Kilburn High Party letter for residents and meeting

There have been comments from Kilburn residents (both sides of the High Road) that they have not received a promised letter about the Kilburn High Road Street Party that is due to be held in July. They were told that everyone within 100 metres  'radius' of the High Road would get a letter. This is the distribution area- not a circle!

There will be a meeting for residents to discuss the details on Tuesday 7th April 2020 6.30pm-8pm at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performanc, 18 Dyne Road, Kilburn, NW6 7X6:

The Kilburn High will be an all-day street party of art, dance, theatre, music and installations to celebrate the high road and the music, migration and social movements which have shaped it.

On Saturday 11 July 2020, Kilburn High Road will be closed between Kilburn High Road and Kilburn (Jubilee line) stations for mile-long street party.

This meeting is for residents to find out more about the plans for the day.

Tickets HERE

Here is the letter that residents should have received and residents beyond the 100metres may be interested in (click bottom right corner to enlarge):

March 17th - Women and the First World War at Preston Community Library

From Preston Community Library

We would like to invite you to special event at the library.  This is an illustrated talk from Chris Coates.  She was librarian of the Trades Union Congress and has written on various aspects of women's and trade union history. Chris will show photos and documents to detail the situation of working women in the period leading up to the First World War, the political and economic changes it brought to their lives, and what happened in the aftermath of the War.  More information is on the poster below.

This is a free event, but donations to help support the library will be very welcome.

FURTHER UPDATE: Dismay at closure of Brent Law Centre

Staff protest in 2011

After being hit with funding cuts and warnings of imminent closure for almost a decade I understand that Brent Law Centre has finally closed its doors.

Law Centres have been affected by cuts in funding via local authorities and through the Legal Aid Reform Act.  Neighbouring Barnet lost its Law Centre a while ago and Lambeth was forced to close last year.

Brent Law Centre had to stop direct applications for help due to funding cuts and only accept referrals via Brent Citizens Advice Bureau which itself was overloaded with cases LINK.  The only alternative was the mainly on-line BAM (Brent Advice Matters).

Whatever the government says austerity is far from over and it is shameful that an organisation that helped the victims of austerity is now itself a victim.  Brent Law Centre joins Brent Disability Concern that had to close its office when the NHS demanded a market rent LINK and the Council refused help,  and Brent Energy Solutions  LINK which limped along for a while after Brent Council cut its grant but eventually had to close.

This morning Cllr Ketan Sheth tweeted:

Very disappointed that the Brent Community Law Centre has closed. It was much used and appreciated lifeline for many, many residents over the past decades and is truly sad news...

While Cllr Roxanne Mashari responded:

I can't believe this was allowed to happen.

In response Brent Cabinet member Cllr Tom Miller  told his colleagues that he had outlined the issues affecting the Law Centre in the Labour Group and at Willesden Green ward meetings and said he was willing to answer their questions on the way forward.

He said:

The Council has bought the building as part of a plan aimed at rescuing the organisation and worked out in partnership with it. Brent Community Law Centre had become financially unviable for several reasons which I won't go into here.

He told Wembley Matters:

My colleagues are totally correct that this is an important institution worthy of protection. There are financial issues considerably bigger than just the relationship with Brent. I think there are short and long term solutions too, but right now it's crisis support.

Veteran campaigner Sarah Cox reacted on Facebook:

 I was dismayed the other day to see both Brent Law Centre and the nearby Citizens Advice Bureau in Willesden High Rd closed. Never has it been so necessary for people to have access to the help and advice these two organisations provided. Austerity, the new racist immigration laws, the punitive and unjust Universal Credit system all put people into terrible situations where they desperately need help.

UPDATE:

According to the Kilburn Times today (March 11th)  LINK the Law Centre building was sold to Brent Council in January:

A council spokesperson told the Kilburn Times that they could not comment on the building purchase, adding: 'We have been working with BCLC to identify alternative ways for it to deliver services to Brent residents and will continue to support them in whatever way we can.'

Nimrod Ben-Cnaan, head of policy at the Law Centres Network, said: 'With these financial challenges and other considerations in mind, the law centre's trustees have decided that closing the service at this time was the best way forward, when it is still solvent and an orderly closure could be maintained to protect clients.' 

