Harlesden Town Team Tonight

The Harlesden Town Team are meeting this evening at the Salvation Army place in Manor Park Road. Unfortunately, I cannot go because I am presenting on Brent Council's new waste management proposals in South Kilburn this evening, but I hope anyone who is free makes it.

Child Benefit Means Tested: A Lib Dem Victory

George Osborne has pledged to introduce means testing for child benefit. This idea was floated by Nick Clegg in his "Savage Cuts" interview before the election, although he subsequently back tracked. Sarah Teather also has form in this area of course. However, I suspect that the cuts in child benefit will not feature in many of Sarah Teather's leaflets to the voters of Brent Central.

Ward Working

I have blogged before about Neighbourhood Working, which is now changing back to its old name of Ward Working. Lots of people used to get confused between Neighbourhood Working and Neighbourhood Watch. This is the scheme where ward councillors are allowed a small fund to spend on community projects in their ward. We still have some money so if you have any ideas let me know.

Incidentally this is another example of a Paul Lorber U-turn. In opposition, the Brent Liberal Democrat leader declared "Scaling down ward working is not enough; it must be scrapped." Once the Liberal Democrats and Tories formed an administration in 2006, he cut the budget for each ward to 20,000 pounds and changed the name to Neighbourhood Working, but allowed the project to continue across all wards in Brent. It is almost as if he felt honour bound not to do whatever he promised the voters he would.

Health and Climate Change

A European report has been published reminding us that improving pollution is not just about climate change but also public health. In fact, the savings from reduced medical spending are likely to cover a significant proportion of the cost of the pollution reduction.

The End of the £25 Charge

Today is the day that Brent Council ceases to charge £25 for bulky waste collections. We are going back to the old (pre Liberal Democrat) system of up to three collections each year, each collecting up to five items.

Brent: Fairtrade Borough?

I hope that we will soon have a firm timetable for Brent to become a Fairtrade Borough. We have been trying to this for ages, since Peter Lemmon was Mayor, but (as with so much else) progressed slowed to a crawl under the Lib dem / Tory administration.

The most difficult parts are likely to be getting more schools to register an interest, getting a wide range of religious organisations on board, and finding at least one big employer to sign up.

Brent Recycling

Currently, I am doing a lot on Brent Council's new waste strategy. Indeed, I will be doing a presentation at the Harlesden Area Consultative Forum this evening on the subject. One of the issues people have asked me about is a reuseable nappy scheme. The Strategy has that as an option. the two things we need to find out more about are the costs, and how we would engage enough parents to make it worthwhile.

Fortnightly Bin Collections

I see Brian Coleman is denouncing fortnightly bin collections as a potential fire risk, but I don't see why. Our proposal is to replace the green box with a much bigger recycling bin, keep the grey bin and the organic bin (introducing a new food waste bin for those household currently without. Why would vandals be more likely to set fire to a larger bin than a green box?

Incidentally, the reports on Brian Coleman's comments make the common mistake of assuming that savings from the scheme are driven by fewer bin men and vehicles. In fact, the savings come from diverting waste from landfill disposal (the most expensive way of getting rid of it) to recycling (much cheaper). I don't think the total number of vehicles and bin men will be much different.

What will be different is that the proportion of waste that is recycled will go up enormously. If you look at the most successful recycling authorities in the UK, they almost all use some version of a fortnightly collection. Thus, Tories like Eric Pickles and Brian Coleman are denouncing the only policy that has been shown to be really successful in increasing recycling. At the same time, the Tory government has kept the landfill tax in place, forcing local authorities to recycle more. Of course this may just the Tories being muddled, not understanding that their policies are going in opposite directions, or it may be more Machiavellian. They may will the end of greater recycling, but want to put any political flak on to local authorities.

Urban Design Guide

Some time ago, Brent was going to pass a new urban design guide to give consistent standards in improving the public realm. Unfortunately, this has been delayed through another round of consultation, but it should come back in time for the October Executive, no doubt full of "naked streets" and "shared surfaces" type ideas.

Elms Court Allotments

Paul Lorber and his Liberal Democrat colleagues have reputedly been protesting about the de-designation of the Elms Court allotment site for housing. What makes this odd is that they were the ones who withdrew its designation, back in May 2009. You can find it in 2.10 of the report. Both Paul Lorber and James Allee are noted in the minutes as speaking on the report. The only deviation of the current decision that springs to mind from their decision is that replacement allotments have now been identified. Could it be another case of Brent Liberal Democrats doing one thing in office and the opposite in opposition?

Tubbs Road Clean Up Day

It had been planned that Tubbs Road would have a clean up day on 2 October. Unfortunately, the logistics mean that has to be postponed. We are still keen to do it, just at a later date. This is supported by the three Kensal Green Councillors through Ward Working funding (formerly Neighbourhood Working). There was quite a successful clean up in Rucklidge Avenue a short time ago, and this is the same sort of thing. It also gives us an opportunity to publicise the abolition of the £25 charge, which will no longer be charged from 1 October.

Littering

I was told recently of a Keep Britain Tidy survey that found that only 4% of people admit to littering at any time. This is interesting as it does indicate a widespread acceptance that littering is wrong, with almost everyone being ashamed to admit to it.

Alternatively, if all the litter really is being left by only 4% of the population then they must be a dedicated group of people who spend hours doing it, like Flanders & Swann's Broken Bedstead Men.

Liberal Democrat Economic Policy

Larry Elliot has a reminder of the Liberal Democrats' previous record European economics. What this indicates to me is not so much a wrong analysis as a tendency to follow fashions whithout analysis. During the election, the Liberal Democrats were similarly following a fashion in arguing for a fiscal stimulus. In government, it suddenly became fashionable to go for austerity, although I would have thought the weakness of the Eurozone and the petering out of Obama's stimulus actually strengthened the argument the other way. One could go back further to when Nick Clegg was calling for "savage cuts" only to backtrack later on.

