Greens demand further protections for schools to avoid another lockdown

 It's an international issue - demonstration in South Africa

The Green Party is urging the government to introduce additional measures to protect schools which could save lives and avoid another lockdown in the coming months.

The Green Party Education Spokesperson Vix Lowthion said:

It is vital to stop transmission in schools by introducing effective protections to make them safer - such as masks in classrooms, adequate ventilation, a rota system and utilising outdoor and community spaces to allow social distancing as part of a phased return to school.

These protections are commonplace in European nations, and a phased return is what is happening in Scotland and Wales. This government's belief in English exceptionalism is incredibly dangerous.

If new, additional protections are not introduced then we could face exactly the same issues as we did in December, and a fourth lockdown in the coming months.

 

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley added:

It is essential that Boris Johnson carefully follows the science as the nation comes out of our third lockdown. In the past the government has lifted restrictions too quickly, causing thousands of people to tragically lose their lives, many more than should have been the case.

The chancellor has a chance at the upcoming March budget to provide financial security for all those struggling to deal with the economic hardships the pandemic has brought. It is vital he acts with the interests of the most vulnerable at the centre of his attention.

Does the 'Battle for Stonebridge' film provide additional evidence on the Bridge Park Complex ownership case?

 

 

This film from 1987, transferred from tape (the quality improves), is more than a unique historical document, it has a direct bearing on last year's court case about the disputed ownership of Bridge Park which found in favour of Brent Council.

The  film was made by Franco Rosso and narrated by Linton Kwesi Johnson (Dread, Beat & Blood) and puts the project in the context of the 1981 urban uprisings. 

Importantly it perhaps provides answers to some of the questions that were asked during the court case. I don't think the  film was submitted as evidence, or if such a submission is permissable.

The section on ownership of the Complex occurs at 35.00 but much of the rest of the film puts flesh on the arguments that were made in court.

The passion and achievement of the group of young people who formed the Harlesden Peoples Community Council shines through. A comment on  You Tube says:

Insightful information behind Stonebridge Complex. Stonebridge Complex's history and fight for this Centre to enhance and benefit the local community is commendable and refreshing. The HPCC deserve a big applause and massive respect👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽✊🏼🤝🏽. We thank-you HPCC. They never gave up or give in, remained consistent and stood together to accomplish a well used and great centre for the residents of Stonebridge and Brent❤🤎🖤🧡🤍. Local authorities always have their own way as they hold the purse strings. We see how they push out brown and black people as employees to work on the building development at Stonebridge Complex and failed to provide employment opportunities to those skilled & employable living in the local community. Unemployment still is a big issue. Regardless HPCC paved the way, initated the idea and project...they deserve huge recognition. Many good times and memories had at Complex including attending leisure facilties, meetings, wedding receptions , parties, music concerts, health & fitness and educational courses etc. STONEBRIDGE COMPLEX HAS TO REMAIN AND MUST FOR STONEBRIDGE & RESIDENTS OF BRENT!!

  

Brent Lib Dem councillor puts forward alternative proposals before Monday's Budget setting meeting

It is some time since Brent Liberal Democrats have presented a formal alternative budget to that of the ruling Labour Party and even with a Liberal Democrat voted in at the Alperton by-election just over a year  ago this is still the case and his proposals will not be voted on. Cllr Anton Georgiou will have just 3 minutes to speak at the Council Tax and Budget Setting Meeting at 4pm tomorrow. LINK TO LIVE BROADCAST

 

Brent Labour has 59 councillors to the Conservative's 3 and the lone Liberal Democrat so approval of the budget is a formality. However, in the interests of democracy (not because I approve of the proposals) I think it is right that residents should be able to see and discuss the alternative proposals. I published the Conservative proposals last week HERE.

 

Labour’s budget includes a Council Tax hike of 6%, 4.99% from Brent Council and a further approximately 1% from Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan. Cllr Georgiou, in his proposals, argues that this can be and should be halved. 

 

Cllr Georgiou’s proposal also seeks to spend more money on the issues local people care about and invest in areas that will lessen the inequalities that have been exposed by the pandemic, particularly for Brent’s young people.  

