CROSS BRENT BIKERS BASH BRENT CROSS PLANS

Brent Cyclists have come out in strong opposition to the traffic plans for Barnet Council's proposed Brent Cross Cricklewood development.

They say, "We object that the plans for cyclists along the A5, south and northbound, would create new and significant hazards on a route which is already difficult to negotiate.

Southbound it would be impossible to travel across the North Circular without a massive detour and negotiation of ramps. The only direct alternative for cyclists will be to use the flyover. Few cyclists will want to risk that; to get on and off the flyover you have to ride across two lanes of fast traffic on slip roads at each end. This will significantly increase the chances of casualties, and possibly deaths, among cyclists. The A5 is an ancient route that the public has been able to traverse in a straight line for close on 2000 years. These plans will remove this right from cyclists and pedestrians. They also contradict the Mayor's plans for 'cycle superhighways', which are supposed to be 'safe, direct, continuous, visible, comfortable and informative'. "

BRENT CROSS OPPOSITION GOES LONDON WIDE

Coalition protesters outside Hendon Town Hall

Darren Johnson, Green Party chair of the London Assembly, has joined the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross:

"I strongly support the call of the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross for the rejection of the £5bn Brent Cross/Cricklewood development application to Barnet Council. The proposed development would have a major impact on traffic and pollution across the whole of North West London, particularly the neighbouring boroughs of Brent and Camden. Barnet Council is not qualified to take decisions that impact significantly beyond the borough's boundaries and the London Mayor must make it his business to intervene."

Navin Shah, Labour Assembly member for Brent and Harrow added his voice to the swelling opposition:

“Barnet Council’s deferral follows months of delays and dithering that doesn’t bode well for the application. The Brent Cross application has already been delayed for the past year, and the problems that have dogged it appear to continue to do so.”

“The large number of objections is illustrative of serious problems with this huge application. Thousands of northwest London residents and objections from neighbouring Brent and Camden Councils show this application is seriously flawed in terms of major issues including affordable housing, traffic generation and its complete disregard for sustainability.”

“Given the sheer size of the application, it is vital Barnet gets this redevelopment right. The delays show they know the objections are serious and well merited. I urge the Council to do all it can to avoid all too obvious, and costly mistakes by demanding more from this flawed and unambitious planning application that will currently do more damage than good."

DETOX BRENT X

The chair of Barnet's planning and environment committee has announced that she will move deferral of the controversial Brent Cross-Cricklewood planning application at today's meeting. She said. "We have had several detailed representations in the last few days and it is important that the council gives these the fullest consideration. I want everyone to appreciate that representations will be dealt with professionally, transparently and in full.”

This is the fourth time that consideration of the application has been delayed. The Brent Cross Coalition, who are campaigning for the application to be refused said, "The fact that the planning meeting been has deferred at the last minute, and delayed countless times previously, shows that Barnet are wrong to think they are able to give the degree of scrutiny at ordinary planning committee that this 5-billion-pound regional development deserves. Barnet are right to fully consider the large number of detailed objections they have now received. But inconsistencies in the committee report and myths banded about by the developers, mean that Barnet alone can't decide on this scheme. It should be called in to a public inquiry as soon as possible."

Before the deferral announcement the Coalition had drawn attention to the fact that the developers had said 9,000 extra cars per day would be generated bu the development,despite Barnet and Transport for London's estimate of 29,000.

The Coalition said, “It is outrageous that developers have managed to ‘lose’ 20,000 of the 29,000 extra cars a day from Barnet’s own predictions. We challenge the developers how they think the 1,500 new homes at West Hendon can account for 20,000 of the extra 29,000 cars generated. What we need is a full public inquiry to thoroughly scrutinize the plans, not the quick rubber stamp of Barnet’s ordinary planning committee.

“We need proper regeneration of the Brent Cross area, giving the local community real power in its design and phasing, not the PR myths that are more fiction than fact. A growing number of groups across London won’t be fooled by the developers’ spin and ‘green-wash’ painted on these 1980s car-based plans, when they should be environmentally designed for the 21st Century.”

Despite the deferral the Coalition will still be holding a protest outside Hendon Town Hall at 6pm tonight.

RECLAIM OUR SCHOOLS

As the Wembley Park playing fields disappear beneath the ARK Academy building works there have been a number of developments on the academies front. The government has announced that private sponsors will no longer have to cough up £2m towards the cost of new academies and it turns out not many did so anyway. The government apparently believe this will squash claims that academies are a form of privatisation rather than create claims that our schools will now be given away to private companies. Giving away schools will no doubt mean that all sorts of strange private sponsors will emerge but the government promises a stringent procedure to vet them - let's wait and see.

The underlying assumption that private organisations, by their very nature, will be better at running schools has been challenged by the fate of Sheffield Park Academy. This Academy, run by United Learning Trust, took over from Walthe School which in 2004 was making 'satisfactory progress'according to Ofsted. Walthe was rebuilt at a cost of£8m in 1998 but in 2006 was replaced by the Academy which moved into new buildings costing £90m last year. The latest Ofsted inspection report on the Academy rates it as 'inadequate' in all categories and criticises its leadership and management -precisely the area which is supposed to give private sponsorship the edge. ULT is the largest academy sponsor with 17 schools.

To add to the confusion, arch-Tory Westminster City council has commissioned a report by Professor David Eastwood which recommends that local councils should have the power to take over failing academies. The commission warned that academies were refusing to cooperate with boroughs on developing coherent local plans for schools. The Evening Standard said that councillors feel 'politically vulnerable' because voters see them as responsible for education, despite them having no control over academies.'

The sooner the academies are brought back under the democratically accountable control of local authorities the better. Perhaps this could become an issue in the May 2010 local election so that the new school being built in Wembley Park belongs to us, the taxpayers and community charge payers, rather than a hedge fund millionaire.

ALL ABOARD TO FIGHT BRENTOX PLAN

A coalition of local groups spanning Brent, Barnet and Camden has formed to oppose current plans for the Brent Cross Cricklewood (BXC) development, and to win a public inquiry, in advance of Barnet Council’s forthcoming determination of the planning application at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday 23rd September.

The coalition consists of ten residents groups, three political parties, two MPs, one London Assembly Member, three Friends of the Earth groups, two cycling campaigns, London-wide and local transport campaigners, a large local employer and local residents. It aims to demand and achieve a public inquiry to prevent BXC being built according to current plans.

