 days of strike action so far and are prepared to keep going.

Our campaign has highlighted many injustices baked in to a system that is designed against state schools - chronic underfunding, a punitive inspection regime, a national rush to privatise education despite widespread opposition and no opportunity for school improvements to be made, and a worrying lack of transparancy and impartiality with the decision making regarding the future of Byron Court. 

We've received invaluable support by Barry Gardiner MP, Cabinet member Gwen Grahl, and local politicians and candidates across the political spectrum, now it's imperative that the new Govt urgently intervenes in our case if they are indeed serious about both protecting and wanting all state schools to flourish. We need a renewed commitment to our community schools.

It is little coincidence that the recent turbulence and perceived issues in our school have occurred with  within the Governing Body. In the current academic year, we've only had 1 parent governor to vocalise and represent our views and interests. Yet only a few years ago there were 5 parent governor posts, these were subsequently cut by the Board without the consent or even consultation with the parent community. Successful governing bodies must act as custodians connected to and not untethered from parents and the wider community. Of course it's important that volunteers are found outside of the school community to ensure a broad range of skills and experience, however for too long there's been an imbalance and to our detriment.

Will the Council agree to undertake a review of school governing bodies across the borough to ensure adequate/sufficient parent voice and share ways of encouraging both more and a diverse range of parents and carers to step forward?

We've also experienced poor level of communications. 

• This is exemplified by the fact the Ofsted report was published in February

• A major concern brought up by the parent body at the time was the lack of meaningful communication from the school.

• We were told at the time that more open communication would happen in the form of meetings and emails.

• We met with council officers in April along with Cllr Grahl, where we were assured that the improvement initiatives at the school would take precedence and would be prioritised over the academisation process and its related admin.

• On multiple occasions we have reached out to Gillian Barnard (CoG) and J. Parry (Interim Executibe Headteacher ) as well as directly to council officers.

• We were advised 1st July the focus on communications out of the school were to be around the strike action.

• Irrespective of political leanings, views on academiation and even the integrity of the OFSTED inspection and report itself. Byron Court is a school that was rated “inadequate” under the Local Authority. Byron Court  is still under local authority remit . The parents and carers deserve to be informed by the LA and the school  about any improvements and initiatives that have been introduced and implemented to improve their children's learning journey and schooling experience. 

• We have been told that Byron Court is an anomaly and that Brent has 96.7% of its primary schools rated as good or outstanding.

• Many of the problems at Byron Court have been brought about through lack of engagement, communication  and transparency between parents, LA/ school.  

• What lessons can be learnt from Byron Court’s journey post-inspection that can ensure that other schools won't be met with the same possible fate.

• It would be useful for the Council to benchmark, develop & share best practice around communications

Cllr Grahl referred to DfE Guidance on Governing Bodies. This is the Guidance updated in March 2024 (after the publication of the Ofsted Report). My emphasis in bold. LINK

The total membership of a governing body must be no fewer than 7 governors and must include:

• at least 2 parent governors, elected where possible, otherwise appointed
• the headteacher (ex-officio), unless they resign the office of governor
• only one elected staff governor
• only one local authority governor, nominated by the local authority and appointed by the governing body
• foundation governors or partnership governors where appropriate, as specified in the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012

 

The governing body can also appoint co-opted governors as permitted by their instrument of government and as it considers necessary. The number of co-opted governors who are eligible to be elected or appointed as staff governors must not (when added to the one staff governor and the headteacher) exceed one-third of the total membership of the governing body (Constitution Regulations 2012 – Part 3 regulation 13)

.

Tonight's Brent Council motion on housing fails to commit to council housing

 Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves today announced the reinstatement of mandatory housing targets on local authorities and changes in planning laws in favour of development, including a review of  land designated as green belt as well as  use brownfield and grey belt sites.

She indicated that local communities will only have a limited say (my emphasis):

It will still be in the first instance up to local communities and local authorities to decide where housing is built, but we will bring back those mandatory housing targets..it will be up to local communities where housing is built but it has to be built.

