I thought the end of my first full month of blogging might be a good time to reflect. I am glad that I have managed a fairly regular rate of posting, and that the traffic is picking up. I hope I can keep it up in the coming months.
Actually, quite a lot of Brent councillors started a blog in 2006, fourteen in fact. Unfortunately, most of them seem to have run out of steam. Exceptions are Cllr Muhammed Butt (Tokyngton) Cllr Ralph Fox (Dollis Hill), Cllr Lesley Jones (Willesden Green) and Cllr Janice Long (Harlesden); all Labour as it happens.
Brent councillors' blogs can be found on the BRAIN Website. One of the problems with the BRAIN site is that, as it is paid for by the local authority, nothing even remotely political can be published during an election campaign. Cllr Lesley Jones is now avoiding this, by keeping her blog on a private site. Perhaps the purdah rule is why many councillors have had their rhythm disturbed.
Perhaps most poignant of the postings on the Brain website is that of Cllr David Clues, whose last posting begins "It is good to be back after the imposed silence of the Dudden Hill by-election." It was posted on 28 May 2007.
Monday, 31 August 2009
Capital City Academy and Planning Enforcement
Capital City Academy came up with a planning enforcement issue at the Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday. It turns out that when they got their all weather pitch back in 2003, they agreed to do various landscaping works that they largely ignored. They are now setting this right with a new planning application, but if you are aware of any other cases where people have failed to honour their planning agreements, please let me know. I can then pass it on to Brent's planning enforcement team, which is one of the most active in the country. There is no need to suffer in silence.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Elders Charges: Liberal Democrats Lie Again!
Even by Paul Lorber's standards of dishonesty, this one's a whopper. The image above is of a Liberal Democrat leaflet he put out in Sudbury in early 2006 calling for free personal care for the elderly. Naturally since it talks about free personal care for the elderly three times in a short article you might think that Brent Liberal Democrats were working towards that end. Especially given Paul Lorber's quote: "Those that have worked all their lives deserve to retire with dignity".You might therefore be surprised to learn that once the Liberal Democrats took power in Brent, they increased the charges for personal care for the elderly by 200%.
When challenged, Paul Lorber claimed that the leaflet above was simply talking about Scotland, and had nothing to do with Brent. I doubt with those of his constituents who got it through their door before the 2006 elections understood it that way. Presumably he thinks that only those who live in Scotland "deserve to retire with dignity."
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Brent's Local Press and Council Publicity
My post on the Liberal Democrats' broken promise to scrap the Brent Magazine has caused me to reflect on the controversy about local newspapers going out of business as a result of competition from Councils. This is a subject where local MP Andy Slaughter has been campaigning particularly hard.
I can't say I am convinced. I think the local newspapers real problems come from the rise of the Internet, the decline in advertising caused by the recession and perhaps the fragmentation of society which people less interested in local news.
Certainly, in Brent the Brent Magazine was deliberately designed not to rival local newspapers. It only goes out monthly. It doesn't do topical news. The format is very different from a newspaper. All right, it may cannibalise sa small amount of advertising from Archant et al, but most of the advertising is from the Council itself, and required under legislation or obviously sensible. The local newspapers can't really expect the Council to spend more on advertising just as a subsidy to commercial businesses like themselves.
I regret the decline of our local newspapers as much as anyone, not least because it lessens the scrutiny our truly awful local Liberal Democrat / Conservative administration is under. But the solution is for journalism to change its business models; not to try to hold back technological change.
I can't say I am convinced. I think the local newspapers real problems come from the rise of the Internet, the decline in advertising caused by the recession and perhaps the fragmentation of society which people less interested in local news.
Certainly, in Brent the Brent Magazine was deliberately designed not to rival local newspapers. It only goes out monthly. It doesn't do topical news. The format is very different from a newspaper. All right, it may cannibalise sa small amount of advertising from Archant et al, but most of the advertising is from the Council itself, and required under legislation or obviously sensible. The local newspapers can't really expect the Council to spend more on advertising just as a subsidy to commercial businesses like themselves.