Lia Colacicco, Brent resident and Coalition Co-ordinator says, “This scheme is unsustainable in many ways, despite the green-wash painted by developers. Our coalition objects to many aspects of the plan: transport provisions, increases in pollution, environmental degradation and lack of social sustainability. The Mayor’s Rules are clear that major developments should be zero carbon emission but the developers say it is not commercially viable”

“In view of the huge negative environmental impact this regional scale development will have on a wide area of North West London, all our diverse groups have come together to oppose it. We welcome regeneration of the area, but not this ill-conceived pre-climate change plan that has incensed a great number of local people across three boroughs.”

Alison Hopkins, Brent Resident on the border with Barnet adds, “This is an attempt to build Manhattan in a suburban setting, destroying much green space and our quality of life in the process. Frankly, the whole scheme is overbearing, and smacks of over ambition, especially in the current fragile economic climate.”

“This scheme contains outline planning permission for the next couple of decades, for the developers to do what they want. Only an unprecedented Act of Parliament could undo the tremendous power they will gain, if this outline scheme is approved.

“Furthermore, the developers have slipped FULL planning permission into what Barnet has always called an outline application. So they can immediately make huge changes, convenient for them, even though they have no commitment to see them through in the years ahead.”

The report to the Planning Committee from Barnet Council’s planning officers is not due to be made public until Tuesday 15 September, giving only a week for residents and groups to make sense of it. It will be determined by Barnet alongside minor matters at an ordinary monthly Planning Committee meeting.

Over 3,000 petitions calling for the development to be called into Public Inquiry were handed in to John Denham, Secretary of State for Local Government and Communities in June.

GREEN AND ANTI-RACIST

Because I was involved in the organising of the Unite Against Fascism defence of Harrow Mosque, people have asked me about my position, as a Green Party member, on the issue of combating the far-right.

When I was a member, in the 1970s and 80s, of ALTARF (All London Teachers Against Racism and Fascism) we made a distinction between the hard-core racists and fascists, with clear ideological commitment to those ideas, and those who got involved with them because of feelings of powerlessness, poverty or oppression. Along with others in the movement we saw our role as separating the latter from the former through a process of education and engagement.

Currently there are all sorts of reasons for disaffection that are being exploited by the far-right: the economic recession with loss of jobs and homes,the lack of social housing, bankers' bonuses being subsidised by taxpayers' money and politicians apparently feathering their own nests. These domestic issues are accompanied by the rhetoric surrounding the 'war on terror' which too often slides into apparent condemnation of all Muslims and the increasing unpopularity of the war in Afghanistan and confusion about 'why are we there.' The international issues fuel the racists' Islamaphobia and alienate many of the Muslim population and lead some to extremist acts.

Tackling inequality, both economic and social, therefore, must be a major priority. The Green Party has a strong social justice approach with policies aimed at reforming the financial system, saving money by scrapping Trident and ID cards, creating more Green jobs through public investment, establishing a Living Wage (above the level of the Minimum Wage), and supporting co-operative and mutual businesses. Greens would bring empty private homes back into use as well as provide more affordable housing. We would invest in sustainable housing by fitting free insulation in all homes that need it and invest in our children's health by providing nutritious free midday meals for all pupils.

Internationally Greens opposed the Iraq War and at the recent conference called for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Our MEPs have fought tirelessly for Europe to put pressure on Israel to stop the oppression of Palestinians in the occupied territories and the building of Israeli settlements.

I cannot pretend that these policies would solve all the problems but I do think they are a pre-condition of combating the extreme right. It is no use government ministers calling up memories of Cable Street while they preside over policies that have increased inequality and cause divisions.

So, you may be asking, what about the hard-right ideologues that you wrote about earlier? If they are never going to change and their aim is violence against particular sections of the population, then we have to oppose them by the kind of mass united community mobilisation we saw in Harrow.

DIVERSITY CONQUERS ADVERSITY

The media, by concentrating on a few skirmishes in a generally peaceful demonstration, takes away from the power of a diverse community with many differences standing together against a common threat.

This video of photographs taken on Friday shows what 95% of the vigil was really like!

UNITY DEFEATS THE EXTREMIST RIGHT

It wasn't a riot, as the Guardian website claimed, but a good humoured, lively and sometimes excitable demonstration of community solidarity against right-wing extremists which succeeded in keeping them off Harrow streets and well away from the Harrow Mosque.

The few stray rightists who did turn up were chased away by local youngsters who soon returned to the main demonstration. There were reports that Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) cancelled their demonstration when the police informed them of the scale of the counter-demonstration.

Today's events showed what can be done when a whole diverse community unites against those who seek to divide it. Given the SIOE's (and their supporters in the English Defence League and British Defence League) extreme provocation in organising the anti-Islam protest on the anniversary of 9/11, during Ramadan and after Friday Prayers, the solidarity vigil was remarkably restrained.

HARROW, UNITED, REFUSED TO BE DIVIDED

KEN LIVINGSTONE CONDEMNS MOSQUE PROTEST

BACK TO 1930s WARNING

Ken Livingstone, chair of Unite Against Fascism and former mayor of London, spoke out yesterday against the anti-Muslim rally called by far right organisations outside Harrow Central Mosque this Friday. Livingstone said:

"If anyone were to call a demonstration outside a synagogue or church, this would rightly provoke a national outcry. There should be exactly the same response from the government, politicians, all religious faiths and the media to the call for a demonstration outside a mosque. The only possible meaning of this event is a protest against Muslims and Islam – a religion followed by more than a billion people in the world."

People should wake up to the fact the protests outside mosques are taking us back to the fascism of the 1930s when fascist thugs marched against Jews and their places of worship. This demonstration should be condemned and banned on the grounds of blatant religious discrimination and a threat to public order."

COMMUNITY RALLIES TO OPPOSE FASCISTS AND RACISTS

HARROW, UNITED, WILL NEVER BE DIVIDED

JOIN THE VIGIL ON FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11th

"Islamophobia - bigotry against Muslims - is as unacceptable as any other form of racism. Its aim is to divide us by making scapegoats of one community, just as the Nazis did with the Jews in the 1930s.

Today they threaten the mosque, tomorrow it could be a synagogue, temple or church. Today they threaten Muslims, tomorrow it could be Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, blacks, gays, travellers or Eastern Europeans.

There is no place for Nazis, racists or the BNP in Harrow's multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious community."

This is part of a joint letter signed by local Labour MPs Gareth Thomas, Tony McNulty, Barry Gardiner and Dawn Butler opposing tomorrow's right-wing demonstration at Harrow Mosque. The letter has also been signed by Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow and local trade unionists, community associations and activists.

The demonstration has been called by Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) but has been hijacked by the English Defence League and British Defence League and other far-right groups and individuals who have been publicising it on their websites and Facebook. It has been deliberately scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of 9/11to label all Muslims terrorists and to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to give maximum offence. SIOE claim not to be racist (they just hate Islam!) but an image on their website depicting an evil face superimposed on a mosque looks like something from the Nazi era, and the comments made by supporters reveal their true nature.