The Brent Council statements raises more questions that it answers and given Ketan Sheth's concern I hope that the Council's decisions on this are called in for public scrutiny.

It would be a scandal if the Law Centre building, which has served Brent residents needing local support and advice for nearly 50 years ends up as a block of unaffordable flats and legal advice continuing as only a skeleton service from premises as yet unknown.

Wembley Park Station has its own paddling pool - urgent action needed!

Wembley Park Station has long had a problem puddle outside its Bridge Road exit but with the recent heavy rain the puddle has become a pool.  This was the scene during this evening's rush hour as pedestrians on their way to the bus stops tried to negotiate water a couple of inches deep in places.

Things got much worse when the Jubilee line shut down at Neasden due to a points failure. Passengers poured out of the station to use the alternative bus routes and some walked on the road on their way to the bus stops, the other side of the railings, to avoid getting their feet soaked.  I saw one man with a baby in his arms and holding the hand of a toddler  balancing along the pavement on the road side of the railings who could easily have been clipped by buses pulling up to the bus stop.

When I tweeted about this to Brent Council and Transport for London (above) on February 13th Brent Customer Services replied the next day.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will investigate the cause of the pooling of water in this location.

I don't know if an investigation has taken place but urgent action is required before there is an accident.

Brent Schools asked to help name new park in Quintain development

I apologise for the poor legibility of the above flyer from Quintain. It advertises a competition for school classes to provide a name for the new park which will be built  amidst of the high-rise development around Wembley Stadium.

 Each class entering is asked to come up collectively with one name and submit a short description of no more than three sentences,

They are advised to use the following brainstorming ideas:

History of Wembley Park
Famous person from Brent
A member (sic) of Brent that has lived/worked in the area and has made an impact on their community

The competition closes on March 31st. Entries have to be sent to skills@quintain.co.uk

Humphry Repton

 The new park at 7 acres will be much smaller than the original Wembley Park designed by Humphry Repton for the Page family but Repton's bust will will be displayed in the remnant. Quintain won a 'Sharing Landscapes' competition last year LINK which aimed to encourage 'greater inclusivity in enjoying historic parks and gardens' and was awarded the bust.

Repton Gardens is the space behind the Boxpark

Repton (for good or ill) has already given his name to the Repton Gardens development of build-to-rent flats and retail (85 acres) which you can tour  to see the excavations and groundworks as part of the Open Doors programme: LINK

 

Humphry Repton's sketch showing the view of Wembley Park from Barn Hill, if his full scheme had been carried out in 1793

Repton already has his name in rather less than verdant surroundings in the Quintain development. There's probably a minor earthquake around his grave!

GLA say Woodfield Nursery development at Welsh Harp does not conform with the London Plan

The GLA have raised objections to the controversial plan LINK to build on the Woodfield Nursery site, Cool Oak Lane, Barnet, near the Welsh Harp Metropolitan Open Land. This means that if Barnet Council make a draft decision in favour of the planning application they have to give 14 days to allow the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Jules Pipe, to decide whether to allow the application to proceed unchanged, direct the Council to refuse the application, or to take over as planning authority himself.

The conclusions of a much longer report (available BELOW) are:
 

London Plan and the Mayor’s Intend to Publish London Plan policies on Metropolitan Open Land is the key strategic issue relevant to this planning application. The development constitutes inappropriate development on Metropolitan Open Land and very special circumstances have not been demonstrated in this case. The application therefore does not comply with the London Plan as set out below:

• Principle of development: The proposed residential development in an inaccessible location constitutes unsustainable development contrary to London Plan and intend to publish London Plan
  
• Metropolitan Open Land: The development would have a substantial impact on the openness of the MOL and would be inappropriate development; the development does not therefore meet the NPPF exceptions tests and no very special circumstances have been demonstrated. The proposals thus fail the requirements of Policy 7.17 of the London Plan, Policy G3 of the Intend to Publish London Plan and the NPPF.
  
• Housing and affordable housing: 41 units proposed. Notwithstanding the objection to the unsustainable location of the housing proposals, the principle of 35% affordable housing is supported, but this provision does not constitute ‘very special circumstances’ that would justify the development with substantial impact on MOL. The application currently does not fully comply with Policy H5 to be eligible for a Fast Track Route. The applicant should clarify the affordable housing offer by habitable room, and appropriate tenure split in favour of affordable rent. The on-site playspace provision should be appropriately demonstrated and secured by condition.
  