Video on Flytipping

I went to see a video by BTSWC, working with Groundwork, on flytipping at the Unity Centre on Church Road. It is now online, and you can see it here.

HMOs

The Con Dem government is apparently taking another retrograde step. Landlords will now be able to create houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) for up to six people without planning permission.

This is likely to create much lower living standards for the tenants. Just before the election, the Planning Committee considered a case in Dennis Avenue in Tokyngton where the landlord wanted to convert to a HMO. The application was refused because he wanted to give some of his tenants as little as half the space normally allotted to people living in flats.

My colleague Cllr Lesley Jones has long been fighting HMOs in Willesden. She is particularly interested in how they change the character of an area, leading to fewer residents with a long term stake.

Harlesden Town Charter Now Online

The Harlesden Town Charter is now available online here. I gather this is a temporary address for it. Not quite sure why it has taken Brent Council so long to get it on the web site, but at least you can see it now.

More Liberal Democrat Confusion

Following my post of Monday, I was reflecting on the difficulties of the Liberal Democrats in their coalition. Nick Clegg explicitly rejected the idea of playing out Tory / Liberal democrat differences in public, although that appears to be exactly what Sarah Teather is doing as she struggles to justify herself to voters who thought she was a leftwing alternative.

Her piece in "First", the Local Government Association newsletter, argues that the pupil premium is a "real Liberal Democrat achievement". My understanding is that there is real fear that it could end up in Brent getting less money for its pupils, in which case Sarah Teather will no doubt declare it was all down to the Tories.

At Conference, Clegg rightly claimed that the two coalition parties constantly claiming credit for the good, and placing blame for the bad on each other would "poison" the coalition. I think he is right. I also think that, being two rival parties one with a history of permanent opposition, they won't be able to help themselves.

The Way of the Future

Ireland shows us the way of the future if George Osborne is allowed to pursue austerity to the full.

Sarah Teather and Free Schools

The Guardian reported on Sarah Teather being given a hard time over free schools at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference early on, and now the Liberal Democrat leadership have been explicitly defeated on the issue. Given the way Sarah Teather is now implementing a policy that she spent the election campaign denouncing, that is hardly surprising. I think it is more or less admitted that the Coalition government is going to pay no attention to what the Liberal Democrat Conference says.

As I see it Sarah Teather's central weakness is that the Tories are determined to push ahead with the free schools policy. The Liberal Democrats can only rebel against such a central policy if they are willing to break up the coalition, which would mean they no longer hold ministerial posts. Of course, had the Liberal Democrats agreed to support a minority Conservative government, they would still be able to oppose the free schools initiative.

I have seen comments from Simon Hughes suggesting that he does oppose Free Schools, even though he voted for them in the Commons as they were part of the coalition deal. I think that position would only seem remotely credible to someone of Mr Hughes' extraordinary level of moral manoeuvrability.

Meanwhile, Teather is stuck in an entirely subordinate position to Michael Gove, implementing a policy that she and her colleagues disagree with. In my imagination, he calls her Teather and she calls him Mr Gove. That is the kind of relationship they have.

Teather on her Conference Defeat

In response to her defeat, Sarah Teather has confessed:

"The Liberal Democrats are an open and democratic party and it is right that members should express their views on government policy. Our members respect that in a coalition government some of the policies that go forward will be Conservatives ones and some will be Liberal Democrat and some will be a blend of the two."

I don't recall her putting that on any her leaflets during the campaign: "some of the policies that go forward will be Conservative ones."

Shameless.

Illegal Immigrants in Illegal Housing

The story of a mini-shanty town for illegal immigrants in Strode Road is a depressing reminder of how desperate many people in Brent and elsewhere are for housing.

Good Riddance: A Message from Nick Clegg

Very struck by the Observer's piece on Nick Clegg yesterday and its implications for Sarah Teather in Brent Central. The great one more or less says sod off to those voters who have backed the Liberal Democrats since the Iraq War as being a "left wing" alternative to Labour. The piece quotes him:

"I am not denying that there is a chunk of people who turned to the Liberal Democrats at the height of Blair's authoritarism and his fascination with Bush and Cheney and said "Ha, these Liberal Democrats, they're the leftwing party I want. They're the leftwing conscience of the Labour Party." That was always going to unwind at some point."

The problem for Sarah Teather is that that is what her entire parliamentary career has been based on, positioning herself to the left of Labour. Now she finds herself implementing a Tory programme of savage cuts that goes completely against the more Keynesian approach that the Lib Dems had during the campaign, and a Leader who is explicitly rejecting the core beliefs of virtually all the Brent Central voters who supported her.

I wonder what she will do next?

More Water Leaks

Yet more water leaks. The leak at the traffic lights on Harrow Road (junction of Wrottesley Road) are being repaired (see picture above) which no doubt accounts for much of the traffic snarl up this morning. The leak outside Kensal Green Tube station continues, and is overdue for repair, and I am not sure of progress on the leak at the corner of Park Parade and Wrottesley Road.

St Marks Church Garden

Belated congratulations to St Mark's Church on their new garden (pictured). Hopefully they will soon go ahead with the expanasion of the Church Hall as well.

ASB Review

As I blogged a couple of days ago, I shall be interested in hearing the results of the Lib Dem / Conservative review into ASBOs. I don't recall Ms May's doubts being voiced during the election. Nationally, the Liberal Democrats did have doubts although here in Brent they didn't do anything about it. It was startling to hear Cllr Paul Lorber at the last Council meeting talking about how terrible ASBOs were as if he had not just spent four years presiding over a Brent Council that issued them fairly frequently.

