Time and Tide, Treasure and Trash – mudlarking for London’s history. March 17th St Andrew's Church Hall, Kingsbury

Guest post by local historian Philip Grant

Mudlarks scavenging beside the Thames, from a 19^th century engraving.

 

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries it was not unusual to see boys from destitute families searching through the mud of the heavily polluted River Thames. They were looking for scraps of anything they could sell, bones, metal or coal, to make a few pennies and put some basic food on the table. They earned the name “mudlarks”, after a bird (officially a magpie-lark) that makes its nest from mud, which sailors returning to the Pool of London had seen on voyages to Australia.

 

Modern mudlarks search the shores of the Thames as a hobby (with permits from the Port of London Authority), looking for interesting objects which provide details from London’s history. These can date back to Roman times, or earlier, and any find of archaeological interest is reported to the Museum of London. One of these mudlarks is giving a talk at Wembley History Society on Friday 17 March:-

 

Many of the items which today’s mudlarks uncover are not treasure, but modern rubbish which has found its way into the river because too many of us don’t dispose of it the way that we should. But with practice, and advice from experienced mudlarks, a trained eye can often spot something older, and even have a good idea of what it might be. It will be fascinating to learn from Monika what she has found, and to see a selection of these items.

 

Monika engaged in her mudlarking hobby.

 

Wembley History Society welcomes visitors, not just to its members, to its talks, so that any local resident, young or old, who may be interested can enjoy them as well (there is a small charge, to help cover costs). Details are on the poster displayed above.

 

Philip Grant

Power up local communities to hit climate targets, urges Green New Deal report

From Caroline Lucas' webpage

Powering up local communities with cleaner community energy, local food supplies and strengthened public transport networks is essential if the UK is to hit its 2030 climate targets, according to a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Green New Deal, co-chaired by Green MP Caroline Lucas and Labour MP Clive Lewis. 

The report marks the culmination of the APPG’s ‘Local Edge’ inquiry, which held evidence sessions to explore best practice solutions at a local level to reduce carbon emissions across three sectors – heat, energy and buildings; food, land use and nature; and transport and air quality – and to identify regulatory changes needed in order to enable local initiatives to reach their potential, scale up, replicate and flourish.  

The UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) has committed to cut carbon emissions by 68% below 1990 levels by 2030. While the Government has set bolder carbon reduction targets for 2035 and 2050, meeting the 2030 target represents Parliament’s most immediate challenge – which will be impossible to reach unless it devolves significant powers and resources to a local level, the report argues. 

Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: 

We know that every home can be its own power station. But now we need national Government to power up communities with the finance, resources and regulatory frameworks to help them scale up and thrive. If we’re going to meet our immediate climate targets and secure a liveable future – with warm and comfortable homes, renewable and affordable local energy, healthy and low-carbon food, and cheap and clean transport – we urgently need to put Green New Deal policies into practice, with local people and communities at the forefront.

The report links climate aspiration and constitutional obligation – offering a joined-up response to the polycrisis of a climate emergency, cost of living scandal, energy crisis and constitutional dilemma. 

Evidence sessions held by the inquiry discovered examples of transformative local initiatives around the country – but found communities were held back by the absence of the necessary national regulatory frameworks, and finance required to scale them up and reach their full potential. The most progressive examples follow a pattern in which national governments set out statutory climate obligations, but allow localities to determine how best to deliver them. 

One of the most transformative proposals would be for the Government to make its commitment to a 68% reduction in carbon emissions on 1990 levels by 2030 a binding obligation on all public sector organisations and agencies for all their spending, programmes and projects. 

Amongst other recommendations, the report calls for a European-style ‘right of local supply’, promoting the development of more localised energy communities, by allowing community renewables generation schemes to sell directly to local people; changes to grid access charging in favour of more localised energy systems; and energy efficiency funding to be restored to at least 2012 levels.

The report also demands an end to tax allowances for the use of fossil fuel vehicles. Lessons from cities such as Manchester suggest that conflicts between communities and commuters can be minimised if integrated, affordable public transport alternatives are on offer. 