Clearly in areas like Brent, where available land is at a premium, there is likely to be pressure on some of our green spaces. Readers will remember plans to build on the Garden Centre land at the Welsh Harp at Birchen Grove, and the glass house land in Cool Oak Lane. The plans were defeated by a local campaign.

There was no mention in accounts of Reeves' statement that I have read, about the building of council homes. Similarly, a motion put by Brent Planning Committee member Cllr Liz Dixon to tonight's Council Meeting, written before the result of the General Election was known, but reflecting the Labour Manifesto, mentions 'affordable housing' without defining it, and does not mention council housing.

This reflects Cllr Shama Tatler's emphasis on building a range of home types, many of which would not be affordable for local people. Whether taking on the Building New Council Homes remit from Cllr Promise Knight, who is on maternity leave, will change her stance remains to be seen. Certainly her belief in the market: that more homes of any type will increase supply and lower prices, is challenged by some of her fellow councillors, who point to the distortions in the market caused by land banking and foreign investors' acquisition of new homes.

Tonight's meeting will also note the answers to questions to the Cabinet which includes Cllr Butt's advice to to evicted Brent tenants to move out of Brent to areas where rent is lower.

This is Cllr Dixon's Motion:

Declaration of a Housing Emergency

 

This Council notes:

 

* London is the epicentre of the country’s housing crisis, with a quarter of Londoners living in poverty after paying for their homes.

* In one of the wealthiest cities in the world, more than one child in every classroom is homeless and living in temporary accommodation, while rough sleeping is up 50% over this decade.

* Councils in London are spending £90m per month on temporary accommodation for homeless people - up almost 40% on last year.

*The dream of homeownership is out of reach for young people. The government have failed to act despite the housing crisis acting as one of the country’s biggest barriers to growth.

*The government has spent billions of pounds on housing benefit every year, which goes into the pockets of private landlords without creating any new assets.

*Without intervention, the number of new affordable homes built will fall sharply in  coming years thanks to high interest rates and runaway construction cost inflation.

 

This Council further notes:

 

*The Housing Needs Service in Brent has seen a 12% increase in homelessness approaches in 2023/-24 (7,300) compared to 2022/-23 (6,529). The total number of homeless families living in B&B and Annexe accommodation has risen to 485.

*Many Councils are being forced to book rooms in commercial hotels to meet statutory duties. In Brent this has driven a £13.4m overspend. These issues are not unique to Brent and have impacted the whole of the country – but especially London.

* There are 5,688 households in A-C banding on the waiting list. At Band C, the average waiting time for a 2-bed home is 8 years, with a 4-bed home rising to 24 years.

*GLA grant funding per unit of affordable housing is approx. £195k, with typical build costs per average unit in the region of £450k. Brent Council has planning permission ready or has submitted applications for 423 more affordable units, but many face a significant funding gap, and will not be viable without an increase in available subsidy.

 

This Council welcomes:

 

Pledges made during the current election campaign:

 

*To update the National Policy Planning Framework, including restoring mandatory housing targets.

*To get Britain building again, creating jobs across England with 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament.

*To work with local authorities to reform Local Plans and strengthen the planning presumption in favour of sustainable development, supported by additional planning officers.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

(1) Work with other local authorities in London that have declared a housing emergency to calling on the incoming government to unlock the funding needed to deliver the affordable homes Brent desperately needs.

 

(2) Write to the Secretary of State to recommend the following steps:

 

*The suspension of the right-to-buy discount.

*A new Housing Revenue Account funding settlement to increase the supply of housing, improve standards and support retrofitting.

*Financial support to immediately purchase more homes from private landlords.

*To review the Local Housing Allowance available for Temporary Accommodation.

 

Cllr Liz Dixon

Dollis Hill Ward

It is important to note the reference to viability as the remaining elements of the South Kilburn regeneration looks increasingly in doubt and the St Raphaels plans have been much reduced.

Leasehold reform, Shared Ownership issues, a rent cap, builders' responsiblity to fund fire safety work, including cladding remediation are issues still to be addressed in the ear;y days of this government.

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.