From the BBC report, the review appears to based on the idea that ASBOs are just quickly approved without any thought. My experience in Hazel Road suggests that is by no means the case. In fact, the police need specific information and times from people, although they don't need to put up public statements in court. Use of ASBOs and Dispersal zones are also usually accom panied by lots of "soft" measures like theYouth work that Ward Working paid for in Hazel Road, as well as non judicial measures, like speaking to landlords, or even just cutting hedgerows back or making minor building alterations.

Slippery Sarah

I haven't posted on the slipperiness of Sarah Teather for quite a while. One of the more recent examples is that she has started campaigning for "Fair Votes". That is a long held Liberal Democrat slogan, but it always used to be applied to proportional representation. Teather is now using it to describe the thoroughly non-proportional alternative vote system that she and her Tory allies are plotting to push through along with a wholesale boundary review next year. To use the same slogan to describe a system that not so long ago Liberal Democrats denounced as unfair shows that sarah Teather is all about spin rather than policy.

ASB Powers Under Threat

Today's Wembley Observer carries a story about a Dispersal Zone in Wembley. The new Tory / Lib dem government have announced a review into such powers. I can't help but feel the new government is taking an entirely theoritical approach without really considering the reality is these powers were abolished.

Stonebridge Hub Award

Well done to the people who designed the Stonebridge Hub. The Hub has been given a Gold Standard in the 2010 CABE Building for Life awards.

Roundwood Youth Club

Roundwood Youth Club comes up for planning permission today. I have written in support of the application and it is recommended for consent so I expect it will go through without controversy. However, the Con Dem government is still not telling us whether they are going to give us the promised five million pounds that they froze shortly after taking office. If Sarah Teather and her colleagues cancel this project, I hope that local people remember that at the next General Election.

Social Housing

Dave Hill has some striking figures (derived from Karen Buck MP) on the decline of socially rented housing in London, including figures for Brent showing the stock going from 30% to 20% between 1986 and 2006. This kind of fall has all kinds of negative consequences not least on the immigration debate.

Brent Sustainability Forum Web Site

You can find the Brent Sustainability Forum web site here, which may be useful if (like me) you can't get to the Forum meeting on 29 September.

Newman Catholic College

Cardinal Hinsley School for Boys is relaunching as Newman Catholic College. It is a shame that as a result of Sarah Teather cancelling Building Schools for the Future, this relaunch will not now be accompanied by a rebuild of the school's 1950s' buildings.

On Sunday, the Sunday Times published a story (behind a paywall unfortunately) criticising Sarah Teather for using her position as a minister to secure funding for the Crest Academies in Dollis Hill when 700 schools have had their building projects cancelled. Ed Balls has weighed in against her here. She is reported in the Sunday Times story as claiming that she was simply doing the best for her constituents.

Well if that is what she can do for her constituents in Dollis Hill, why can't she do the same for her constituents in Kensal Green, who go to Newman Catholic College?

37 Mapesbury Road

Out of curiosity, I had a look at 37 Mapesbury Road, Oliver Sacks' old home. It is enormous, even for a large family. It is now the headquarters of the British Association of Psychotherapists.

Oliver Sacks

I got a copy of Oliver Sacks' Uncle Tungsten at the closing down sale of Kilburn Bookshop. I didn't realise at the time, but it is a local memoir. Sacks lived at 37 Mapesbury Road on the corner with Exeter Road. Apparently in the late 1930s Walm Lane synagogue had a congregation of 2,000. Sad that it is now closed entirely.

I also didn't realise how easy it was for a small boy to obtain dangerous chemicals in those days. At the age of ten, Sacks was apparently able to buy lethal doses of potassium cyanide. He also tells of dropping a three pound lump of Sodium into Highgate ponds to see how it would react.

Summer Reading Challenge

I am delighted that more than 5,000 youngsters signed up to the Brent Library service Space Hop Summer Reading Challenge. That represents a substantial proportion of all the children in the Borough and is a real success for the Library service engagement with the public.

Lib Dem Parking Hypocrisy

I see that Brent Liberal Democrats have issued a press release attacking both our new emissions based parking permits and the Moving Traffic Offences decision. They called both into committee, but in neither case did they have an alternative to suggest. In the case of Moving Traffic offences this is not a surpise since it is merely the detail of a scheme decided on in early 2009 (with the concurrence of the then Lib Dem majority Executive). On emissions based permits, they have tossed away their green credentials with nothing to show in their place.

Harlesden Town Charter Published

The Harlesden Town Charter has now been published. This should now be used as a central reference document for the harlesden Town Centre area.

UPDATE

I understand the Charter has yet to go online on the Council web site. When it does, I will link to it, but copies have been printed and should be available from the Brent Council Transport Department.

Brent Sustainability Forum

By the way, I should flag up the next Brent Sustainability Forum on 29 September at Brent Town Hall. Open to any, the main item under discussion will be the new waste management strategy. Unfortunately, it has been arranged for the same time as the Harlesden Area Consultative Forum (ACF) where there will be a discussion on the same subject.

Black History Month

October is Black History Month as I pointed out in June. I am delighted that Brent will have more than 60 events around the Borough. You can find details at http://www.brent.gov.uk/whatson.

Screen on the Green

Just a quick reminder about the outdoor film screenings put on by Brent Council and the Lexi Cinema in Roundwood Park You can book tickets here.

Waste Consultation Launched

You can give your views on the Brent Council Waste Strategy here. We are looking to massively increase Brent's recycling, and change the collection regime for every household in the Borough so there is a lot to take in. The new system will demand more engagement from the public so please have a look at the strategy and give your advice about what you would like to see.

Teather Defends Herself

The Willesden and Brent Times carries Sarah Teather's defence of her cancellation of Building Schools for the Future, which I find less than convincing.