• Urban design: The development would significantly reduce the openness of MOL and is thus inappropriate in principle. Notwithstanding this, the applicant should provide information on equal distribution of affordable and market units within the site to avoid segregation. The application should re-consider the positioning of single aspect north facing units.
  
• Climate change: Further information has been requested on the energy strategy, urban greening and air quality.
  
• Transport: An entirely car dependent development in a PTAL 0 area is unsustainable and contrary to London Plan and Intend to Publish London Plan policy. 

Click on bottom right corner to enlarge document

CBI call for urgent sick pay measures during Coronavirus crisis

From the CBI

The CBI is today (Thursday) calling for urgent action on five areas of sick pay to support employees and businesses in light of Coronavirus. These reflect firms’ determination to ensure that people are able to follow public health guidance without fear of not being paid.

Business supports the Government’s decision that, in these extraordinary circumstances, Statutory Sick Pay will begin from day one. But there are five additional temporary measures that would support workers even more: 

1. Extending Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to all workers (e.g. agency staff and others on flexible or zero-hours contracts) who self-isolate themselves in accordance with public health guidance
2. Clarifying in law that being unable to work because you’re self-isolating to comply with public health guidance - even if you are otherwise healthy - entitles a worker to statutory sick pay
3. Clarifying that workers who are following public health advice on Coronavirus are entitled to SSP even if they don’t have a GP’s ‘fit note’
4. Removing the need to earn over £118 a week to qualify for SSP, which is unfair to part-time employees. The Government proposed this in a 2019 consultation - which the CBI supported - and these plans should now accelerate
5. Introducing emergency relief for business – especially small businesses – if the total cost of sick pay becomes unsustainable. Small businesses may be particularly susceptible to cash-flow problems meaning that prompt reimbursement will be key to their ability to continue supporting staff. 

The priorities for business in the coming weeks will be to ensure that staff are supported if they need to self-isolate, to work with the Government at a time of national need and to ensure the investment in supporting the UK economy is fairly shared between business and the Government. 

Josh Hardie, CBI Deputy Director-General, said:

“Businesses know they have an important part to play in making it easy for people to comply with public health guidance. It’s vital there are no incentives to ignore the advice because of a fear of not being paid. Fairness and upholding their duty of care for the health and safety of their staff is at the heart of firms’ plans for responding to coronavirus. That’s why the CBI is calling for the extension of Statutory Sick Pay. 

“There are many jobs where self-isolating means not working. Paying sick pay in this situation is clearly the right thing to do, and some businesses have already said that they will. But the law is unclear, leaving some workers unsure if following public health guidance risks not being paid.

On support for businesses:

“While businesses can help shield workers from the financial cost of coronavirus, there may be situations in the future where some come under extreme pressure and will need support from the Government, especially smaller firms. 

“If a situation develops where a large proportion of people are unable to work at the same time, repeatedly, or for a sustained period, that is a heavy burden to take on. If costs become too great, the Government can look at options for emergency relief measures for businesses and to support jobs.

“We are all in this together. Businesses, Government and public health authorities will need to work closely over the coming weeks to best protect and inform people.”

5 March

Amazing line-up for 'Stand Up for Gaza' comedy evening March 20th

From Brent Friends of Palestine

We have about 80 tickets to sell for the comedy night we are organising on Friday March 20th at 7.30 pm at the Yaa Centre, W9 2AN. It will be a good evening out so PLEASE come and  buy your tickets as soon as you can. 

 

Tickets are £18 for adults and £12.50p for students. 

Tickets are not available on the door but can be purchased from https://www.wegottickets.com/brentpal

Comedians taking part , who are all giving of their time and comedian skills free are:-

 

Nish Kumar from BBC's The Mash Report and Radio 4 News Quiz:

Angela Barnes from BBC's Mock the Week and Radio 4 News Quiz:

Daphne Baram from Laughing for Palestine:

Michelle de Swarte who has a range of TV credits as a comedian on a number of different channels

MC: Ian Saville ; socialist magician, ventriloquist and comedian

PLEASE come if you can .. and bring a friend..Buy tickets in advance from the above website

 

Its probably suitable for children over 14 as some comedians do seem to swear at times from our experience !