Race & Public Health: Are black communities getting a fair deal? April 19th

Resident Association's concern over state of Brent Council's Planning Service

Queen's Park Area Resident's Association (QPARA) has written to the Chief Executive of Brent Council to express concern over the recent loss of key personnel in the Council's Planning Department:

Members of the Queen’s Park Area Residents’ Association (QPARA) are concerned about significant changes in the management and administration of the Planning Dept and how these are impacting upon the standard of service. At a time when planning applications seem to be at an all time high and residents find it difficult to keep up with even the most significant developments, we learn that the Planning Dept has lost key personnel.

Following the departure of the Area Planning Manager, Andy Bates, last year and the recent departure of the Head of Planning, Stephen Weeks, residents have voiced alarm that there does not appear to be anybody managing the department. At our recent monthly meeting (April 12) the following comments were made: Telephone and emails remain unanswered; enquiries about the status of developments and proposals are not consistently available; objections lodged are not appearing on the website and decisions not circulated. Examples in this immediate area are the Corrib Rest development which is a complex case with lawyers involved; Queens Studios where the question of the amount of affordable housing in the approved development is not clear; basement developments throughout the QP Conservation Area; and some more minor proposals such as for the Sunday Market signage and various breaches of the design guide relating to front gardens, walls and satellite dishes.

In short, this is a period where we know that there are always a lot of applications and the pressure on the Planners is intensive but without leadership, even on an interim basis, the situation is in danger of getting worse. More importantly there seems to be no one with an overall view on proposed developments and their impact not just on this area but on the ward as a whole. We worked closely with both Andy and Stephen over many years; they had a feeling for the character of this Conservation Area and were available through the planners to advise and consult. We are keen to establish such a relationship with a new team as soon as possible.

Please can you advise on who is managing the department and if a new Head of Planning has been recruited?

Greens out in force to support the People's Assembly's 4 demands

There was an excellent Green Party presence at the People's Assembly March Against Austerity today as Greens rallied to support the four demands on Health, Homes, Jobs and Education.

Parents declare #THISislearning as they take on the government's testing agenda

With Tory MPs lining up to question the government's forced academisation policy, a primary headteacher resigning in protest at the government's plans LINK and the NUT balloting for action real momentum is building up against Cameron's government.

Now parents are joining in and they are taking on the government on the content of education and the emphasis on testing as you can see from this blog first published HERE

On Tuesday 3rd May, thousands of parents are planning to take a stand against a school system which is more interested in testing our children than it is in nurturing in them a love of learning. They will be adding their voices to the growing unrest that already permeates the teaching profession, and joining the call from the National Union of Teachers to cancel the SATs for 2016. By keeping their children home from school on that day, they want to send a clear message to the government that enough is enough, and that their children – all children – deserve more.
We want to take things one step further.

As well as fully supporting the kids’ strike on 3rd May, we want to use that day and the run up to it to flood the internet with inspirational learning moments: images, stories and activities that show just how much more there is to learning than the narrow focus of the SATs allows. Whatever the age of your child, whether they are at school or nursery or educated at home, we would like you to help us show the government what learning really looks like using the hashtag #THISislearning.

If you’re a teacher, we would love to hear your thoughts too: this government has marginalised the expertise of education professionals for far too long.

If you have a blog, you can link up your posts below to create a hub of inspiration in the run up to 3rd May and share what you and your child(ren) get up to on the day itself. If you are not a blogger then don’t worry – you can share your ideas and activities on your social media accounts, using the hashtag #THISislearning on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can find out more about why we’re taking this action by reading Maddy’s post No, Mr Cameron, No, which inspired us with the fantastic response it received from parents and teachers alike, and the follow up, This is learning, Mr Cameron, as well as my post Why SATs are Bad for our Children, reflecting on the current situation from the perspective of ten years of teaching as well as life with a three year old.

You can also join our Facebook group to keep up to date with latest developments, and please comment below or contact either of us directly if there is anything else you want to know.

Sophie: Sophie is…
Maddy: Writing Bubble
#THISislearning

We would love as many bloggers as possible to join in! Here are just a few suggestions for taking part:

• Link up any post (old or new) about inspiring children to learn, including fun activities people might like to try on May 3rd.
• Please grab the #THISislearning badge from my sidebar for your post to spread awareness of the campaign (copy and paste the HTML code to add it to your site). We will share your posts on Twitter in return.
• If you share your post on social media, please the hashtag #THISislearning. If you tweet us a link to your post @writingbubble and @sophieblovett then we will RT.
• Link up your post below – just click on the blue button that says ‘add your link’ and follow the instructions. We look forward to reading your posts!

Where to join the Greens on today's People's Assembly march

The Green Party will be supporting today's People's Assembly march for health, homes, jobs and education.They are in Bloc 11 towards the end of the march. Placards will be available shortly before 1pm at the assembly point in Gower Street, NW1 of Euston Road. Nearest Tubes Euston Square and Euston.