A counter-vigil,organised by Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism,will be held on the pavement outside Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, opposite the new mosque building which is still under construction. The vigil begins at 1.30pm with a rally at 6pm.

This is the biggest threat by racists and Fascists to West or North West London since the National Front marched in Southall 30 years ago. They must be opposed once again.

WE WON'T BE DUMPED ON, DRIVEN OVER, OR DUPED!

A 'Coalition for a Sustainable BXC Plan' has been formed to oppose the Brent Cross-Cricklewood regeneration project following a meeting at Brent Town Hall last week. Those attending included four local councillors, Brent Friends of the Earth, local Residents' Associations, Brent Cyclists and myself from the Brent Green Party.

The coalition is united around the aim of opposing the current plans for the development by campaigning against the planning application which is likely to go to Barnet Planning Committee on Wednesday September 23rd, and campaigning for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to call in the plans and set up a public inquiry.

Although participants in the Coalition may have differences in terms of the detail of their objections they are agreed that the present plans would cause environmental damage and be to the detriment of the local community.

A petition to the Secretary of State organised by Brent Friends of the Earth can be found here.

Climate Camp Video

Click on the title for an entertaining video statement on Climate Camp policing ahead of the new camp in the London area later this week.

SAVE OUR TOWN HALL - SAVE OUR LOCAL DEMOCRACY

© Copyright Roger Kidd and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The local newspapers have this week carried reports of the dispute between Shahrar Ali, a local resident and member of the Green Party and Cllr Kanta Mistry who chairs the Kingsbury Area Consultative Forum. The immediate controversy is about the minutes of the Forum which Shahrar Ali claims were initially inaccurate and reworded by verbal agreement at a Forum meeting, and then reworded again prior to publication.

The effect of the rewording was to remove the rather stark claim by a council official that Brent Council had not consulted on the proposed civic centre which will replace the Town Hall and other major council buildings, 'because it did not need to' and substitute with 'The council had not consulted residents on whether a new civic centre needed to be built and had not done so because the business case for a new building was felt to be overwhelming'.

Underlying the dispute are wider issues about consultation:

* Should the council have the power to decide not to consult on major projects that impact on the people of Brent?

* Are the minutes of consultative forums the property of the meetings themselves or of the council members and officers?

*What happens when participants in the consultation process seek to extend democracy and accountability and the council seek to limit it?

LIB DEM 'POLICY FREE' ELECTION VICTORY

The 'Tory Car' parked outside Ealing Road Library polling station

The many expressions of support on the street and the doorstep for our Green campaign in the Wembley Central by-election failed to be translated into actual votes at the polling booth and we came fifth in the poll.

During polling day supporters of the other parties had predicted we would do well and one said that their canvassers had indicated that when people said they were voting Green this support was firm and positive, rather than a protest vote.

We will be reflecting on lessons to be learnt over the next few days but it seems clear that many people saw this election as a fight between the three main parties, and especially between the Lib Dems and Labour. Although there was a low poll of 30%, almost one fifth of the votes cast were postal votes.

The Lib Dem campaign was intensive in terms of both person power and the amount of literature produced. I lost count of the number of leaflets they produced and these were supplemented by two personally addressed letters to each household. The first was delivered in a business type envelope and was a letter of support for the Lib Dem candidate from Sarah Teather MP. The second was a photocopied, apparently hand-written, letter from the candidate on pale blue paper delivered in a matching pale blue hand-addressed envelope.

Their actual literature was almost 'policy free' and concentrated on attacks on Labour with particular emphasis on Gordon Brown, local Labour MP's second homes and the threat of higher council taxes under Labour. Amazingly they were relatively untainted by the scandal of the jailing of their former Lib Dem colleague which gave rise to the vacancy. This was helped by the fact that the Lib Dem group ejected him when the charges of fraud were first raised and he subsequently sat as an Independent. It is interesting that the public seemed more tolerant of fraud against a private company than misuse of taxpayers' money by MPs. Although some voters complained to me that they they were fed up with receiving a Lib Dem leaflet every other day the sheer volume of material ensure a high profile for the Lib Dems and they were successful in getting posters displayed in many homes and gardens giving the impression of wide support.

The Labour campaign seemed to have fewer people involved and circulated less literature. One Lib Dem remarked that the party did not seem very committed to the campaign but that certainly wasn't true of their candidate who was keen and enthusiastic. An early Labour leaflet which included a mock-up of ex-Lib Dem councillor Vijay Shah behind bars, and listed other Lib Dem councillors who had resigned for various reasons, was rejected as distasteful by some voters. Labour leaflets accused the Lib Dems of reneging on their promise not to increase Council Tax.

The Conservatives were very active on polling day itself. They produced glossy full colour leaflets which had vague promises about 'improving Wembley' but were strong, as befits a family that employs 100 local drivers in their car firm, on the rights of motorists but also highlighted congestion on Ealing Road.

The garrulous Independent, who had previously stood for Motorists and Residents, used his long-established local contacts well and ran a populist campaign against tower blocks and council tax increases and for a shopping centre and the handing back of the Copland playing field to local people.

Our campaign focused on positive policies on climate change, housing, work, schools and consultation and eschewed attacks on the other parties. The ward is not 'natural' Green territory, which was brought home to be when I had to squeeze between several gas guzzlers park in paved over front garden to deliver leaflets, but I thought that the social justice aspects of our policies would resonate with voters in some economically disadvantaged areas of the ward. Unfortunately, living as they do in short-term privately rented accommodation, they were less likely to be registered voters. Although we have a solid campaigning record in Wembley this has concentrated on aspects of the Wembley Masterplan and the Wembley Academy which are both outside the ward.

POLLING DAY ISSUES

There was camaraderie amongst tellers from the various parties and campaigns at polling stations in the face of public disenchantment with politics and absolutely horrible weather. However some issues did arise about a car festooned with Tory posters parked strategically outside Ealing Road Library and concern that some voters felt pressurised as they approached the polling portacabins. The latter was resolved by agreement that voters would only be approached for their polling card numbers after they had voted.

It would be helpful if guidelines were agreed about proper conduct of tellers and candidates at pollings stations and their environs and circulated and publicised before polling day to all involved. This would avoid any misunderstandings.

WEMBLEY RE-THINK NEEDED

Some of you may have seen the five page Wembley Regeneration Special in the Willesden and Brent Times. The 'Special' reminded me of the old Soviet Weekly which used to extol the shining achievements of the regime, complete with impressive pictures and the words of the Great Leader.