 

Cllr Georgiou said:

 

I represent Alperton, a ward that has been hit very hard by the pandemic. Many residents are really struggling right now which is why I am alarmed that the Labour Council have proposed to hike Council Tax by so much.  

 

It is wrong to dump further financial burdens on local people, particularly when, as I outline in my proposals, money exists in the massive revenue reserves to halve the Council Tax rise. Brent residents have already paid for these reserves over the years, and it is impossible to justify asking them to pay even more when they don’t have to.

 

In addition to his plans to at least halve the Council Tax rise, Cllr Georgiou wants to see more money allocated to clean up Brent, to urgently repair pavements in small streets and overlooked areas and to make cycle routes safer.  

 

 Proposals in detail (click bottom right square for full page view)

 

 

 

Police name Preston Road murder victim as Drekwon Patterson

 

Police this evening named the victim of the fatal Preston Road stabbing as 16 year old Drekwon Patterson from the Wembley area.

Police said next of kin have been informed and a  post-mortem examination will take place in due course

They said that homicide detectives from Specialist Crime are leading the investigation and as yet no arrests have been made with enquiries continuing.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, in charge of policing in Brent, said:

It is another tragedy that a boy of just 16 years old has died as the result of a knife crime.

My thoughts are with his family at this time and my officers, alongside homicide detectives, are doing everything they can to identify and arrest those responsible.

There will be enhanced reassurance patrols in the Preston Road area as I know the local community will have been deeply affected by the death of a teenager.

I would urge anyone who witnessed any of the events leading up to the stabbing, or knows anything about who did it, to contact police immediately.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 8167/18Feb, or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Formidable group of unions and education organisations issue joint statement ahead of PM's statement on wider re-opening of schools

Nine education organisations have joined together to issue a statement on the wider opening of schools and colleges in England. This statement is issued ahead of the Prime Minister’s expected announcement on Monday. The signatories are the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), GMB, National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), NASUWT, National Education Union (NEU), National Governance Association (NGA), Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA), Unison, and Unite.

 

STATEMENT

 

We are committed to bringing all children and young people back into the classroom as soon as possible. However, it is counterproductive if there is a danger of causing another surge in the virus, and the potential for a further period of lockdown. Wider opening must be safe and sustainable.

 

We therefore urge the Prime Minister to commit to 8 March only if the scientific evidence is absolutely clear that this is safe, and at that point go no further than a phased return of children and young people with sufficient time to assess the impact before moving to the next phase.

 

We are increasingly concerned that the government is minded to order a full return of all pupils on Monday 8 March in England.

 

This would seem a reckless course of action. It could trigger another spike in Covid infections, prolong the disruption of education, and risk throwing away the hard-won progress made in suppressing the virus over the course of the latest lockdown.

 

The science around the role that schools play in the overall rate of transmission is uncertain. Scientists have expressed different views on this point. What we do know is that the full reopening of schools will bring nearly 10 million pupils and staff into circulation in England – close to one fifth of the population. This is not a small easing of lockdown restrictions. It is a massive step.

 

These factors necessitate a cautious approach with wider school and college opening phased over a period of time. This is the approach being taken in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It allows public health experts to assess the impact of the first phase before moving to the next.

 

None of this is intended to stand in the way of the full reopening of schools and colleges. On the contrary. It is intended as a prudent way forward to ensure that once they are fully open, they stay open.

Preston Road stabbing victim, aged 16, died this morning - police statement and appeal

 

The Crime Scene

From the Metropolitan Police

A murder investigation has been launched after a fatal stabbing in north London.

Police were called to Preston Road, shortly after 23:30hrs on Thursday, 18 February by the London Ambulance Service to a report of a 16-year-old boy with stab injuries.

He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he died shortly before 09:00hrs on Friday, 19 February.

Next of kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course

A crime scene has been put in place on Preston Road, between the junctions of Logan Road and The Avenue, affecting local bus routes.

Homicide detectives from Specialist Crime have been informed and are leading the investigation. No arrests have been made.

Enquiries continue.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, in charge of policing in Brent, said: 

"It is another tragedy that a boy of just 16 years old has died as the result of a knife crime.

