Poignant end for the blasted oak of Barn Hill

I came across this rather sad sight on Barn Hill today and a couple stopped to talk about what used to be the 'Hollow Tree' or 'Blasted Oak' well known to locals and walkers.

The oak, hollowed out by a lightning stroke with a sooty interior where children could stand, has been hanging on to life for years, but must have been deemed unsafe. The couple's children had played in and around the tree as had many primary classes I take to the park in my work with Brent School Without Walls. The tree had a fairy story quality that immediately attracted children and stimulated many speculative questions and comments.

The sight of the felled remains of the tree was strangely moving, the end of a venerable oak that had been there for well over 100 years, and a marker of the passage of time and final, inevitable, decay.

Note: The oak was beside the footpath at the Beverly Gardens end of Barn Hill.  There is another on the other side of Fryent Country Park at Beane Hill.

Another battle between Harrow School and locals comes to a head next month

I have reported the battle between local people in Harrow and Harrow School over the school's plans to build on Metropolitan Open Land and spoil views of the Hill LINK but the school and locals are enaged in another battle, which started in 2003, and is due to come to a head next month.

There is to be three day Harrow School Footpaths Diversion Inquiry at Harrow Civic Centre from January 17th to January 19th 2016 by the Planning Inspectorate where evidence from the public and the school will be heard.

The conflict was reported by The Guardian in 2011 LINK and this extract summarises the issue quite well:

The extraordinary row, which threatens to end in court, stems from a multimillion-pound development of the school's facilities eight years ago when, next to a running track and an extended sports centre, two all-weather pitches were built. At the time, it was agreed by the Ramblers Association – erroneously, it now claims – that the pitches could be put on top of the old pathway as long as an alternative route was created.

But the alternative path, known as a permissive path because its continued existence is at the whim of the school, has now been deemed unacceptable by local walkers. Legally, because it does not follow the route of the old path, the right for people to walk on the new path could be summarily removed with six months' notice, it says.

And because the path circumvents the school's pitches, it has extended what was a gentle stroll across the grounds into a trek. "The permissive path probably pretty well doubles the distance of when you enter the playing fields to when you leave the playing fields," said Graham Wright, the Ramblers Association's local footpath secretary. "These people actually want to get to Harrow, they don't want to walk that extra bit and in some ways they are not having the beauty of Harrow Hill.

"The proper path has the views of St Mary's church and Harrow Hill as you walk, whereas when you do the permissive path you are looking towards Northwick Park hospital and Watford Road. It's not quite the same."

The Ramblers Association says that a small path between the two all-weather pitches should be opened up to the public to resurrect the old path. But the school, which charges up to £30,000 a year per pupil in fees, is not budging, prompting accusations of "arrogance" from some quarters.

The school's application, which includes allegations of dog excrement on the fields and the public wandering off the path can be found HERE

Good news for Preston Library but long-term arrangements still to be agreed

The video above shows, as background to the talk,  how Preston Library campaigners have created a professional looking community library in the building that Brent Council closed down. They are now looking forward to discussing the long-term future of the library with councillors and officers after their licence to use the building was extended until at least the end of July 2017. One area of uncertainty is whether the Council will keep their promise of making the premises rent-free. Without that undertaking the future of the library is in doubt.

The lead member for Stronger Communities, which covers libraries, is now Cllr Tom Miller.

There is an extra film show at the library tomorrow at 2pm (doors open 1.45pm). The film is a U certificate with a Christmas theme. 

After this the library takes a break re-opening on Wednesday January 4th.

Last chance for truly unique opportunity to give political advice to Brent Labour Group

There is just over a week left to apply for the challenging job of Political Assistant to the Brent Labour Group.  The post is recommended to any person able to ride several horses, galloping in several different directions, at once.

POLITICAL ASSISTANT TO THE LABOUR GROUP LINK

Salary range: £33,660 - £36,558 p.a. inc.

Contract: Fixed term (Contracted until May 2018, with the possibility to extend)

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Civic Centre and other locations from time to time

This is an exciting, high profile opportunity to work at the cutting edge of local government for an innovative local authority.  