In this case the words of the Great Leader are those of Cllr. Paul Lorber with contributions from the Quintain and St. Modwen developers all under the imprint of Brent Council, The Big Lunch and the Times. The headlines give a flavour: THE REGENERATION GAME, BOLD VISION FOR FUTURE (The Wembley Masterplan), SCORING GOALS FOR RESIDENTS AS DEVELOPMENT SPREADS WINGS (Wembley Masterplan), A NEW LANDMARK EVERYONE CAN BE PROUD OF (proposed Civic Centre), ACTION STATIONS AT WEMBLEY CENTRAL (the St.Modwen development at Central Square). Anyone reading this would not realise that every one of these developments has been contested by residents, the Green Party and in the case of the Wembley Masterplan, the Labour Party.

Publication in the middle of the Wembley by-election, when these issues are being hotly debated, is questionable to say the least.

The Willesden and Brent Times stable has always had my respect for being fiercely independent of the council. It is unclear whether this is 'paid for content' and thus not under the paper's editorial control or actually reflects the paper's views.

However, it is clear that we need to look again at the plans for Wembley High Road in the light of the recession, the changes in the Copland proposals following the dropping of plans for a tower block, and the impact of the Civic Centre.

Many Brent council buildings will be replaced by the Civic Centre including Elizabeth House, Brent House, Brent House Annex, Mahatma Gandhi House and Chesterfield House. There is already much vacant office accommodation to let in Wembley High Road and nearby streets, including Lanmor House, Dorland House, 390-400 High Road, Valliant House and some of Madison House. Empty office accommodation, like Unisys House at Stonebridge, will lead to neglect and dereliction with an adverse effect on the High Road.

We need to re-open consultation on the future of the High Road and its vicinity and address the controversial issue of high rise developments in the area. Future plans should have the support and consent of local people and actually improve the area in which they live.

The above is based on a 'Soapbox' I gave at Wembley Area Consultative Forum on July 21st.

GARDINER ATTACKS PRIVATE SCHOOL BOSSES

North Brent MP, Barry Gardiner, may need to rethink his support for academies and other forms of privatisation after his experience with St. Christopher's School, a private school in Wembley.

St. Christopher's, which is run by Happy Child, told Year 5 parents in May that they would not run a Year 6 class in September, leaving them only two months to find a new school for their children. Ms Tracey Story, managing director of Happy Child, told Gardiner, who was seeking help for the parents concerned, that she was not prepared to discuss 'Happy Child's decision to ensure the viability of our business'.

Gardiner lamented in the Royal Assent Adjournment debate on Tuesday that, 'There was not one mention of regret or the effect on the children and their lives, or the breach of contract with parents'. He urged the deputy Leader of the House of Commons to take the issue up with the appropriate minister in the Department for Children.

Unfortunately this take it or leave it mentality is symptomatic of the private sector. Perhaps Gardiner will now put his weight behind publicly accountable and democratically managed local services.

BACK VESTAS OCCUPATION

I fully endorse the following statement from the Green Party Trade Union Group:

Workers at the Vestas wind turbine blade plant on the Isle of Wight have occupied their factory in Newport in an attempt to prevent its closure, which was scheduled for the end of this month. The Green Party Trade Union Group sends its full support to them.

Job losses in a recession are tragic and counterproductive, serving only to worsen it by throwing people out of work.

This particular closure would be doubly damaging because it would remove one of the few capacities Britain has to build the new, environmentally friendly technologies urgently needed to construct the infrastructure that could help to counteract the effects of climate change.

Importing turbine blades is a false solution because their transport would increase the environmental cost of wind turbines. Furthermore the skills and knowledge of the Vestas workers could be dispersed and lost just when we need them most.

If the government allows this closure, its commitment to dealing with climate change will seem a total sham.

How can it let Vestas close when it can afford;

¤ The Afghan war effort
¤ The bail out of banks including continuing taxpayers’ support for excessive fatcat salaries..
¤ The renewal of the trident missile system
¤ New nuclear power stations
¤ And a ridiculous scheme of paying MP’s expenses ?

The Green Party Trade Union Group urges everyone who can to support the Vestas occupation and put pressure on government to actually enact a strategy of creating an environmentally friendly infrastructure for Britain and new jobs for its peoples.

P.Murry GPTU secretary

QUANGO ACCUSED OF ACADEMY BULLYING AS PLAYING FIELDS DESTROYED

The Wembley Park playing fields disappear under rubble as building begins

Brent Council and ARK lost no time in securing the Wembley playing fields site and moving the builders in after the London Mayor and Government Office for London decided not to intervene in the academy dispute. However works could still be affected by the possibility of an application for judicial review.

Meanwhile The Policy Exchange has published a critical report on Partnership for Schools (PfS) the quango responsible for running the £55bn Building Schools for the Future programme. The report, Building Blocks, gives accounts from LEAs, local officers, academy sponsors and others about their experience with PfS.

PfS is accused of forcing local authorities to opt for academies or trust schools if they want funding to rebuild schools or build new ones. The programme to improve school buildings has thus been 'contaminated' by government pressure on LEAs to adopt the academy model and all the baggage that goes along with it. This mixing of the two separate issues and the extension of the academies programme via the funding bribe has been condemned by teacher unions.

The Policy Exchange itself favours Conservative and Liberal Democratic policies for 'free schools' - schools with less local authority control, and so sees the PfS's action as a form of increased centralisation. They cite requirements for school ICT systems, where LEAs are pressurised into awarding lucrative contracts to just one supplier across schools, as an example of control and micromanagement.

From this perspective we are left with unpalatable policies from all three parties: Labour continues to push academies on to often reluctant local councils and communities while finding more ways to control them, while the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in 'freeing' the schools will actually limit the role of Local Education Authorities with voters no longer having a direct say in the way their local schools are run.

A worrying developement when local communities have been angered by moves to convert or amalgamate schools is high-lighted by the report. In Stoke the BNP has opposed local reorganisation plans on the basis that they 'foster racial integration against local wishes' and they made opposition to Building Schools for the Future a central plank in their June election camapign.

FOR PLANET AND PEOPLE

I've been away from the computer for a while as I have been immersed in the Wembley by-election campaign, but here's a quick update. We have had a warm reception from many voters and the Greens clearly have a higher profile locally than last time we stood. We are serious contenders in this by-election.

There have two incidents recently that have stood out. One was a conversation with a fairly prominent member of the local Labour party who stopped me in the High Road to tell me that the people of Wembley weren't ready to receive the 'environmental message'. I pointed out that the environmental message in my campaign was linked with social justice policies that would make absolute sense to local people. He ended up taking leaflets from me and pressing one into the hands of an acquaintance who happened to be passing.

