CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Dear Residents,

Jim, Ruth and George would like to wish all Fryent residents best wishes for Christmas and a happy New Year.

Many people have to work at Christmas, Police, Fire-fighters, Doctors and Nurses providing emergency services. Others provide essential public services or are on call.  Our thanks go to everybody who are working over Christmas and keeping us safe or looking after others in whatever role.

We know that Christmas is a time for celebration and family reunions; but it is also a time to reflect on what confronts those less fortunate than ourselves, at home and throughout the world. 

2011 has been a difficult year for many, in particular those facing the continuing effects of the economic downturn. Sadly it does not seem that things will improve in the short term and we hope that it is not having too drastic effect on people’s lives this Christmas.

It is also important to keep discussing issues that concern us all – there can be no more valuable role for our community in Fryent and we want you to keep us informed of your views. 

With best wishes for a Happy and Peaceful New Year.

Our police officers

At a recent meeting of the Fryent Safer Neighbourhood Team of local police and
residents and councillors, we discussed crime issues in the area. We received a
full report on the horrific assault on four officers by a very disturbed character
in Kingsbury recently with a 12"knife. Called to an incident in Kingsbury Town
a man ran into a butcher's shop to grap the knife and slash one officer's face.
Three other officers were also injured in trying to contain this very disturbed individual
and the most seriously injured officer struggled for his life in hospital. He will be
left with a serious permanent facial disability. This reminds us all of how these officers
risk their lives on the frontline against crime.

On another issue of burglary, we heard 'tips' from  a convicted burglar on what to do
to discourage 'opportunist' crime. He said that  burglars would not select a property
with the following characteristics:

                 * A well lit premises;           * The presence of a dog;
                 * Anti-climbing paint on drainpipes, balconies and so on;
                 * Barrier fencing  above gardens gates and perimeter walls;
                 * Motion sensor lighting;     *Beware of dog stickers;
                 *Alarm warning stickers;    *Pebbles/shingle near rear patio doors;
                 *CCTV camera (dummy or live)
                 *Pad sensors behind doors/windows;   * 'Switch house alarms on'

Check how many of these precautions you have?If none, why not put up a
'burglar welcome' notice!

Tennis in Roe Green Park

We forgot to say that this new facility, (if approved by planning) is entirely due
to our efforts to develop this park. For some time we have been lobbying the
Council to build on the Multi-games area and Trim trail which we secured a
while back as part of a 3year development plan. Unfortunately, the previous
administration (2006-10) abandoned this plan in favour of another 'dream'
bid for a swimming pool in the park. Of course, we would all like a swimming
pool in the area, but after the collapse of three commercial bids it was never
going to happen.

So, in 2011 that dream was abandoned in favour of a pool in Wembley Park -
which could be o'k for Kingsbury residents. But we pressed for the original
plan for tennis courts and other sports facilities in Roe Green to be revisited.
Pleased to say that with a new Labour administration we were able to
persuade the Council in these tough times to allocate £258,000 for this tennis
court plan and many other improvements (see earlier blog item). We don't
give up!

KINGSBURY AND KENTON AREA FORUM

Have your say - join the debate on Brent's next budget.
The next meeting will take place on 8th February commencing at 7.00 pm to be held at Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave, Kingsbury N.W.9

Brent Council is inviting residents and businesses to have their say about its proposed budget for the next financial year by joining the discussions at the next Area Forum meeting.


The proposals for the 2012/13 budget recognise the difficult financial position faced by Brent Council because of the loss of central government grants and other funding, which will be equivalent to a 26 per cent loss in funding between April 2011 and March 2015.

At the recent Full Council meeting, the Council Executive proposed six priorities for the 2012-2013 budget. The priority areas include increasing employment and job opportunities for Brent residents, improving our neighbourhoods and people's quality of life, working with young people, integration of social care and NHS health services and further regeneration of the borough.

We look forward to hearing your views.

Cllr George Crane, Jim and Ruth Moher

NHS WAITING LIST’S RISING

You might be forgiven, with all the talk of the dire economic climate, in forgetting that the Health and Social Care Bill is still being debated through the House of Lords.

A recent e mail from the Socialist Health Assoc warns of very worrying increases in waiting times within our local NHS. Brent NHS has a 54% increase in the number of patients waiting more than 18 weeks since May 2010. The figure for Harrow is even worse the increase is 75%. You can check out figures for the whole Country at the following link.
http://www.sochealth.co.uk/news/Cost.

Even more worrying is the disintegration of the local NHS or PCT’s before Parliament has given consent to the Bill.