I regret the decline of our local newspapers as much as anyone, not least because it lessens the scrutiny our truly awful local Liberal Democrat / Conservative administration is under. But the solution is for journalism to change its business models; not to try to hold back technological change.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Liberal Democrats' Broken Promises in Brent: Spending Taxpayers' money on Publicity
Another of Brent Liberal Democrats broken promises was the pledge to scrap the Brent Magazine and reduce the amount of Council Tax payers money spent on Council publicity in general.
This is a particularly interesting one since if Paul Lorber knew the facts in 2006, when he was promising to scrap it, he must have known that getting rid of the Brent Magazine would actually cost the taxpayer. The reason is that by at least late 2005, the Brent Magazine had a modest operating surplus from the advertising it provides. As well as the damage to the reputation of the Council for scrapping these contracts, scrapping the Magazine would also forced the taxpayer to pay for more advertising in other journals.
In fact, when the Liberal Democrats won the largest number of seats (although only the third highest number of votes) in May 2006, they put out a proposal to the other parties to reduce the number of issues rather than scrap it altogether.
Since then, they have continued publishing the Brent Magazine once a month (as under Labour). They have also increased spending on Council publicity in general to far higher levels than under Labour.
This is a particularly interesting one since if Paul Lorber knew the facts in 2006, when he was promising to scrap it, he must have known that getting rid of the Brent Magazine would actually cost the taxpayer. The reason is that by at least late 2005, the Brent Magazine had a modest operating surplus from the advertising it provides. As well as the damage to the reputation of the Council for scrapping these contracts, scrapping the Magazine would also forced the taxpayer to pay for more advertising in other journals.
In fact, when the Liberal Democrats won the largest number of seats (although only the third highest number of votes) in May 2006, they put out a proposal to the other parties to reduce the number of issues rather than scrap it altogether.
Since then, they have continued publishing the Brent Magazine once a month (as under Labour). They have also increased spending on Council publicity in general to far higher levels than under Labour.
Brunel Court, Dumping and Crime
I went to a meeting with some local residents in Brunel Court (the blocks on the Harrow Road NW10 opposite Scrubs Lane) to find out about their problems. These turned out to be mostly to do with dumped rubbish, illegal parking and crime. I am currently on the case following these up. If any other Kensal Green residents have any problems in your area, please feel free to contact either myself or Cllr Bobby Thomas.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Cllr Bertha Joseph, Conservative Councillor for Kensal Green
Cllr Bertha Joseph, Conservative councillor for Kensal Green, is going to be the subject of Brent Standards Committee's first formal hearing on charges of ethical misconduct, if what I have heard on the grapevine is true. The investigation first started after the Willesden & Brent Times broke a front page story back in January 2008, so the whole process has been far from speedy. The Standards Committee discussed it on Tuesday, although their formal agenda did not even mention her name, which seems excessively secretive. I hope the Hearing is more open.
Sarah Teather's Hypocrisy on School Places
Brent Liberal Democrats and Sarah Teather MP never cease to amaze me with their blatent dishonesty. In a press release dated 20th August Sarah Teather MP has the chutzpah to blame the government for the shortage of school places in Brent.
Does she not remember that Brent is an Education Authority run by a coalition of Liberal Democrats and Tories? Does she not remember personally endorsing the Liberal Democrat councillors presiding over the school place shortage? Does she not remember that the Labour Government has given Brent some of the biggest rises in its Dedicated Schools Budget in the entire country?
Above all, does she not remember how her Liberal Democrat friends on Brent Council have deliberately delayed the provision of new school places for Brent. In 2006, a site had been identified for a new through school in Wembley. The options had been exhaustively examined by the Labour Administration in charge of Brent Council up to May 2006. Sarah Teather's Liberal Democrats teamed up with the Tories to have a "review." The review lasted more than a year. At the end of it, no new information had been discovered, and the Council went ahead on the site that had been identified in 2006. all that had been achieved was a year's delay in providing new school places.
Does Sarah Teather have no shame?
Does she not remember that Brent is an Education Authority run by a coalition of Liberal Democrats and Tories? Does she not remember personally endorsing the Liberal Democrat councillors presiding over the school place shortage? Does she not remember that the Labour Government has given Brent some of the biggest rises in its Dedicated Schools Budget in the entire country?