Brent is a tremendously vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline. Spanning both inner and outer London, it is a borough of huge contrasts in terms of its economic, environmental, ethnic and social make up. Brent’s diversity is evident to all who visit our borough and our long history of ethnic and cultural diversity has created a place that is truly unique and valued by those who live and work here.

The council is pursuing a far-reaching transformation agenda that better meets the needs of our community so it is an exciting time to join us.

The Post

The Labour Group is looking for experience in working – paid or unpaid – in a political environment, a professional approach with the organisational skills to deal with shifting priorities. You will need to demonstrate your awareness of new legislation and political developments (local, regional and national) with particular reference to the Labour Party.

This post is politically restricted* and will be offered in line with current legislation governing Political Assistant Posts. This is a temporary role to May 2018.

As the Group’s Political Assistant you will be carrying out a range of interesting duties including:

• undertaking political research in Council matters
• assisting with the composition and issuing of press releases
• attending Labour Group meetings to provide information and advice to Council Members
• liaising with Members of Parliament and Officers of the Council

The Person

Ideally, you will be a member of the Labour Party and have:

• research/administrative experience
• experience of dealing with public bodies or political organisations
• a good knowledge of Council political structure and public affairs
• good interpersonal skills and organisational skills
• good computer skills including word processing, spread sheets, database and desk top publishing
• the ability to work under pressure as part of a team as well as use your own initiative

Closing Date: 2 January 2016 (23:59)

Assessment & Interview Date: w/c 9 January 2016

*Although the advertisement says the post is politically restricted this appears on the job description LINK:

DBS Status	Not Required
Politically Restricted	No

Circle: the free London safety app - download here

From London Councils

Circle is the free, must-have safety app for Londoners. It’s the easiest way to stay safe and connected to your nearest and dearest in and around the city. Simply check-in with friends at the touch of a button, letting them know you’re okay or that you need a little help.
This handy app is packed with other useful resources too, like emergency contact numbers and directions to your closest Safety Spot. So whether you’re out dating, dancing or dining in this great city, you can live London connected with your Circle of friends.
Features on Circle include:

• Add friends from your contact list
• Send messages at the touch of a button
• Find your closest Safety Spot

Download now for free:

Brent House sold to Genesis Housing for £76 million

Brent House last week

Proposed development

Locals have noticed some work going on at Brent House, High Road, Wembley, recently. The office blocks were sold to Henley Homes by Brent Council for around £10 million in 2014 LINK

Yesterday Henley Homes announced that they had completed sale of the site, to include construction of 248 apartments and c6,000 square feet of retail space, to Genesis Housing. 30% of the apartments will be 'affordable' (up to 80% of market rents?)

Construction will be by Reis Construct, the construction arm of Henley Homes.

The blocks will be 7-10 storeys high, considerably lower than other recent planning applications in the area.  There will be further development of the High Road to the north on the Ark Elvin High School  frontage as well as the rebuild of the secondary school itself and the extension of Elsley Primary School currently under way.

The new blocks with Ark Elvin (formerly Copland) High Schoolon the right

Some of the property press have mistakely reported the sale as that of Brent Town Hall, which is of course now the Lycee International de Londres Winston Churchill.

The full extent of the new build (High Road at top of the picture) can be seen in this architect's drawing:

More details on the architect's website HERE

Demolition and build will start in the new year.

Jeremy Stibbe, Genesis Housing Association Executive Director of Assets and Investment said:

  We’re delighted that works for this exciting project will soon be getting underway and look forward to working closely with Henley Homes as the plans take shape. 

The new properties built at Brent House will play a key role in helping Genesis deliver on our ambitions to invest in 1,000 homes a year.  Genesis is the largest housing association landlord in Brent so we will be channelling this experience into creating a vibrant new mixed tenure community delivering affordability and opportunity for customers at the heart of the borough.

Political Literacy – An end to apathy?