If you know of anyone locally in Fryent waiting for urgent treatment within the NHS please let us know.

RECYCLING IN BRENT UP 50%

Some more good news on the new recycling system introduced in October this year. Brent Council has hailed a dramatic improvement in recycling in the borough since the start of its new waste and recycling service with recycling rates rising by up to 50 per cent.

Figures released by Brent Council show that for the first month since 3 October this year, when the new waste and recycling service was introduced, the combined recycling rate of all organic and dry waste rose to 45 per cent in October from 31 per cent in September this year. Kerbside dry recycling alone rose by 50 per cent from 838 tonnes in September to 1,260 tonnes in October this year thanks to the switch from green boxes to blue-topped bins.

In addition, just 3,890 tonnes of waste were sent to landfill in October compared with 6,574 tonnes in September - a fall of 41 per cent.


Fryent Councillors Jim and Ruth Moher and George Crane said :
"We would like to applaud and thank all Fryent residents who have contributed to the success of Recycle More in its first month. These are tremendous figures and show that many more residents in Brent have taken to the new recycling service.”

"The less waste we send to landfill means we will have to pay less in carbon tax and we will as a borough have a less negative effect on the environment.”

UK ECONOMY NOT WORKING - Who should take the blame?

One year ago Chancellor George Osborne said “we have a plan for the economy.” The plan involved billions in cuts on spending, mainly in the public sector, on welfare, social housing, local Council spending and many other areas. (The austerity measures are the direct result of the Council having to find 100 million of savings over four years)
These cuts we are told are vital to reduce debt and get the economy moving again.

Economies all over the world rely on spending to drive an increase in GDP (Gross domestic product) The UK jobless total is the highest for 17 years, growth is so small it has almost stalled into a recession.
Cuts in public spending stop consumers spending, which then hits jobs and damages business. People fear for their jobs, stop spending, and we have this vicious spiral of despair.

Cameron, Osborne and Clegg have consistently blamed the previous Government but their own policies are not working. Inflation is up higher than ever, driven by higher energy prices, petrol and food price increases. Growth is lower, not Labour’s fault, add to this the Government‘s own income is suffering from lower Corporation Tax and lower Income Tax. Europe is in crisis and although Britain is not part of the Euro we are Europe’s biggest trading partner. The UK jobless total is the highest for 17 years, but redundant workers don’t help the economy, they don’t pay tax but claim benefit.

So what can be done? Instead of giving money to the bankers why don’t the Government give money to manufacturing industries? Create an investment bank to lend money to industries to build houses, invest in infrastructure projects, and create jobs. We need to manufacture and export to create growth. People need to have the confidence to spend, that means job security.
We still need to cut the debt, but it doesn’t have to be done so quickly. The coalition Government seems to want to portray the UK economy as a basket case. Nothing could be further from the truth, the UK debt is actually the 50th most indebted Country in the World. Not that bad and far less than the USA which stands at 15 trillion dollars, Canada, France and Germany.

This week Mr Osborne the Tory Chancellor told the House of Commons in the Autumn statement “people know that promises of quick fixes and more spending this Country can’t afford, at times like this, are like the promise of a quack doctor selling a miracle cure.” I think that what he really means is the medicine isn’t working but it’s not the medicine that’s the problem, you just haven’t had enough of it yet.

It’s a long time since I studied Economics but I was always told you can grow the Economy out of debt but you can’t cut your way out of debt. Unfortunately this Government’s not listening we haven’t had enough of their medicine yet.

TENNIS IN ROE GREEN PARK

Sports and Parks Service have submitted a planning application (planning reference 11/2905) for the creation of three tennis courts in Roe Green Park, just south of the existing multi use games area along Kingsbury Road. You can find below the link to the planning application where you can check out the proposals.

http://www.brent.gov.uk/servlet/ep.ext?extId=101150&reference=106140&st=PL

If residents would like to comment on the proposal, please contact the Planning Service case officer, Angus Saunders on 020 8937 5017. Alternatively, you can comment below

KINGSBURY- POLICE OFFICERS STABBED

It was meant to be a quiet Saturday at my regular Councillor surgery at Kingsbury Library.
Unfortunately it has been marred by a really nasty incident in Kingsbury High Road. I walked down to the scene and a local resident told me “police chased a man into a local shop. It would appear that the attacker ran into a local butchers, grabbed a knife and attacked and stabbed 3 police officers”

The attacker was arrested and is in custody.
I was told 3 or 4 officers had been hurt and been taken to Hospital.

The area has been cordoned off while police officers undertake further investigations.
It is best to avoid the area at present as traffic conditions are very congested.

