Report: Making transport in London truly accessible for all disabled people

 

From the report

 

After decades campaigning for safer streets, more toilets, and a transport network for all Londoners, yesterday Caroline Russell AM hosted Transport for All at City Hall to launch the group’s new report, Accessibility Review of the PTAL Index.

 

Produced by Frontier Economics and Revealing Reality with funding from the Motability Foundation, the Accessibility Review measures how transport accessibility is currently classified for planning purposes, and recommends different indicators be used to better serve the needs of disabled people.

 

The only transport access criteria used on a statutory basis in London, a Public Transport Access Level (PTAL) figure measures the level of access to public transport in the capital, and is calculated using several factors: 

 

• Walking distance to the nearest stations/stops; 
• Waiting times at the nearest stations/stops;
• Number of services at the nearest stations/stops; and
• Distance to major rail stations.   

 

Informed through research by and engagement with disabled people and using King’s Cross, Soho and Southwark as test cases, the Accessibility Review builds on these traditional PTAL metrics by suggesting new criteria to more accurately reflect accessibility across London’s transport network.

 

The additional criteria suggested in the report are measures which:

 

• only includes stations or stops with step-free access
• rank less crowded stations as more accessible
• rank stations without toilet facilities as less accessible

 

 

 

Caroline Russell AM speaking at the report launch

 

 

Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell said:

 

If we want to build a city that works for absolutely everyone, then we need to start by understanding exactly what matters to disabled and visually impaired Londoners travelling around our city.

 

I was proud to host Transport for All here at City Hall for the unveiling of their new report, which I hope will provide a much-needed blueprint for improving the way we address and expand accessibility measures in our planning policy.

 

Deborah Persaud, a research participant and Chair of Transport for All said:

 

London should be a city for everyone, but current planning systems result in many disabled people being effectively barred from parts of the city. It’s time Transport for London added accessibility measures to planning calculations, so London can start to be truly open to everyone.

  

A copy of the full report, Accessibility Review of the PTAL Index, can be viewed here.

 

318 room 'aparthotel' for Elm Road, Wembley Central at Brent Planning Committee tonight

 

Euro Hotel, Elm Road, Wembley Central

Proposed Aparthotel (I don't remember Elm Road being that wide!)

No it's not!

Apart from the Wembley Edge planning application already descibed on Wembley Matters (LINK) another large development proposal that has been around for a while comes to Planning Committee tonight.

This is for the development of the site of the Euro Hotel (previously Elm Hotel) on Elm Road in Wembley Central and the adjoining Spiritualist Church in St Johns Road.

They would be replaced by an Aparthotel covering 10,090 square metres as against the current 1,258 square metres. 

The proposal:

Demolition of existing hotel building and community centre [church?] and erection of a part 6, part 8 and part 10 storey 318 room aparthotel plus basement accommodation with associated ancillary facilities, community floorspace (Use Class F1/F2),servicing, landscaping and cycle and refuse storage.

So what is an Aparthotel. Officers provide the answer:

Apart-hotels are defined within the London Plan as self-contained accommodation (within Use Class C1), providing for short-term occupancy, with a concierge and room service. the length of stay would be limited to a maximum of 90 days per occupant, and a planning condition would secure that residencies at the hotel accommodation of 90 days or more are to be prevented, to ensure that the use of the hotel accommodation would meet the needs identified within the London Plan and Brent Local Plan for visitor accommodation.

 

Each room would have a double bed, with storage, a shower and toilet en-suite and a kitchenette facility. Inclusive access has been confirmed as integral to the design of the hotel. It has been confirmed that10% (16) of the hotel rooms would be accessible in accordance with London Plan policy E10.

Brent received a 33 person petition in favour of the development which appears to include local businesses and 14 objections.

The impact on neighbouring two storey homes in St Johns Road and Elm Road is considerable and unsurprisingly most of the objections come from them:

 From a legal view point, my main objections are:

1) that the location of this planning proposal does NOT fall under the "Tall Building Zone". This is a residential zone and height restrictions should be observed.

2) I have it on good authority that the hotel group own many proprieties around the area of the existing hotel (I believe they own nearly all the houses on Elms Road, many of the houses on St Johns Road going north right up to the bridge and they also own houses on Acacia Avenue). Consultations have been sent by post to all these properties and there needs to be due diligence in identifying who owns the property when the consultations are returned. I strongly believe that the hotel should only be allowed to vote once.

From a personal view point, my objections are:

The planned building development would block out all light, many houses on St Johns Road would be in the shade all year round, with no sunlight ever hitting the windows or paving; this means it will be mostly wet underfoot - even worse with snow and ice which would stay longer than normal.

