This evening's Thames Water Update current situation re no water/low pressure/bottled water station + COMPENSATION CLAIMS

 

We’re sorry if you’re experiencing supply and pressure problems.

Whilst most of our customers should now be back in supply following yesterday’s burst pipe in Loudoun Road, there have been some knock on effects to the pipe network that have caused issues for some.

If you’re still experiencing supply problems, we’ve re-opened our bottled water station at Willesden Sports Centre, in Donnington Road NW10 3QX.

Water Quality

As you’d expect, we’ve carried out a series of tests and can confirm there are no quality issues with the returning water supply.

You can find more information about what to expect as your water returns here.

If you’ve still got problems with your supply

We’re working to resolve these as quickly as possible. We’re really sorry for the ongoing disruption and distress caused.

We expect repairs to the original burst to take several days, and in the meantime, Loudoun Road is likely to remain closed for some time.

Details on our bottled water station

Our bottled water station is accessible on foot or by car. If you drive there, we can load water into your vehicle. It’s for essential use, like drinking, cooking and hand washing, so please be considerate and don’t take more than you need.

If you have a neighbour who’s unable to get to the site, please let us know and we’ll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out.

We’ll provide any further updates on this page when we have further information.

Editor's comment - COMPENSATION

 

 You can claim £30 compensation from Thames Water for loss of your water yesterday (more if you have still no water today or subsequent days) and should get it credited to your account within 20  working days There are also other categories if you were affected in additional ways.

 

LINK TO CLAIM FORM

Thames Water Update re continuing supply problems in the area

 Some people have taken to social media to say despite prmises that supplies would be back still have no water.

In the latest update this is what Thames Water said:

We’re sorry if you’re experiencing supply and pressure problems.

Whilst most of our customers should now be back in supply following yesterday’s burst pipe in Loudoun Road, there have been some knock-on effects to the pipe network that have caused issues for some.

We’re working to resolve these as quickly as possible. We’re really sorry for the ongoing disruption and distress caused.

You can find more information about what to expect as your water returns here.

We expect repairs to the original burst to take several days, and in the meantime, Loudoun Road is likely to remain closed for some time.

Brent Community Infrastructure Levy & Section 106: what it has been spent on and the amount remaining

 

Last week the Brent Cabinet approved the annual Infrastructure Funding Statement with little discussion. Millions of pounds is involved so it is worth looking at it in some detail. To help readers I have extracted some of the tables. The full Statement with detailed commentary can be read HERE,

Brent Council introduces the Statement (extracts):

The Council has been collecting the borough’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) since July 2013. CIL is a levy applied to most developments granted planning permission that commence, and is to help deliver the infrastructure needed to support the development of the area. CIL is also important in demonstrating to communities the benefits that new development can bring, including through key infrastructure projects, place-making and local improvements.

The borough CIL receipts can be broken down into three portions – the Strategic CIL, the Neighbourhood CIL and the Administration CIL. A Mayoral CIL of £60 per sqm is collected as well and passed on to TfL on a quarterly basis. The borough keeps 4% of this levy for administrative purposes. All London Boroughs are subject to this levy, with the money used to fund the Elizabeth Line and Crossrail 2

The Council also enters into Section 106 agreements with developers – a mechanism which makes a development proposal acceptable in planning terms. S106 agreements are focused on site-specific mitigation of the impact of development such as securing affordable housing or requiring improvements to an access road. CIL, on the other hand, is designed to raise funds for infrastructure needed generally as a result of an increase in development in an area, and is spent on community infrastructure projects across the borough.

 

Although the Council has had high CIL receipts compared to the majority of other London Boroughs, it is important to note that future years CIL receipts may not be as strong given the current financial and economic conditions in the UK which may affect the commencement of developments and subsequently, CIL receipts.

The  receipts from CIl and Section 106 and their use are one of the justifications that councillors use when challenged on the anount of development in the borough that is rapidly changing its face. Provision of housing during a housing crisis and the subsequent rise in Council Tax receipts are also quoted.

One of the controversial aspects is the amount of both Strategic CIL and Neighbourhood CIL that remains unspent or unallocated at the end of the financial year and is carried forward.

