Protest at Council Tax Scheme that hits the poor: Monday Brent Civic Centre

The protest outside Willesden Magistrates Court when non-payers were summonsed by the Council

Brent Housing Action will be holding a protest at Brent Civic Centre before the  Brent Council meeting on Monday January 20th from 6.30pm.

They are protesting against the Council Tax Support Scheme proposals for 2014-15 that will be discussed at the meeting. The proposals only slightly modify the scheme that was in place for 2013-14 which led to the Council taking many residents, who had not previously paid Council Tax to court for non-payment.

A full account of the issue can be found on the Brent Housing Action website HERE and the Officer's Report, by Andy Donald, can be found HERE

EDL threaten demo in Cricklewood on Saturday

The Mapesbury Safer Neighbourhood Team have circulated the following information:

*  EDL Demo Cricklewood Broadway on Saturday

Update from Mapesbury SNT

The media has published details on the 14/01/2014 regarding the Muslim Brotherhood setting up an office above an old Kebab shop in CRICKLEWOOD BROADWAY. A photo of the venue shows a disused premise with the number 113 visible on the front.

Further enquiries have identified the building as 113 CRICKLEWOOD BROADWAY NW2 3JG which is covered by BRENT borough.

The right wing response has been for a national call out for persons to attend the venue on Saturday 18/01/2014 in opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood setting up office in LONDON 

The Britain First right wing group has organised the event and have asked people to meet at 1400 hrs on 18/01/2014 at CRICKLEWOOD STATION and bring flags.

This has also appeared on the main ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE facebook page It this stage there is no indication of people who will attend but it is guaranteed that people will attend on Saturday

I will keep you up to date with developments; we will develop an appropriate Policing response.

Mapesbury SNT contact details:  

mapesbury.snt@met.police.uk

NOTE FROM WEMBLEY MATTERS The latest intelligence suggest that the EDL will be mobilising in Slough on Saturday and I have been told there is nothing on their Twitter feed about Cricklewood. It looks likely that it will be a small demonstration (perhaps no more than 20) by Britain First. This information is not definitive so please check Wembley Matters, Brent Fightback Facebook for updates.

Brighton Greens throw down gauntlet to Pickles and Labour on Council Tax Referendum

Brighton Greens have decided to call the Coalition's bluff and hold a referendum on raising council tax to protect adult social care in the city. The controversial move will also put Labour on the spot and is likely to lead to debate amongst anti-cuts activists between those who see the priority as saving services and those who see the rise as yet another burden on a population who have seen a cut in benefits, rises in prices and rents and a reduction in wages in real terms.

The decision to let the people decide is a radical move and whichever way the vote goes will bring the debate about the impact of the Coalition's cuts to local authority funding right out into the open.

The decision to hold the referendum has been backed  by all Brighton's Green councillors, by Caroline Lucas MP, Keith Taylor MEP  for the south East, and party leader Natalie Bennett.

This is the statement on the Brighton and Hove Green Party website:

The UK's only Green council administration – in Brighton and Hove – is proposing a referendum of local people on a council tax rise to protect services for the city's most vulnerable.

As a response to central Government cuts, the minority Green administration has been working to find ways of funding local services threatened by coalition cuts, including care for the elderly.

It is asking people to consider a Council Tax increase of 4.75%, which would be used directly to fund adult social care services, including care for the elderly, and grants to third sector organisations. Residents would be asked to vote on the possible increase in a referendum - the first of its kind in the modern era.

The proposal for a referendum, announced today by Green council leader Jason Kitcat, was a unanimous decision of Green councillors and has the full support of Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, South East Green MEP Keith Taylor and Green Party leader Natalie Bennett.

It comes as Eric Pickles, for the coalition government, is paving the way to restrict councils to a rise of 1.5% or less, on top of draconian cuts already announced. Three quarters of county councils and a third of other councils have already indicated that they plan to increase council tax to meet growing need and mitigate the worst of Westminster's cuts.

Councillor Jason Kitcat, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said:

The Coalition’s cuts mean we cannot deliver the services we were elected to provide and which our consciences say we should provide. We have no choice but to seek the views of local people on funding these services through a tax increase.

Westminster's ideologically driven cuts to local councils are huge and relentless while demand for our services continues to grow. Vulnerable people who depend on our services are being threatened from Westminster like never before.

We have so far been successful in saving tens of millions of pounds but we can no longer find enough efficiencies to absorb all the cuts. Without today's proposal, I fear for the serious impacts on the most vulnerable in our city from the Coalition's cuts.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:

This is a bold move and one that I know the Council is taking very reluctantly. The people have not voted for austerity. They have not chosen to have services they rely on destroyed by draconian cuts.

This is an appalling situation, for which the Coalition Government is alone to blame. A referendum would allow the people of Brighton and Hove, including my constituents in Brighton Pavilion, to decide on the best response 

 Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party, said:
  
As Greens we believe that decisions should be made closest to the people who are affected. Instead of letting Whitehall impose cuts on vulnerable people in Brighton & Hove, this announcement takes the decision to the people.

