Some creative and practical ideas on the Staples Corner Masterplan consultation. Contribute your thoughts.

 

Staples Corner from above (Brent Council)

It is all too common for Wembley Matters to hear from residents they were not aware of development proposals or consultations. Here, in a guest blog, a resident shares their message to Brent Council on the consultation over the preparation of a Master Plan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on the future of the Staples Corner Area.

In TRANSPORT terms, it is currently horrible for pedestrians and cyclists around Staples Corner. Even for motorists.

Brent needs either to take on in battle the London Mayor's 'Transport for London Streets' planners and reduce the amount of ugly and hostile 'severance' that his main roads create in the area, or you need to divide up your Brent plan and turn AWAY from the main roads to treat each area entirely separately.

 

 

Area Map (Brent Council)

 

Given the 'excellent' 24-hour main road access for goods, you should intensify industrial development, perhaps with flatted factories to encourage small businesses. Industrial and commercial areas need a great deal of greening as well though. Thirty years ago you attempted it in Park Royal with 'pocket parks'. Planning guidance must insist on setback and maintainable green borders around all industrial sites. Fencing design is important as well, with no ugly, cheap, bog-standard 'bayonet' galvanised-steel fencing (for a change).

Given the soon-to-open Thameslink station there and the potential 'West London Orbital' London Overground line to Neasden station, Harlesden station, HS2 Old Oak Common and into south-west London, you have high enough 'Public Transport Accessibility Level' values to build new housing at high density (which does not have to mean high buildings). 

Please clarify in your documents what is zoned as 'Strategic Industrial Land' and what is not. Are you planning to change its boundaries? Would there be mitigation (such as higher-density industry in what is retained)?

Pedestrian and cycling crossings across the A5 need to increase in number and quality, and at all side road junctions, with NO 'slip road geometry' on the road corners from the A5, so that LINKED road junction traffic lights / pedestrian crossing lights can keep speeds down to 30mph or below - which would be a novelty.

The main A5 slip roads from the A5 flyover should be reduced in length and width - not intended to reduce capacity but to reduce speeds. They are currently of a scale for 70mph traffic.

Current traffic speeds on the main roads are either near zero when there is congestion, and very high when traffic is light. 

The North Circular Road was going to be a motorway, the 'M15', but the A5 technically was NOT, and that road can be re-urbanised and humanised without much opposition, if you use planning gain money to finance the changes. 

Ex-London Mayor 'Boris-the-Now-Disgraced' had a London-wide 'Roads Taskforce'. That declared that roads should have a MOVEMENT function but also a SENSE OF PLACE function. Brent's task is create the latter on the Staples Corner main roads for the first time since the 1975 'improvements', particularly on the A5 main road.

 

This Brent Council's description of the consultation:

 

Brent’s Local Plan designates Staples Corner for housing and industrial growth, with the ambition to transform the area into a new mixed-use community with at least 2,200 new homes and new business premises fit for modern day occupiers, with an improved environment and supporting infrastructure.

 

To achieve this ambition, the Council is developing a Masterplan that will provide the detailed vision and planning policy framework for regeneration and growth in Staples Corner for the next twenty years.

Brent Council is also preparing a Design Code to set out the design requirements for new developments coming forward in Staples Corner. The design Code would provide greater certainty for communities about the design of new developments to the start of the planning process.

 

Brent will work with local communities and stakeholders to ensure the Masterplan and the Design Code for Staples Corner reflects local aspirations.

 

The Residents' Survey opened on December 1st with little response so far. It closes on 30th April 2023.

LINK TO SURVEY

Welsh Harp Goes Wild! FREE February Half Term Activities

 

From Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre, Birchen Grove, Kingsbury, NW9 8RY

 

Activities include:

Build a Bug Hotel

Tuesday 14^th, 1.00pm – 2.30pm

Create a new home for bugs and join a bug hunt around the woodland to see who lives there. Ages 5-12.

