Residents invited to public meeting on drug and knife crime - Monday 27th January 6.30-9pm Brent Civic Centre and online

 

  From Brent Council

 

Local residents are invited to a public meeting on Monday 27th January to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce drug and knife crime in Brent. 

 

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach will speak about the steps the police in Brent are taking to cut crime and build trust within the community. She will outline how the police are working alongside the council, local partners, and the community to make Brent a safer place for everyone. 

 

Brent’s commissioned support services will also explain how they help adults and young people who are worried about their own or someone else’s drug use. 

 

The meeting will provide community members with the chance to share their views, voice their concerns and discuss ways everyone can work together to improve safety in the borough. 

 

Attendees will also have an opportunity to meet and ask questions of local police sergeants, police officers, council officers, addiction recovery advocates, and support workers. These representatives will share their ongoing efforts to tackle drug and knife crime and invite feedback on how they can better connect with local communities.

 

This is an opportunity to hear what has already been done in Brent on these community safety priorities, find out how organisations and individuals can help reduce drug use and knife carrying, and suggest ways forward.

 

The public meeting is organised by the Brent Safer Neighbourhood Board (SNB) which is made up of community members and partners, including the council. Its role is to scrutinise the police and enable the community to engage with the police. Following the meeting, the SNB will work with the police to ensure action is taken on the issues raised by residents. 

 

The meeting will take place on Monday 27 January, from 6.30-9pm at the Grand Hall in Brent Civic Centre. Refreshments will be provided, and there is no need to register in advance. The event will also be webcast online.

 

'We rescued a dozen people from the Kilburn Job Centre fire.' claim locals. Premises still wide open to intruders.

 

A gaping hole in the Job Centre wall at 4.30pm today

 

I went to  site of the fire at the disused Kilburn Job Centre this afternoon and found the Cambridge Avenue side of the building open to the elements - and any intruders. It was burnt out except for a table and the twisted metal guards that had been torn down.

A security guard hung around while I was taking photographs and I was approached by an onlooker, Jamie.

Jamie told me that he and his friends Ezra and DJ had seen the building was on fire and rushed in to get people out. He had given their names to a newspaper reporter but their account had not been published:

'We didn't stop to think we just ran ino the building. There were six people on the ground floor, four on the first floor, and two at the top.  They didn't hang around, they just scarpered, because it's arson isn't it?  By the time the para medics came they were mostly gone.

My throat hurt from the smoke. My mate told me that I should have got a wet towel and wrapped it around my face but we acted on impulse -  I wasn't going to waste time my searching for a towel and water, was I?'

The hole is just yards from the bus stop and passengers stopped to look when they alighted. It is quite a sight:

At the back of the building, in Coventry Close, it appears that work has been done to keep out intruders and squatters, although doesn't make much sense when Cambridge Avenue is wide open. Perhaps the contractor did not know about the other entrance...

 

Attempts at securing the building

Abandoned belongings indicate a hasty exit

The side of the building (above) looks less secure as does what appears to be a first floor balcony (below)

 

Having  escaped what could have been fatalities in the fire, though not responsible for the building, I understand that Brent Council is now contacting the owners with more energy than hitherto. They had been warned several times by residents over many years.

I hope the Council thanks Jamie, Ezra and DJ.

How will our MPs vote on a Third Runway for Heathrow?

 Keir Starmer voted against a Third Runway for Heathrow back in 2018 but has changed his mind as part of Labour's growth, growth and more growth agenda.

But how did our MPs vote in 2018? 

Bob Blackman MP for Harrow East at the time defied a three line Conservative whip and voted against as did Dawn Butler ( Labour - Brent Central),  Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North) and Karen Buck, then Labour MP for Westminster North.

That constituency is now largely Queens Park and Maida Vale represented by Georgia Gould, who is very close to Starmer.

How will they all vote this time?  Will they forget the climate emergency out of loyalty to Keir Starmer?

Bee kind! – grow some winter flowering plants if you can

 Guest post by Philip Grant

A buff-tailed bumblebee in a Kingsbury garden, 24 January 2025.

 

If you were watching the BBC Winterwatch programme on Thursday evening, you will have seen a film about a buff-tailed bumblebee, and its need to find flowers to feed from after emerging from its hibernation burrow. A sudden rise in temperature and some sunshine, like we had on Friday after several very cold weeks, can make them think that Spring has arrived.