The main argument appears to be that having been awarded money under the programme that she and her Tory Boss have cancelled we can now reapply for funding under a new scheme. Thanks a lot.

Her two main arguments against Building Schools for the Future don't stack up. Firstly, she points out that it took us a long time to be awarded the money because Building Schools for Future was specifically aimed at improving academic standards and despite all Brent's problems our schools were doing quite well academically. Well, that sounds like an argument about the past (and by they way does she really think it unreasonable to target education spend at improving academic standards?) rather than the present. It certainly does not explain why having been awarded the money last year, it is better to cancel the whole thing and set up a new bidding process that will inevitably lead to more delay. Her second argument is that the BSF programme was too bureaucratic. As far as I know neither Ms Teather nor her Tory boss Michael Gove have had much practical experience of building projects. Had they had some, I expect they would know that planning considerations, design, procurement for multi million pound projects are actually quite complicated.

The final argument she makes towards the end of the piece is that the money simply isn't there. This seems to be directly contrary to a letter I have seen from David Bell, the Permanent Secretary in her own department. To suggest that the Permanent Secretary of your department went along with irresponsible and unfunded spending is quite a bold accusation.

It also raises the question of how much money is actually in the Building Fund that Ms Teather is now forcing Brent Council to reapply to. If Building Schools for the Future had too little funding, I take it that Ms Teather is proposing a cut in spending, in line with her Tory masters' ideology. If the money is the same what was the point of cutting the funding Brent Council had already been given?

Drugs Raid

Well done to the Kensal Green Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) for carrying out a successful raid on a property in Herbert Gardens NW10.

A View from the Foothills

I recently finished Chris Mullin's A View from the Foothills, which is the predecessor to Decline and Fall that he is currently publicising.

What is most striking is the sense of utter impotence he feels as a junior government minister, epitomised by getting a document passed on to him to which a Civil Servant has appended "This seems a very priority. I suggest we pass it to Chris Mullin."

The only time this changes is when he becomes minister for Africa in the Foreign Office, which allows him to travel around meeting Prime Ministers and the like. It perhaps helps explain why many of our politicians get sucked into foreign policy, where they get a much greater sense of their own importance. One way of looking at our history over the past century is as a declining power desparately trying to behave like a Great Power, but only able to do so on a smaller and smaller scale.

Brent Triumph at London in Bloom

Brent triumphed at the London in Bloom awards on Friday. Brent got a Gold Standard award for Roundwood Park, Fryent Country Park and Mapesbury Dell as well as a Silver Gilt award for Gladstone Park. Brent also got a Best in Category Award for the Large City Award. This covers not just the park service but also the public realm in general.

Roundabout Leak

I have asked Council officers to enquire about the persistent water leak at the roundabout at the bottom of Harlesden Road and Wrottesley Road. It seems to get patched from time to time and then reappear.

By the way, ThamesWater have informed me that the leak in front of Kensal Green Tube Station is being repaired.

Teutonic Efficiency

Interesting comparison between the German and the UK approach to waste management. The Germans produce much less greenhouse gases despite have similar levels of municipal solid waste. The reason is that they have a far higher rate of recycling, and almost no landfill. As a result, their emissions from MSW are a fifth the level of ours.

Surely there can't be any reason that whatever technologies or methods they are using can't also be used in the UK.

More Spending Cuts

Although coping with the Con Dem government's spending cuts over the past few weeks has been pretty difficult _ green zones, free swimming grant, performance reward grant and so on _ it is worth pointing out that things can only get worse. On 20 October, the new government will announce the local government spending settlement for the next four years. All the signs are that it will include the worst cuts in local government funding since Thatcher.

What makes it all the more incredible is that the Tories and the Liberal Democrats have no electoral mandate for imposing this Thatcherite agenda, and the Liberal democrats explicitly campaigning against it during the General Election (although that now seems to have been mere point scoring like the VAT increase campaign).

Street Trees

Here is a picture of a damaged street tree I found blocking the pavement in Buckingham Road a couple of weeks ago. You can report these to streetcare@brent.gov.uk, who are responsible for keeping the pavement clear

Dumping and the Twenty Five Pound Charge

Brent's new Labour Administration will abolish the twenty five pound charge for bulky item collections from the 1st October. Amazingly, Paul Lorber and Brent Liberal Democrats still want the charge to remain and have suggested that our plans for its abolition should be scrapped. So I guess it makes sense to go through the arguments again.

Brent had free collections until July 2007. The introduction of the charge by the Lib Dems saw an immediate fall in the number of people using the service. Special collections fell by two thirds and have drifted down further since. This meant that the expected income from the service never materialised. The initial estimate was 275k and the actual income was about 53k in the first year. I don't think it has ever gone higher than that, so in fiscal terms the charge was a failure.

One also has to ask where all these items that the Council used to collect are now going. The Council reckons that even the 25 charge was a more or less subsidised rate. If so, any private contractor who offered a lesser rate would be trading at a loss. Of course, this would only remain true if the contractor got rid of the item legitimately. If the private contractor drives round the corner and dumps it somewhere, he is effectively getting the Council to pay for disposal, and pocketing whatever the householder gave him. This, I suspect, is what has been happening.

Changes to the NHS

One of the startling changes that I don't recall featuring in the General Election Campaign are those to the NHS. They are beiing floated in the typically chaotic way that characterises the Con Dem government.

In terms of local authorities, we are being told that we will be given responsibility for "public health" but not being told what is included in that, or what the resources will be. We are also being told that the PCTs are being effectively abolished, and replaced with GP consortia. I doubt whether handing over billions of pounds to consortia with little or no experience of commissioning is going to be a problem free exercise.