 

Forest Skills

Wednesday 15th, 1.00pm – 2.30pm

Gather round a camp fire in the woods to roast marshmallows and bananas.  Build a forest shelter and see if you can make it water proof!  Ages 7+

 

Make a Bird Feeder

Thursday 16th, 1.00pm – 2.30pm

Make a bird feeder and ‘bird cake’ to take home. Explore the woods to look for birds of all sorts and sounds. Bring your own bottle or container or use one of ours! Ages 5-12.

 

Booking is essential, please contact us on:

Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre

Birchen Grove, NW9 8RY. Follow the signs towards the Birchen Grove Garden Centre.

Phone: 07711 701 694

Email: welshharpcentre@thames21.org.uk

Further info:

• An adult must attend & supervise children throughout activities.
• Places are limited and booking is essential, please contact us to book and also let us know if you need to cancel your booking.
• Children and adults should wear comfortable outdoor clothing and a waterproof jacket if it’s forecast to rain.
• Seeds, which can also include nuts, vegetable lard and bread will be used for the Make a Bird Feeder activity.
• Bananas and marshmallows (vegan and non-vegan) are provided for the fire activity.

 

Bid to call-in Waste, Recycling and Street Cleansing Cabinet contract award to Veolia

 

Editor: Veolia workers being included in party political tweet and lead member social media

 

A group of opposition councillors have submitted a request to call-in the recent Cabinet approval to award  the Waste, Recycling and Street Cleansing contract to Veolia. The request is in the name of councillors Georgiou, Lorber, Matin, Hirani and Maurice.

Please provide below an explanation as to why you are calling in the decision and if you are calling in all or part of the decision:

 

 

As a service based organisation, Brent Council should be putting residents’ needs and concerns at the forefront of all we do. This call-in is based on our belief that the views of residents have mostly been ignored throughout the tendering process and that the decision made by Cabinet will in fact lead to worsening outcomes for local people for this very important and valued service.

 

We believe the way that this process has been handled has always advantaged the current contractor. In order to increase competition and as a result a better service for our residents the Council should have considered splitting the contract into smaller areas, perhaps the Brent Connects areas, or grouping of wards, which might have resulted in more interest from contractors other than the current contractor.  

 

We are particularly concerned about two key aspects of the decision:

 

The use of sacks for the collection of some recyclable materials (paper and cardboard).

 

A move towards a so called ‘intelligence led’ street cleaning service.

 

Our view is that both changes were highlighted during the consultation period as being unpopular with local people and will in fact not work in practice.

 

During the trial period the size and sturdiness of the sacks to be used was questioned by residents. In the Scrutiny session on this item at the end of last year, numerous Councillors, who were also involved in the trial, highlighted this concern. A recommendation from the Committee, whilst being noted in the Decision, has effectively been ignored, as there is no clear indication that an alternative will be implemented.

 

On street cleaning, we have huge concerns about how a new ‘intelligence led’ approach will impact local roads in our wards. There is already a significant issue in our areas when it comes to upkeep and cleanliness of streets. As admitted by an Officer of the Council at the Scrutiny session last year, this new approach, “will not make the situation better.” If our purpose as an organisation is to improve the standard and quality of our area, it is evident that in fact this decision does not do this, therefore, an alternative needs to be found.

 

We are also specifically concerned about the reduction of Zone A ‘headers’ (side roads) from 50m to 20m. There are already significant issues on roads closest to High Roads and Town Centres. Our belief is that the reduction of this aspect of the service will both be incredibly detrimental to the residential roads close-by and in the long run costlier for the Council to deal with.

 

Please provide below an outline alternative course of action to the decision being called in.

We propose on sacks that the Council agree in full with the recommendations by the Scrutiny Committee that wheelie bins be provided where possible to residents who wish to have them, so as to avoid the possibility of sacks being misused, broken and lost. If necessary, by revising recycling collection routes.

 

To maintain the Zone A ‘headers’ (side roads) to at least 50m, as is the case in the current contract.

 

A review of the way service consultations are conducted so as to ensure they are proper, thorough, and rather than imposition of an already agreed to decision. This will give greater confidence to the residents that the Council are listening to their concerns and acting on them.