Parking would be harder for residents, especially on event days: Hotel coaches would take up 3 or 4 parking spaces and would only need 1 permit per day to stay. The plans show that two resident parking bays would be removed and there is already a shortage of spaces. Please note that on St Johns Road, none of the houses on the west side of the road (right up to bridge) have off-street parking.

I would also add there would be major TV disruption for anyone who uses freeview and has a freeview aerial on their roof, as any house north of the proposed development will have their aerials pointing in exactly that direction. TV channels (especially HD) would be limited, or worse still, freeview may not work at all.

For all the reasons listed above, I strongly object.

View from St Johns Road towards the High Road.

 

Officers comment on the loss of the Spiritualist Church:

The redevelopment of the site would involve the loss of the existing Spiritualist Church. A schedule of areas submitted with the application indicates that the existing church building has a total GIA of 145sqm. The application proposes the reprovision of 220sqm of flexible F1/F2 community space over ground and basement floor level, indicating that the social infrastructure space would be fully re- provided.

They conclude regarding the whole application:

The aparthotel proposed with an ancillary flexible F1/F2 space is considered to make efficient use of the land, which would regenerate the site which would provide a positive contribution to the emerging streetscene and the positive employment and economic benefits associated with the hotel.

 

The building is considered to have an appropriate scale and massing of proposed buildings would relate well to the existing and future site context. As the report acknowledges, there is expected to be some impacts on existing daylight and sunlight light conditions to existing residential dwellinghouses nearby.

 

The impacts would be commensurate with development of this form and such impacts must be balanced against the planning benefits of the proposal. Overall, and on balance, the impacts associated with the development would it is considered be outweighed in this case by the benefits of redeveloping the site, economic benefits and public realm improvements.

 

The Planning Commitee begins at 6pm tonight and  can be viewed HERE

Brent Council event: Help raise awareness of Islamophobia Tuesday 26th November 6pm-8pm Sign -up details.

 From Brent Council

Join Brent Council on Tuesday 26 November for an evening dedicated to raising awareness about Islamophobia. 

 

Over the last year Islamophobic hate crimes increased 365% in the UK, reaching a record high. Brent’s in-person Islamophobia Awareness Month event aims to educate and empower attendees to combat discrimination.

 

More than a fifth of Brent residents identify as Muslim. Councillor Harbi Farah, Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Partnerships, said: “we are proud to celebrate the vast contributions of all of our faith communities, and the unique and positive impact that Muslims have on the life of our borough”.

 

At the event, contributions from community leaders and local artists will bring the theme of this year’s national campaign, “Seeds for change”, to life. It focuses on the power that small actions have in contributing to big change.

 

Cllr Harbi Farah continued: “A truly inclusive community is one where everyone can live without fear or prejudice. This year has brought that truth into even sharper focus.

 

“As a council, we are committed to standing by our Muslim residents and taking meaningful actions to tackle Islamophobia. Together, we can plant the seeds for a future built on understanding, respect, and unity.”

 

Please join us on Tuesday 26th November 2024 from 6pm-8pm in The Conference Hall at Brent Civic Centre. You can sign up for the event via Eventbrite.

 

'One Boy's War' - growing up during the Second World War an illustrated talk: Sunday November 17th 3pm, Preston Community Library

 

Labour Group call on Brent Council to consider a formal twinning arrangement with Nablus in the occupied West Bank

 Nablus (Copyright: istock Getty Images)

The Labour Group have tabled a motion for the Full Meeting of Brent Council to consider twinning with the city of Nablus in the Israeli Occupied West Bank.

The meeting is on Monday 18th November at 6pm and the  motion is number 9 on a 19 item agenda so will probably be debated between 7pm and 8pm. You can watch live HERE or attend in-person at Brent Civic Centre.

The Motion:

Brent Twinning with Nablus

 

This Council notes:

 

That Brent currently has a single twinning relationship, that with South Dublin, established in 1997, at a time when Brent had the largest Irish-born population in mainland Britain.

 

That Brent currently has the second highest Arab diaspora in England and Wales, within which there is a significant number of residents of Palestinian heritage.

 

That like Brent, Nablus in Palestine – as one of the oldest cities in the world – has a long and rich history of culture, diversity and dynamism, ranging from historical architecture, a lively economy and a youthful population.

 

That Brent has a long history of internationalism, including conferring on Nelson Mandela the Freedom of the Borough.

 

That a growing number of community and charitable organisations, including Brent Trades Union Council, Brent NEU and Brent Friends of Palestine have developed productive relations with Palestinian organisations and diaspora, further strengthening bonds to the city of Nablus.