Some of the report’s other key recommendations include: 

• Planning law must be aligned with net zero climate targets and they should be specifically included in local plans. 
• Local authorities must be given a statutory duty to cut transport emissions in their area by 68% by 2030. 
• The duty to deliver integrated public transport services should be returned to local authorities. 
• The ECO energy efficiency programme should be replaced with a revised version of Warm Zones – developing whole-area, rather than individual, approaches to energy conservation. 
• All carbon subsidies (to fertilisers and fuel) must be swapped into support for regenerative and organic farming. 
• A new Local Food Investment Fund should be established to provide strategic support across the UK for investment in localised agri-food infrastructure and enterprise.  
• The 15-acre minimum size threshold for applications to DEFRA’s community supported farm schemes should be scrapped. 

Because of the UK’s over-centralised approach to energy generation, storage and distribution, specific recommendations were made to the energy regulator Ofgem. The report calls for Ofgem to open its Innovation Funding to promote more localised ‘combined heat and power’ systems; to switch to an average cost pricing system that favours more localised and lower cost renewables; and to prioritise the lowest carbon/lowest marginal cost supplies, ending the current situation in which wind turbines can be stood down to keep power stations running. 

The full report can be found here.

Carnival mood as Brent teachers stage 'Education Festival' on their second strike day

 

Following a supportive speech from Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, strking teachers paraded along Olympic Way this morning, accompanied by colourful parachutes, musical instruments and whistles, for an Education Festival in Arena Square.

Representatives from local schools spoke along with the NEU Co-Secretary, Jenny Cooper, Roger Cox from Brent Trades Council and myself from the Green Party Trade Union Group.

The carnival atmosphere left little doubt that this strike is far from over. 

Nursery teacher Lucy Cox, dressed as a pink rabbit, addresses the crowd

At the end of the Festival, in a powerful moment,  NEU members held up posters demonstrating their opposition to racism and support for the  Resist Racism national demonstration to be held on Saturday March 18th.

 

 

Determined teachers stage second Brent strike. Plenty of public support.

I joined the picket line at Ark Academy, Wembley, again this morning on the NEU's second strike day and their determination remained strong. The  morning news about Gavin Williamson's opinion of teachers and their unions was well-timed to increase their determination.

We were joined by Labour councillor Ihtesham Malik Afzal. There was plenty of public support from passing pedestrians and vehicle 'tooting for teachers'.

REMINDER: Education Festival, Wembley Park, tomorrow 10.30am to 1pm

 

BRING your placards, whistles, bubbles, musical instruments and, if you like, in World Book Day fancy dress for our competition- 3 book token prizes! BRING families, children, friends, etc   RALLY with speakers   ACTIVITIES WITH A CARNIVAL FEEL: face painting, bubbles, music, parachute games, storytelling and more.   COMPETITION FOR BEST WORLD BOOK DAY COSTUME

BREAKING: Supreme Court ruling today should help campaigners fighting for protection of green spaces

From Good Law Project

 

The Supreme Court today ruled in favour of a Good Law Project-funded case which will help to protect green spaces from being sold off where there is opposition from local communities. The ruling sets a new precedent for how public green spaces are sold by local authorities in the future. 

Greenfields Community Group, led by campaigner Dr Peter Day, in Shropshire, has been fighting for almost six years over the land, arguing that Shrewsbury Town Council should have consulted residents before selling off the green space.  

Last June, Shrewsbury Town Council apologised "unreservedly" over the sale of part of Greenfields Recreation Ground and promised to buy the land back. The council was instructed by its lawyers not to buy it back until the Supreme Court judgment.

The campaigners will now hold the council to account over its pledge so that the local community can once again use the space for recreation.

In handing down the ruling, Lady Justice Rose said:

It is our view that [Shrewsbury TC] must put robust procedures in place to ensure that an oversight such as this is not permitted to recur. Where there should be any future sale of land [Shrewsbury TC] must be able to demonstrate that [it] has taken sufficient steps to establish the legal status of that land and act in accordance with all relevant legislation prior to sale. [Shrewsbury TC] should consider whether it has the legal power to proceed with any future disposals and, for the sake of good governance, should formally document the powers on which it has relied when making any such decisions.

