The Queensbury is returning for yer another attempt at development. This site has been bitterly contested for a long time. The new application is for a pub and 48 flats.
The proposal is for 33 market units, nine social rented units and six intermediate units. It looks substantially lower than the scheme that was rejected back in 2014 (which was for a narrow tower of ten storeys). The new proposals look more like six storeys. This would include four three bed market units, seven three bed rented units and one rented four bed unit.
There are a number of more pictures of the proposals here.
Thursday, 8 February 2018
Wednesday, 7 February 2018
Joy House Renewed
I have just picked up that the use of Joy House as a temporary hostel has been accepted again. The acceptance is for three years and was made without objections on planning grounds. Perhaps if no one chooses to object to this use, it should just be renewed rather than coming back for periodic reviews all the time. That would save a certain amount of bureaucracy.
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
Suffragette Anniversary
All the publicity about the anniversary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act seems to be about the extension of the franchise to women over 30. It should be remembered that it also led to a lot of working class men being allowed to vote for the first time.
Ground Shifting on Brexit
The latest ICM poll seems to indicate that public opinion on Brexit may be moving. I suspect that this could herald changes among the politicians very quickly.
New Tower Block on St Pauls Avenue
On a rather soggy Saturday, I was out door knocking near the former Genesis site in Willesden Green. Both parts have been sold and are now owned by a hedge fund based in the Channel islands. There is a big planning application for 81 flats, which I can't help feeling is an overdevelopment. Although it is frustrating that the area has been vacant for so long, any new building has to fit in with the area, and Willesden really isn't suited to very big blocks.
Monday, 5 February 2018
The Developing Willesden Library Cafe
Willesden Library Cafe has applied for longer opening hours and an alcohol license, which they say is to help them more events and hopefully some Sunday opening, which I think would be very welcome. It is good to see how it is finally coming together after a frustratingly long wait. At some point they will hopefully manage a more extensive food offer as well.
Today should also see the opening of the Brent Museum's Romanians exhibition: "Home Away from Home". This also involves collaboration with the Horniman Museum in South East London.
Today should also see the opening of the Brent Museum's Romanians exhibition: "Home Away from Home". This also involves collaboration with the Horniman Museum in South East London.
Sunday, 4 February 2018
Privatisation, Jeremy Corbyn and Brent Council
Yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn argued that private sector involvement has had its day in local government. I have two observations on this.
The first is that its not really true as there are still a large number of outsourced contracts out there. Some of the biggest, like Barnet's huge outsourcing, are the hardest to reverse. Secondly, there are still groups and Council leaderships that actively desire privatisation in some pretty unpalatable forms. The academisation of schools is one example often cited.
A Brent specific, much more outrageous, example is the former Preston school annexe. A "community group" appears to have had a number of not always documented meetings over several years with Cllr Muhammed Butt to effectively hand over this taxpayer owned building (which the Council regards as potentially worth £millions) to them for free. They even claim to have received a written offer to that effect. The wording of the offer is:
I think such an offer might well be illegal, which probably helps explain why (almost three years on from when it was reputedly made on 7 May 2014), it has still not been implemented. It is after all, a privatisation that even Margaret Thatcher might balk at. At least when she privatised tax payers assets, she made the new owners pay for them.
The second observation I would make is that whether the Council directly provides something or pays some one else to do it doesn't actually tell you much about the quality of the work or whether it is value for money. In my view, value for money should be the crucial test as to how to proceed.
The first is that its not really true as there are still a large number of outsourced contracts out there. Some of the biggest, like Barnet's huge outsourcing, are the hardest to reverse. Secondly, there are still groups and Council leaderships that actively desire privatisation in some pretty unpalatable forms. The academisation of schools is one example often cited.
A Brent specific, much more outrageous, example is the former Preston school annexe. A "community group" appears to have had a number of not always documented meetings over several years with Cllr Muhammed Butt to effectively hand over this taxpayer owned building (which the Council regards as potentially worth £millions) to them for free. They even claim to have received a written offer to that effect. The wording of the offer is:
"So Preston Community Library; I believe there is an opportunity over the next twelve months, and by January 2015 we will know whether the previous library building will be needed for school places as we know there is a massive school place shortage across the borough, but this is unlikely as there has already been a local school expansion in the area.
Therefore this Labour administration the Labour party in Brent will offer the building at a peppercorn rent to any local community group who can provide a sustainable community Library and that is our pledge.
We will not open to competitive tender in order to give preference to local groups if they can demonstrate health and safety sustainability etc. and we will offer help and assistance through Brent CVS the voluntary sector and continued support and networking through the Brent libraries forum which has proved successful for the likes of the Friends of Kensal Rise."