Cllr George Crane

controlling dogs in our parks

After many complaints by park users, the Council recently decided to act by regulating 'dog-walkers' and other abuses. Of course, the Council encourages and promotes responsible dog ownership.

We know from a recent walkabout in Fryent Country Park that some commercial 'dog-walkers' have become a real problem. Some have more than ten on leashes which they release creating a mess and posing a worry to many local residents out for a stroll in this wonderful park. It seems that some of these 'dog-walkers' come from as far a field as south London, as many other councils are restricting their numbers.

Dog Control Orders will now be laid in Brent to make it an offence to be in charge of more than six dogs in any of our parks or open spaces. There was some debate as to whether it should be set at four, but it was decided to start with six and review the position after 6 months.

There will also be areas where dogs are not permitted at any time. This applies to all playgrounds and multi-use game areas (eg., in Roe Green Park, tennis courts, netball courts and bowling greens. Obviously, this does not apply to registered blind people and others with disabilities requiring the assistance of trained dogs.

In some of the smaller/pocket parks and areas containing flower beds(eg., Kingsbury Walled Garden),owners will be required to keep their dogs on leads.

The whole arrangement will be reviewed after six months.

Ken's Fare Deal

Ken Livingstone has said today “I will put ordinary Londoner’s first and cut fares if elected in 2012.”
He is proposing to cut fares overall by 5% in 2012 and plans a fares freeze in 2013. Talking to commuters at Wembley Park Tube station this morning they gave Ken a big “thumbs up” for his promise.
(The current Tory Mayor Boris Johnson has planned big increases in January 2012 see our previous blog.)

George Crane

What price Tube reliability?

Boris Johnson, Tory Mayor of London has announced fares on London transport network will rise by an average of 7% from January 2012.
This will come as a really nasty surprise to commuters living in the Fryent area, already hard pressed with other increases to household budgets. With RPI (retail price increases) only at 5% what justification is there for such staggering increases.
What’s even worse, this week, saw tube chaos on many lines again, including the Jubilee line. Maybe before he puts the fares up the Mayor should concentrate on reliability. The Mayor has an election in just over six months. If he and Transport for London are to convince Londoners that they have the Tube in hand, they need to do better than this.

Executive Greed

A report released last Friday by Income Data Services shows that salaries, bonuses and benefits of Directors at Britain’s top businesses have risen by 49% in the last year. The BBC have stated that “this takes the average pay for a director of a FTSE 100 company to just short of 2.7 million pounds”. At a time when Middle Income earners are being squeezed and those on lower pay are just being battered, it is little wonder that comments like “obscene” and “outrageous” appear in many newspaper reports.

Many of the executives of these top companies sit on each other’s board of directors – little wonder that they all reward themselves massive pay increases. They probably think it’s quite normal. One is only left to wonder how they are allowed to do this. Many company shares are trading lower than in recent years, with no dividend; just what are these Directors doing to earn these rewards? Many Pension Funds are large shareholders and they are suffering from the current economic climate, why can’t they influence Directors pay?

At a time of increasing prices on food and energy, shrinking household budgets, it doesn’t feel fair – does it?

It sounds a bit hollow when we are told by Cameron, Osborne and Clegg “We are all in this together!”

llr George Crane

Library News for November

Local author Geoff Hewlett will be talking about his new book ‘Welsh Harp Reservoir Through Time’ at the Chatabout event at Kingsbury Library Plus on Friday 25 November at 10.30am. He will look at the history of the Welsh Harp reservoir and showing some of the fascinating historic images used in the book, including several from Brent Archives’ own collections.

You can also find out what's happening in more of our libraries during November at the following link. http://ymlp.com/zFAjHQ

LIBRARY UPDATE

We last posted a blog on Kingsbury Library on 23 rd April 2011, you might like to refresh your memory about what we said regarding closing 6 libraries back then.

The austerity measure introduced by the Government has reduced the amount of money Brent receives. One of the many ways to save money has been to close some libraries. People can blame the Council but I think the Government should take most, if not all, of the blame.

The Libraries that were destined for closure were chosen on a combination of low visitor numbers and condition of buildings. Despite all the campaigning regarding library closures visitor numbers have actually declined even more in the six libraries planned to close.

Only a very small proportion of Brent residents actually use a library and the Library Transformation project is attempting to halt the decline.

Kingsbury Library already opens on a Sunday. As promised from Sunday Oct 23rd (today), Brent Town Hall, Harlesden and Kilburn Libraries will open from 12 noon until 5.00 pm
So, with resident's living close to one of our other libraries and libraries open every week, Monday to Sunday, there are no excuses not to make the most of over six million books, free access to the internet, DVD rentals, study space, reading groups and more!