Above all, does she not remember how her Liberal Democrat friends on Brent Council have deliberately delayed the provision of new school places for Brent. In 2006, a site had been identified for a new through school in Wembley. The options had been exhaustively examined by the Labour Administration in charge of Brent Council up to May 2006. Sarah Teather's Liberal Democrats teamed up with the Tories to have a "review." The review lasted more than a year. At the end of it, no new information had been discovered, and the Council went ahead on the site that had been identified in 2006. all that had been achieved was a year's delay in providing new school places.
Does Sarah Teather have no shame?
Overturning a Planning Recommendation
As I mentioned yesterday, I went to a planning committee meeting last night, and we did something we seldom do: overturned officers' recommendation.
To explain, each planning application before the committee has a recommendation from the planning department to approve, refuse or defer. Residents often regard the Planning Committee's usual course of following this recommendation as making it into a kind of rubber stamp, but I would argue it is more complicated than that. One shouldn't treat the number of officer recommendations overturned as some sort of virility symbol.
Firstly, whereas the Committee is certainly influenced by officers, the opposite is also true. Officers are working within a policy framework set by the Committee. I admit that some of the Committee members seem to disagree with the policy framework, but make no effort to change it, so they have only themselves to blame. Also, when the Committee overturns recommendations, officers adjust their recommendations on future cases. A while ago we started having controversies over back garden extensions, and in a couple of cases we overturned recommendations. As a result, the officers showed greater care over similar applications on future occasions.
Another reason that residents are sometimes disenchanted with the Planning System is that many things lie outside it. It can't really be used to control anti-social behaviour for example. Nor can the Planning Committee consider things outside its legal framework, like houseprices. This can mean that the residents regard an application as obviously wrong, but the Planning Committee don't refuse it because there are no planning grounds to do so.
To explain, each planning application before the committee has a recommendation from the planning department to approve, refuse or defer. Residents often regard the Planning Committee's usual course of following this recommendation as making it into a kind of rubber stamp, but I would argue it is more complicated than that. One shouldn't treat the number of officer recommendations overturned as some sort of virility symbol.
Firstly, whereas the Committee is certainly influenced by officers, the opposite is also true. Officers are working within a policy framework set by the Committee. I admit that some of the Committee members seem to disagree with the policy framework, but make no effort to change it, so they have only themselves to blame. Also, when the Committee overturns recommendations, officers adjust their recommendations on future cases. A while ago we started having controversies over back garden extensions, and in a couple of cases we overturned recommendations. As a result, the officers showed greater care over similar applications on future occasions.
Another reason that residents are sometimes disenchanted with the Planning System is that many things lie outside it. It can't really be used to control anti-social behaviour for example. Nor can the Planning Committee consider things outside its legal framework, like houseprices. This can mean that the residents regard an application as obviously wrong, but the Planning Committee don't refuse it because there are no planning grounds to do so.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Pub Names
Tonight I have to go to the Planning Committee, where one of the cases is the former White Hart pub in Church End. I doubt whether that is the traditional name for the pub. The "White Hart" is said to have originally indicated a link to Richard II, whose symbol it was. Indeed, if you go to the National Gallery, you can see the White Hart symbol in the Wilton Diptych, the earliest known portrait of an English Monarch.
But I cannot imagine that there is any actual connection between the Church End White Hart pub and Richard II. Here in Brent, the pubs change their name too often for that. For example, a few years ago No. 8 in Willesden High Road was known as Ned Kelly's. Before that it had one of my favourite pub names: The Case is Altered.
The story behind The Case is Altered as a pub name is that during the Pennisular War, the Middlesex regiment spent a long time quartered at La Casa Alta. when the soldiers demobbed they started up pubs with a corruption of the old headquarters name. Too nice a story to be true.
The only pubs I know of in Brent to have retained their old names are the Spotted Dog pubs, one in Neasden and one in Willesden. Sadly, they are both now closed.