I think such an offer might well be illegal, which probably helps explain why (almost three years on from when it was reputedly made on 7 May 2014), it has still not been implemented. It is after all, a privatisation that even Margaret Thatcher might balk at. At least when she privatised tax payers assets, she made the new owners pay for them.
The second observation I would make is that whether the Council directly provides something or pays some one else to do it doesn't actually tell you much about the quality of the work or whether it is value for money. In my view, value for money should be the crucial test as to how to proceed.
Saturday, 3 February 2018
Northants Goes Bust
Northamptonshire County Council issued a section 114 notice yesterday. That is effectively saying the Council is bust, and will lead to an immediate freeze on spending and some sudden and probably not very strategic cuts. In the words of the Guardian, it is:
"an admission that a council does not have resources to meet current expenditure, that its financial reserves are depleted and that it has little confidence that it can bring spending under control in the near future."
It is the first local authority to issue such a notice in twenty years, and as such is a big deal.
It is not however, likely to be the last. This is the start of the process predicted by Barnet's well known "Graph of Doom". This shows a line of minimal spending by a local authority going steadily upward as demographic change and growing need places more demand on public services, meeting an upper line going downward, which shows the Authority's income made up of business rates, Council Tax, dwindling central grants, fees and charges and any other income it has. The two lines have now crossed, so that services can no longer be paid for without central government intervention.
Central government minister have ever since the Lib Dem/Tory coalition formed in 2010 and started savagely cutting funding for local government been told that this would be the result. They have simply ignored this entirely predictable result of their own policies.
My main surprise is that a Tory Council has collapsed first, as a number of them have been given sweetheart deals by the Tory government. However Northants will merely be the first of a number of authorities that central government is forced to take over. I doubt whether it will have the capacity to do so effectively so we may well be about to see things fall apart across the country.
"an admission that a council does not have resources to meet current expenditure, that its financial reserves are depleted and that it has little confidence that it can bring spending under control in the near future."
It is the first local authority to issue such a notice in twenty years, and as such is a big deal.
It is not however, likely to be the last. This is the start of the process predicted by Barnet's well known "Graph of Doom". This shows a line of minimal spending by a local authority going steadily upward as demographic change and growing need places more demand on public services, meeting an upper line going downward, which shows the Authority's income made up of business rates, Council Tax, dwindling central grants, fees and charges and any other income it has. The two lines have now crossed, so that services can no longer be paid for without central government intervention.
Central government minister have ever since the Lib Dem/Tory coalition formed in 2010 and started savagely cutting funding for local government been told that this would be the result. They have simply ignored this entirely predictable result of their own policies.
My main surprise is that a Tory Council has collapsed first, as a number of them have been given sweetheart deals by the Tory government. However Northants will merely be the first of a number of authorities that central government is forced to take over. I doubt whether it will have the capacity to do so effectively so we may well be about to see things fall apart across the country.
Thursday, 1 February 2018
Outsourcing and Local Government
Capita's profit warning yesterday seems to have set off the idea that outsourcing is on its way out. If it is, it should be because the size and length of outsourcing arrangements leaves the client without effective control of the contract. This is a different thing to the credit worthiness of the company.
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Employee Victimisation
All the comments Frances O'Grady applies to sexual bullying here, seem to me to apply to non-disclosure agreements in general. I hope the debate widens to include other forms of employee victimisation.
Saturday, 27 January 2018
Local Finance Incoherence
It appears that Brent Council are not the only ones to have an incoherent approach to local government finances. The government is alleged to have knowingly put out misleading information.
Friday, 26 January 2018
Council Tax Rises in Brent
Brent Council is now considering a 4.99% rise in Council Tax. I can't find references to a 4.99% rise in Council Tax in the Council's own documentation, so I assume it has just been raised with Cllr Butt in a conversation with some one. Previously, Cllr Butt has lurched from trying to promote a Council Tax freeze to going for a maximum increase, and has shown considerable disdain for the opinions of the Labour Group. This is not a very coherent approach.
Saturday, 20 January 2018
More on Carillion and Public Libraries
The Guardian has an update on the Carillion library situation in Ealing and Harrow. It might go out of date at any moment. However, the figures given for an in house and an outsourced service strike me as rather dubious. I wonder whether they are counting avoided business rates as part of the "cost"? If so, I have argued before that is rather artificial.
Friday, 19 January 2018
DIY Waste
The Times carried a story a few days ago about authorities having to accept DIY waste at their civic amenity sites without charge. If ministers are going to issue such an instruction to the WLWA and others, they need to explain how to spot the difference between a commercial builder and a DIY enthusiast.