"My thoughts are with his family at this time and my officers, alongside homicide detectives, are doing everything they can to identify and arrest those responsible.

"There will be enhanced reassurance patrols in the Preston Road area as I know the local community will have been deeply affected by the death of a teenager.

"I would urge anyone who witnessed any of the events leading up to the stabbing, or knows anything about who did it, to contact police immediately."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 8167/18Feb, or information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Conservative petitioners lose Barnhill By-Election court case and will have to pay £68,000 costs

 

The result declared on January 24th 2020

The Conservative candidates in the Barnhill by-election case today lost their case against Carolyn Downs, Brent Council Returning Officer in a Queens Bench hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice.

The recount ordered as a result of the petition by losing candidates Stefan Voloseniuc and Kanta Mistry revealed only a handful of votes difference in the by-election declaration which had given the Labour candidates Gaynor Lloyd and Mansoor Akram victory. The Conservative allegation that a 100 vote bundle had been placed in the wrong bundle was therefore unfounded.

The Court also found that Carolyn Downs' refusal of a recount in the early hours of January 24th 2020 had been reasonable and vindicated by the Court recount. Mr Justice Holgate said that the petitioners had not only requested a recount but their intention was clearly to unseat the Labour candidates. 

Mr Justice Holgate said that after the Court recount (the result of which had not been publicised) the petitioners had taken no action for 4 months which had caused Downs to seek a special case.

The by-election had been declared correctly and this was not now in dispute between the parties concerned.

On the matter of the missing seal on a bag of votes, Brent Council had been open about the matter and informed the parties immediately and the explanation that the cause was the poor quality of the seals at the time accepted.

The petitioners were ordered to pay costs of £30,000 to Carolyn Downs as Returning Officer  and a total of £38,000 legals costs to Cllr Lloyd and Cllr Akram.

When there was some delay and prevarication over the costs negotiations Mr Justice Holgate said that this should have been decided between parties before the hearing. The difference between the parties was small and a detailed assessment would add disproportionately to the costs. Clearly irritated, he said that this was a very, very. very small issue and urged those involved to get it into perspective - he had a very large planning case to decide.

Ironically, Stefan Voloseniuc had been a member of the Labour Party in Barnhill ward shortly before he switched parties to the Conservatives. Maybe not a good move.

A Crown Court judge has ordered a landlord to pay back a record £739,264 in illicit earnings made from overcrowded properties in Willesden

 Press release from Brent Council

A Crown court judge has ordered a landlord to pay back £739,263.58 in illicit earnings made from overcrowded properties in Willesden. It is believed to be the largest such order for a planning breach made anywhere in the country so far this year.

The enormous order was made against Mohammed Mehdi Ali of High Road Willesden, following a prosecution brought by Brent council's legal team.

HHJ Wood, sitting at Harrow Crown Court, made the order against Mr Ali on Friday 12 February. He was told by the court that he would face a prison term of 5 years and 9 months if he did not pay the order in full within three months.

Mr Ali was found guilty of failing to comply with planning enforcement notices in April 2018 at Willesden Magistrates Court, after investigations by Brent's planning enforcement team.  The case was then referred to Harrow Crown Court for confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Brent was represented in the crown court by Edmund Robb of Prospect Law.

Detailed investigations carried out by Brent's financial investigators and Brent's planning enforcement officers revealed the extent of the number of illegal dwellings created and the illicit earnings made by illegally renting out the properties, which were owned by Mr Ali and his father. The properties were used as houses in multiple occupation and as undersized flats.

Mr Ali was also ordered to pay Brent council £30,000.00 to cover its legal costs in the long-running case.

Cllr Shama Tatler, Lead Member for Regeneration, Property & Planning, said:

This is another huge win for Brent. The council will take robust action to prevent the creation of poor quality housing. This penalty sends a clear message that rogue landlords will not be allowed to get away with ignoring planning laws. The accommodation provided was some of the worst residential accommodation that officers have ever come across. Brent will not tolerate this type of behaviour, landlords providing such horrible conditions. Brent residents deserve better.

Sentencing for the enforcement notice breaches is adjourned until 1 March 2021.