CONSUMING TO DESTRUCTION

Dr Shahrar Ali, Green Party candidate for the European Parliament London region said,"The government may be busy congratulating itself for facilitating consensus at the G20 summit. But there has been wanton disregard of the climate change emergency."

"By ignoring the systemic causes of financial instability and promoting economic growth at all costs, the G20 leaders unwittingly conspire to bring the devastating harms of climate change ever closer."

Dr Ali continued, "The recent film Age of Stupid showed just how oblivious go-getting entrepreneurs could be to the unsustainability of their actions. Just see how the managing director of a low cost airline could have his supposed moral purpose coloured by the prospect of a fast buck."

"No, G20. Until or unless the cost to the earth is factored into the economic equation, through the promotion of sustainable green industry and a rejection of over consumption, there can be little cause for celebration."

The churchyard at Old St.Andrew's Church, Kingsbury has been undergoing a big clear-up recently. The work is being done under the Community Payback scheme where offenders do six hours a day unpaid work, rather than serving a prison sentence. Serious offenders are not eligible and most of those serving a community sentence have been found guilt of theft, traffic offences or public order offences. The scheme was recently in the news over proposals to make offenders wear high-visibility vests while at work. The scheme is run jointly by the Probation Service, Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the Local Authority.

St Andrew's Old Church dates from the 11th century and it is thought there has been a church on the site since Saxon times. It is Brent's only Grade 1 listed building and has suffered from vandalism. The church is owned by the Churches Conservation Trust but the graveyard is the responsibility of the Parochial Church Council of Kingsbury who have worked hard at clearing the churchyard in recent years.

Today in the Spring sunshine, paths had been cleared and there were masses of violets amongst the graves. The workers are constructing a hurdle type fence around the graveyard constructed from the trees and shrubs they have cut down. They explained that they hoped the ubiquitous ivy would climb over the hurdles and form a solid barrier. It was clear that the work had been done with sensitivity and perhaps even a little enthusiasm - surely better than languishing in a cell.

G20 A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Darren Johnson AM, Green Party spokesperson on trade and industry, reviewing the G20 Statement said Gordon Brown had delivered a “kick in the teeth for British industry and global sustainability.” He said Brown had “managed to pull off a global stimulus that includes less than seven per cent climate-friendly investment.”

He went on, “Britain’s over-reliance on financial services has been a spectacular failure. It’s time we re-built the real economy. There are a raft of emerging technologies waiting for government investment to kick-start the Green industrial revolution that will give us the economy of the future - a balanced economy that includes heavy industry and self-reliance on energy. We have a golden opportunity to beat the recession and the climate crisis in one - and we’re wasting it.”

He concluded, “Every time we see evidence of progress we also see evidence that governments are dragging their feet. They don’t seem to understand that the policies we need for tackling climate change will bring huge social and economic benefits. “We need more Greens in elected office, because we need to push parliaments and assemblies and local councils towards a better understanding and a better set of policies.”

Full Statement

LAST CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON LONDON'S AIR QUALITY

A survey on air pollution in London closes tomorrow. The Environment Committee of the London Assembly is asking Londoners to say what air pollution is like where they live and work, and how air pollution has affected them.

About 1,000 premature deaths annually in London are attributed to poor air conditions and Brent has the busy North Circular Road running right through it. Boris Johnson's dropping of the low emissions zone and the Western Extension of the Congestion Zone means opportunities have been missed to improve air quality.

Have your say by filling in the short survey. Follow this link: Air Quality Survey

Brent MPs Criticise Omission of Climate Change From G20 Talks

Two of our local MPs spoke out in the House of Commons yesterday G20's failure to include the issue of climate change in their talks.

In the debate that followed the G20 statement, Barry Gardiner asked Alistair Darling, "Given that the world currently consumes each year the resources that the planet takes one year and four months to renew or replace, does my right hon. Friend agree that it is just as important that the G20 should have examined not only the credit bubble and fallout in the global economy, but the credit bubble in the global environment?"

Sarah Teather put the failings of the G20 more baldly in the Easter Adjournment Debate where she made an extended contribution. Reflecting on the Brent screenings of The Age of Stupid she said, "As the G20 meets today, having bumped climate change off the agenda, I cannot help but think that we almost certainly do live in the age of stupid. Not only has the G20 bumped climate change from the agenda, with the decision to look at it at the Copenhagen conference later this year, but it will have failed—at least I expect that it will have failed; we await the Chancellor's statement later this afternoon—to link the fiscal stimulus that so many countries are arguing for with the green economy. That most certainly is a very stupid thing indeed."