There will be a Green Party stall in Trafalgar Square at the end of the march where placards can be given back. It is likely to be on the Canada House side of the square.

Now it's three Brent Councillors pledged to fight austerity

In a welcome move Cllrs Sam Stopp and Keith Perrin have now added their names to the People's Assembly Against Austerity letter from local councillors pledging to fight austerity and local government cuts LINK

Other councillors can add their names by emailing office@thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

LATE NEWS Cllr Tom Miller has added a comment that he would like to sign but thwarted by a dud link. I have taken that as support for the pledge.

Unions hail 'new era of stability' for Sudbury Primary Academy

In a joint statement today the ATL, GMB and NUT in Brent announced that the suspended headteacher of Sudbury Primary Academy has resigned.

The unions had threatened joint strike action if headteacher Uma Pandya returned to the school. LINK

Hank Roberts, an ATL Executive member and Branch secretary, said that a 'punitive Ofsted system' and lack of local authority oversight of academies was leading to an increase in allegations of headteacher bullying.

He said that the abandonment of the government's academisation programme and a more supportive inspection system would greatly improve matters.

The statement said:

All the unions congratulate the staff for standing up for themselves and the pupils. We also thank the new Chair of governors, Ian Phillips, for his professional approach throughout this difficult period and helping to get the school back on track. We look forward to a new era of stability for the school where everyone will be working together to deliver the very best for the children.

1500 Green candidates will fight tooth and nail to protect services and tackle the housing crisis

Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has launched the Green Party’s Local Elections campaign in Bristol alongside Tony Dyer, the Greens’ Bristol Mayoral candidate, and Bristol councillor Daniella Radice.

Ahead of the launch Bennett said:

Green councillors have proven their ability to stand up for their constituents and deliver real change and we are excited to be standing almost 1,500 candidates on 5 May. In a period when councils have been under enormous pressure to execute savage cuts handed down from Westminster, I am proud to say Green councillors have fought tooth and nail to protect essential public services and vulnerable people. By challenging the destructive budget priorities of councils led by the old parties that have run out of ideas, and holding planners and developers to account, Green councillors have made a real difference to people’s lives.

The Green Party are standing over 1,500 candidates on 5 May. Alongside the Greens’ 168 principal authority councillors, those newly elected next month will move to demand that local authority pensions are not invested in companies that have links to tax havens or unethical concerns.

At the launch, Bennett challenged our unfair tax system, and the notion that austerity is inevitable:

The recent tax evasion and avoidance scandals involving the shady financial arrangements of the super wealthy show that austerity is not unavoidable – it is a choice. The loopholes that exist in our unfair taxation system, and the ability of millionaires to avoid paying their way, shows there is enough money to pay for our vital council services - all that is needed is the political will. 

But while councils have been hard hit by Tory austerity, they should be straining every sinew to protect care services, community facilities and leisure spaces - finding creative ways to preserve them for the future. Greens have ideas to help with that, as well as scrutinising, challenging, and asking tough questions - being a new broom sweeping through often dusty corridors. 

If you want to send your message about the need for real change – about the need for multinational companies and rich individuals to pay their way and about the need for creative solutions in local communities, vote Green on 5 May.

Tony Dyer commented:

The astonishing success of the Green Party's recent Election Broadcast  clearly shows that it struck a chord with people who are sick and tired of the playground antics that too often dominates political debate. From standing up for the most disadvantaged, to taking real steps to alleviate Bristol's ever worsening housing crisis, Greens are committed to grown up politics that deliver real change."

Greens will campaign tirelessly in coming weeks for measures to address the housing crisis and deliver decent homes for all. The party is committed to cap rents, introduce longer tenancies and license landlords to provide greater protection for renters. We will also break the stranglehold of the big volume builders, helping smaller builders, community groups and individuals build genuinely affordable homes and renovate more empty homes.

Daniella Radice, part of the team of that have been rapidly greening Bristol’s council, commented:

We call on this government to restore local peoples’ powers to protect their own environments, and to stop damaging and exploitative developments in our towns and countryside.

Where one part of government talks about devolution, in fact it is busy removing powers from local councils and the people they represent. The government must stop treating local communities like children. Local people know what is best for their areas and must have a real say over new developments. They should be able to say no to polluting industries, fracking, and unaffordable housing built by exploitative developers – all to the benefit of investors rather than local people.

The Green Party is opposed to the centralising proposals in the Housing and Planning Bill which will further undermine the ability of Local Councils to insist on truly affordable homes, or negotiate with major developers.

Cllr Radice added:

It is no coincidence that the Conservative administration has received so much funding from the same property tycoons and investors who will benefit from this centralisation of control. We call on the government to halt this damaging bill, and enable local councils to build the affordable homes we desperately need.