Help permablitz Northwick Park Community Garden on Sunday May 12th

From Northwick Park Community Garden

Sunday 12th May! That’s the date of our first #permablitz we can now confirm. Are you free that day? If you are then come along and help us start to establish our new Community Garden. The day runs from 10am - 5pm and includes mini workshops run by our permaculture gardening expert Susannah Hall.

We will be planting the first batch of fruit trees, shrubs, herbs and flowers. No previous gardening knowledge is required, you will be shown what to do in a friendly environment where all level of input will be appreciated. We will provide refreshments throughout the day including lunch. 

This is an event for the whole family, so children and dogs (who may need to go on lead for short periods of time for their own safety) are very much welcome. All equipment will be provided, but if you are able to bring along gardening tools you are comfortable with to use on the day then please do so. 

The park is easily accessible from Northwick Park or South Kenton Tube Stations, and there is free parking available in the park. BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL - so that we know numbers for catering etc - please email us at northwickparkcommunitygarden@gmail.com

Welcome changes in Brent Parks Department's management of wildflower meadows

Cowslips in the wildflower meadow at the University of Westminster, Northwick Park

I was very critical when Brent Council decided to save £450,000 by creating wildflower meadows in its parks. I suggested that just letting the grass grow did not in itself constitute a wildflower meadow.  Seed sowing, plug plants and correct management to ensure that the meadows are not overwhelmed by thistles etc are all essential. It seemed more of a cost-cutting exercise than a positive commitment to bio-diversity. LINK

At a recent meeting of Brent Friends of the Earth I was pleased to hear from the very enthusiastic new head of the Brent Parks Service, Kelly Eaton, that one third of each meadow area in our parks and open spaces will be sown with both annual and perennial seeds over a three year programme.  Preparation will involve tilling the seeding area. Predictably Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt was recently involved in a rather artificial photo opportunity:

In her talk Kelly Eaton also said that she would looking at the potential phasing out the use of pesticides in parks and open spaces over the near future. Glysophate is still used in Brent despite the controversy over its  possible association with cancer. 

There is now a biodiversity page on the Brent Council website which is still being developed, that explains the wildflower project: LINK 
 
To increase the amount of biodiversity in our Parks and Open Spaces, a change has been made in the way our grassed areas are managed. Our larger parks allow for a wide mix of uses of the area; including amenity grass to allow for ball games and picnics as well as the newly introduced meadow areas.

This year, we are also introducing wildflowers into our meadow areas. Not only will this introduce bursts of colour into our meadows, it will also lead to increased visits from butterflies, moths, dragonflies, bees and numerous other pollinating insects.

The planned wildlife meadow areas in some of our parks and open spaces:

-->It is refreshing to be able to publish some goods news from Brent Council  and I also welcome changes in the Parks Department in terms of the management of allotments that has meant, as far as my own site at Birchen Grove is concerned, a more proactive approach to letting overgrown plots. Great stuff. Next focus Brent's street and park trees?

Meanwhile if you fancy an early morning outing there is a Dawn Chorus Walk tomorrow, Saturday May 4th, in Gladstone Park. Meet at 5.20am at the Anson Road entrance.

The biodiversity web pages will focus on a different park or open space each month. LINK

Brent alternative free school provision call-in - what are the options?

Details of the Call-In of the Cabinet's decision to support a free school providing alternative education at the Roundwood Centre have now been published LINK

The Call-in was made by Cllrs Chan, Abdi, Mashari, Chappell and Hector.

The request was made by Cllr Jumbo Chan:

I am writing to request that the Cabinet’s decision to confirm approval of the establishment of an Alternative Provision Free School on the site of Roundwood Youth Centre, taken on Monday 15 April 2019, is called in.
Whilst I understand that it is not possible for Brent Council to open new community schools (Education Act 2011), we believe that there have not been compelling attempts to identify – or at least sufficient evidence of compelling attempts to identify – all the routes to establishing a new school on the site of the Roundwood Youth Centre (see Item 5.1 of Report from the Strategic Director of Children and Young People to the Cabinet on 15 April 2019). This may include, for example, evidence of formally approaching existing Local Authority schools to develop plans for them to run an Alternative Provision Local Authority unit at the site of Roundwood Youth Centre. 

The proposed alternative course of action suggested: 

Cllr Abdi:

We need to fully explore all the available alternatives. I am in favour of expanding existing local authority controlled schools instead of assisting the set up of another free school in Brent.

Cllr Chan:

That the Cabinet explore and evidence options for a Local Authority controlled school to provide Alternative Provision at the site of Roundwood Centre, and then proceed a with Local Authority controlled school to provide Alternative Provision at the site of Roundwood Centre.

That the Cabinet explore and evidence options for a Local Authority controlled school to provide Alternative Provision at the site of another site, for example, Roe Green Strathcona. 

Because the present and previous Labour administrations made little effort to oppose academisation, and indeed sometimes supported it, there are now no local authority secondary schools in Brent - they are all either academies or faith schools.  There are three types of academy in Brent: Capital City, (formerly Willesden High) which was the original Labour concept of converting failing local authority schools; stand-alone academies which converted from  local authority status mainly for financial rather than ideological reasons, and schools that are run by academy chains (Ark Wembley, Ark Elvin, Crest).  Special education provision is also largely academised via Multi-Academy Trusts except for the Phoenix Arch School.  There is also the Michaela Free School with its 'private school ethos' and controversial disciplinary regime and educational philosophy.