 

As suggested during the consultation process with residents, to increase the number of waste and recycling bins on local streets.

 

 

 

IMPORTANT: DON'T LOSE YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE! INFORMATION ON VOTER ID

 

The GLA has launched a non-party campaign to raise public knowledge on the VoterID now needed to vote in elections. There is concern that some residents, especially young people, may not have the necessary ID to vote, thus undermining democracy.

The GLA helped by other organisations have launched a Voter Registration Hub with much useful information including resources for teachers in high schools and colleges. I have included some of the resources here.  Go to  https://registertovote.london/home/voter-registration-landing-page/

 

British Sign Language Video 

 

Never take your right to vote for granted 

 

From the Chartists to the Suffragettes, the history of voting rights is littered with examples of people taking extremely brave actions to secure the vote.

 

From a group of Barons tracking down a king in a muddy marshland and forcing him to sign a piece of paper in 1215, to the eventual universal suffrage of all adults in the United Kingdom 713 years late, we must remember that the right to vote in this country wasn't always guaranteed, and gaining it never came easy.

 

The 1819 Peterloo Massacre saw 17 people killed for demanding the right to vote after cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000-80,000 protesters.

 

Chartism was a working class movement in Britain 1838-1857 that acted nationally, protesting and petitioning to demand voter suffrage.

 

The Suffragettes were a militant movement of women demanding the right to vote. They used radical action to secure this right, which led to members of the movement being imprisoned and even dying in the struggle.

 

Newland Court concerns now filed as a formal complaint to Brent Council of alleged systemic discrimination

Overflowing bins alongside boarded up garages that the Council intends to remove and build on

Marc Etukudo's struggle to get Brent Council to deal with problems at Newland Court, Wembley Park, have now resulted in his concerns being treated as formal complaint against the Council.  Note that the Council's infill proposals to demolish garages and build mini-houses on the site also involve reducing the number of bins.

This is the complaint:

RECYCLING BINS

The first issue is about our recycling bins. Now Brent Council has a habit of administering proposals and supposedly having consultation with any or all the residents affected about the proposal which is totally untrue. Brent Council actually only consulted with a fraction or a small percentage of the residents affected and then released a result that does not reflect the true figures of residents that are against the consultation if they were actually involved.

No one that I have spoken to at Newland Court received any consultation letter regarding having a trial by making recycling pickups from weekly to fortnightly. The first I or other residents found out about this was on social media where other residents in Brent were also asking if anyone was consulted about the 2 week recycling pickup trial and many were dumbfounded about it. I called Brent Council to find out why and was told that we were sent consultation letters which is untrue.

 

Now since this 2 weekly recycling trial pickup our bins are not being emptied fortnightly and even sometimes monthly so that our recycling bins are always overflowing and of course fed up residents are now putting the recycling waste into the residual waste which defeats the object of asking us to recycle our rubbish. When the residual waste is being emptied the bin men will sometimes take out only the bins in bags and leave the residual bins still half full. I have attached pictures for you to see and I hope you will address this issue.  

PARKING

We have had Wing Parking managing and controlling parking at Newland Court for a few years now and in late December last year I was told by a neighbour that when they renewed their Wing parking permit they were told that after the 10^th December2022 our parking permits would cease to be enforceable as Wing Parking would no longer be managing parking at Newland Court as their contract with Brent Council had ended.

I phoned Wing Parking and was told the same thing so I called Brent Council and was told that we were sent consultation letters regarding Wing Parking’s management at Newland Court which is untrue as I have spoken to several residents and none received any consultation letter from Brent. I have since found out that Brent Council said they consulted with all residents and are now doing a trial with 5 estates using Serco the security firm as their new source.

‘Systemic discrimination can be described as patterns of behaviour, procedures, routines, policies or practices that are part of the structures of an organization (Brent Council) and contributes to less favourable outcomes for minority groups (Brent Residents). Behaviours may include dismissive or derogatory comments, gossip, ignoring others, judgemental attitudes or isolating others.     