Matteo Bergamini of Shout Out UK

The need for political education is an issue that has become more pressing as a result of the events of 2016 both here and in the US.  In this guest blog Matteo Bergamini outlines the case for Political Literacy.

It has been an incredible year for politics. Pre-2016 we had the first coalition government to grace No.10 since the Second World War; we have witnessed the utter obliteration of the third largest party in the UK, the Liberal Democrats who, in 2015 shrank into irrelevance. We also witnessed the resurgence of the great left and right debate with the growth or right wing movements like UKIP and the rise of Jeremy Corbyn. This year alone, we saw two incredible anti-establishment votes, with Britain deciding to leave the European Union and Donald Trump being elected as the next US president, both occurring after two tumultuous campaigns. The referendum had a profound effect on the country and us, the British People. Yet were we qualified to make such a decision?

We live in a society where the majority of people gain their political information from their parents, whom vote Labour or Conservative because of their out of date belief in what the parties stood for years ago, the media, and vote due to vague social customs. Politics unfortunately has remained the playground of the financially better off and while the sons and daughters of the higher echelons of society are educated in politics, the rest of us are not, creating a division, which can be seen when looking at the background of MPs and the ever expanding Oxbridge bubble in Parliament.

Yet, the issue becomes bigger because everyone in our democracy is entitled to a vote, hence, the divide not only secures the political industry for the elite, but it also lets loose a very politically illiterate populace during elections and referendums, leaving us vulnerable to decisions fuelled by misinformation, media spins, and ignorance. It is clear that this can't carry on if we wish to have and continue to hold on to a healthy democracy. The real issue here is a lack of political education in all but the top end schools.

From my experience, people, especially young people, are interested in politics, but lack an understanding due to this society-induced ignorance. Currently, we assume that once we hit 18 years of age we suddenly become enlightened with all the political knowledge one needs to vote and engage. Of course, this not the case, it needs to be taught and understood in school as a compulsory subject. We treat English and Maths in very high regard, as two of the most important subjects. However, the one subject that allows us to be who we want to be, gives us a voice and creates a society we wish to live in, we give no time to in schools.

The issue is that political literacy would give us, the next generation, a clear understanding of what politics is, how our society works and why voting is relevant and important. There have been some incredible initiatives recently by the UK government around voter registration and getting young people to vote. Yet, screaming at us to vote without telling us why or how society and politics works seems a little premature. Like asking someone to run a marathon before being able to walk. You can't get an entire generation mobilized without first giving them the instruments to understand the system they are supposed to be influencing.

We, Shout Out UK, aim to combat this, and this year we launched our course entitled Political Literacy. The course aims to get more young people interested and engaged in Politics, by teaching them about the processes in Politics, public speaking and debating. The young people we taught were more engaged and passionate about politics because they were taught it, they understand it now and even more important than that was longevity, they stuck with it rather than being involved sporadically over the course of one election or referendum. Politics takes times and only when you are taught this, will you have the patience to stomach it.

Roisin Murray a Teacher at Bentley Wood High School, Harrow, said,  “Understanding Politics is key to understanding how society works. Shout Out UK’s Political Literacy Course supports students in developing their political awareness so they can take a more active role in society. After sitting in on several lessons with Shout Out UK and our students, I can honestly say it has been a fantastic opportunity for our students to develop their knowledge and awareness of current affairs as well as their ability to speak in public, debate and present a discussion coherently. This has also helped students to develop their self-esteem and confidence.”

Maybe it’s time we look at the issue seriously, rather than just around elections and referendums. The issue is not apathy itself, it’s why apathy happens. Apathy amongst young people happens because the system has become so complex, that people no longer understand it and so get frustrated by it. We must give schools the tools necessary to deal with this issue because no matter how many times you scream at someone to vote, if that person does not understand the system or why you should vote, he or she will never be engaged in the long run, even though they may vote the one time you asked them to.

It’s the modern equivalent to the old proverb, 'give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but teach a man to fish and you feed him for a life time'. In a similar fashion, if we ask them to vote, they will do it once before getting bored or disillusioned, but if we give them the tools to understand the system they will remain engaged for a life time.