The other was someone who said he had supported the Labour Party all his life but was now totally disenchanted. He said he had been following what Greens had been saying and that he was impressed by the cool commonsense of Caroline Lucas. He now intended to switch to the Greens in the by-election.

We still have a long way to go of course but we are fighting the by-election on positive policies that will make a difference to people's lives:

1. OUR PLANET Climate Change is a huge threat to human life. We will work to strengthen Brent’s Policy.
We will press for a Schools and Climate Change Conference to explain the issues and take action
2. DECENT HOMES FOR ALL
Free insulation for all homes that need it, reducing heating bills AND Co2 emissions.
Reduce housing lists by building affordable homes and taking over abandoned empty houses.
3. USEFUL WORK AND FAIR WAGES
Encourage green industries into the regeneration areas to create green jobs.
London is too expensive for many people. We want a London Living Wage of £7.45 minimum for all Council employees. We will persuade other employers to take similar action.
4. LOOKING AFTER OUR CHILDREN
Half of our children who live in poverty don’t qualify for a free school meal. Every child should get a free hot and healthy school meal every day.
We are against giving away schools that WE pay for to private sponsors and have fought against the ARK Academy. Existing academies should be returned to the community sector where voters have a say in running them.
We support the building of a new community secondary school in South Brent.
5. OPEN AND HONEST CONSULTATION
Council consultations on the ARK Academy, Wembley Masterplan and care charges have left people feeling ignored. We are not asked about major projects such as the Civic Centre which will replace Brent Town Hall.
We will fight for open and honest consultation and policies.

WEMBLEY CENTRAL BY-ELECTION - A CHANCE FOR THE GREENS

I'll be fighting the Wembley Central By-Election for the Greens and hope to show that we have a range of practical, appealing policies that offer people something different from the other parties.

I would seek to champion and strengthen the Council's recently agreed Climate Change Strategy and translate it into practical measures such as the Council ensuring that all new developments are energy and water efficient and incorporate the technology to produce their own power; implementing a programme of free insulation on a street by street basis as is being carried out in Kirklees; offering loans for people wishing to install their own solar water heating and electricity; ensuring that all council buildings take energy saving measures; and holding a borough wide Climate Change and Education Conference to encourage schools to educate children about climate change, engage them in projects for home and school, and to ensure that school management implement energy and water saving strategies.

I would press for changes in the Council's consultation system so that people are fully involved in how their area develops and feel that they are really being listened to. Often decisions seem to have be made in advance and those who have taken part in consultations feel their views have been ignored and their participation was a waste of time. I have supported residents angry about the potential impact of the Wembley Masterplan on their environment and have steadfastly opposed the Wembley ARK Academy because we have had no say in the Council handing over tax-payer funded education to a financial speculator and because the particular site will mean the loss of playing fields and increase traffic congestion. I support the campaign for a new community secondary school in the south of Brent to serve local people. I would seek to ensure that all major developments, such as the Civic Centre are consulted about at the proposal stage: "Should we have one?", rather than later: "What kind of roof should it have?"

The Council is blithely going forward with regeneration plans involving increased retail, hotel and office space with high rise blocks totally unsuitable for the area, at a time when those sectors are stagnating. Rather than building expensive yuppy flats such as those at Wembley City, I want the Council to build affordable family homes to tackle the long housing waiting list. I would also expect the Council to use its powers to force private landlords to maintain and improve their often sub-standard houses and flats. Every family deserves a decent home.

Regeneration should incorporate measures to bring green industries into the area which would provide jobs and improve the quality of life for all. Many people in Wembley have to work at several low paid jobs to make ends meet and living expenses are much higher in London that elsewhere. I would campaign for the council to adopt the London Living Wage, at present £7.45 per hour (as Lewisham has done), for its employees and encourage local employers to do the same. Families would also be helped by the introduction of Free School Meals for all pupils. This would put an end to the stigma of claiming free meals. It would remove all the difficult forms and bureaucracy associated with making the claim, which often means people who are entitled to the benefit don't apply, and will ensure that every child gets a healthy, decent meal every day. There are pilot projects doing this in other parts of the country and Brent with its high levels of unemployment should put itself forward to be included. I would also press for the adoption of policies friendly to small businesses and locally-owned shops - rather than encourage the domination of the high street by even more supermarkets. This may involve the Council in following the examples elsewhere and making loans available to small businesses.

The Green Party is the only party to oppose City Academies in principle and I will continue to do so. Academies are run by private sponsors with tax-payers money and aren't accountable through governing bodies (the sponsor has a built in majority) or through elected councillors. Where academies have been set up I will seek to get them reintegrated into the local authority system as soon as possible. At a wider level Greens seek the ending of the system of SATs and League Tables which force schools to 'teach to the test' rather than educate pupils. Having seen the stress this causes for pupils, parents and teachers I will support those heads and teachers who decide to boycott the Key Stage 2 SATs next year. I want to see teachers and pupils enjoy teaching and learning again, rather than enduring it.

The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition is falling apart and the administration is lack-lustre. A Green councillor would inject energy and enthusiasm at a time when it is needed and prepare the ground for a positive Green performance at next year's local elections.

Polling day will be Thursday July 23rd.

SOLID VOTE FOR GREENS IN BRENT

The Green Party came a good 4th in the Euro election in Brent out-polling UKIP and with four times the vote of the BNP.

The big surprise in the election was the large vote achieved by Jan Jananayagam (Independent) who campaigned on a human rights platform and is UK spokesperson for 'Tamils Against Genocide'. She had an energetic young team who were very active in the borough.

Public anger over expenses was clearly apparent from the comments on some of the ballot forms which accused all politicans of being crooks and a number of ballot forms that said NO to all candidates or stated 'None of the above'.

The Greens ran an effective campaign and the strength in some localities suggests that with hard work we could achieve our first Green councillors in the local election next year.

Provisional results, taken down by hand at the count are:

BRENT
Labour 15,583
Conservative 11,940
Lib Dem 11,370
Greens 5,007
Jan Jananayagam (Tamil Supporting Independent) 4,867
UKIP 3,240
Christian Alliance 1,974
BNP 1,250
Rejected votes 621
Turnout: 32.1%

Harrow
Conservative 20,793
Labour 12,135
Jan Jananayagam 6,856
Lib Dem 6,054
UKIP 5,837
Green 4,181
BNP 1,835
Christian Alliance 1,558
Rejected votes 516
Turnout: 38.49%

BLEARS REFUSES TO 'CALL IN' ACADEMY PLANS

The Government Office for London has refused to 'call in' the plans for the Wembley ARK Academy. 'Call in' happens if the Secretary of State considers the application raises issues of more than local importance and therefore requires her intervention.

