The wards that will be hit hardest by cuts in Council Tax Support Scheme. Budget cuts, rise in Council Tax and cuts in Council Tax Support will be voted on tonight.

 

Working age claimants of Council Tax Support bu ward

Earlier this month Wembley Matters wrote about Brent Council proposals on  cuts to the Council Tax Support Scheme LINK. Although those changes, which demand that everyone pay something towards Council Tax despite low incomes and the Cost of Living Crisis, were rejected in the public consultation, the Labour Group will approve them at tonight's Full Council. Brent Citizens Advice Bureau tabled a paper that showed the poorest would be hit hardest and that is evidenced by the ward breakdown above,

The cuts amounts to £8m but a £1.5m hardship fund has been proposed. In their budget proposal Lib Dems will propose that this be doubled to £3m.

Cllr Lorber, Lib Dem leader, told Wembley Matters:

It will be interesting how the Councillors from these wards will react and vote.

The changes have of course been implemented in very short time. They could have started discussing this in April 2024. The consultation was pointless as they already decided what they were going to do and no views would be taken into account.

The result is that many residents will be charged Council Tax for the first time or will see a very high increase. The officers predict that  many will not be able to pay and debts will simply rise - and many will need to be written off. In the meantime the individuals concerned will end up with more worry and more stress.

Councillors were presented with this far too late and needless to say when I went to Cabinet no one was listening.

The overall impact on the claimants is £8 million. They are setting up a £1.5 million hardship fund but this is not enough.

The key point is that the claimants have simply not been given enough time to rearrange their affairs. Finding jobs is hard and the extra charges (£600 a year for some) will hit many as a bombshell on 1 April 2025.

 

In our view the changes should have been introduced in a staggered way rather than the massive hit implemented immediately. 

We are therefore proposing that the support is doubled this year to £3 million to provide some help to as many people as possible.

In the past rather than vote against the Budget and Council Tax motion, dissident Labour councillors have left the Council Chamber before the vote is taken, and returned once next business is underway. Tonight this might well be what happens when the Council Tax Support Scheme is discussed.

You can watch the meeting on Brent Live from 6pm HERE

The Budget and Council Tax is Item 6.

Review of the Council Tax Support Scheme Item 8, 

 

 

Brent Council reduces Opposition and Scrutiny time to speak at tomorrow's Budget and Council Tax Setting meeting. Leader gets more time.

 A late change announced yesterday evening deprives Brent opposition parties of time to present their alternative budget proposals at tomorrow's Full Council Budget Setting Meeting. It also reduces the time allocated the the chair of the Scrutiny Budget Task Group.

The new order is set out below with previous timings set out on Monday February 26th in brackets:

• Leader to introduce the main budget report - up to 20 minutes. (15 mins)

• Leader of the Conservative Group (or their nominated representative) to respond and move their alternative budget proposals –up to 10 minutes. (15 mins)

• Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group (or your nominated representative) to respond and move their alternative budget proposals – up to 5 minutes. (10 mins)

• Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources – up to 15 minutes to speak on the budget and alternative proposals that have been moved. (10 mins)

• Councillor Conneely (as Chair of Scrutiny Budget Task Group) – up to 5 minutes to introduce the main outcomes and recommendations within the Scrutiny Budget Task Group report. (10 mins)

These timings will be subject to a Procedural Motion moved at the start of the meeting by the Majority Group Whip.  Once the debate on the budget has concluded (for which any members wishing to speak will still have up to 3 minutes each to contribute) the Leader will then have up to 10 minutes  (5 mins) to sum up and close prior to the Mayor moving on to conduct separate roll call votes on firstly the alternative budget proposals moved by the Conservative Group and then the Liberal Democrat and then the final substantive budget recommendations, which will all be taken en bloc.

Cllr Paul Lorber, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said:

This is not acceptable to the Lib Dem Group.

This is total abuse of power and should have (but has not been) discussed at the Constitutional Working Group.