 

Plants that are in flower can be hard to find at this time of year. It is several weeks too early to find snowdrops or crocuses in bloom. The bumblebee in Bristol was lucky enough to find some Mahonia bushes in flower, a winter flowering evergreen shrub that can have yellow flowers between November and March.

 

Mahonia flowers. (Courtesy of the RHS website)

 

But if you have a garden, or even a small patio or balcony, and can grow some suitable plants, you may be rewarded with sights like the buff-tailed bumblebee above, which I saw feeding on a patch of winter-flowering heather in the sunshine on Friday morning. Bee kind, if you can – nature needs our help, and can also give us so much pleasure.

 

Don't forget it is the RSPB Garden Watch this weekend! See my post from last January HERE.

 

Philip Grant.

Brent Public Safety Team raise significant concerns over safety at proposed K-Pop Festival in Northwick Park

 The papers for the licensing of the K-Pop Festival in Northwick Parl released earlier noted that representations from the Brent Council Officer were still outstaning.

Their concerns have now been released via an email to the organisers and reveal significant concerns.

Please see below updated comments from the public safety team.

·       The emergency evacuation I raised my concerns regarding the evacuation towards red gate (Northwick Park station) in the BSAG [Brent Safety Advisory Group) and how you can have 4 exits (50% of the exits) directing approximately half the capacity in this direction, the walk way to the station is very narrow and would cause a bottleneck for the large amount of people attempting to enter in this direction and potentially dangerous situation. It was discussed about using another station and not Northwick park station but I have not seen any amended documentation to support this.

·       The PUDO (Pick Up Drop off) site location I also raised the comment that this could also be an issue in the event of an emergency evacuation this would have vehicles waiting to collect people and would block and or restrict blue light services from gaining access to the event.

·       On the 7th June Wembley stadium have a major event, this may impact on your event (Ingress/egress) what are your plan of actions for this.

·       Have you consulted with the proposed stations about use of their station and the platform capacity? And how many persons will potentially use this as the preferred transport method?

·       In the scenario that your customers arrive the night before you open to camp, how will you manage them and provide welfare?

 

 

 

 

South Kilburn: A story of resistance and community - Saturday January 25th - Kilburn Square

 

I popped into the exhibition this afternoon as I am not sure if I can make the talk tomorrow afternoon. The exhibition goes back as far as the slum clearances of the 1950s and tells the story of a strong community engaged in resistance to plans for their area which again and again have been imposed often with negative results.

1959 Willesden Corporations ets conditions for rehousing after slum clearance

1985 challenging the Council's public relations leaflet. If it wasn't for the typewritten copy printed on a Roneo or Gestetner printer the tenant's reply could have been written yesterday.

Leaflet against the infamous ballot on regeneration

In the middle of it all has been Granville Community  Kitchen fighting for and recording the loss of community assets. Empowering people through food!

 

The community spirit that refused to be silenced is clear in a range of photographs and event advertising.

 EXHIBITION DETAILS

Location: Metroland Studios, 91 Kilburn Sq, London NW6 6PS
(Behind Kilburn Market) off Kilburn High Road
 

Go down the alley next to Argos and you will see us across the square. Ring the bell to get in.

Saturday | 25 January 2025
Community Soup Session: 1-5pm

Talk: Regeneration History of South Kilburn: 12-3pm

Sunday | 26 January 2025
Workshop: Weaving Our South Kilburn: 2-3:30pm

Quintain secures £233m loan on LDO and Ferrum at Wembley Park

 Quintain Ltd, the Wembley Park developer, has completed the refinancing the London Designer Outlet and the 627 unit  'Ferrum' build-to-rent developement with a £233.6 million load from the Bank of America.

Philip Slavin, Chief Financial Officer at Quintain Ltd, commented:

Whilst this is not the first facility we have secured from Bank of America, it is certainly our largest and represents an ongoing, positive relationship. Ferrum and the LDO are extremely important assets at Wembley Park and of which we are particularly proud.

UPDATED: Kensal Green residents oppose the demolition and redevelopment of Victorian community centre building in Hazel Road

 

The present Victorian era community centre

The proposed new building

 

 

 The current  building in the setting of Hazel Road, Harrow Road and Kensal Green Cemetery

 

Kensal Green Residents' Association are opposing the demolition of the Hazel Road Community Centre (Harriet Tubman House) in Hazel Road that was built between 1890 and 1896 as a Mission but severed several different uses over the years. It is a well known and well loved building in the local area and creates a unique ambience.