There was some wavering by primary schools a few years ago over academisation but the vast majority remain under local authority oversight.

If the aim is for the alternative provision to be run by a local authority school there appear to be two main choices: run by a Brent local authority primary school or by a local authority secondary school from a neighbouring borough.

Despite academisation some of the stand-alone secondary academies maintain a close relationship with the local authority and are seen by the council as part of the Brent 'family of schools'. They along with local authority primary schools are part of the Brent Schools Partnership (BSP).  The special schools have formed Multi-Academy Trusts but are  not part of an academy chain.  They might be cited as preferable providers if no local authority school solution is available, on the grounds that they have deep roots in the borough and links via the BSP to the council. However they all lack democratic accountability and oversight  and this is particularly worrying when some of the borough's most vulnerable pupils will attend the provision.

A further possibility is that the provider is a secondary faith school with a positive record of social inclusion.

An aspect of the proposal that will not be considered at the Call-In is the consequence of an expanded alternative provision in Brent. Ofsted has expressed concern over 'off-rolling' when pupils disappear from secondary school rolls just before examinations and there has been long-term concern over disproportionate permanent exclusions of Black Caribbean boys. Will secondary schools, keen to maintain or enhance their position in the league tables that are based on examination results, offload pupils that are unlikely to achieve good passes on to the alternative provision?  Will it contain disproportionate numbers of Black Caribbean boys or pupils with special educational needs or disabilities?

People's Voice: Help Brent discuss Brexit - May 10th Willesden Green Library

From Brent4Europe

EU Elections - Make sure you can vote in Brent

From Brent4Europe


It’s difficult to predict what will happen with Brexit, but one thing is certain: if you are not registered to vote, your voice will not be heard.

Whether it’s European Parliament elections, a People’s Vote on Brexit or possibly even a General Election, you need to make sure you are registered or you will not be able to vote.

Note: there are local council elections in Northern Ireland and in some parts of England on 2 May, but not in London.

Turnout in EU elections in the UK is historically low — it was just 36% in 2014 — but we can change that to show just what the EU means to voters in Brent.

The EU recognises this as a problem and have started building a community of supporters to help encourage a higher voter turnout at the European elections. Their goal is not to tell people who they should vote for: it is to promote the act of voting itself, the act of engaging in the democratic process; and the act of doing so in a conscious and fully informed way. They want to harness the power of human interaction and build a community of supporters across Europe to rally behind the cause of voting and to stand up for the very idea of democracy. Together we can decide what kind of Europe we want to live in.

Visit their special website to find out more: This time I’m voting.

Residents of the United Kingdom who were citizens of other EU countries were not allowed to vote in the 2016 referendum unless they were citizens (or were also citizens) of the Republic of Ireland, of Malta, or of the Republic of Cyprus and only those 18 or over were allowed to vote. We do not know who will be able to vote next time.

In Brent, 55,000 residents are EU nationals from outside the EU. That is one in six of Brent 335,000 residents.

These residents must also consider whether they need to apply for Settled Status if we do leave the EU. If they don’t apply or are refused, they may have to leave the UK.

EU27 citizens in the UK

For the European Parliament elections on 23 May, EU27 citizens living in the UK have a choice: you can vote in the EU Elections in the UK or in your country of origin.

But you cannot vote in European Parliament elections in more than one country.

To vote in the UK, you must:

1.     Register to vote by 7 May 2019 (see below); and

2.     Fill in the European Parliament voter registration form (no need if you are from the Republic of Ireland, Malta or Cyprus); and

3.     Send the form to your local Electoral Registration Office by 7 May 2019

To find out more, visit Your Vote Matters by the Electoral Commission.

Younger voters

The Vote for your Future website encourages young people to register and vote, saying:

Every election is determined by those who show up

No matter how you vote, it’s important that young people get registered and turn out in this year’s European Elections.

Vote For Your Future is led by young people of all politics, and none.

We believe that all young people have a duty to take part in this year’s European Elections, which is why we will spend the next 5 weeks campaigning to get young people registered, informed and able to vote on 23^rd May.

How to register

To check whether you are already registered, to find out more including whether you are eligible and what you need to register, visit Brent Council’s Register to vote page, or contact them:

London Borough of Brent
Electoral Services
Civic Centre
Engineers Way
WEMBLEY
HA9 0FJ
020 8937 1372
electoral.services@brent.gov.uk
http://www.brent.gov.uk/elections

For more information on registering to vote, elections and how to vote, visit
Your Vote Matters by the Electoral Commission.

mailto:richcent@hotmail.com]

South Kilburn Chase House defects persist 6 years after completion

This tweet caught my eye this morning . It refers to Chase House on Hansel Road, South Kilburn.

How could UK Defence Policy better protect us? Monday May 13th with Lucy Roberts

Support Palestine! Two events on Saturday May 11th

From Brent and Harrow Palestine Soldiarity Campaign and Brent Friends of Palestine

The Palestinian people need our solidarity more than ever, and are calling for global protests to protect their collective rights. As Israel continues to flout international law and violate human rights, there is a responsibility on the global community to hold it to account and push for an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people.

No new Nakba! - End the Siege! - Defend the Right of Return!

Organised by: Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Friends of Al- Aqsa, Muslim Association of Britain

Plus in the evening this event organised locally:

Ticket Reservations HERE