The actual amount spent in 2021-22 (rounded) was SCIL £7,058,222. NCIL £4,575,043 - TOTAL £11,635,265 of which CIL Admin was £681,441.

The amount collected in 2021-22 and the amount carried forward from previous years that has not been allocated (£60m) :

 STRATEGIC CIL

So what has the SCIL been spent on?:

South Kilburn

Wembley Park

There is a full description of the Olympic Way 'improvements' which follow the large expenditure on the replacement steps in previous years. The expenditure is justified in the Statement:

The improvements are a recognition that Wembley Park is an area of national and international importance. The high quality public realm supports the ongoing transformation of the area into a thriving, attractive environment where people want to live with access to shops and entertainment.

The North End Road/Bridge Road reconnection has yet to be signalised and buses are not yet using it avoid the stadium on event days to avoid delays and curtailment of services.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CIL

 

For the distribution of Neighbourhood CIL the borough is divided into NCIL areas including the two Neighbourhood Forums. Wembley continues to get a higher allocation on the basis that it is most impacted by new developments:

There is a description of many of the projects allocated funds in the Statement and a full list can be found HERE. I understand that not all projects progress to actually receiving the funds as there are various legal and financial hoops to get through.

 

SECTION 106 FUNDING

 

Section 106 is site specific and is funding that makes a development acceptable to Planning. It is sometimes a financial contribution but may also be an allocation of the housing approved as so-called 'affordable housing'. This returns to an argument familiar to readers about the precise meaning of affordable. As the Brent Poverty Commission said that only social housing was truly affordable to Brent residents, bear that in mind when looking at the figures for the housing contribution:

So just under 14% of the 'affordable' units (column 2)  are social rent and under 4% of the total units (column 3)  in the developments.

 Section 106 Financial Contributions

 What immediately struck me on looking at these figures was the amount, £3.5m,  spent on transportation  compared with the other areas.

Transportion includes: cycle parking, electric vehicle charging points, signage around Wembley Stadium, Roe Green/Kingsbury Road junction, hostile vehicle measures in Wembley Park around the stadium and 'Wembley Two Way Working'  including North End Road mentioned earlier under SCIL.

Full details of the projects funded can be found in the Statement.

 

 

 

 

Update from Thames Water: Everyone should be back on supply

All customers should now be back in supply following yesterday’s burst pipe in Loudoun Road. We’d like to apologise if you were affected by this. Water pressures have been improving through the night. You can find more information about what to expect as your water returns here.

If you’re still experiencing no water, please get in touch to let us know.

We’re really sorry for the flooding and distress caused by the burst.

Planning continues on repairs to the pipe, which we expect to start later today. We expect this will take several days, and in the meantime Loudoun Road is likely to remain closed for some time.

We’ve rerouted water around the network to maintain supplies while we fix things.

LAST UPDATE FOR THIS EVENING: No Water/Low Pressure & Flooding NW1, NW2, NW6, NW8, NW10, W1W, W1, W2, W8, W9 & W10

FROM THAMES WATER

 

We are really sorry if you have been affected by the earlier burst pipe in Loudoun Road. All customers should now be back in supply. Pressures is returning to the affected areas and will continue over the coming hours. You can find more information about what to expect as your water returns here.

If you’re still experiencing no water, please get in touch to let us know.

The bottled water station at Willesden Sports Centre, in Donnington Road NW10 3QX remains open until 11 pm this evening for any customers still experiencing low water pressure.

It’s for essential use, like drinking, cooking and hand washing, so please be considerate and don’t take more than you need., we can load water into your vehicle. Our bottled water station is accessible on foot or by car. If you drive there

If you have a neighbour who’s unable to get to the site, please let us know and we’ll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out.

If you’ve been affected by flooding

Our loss adjusters will back at Swiss Cottage Library tomorrow from 9 am. The loss adjusters will be available to talk to residents who’ve been flooded to help with the next steps.

We’re really sorry for the flooding and distress this has caused.

Planning continues on repairs to the burst pipe. It’s one of our biggest, measuring three-and-half-feet across, so we’re expecting this to take several days. Don’t worry – we’re rerouting water around the network to maintain supplies while we fix things.

This will be our last update of the evening. Please check back  tomorrow for updates.