About the Author: Matteo Bergamini

Matteo Bergamini is a multi-award winning entrepreneur and political literacy activist. He has a degree in Politics & History, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Law from the University of Brunel. He has worked on a number of projects from the Channel 4 Youth Leaders’ Debate to the creation of a Political Literacy Course, accredited by AQA. An avid promoter of political discourse and literacy amongst young people, he was invited to become a fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce for his work in encouraging political education amongst young people.

This year, Shout Out UK launched their AQA endorsed political literacy course to local schools in order to better educate young people in politics and encourage a longstanding interest and understanding politics. The course covers British Politics, International Relations as well as Employability. If you would like more information on the course please visit: http://www.shoutoutuk.org/political-literacy-course/  

Shama Tatler appointed to Brent Cabinet Regeneration post

Rather oddly the above popped up on the Brent Council website before any public announcement.

Cllr Tatler replaces Cllr Roxanne Mashari in what many see as potentially the most powerful Cabinet post given the multi-million development projects in Wembley and Kilburn.

Tatler's back ground is in education and this is the area that brings her most passionate contributions to Council meetings.  Previously she has been tipped for the children and families portfolio.  The present children and families post-holder is Cllr Wilhelmina Mitchell Murry who is currently relieved of the post. Council leader Muhammed Butt is currently managing the statutory element of the position.

A well-placed source suggested that two other councillors were offered the post, but turned it down, before Cllr Tatler accepted it.

Observers are puzzled that the 'hugely experienced' Aslam Choudry has been over-looked while others thought that Cllr Sabina Khan's business background made her a contender for the employment and skills aspects of the Regeneration portfolio.

Grants available for developing outdoor spaces in Brent

From Groundwork

I wanted to bring to your attention a funding scheme - Tesco Bags of Help that will help fund projects focussed on developing outdoor spaces or encouraging the use of outdoor spaces.

The funding can cover capital or revenue projects for Community Groups/Organisations, Schools, Friends of Parks, NHS Trusts & the Local Authority. For example (not exhaustive list):

• Developing nature trail in a local park or nature reserve
• Purchasing bee hives and seeding wildflower meadow on a community allotment
• Providing forest school sessions in a primary school for 12 months
• Developing a garden in a hospice, purchasing plants, benches and pergola
• Supporting artist in residence to work with the community to develop an art trail
• Setting up a growing project for sheltered accommodation residents
• Supporting a gardening project which helps local isolated residents form a gardening club
• Supporting practical training for young people learning horticultural skills
• Funding a series of summer events in a local park
• Supporting community run summer sports and leisure activities in parks
• Helping Friends of Groups, purchasing plants, planters, forks, spades and compost
• Developing a community garden or orchard
• Supporting local football club with the purchase of nets, balls and coaching sessions for under 12’s

At present we are undersubscribed in the Brent region and so we are encouraging community groups and organisations to access the funding. I would be very grateful if you're able to highlight the funding to groups or organisations you know or work with that might be interested in applying. Please do feel free to put them in touch with myself via email or the below contacts details. 


The application form is fairly straight forward and guidance notes, eligibility checker and application can all be found online HERE


Bags of Help is a rolling funding programme so applications can be made at any time. However, if applications are submitted before Monday 9th January 2017 there is an increased chance of going to the public vote in February 2017.  

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or queries about the funding and wishing you happy holidays and a New Year!


Kind regards,

Alex


Alex Forrester    

Programme Manager

Groundwork London

Tel: 020 7922 1230

Mob: 07955508472

Farewell to Wembley's Fountain Studios

Guest blog by Phiip Grant
 

While Brent’s Planning Committee were approving more big development schemes on Wednesday evening (see Martin’s “Public denied access …” blog below), a party to celebrate 60 years of TV production at the Wembley Park Studios was taking place nearby. I was lucky enough to be invited, as a (very minor) contributor of material to a film about the history of the studios, which was shown as part of the farewell gathering of staff and television people who had worked there over the years.