But I cannot imagine that there is any actual connection between the Church End White Hart pub and Richard II. Here in Brent, the pubs change their name too often for that. For example, a few years ago No. 8 in Willesden High Road was known as Ned Kelly's. Before that it had one of my favourite pub names: The Case is Altered.
The story behind The Case is Altered as a pub name is that during the Pennisular War, the Middlesex regiment spent a long time quartered at La Casa Alta. when the soldiers demobbed they started up pubs with a corruption of the old headquarters name. Too nice a story to be true.
The only pubs I know of in Brent to have retained their old names are the Spotted Dog pubs, one in Neasden and one in Willesden. Sadly, they are both now closed.
Willesden Junction and the Hythe Road Footpath
As readers of this blog will have realised, Willesden Junction Train Station is the source of numerous intractable problems but the one which really annoys me is the Hythe Road public footpath, which seems to sum up son many of the difficulties about boundaries and so on.
If you turn left out of the main ticket office in Willesden Junction, you can walk across a bus turning circle and under a bridge. Just to your right is a foot bridge that goes over the railway and leads on to the Hythe Road Industrial estate in Hammersmith & Fulham (In fact you crossed over to Hammersmith & Fulham as you went through the turning circle).
If this footbridge and the path were done up it would meet every tickbox of a public project. It would encourage employment, by making it easier for people to get into the Industrial Estate (particularly from Harlesden, Kensal Green and Stonebridge which are all high unemployment areas). It would discourage crime by creating a well lit space where people feel safe. Most of all it would encourage sustainable transport. People could either walk on to the Estate from Harlesden or Kensal Green, or (if they were from further afield) they would be encouraged to uses the buses or the trains by knowing they could walk the remaining distance.
Why doesn't this happen? Two reasons. (1) Hammersmith & Fulham isn't interested because their residents come from the South not via Willesden Junction (2) Brent isn't interested because the footpath is in a different Borough.
If you turn left out of the main ticket office in Willesden Junction, you can walk across a bus turning circle and under a bridge. Just to your right is a foot bridge that goes over the railway and leads on to the Hythe Road Industrial estate in Hammersmith & Fulham (In fact you crossed over to Hammersmith & Fulham as you went through the turning circle).
If this footbridge and the path were done up it would meet every tickbox of a public project. It would encourage employment, by making it easier for people to get into the Industrial Estate (particularly from Harlesden, Kensal Green and Stonebridge which are all high unemployment areas). It would discourage crime by creating a well lit space where people feel safe. Most of all it would encourage sustainable transport. People could either walk on to the Estate from Harlesden or Kensal Green, or (if they were from further afield) they would be encouraged to uses the buses or the trains by knowing they could walk the remaining distance.
Why doesn't this happen? Two reasons. (1) Hammersmith & Fulham isn't interested because their residents come from the South not via Willesden Junction (2) Brent isn't interested because the footpath is in a different Borough.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Brent Liberal Democrats: Lies rather than broken promises
If the image above seems familiar that is because I posted it a few days ago in the post about Brent Liberal Democrats breaking their promise to freeze the Council Tax. I just wanted to come back it to comment on the graph in the right hand corner, showing the Brent East election result from 2005. This isn't a broken promise so much as a deception. They put the same graph out in every part of Brent, North, South and East, and regardless of the type of election.
A more rigorous approach would show that the Liberal Democrat came third in terms of share of the vote in Brent in the local elections in 2006, the GLA elections in 2008 and the European elections in 2009.
Barry Gardiner MP sometimes refers to the Lib Dems as "The Not Exactly Honest Party." It is not hard to see why.
Monday, 24 August 2009
The Story of the Peculiar Boundaries of Kensal Green Ward
Residents, particularly at the Jubilee Clock end of Kensal Green ward, are often surprised to be told that they don't live in Harlesden. Indeed, sometimes they are quite annoyed.
The blame lies with the Tories as always (except when its down to the Liberal Democrats).
At the time of the last local government review, the Tories put forward a scheme where something like the current Harlesden Ward would be Harlesden West, and Kensal Green would be Harlesden East. During that very messy and ill-conducted review, the Commission changed the name to Kensal Green, but left the boundary just short of the Jubilee Clock.
