Selling school playing fields?

With the interest in sport and sports facilities at its highest as a result of the wonderful London Olympics, it is a shock to find that a school in a London Borough - Conservative Wandsworth -  has got permission from Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, to sell five acres of playing fields at Elliot School, Putney. He has approved  22 applications to sell school playing fields in England since 2010.  So much for Prime Minister David Cameron's most recent pronouncements!

Chapter Road development completed

The opening ceremony of the Grunwick Place development at Chapter/ Cooper Road, took place on Friday 22 June. The development comprising four, 5-storey blocks of residential units, has been completed by Durkan‘s Specialist  Works Division on behalf of Brent Housing Partnership, after a 4-year gap when the building works stalled  when a  previous contractor  went into  receivership. The site is of historical significance as it is where the ‘Grunwick  Dispute’ took place between 1976 – 1978.  The Dispute ‘was a long  running industrial dispute involving trade union recognition at the Grunwick Film Processing Labs in Willesden. Led by the late Jayaben Desai, a group of mostly female, immigrant, East African Asian strikers were dubbed “strikers in saris” by the news media.  To commemorate the long running dispute and the workers’ leader Mrs Desai, a plaque has been erected on the new pedestrian route and cycleway.

Voting registration

From 2014, each individual will become responsible for ensuring they are registered to vote. This is a change from the current system under which the head of a household completes a canvass form giving details of each individual eligible to vote at an address. There are fears that this move will see millions of people drop off the electoral roll. The Electoral Commission has estimated registration levels could drop from 80% to 65% as a result of the change and will skew support for political parties with conservative voters thought to be more likely to register than Labour voters.

Willesden Green Town Team

In June 2012 the Willesden Green Town Team moved into Unit 1, Queens Parade, Walm Lane to host a space to communicate developments to the local community. The Town Team which started to form the month before wanted to be more visible and feel part of the New Windows on Willesden Green project. In the Unit you can talk to the WG Town Team about plans for events and community activity.  Town Teams are being established across the country to bring local aspirations and ideas to influence emerging local and national policies and strategies relating to community, environmental and business development.  By encouraging strong cross-sector partnerships and developing a vision with community and political support, there is a greater opportunity to harness public and private investment and to action more sustainable change.


If you want to get involved email Peter Paddon at Blue Consulting at: peter.blue@btinternet.com.

Graffiti vandal in prison

A Graffiti vandal who daubed businesses, canals and train stations and has been described as one of the Tube's most prolific offenders, has been jailed for a year.  Harry Conway spray painted his tag 'ZeRX' on numerous local shops and restaurants close to his home in Liddell Gardens, Kensal Rise, and was believed to be part of the 'YAM' crew that stood for Young And Mad or You Ain't Much. He was sentenced at Harrow Crown Court where the judge told him: "This is a three year period where you applied graffiti on both public and private properties, damaged London Underground and railway property, British Waterways property - some of them permanently - and caused damaged to commercial and residential property.  "To say more about what you have done, and what I have seen in photographs of your work, would be to entrench this course of offending and give it some sort of dignity, of which it is completely devoid, and in reality is nothing more than deliberate, persistent and shabby vandalism. Conway is said to have caused £70,000 worth of damage. 

Some good news for Brent

Brent Council is top of the West London League for providing new homes in 2011-12 and second highest in the country for affordable homes in the socially rented sector. The figures have been made available by the Government Homes and Communities Agency.  Brent also tops the league table with completions having 523 Social rent completions out of a total of 687 in 2011 – 2012. If you add PFI the completions total 868. In the last year Brent has contributed over 50% of all new social and affordable rented housing starts in West London.

Cllr George Crane, Lead Member for Regeneration and Economic Development said “This is good news for Brent and especially for those in Housing need in this difficult economic climate but this hides a much darker story. Brent Council was one of only 35 Councils in the Country where homes in the Social rented sector have been started.  No Social Housing at all has been started in 289 Councils. This is bad news for those languishing on housing waiting lists and the government has no strategy to deal with the increasing housing crisis.”  

Olympics news

TfL is holding a series of Road Shows to advise residents about changes in travel arrangements and road closures in Brent during the games.  They will be in Willesden Sunday 1 July 11:00-17:00 Sainsbury's Willesden Green.

The Olympic Torch Relay will pass through Brent on 25^th July. It will travel along Harrow Road, Wembley High Road, the Stadium, and up to Kingsbury via Brent Town Hall to leave the borough into Barnet at 12:15. 

There will be parking suspensions along the route and a rolling road closure.  Buses will be re-directed. The Brent Magazine has details of the route and recommended places to stand. After the relay, spectators will be encouraged to visit this event:

 

Brent Celebrates the Flame; 25 July, 12noon-7.00pm King Edward VII Park

A free event, open to everyone that aims to celebrate the Olympic torch relay passing through the borough.  This park event is expected to attract a family audience of about 4,000 people.

Residents are encouraged to bring picnics and blankets to enjoy a laid back afternoon event in the park, watching performances, taking part in workshops, or trying some of the diverse food that will be available to buy. There will also be a large screen showing coverage of the relay as it travels through Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

Local school in Olympics role

The organisers involved with preparing for the Olympics has offered two schools in Brent the chance to be Flag Bearers and Player Escorts for the Olympic Football matches at Wembley. Both the flag bearers and player escorts will be responsible for leading the teams and match officials onto the pitch. The two schools are Furness Primary School and St Andrew & St Francis CE JM & I School. I am particularly pleased about St Andrew and St Francis School as I am chair of the governing body.

Chapter Road improvement

Chapter Road (outside number 244 to St Pauls Avenue junction) is due for carriageway resurfacing. It certainly needs it!  Work will commence 10 July and to be completed by 17 July 2012. More information from 020 8937 5117.

Commemorating Mrs Desai

Last Friday was delighted to attend the event to mark the completion of Brent Housing Trust’s (BHP) recent acquisition -  the flats development in Chapter Road beside Dollis Hill tube.  Was also the opportunity to view the newly named “Grunwick Close” and the commemorative plaque to the late Mrs Jayaben Desai who was instrumental in leading the dispute with the Grunwick company on the site in 1976. The predominately female employees protested about working conditions and the refusal of bosses to recognise their union status.  Mr Desai was invited to the event and was delighted that his late wife was remembered and I am grateful to BHP for including it at the development. The small plaque says:

Commemorating

Jayaben Desai

2^nd April 1933 to 23^rd December 2010

Leader of the
Grunwick workers strike