To increase the time allocated to Labour Leader and others and reduce the amount of speaking time for the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Leaders is a pathetic attempt to suppress democratic debate.

The result of the recent Alperton by election clearly shows how unpopular the Labour Party has become in Brent and this action by the Labour Leader is another example of his dictatorial abuse of power.

I trust that the Chief Executive will at long last intervene and to stop the nonsense which is turning Brent into a laughing stock.

 

Labour's Budget Proposals

Conservative Group Proposals

Lib Dem Group Proposals

A longer wait announced for completion of HS2 Canterbury Works in South Kilburn

 Apparently not so 'Upcoming' as advertised, according to the Enquirer:

Shaft and headhouse sites at Adelaide Road and Canterbury Works will remain on pause over the next two years while parts of the Euston drive including the station cavern, crossover tunnels, portal and scissor box are being rescheduled.

The Enquirer understands that suppliers and subcontractors were given the bad news by main contractor SCS JV on Friday. The Canterbury works will remain on pause for the next two years.

Two giant tunnelling machines have been assembled and are ready to dig the HS2 tunnel between Old Oak Common and London Euston after Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed funding for the project in last year’s budget.

A spokesperson for HS2 said: 

When HS2 opens, services will initially run between Birmingham and Old Oak Common in west London and this section of the railway remains the focus of our delivery.

Last autumn, the government confirmed that HS2 will be built to Euston and we are now preparing for construction of the tunnel from Old Oak Common. Construction on associated works including the tunnel shafts, headhouses and station approaches will start at a later date.

We are currently reviewing the whole HS2 programme as part of a major reset – making sure the building blocks of the scheme are in the correct sequence.

UPDATE - repair completed yesterday evening: Low water pressure Chatsworth Ave, Harrow Road and Wembley High Road after water main damaged

 

 From Affinity Water

 

Tuesday 25th February 2025

 NOW REPAIRED UPDATE FROM AFFINITY WATER.

(19:10) The main has been repaired and your water should return back to normal.

(17:10) Second repair team and mini digger have arrived on site, further excavation of the mains has commenced.

(15:25) Another repair team is on route with a mini digger as the mains needs to be exposed some more to complete the repairs, however, it is encased in concrete and hand dig team not able to break through.

(14:45) The mains had to be throttled to allow for repairs to take place, customers within this zone may experience low pressure, please see streets affected above.

(12:40) We received a call to advise that a third party has hit our mains during their works, a technician and dig team have been requested and are on route.

Low pressure in Wembley

We’re really sorry you are experiencing low pressure. We’ve been made aware of damages caused by a third party to one of our mains on High Road which may be causing this.

Streets affected: Chatsworth Avenue, Harrow Road and High Road

What we’re doing

Our repair team have stayed on High Road and are continuing to repair the damaged water main. As soon as we know how much longer this will take, we’ll let you know.

We’re really sorry for the disruption. We’re working hard to get your water flowing again soon.

What you can do

Because it can cause problems, until we’ve sorted this, please avoid using your:

• Washing machine
• Dishwasher
• Electrical appliances that use water

If you still have water, we recommend you put some in your kettle or fridge for drinking in case your water needs switching off for the repair. We’re really sorry about this, we’re working to get your water back to normal as soon as possible.

We updated this message at 14:50 and we'll update it again after 18:50

 

826 students to occupy Matalan in Cricklewood

 

Alas, not a radical student demonstration in these dark times, but a developer's revised plans for the Matalan site on Cricklewood Broadway.

An almost entirely new plan has been put forward for the site which in December 2023 was consented for 238 homes as C3 flats:

Previous consented scheme

The developer cites new building regulations, including the post-Grenfell requirement for a secondary fire staircase, for their change of mind and presumably financial gains play a  part.

The new scheme is for 826 student beds across 164 rooms and 82 clusters (662 beds) in two blocks. Block A 5-9 storeys and Block B 3-7 storeys. There will be commercial space on the ground floors.

