- It would breach the Labour Party's pledge in 2010 to "Continue our long standing policy of protecting public parks and open spaces". Bizarrely, I think we were the only party to make a pledge like this. I don't recall the Green Party mentioning the issue.
- It would obviously arouse widespread political opposition outside the Labour Party.
- It would run contrary to Brent and London planning guidance, which both seek to protect open space.
- It would sit uneasily with Brent Council's concerns about promoting public health and physical exercise.
Ironically, the only person I can recall advocating building on green space in Brent is Martin Francis! I have argued before that this is part of Brent's supposedly environmentalist groupings to oppose environmentalist objectives.
Turning back to reality, Brent Council is seriously considering rolling up grounds maintenance in a wider cleaning/waste management contract. This may well save money. It would also do away with our existing usage of having one set of people to clean parks and a second set to clean grass verges (sometimes even those verges right by parks!). If that is the way Brent Council decides to go, it would be a very large contract subject to all the usual EU procurement rules. The staff would also be protected by the standard TUPE laws.
Such arrangements are already in place among a number of London Councils.
3 comments:
When did Martin Francis advocate building on green space?
Good grief. How on EARTH can any sensible person conflate cleaning and waste removal skills with grounds maintenance skills! Only a person who's never cared for a park or garden coud blithely contemplate the disaster that outsourcing parks maintenance will be. But then, that same person has overseen so many other Brent disasters.
Casually dismissing the utter dedication and loyalty to our parks of existing staff is quite disgraceful. As a socialist, surely you know that TUPE is simply an excuse to deskill and cut pay and conditions?
I have re-read my posting, James, and I can see no 'insinuation' that the Council plans to build on Fryent Country Park. For the record I do not believe that you intend to do so. My concern is that standards of maintenance will be poorer with an external contractor - pruning of trees and conservation measures require proper training and expertise. You cannot reduce these tasks to 'cleaning' parks on a par with keeping grass verges tidy. When I was a local headteacher I employed the Brent Parks Service to do work in the school grounds, as well as a specific one off task of reducing the height of trees surrounding the playground whilst maintaining their shape and health, because I cared about the environment and needed their expertise. It is out of respect for the maintenance team and my knowledge of their quality of work that I oppose privatisation.
Our 2010 Manifesto p6/7 BOOSTING GREEN SPACE said, 'London is nothing without its network of parks and open spaces, providing a welcome breathing space for people and habitats for wildlife' and went on with specific pledges to ensure that all Londoners are within reach of parks, play spaces and animal habitats. drive forward the London Green Grid, set up a support team in County Hall to help boroughs to improve green and 'blue' spaces, give green spaces on housing estates the same protection as private back gardens etc.
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