Gladstonbury Festival

Brent Celebrates Gladstonbury is planned for 29^th and 30th June this year. This free event celebrates the international food, music and dance of Brent. The event, taking place in Gladstone Park, Dollis Hill, is expected to attract a family audience of 20,000 people of all ages. Performers, caterers and stallholders will add to attractions including:

•  music and dance workshops

•  fun sports and activities

•  live performances & pedal powered dance stage

•  international food and shopping market

•  Irvin leisure funfair

•  community knowledge zone.

This will also be the launch-pad for July's Brent Dance Month so visitors will get to take part in dance workshops on the day too and see a variety of staged performances featuring music by talented artists from Brent and beyond. More information on:

http://www.brent.gov.uk/council-news/april-2013/gladstonbury-festival-book-a-stall/

20 mph zone

Residents have been asking for road treatments to cut vehicle speed in the Harlesden Road and Donnington Road areas and called for a 20 mph zone limit be put on these roads. Good news is that the 20 mph zone is in the current works programme and will be implemented soon, together with additional speed tables and entry treatments. Although the limit is advisory only, most drivers do take note and keep their speed down.

Alternative councillor surgeries

With the Library Centre closing for redevelopment, ward councillors will be looking for an alternative venue.  We are looking at a few possibilities and hope to have agreed a new site soon.  Will post the change in venue (but same times) as soon as possible.

Dudden Hill Lane improvements

Residents at the Dudden Hill Lane end of the ward will have noticed the work being done to improve the pavement from Cooper Road to Villiers Road. Cooper Road residents have been very active in their complaints and I have raised the problems regularly a a result. The result has been a much improved walkway in Dudden Hill Lane and also in Chapter Road outside the tube station. Concerns raised about people crossing the busy Dudden Hill Lane from Chapter Road to the bus stop opposite have been heeded and pedestrian refuges are being implemented to make the crossing safer.

Willesden Centre gets official approval

Brent Council and developer Galliford Try have announced that plans to redevelop Willesden Green have been given final approval by the Greater London Authority and the Secretary of State.  Willesden Green Library will be transformed into Willesden Green Cultural Centre - a state of the art library and cultural centre that will act as the main hub for council services and community activity in the south of the borough. Formal planning permission is expected very soon and Willesden Library will now close in late April for redevelopment.

Police station closures announced

It has been confirmed that Willesden Police Station will be sold off. It was also announced that while Harlesden Police Station will lose its front counter, officers will continue to operate from the building. This action has been a possibility for some years and is said to ensure huge savings for more officers on the beat. In addition to savings, he argument for closure has always been that the building is not fit for the purpose of modern policing and it is suspected that this will remain the strongest argument against it staying open rather than any political party led "campaign".  I believe residents would prefer seeing more officers on the street rather than standing behind a station counter that few visit.  If there's a stark choice, I would rather see officer numbers maintained and increased rather than unfit buildings and suspect this would be a view shared by a number of Willesden residents. Wherever they are based, officers should be visible, easy to contact and with emails and telephone numbers that always work. Would welcome a police presence - a counter at least - to be in the rebuilt Willesden Cultural Centre. This would put the service clearly at the heart of Willesden. 

Community First funding for Willesden

There is an opportunity for local community projects to be awarded small grants (up to £2,500). Willesden Green ward has been awarded £67 to spend in allocations between 2012 to 2015. The Community First Panel, comprising local residents and traders, will submit proposals to the Community Development Foundation (administrators of the scheme) by the end of March 2013. Community based projects will focus on:

- Helping Willesden Green become a place to enjoy diverse, new and interesting activities and create attractions that enhance pride.
- Making people better informed about services and activities in the area. 
- Encouraging young people to have an active, engaged and positive relationship with Willesden Green. 
- Supporting the creation and development of a Town Team that truly represents all local stakeholders 
- Fostering green and environmental projects and improve the environment, visual appeal and healthfulness of Willesden Green. 

 Call 07810008526 for details or funding applications. 

Helping Willesden Green Regeneration

A Brent project, “New Windows on Willesden Green”, was the winner of the 2012 Regeneration and Renewal award for boosting high street vitality last month. The scheme has gone from strength to strength since its launch, includes 13 flourishing pop up shops on Queen's Parade. Local entrepreneurs have been given empty shops for low rent and turned them into viable businesses. Shop owners have been joining in with the other businesses recently creating beautiful window displays to encourage shoppers back into the area.

The Library Lab in Willesden Green Library is also still providing residents with a creative space to work from and get business advice and support and Electric House (Willesden Lane) is now being used to showcase the work of local artists as well as providing businesses with advice on dressing their shop windows. The recently formed Willesden Green Team, made up of local residents and business owners, will continue to build on the project by bringing vitality to the area for years to come.

Willesden Green Cultural Centre application

The Planning Committee met on 21^st February to consider the Willesden Cultural Centre applications.  The Committee resolved to agree to grant in principle, with the final determination left to the relevant Director, subject to:

(b) any direction by the Mayor of London to refuse the application. In accordance with Article 5 of the Town & Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order 2008 following the Council’s determination of this application, the Mayor is allowed 14 days to decide whether to allow the draft decision to proceed unchanged or direct the Council under Article 6 to refuse the application;

(c) Satisfactory prior completion of a Section 106(s). (Funding from developer for local improvements etc.)

The application also awaits the report on the Town Green application.

Section 106 conditions includes the funds for: 

- A phasing plan to ensure that a number of residential units shall not be occupied until WGCC   built and fitted out.

- Up to £40,000 towards improvement of local bus stops.

- “Permit free” on housing element of scheme.

- Achieve sustainability checklist.
- Join the Considerate Contractors Scheme (CCS).

- Travel Plans for WGCC and housing element.

- Training Package “Brent in2 work.”

- S278 Highway Works, relating to works to Grange Rd, High Rd, Brondesbury Walk and Brondesbury Park, which will include streetscape enhancements.

- Not less than £30,000 of the build cost of the WGCC element towards public art in the public areas of the building.

- up to £10,000 for the promotion and implementation of “car clubs” in the locality.

- Servicing Management Plan for WGCC.

Child poverty in Brent

An article in the Kilburn and Brent Times (28/2/1013) reported that a study of child poverty in Brent found  the largest proportion were living in Brent Central. The “End Child Poverty” coalition group found 42% of children living in Stonebridge Ward were suffering from relative poverty, just below was Harlesden Ward with 39% and 34% in Willesden Ward.  Having met Willesden families struggling with a low income, I know these statistics are likely to be accurate.

According to the government, families with children who are earning less than 60% median income (currently £26, 500 for 2013) are classed as living in poverty.  There is an additional formula used depending on the adult- child ration so for example, a couple with 2 children under 16 who earn less than a total of £18,300 are living in poverty.  But a single parent with 2 children would be classed as living in poverty if the are taking home less than £14,000.  This figure is £11,300 for a single parent with 1 child.