Legal Manager of Good Law Project, Ian Browne, said:

We are delighted with today’s Supreme Court ruling which will set a precedent to help safeguard green spaces across the country from being sold off and the rights of communities to enjoy them for generations to come.

Shrewsbury Town Council failed to consult the local community about the selling off of the land and it has led to a protracted legal battle which should not have been necessary in the first place.
 

We are thrilled to have backed the tenacious efforts of Greenfields Community Group and Dr Peter Day to secure this landmark judgment, which means that Shrewsbury Town Council will now have to meet very strict criteria before they are able to sell off any green spaces in future.

Supreme Court to rule on sale of park land to developer without adequate consultation

 

From Good Law Project

The Supreme Court will decide tomorrow (Wednesday 1 March) whether planning permission should have been granted for a piece of sold off park land, after locals argued that they have a right to continue using the space for recreation. 

The decision could have far reaching repercussions for the sale of green spaces in the future.

A section of Greenfields Recreation Ground was sold to a housing developer in 2017 and earmarked for 15 homes.

Local residents, who have been campaigning for six years to reclaim the site, say the local authority should have consulted with them before the sale was made.  

The Greenfields land was first bought by the local authority in 1926 for £1,000 and held in trust for community use.

Shrewsbury Town Council was criticised in a judicial review in 2019 for failing to identify the status of the land before selling it. The local authority has already apologised for its "failures".

Good Law Project has been supporting and helping to fund the legal action and believes the case will set a precedent for councils to consult with residents before they sell off land that has public value.

Campaigns Manager for Good Law Project, Hannah Greer, said:  

Recreational spaces are so important for our quality of life, and that was especially highlighted during the pandemic.
 

It’s simply not right for these spaces to be taken away by a local authority without consulting those who use it. We hope the Supreme Court will agree with us and help stop this happening again.

Further information LINK

Brent Council helps new owners bring derelict homes back into use - Empty Homes Week Feb 27th-March 5th

 

Neglect (Photo: Brent Council)

 

Press release from Brent Council (Unedited)

 

Two homes that suffered years of neglect have been transformed by their new owners after Brent stepped in to help.

A detached house in Kenton and an end of terrace home in Kingsbury were sold to new owners last year following action taken by the council’s empty property team.

Squatters, dumped rubbish, prostitution and rats were among the numerous problems reported by neighbours when the homes were abandoned and left to fall into a state of disrepair over many years. But last year the council successfully sold the properties after taking legal action.

“Letting an empty home turn into a blight on the neighbourhood is absolutely unacceptable, especially when housing is so sought after within our borough,” said Councillor Promise Knight, Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Renters Security. “I am glad that these two properties have been turned around and that people will be living in them again.”

Empty properties often become noticeable when they fall into a state of disrepair, causing problems for neighbouring properties. A home might be empty if the windows have been broken for a long time, the post has not been collected, or the windows and doors have been boarded up and the rooms are always in darkness.

As part of Empty Homes Week, the council wants to encourage owners of empty properties to bring them back into use and is highlighting the grants available to them. An owner of a two-bedroom property could receive up to £26,000 in grant aid for refurbishment or conversion works, and a potential average rental income of £14,500 per year. The owner of a commercial property could receive a grant of £156,000 for four or more units.

“We can also provide advice and assistance and support to all owners of empty properties in the borough,” said Councillor Knight. “Our empty property page on the council’s website has information about eligibility criteria and how to apply for a grant, or to contact the Empty Property Team”

CALL TO ACTION

• To report an empty property in Brent, email: empty.property@brent.gov.uk  or call 020 8937 2384 choose option 1, then option 4.
• If you have an empty property and want to apply for a grant, or need help and advice to bring it back into use, email: empty.property@brent.gov.uk  or call 020 8937 2384 choose option 1, then option 4. You can also visit the empty property page on the council’s website.

 

Editor's comment: I will be reporting two Brent Council homes in Willesden Green, still empty after refurbishment months ago.