Martin broke the news in January that the studios had been sold to Quintain LINK . Like other TV facilities in London before it, rising property prices had made Fountain Studios more valuable as a redevelopment site, despite being a popular and profitable venue for independent production companies to make their programmes. Before it is forgotten, I would like to share some of the studio’s story with you.

After the British Empire Exhibition closed in 1925, new uses had to be found for its huge site and the numerous reinforced concrete buildings it contained. Cinema was a fast-growing business, and some of its leading lights suggested that the 13-acre Palace of Engineering or slightly smaller Palace of Industry should be converted to film studios, as Britain’s “Hollywood”.

Eventually, in 1928, it was the former Lucullus Restaurant, the BEE’s poshest eating place, where dinner for two (at 25/- a head) cost as much as the weekly wage of the labourers who constructed the building, which became the studios for British Talking Pictures Ltd.

 

By the 1930’s, the Wembley Park Studios had been taken over by (20^th Century) Fox Films. As part of laws to protect the British film industry from American competition, they had to make as many films here as they imported, so Wembley turned out one low-budget “B” movie drama every three weeks. These “quota quickies” provided a start in films for many British actors and actresses who would go on to become famous, and even win “Oscars”.
 

After being requisitioned during the Second World War for making Army and RAF training films, a small number of independent films were made here up to 1954. By that time television was the big new source of entertainment, and the start of Independent Television saw the studios converted to be the production centre for the London region’s weekday ITV channel, Associated-Rediffusion, which went on air from Wembley Park in September 1955. The old building had enough room for four small TV studios, but something bigger was soon needed, and Studio 5, the largest purpose-built TV studio in Europe, opened in 1960.

Apart from two short periods in the 1970’s and 1980’s when the studios were unoccupied, and seven years in between when they were mainly used for feature films again (including The Elephant Man, Quadrophenia and Time Bandits), Wembley Park has produced top quality TV programmes. If you have watched television during the past 60 years, you will almost certainly have seen some of them, even though you may not have known they were made locally.
 

If drama is your thing, the detective series “No Hiding Place” or period saga “Upstairs, Downstairs” were filmed here, as well as a famous 1960’s production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (with Benny Hill as Bottom). Britain’s first quiz programmes with cash prizes, “Take Your Pick” and “Double Your Money” were made here, as were the first series of the mega money doubling show, “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” Older fans of popular music will remember “Ready, Steady, Go!” (yes, I was a teenager in the 1960’s), while younger readers may recognise “The Word” and MTV’s “Unplugged”, all made at Wembley Park.

Comedy series that were filmed at our local studios include “On the Buses”, and Wembley’s own stellar TV family “The Kumars” (at No. 42). Satire has also featured on the production schedules over the years, from “The Frost Report” (including Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett and John Cleese) to “The Day Today” (an early outing for Steve Coogan), along with “Bremner, Bird and Fortune” and the early years of “Have I Got News For You”. But in more recent years it has been the big light entertainment shows, which make good use of the studio’s huge size, which have dominated the output of what became Fountain Studios in 1993, including “Pop Idol”, “The Cube” and “Britain’s Got Talent”.

Fountain Studios literally had “The X Factor”, and the 2016 live semi-final on 4 December was the last programme ever to be filmed there. Its closure means the loss of a number of highly skilled technicians’ jobs, a loss of business for the nearby shops and restaurants which served those making the TV shows and the audiences who came to watch them, and the loss of a special place with an almost 90-year history of producing films and TV programmes in Wembley Park. Joni Mitchell was right when she sang ‘you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone’ (showing my age again!). Perhaps the site will become a “parking lot” for a few years, then Quintain will probably put up more blocks of flats, to add to Wembley’s new “City of Concrete”.

To mark the passing of Wembley Park Studios, I will be giving an illustrated talk about its history on 20 January 2017. Watch out for more details in the New Year, if you would be interested in coming along, and please feel free to add any memories you have of the studios in the “Comments” section below.