Water Latest - Saturday 8.20pm: Bottle station opened at Willesden Sports Centre in Donnington Road

Thames Water Update

Water is now returning across the area, and pressures will continue to build over the coming hours. We expect all supplies to be back tonight, following the earlier burst pipe in Loudoun Road.

If you still need water, we’ve opened a bottled water station at Willesden Sports Centre, in Donnington Road NW10 3QX. For more details, see below.

If you’ve been affected by flooding

We have a loss adjuster and support staff at Swiss Cottage Library, where Camden Council is running a rest centre. They’re talking to residents who’ve been flooded, to help with the next steps. Loss adjusters will return to the library tomorrow.

We’re really sorry for the flooding and distress this has caused.

If you have no water or low pressure

We’d like to apologise too if your supply has been affected by this. If you’re still without water, you should still be able to use your heating.

As supplies start to return across the area, you can find more information about what to expect here.

Planning continues on repairs to the burst pipe. It’s one of our biggest, measuring three-and-half-feet across, so we’re expecting this to take several days. Don’t worry – we’re rerouting water around the network to maintain supplies while we fix things.

We’re also continuing to deliver bottled water to customers in vulnerable circumstances.

Details on our bottled water station

Our bottled water station is accessible on foot or by car. If you drive there, we can load water into your vehicle. It’s for essential use, like drinking, cooking and hand washing, so please be considerate and don’t take more than you need.

If you have a neighbour who’s unable to get to the site, please let us know and we’ll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out.

LATEST UPDATE FROM THAMES WATER ON WATER SUPPLY IN BRENT & CAMDEN - supplies expected to return over next few hours and into the night

 

We’re starting to see water pressures gradually improving as we begin to refill our supply network, following this morning’s large burst pipe in Loudoun Road.

We’ll continue working on this and expect supplies across the area will start to return over the next few hours and into tonight.

If you’ve been affected by flooding

We have loss adjusters and support staff at Swiss Cottage Library, where Camden Council is running a rest centre. They’re talking to residents who’ve been flooded, to help get their lives back on track.

We’re really sorry for the flooding and distress this has caused.

If you have no water or low pressure

We’d like to apologise too if your water supply has been affected by this. If you’re without water you should still be able to use your heating.

As supplies start to return across the area, you can find more information about what to expect BELOW

We’re working to repair the pipe. We already have some construction vehicles on site and others on the way so we can get moving as quickly as possible.

We’ve also been delivering water to vulnerable customers in the area, and are continuing to do so.

Why did it take time to stop the burst?

It took our engineers time to stem the flow safely, as they needed to switch off a number of valves at different locations, some of which were under parked cars or submerged by flood water. They also needed to make sure when operating them that this didn’t lead to a further burst pipe elsewhere.

We’ll provide more information here as soon as we have it. 

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

 

 

We’re sorry if you’ve unexpectedly had a problem with your water. We know how difficult it is when your supply is disrupted.

Why didn’t we warn you?

Sometimes, this type of issue is impossible to predict. For example, a water pipe might burst, there could be an unexpected issue at a treatment works, or one of our pipes could have been damaged. Whenever there’s an emergency of this sort, we’ll work as fast as we can to get things back to normal.

My water looks cloudy – why is that?

If your water looks cloudy when you turn your tap back on, it’s likely to be tiny air bubbles trapped in the water, which sometimes happens when pipes burst.

This is harmless, and if you pour a glass of water you should see the bubbles clear from the bottom of the glass upwards. The cloudiness should disappear if you run your cold kitchen tap for a couple of minutes. Learn more about this on our help page.

Why is the water coming out of my tap more slowly?

Sometimes the force that pushes water through the pipes, known as the pressure, can take a while to build up again following an incident, so please allow time for this.

At first, your water might splutter out of your tap when it comes back on, but this should clear if you run your cold kitchen tap for a couple of minutes.

What should I do if I have another problem with my water?

Occasionally a burst pipe can cause other issues – for example, if a large amount of air gets trapped in your water pipes. If you continue to experience problems with your water or you notice any unusual taste or odour, please contact us.

What if I need extra support in the future?