The blame lies with the Tories as always (except when its down to the Liberal Democrats).
At the time of the last local government review, the Tories put forward a scheme where something like the current Harlesden Ward would be Harlesden West, and Kensal Green would be Harlesden East. During that very messy and ill-conducted review, the Commission changed the name to Kensal Green, but left the boundary just short of the Jubilee Clock.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Roundwood Youth Club Rebuild: Brent Liberal Democrats should Help
A piece of (mostly) good news in Kensal Green; Roundwood Youth Club on Longstone Avenue is being rebuilt thanks to a £5 million grant from the Government.
I have to be careful what I say, as I am on the Planning Committee and I may have to judge a Planning Application for the site. There are very strict rules that councillors on the Planning Committee are in a "quasi-judicial" role and therefore must not say anything to give the impression that they have made their minds up in advance.
However, I can say that I am concerned about the length of time any building project might take and I am concerned that Brent Council doesn't seem to be providing alternative premises for the Youth facilities during that period. There is a possibility of some of them being sent up to Blackbird Hill, which hardly convenient to get to if you have to travel by public transport from Kensal Green. The Liberal Democrats who in theory run Brent Council, should pull their fingers out to make sure people can still access these youth services.
I have to be careful what I say, as I am on the Planning Committee and I may have to judge a Planning Application for the site. There are very strict rules that councillors on the Planning Committee are in a "quasi-judicial" role and therefore must not say anything to give the impression that they have made their minds up in advance.
However, I can say that I am concerned about the length of time any building project might take and I am concerned that Brent Council doesn't seem to be providing alternative premises for the Youth facilities during that period. There is a possibility of some of them being sent up to Blackbird Hill, which hardly convenient to get to if you have to travel by public transport from Kensal Green. The Liberal Democrats who in theory run Brent Council, should pull their fingers out to make sure people can still access these youth services.
More Council Tax Hypocrisy by Brent Liberal Democrats
Following yesterday's earlier post about Sarah Teather's broken promise to freeze the Council Tax in Brent, I have come across this story from the BBC.
Dated January this year, it reveals that Liberal Democrat run Brent is one of the most aggressive authorities in terms of the pursuit of Council Tax arrears. I bet Brent residents didn't think that would be the case when Sarah Teather was promoting her Axe the Tax campaign.
I wonder if she agrees with her party colleague, who was quoted in the BBC
story:
Apparently, in 2007-8, Lib Dem run Brent issued 93 bankruptcy proceedings against local residents. That is one of the highest rates in the UK.
By the way, I think we should all be grateful to the intrepid investigators who got hold of the figures underlying the BBC story. The figures were obtained by the Liberal Democrats.
Dated January this year, it reveals that Liberal Democrat run Brent is one of the most aggressive authorities in terms of the pursuit of Council Tax arrears. I bet Brent residents didn't think that would be the case when Sarah Teather was promoting her Axe the Tax campaign.
I wonder if she agrees with her party colleague, who was quoted in the BBC
story:
The party's local government spokeswoman Julia Goldsworthy said:
"Overstretched families are already struggling to meet their mortgage repayments
and keep their homes but this survey shows that failing to pay council tax can
have just as devastating an effect on householders.
"Just as lenders are being asked to reduce repossessions, public bodies should do everything they can to ensure that bankruptcy is avoided where possible."
She said it was not "a licence to avoid paying bills" but said court appearances and bankruptcy should be the "last resort".
Apparently, in 2007-8, Lib Dem run Brent issued 93 bankruptcy proceedings against local residents. That is one of the highest rates in the UK.
By the way, I think we should all be grateful to the intrepid investigators who got hold of the figures underlying the BBC story. The figures were obtained by the Liberal Democrats.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Brent Liberal Democrats and Broken Promises: Council Tax
Yesterday's post got me thinking about the various broken promises of Brent Liberal Democrats at the last local elections in 2006. Above is the big one: Council Tax.