I have already accused Brent Council of Systemic Discrimination regarding other issues that Newland Court residents are facing in which I hope is being looked at as I am still waiting for a response to. So can you please find out why residents at Newland Court were never consulted regarding the 2 issues I have raised and what is going to happen at Newland Court now regarding non resident drivers who have now started parking as they like on our estate and even in between the garages preventing an elderly disabled driver from getting her car out of her garage on a couple of occasions. Also can our recycling bins be emptied????

Brent Council set to appoint Kim Wright, presently of Lewisham Council, Brent's new CEO

 Kim Wright

 

Kim Wright is set to become the new Chief Executive of Brent Council subject to ratification from Full Council on Monday January 23rd.

Brent’s Senior Staff Appointments Committee (Councillors M. Butt, M. Patel, Knight, Krupa Sheth and Kansagra) has recommended Kim for the Chief Executive role following what the Council called  'a rigorous and competitive recruitment process.'

Brent Council on its website announcement said:

Kim Wright has been Chief Executive of Lewisham Council since October 2019 where she led the council’s response to the global pandemic as well as being the lead Chief Executive for South East London as part of the resilience arrangements that were set up at the time. During Kim’s time at Lewisham the authority has been praised for its work supporting homeless people while the number of residents saying the council runs things well and provides value for money improved significantly. There were also improvements in staff satisfaction levels.

Before joining Lewisham, Kim held a number of Corporate Director roles at Hackney Council which all involved working as part of the senior leadership team to drive improvement and change. Before that Kim worked at Barnet Council and before that Spelthorne Borough Council where she started her local government career in leisure services.

Kim holds a number of pan London roles – as Chair of the London Recovery Board’s Tackling Structural Inequalities sub group; as co-Chair of the London local government Tackling Racial Inequality Group; and as Deputy Chair of London’s Local Resilience Forum, representing all 33 local authorities.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: "Kim is an outstanding Chief Executive with a fantastic range of abilities and skills that are just right for Brent. We have made lots of progress in Brent over recent years, despite the tough circumstances we have faced. I am keen to welcome Kim to Brent and continue that journey as we seek to build a better Brent and leave no one behind.”

Last year, Brent’s long-serving and highly respected Chief Executive Carolyn Downs announced her intention to retire in April 2023 after a hugely successful career in local and central government.

Kim is set to take up the role of Chief Executive from May 2023. She said: “I am delighted and excited to be recommended as Brent’s next Chief Executive as it is a fantastic place that is one of the UK’s most diverse boroughs, and which is bursting with opportunities. I know how ambitious everyone at Brent is to make a positive difference to local people’s lives. I am really looking forward to working closely with colleagues, members, partners, and residents to do everything we can to create a fairer and more equal borough.

“I’d also like to say what an honour it is to take over from Carolyn Downs who has been one of the most respected public sector chief executives in the country for decades. Carolyn has been an inspiration to so many people, including many women due to the glass ceilings she has broken, and I am determined to build on the impressive legacy she leaves.”

 

Nation-wide protests against forced prepayment meters - outright ban and removal demanded

 From Fuel Poverty Action

 