Philip Grant

Don't be fooled by Brent's claims on 'affordable' housing

Following Wednesday's Planning Committee Brent Council's communications (public relations) team were quick off the mark hailing the decisions as 'Hundreds of new homes given the go ahead by Brent Council' what they omitted was that these new homes are not ones that Brent residents can afford to buy.

The press release quoted Cllr Margaret McLennan

Cllr Margaret McLennan, Deputy Leader of Brent Council, said:

"We're serious about making this borough an amazing place to live and are working hard to build the homes that people need. We know that house prices are a massive issue and are pressing developers to deliver as many affordable units as possible.

"This is a huge development and we're proud that once completed, Wembley will have over 11,500 new homes, with around 32% affordable housing across the Wembley Masterplan area.

"The approval of these plans shows that we are serious about regenerating the area, creating the much-needed new homes, jobs, apprenticeships and economic opportunities for local people and demonstrates that Brent is very much open for business."

Monthly rents in Quintain development

The word 'affordable' is the misnomer here as affordable in this context means 'up to 80% of market rent including service charges'.  Landlords will go up to that maximum to get the highest return possible on their investment.  Developers in Wembley have time and again attempted to reduce the amount of affordable housing in their projects on grounds of financial viability so it is clear they will go for the maximum.

Cllr McLennan heralds 32% affordable housing (80% market rent) but Brent's Core Strategy CP2 states that 50% of new homes in the borough should be 'affordable':

'the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing will be sought when negotiating on individual private residential and mixed use schemes, with due regard to a number of factors, including development viability'

The key is in the last three words, each of the schemes have external viability studies that claim to show that they will not be viable without a reduced proportion of 'affordable' housing.  Viability studies are controversial and in the past Cllr Marquis, chair of the Planning Committee, has attempted to challenge them.They were labelled a 'dark art' by the former Mayor of London. LINK

There is an additional 'intermediate category' that is often added to the 'affordable' category for public relations purposes.  The definition is vague:

'intermediate houses for sale and rent provided at a cost above social rent but below market level'

Even 'social rent' is problematic with housing associations becoming developers in their own right and adopting the 'up to 80% of market rent' policy.

Having established the context does the detail suggest that the press release is no more than Brent Council doing Quintain's public relations for them?

Planning officers argue that there is no necessity to provide affordable housing on the Arena Square/Powerleague site because affordable housing to meet requirements is provided elsewhere in Quintain's development. Whether this is achieving the 'maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing' is a matter for debate.

Bedrooms	Private	Up to 80% market rent	Intermediate	Social
APEX HOUSE
1	56	11	12	0
2	77	9	4	0
3	18	4	4	0
ARENA SQ
Studio	36	0	0	0
1	138	0	0	0
2	157	0	0	0
3	9	0	0	0
COTTRELL HOUSE			Shared ownership
Studio	6	0	0	0
1	13	2	1	0
2	15	4	3	0
3	8	3	0	0

It is worth noting that all of these developments are in Tokyngton ward where Cllr Butt, leader of Brent Council, is a councillor along with Cllrs Ketan Sheth and Hylton.  None of them made any representations at the Planning Committee  or submitted comments on the applications.

FURTHER NOTE

A point made on Facebook discussions of this posting is that the 'up to  80%' definition of affordable is the former London Mayor, Boris Johnson's fault and not that of Brent Council.  My gripe is that the Council's press release and Margaret McLennan's flag waving, perpetuates the myth that this is genuinely affordable by residents and therefore good news.  Cllr Mashari does recognise the reality.

Former councillor James Powney has posted this on his blog LINK:

A lot of controversy is generated by the term "affordable housing", since in London especially, it is often far from affordable.  Here is a quick summary of the main types of housing sent to me by a senior housing officer:

Affordable Rent- for family units are usually 60-65% of market rents or the LHA (whichever is the lower), whereas 1-2 bed units are up to 80% of market rent or LHA (whichever is the lower).

 

Social Rent - averages out at 50% of market rent, may be slightly higher (usually 5%) above Social Rent target rents.

 

Intermediate Rent- above both Affordable or Social Rent, but will be below the market value, approx. 90% of market rent.