This government really does look as if it is heading for a car crash.

Without Question

Just thought I would air my frustration that Brent Council does not allow one to search for members' questions on its web site. Aside from the information in the answers, it is also a much better way of assessing whether non-Executive members are active than the fairly useless statistics on attendance at committees. After all, you can turn up to a committee meeting and say nothing, but putting a question at least implies some sort of interest in the topic at hand.

Just on principle, constituents should be able to find out what their representatives have said.

Unity Centre

Very good meeting at the Unity Centre on Church Road by BTSWC, with a video by young people on flytipping. Hopefully, lots of people will start responding to our consultation on waste management over the next few weeks, and we can start to reduce flytipping.

The - ling Suffix

Some days ago, I referred to Sarah Teather as Michael Gove's underling, and it has set me thinking about why that suffix is almost always perjorative. Of course, defining someone by an unattractive quality like "weakling" or "underling" is automatically insulting, but I can't think of any words with the good old Anglo-Saxon ending of ling that aren't.

Had I referred to Ms Teather as a hireling, it would also sound pretty bad, as in Doctor Johnson's definition of a state pensioner. Although all it actually means is someone paid for what they do.

Similar the two uses of groundling I have come across are also quite disdainful. Shakespearian scholars always assume the groundlings in his audience (who stood before the stage and were poorest) were the stupidest and crudest, although I don't see why they can't have been as able as some of the people in the stalls. I recently came across a more unusual use of "groundling" in Max Hastings' Korean War history. Again it described the air force pilots as looking down on groundlings who couldn't fly.

The only exceptions I can think of are Tolkein and CS Lewis referring to themselves as Inklings (more of a joke) and a 16th century use of "homeling" to refer to indigenous people.

Perhaps, it is inherently insulting to define someone by one quality and no other.

Where are the Lib Dems on the Environment?

Thinking about the Forward Plan Committee on Thursday, I am struck at how confused the Liberal Democrats are on Environmental policy now. I pointed out before that their position seems to have flipped from the one they have had for several years. At the Thursday meeting, Cllr Daniel Brown was ruled out of order in trying to oppose our emissions based permit scheme by the Chair (His fellow Liberal Democrat Cllr James Allie). I don't think the Chair really has the power to do that, and I am assuming that Allie didn't want to vote on it because the Liberal Democrats are split on the issue.

Likewise, they don't seem willing to support our position on waste management changes but they they equally don't seem to have the courage to propose anything else.

It seems that their leadership simply doesn't know what to do.

Another Water Leak

Yet another leak in Kensal Green. This time water flowing on to the road in front of Kensal Green Tube Station. To report leaks like these you can call Thames Water on 0800 714 614.

Mitre Bridge

I am trying to find out more about one of the causes of heavy traffic in Harlesden Town Centre. Many of the heavy lorries going through are no longer able to use Mitre Bridge off Scrubs Lane because it has had an 18 ton weight restriction put on it. This is inconvenient for them, as they have to take the long route round, but still more so for Harlesden residents who have big lorries trundling past. Hopefully, the situation can be resolved by bridge strengthening and the traffic through Harlesden Town Centre reduced.

I guess it is another example of the baleful effect of having the Borough boundaries so nearby. The problems of Harlesden and Kensal Green do not get on the radar of Hammersmith, and Brent can't do anything about the bridge itself because it is not under our jurisdiction.

Brent's Civic Centre

Although no one on the streets ever talks about it, I thought it might be useful to summarise the arguments around the Brent Civic Centre since for people who work in the Council it seems to absorb an inordinate amount of time. Indeed, our review of the Centre has taken up almost as much time as the Budget.

Firstly, the economic argument is that although it will take up to £7 million to service the debt to pay for the Centre, officers have estimated that we will save £9.5 million. This mainly comes from leaving 15 of the sites that we currently occupy and moving the staff into the new Centrew. Thus, any plan not to go ahead would have to find an extra £2.5 million in the Budget.

Secondly, the environmental beenefits of the new Centre are immense, contributing a 12.2% cut in the Council's overall carbon emissions as well as possibly underpinning a Wembley District Heating scheme.

Thirdly, the Centre helps boost the development around Wem,bley Stadium, which is the principal driver of jobs growth in the local economy.

Fourthly, having a single centre should help to make Brent Council a more efficienct organisation than hitherto, with less time spent passing between various offices.

Brent Civic Centre

Sadly ill informed comment from Martin Francis of the Green Party here. Firstly, we have reviewed the Civic Centre, and decided to go ahead with it. Personally, I have sat in rather more meetings on the subject than I care for, but what is triking about the Green Party position is its failure to recognise the substantial environmental benefits of the new Civic Centre. These include cutting the Council's total carbon emissions by more than 12 per cent, and the possibility of linking into a Wembley District Heating scheme.

It is rather ironic than the Green Party is campaigning against one of the Council's leading environmental projects.

Scrutiny Last Night

Well at least the Liberal Democrat councillors Beck and Ashraf managed to turn up to the Forward Plan Committee last night to talk about the Call In they signed. The same is not true of Cllr Simon Green, Cllr Hayley Matthews or Cllr Paul Lorber (although he did send an alternate). Nor did Cllr Ann Hunter turn up to this or previous meetings despite having called for more consultation. However, they didn't really put forward any actual suggestions. Hopefully more will come in now that the public consultation is free to get under way.

Green flag in Brent

Congratulation to the Brent Parks service for getting seven Green Flag awards for Brent Parks, including Roundwood Park. They are Roundwood, Barham Park, Mapesbury Dell, Fryent Country Park, Welsh Harp Open Space, Preston Park and Gladstone Park.