 

New proposed scheme

 

 So far there are no comments on the Brent Council Planning Portal and the developer claims favourable community responses from their consultations and a letter of support for the provision from Middlesex University.

 

The site in current context - bottom right building is Wickes

 The Planning Reference is 25/0413 and details and link to make comments can be found HERE

Brent Community Skips March to Early May - Full List giving dates, times and locations

 

See Brent Council website for what you can put in them LINK

Barham Park Trustees confirm removal of covenant on payment of £200,000 by George Irvin

 Barham Park Trustees, consisting only of Brent Labour Cabinet members, approved the removal of the covenant protecting the park from development on the payment of £200,000 by developer and fairground owner George Irvin.

Cllr Mili Patel sought an assurance that agreement of the Charities Commission for the action would be sought 'in order to safeguard ourselves'. Chair of Trustees, Cllr Muhammed Butt, confirmed that this would be the case.

Cllr Butt confirmed that exempt papers (confidential papers not available for public perusal) had been considered.

He went on to say that representations from a local resident had been received and he had looked through them and concluded that they would add no value to what the Trustees were considering.

In fact they were detailed papers that picked apart the process and reasons for the covenant removal.

More generally Trustees were told of plans to expand the Trust's activities and continue the 'redevelopment journey'.

 

Cllr Butt 'not minded' once again to allow democracy and scrutiny over Barham Park Trustees' action - this time removing covenant protecting the park from development for a payment of £200,000 by developer George Irvin

 

George Irvin's plans for houses in Barham Park

Readers of this blog will know that many questions have been raised about Cllr Muhammed Butt's refusal to allow any scrutiny of Trustees' actions over Barham Park.

Barham Park was gifted to the people of Wembley by Titus Barham (HISTORY HERE) but Butt gained control of the Trustees by making himself their Chair and other members of his Cabinet fellow Trustees. They claim that they represent the people of Wembley and refuse any other representation.

In his role as the all-powerful Chair, Cllr Butt has refused to let people speak at meetings of the Trustees to raise issues over the accounts, plans to redevelop and privately market park buildings, his relationship with the developer and fairground entrepeneur George Irvin, the sale of two workers' cottages in the park to Irvin, and Irvin's gifts of free fairground ride tickers to councillors (see links below).

There is a Trustees' meeting on Monday morning where a payment bu Irvin  to the Trustees of £200,000 will allow a restrictive covenant protecting Barham Park to be removed, enabling Irvin to build four three storey houses inside the park on the site of the cottages. (CGI above). Irvin has already received planning permission for them from the Council pending settlement of the covenant issue.  Observers reckon given the sale value of the proposed private houses, situated in a beautiful park with vehicle access and nearby rail connections,  the payment is quite a bargain.

Unsurprisingly, local councillor Paul Lorber has asked to speak to the Trustees about the issues raised. Equally unsurprisingly Chair of Trustees and Leader of the Council, Cllr Muhammed Butt has refused:

The Brent Officer concerned responded:

As is usual practice I’ve consulted with the Chair and, as a result, can advise he is not currently minded to allow any requests to speak at Monday’s meeting.  Whilst it will not, therefore, be possible for you to address the meeting in person you’ll obviously still be more than welcome to attend to observe proceedings.  We’ll also be webcasting the meeting live, which you’ll be able to follow, as an alternative, via the following link:

Home - Brent Council Webcasting

In other words you are at liberty to silently watch us sell out the people of Wembley...

 

BREAKING: Barham Park Trustees' £200,000 deal with George Irvin to enable him to build four 3 storey houses in Barham Park

Trustees set to rubber stamp process to remove covenant restriction on building in Barham Park

Brent Council on Barham Park Covenant: 'Move along, nothing to see here.'

Barham Park Trustees approve original accounts in 7-1/2 minute meeting after refusing representations

Butt again refuses representations on Barham Park. Time for the CharityCommission to intervene?

Be Fair on the Fun – An open Letter to Brent on councillors’ free rides