Scrutiny makes recommendation that Cabinet ring fence £700k for tree replacement and planting

Scrutiny Committee last night heard a presentation about street trees from Alison Durant of the Brent Trees Group and considered a recommendation that some of the one-off £700,000 made from the sale of additional cemetery space could be used to plant and maintain trees.

The recommendation had been made in the Budget Scrutiny Report:

To acknowledge the great work of the department in achieving these savings, we believe that this money should be ring fenced to be spent on a project with an environmental theme. In line with the council’s priorities, and the fact that Brent has recently declared a climate emergency, the obvious area for spending this money would be on improving air quality. There are actions that can be undertaken by the authority to improve air quality where a one-off capital injection of £700,000 would make a significant difference. 

We believe the most notable is in the area of tree planting. The council currently does not have the revenue budget to replace all diseased or dying trees it removes (outside of those removed as part of the footway improvement plan), or to plant all of the mature trees it would like to. The presence of mature trees on our streets can help to reduce levels of carbon in the atmosphere and significantly reduce storm water runoff. We will therefore be recommending to cabinet that this pot of money is ring fenced and invested in a tree planting scheme.

Responding Cllr Margaret McLennan, deputy leader and lead member for Finance and Resources, said that it could be considered but that the first obligation of the Council was to provide hard-pressed statutory services.

In her presentation Alison Durant made the following points:

• Brent views trees in terms of their immediate and future potential cost to the council.
• The council fails to calculate the value of its mature street trees.
• Brent Trees public meeting with the council was attended by 150 residents, which demonstrates the strength of feeling about the lack of care of street trees, removal of healthy street trees, lack of replacement of trees removed, and stumps being left in the place of removed trees.
• At the public meeting we made a presentation on the value of mature trees: amenity, carbon sequestration, air quality control, air cooling, storm-water run-off, to name a few.  Small replacement trees and new small trees will provide relatively little in terms of climate change mitigation compared to large mature trees. 
• We have a climate crisis; Brent Council has declared a “climate and ecological emergency”; Brent aspires to be the “cleanest and greenest” London borough; and yet it removes mature healthy trees that mitigate climate change in order to save money.
• Brent Council has historically underfunded trees; the council has admitted that it removes trees because it can’t afford to maintain them and yet the environment department underspends year after year. 
• There is a compelling case for committing additional funds to the maintenance of street trees, replacement of street trees, replacement of street trees removed historically.

Cllr Nerva pointed out that there were 12,000 tree stumps in Brent that needed to be removed. He suggested that there needed to be a more efficient use of Neighbourhood CIL money for trees perhaps led by an application from the Environment  Department and then allocated according to a set of criteria to local neighbourhoods. Cllr Tatler said she was talking  with Cllr Krupa Sheth (Lead Member for Environment) on how to approach the planting of trees.  The first priority should be to plant in the borough's areas of poor air quality.  The Environment Department was looking at methods of establishing a monetary asset value for all of the borough's trees.

Cllr Nerva is leading a Scrutiny Task Group on trees. Contact:
cllr.neil.nerva@brent.gov.uk

Scrutiny's recoemmendations will be considred by the Cabinet at its Budget meeting.

 

Don’t miss “Identity and Self” – only until Sunday at the Willesden Gallery

Urban Brent” by Jagruti Modi (Acrylic on canvas, 510 x 755mm)

Guest post by Philip Grant

When I visit Willesden Green Library, I usually head straight for the Archives and Museum on the second floor, but a friend had recommended that I have a look at the “Identity and Self” exhibition, in the Willesden Gallery on the ground floor. I’m glad that I did, and am writing this to encourage you to do the same!

This is a group exhibition, bringing together the work of 27 Brent-based artists. Its aim is to kick-off the “Borough of Cultures” year by showcasing artwork in a variety of media, by emerging and established artists from across Brent’s diverse community. It certainly succeeds in doing that, and is a treat for the eyes.

A small selection of the art on display at “Identity and Self”

Because of the variety of artworks, everyone will have their own favourite pieces, but I think the one I have featured above fits well for “Wembley Matters”. It is vibrant and colourful, with a range of views, from the arch of the stadium and Wembley Park tower blocks to the Jubilee Line running through Fryent Country Park. I understand that the artist is self-taught, and that this is the first painting she has exhibited; yet her contribution to the exhibition holds its own alongside works by Fine Art graduates who have had their work displayed at the Tate Modern, or prestigious private galleries.

Another corner of “Identity and Self”, featuring “Alison in Wonderland” by Alison Baptiste.

I can’t understand why this free exhibition was only put on for just over two weeks. Its final day is Sunday 2^nd February. If you would like to see it, Willesden Green Library is open until 8pm on Friday, and from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Philip Grant.