The current owners, the 'Making The Leap' charity, have applied to demolish the Centre and erect a new, higher building, on the site.

 This is what the Kilburn Green Residents have to say about the proposal:

DEMOLITION OF HAZEL ROAD COMMUNITY CENTRE

 

We are concerned by the proposal by ‘Making The Leap’ to demolish Kensal Green Community Centre at 28 Hazel Road and replace it with an office block. ‘Making the Leap’ wish to start the work in spring this year and have submitted their planning application to Brent. The link is below. Any comments on their plans must be made by Thursday 13th February 2025 LINK:

 

Here are a few bullet points raised by residents in regard to ‘Making The Leap’s proposal:

 

• The office block, as described, would consist of over four floors, but with each of the upper three floors being one-and-a-half times higher than the base floor. Furthermore, there is a fifth-floor structure, a black box on the roof, which appears in the plans to be as high as the base floor, so effectively it will be a six-storey office block. The proposed development would tower over the surrounding terraced streets dominating Hazel Road and our park, Hazel Road Open Space, and staff and clients of ‘Making The Leap’ would be able to look down into neighbouring houses, and down into the children’s play area in the park. 'Making The Leap' even acknowlege in their planning application that feedback from residents shows that: "Some are worried over the building’s height affecting nearby homes or that the building is too imposing." Their own survey indicates there will be reduction of between 23.9% and 36.5% sunlight to the homes opposite the new building which means a daylight distribution below the recommended level of 80%. The light surveyors also say they couldn't access the properties for their tests so the situation could be even worst for those poor residents. 

 

 

• One of the planning illustrations shows a paved walk-way from Harrow Road to the new building which will divide the park. It doesn't appear to be mentioned anywhere in the text. 
   

 

• In the architectural representation on Making The Leap’s website, the height of the terraced houses opposite the proposed development and the trees in the open space appeared to be artificially exaggerated to downplay the office block’s scale. However, the reality is clear: this is a case of over-development in an already highly developed area. We assumed that Brent planning regulations restrict construction that exceeds the roofline of existing housing. Additionally, the proposed office block’s lightweight permeable façade, which will resemble painted cardboard, is completely out of character with the neighbourhood’s predominantly red brick construction. 'Making The Leap's own extension to the Community Centre is even described in their own planning application as "an unsympathetic feature". The new build will have the same texture.
   

 

• Making The Leap have allowed the current building’s façade to fall into disrepair, claiming they lack the funds for maintenance. This raises questions about their ability to finance a large-scale office block. There is a genuine fear that, should Hazel Road Community Centre be demolished, that the site might be left undeveloped for years, becoming a blight on the community, or sold off to developers, as has happened in other parts of Brent.

 

• Hazel Road Community Centre holds historical and architectural value. Originally built as a Victorian Mission Room between 1890 and 1896, it has a unique facade with alternating brick patterns, gothic style window openings and gables that are integral to its unique façade. The Heritage Statement in the planning application states that 'the Site was nominated for addition to the Brent Local List and as such may be considered a non-designated heritage asset. However, since nomination the Site does not appear to have been added to the Local List.' An investigation should be undertaken to find out why the building wasn't listed, especially as The Victorian Society is now considering listing it among its top ten endangered Victorian buildings of 2025. The horse trough across the road outside The Mason's Arms is Grade II listed. The demolition of the Community Centre would represent a significant loss to the architectural heritage of Kensal Green.
   

Placing an office block in the middle of a residential area will put pressure on residents’ parking spaces. Parking bays are already earmarked for closure during the demolition and building work. 

Please email us at kensalgreenres@gmail.com  if you would be happy to help us to leaflet the neighbourhood and/or be part of an Action Committee. Any feedback will be welcome. We hope to shortly organise a public meeting. 
 

 Editor's note:  The Heritage statement is by a consultancy and is not an assessment by the Brent Council Heritage Officer. I cannot find a response from the Heritage Officer on the Brent Planning Portal.

UPDATE:

 

A reader has supplied the following information:

 

One of the directors Olakunle Akunmu BABARINDE (https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/Unqv7UywINPsQuz6BWSLPag3vWs/appointments) is also a property developer and director of RINDE GROUP PROPERTY LTD (https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10894251