In a letter to Brent Council, Andrew Melville, Director of Housing and Planning for the Government Office for London states that having considered issues felt to be relevant to the proposal and issues raised by Brent Council and other representations, 'it has been concluded that the Secretary of State's intervention would not be justified' and that the application should be decided by the London Borough of Brent.

The decision follows that of the London Mayor to refer the decision back to Brent. There are still other avenues open to campaigners who remain convinced that Wembley Park playing fields are the wrong place for a school as well as those of us like the Brent Green Party who in addition oppose academies in principle as a form of privatisation and a loss of local participation in our children's education. Brent Green Party want to see a locally democratically accountable community secondary school in South Brent where the need is highest and where it will provide a valuable community resource.

PALESTINE: THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

There are feasible forms of both one state and two state solutions to the Palestine issue, Moshé Machover told the Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign at its May 28th meeting. The problem was that neither would be equitable. The feasible one state solution would at best be an apartheid state and the two state solution would leave Palestine as a number of powerless enclaves like North American Indian reservations.

He said that the apartheid metaphor was misleading in respect of the power relationship between settlers and the indigenous population as the South African and Israel situations were different types of colonial conflict. In the former the settlers exploited both the physical resources of the country and the labour power of the indigenous population. The 1:7 ratio of settler to population meant that eventual the numerical relationship was unsustainable and the settlers grabbed what could be argued was a generous deal. In the Israel case the idea of a 'Jewish' state needed a Jewish majority population so the indigenous population were excluded by design through ethnic cleansing in order to form a new nation.

Moshé argued that in most similar cases (North America, Australia) the local population had been pulverised. However Palestinians were part of a wider region and linked with it through language and a rich cultural and historical heritage. This is now reinforced by the outreach of modern media such as Al Jazeera across the region. As a result the Zionist ethnic cleansing project had been only partially successful. There was a crucial difference also in the importance of the two countries to the United States. Africa has a low priority in the US but the Middle East is a high priority because of its oil reserves and because it forms a bridge between Europe, Africa and Asia. If oil has reached its peak it will be even more important as a scarcer resource as there are no immediate replacements for oil in the offing and it will increase in value as supplies decline.. The US relies on local regional governments to keep the lid on popular discontent with terrorism being a convenient enemy, useful for propaganda and to justify the denial of rights.
Given this scenario it becomes clear that an equitable solution will only come about through a regional process which would involve the development of popular social movements in Arab countries. The labour unrest in Egypt demonstrated the potential of these movements. An equitable solution could not come about through Islamicist regimes which had their own conflicts with each other and did not take account of the multi-religious nature of the region. The region was potentially rich economically and culturally and the Israel-Palestine conflict served as a block on its development.

A fuller over-view of the ideas on which Moshé based his talk can be found here:

http://matzpen.org/index.asp?p=resolution-machover

SUPPORT DEMOCRACY: VOTE

I have been busy with leafleting and campaigning for the Greens in the Euro elections for the last few weeks and am cautiously optimistic about the chances of increasing our representation in the European Parliament. The reason for the caution lies in the public reaction to the expenses issue which has produced in some people a loathing of all politicians and rejection of politics in general. Many people have told me that they will not vote at all, in protest against what is going on and the drip-drip of revelations in the newspapers.

As I said at the Barry Gardiner meeting (below) this is bad for democracy and we cannot afford to throw away our hard worn democratic rights, however limited we believe they are, in a fit of pique. In earlier times in this country and recent and currently in many others (remember the lone protester in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square?) people have died to gain democratic rights and a voice in their own lives. Not voting will be cutting off our nose to spite our face and open the way for the BNP and UKIP. Rather than constituting an overnight slap round the face for the greedy it will affect our lives for many years to come. It is imperative that everyone gets out and votes for positive change.

Thankfully, in the last few days I have seen evidence that people are recognising this. Talking to voters in Kilburn High Road, Wembley High Road and Willesden Green it is clear that many are giving serious consideration to voting Green and are identifying with policies such as opposing health services being opened up to free market competition, creating thousands of new jobs in green services and industries, making homes and schools energy efficient and closing down tax havens. More Green MEPs in the UK will increase our clout both at home and in Europe. Parents picking up leaflets outside schools have been particularly positive with only a 1 in 10 refusal rate.
One of the most heartening exchanges was at an elders' care home in Kingsbury where the initial reaction from the white residents was to shoo us away, saying they were fed up with all politicians, but once conversation opened up began they were adamant about the need to keep out the BNP and scathing about their policies. Curiously there has been very little evidence of the main three parties on the streets with independent candidate supporters more in evidence. A number of voters said that we were the only party that seemed to be out actively seeking votes and delivering material through their doors.

When the results are announced on Sunday I look forward to seeing Green gains but I will also be desperate for evidence that people have not given up on democracy.

GREENS FIGHT ON AGAINST ARK ACADEMY

Boris Johnson, the London mayor, has decided not to stop Brent's plans for a city academy on the Wembley Park playing fields site. The decision means that Brent Council can make its own decision to go ahead. However, there is still the possibility of further delays through intervention by the Government Office for London or legal action.

Martin Francis, Brent Green Party spokesperson for children, families and schools and the party's General election candidate for the Brent North said:

"The Green Party continues to oppose the concept of academies as they are run by private concerns with a built in majority on the governing body and there therefore not democratically accountable, although funded by taxpayers. We believe in locally accountable, community schools which are open to all. Brent Green Party also oppose the building of a school on the site of the Wembley playing fields because of the loss of local amenities, concerns about the structural viability of the site, the proximity to Preston Manor High School, its distance from the area of need in the south of the borough and its generation of traffic. We support the building of a community secondary school in the south of the borough which would serve local residents and become a local resource for education, recreation and the arts and a beacon of hope and pride for the area.

We are disappointed by Boris Johnson's decision but remain determined to stop the Wembley ARK Academy and will explore the next steps with our fellow campaigners."

There's no connection of course, but on election day hedge fund speculator Arpad Busson, head of ARK is hosting a £10,000 a head charity dinner for 900 guests at the old Eurostar Terminus at Waterloo. The keynote speaker at this 'glittering' event? Boris Johnson, London Mayor.

NEASDEN'S FLY-TIPPED MOUNTAIN

Shahrar Ali, Brent Green Party spokesperson for Environment and Planning has called attention to a mountain of rubbish deposited behind pubs, shops and restaurants on Neasden Shopping Precinct which provides an ideal habitat for rats. He said, "Whilst out campaigning in Neasden this Sunday, the Green Party came across the most appalling mountain of waste. Refuse bags, ma tresses and whole beds were literally piled up above head height against a wall in the alley behind Neasden shopping parade. There was a clear whiff of rotting matter and it simply looked like this mountain had been piling up for weeks."