Call Ins Tonight

Tonight I will be going to the Forward Plan Committee to be asked about the waste Management report. This has been "called in " (i.e. the decision has been delayed) at the request of various Liberal Democrat members. This makes it the seventh report this month to be called in, which seems over the top.

In fact I attended their last meeting to talk about the same report prior to the discussion, so it seems odd that they didn't raise their concerns then. I hope this time they manage to think up some suggestions as to what they want chnaged; otherwise it all seems a bit pointless.

Positive Coverage

Good to see some positive coverage for our emissions based permit proposals, in the Daily Telegraph of all places.

Con Dem Bureaucracy

By the way, another of the strange initiatives coming from the Liberal Democrat / Conservative coalition is that local authorities need to create a public record of all items of expenditure above 500 pounds. What a bureaucratic pointless exercise. I notice that central government will not be applying the same rules to itself. It does seem a bizarre priority at a time when the government is cutting services in the name of efficiency.

Gladstone Park

Although the decision to demolish Dollis Hill House may seen regrettable in many ways, it will allow the other attractions around that part of Gladstone Park (such as the walled garden above) to come into their own. At present, they are blighted by the ruin in their midst. I hope, therefore, that the Secretary of State makes the right decision.

The Misty Moon Harlesden

Made a mistake in my pub post yesterday, the Misty Moon in Harlesden does have a web presence, here.

Teather Changes Tune on Schools (Again)

The wembley Observer has reported on the award of money to the Crest Academies. In commenting , Sarah Teather has changed positions again. When the abolition of Building Schools for the Future was first announced, she said it was because "there was not enough cash to pay for them". In the Wembley Observer story, she suggests they should apply to a "new building fund", presumably one with some money in despite her government's cuts. Thus, having gone through the Building Schools for the Future process, the schools are being asked to start all over again, in the name of reducing bureaucracy.

I get the impression that Ms Teather is simply defending whatever position Michael Gove imposes on her. I am not even sure that she is a sufficently senior underling for Mr Gove to consult on the decision.

It almost makes you feel sorry for her.

Kensal Green Pubs

I have added a link for the Royal Oak at 95 High Street Harlesden, to go with the ones to The Island and the Masons Arms at the Kensal Rise end of the ward. The Misty Moon on Manor Park Road doesn't seem to have one although there is a facebook page. You can also try the Amber Grill, which used to be the Willesden Junction Arms on Station Road, or Os Amigos on Park Parade (although again it doesn't seem to have a web presence).

Willesden Junction Station Approach

I recently met with Network Rail about Willesden Junction and can therefore update on Station Approach.

The road suffers subsidence on the Hammersmith side. Apparently, the engineering issues are particularly difficult due to the way it was constructed, but work is expected to begin in the New Year to shore it up. Once that is done it should have some resurfacing, repaving and maybe the replacement of some the guide rails which currently leave the useable part of the footpath so constricted.

Swimming in Chalkhill

As well as having the Playbuilder money saved from Sarah Teather's depredations, Chalkhill children will also benefit from a temporary swimming pool at Chalkhill primary school. The pool should be operational between September and December.

Chalkhill Park

Amid all the gloom, here is a good news story. The above piece of derelict land is being turned into a public park. It is in Chalkhill, near the Wembley ASDA. Partof the changes were supposed to be paid for by the Playbuilder programme, and as with the Tubbs Road park they are sufficently advanced not to be subject to Sarah Teather's programme of cuts.

Waste Hierarchy

I thought it might be useful to explain the waste hierarchy concept which Brent Council, the West London Waste Authority and the London Plan all use for dealing with waste. Waste is dealt with (in order of preference) through reduction, re use, recycling, recovery and disposal.

Reduction or re-using materials is obviously cheapest and greenest in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, but it is quite hard to measure. How can you tell whether people have not produced waste.

Recycling is next best in environmental and cost terms. Our new waste strategy is intended to raise the proportion of recycling, in order to divert material from landfill.

Landfill is the worst option in terms of cost as the government is increasing landfill tax to discourage it. We also need to discourage as the UK is running out of land to fill. Whether it is the worst option in carbon terms is dependent on the composition of the waste. If there is a high proportion of green waste it generates methane which is many times worse in terms of global warming than carbon dioxide, meaning that it can actually be worse than burning it for power (the recovery stage).

Earth Architecture in Roundwood Park

I had a conversation recently with two people from Groundwork about an "earth architecture" project in Roundwood Park. Not entirely sure what is involved until they send me further details, but it seems to mean building a sustainable structure and then doing a lot of environmental awareness projects in it. the most likely site would be the "wild area" near the toilet block as you walk towards the Summer Theatre.

Congestion Charge Extension

The case against Boris' scrapping of the congestion charge is summarised here. As far as I know, he hasn't bothered to argue the case against of these objections.

Food growing Projects

Lots of people in Brent are interested in food growing projects, and I myself am still trying to find out about the land around Willesden junction that I have blogged on before. Environmental Protection UK have now published a leaflet on the subject, which goes through some of the potential pitfalls.

Furness Road

Furness Road is obviously in need of repair, both in the carriage way and the pavements. I have asked officers to do a temporary patch on the worst bits, such as the tree root damage shown in the photograph. If you see these yellow markings around, it means a highway engineer has decided it needs fixing. However, it needs a longer term solution, and I hope it will be included in next year's programme.

The Cost of Litter

Another snippet from the LGA: local Councils spend 858 million pounds a year clearing up litter. That is an awful lot of Council Tax. Worth thinking about next time you see someone dropping something in the street.

Building Schools for the Future Cancellations

The Local Government Association have estimated the total spend on Building Schools for the Future projects that have now been cancelled at more than 200 million pounds. This includes more than 54 million pounds just for London. To give an idea of scale, that 54 million is more than ten times what Brent spends each year to run its entire library service.