It reflects Green principles being campaigned for around the country. Our Oxfordshire county councillors, in opposition, last year made a bid for a 3.5% rise to protect social care, and I know other local parties will be putting forward similar proposals this year.

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East, candidate in the 2014 EU elections and former city councillor, said:

Across the south east we're seeing councils cut to the bone and all too often it is the most vulnerable who suffer. This announcement gives the people of Brighton & Hove a chance to decide for themselves what they want and to consider the best way to protect the vulnerable in the city from vicious Tory cuts.

The proposal for Brighton & Hove will pass in Council, in February, unless opposed by both Labour and Tory councillors. It would then proceed to a ballot on 22nd May - the same time as elections for European Parliament, which would significantly save on administration costs.

Jason Kitcat continued:

The other parties, especially Labour, will need to decide whether they trust the people of Brighton and Hove to make this decision. The Green administration I lead did not seek an election mandate to raise taxes in this way and in previous years I have opposed going down this route. But the unprecedented pressure on our budget from Westminster can no longer be absorbed, so we are seeking a democratic opinion from local residents - those who pay council tax and those who rely on the services it funds.

Westminster is threatening services for the elderly, who have worked hard all their lives and deserve our support in their old age — not reductions in the services which are often a lifeline for them. The city’s charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations provide essential services across our city’s communities. We must be able to support them.

Current calculations show that a 4.75% increase means a rise for a Band C property by £5.30 a month and for a Band D property by £5.97. Those claiming Council Tax Reduction will still be protected by the existing scheme.

Councillor Leo Littman, Lead member for Finance, said:

This is an increase of less than £6 a month for the average household and nothing for those on low incomes who claim under our extensive Council Tax Reduction scheme. We know many Brighton and Hove residents are hard-pressed but we hope they will see this level of increase – equal to less than half a pint of beer a week - a reasonable price to pay for maintaining key services.

The storm clouds ahead for next year’s very severe financial picture mean we need to act now. We are of course continuing to work on saving money through reviewing fees, generating new business and selling off spare buildings. But that won’t be enough in the next two years to protect the city’s elderly and vulnerable from Osborne’s austerity agenda. Fortunately the upcoming European elections mean we can hold this major consultation with our residents for less than it would have otherwise cost.

Key elements of these revised council tax budget proposals, which will be published in full for the Policy & Resources Committee meeting of 13th February, include:

• Protecting service delivery for key adult social care services, including home care, residential community care, day services, learning disabilities employment support and restoring subsidy to Able & Willing service;
• Protecting full amount of funds to third sector grants programme and sports grants programme;
• 4.75% council tax increase which would raise £2.75m more than December’s draft budget which assumed 2% tax increase;
• Referendum to be held on 22nd May along with European Parliamentary Elections.

Preston Manor covenant costs approach half a million

Brent Council has incurred legal costs payable to Druces LLP of almost £170,000 including VAT and disbursements in the legal case over restrictive covenants at Preston Manor School an FoI request by Wembley Matters has discovered.

The covenants forbade any new school build on the land and residents had objected to plans for a new primary school on the site. After a risk assessment the council decided to go ahead anyway and seek a removal of the covenants at the Land Tribunal. Residents then objected to the removal of the covenants at  the Tribunal and a negotiated settlement is in process which if successful would remove the necessity of a hearing.

Druces was instructed by the school but the council agreed to indemnify the school's legal costs so that the borough's families and children could benefit from 'the new much needed school building'.

In addition the council's legal services have spent 142 hours on the case. The response states that officer time in other departments involved was not recorded.

The council refuse to give the compensation costs involved in settling the case quoting legal advice that the information is exempted from disclosure under section 42 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In fact I revealed in a previous posting that according to a reliable source, residents had been offered £303,000 to settle their claim. LINK

This makes a total of £473,000 excluding the hours of officer time but this may not be the end of the matter. The council state:

If the matter is not concluded by negotiated settlement before the hearing, the Council will incur further legal costs and fees for the attendance of expert witness at the hearing.

The failure of Children and Families officers to exercise due diligence over the original proposal is proving very costly.

The full response to my FoI request can be found HERE

Muhammed Butt 'not prepared to ride roughshod over parents' concerns'

Some might dismiss it as a pre-election gambit but there was a vote, with Executive members taking different sides, at last night's Brent Executive.

The vote was on the officer's report on the proposed expansion of Princess Frederica Primary School. As reported below expansion was opposed by the great majority of parents and some local residents. There were concerns over the limited pavement space for pedestrians around the site, impact on the school's outdoor pay space and disruption during building.

Muhammed Butt said that  extra school places were needed 'but we are committed to listening to the voices of residents and are not prepared to ride roughshod over parents' concerns. In the face of so many opposing views, it is our duty to listen and re-think proposals to see if we can accomodate as many people's views as possible.'

Other campaigners in Brent such as those in Willesden Green and parents at Gladstone Park will wonder why he did not show the same respect for their concerns.  However, his statement still allows for a revised plan to come forward, probably after the local elections.

Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for children and families,  said that they had learnt from the parents' campaign and would now take a step back to look at the expansion programme anew.

Councillor George Crane, lead member for regeneration and major projects,  however supported the officers' report and said local reservations should be dealt with through the planning process and wondered why Princess Frederica should be different from Newfield, Harlesden and Robert Southwell primary schools that were expanding without problems.

When the issue came to the vote Muhammed Butt (leader), Michael Pavey, James Denselow, Krupesh Hirani, Aslam Choudry and Jim Moher voted against the officers' recommendation.  to expand the school. Ruth Moher (deputy leader) and Margaret McLennan abstained and George Crane voted for the recommendations.

Parent power overthrows school expansion plans

I had a clash of meetings tonight so was unable to attend the Brent Executive. However Cllr James Denselow has tweeted that they rejected the officers' recommendation to expand Princess Frederica Primary School.  An unusual event.

Congratulations to the parents who fought a well informed campaign and managed to persuade Councillors Pavey and Denselow of their cause at a public meeting just before Christmas.

Officers, schools, the Diocesan Board and governors were thanked for their efforts and a review of current needs, to include community feedback was promised.  A new programme of expansion, including more creative solutions, will be developed during 2014.

The problems and limits of expansion on existing sites makes it even more important that local residents, parents and Brent Council support the School Places Crisis Campaign which seeks to reinstate local council's right to build new local authority schools where they are needed. LINK

Earlier coverage of the issue HERE

Greens back independent grassroots candidate for Willesden Green

Several members of Brent Green Party attended the Make Willesden Green campaign's policy discussion on Saturday as observers. The participants were local activists and residents, mostly non-party but with some disillusioned Labour supporters, who were concerned about their lack of say in local issues, poor consultation, the loss of some key local amenities, and the feeling that Willesden Green was being changed into a featureless dormitory which would squeeze out poorer people.  The Council was seen as remote and unresponsive.

The meeting was highly positive and very participative and people left determined to exercise some People Power at the local elections in May 2014.

Alex Colas is standing as an independent grassroots candidate in Willesden Green ward. He has worked alongside Green Paty members in several campaigns including the Keep Willesden Green campaign over the redevelopment of the Willesden Green Library and the loss of the Willesden Bookshop and the open space, as well as the continuing campaign against the forced academisation of Gladstone Park Primary School which serves many children from Willesden Green,

Alex wrote a Guest Article in the last edition of Brent Green Party's Willesden Green News.

At the beginning of the well-attended  meeting Alex explained the relationship between MWG and the Greens. MWG is standing on an independent platform and is not a political party and welcomes support from supporters of all parties and none. The 'Green' in Make Willesden Green stands for the place and not the party.

However, the Brent Green Party believe that an independent grassroots councillor for Willesden Green would enhance local democracy and has issued the  following statement:

Brent Green Party welcomes the candidature of Alex Colas who is standing as an independent on the Make Willesden Green platform in Willesden Green ward in the local elections.

We believe that the election of Alex Colas, arising from his principled participation in local campaigns, would be healthy for local democracy.  In recognition of this we will stand only two candidates in the ward and recommend that our supporters give Alex their third vote.

Further information on the Make Willesden Green campaign can be found HERE

Copland teachers stage unprecedented 5th strike against forced academisation

Copland Community School teaching unions remain solid in their determination to stop the ARK academy chain taking over their school in Wembley. They will be taking an unprecedented fifth day of strike action tomorrow (14^th January). The IEB continue to refuse to take part in any negotiations let alone even reply to communications from the Unions.

Hank Roberts, Immediate Past national President of ATL said:

The IEB have yet to respond to an offer of further talks nor even yet able to respond to staff and parents demand to be given a proposed timetable for the proposed conversion! The massive strength of feeling is because staff know that this is really about privatisation and Gove intends to allow those running academies like ARK to make profit out of state education. Their intention is to impose a third world education system in England.

Our intention is to continue and increase the level of resistance to stop them.

 Tom Stone, Acting NASUWT Brent Secretary said:

Copland staff are showing amazing tenacity in continuing to be prepared to stand up for their school by taking yet another day of strike action. The NASUWT fully supports members taking action at any school where management try to impose academisation.

Jean Roberts, Joint Brent Teachers Association Secretary said:

By standing firm staff have won on a collective grievance over job titles and also, through the threat of further strike action, the threat of compulsory redundancies for teachers has been withdrawn. At the well attended joint unions meeting last week staff were up beat and fully behind the campaign to defeat ARK. Just today there were revelations in The Guardian after freedom of information requests showed taxpayer-funded academy chains have paid millions of pounds into the private businesses of directors, trustees and their relatives.

Leaflets will be handed out today outside Copland for pupils to take home to parents explaining why the action is taking place. This leaflet from the school’s anti academy working party has been translated into the most common languages used by pupils. 

This has not been done for any letters sent out by the IEB.

There will be a mass picket outside the school from 7.30 am tomorrow until 9.00 and then there will be a letter writing session to the local councillors and MPs. There will also be discussion on what further action will take place to further the campaign.