Shahrar continued, "We have reported this discovery and sent photographs to both Brent's streetcare division and environmental health department for immediate action. It is dispiriting to find that whilst the local shopping parade has seen a revival, with new grocers, a post office and revamped library centre, such neglect is apparent just round the corner."

Shahrar said, "We have spoken to traders who have acknowledged the dumping stretches back for weeks. Brent Green Party will be monitoring the situation and looking at how the Council's collection policy may be contributing to the problem. However, the police may also need to be on the alert if environmental crimes are being committed."

GARDINER FACES HIS CRITICS

Barry Gardiner's local meeting to explain his parliamentary expenses last night veered from high drama to low farce and at times threatened to descend into chaos. Gardiner began by saying that most people would have found the current process invasive if they had to go through it, complained that all MPs were being lumped together as dishonest and that his own statements to the press had been only partially reported. He said that he believed reform was necessary and that he wanted to discuss the form this would take with constituents.

However written questions concentrated on the detail of his expenses including why he purchased his bed linen from Harrods rather than Debenham's or Marks and Spencer. The answer was, of course, that he had got it in the famous Harrods sale, so it was a bargain!

More serious questions centred on his second home and travel expenses culminating in a big shouting match about whether in 1997 he had promised to live in his Brent North constituency. Gardiner said that he had promised to live in the 'area' and not in the constituency. He claimed that his residence in Chorley Wood, was in the 'area'. At this point Cllr Paul Lorber, Liberal Democrat leader of Brent Council, who had positioned himself in the front row, jumped up and roaring above protests from the audience, said that he had been at the meeting in question and had heard Gardiner say specifically that he would live in Brent. Gardiner in turn cited the Wembley Observer's apology for carrying Lorber's original claim on the matter. When challenged that he lived in Chorley Wood because he had no no confidence in Brent schools for his children, Gardiner said that he had wanted his children educated outside Brent because he wanted to protect them from the undue pressure of being known in school as the children of the local MP.

Most of the audience seemed to be local activists and councillors from the various parties, rather than ordinary local constituents. When challenged Gardiner, controlling a tremor is his voice, said that he thought he had been a good constituency MP, declared he would not resign and that he would stand again.

In my contribution I pointed our that politicians from all parties were facing similar meetings and voiced concern that in my canvassing I had found disgust and loathing of all politicans and politics. Many people have decided not to vote at all and this withdrawal from democracy is a serious threat and opened the way for extreme right-wing parties. Barry Gardiner responded by saying that he shared this concern and wanted to engage with his constituents about the reforms necessary to rebuild confidence in democracy.

Interestingly, imperfect as it was, the meeting in a rough and ready way did show democracy and accountability in action. Public meetings used to be a regular part of our political process but over the last 30 years or so have been phased out in favour of all-ticket rallies for the party faithful. Perhaps it is a time to return to the rough and tumble and authenticity of open public meetings.

BRENT HIT BY ASBESTOS DUMPING

Police have been alerted to a spate of asbestos dumping in Brent. According to Brent Council the dumps appear to be neatly piled on top of each other - either heavy duty corrugated roofing or broken into pieces and put into light grey plastic sacks numbering between 1-25. Police are watching out for flat back lorries that appear to be carrying asbestos or light grey bags, as well as large demolition sites where asbestos roofing may be being taken down.

Dumpings have been found in Birchen Grove NW10, The Rise NW10, Douglas Avenue Wembley, Jeymer Avenue NW2, Lindsay Drive Kenton and Mount Pleasant Wembley.

Anyone spotting dumping taking place should not approach the perpetrators in any circumstances but note details, and should not touch anything that looks like asbestos. They should report what they have seen to Ian Stewart, Waste Services Manager on 020 8937 5057.

UNITED ACTION AGAINST THE BNP

Uniting to stop the BNP - about fifteen people turned up to leaflet at Wembley Park station on Friday evening. There were so many people taking part and it was so busy that we ran out of 500 tabloid papers and a few hundred leaflets in less than an hour.

Those taking part included NUT and UCU union members, two Brent Labour councillors, Martin Francis, Green Party candidate for Brent North, Ian Saville, the Socialist Magician, Pam Laurance from Friends of the Earth, members of the Socialist Workers Party and their friends.

Residents were urged to make sure they voted on June 4th as a low turn-out would favour the BNP.

Gardiner and Blackman Lab-Con Anti-academy Alliance

Barry Gardiner, Labour MP for North Brent and Bob Blackman, leader of the Conservative group on Brent Council and a coalition partner of the Liberal Democrats, have united to write to London Mayor Boris Johnson to persuade him to refuse the Lib Dems permission to build an ARK City Academy on playing fields in Wembley.

Their letter states:


The local Labour Member of Parliament, Barry Gardiner and the Conservative Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr. Bob Blackman, have joined together because of our concern about the inadequacies of the case that the Liberal controlled administration on Brent Council have put before you for consideration.

It is our shared view that you should not allow this proposal to pass, at the very least, until certain clarifications and conditions are provided that would make good the deficiencies of the current application. These deficiencies as they relate to the Mayor’s proper concerns are with regard to:

• The transport assessments

• Transport capacity and cost

• The environmental sustainability of the development

• The potential safety risk to the adjacent Metropolitan and Jubilee Lines

Click HERE for the full letter

UNITE TO STOP THE BNP

The current disillusionment with the three main political parties in the wake of the expenses row, and the consequent possibility of a low turn-out, presents the possibility that the BNP could gain seats in the Euro elections.

Supporters of Unite Against Fascism; members of the National Union of Teachers and other trade unionists; and members of several political parties, including the Greens, will be leafleting at local tube stations this week to alert local residents to the danger.

Tonight they will be at Harrow on the Hill station from 5pm to 7pm and Wembley Park station on Friday 29th May 5pm to 7pm.

ARK HITS STORMY WATERS

The London Mayor, Boris Johnson, unexpectedly failed to approve Brent's ARK Academy planning application on Wednesday. On Tuesday a coalition of objectors, including Barn Hill Residents Association, Wembley Park Action Group, Cllr Bob Blackman, Barry Gardiner MP and myself from Brent Green Party, had met with senior planners to explain our objections and stressed the broad opposition that there was to an academy on the Wembley Park site.

In another development the Government Office for London is also considering the application as it represents a departure from the Unitary Development Plan of Brent Council. They have told us that Brent Green Party's views on the matter will be taken into account when a decision on the referral is made.