Later in the debate she said, "The G20 may have junked the environment this week, but we have time before Copenhagen in December to lay the groundwork for a serious climate deal that could make a huge difference. We need our Government to take a lead on that now, and to be at the forefront of climate negotiations. We must have a serious commitment to cut emissions by at least 30 per cent., not the 20 per cent. with time off for carbon trading that came with the European Union deal. We must also put developing countries' concerns at the heart of the climate change deal. We have grown rich in part by polluting. We must now repay that debt to the developing world by financing and sharing technology so that countries can access clean and green energy and develop in a sustainable way, and we must help developing countries to adapt to the damaging consequences of climate change that will, unfortunately, happen regardless of what we do."

Link to Barry Gardiner's Question and Darling's answer

Link to Sarah Teather's Contribution to Adjournment Debate 1

Link to Sarah Teather's Contribution 2

ACADEMY PLANNING CONDITIONS VIOLATED

When planning permission was given for the temporary ARK Academy on playing fields it was only done so on the condition that the playing fields were accessible and maintained. The conditions, set out in Schedule B (08/0799) said that the departure from Policy OS8 state that 'there would be no overall loss of playing fields and access would be regulated via a Community Use Scheme to the benefit of the local community and in accordance with the requirements of Sport England.'

The pitches were closed off during the building of the temporary Academy on the grounds of security and it was stated that they would be made available once the building work was completed. This was not done and the pitches have remained out of use, despite council claims that they are available but that no one has requested permission to use them. Peter Moring counter-claimed in the local press this weekend that three local senior teams have asked to use the pitches but have been 'flatly refused access by Brent Council's Park Service'. If true this is in contravention of Condition 11 which states, "...the development shall not be occupied unless prior thereto, the football pitches have been re-provided in accordance with details submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority".

A glance at the photographs show that the pitches are not fit for use: there are no goal posts or pitch marking and the field resembles medieval ridge and furrow. Sports England would not be impressed and the condition of the pitches is in direct contravention of conditions 12 and 13. 13 states, "Prior to the commencement of the use a Management and Maintenance Scheme for the football pitches and the existing pavilion for a period of 3 years, to include measures to ensure the standard of pitch surfaces over the next 3 years, and management responsibilities, a maintenance schedule and a mechanism for review, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority after consultation with Sport England".

The Planning Authority and Sport England have clearly not kept their eyes on this particular ball and the result has been a loss of facilities to the local community.

THIS FILM WILL LEAVE ITS MARK ON OUR PSYCHE

Brian Orr, Chair of Brent Green Party, saw The Age of Stupid at the Tricycle Cinema last week and took part in several of the discussion sessions. This is his view of the film:

I was very taken by the The Age of Stupid. I saw it as a 'collage' of seven fascinating documentaries, cleverly woven together by a bit of science fiction that allowed for some seductive 'climate change facts' to be slotted in. It provided little in the way of answers, nor did it provide an orderly analysis along the lines of An Inconvenient Truth, but the material would stimulate most people into thinking, 'Hey, there's something fundamentally awry here."

It is pretty clear that a high proportion of those who have seen the film were moved emotionally. Only time will tell how far the film will leave its mark on our collective psyche, but it certainly won't be forgotten for a long time. It should remain in the environmentalists' armoury for a good few years yet.

Click here to see what Ed Miliband thought of the film

NOT SO MASTERFUL!

Consideration of the Wembley Masterplan by the Brent Executive, due to be table at its meeting on Monday April 6th, has been put off following intervention by the Conservative Group.

The Masterplan has been been heavily criticised by the Wembley Community Association, Brent Green Party and Quintain Estates on the basis that it is unaffordable and undeliverable.

The reconnection of North End Road to Bridge Road at an estimated cost of £20mln (the cost of two new primary schools) which has been a particular bone of contention in the Plan has been thrown into doubt. At present the closed off road provides a low traffic haven which is safe for children from the nearby flats. The Masterplan envisaged the demolition of the present pedestrian footway linking Bridge Road and Olympic Way which provides access to North End Road. (see photograph) However the Planning Inspectorate last week over-ruled Brent Council and approved the building of a 20 storey student accommodation tower on a nearby site, raising issues about the practicality of the Masterplan proposals.

Click here for the WCA's Submission on the Masterplan

Click here for Brent Green Party's Submission on the Masterplan

ARK PLANNING CONCERNS

Meanwhile ARK Academy campaigners have raised concerns about missing essential documentation on the council planning site ahead of the re-scheduled planning hearing on Tuesday April 28th. They argue that they are unable to make an informed submission if essential documents are unavailable for detailed perusal.