Thursday, 18 January 2018
Willesden Baptist Church
I see that last night's planning committee was considering an application to add some housing to the Baptist Church on Willesden High Road whilst preserving the facade. Preserving the face, perhaps with some alteration, seems to have become something of a trend following the Spotted Dog and Willesden Library developments.
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Grayling Survives Carillion Mess
The more I think of the Carillion collapse, the more I think it needs an inquiry. Even a very basic procurement exercise should have thrown up sufficient warning to ministers that this was an unreliable company to be given major contracts. Yet Chris Grayling put taxpayers' money at risk anyway. Following from the East Cost Main line debacle, his position really should be in question, but as Theresa May's former campaign manager and a hard brexiteer it probably won't be. After all we have sen how even a total incompetent like David Davis has survived the impact assessment deception.
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Railings on Furness Road
To answer Michael's comment of some time ago, Brent Council may have removed the railings at the junction of Furness and Wrottesley Roads to actually enhance safety.
There are two ways this could be true. There is evidence now that when a cyclist gets brushed by a vehicle, such railings are more likely to lead to a fatality since the cyclist gets squashed between the vehicle and the railing. The lack of a railing would send the cyclist sprawling, but cause less damage. The other possibility is that it causes pedestrians to walk into the middle of the road as they tend to prefer the most direct route, which is certainly my own experience of that junction. This was the reason I campaigned for similar railings to be removed on Station Approach.
There are two ways this could be true. There is evidence now that when a cyclist gets brushed by a vehicle, such railings are more likely to lead to a fatality since the cyclist gets squashed between the vehicle and the railing. The lack of a railing would send the cyclist sprawling, but cause less damage. The other possibility is that it causes pedestrians to walk into the middle of the road as they tend to prefer the most direct route, which is certainly my own experience of that junction. This was the reason I campaigned for similar railings to be removed on Station Approach.
Monday, 15 January 2018
Carillion and Public Library Privatisation
This morning's news that Carillion has gone into liquidation causes me to reflection what a close shave Brent has had with its library service. Brent Council considered and rejected the option of privatising Brent Libraries when I was lead member. The option came up again later, and was actually included provisionally in the budget only to be withdrawn.
Ealing and Harrow are now considering whether to carry on with the contract for another five years. They are likely to do so, if only because they would have to pay the contractor off if they terminate the contract. Incidentally, I wonder whether Hounslow had to give a pay out to Carillion when Hounslow libraries went back in house.
The Harrow and Ealing reports predate this morning's news, but I suspect because of the termination payment the contract will be renewed and then perhaps terminated by mutual agreement subsequently. I say that as there is bound to be a huge restructuring at all the businesses that Carillion is involved in. As libraries are fairly marginal, that activity may be terminated altogether and just handed back to the Councils. That would at least be likely to safeguard those peoples' jobs.
I take it the government felt unable to do a bail out because of the controversy from Chris Grayling decision to waste vast amount of taxpayers' money on the East Coast Main line. There was no longer sufficent political cover to nationalise losses and privatise profits. Hopefully, this will lead to a further reflection over whether certain kinds of services can ever be operated privately without an implicit taxpayers' guarantee.
Moving back to libraries, London is left with a series of mainly publicly run services. The main exceptions are those run by Greenwich Leisure, and the one Borough (Redbridge) run by a mutual. In other words, the once fashionable idea of privatising library services as a means of cost saving seems to have come to naught. This doesn't bother me as the supposed benefits of libraries privation listed in the Harrow report (paragraph 2.6) strike me as similar to those already implement in Brent under its Libraries Transformation.
That leaves community managed library services as the final form of library privatisation open to Brent Council. This is such a slow motion and piecemeal affair that it may not strike many people as privatisation at all. So far, the biggest dollop of taxpayers' money is apparently a "one off" grant of £75k to FKRL preceded by a few smaller grants. The "Preston Library" group is still hoping to hit the jackpot by being effectively given the building for nothing, although I think any councillors signing such a deal off would expose themselves charges of corruption.
UPDATE 16.01.18
I see that Croydon has taken its libraries back in house leaving Carillion with just Harrow and Ealing.
Ealing and Harrow are now considering whether to carry on with the contract for another five years. They are likely to do so, if only because they would have to pay the contractor off if they terminate the contract. Incidentally, I wonder whether Hounslow had to give a pay out to Carillion when Hounslow libraries went back in house.