The Liberal Democrats, including Sarah Teather MP, near the centre above repeatedly promised to freeze Brent's Council Tax. Within weeks of taking office, Cllr Paul Lorber announced that he hadn't realised that the central government grant for 2007 would be the level it was (despite it having been announced in November 2005, six months before).
When it came to their first budget, they raised Council Tax by 4.9%, just below the level at which the government would cap it. Since then they have had two budgets, both putting the Council Tax up. In fact during their three years of office since 2006, they have put the Council Tax up by more than the amount the previous Labour Administration did during its last three years.
Friday, 21 August 2009
More on Willesden Junction
I have just had a letter from Network Rail about Willesden Junction, which supercedes my earlier post. I shall have to find out more about each of these issues. Essentially, there is a major investment in London Overground in the run up to the London Olympics. Work starts tomorrow, according to this letter. My main concerns are:
They plan to clear the derelict land between Tubbs Road and the railway. How will this affect Well London's food growing project on that site?
They plan to clear further land around the Bakerloo and Overground lines. Will this include the Harrow Road footpath? What kind of landscaping will be put in place afterward?
How long and how severe will the disruption to rail services be?
Once I have answers to these questions I will post them here.
They plan to clear the derelict land between Tubbs Road and the railway. How will this affect Well London's food growing project on that site?
They plan to clear further land around the Bakerloo and Overground lines. Will this include the Harrow Road footpath? What kind of landscaping will be put in place afterward?
How long and how severe will the disruption to rail services be?
Once I have answers to these questions I will post them here.
Using Willesden Junction
Willesden Junction Train Station has always been a nightmare to approach, but I have been told this will all change under a new Masterplan. Admittedly, I have heard that sort of thing before, not least in the constant off-on about the Bakerloo Line's Kensal Green station, but I remain hopeful.
The problems at Willesden Junction have been to do with the physical layout of the station, the different bodies responsible for different bits , and the Local Authority boundaries.
The approach I have been concentrating on recently has been the Harrow Road footpath. This comes down from Harrow Road close to the junction with Furness Road towards the old ticket office. I suspect it has more users than the newer, main ticket office. Back in January, during Boris Johnson's notorious shutdown of public transport in London, I tried to find out who was responsible for gritting it. It took six months to find out that it was London Overground (LOROL). Apparently, they also take responsibility for cutting back the brambles that overhang it, although I am not sure that they are legally obliged to.
I am trying to have that area by the side of the path gravelled over. Hopefully, that will also discourage the rats.
The problems at Willesden Junction have been to do with the physical layout of the station, the different bodies responsible for different bits , and the Local Authority boundaries.
The approach I have been concentrating on recently has been the Harrow Road footpath. This comes down from Harrow Road close to the junction with Furness Road towards the old ticket office. I suspect it has more users than the newer, main ticket office. Back in January, during Boris Johnson's notorious shutdown of public transport in London, I tried to find out who was responsible for gritting it. It took six months to find out that it was London Overground (LOROL). Apparently, they also take responsibility for cutting back the brambles that overhang it, although I am not sure that they are legally obliged to.
I am trying to have that area by the side of the path gravelled over. Hopefully, that will also discourage the rats.
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Masons Arms, Kensal Rise
Congratulations to the Masons Arms on getting to the finals of the Great British Pub Awards. Along with The Island on College Road, the Masons Arms has really improved the area sinbce they were done up a few years ago.
The old Brent Labour Party office used to be in what is now Gracelans Yard. I remember going into what was then called the Buccaneer with our newly elected MP Dawn Butler. As we were chatting in the lower part of the pub, she noticed that there was some dogshit on the floor. Obviously, I know how to impress a girl.
I should make clear that this was before the new management took over and transformed it into the The Island. If anything it is now a bit too upmarket, at least when it comes to prices.
The old Brent Labour Party office used to be in what is now Gracelans Yard. I remember going into what was then called the Buccaneer with our newly elected MP Dawn Butler. As we were chatting in the lower part of the pub, she noticed that there was some dogshit on the floor. Obviously, I know how to impress a girl.
I should make clear that this was before the new management took over and transformed it into the The Island. If anything it is now a bit too upmarket, at least when it comes to prices.