Topics for tonight's Brent Scrutiny Committee

Chair’s Report Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny CommitteeJanuary 2020  
6pm Brent Civic Centre AGENDA

Good evening and welcome to the first meeting of the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny of this new year, and new decade!As has become a January tradition, we will be using this meeting to analyse the cabinet’s budget proposals for the coming financial year. Between October and January, I chaired the cross-committee budget scrutiny panel which took a detailed look at issues in the budget, and budget setting process. Our final report is included in the papers for tonight’s meeting and I hope it will give members of the committee some ideas and topics as they seek to question our important witnesses on these eissues. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved in producing the final report, particularly those councillors and officers who stayed late at the civic centre during some dark winter nights to answer questions and provide important perspectives for our work.Tonight is certainly not the last opportunity for backbench councillors to analyse the budget or have their say. The proposals will go to cabinet where councillors and the public can attend to have their say, and of course for a final vote at full council.

However, this meeting should be seen as an important part of the process, and we will seek to get some clear commitments from the council leadership around the recommendations in the budget scrutiny panel’s report.Whilst the budget discussion will certainly get significant attention, we also have some other very important business on the agenda.Firstly, we will be launching our next task group which will look into the issue of violence and abuse against women across Brent. I hope the task group can provide some new insight into how the council can coordinate with its key partners to tackle this disturbing problem. 

Next, we will be looking at the council’s property and capital strategy. In broad terms,Brent is very revenue poor as a council, but our capital position is more favourable.Therefore, it is vitally important that we use these limited levers in a strategic manner which ensures we can meet our goals and reduce capital spending in future years.It is therefore unsurprising that the committee has always taken an interest in these issues, and I look forward to a further discussion tonight. 

Finally, as councillors we often get contacted by Brent residents who have concerns about the areas in which the council chooses to invest its pension fund. We have a clear responsibility to ensure this is done in an ethical manner, but also that we ensure there is enough money in the pot to ensure the dedicated public servants who work for us are able to live comfortably in retirement. I anticipate a lively debate on exactly how to strike this balance.  

Best wishes, Cllr Matt Kelcher, Chair, Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee

Brent Council announces new tranche of tree planting

Trees on King's Drive Estate, Wembley

It is perhaps mere coincidence that this follows the recent row over the felling of street trees and the resulting formation of the Brent Trees pressure group. It is a small start and more detail is needed but all the same a welcome announcement.

Announcement from Brent Council

More than 300 new street trees are coming to Brent, thanks to a £203k cash injection*, which also covers their maintenance for the next three years.

The new street trees will be planted in areas of the borough with:

• Low tree cover
• High levels of air pollution
• High levels of deprivation

What’s more, late last year, community groups and private gardens across Brent received more than 1,530 saplings as part of a Mayor of London initiative.

Community groups were offered advice and support from the Council’s Parks Service, on species and ideal locations for the new trees. Meanwhile, residents with private gardens received rowan and wild cherry saplings for planting at home.

Brent Council has made a commitment to plant at least 520 new trees every year.

Cllr Krupa Sheth, Lead Member for Environment, said:

A simple tree has a story that lasts a lifetime, it cleans the air we breathe, it gives habitat to natural life and it makes our streets that much nicer to behold.

Our climate fightback has only just begun, but with hundreds of new trees coming to roads and avenues, we’re not just planting for the future, but investing in Brent’s lungs today.

*£143k grant from the Forestry Commission and Greater London Authority, with an additional £60k from Brent Council

Could your church join the movement for fossil free churches?

Ivybridge Methodist Church, which joined the Epiphany Declaration for Fossil Free Churches this month

From Operation Noah

Operation Noah, the World Council of Churches, the Global Catholic Climate Movement, Green Anglicans and GreenFaith are inviting religious and spiritual institutions from around the world to join a multi-faith global divestment announcement on 26-28 March 2020.

In this crucial time for urgent climate action, could your church join the movement for fossil free churches, as a practical step to care for God’s creation?

Divestment is a powerful action that your church or Christian organisation can take in response to the climate emergency, shifting investments out of the problem and into the solution. It involves making a commitment to divest (disinvest) any investments in fossil fuel companies within a five-year timeframe. Even if your church doesn’t currently hold investments, it can make a strong statement by pledging to not invest in fossil fuels in the future.

The year ahead is a pivotal year for climate action, as the devastating impacts of the climate emergency become increasingly evident. By divesting from fossil fuels, churches can demonstrate moral leadership and emphasise the need for urgent action from the UK Government, especially with the UN climate talks (COP26) set to take place in Glasgow in November 2020.

Churches have been at the forefront of the global divestment movement. Earlier this month, 20 UK Christian organisations committed to divest from fossil fuels – including the first two Catholic dioceses in England and the first local Methodist church to divest.

If you would be interested in getting your local church or regional Church structures (dioceses and equivalents) to make a commitment to divest from fossil fuels and join the Global Divestment Announcement, we would be delighted to hear from you!

For more information or to register your commitment, please get in touch with Helena Ritter on helena.ritter@operationnoah.org by 19 March 2020.

Could you spread the word among your contacts? Please forward this email to anyone you think would be interested and share our blog on social media.

Together in hope,

Helena, James and all at Operation Noah