 

That through the joint work of Brent Trades Union Council, Brent NEU and of Brent and Harrow PSC, CADFA and the Palestinian Forum in Britain, opportunities have been provided to young Palestinians to meet Brent young people, Councillors and MPs, and share and develop a bond over their experiences in education, sports and culture. Opportunities for visits to Palestine by young Brent residents are being planned.

 

That the establishment of the “Brent-Nablus Twinning Project” organisation provides an opportunity for Brent to explore the potential of a formal twinning arrangement with Nablus through community engagement.

That community organisations and official representatives in Nablus have shown a desire to develop a more formal arrangement of partnership with Brent and have communicated this desire with their partners in Brent, leading to this proposal.

 

This Council believes:

 

Twinning enhances bonds and improves relations between communities, creating friendships through what we have in common, as well as learning from other cultures, traditions and experiences.

 

Twinning allows avenues for growth through togetherness, improving understanding and ability to tackle issues through collaboration, knowledge and skill shares.

 

A successful twinning relationship would promote initiatives like educational collaborations, sports programmes, and heritage preservation workshops, creating long-term connections between residents and institutions and engages with local communities, cultural organisations, and leaders in both twinned regions to support the establishment of the partnership.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

Consider a formal twinning agreement between Brent and the city of Nablus, which sits under the governance of the Palestinian National Authority, and receive a report considering the proposal at a future council meeting.

 

Explore immediate steps to foster connections, such as cultural exchange programmes, student and school collaborations, and shared community projects, to create a foundation for future growth.

 

Engage with the “Brent-Nablus Twinning Project” organisation to develop a framework for the potential twinning, whilst engaging with local communities, cultural organisations and leaders in both Brent and Nablus to support theestablishment of this partnership.

 

Councillor Ihtesham Afzal

Wembley Hill Ward

BEE Never-Stop Railway to be commemorated if Wembley Edge planning application is approved

 

Boarding the Never-Stop  Railway

 

Brent planning officers have taken up the suggestion made by Wembley History Society (see LINK) that there should be a commemoration panel at the site of the Never-Stop railway station that served visitors to the British Empire Exhibition. The site currently used by a skip hire company will become student accommodation known as Wembley Edge if the application is approved tomorrow.

In a Supplementary Report, mainly made up of corrections to the main report, they propose a new condition: 

An additional heritage condition is also recommended having considered the Wembley History Society comments referred to above. This should read;

“Prior to commencement (but excluding demolition, site clearance and enabling works) details of the introduction of an illustrated local history panel or plaque shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, in consultation with the Council's Heritage Officer, Brent Museum and Archives and Wembley History Society.

Details of which shall include but is not limited to the following:

·        Description of the historical significance of the site and commemorating the British Empire Exhibition history of the development site, including the Exhibition Station, Never-Stop Railway and King's Gate Bridge.

·        Identification of a suitable location within the site where the panel can be installed where it can be easily viewed by the general public.

The historical panel or plaque shall thereafter be installed in accordance with the approved details prior to first occupation of the development hereby approved, and thereafter retained throughout the lifetime of the development.

Reason: In the interest of local history.”

Well done Philip Grant.

England v Ireland Sunday November 17th - road closures , bus route impacts etc

 

Join a toilet procession along Kilburn High Road to call for better public toilets in Kilburn: Saturday 23rd November

 

KOVE CAMPAIGNERS OUTSIDE KILBURN LIBRARY

 

We recently reported on the proposals, after hard and persistent campaigning,  for more toilets at underground stations. Locally the inconvenience at best, and health dangers at worst, of lack of public toilets has been recognised by KOVE (Kilburn Older Voices Exchange).

KOVE are campaigning for better public toilets in Kilburn and will be holding a procession down Kilburn High Road: 

Do you want better public toilets in Kilburn?

 

Join KOVE for a procession down Kilburn High Road to support this vital issue and mark World Toilet Day. We’ll have placards, or bring your own!

Saturday 23^rd November 1.30-2.30pm

 

Meet in Kilburn Library (Camden side: 12-22 Kilburn High Road NW6 5UH   (upstairs room) from 1pm. Light refreshments and socialising at start and end. 

Any queries, email: Michael.Stuart6@gmail.com

Camden Council are installing a Changing Places toilet at Kilburn Library. These facilities provides sanitary accommodation for people with multiple and complex disabilities who have one or two assistants with them which will make the library a more inclusive space.

KOVE said:

Our campaigning efforts are aimed at creating a more inclusive and age friendly Kilburn. We believe in empowering older individuals to actively participate in shaping local policies and decisions, ensuring their perspectives are heard and valued. Some of our initiatives include the upcoming World Toilet Day march, the Kilburn bench audit, campaigns for increased safety on and around Kilburn High Road and the Loos for Kilburn campaign.