Today, Fuel Poverty Action and allied groups begin several days of protest against fuel poverty in the UK. An announcement from the group stated that:    ‘From Edinburgh to Exeter, we will join together with the National Pensioner’s Convention, Don’t Pay, Disabled People Against Cuts and Extinction Rebellion for vigils, warm-ups and digital actions.’    The date coincides with the Office for National Statistics announcing the excess winter death figures for 2021/22. Fuel Poverty Action and the National Pensioner’s Convention have historically protested around this annual event and will mark the day with events in London and Cardiff.   The groups are collectively demanding the UK government ban forced prepayment meters. The government has come under increasing pressure to take this measure since an investigation by the i paper revealed that energy companies have secured half a million warrants to enter people’s homes and install meters since July 2021. Further reports have uncovered that only 72 warrant applications in total were refused by magistrates. Citizens Advice also announced that 3.2 million people were disconnected due to being unable to top up prepayment meters in 2022, more than the previous 10 years combined. Grant Shapps has stated officials are ‘actively working’ on the issue but is yet to announce a concrete ban or moratorium. Ruth London, Fuel Poverty Action Co-Founder, said:   We need an outright ban, and urgent removal of the hundreds of thousands of meters that have been installed where they are not safe or practical in defiance of suppliers' licence conditions. The energy suppliers were quick to find men to drill out locks and break into homes to install these meters, now they must act quickly to take them out.  People are being left in the cold and dark even when they are dependent on heat or on power for disability aids, medical equipment, for light and for charging phones.  Every delay will lead to deaths.  In Westminster, attendees will gather at 11.30am to hear speeches before a minute's silence as Big Ben strikes 12 to commemorate those who have been killed by living in cold and damp homes. Speakers will include Lord Prem Sikka, Ruth London, Jan Shortt the NPC General Secretary, Paula Peters of DPAC and Simon Francis, the End Fuel Poverty Coalition Coordinator. The event will conclude with a short march and rally outside Downing Street. A similar event, organised by NPC Wales, will begin at 11am on the same date in Cardiff Central Square. Jan Shortt, General Secretary, the National Pensioners’ Convention said:     It’s shameful that anyone in this country should die as a result of the cold. Yet tens of thousands more will do so if the government does not act as a matter of urgency. We would cautiously welcome Business Secretary Grant Shapps’ announced intention to stop forced transfers to pre-payment meters, which is a step in the right direction.  But we will monitor just how successful that is and what his intentions would be for energy providers who ignore it. Further vigils will follow on Friday 20th January, as locals meet at Brighton War Memorial, Old Steine, at 10.30am. As well as on Saturday 21st, when gatherings will take place at Leicester Town Hall at 11am and a Shell garage on Newnham Road, Cambridge, at 12pm. Saturday 21st January will also mark the date for a next round of ‘Warm-Up’ protests, a form of direct action used by Fuel Poverty Action throughout its nearly 12 year history. Participants will enter public spaces or buildings to keep warm together due to unaffordable fuel bills and poor housing conditions at home. A similar day of action in December involved Warm-Ups in locations including Scottish Power HQ, the British Museum, Harrods and a Barclays Bank. Fuel Poverty Action have released a number of meeting points and say to expect more of the same. Actions will conclude on Sunday 22nd January with a demonstration taking place outside Octopus Energy Sales Hub in Birmingham. The groups are also calling on individuals to sign a petition calling for an end to forced prepayment meters and encouraging them to either phone or email Grant Shapps’ office demanding he implement a ban. The week of action forms part of Fuel Poverty Action’s Energy For All campaign; the demand for a universal, free amount of energy to cover people’s necessities like heating, lighting and cooking - paid for by an end to all public money subsidising fossil fuels, a more effective windfall tax on energy companies and higher tariffs on luxury household energy use. The campaign also encompasses an end to prepayment meters and a national retrofitting scheme to bring housing up to standard. Stuart Bretherton, Fuel Poverty Action, Energy For All Campaign Coordinator, said:   In the world’s sixth richest economy and one of Europe’s largest producers of oil and gas, failing to meet people’s basic energy needs is a political choice. Energy For All is a proposal for a system that works for people and the planet, not profiteers or polluters. The polar opposite of this is struggling people having their homes broken into, or meters switched remotely without warning, to a method of payment that could prevent them from heating their home this winter.   Visit https://www.fuelpovertyaction.org.uk/ to see all assembly points. Contact e4a@fuelpovertyaction.org.uk for questions and comments.

 

How can the 'You Decide' process for Council grants be made fairer?

 November's Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee, which was also attended for two items by the Chair of Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny, was notable for the contribution of residents to the item on Brent Council's Grants Programme. Key points were made questioning the fairness of the 'You Decide' meetings that allocate grants including the packing of meetings by some groups and the disadvantage of not being used to public speaking.

The Committee also considered the Borough Plan with questions asked abou the lack of much mention of the council's climate emergency structure.

The Committee made a range of recommendations.

The Minutes of the meeting are now available so I have embedded them below for your perusal and as an example of effective scrutiny.