Meanwhile John Timms, a drainage expert, has called into question the viability of the site on technical grounds because of its water-logged nature, lack of outlet for excess water and the immense and permanent cost of pumping out excess water. There are serious questions about the viability of a building on the site where the proposed academy is becoming known as Christie's Folly after Watkin's Folly (see photograph). Sir Edward Watkin proposed a London 'Eiffel Tower' and began building one on the site of what is now the nearby Wembley Stadium. It was abandoned after only 155 feet and eventually demolished when it began sinking into the London clay.

SHAH GETS 12 MONTHS. BY-ELECTION SOON.

Cllr Vijay Shah was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment on Wednesday at St Albans Crown Court for a £55,000 fraud. Shah who was elected as a Lib Dem councillor now sits as an independent for Wembley Central ward.

Any prison sentence of more than 3 months disqualifies someone from office and a by-election will be called once the 28 day appeal period is up.

98 VACANCIES IN BRENT RECEPTION CLASSES

Arguments over whether there was a real need for the temporary ARK Academy infant school will be fuelled by figures given out at the Scrutiny Committee on April 29th.

The figures showed that there was a total of 98 reception class vacancies in local schools as of April 27th, including 4 in the Academy itself. This included 15 at Wembley Primary and 17 at Preston Park which are both near the Academy, as well as 8 in Stonebridge, 12 at St Marys RC and 16 at st Mary's C of E. The figures bear out the claim by objectors to the Academy that it would damage local community primary schools.

The Casual Admission figures (children applying for school places during the school year outside the usual admissions process) January 2006-December 2008 provided to the Planning Committee do not make it clear whether these are net of those leaving the borough. If leavers have not been deducted the figures are meaningless. There were similar problems last year when Council publicity over a shortage of spaces did not take account of children moving out of the borough.

WHAT ABOUT THE WIDER CURRICULUM BOB?

Cllr Bob Wharton, Brent's lead member for Children, Families and Schools, laments the neglect of the wider curriculum and the damaging impact of the SATs system which 'only relate to numeracy and English' in his interview with Alex Wellman in the Willesden and Brent Times this week. I hope this means he supports the boycott of the SATs proposed by the NAHT and NUT. The ending of SATs will be a real liberation for pupils and teachers and enable them to concentrate on the real business of learning.

However Cllr Wharton's stance is contradicted by his support for the Wembley ARK Academy which boasts in its brochure that the infant school will have four literacy lessons and three numeracy classes a day - little room for much else I would have thought.

IS THERE A SECONDARY SCHOOL SITE IN THE SOUTH AFTER ALL?

Copyright R.Sones Reusable under Creative Commons Licence

One of Brent Council's claims in promoting the Wembley Academy has been that there is no suitable site in the south of the borough. This means that the 50% of secondary pupils expected to come from the Stonebridge/Harlesden area would have to commute by at least two buses.

It now appears that the independent Swaminarayan School opposite the Neasden Temple in Brentfield Road, NW10 might be interested in moving their school to the north of the borough or Harrow, where most of their pupils come from, or in converting the school to a state funded academy. A sensible move when the recession makes private education less affordable. Previously the Council has rejected the neighbouring Gwynneth Rickus Building (the CSD) as a possible site but had not considered the combined Swaminarayan and CSD sites.

Swaminarayan acquired the site in 1992 after Brent council closed down Sladebrook High School. Since then local pupils have had to make their way across the North Circular to Wembley to attend a community secondary school. Although transport links to the school and the CSD are poor, it would be within comfortable walking distance for children from Stonebridge, Brentfield, Harlesden, Neasden and the St Raphaels Estate. This would reduce pupil journeys by car and public transport while the Wembley Park proposal would increase them. Map

As the centre of gravity of the borough shifts towards the north with the regeneration of Wembley and the replacing of many locally-sited council buildings by the Civic Centre, a school in the south of Brent would help enhance and enrich the area, providing additional facilities in terms of education, sports and culture. There is already parental pressure for a community secondary school in the south of the borough; a school on the site merits serious consideration by councillors.

BLACKMAN ON THE ACADEMY

One of the interesting aspects of the Academy debate has been the position of the Brent Conservatives. At the public meeting on the Academy held at the Torch pub in Wembley I shared a platform with Bob Blackman, leader of Brent Tories and Hank Roberts of the NUT. As well as saying that he was opposed to an Academy on the site of Wembley Playing Fields, Cllr Blackman went further and said that in his personal opinion there was no place for private sponsors in publicly funded schools and that he favoured local democratic accountability through the local authority.

Speaking at Tuesday's meeting in the week that the Tories had suggested turning primary schools into academies, Cllr Blackman kept his comments to site issues. He argued that the temporary primary academy was already having a detrimental impact on the rolls of Preston Park and Wembley Primary schools and that Wembley Primary was considering going down to three forms of entry from four. An amazing decision considering that Wembley has just been rebuilt at the cost of millions of pounds to house a four form entry school.

He suggested that two new primary schools could have been provided in the Wembley Masterplan area to serve new housing as well as a secondary school in the south of the regeneration area. He said that the bus routes from the Stonebridge/Harlesden area to Wembley are already congested and that pupils would have to take at least 2 buses to get to Wembley Park. The route from Harlesden/Stonebridge was on the Bakerloo line but Wembley Park was on the Jubilee.

ARK PLAN APPROVED

The plan for a city academy at Wembley Park sponsored by a hedge fund millionaire, was approved tonight when two Labour councillors supported the Liberal Democrat's proposals.

The Lib Dem's Conservative coalition partners and a Democratic Conservative councillor opposed the plans. They were joined by Cllr. Habhajan Singh (Labour, Welsh Harp) who had earlier unsuccessfully moved for deferral on the grounds that the council should produce an Environmental Impact Assessment and provide fuller detail on traffic issues. The Brent Green Party had made the lack of an Environmental Impact Assessment for such a major project a major plank of its objection to the planning application.

It was heartening to see a councillor willing to step out of the party line to make a stand for the environment. However the actions of fellow Labour councillors James Powney and Ruth Moher means that an unofficial Lib Dem-Labour coalition exists on the city academy issue, despite the overall council being run by a Lib Dem-Conservative coalition.

The chair refused to call me to speak on the Green Party's submission on the curious basis that I represented a political party and that this was not a 'party political issue'! He also refused to call Hank Roberts of the Wembley Park Action Group and would only allow Jean Roberts to speak despite her protests that she had submitted both names. She made an excellent speech and cogent arguments were also made by local residents.

The application will now be referred to the London Mayor's Office and the battle will move on to that ground.

Brent Green Party's submission can be found on its website.