Could you, a family member or a friend benefit from a helping hand during a similar incident – for example, due to health reasons, disability or age? Find out more about the free support we can provide when you sign up to our priority services register.

Will I get compensation?

You won’t need to apply for compensation. If you qualify for a payment under our Customer Guarantee Scheme, we’ll automatically credit your Thames Water account within 20 working days.

Thousands say ‘No to Tesco Towers’ in Harrow: Read the petition

 The proposed development (image from developers and only shows one tower)  and protesters

 

From No To Tesco Towers Campaign

 

More than 2,000 Harrow residents have signed a petition opposing the development of multiple tower blocks on the Tesco site on Station Road in central Harrow. 

 

 

 

The current Tesco store from Hindes Road (Credit: Google Streetview)

 

Greenmead Place would see 559 new flats across ten blocks up to 15-storeys high, 155 residential parking spaces, a 20% smaller Tesco store and a third less customer parking,

 

The tallest block is 15 storeys, one at 14 storeys, one at 13 storeys, one at twelve storeys, one at 11 storeys, two at seven storeys, one at six storeys and two at five storeys.

 

Local residents and residents associations have joined forces to protest the plans, launching a petition and website, nototescotowers.com. To date, more than 1,800 residents have signed online with hundreds more signing the paper petition.

 

 

Concerns include the scale of the development, a lack of truly affordable housing and the impact on local infrastructure, such as roads, public transport, schools and health services.
 

While housing association Notting Hill Genesis claims 32% will be “affordable housing”, two thirds will be shared ownership - increasingly criticised for its unaffordability -  and only 55 flats (9.8%) will be social housing. The vast majority - 380 flats - will be sold at market prices.    [Q&A on Shared Ownership]

 

At a recent Harrow Council meeting, the developers admitted that reducing the height of the towers would reduce the amount of affordable housing, including social housing.

 

Cllr Marilyn Ashton, responsible for Planning and Development, referred to residents’ anger over the proposal and urged the developers to take on board the meeting’s feedback.

 

One local resident posted on Facebook:

 

I live near the Kodak site. The original plans included a primary school and community centre. The reality is that those vital facilities do not exist on the developed site and the surrounding roads cannot cope with the increased weight of traffic.

 

The roads around the Tesco site were not built for such heavy usage so traffic chaos will be inevitable. There is no justification for this site other than profit for developers. We need affordable social housing. Not luxury flats only a few can afford. The system is very broken.

 

Pamela Fitzpatrick, Director of Harrow Law Centre, a charity providing free legal support, and a former Harrow councillor said: 

 

Housing is one of the biggest problems we see in Harrow. There’s enough housing in Harrow for everyone but it’s all largely unaffordable.

 

Housing associations no longer do what they were set up to do - provide low-cost, secure rented properties - so many people can’t even afford to live in housing association homes. The proposed Tesco site development appears to simply add to the problems and will do little to alleviate the housing crisis.

 

Tesco and Notting Hill Genesis are expected to submit a formal planning application to Harrow Council in early 2023.

 

THE PETITION WORDING  (SIGN HERE)

 

Residents Say No to Tesco Towers and Notting Hill Genesis Development in Harrow

This petition is to object to the proposal by Notting Hill Genesis and Tesco to turn the store on Station Road Harrow into a high-rise development called  Greenmead Place– Notting Hill Genesis ‘Tesco Towers’ including a 15 storey building.

We ask Harrow Council to consider why the community objects:

• The proposed development is overbearing and will dominate the surrounding homes of mainly two-storey houses and low-rise flats.
• The development design totally ignores the surrounding community.
• There are no infrastructure improvements, no additional GP surgeries, capacity at Northwick Park Hospital, improvement to public transport links, roads, water supply or sewage disposal.
• The increased congestion and pollution from high density housing on one of the busiest roads in Harrow, adds 155 cars to a road where two schools are within a few metres
• 20% reduction in the Tesco store size and 33% less parking spaces for Tesco customers yet further increasing congestion on the roads and less jobs for residents in a smaller store.
• NHG says ‘35%’ of the new accommodation will be ‘affordable’ but this includes shared ownership which is anything but affordable with prices in Harrow.

This development does not benefit the community and would be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the area.

We ask Harrow Council to not approve the application of this development.