Recycling in London

Thanks for the comment to my recycling post on Friday, but I am afraid whoever posted it is working under a misconception. When I talk about recycling, I really am talking about recycling not energy from waste.

The most important material to be diverted under our proposed new system is food waste. A staggering proportion of our existing food purchases are chucked away and go to landfill. This generates greenhouse gases. By extending the food waste service to 88,000 households, we will collect all this food for composting, either at our existing site in Ruislip or elsewhere.

Again, we are collecting a wider range of plastics, but plastic is actually quite easy to recycle. The barrier has traditionally been that it is very light for its volume. That means the collection truck fills up very quickly, making collection a problem. Moreover, as recycling is normally measured by weight, local authorities have traditionally focused on heavy stuff like paper and glass.

Far from wanting materials that can be recycled, energy from fuel plants are usually quite hostile to them, especially metals which are positively damaging.

Playbuilder in Brent

I have now been updated on PlayBuilder schemes in Kensal Green and Harlesden. To my great relief, the PlayBuilder funding to do up Tubbs Road Pocket Park is safe. The work is so advanced that it cannot be cancelled. Unfortunately, the same is not true of Bramshill Open Space. Flattening the facilities here was an early priority for the Lib Dem / Tory administration we replaced. It was opened that the third wave of Playbuilder funding could rebuild them. This will not now happen as the money is withdrawn.

This scheme falls within in Sarah Teather's own department, and I believe that she is the minister directly responsible. As a minister in this Con Dem government she is using her office to directly attack some of the poorest of her own constituents.

Lib Dem Failure on Recycling

I see that Cllr Ann Hunter has been telling the Wembley Observer that the Liberal Democrats are keen recyclers. Sadly, that is not the case. They inherited a recycling rate of 22 per cent from Labour in 2006. After doing nothing for a while, they introduced compulsory recycling, which largely consisted of a publicity campaign. They then ignored the issue again, so that by the end of their administration, Council officers described the recycling performance as "critical". It is now up to the new administration to turn their lacklustre performance around. We need to go from 28 per cent to at least 40 per cent to meet the 2011 statutory target, and then do a great more beyond.

PlayBuilder Scrapped?

The BBC reports that Playbuilder schemes have been suspended over many local authorities in England. The Playbuilder programme was a 235 million pound programme to enhance play areas across the country. It provides part of the match funding for the park improvements in Tubbs Road, and money has also been earmarked for Bramshill Open Space just outside Kensal Green ward.

I asked a senior officer in our Children & Families department about it, but he said that the Education department had written to us, saying that our money was safe. Given their record, not least over the Building Schools for the Future debacle, I still feel nervous.

Any suspension would therefore be another kick in the teeth from the new Con Dem government to Kensal Green residents. The minister responsible is Sarah Teather.

Bird Bath

Part of the Tubbs Road Pocket Park project involves designing a bird bath as a feature in the park. The artist Helena Roden is holding workshops open to all in the Open Doors Church each Saturday 1pm to 3pm from 14th August until the end of September (except for the 4th September). The ideas from the workshops feed into the eventual design, with the bird bath itself being constructed by a blacksmith.

Emissions Based Hypocrisy

Brent Liberal Democrats have come out against our proposals for emissions based permits in today's papers. The egregious Cllr Daniel Brown claims the proposals are a disgrace "in view of Labour's election promises".

This is rather odd, given that one of Labour's promises was to introduce a permit system based on the "polluter pays" principle.

It is even odder as a reversal of their party's existing position. The first Council in London to adopt such a policy was the then Lib Dem administration in Richmond. Sarah Teather was much more aggressive on the subject, seeming to suggest she wanted to price SUVs off the road altogether. Cllr Daniel Brown himself seemed to support the principle when the Lib Dems and Tories were in office in Brent. Indeed I recall him telling us all at a Council meeting that he wanted to introduce a scheme based on "the Richmond model" to Brent. Of course, nothing was done about it as with so many Brent Liberal Democrat promises.

Now they seem to have abandoned a position that they have been defending for several years for the sake of mounting petty attacks on the Labour Party. How can anyone trust in the integrity of such people?

Elmwood House, Harlesden Road, NW10

I am glad to see that Elmwood House on Harlesden Road has finally been knocked down, after planning permission was given for a new development back in July. It will bring much needed housing as well as removing an eyesore.

Emissions Based Permits

Yesterday I posted on the waste management plans coming up at the Executive tonight. Today, I thought I would point to the other big "green" policy being considered _ emission based permits. This was a key pledge in our election manifesto.

The idea is that you pay more for a permit if your car has a worse emissions level (based on the vehicle excise bands). Several authorities have schemes that take account of emissions, but I think Brent's will be the most extensive now that the Tories are abolishing the scheme in Richmond.

As well as the new permits, the scheme suggests that car club cars should be allowed to park anywhere in the Borough, which I think could be a real incetive to people to join car clubs.

Waste Collection

Brent Council's next Executive is coming up tomorrow, and I am excited that we will be overhauling the waste collection system.

The outgoing Lib Dem / Tory administration had given up on recycling after the flurry of interest around compulsory recycling petered out. The target was 30%, but performance had been flatlining at 28% for some time.

To turn that around, we are going to adopt a similar model to the one in Harrow, which should vitually double our recycling. We will also be introducing co-mingled collection at places like Siouth Kilburn, Stonebridge and Chalkhill, leading to a boost in recycling, as these areas don't recycle at all. We should also be able to include new materials such as tetrapaks, so it will be something of a step change. Although we are taking the decision now, most of the changes will only be introduced next year.

The exception will be the abolition of the 25 pound charge which will happen from 1 October. This was probably our most popular policy during the election campaign, so everyone seems eager to implement it as soon as possible. I wonder whether the Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose it?