The Harrow and Ealing reports predate this morning's news, but I suspect because of the termination payment the contract will be renewed and then perhaps terminated by mutual agreement subsequently. I say that as there is bound to be a huge restructuring at all the businesses that Carillion is involved in. As libraries are fairly marginal, that activity may be terminated altogether and just handed back to the Councils. That would at least be likely to safeguard those peoples' jobs.
I take it the government felt unable to do a bail out because of the controversy from Chris Grayling decision to waste vast amount of taxpayers' money on the East Coast Main line. There was no longer sufficent political cover to nationalise losses and privatise profits. Hopefully, this will lead to a further reflection over whether certain kinds of services can ever be operated privately without an implicit taxpayers' guarantee.
Moving back to libraries, London is left with a series of mainly publicly run services. The main exceptions are those run by Greenwich Leisure, and the one Borough (Redbridge) run by a mutual. In other words, the once fashionable idea of privatising library services as a means of cost saving seems to have come to naught. This doesn't bother me as the supposed benefits of libraries privation listed in the Harrow report (paragraph 2.6) strike me as similar to those already implement in Brent under its Libraries Transformation.
That leaves community managed library services as the final form of library privatisation open to Brent Council. This is such a slow motion and piecemeal affair that it may not strike many people as privatisation at all. So far, the biggest dollop of taxpayers' money is apparently a "one off" grant of £75k to FKRL preceded by a few smaller grants. The "Preston Library" group is still hoping to hit the jackpot by being effectively given the building for nothing, although I think any councillors signing such a deal off would expose themselves charges of corruption.
UPDATE 16.01.18
I see that Croydon has taken its libraries back in house leaving Carillion with just Harrow and Ealing.
Wednesday, 3 January 2018
Council Tax Rises and Brent
Central government has once again changed expectations around Council Tax by allowing bigger rises. The maximum has now gone up to 5.99%, part of this is ringfenced to pay for social services which are now (after years of central government driven austerity) close to collapse. It is effectively a way for the government to kick the can along the road a bit longer. It doesn't really solve the long term problems of social services, the crisis in local government funding or the democratic deficit in local democracy.
I shall be interested in seeing how Brent Council responds. From 2010, Council Tax was frozen, but that was at a time when central government offered Council Tax freezing councils a grant greater than the value of a rise. This grant was then reduced over time to be worth worth less than a rise. This led to the odd situation in the 2015 budget when the Labour Group favoured a rise, and the Executive refused to enact it. In 2016, the Executive switched to a policy of having a maximum rise (which would now be just short of 6%). This is also now in line with central government expectation which is effectively pressuring Councils to raise Council Tax as much as possible to offset the pressures created by other government cuts both past and present. Altogether it is an incredibly messy and ineffective way for central government to meddle with local government.
The other question it raises is what are local councillors going to do in discussing all this? The budget has to be set legally by the end of March, and ideally a bit before so that Council Tax bills can go out smoothly. Given the forthcoming elections in May, the issue is even more politically sensitive than usual, although past evidence is that the public perceive the Council Tax as going up whether it does or not. We are now in January, and any discussion will have to happen fairly soon.
I shall be interested in seeing how Brent Council responds. From 2010, Council Tax was frozen, but that was at a time when central government offered Council Tax freezing councils a grant greater than the value of a rise. This grant was then reduced over time to be worth worth less than a rise. This led to the odd situation in the 2015 budget when the Labour Group favoured a rise, and the Executive refused to enact it. In 2016, the Executive switched to a policy of having a maximum rise (which would now be just short of 6%). This is also now in line with central government expectation which is effectively pressuring Councils to raise Council Tax as much as possible to offset the pressures created by other government cuts both past and present. Altogether it is an incredibly messy and ineffective way for central government to meddle with local government.
The other question it raises is what are local councillors going to do in discussing all this? The budget has to be set legally by the end of March, and ideally a bit before so that Council Tax bills can go out smoothly. Given the forthcoming elections in May, the issue is even more politically sensitive than usual, although past evidence is that the public perceive the Council Tax as going up whether it does or not. We are now in January, and any discussion will have to happen fairly soon.
Tuesday, 2 January 2018
Brent Council and Recycling
I see that Brent recycling performance is now about 37%, which is somewhat down from where it was a few years ago. Improving even a few percent would save the Council a lot of money and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The same report comments that the new Veolia contract is designed first and foremost to cut residual waste (now sent for electricity generation rather than landfill), but doesn't actually seem to have any figures on how much it might have been reduced by. However, it is good to see a renewed focus on reducing food waste. Finally, I am glad to see that the recycling service will be seeking to make better use of Brent libraries, which are a deeply under-appreciated communications tool.