Where Does Teather Stand on Council Housing?

I suppose it was always inevitable that attacking Council tenants would be an early priority for our new Conservative government. Yet the Guardian reports that the majority of Liberal Democrat MPs are opposed to David Cameron's plans. As the Lib Dems' chief cheerleader, I assume they must know.

Among the MPs listed as opposing the Prime Minister's policy is Sarah Teather. Does she still hold to her position now that she has been given an office, or is it like the VAT increase and "free schools"?

Green Energy

I see Chris Huhne is letting Councils sell electricity on to the grid. The practical effect of this is likelyt to be limited by the severe cutbacks in Council funding. I suspect most Councils will be using their diminished funds to avoid sacking the staff who provide frontline services. However, Brent has one ongoing project that will be affected by this. The proposed Civic Centre is designed to be powered by a waste vetable oil boiler that might be able to generate surplus energy. Indeed the use of the boiler to link in to a Wembley wide District Heating system is one of the key environmental arguments for the Civic Centre in the first place.

Parkfest

Very much enjoyed going to the Tubbs Road Park event on Saturday. Well done to all those involved in organising it. Especially the Steel Band (below)

Alternative Vote (Again)

If the Alternative Vote is adopted for parliamentary elections, it will leave local elections in an odd position. As usual, no one seems to be paying much attention to local government. We will be the only officials to be elected by first past the post if MPs change.

What makes it odder is that local government has multi member seats in London. This seemed to cause a lot of confusion in the election just past, so I am not particularly wedded to it. Indeed, the multi-member system runs against one of the more popular features of the first past the post system, that you know who your representative is because there is only one of them. Presumably if the Con Dem coalition wakes up to this anomaly, they will want a government minister to redraw all the authorities into one member seats without consultation.

Park Party

Another reminder that the Tubbs Road parkfest is today in Tubbs Road Pocket Park from 2pm until 6pm.

Roundwood Youth Club

Another ill consequence of Sarah Teather's election, and the subsequent decision to put the Tories in power, is a decision to freeze work on the plans for Roundwood Youth Club. Lack of youth facilities is one of the most common complaints you come across on the doorstep in both Harlesden and Kensal Green. Money had been awarded as part of a lottery bid to rebuild the Roundwood Youth centre on Longstone Avenue (which is currently still housed in a World War Two communications bunker). Now, Brent Council has been told that the funding is on hold, and we don't know if we will be able to do anything at all.

Building Schools for the Future Money wasted?

The Local Government Association (LGA) has estimated that local authorities have spent about 160 million pounds on proposed new schools which Sarah Teather's government have just cancelled. Remember, the programme is supposed to have been cancelled in the name of greater efficiency with public money.

Trip Hazards

If you see some broken paving or other trip hazards, such as this example on Doyle Gardens (since repaired), you can email streetcare on streetcare@brent.gov.uk, or phone 020 8937 5050.

Planning Appeal on the Old Service station Site

The old service station site that backs on to Rucklidge Avenue is being appealed by its would be developer. This is to overturn the Brent Council Planning Committee decision to refuse back in June. The reference is APP/T5150/A/10/2131777, and comments should be sent to the Planning Inspectorate by 19 August.

BSF Again

My colleague Krupesh Hirani has published on Building Schools for the Future on Labourlist here. Although Sarah Teather is now claiming that there no money, she made no hint of that during the election campaign.

Tubbs Road Parkfest

Tubbs Road is having another parkfest on 7 August between 2pm and 6pm. It promises drumming workshops, T shirt printing, face painting, den building, arts activities and a community feast. It will also be a chance to see the final designs for the park improvements, so come along.

Cynical Gerrymandering

I don't normally comment on national issues like the proposed Alternative Vote (AV) referendum, but I can't help but remark the incredible cycnicism of the Con Dem coalition. Supposedly, this coalition is part of a new politics, but instead they have stitched up a deal that is nakedly for partisan advantage.

The Lib Dems are hoping for an Alternative Vote system, despite having rejected it in the past, because they hope for more seats. To get it they are abandoning the whole Boundary Review system that, whatever the bureaucracy, has been depoliticised. Whereas previously, boundaries were subject to a public enquiry with a non-party commissioner making the decision, the Con Dems are going to allow every constituency in the country to be radically redrawn by government ministers with no checks or appeal mechanisms. It is an outrageous party political land grab, the biggest piece of ballot rigging since the days of rotten boroughs.

Anyone who thinks it a good idea should look at California and other American states. Almost all American states allow constituency boundaries to be drawn up by state legislatures, i.e. politicians. Of course, the politicians draw the boundaries to favour their own party and judicial review seems inadequate to stop them from creating utterly bizarre boundaries.

Whereas Clegg has argued that electoral reform will do away with safe seats and thereby put MPs on their mettle, allowing him and his Tory colleagues to fix the boundaries will have the opposite effect. Each constituency will be drawn up to maximise the chances of a Tory or Lib Dem being elected, creating more safe seats. In California, that has created a complacent Democratic majority and an increasingly extreme Republican minority. In such safe seats the incumbents need only to appeal to their own base, and get punished if they fail to. There is no incentive to find common ground between the parties, and thus California has an heroically disfunctional government.

That is the future that the Lib Dems and Tories are preparing for Britain.

Another Update on Tubbs Road

Brent's Transport Department have completed their study of traffic movements around Tubbs Road _ a result of my Councillor Call for Action. I must say I am somewhat disappointed. There will be some changes to signage but officers are still against more substantial changes. I accept that banning right hand turns out of Furness Road would just divert traffic without long term benefits, but I still think banning left hand turns from the bottom of Tubbs Road into Old Oak Lane would be a viable solution. At any rate, this is not a problem that I will allow to be neglected.