FRYENT RESIDENTS UP RECYCLING RATES

The new recycling scheme introduced earlier this month by Brent Council’s Labour administration is exceeding all expectations, with a 50% increase in recycling in the first weeks of the new system.

Brent Labour ambitiously promised to bring in plans to more than double the borough’s recycling rate from 28% to 60% in their manifesto leading to the overwhelming Labour victory at the May 2010 Council elections.

Early figures show that blue bin recycling is up from 41 tonnes per day in October last year, to 61 tonnes this year. The figures are bound to improve even further when flats join the new scheme later this year.

Brent Labour has prioritised recycling for environmental reasons, and to save money and protect other council services.

Sending recyclable materials to landfill causes huge environmental damage, contaminating land and contributing to greenhouse emissions.

As well as the environmental damage, government landfill taxes mean the Council will save millions of pounds by increasing recycling.

Cllr James Powney, Lead Member for Environment and Neighbourhoods, said:

“I’d like to thank residents for so enthusiastically embracing the new recycling scheme, and making it such a success so early on.

Labour is the only party in Brent committed to increasing recycling, and I’m very proud that we’ve gone ahead with this improved system which will make us one of the greenest borough’s in the country.”

AFFORDABLE HOUSING 2011

It is important to remind ourselves sometimes of the achievements of the previous Labour Government. Most new affordable homes you see being finished these days are due to Labour's past commitment to Housing. Some would argue that it wasn't enough but just pause to think what's happening today!

Communities in Local Government (CLG) recently published a paper on Affordable Housing supply which showed more new affordable homes were completed than anytime for the last 15 years. (Read it here.)

Rewind back to June 2009 when Gordon Brown launched Building Britains's Future which provided 1.5 Billion extra for housebuilding, especially affordable housing. Now we all know that Housing takes a long time to build so lets acknowledge that it was a Labour Government that is delivering affordable homes now.

So when Gordon Brown spoke of the Future, he meant it, you can see results now. When David Cameron speaks about the Future (yesterdays Tory conference) we need to ask how much affordable housing will we see in 2015?

Police Close Cannabis Farm in Fryent

Cllr Lincoln Beswick the Lead Member for Community Safety in Brent advised your Fryent Councillors that the Police undertook an operation this morning in Summit Close, Kingsbury.

A Cannabis Factory has been closed and a number of Firearms seized.

We want to congratulate the Police in this successful operation that has not only closed the drug farm but taken dangerous weapons off the street.

Trouble at Kingsbury High School over decision to go for the cash as an Academy school?

Sadly, the row over the governors' decision to opt out of the Local Education Authority umbrella of schools, has now caused a strike of teachers there. This followed a series of public meetings of parents and
teachers opposed to the move demanding a ballot of all parents.

All six local councillors in Fryent and Queensbury took the unusual step of writing to the Head, Jeremy Waxman and all governors, urging a compromise in the interests of pupils. Local MP, Barry Gardiner had already expressed his deep concern about the decision.

Regretably, Mr Waxman declined to meet the local councillors before their meeting tomorrow night (29th) and so we have written again to all governors urging them to defer any final decision for a year to give more time to consider all aspects of this controversial move. As we said, education of our children is a fragile plant and is not best served by hasty and divisive steps, whatever the financial inducements may be on offer. We hope that the governors will reconsider this plea.

School Crossing Patrols (SCPs) to stay

In June, we told you about the first Council review of the 'lollipop' attendants' service for years, as part of the wider government-induced cuts in Council finances. Brent has 47 SCPs, far more than all neighbouring boroughs such as Barnet, Harrow or Ealing.We also have
one of the best child-safety records in London.

On the basis of a risk assessment model, it was felt that some were no longer needed, as the provision of light-controlled or zebra crossings
in recent years, had minimised the lollipop persons' role. The announcement of a consultation exercise to consider reductions caused
a storm in local papers and many schools, parents and councillors expressed concerns;about the proposals to reduce the number of patrols.

Fryent Primary school governors were amongst these and Cllr Ruth Moher, who is a governor there, conveyed their objections about the withdrawal
of the Church Lane SCP, forcibly.In fact, due to illness, the lollipop person there has not been in evidence recently.

Pleased to say that after listening to concerns of parents and
schools, the Council has adopted a more gradual and voluntary approach
in considering which, if any, patrols could be phased out or taken over by local schools. This change was greeted with huge relief by many schools and parents affected. One campaigner,George Burns, who presented a petition
of residents/parents from one school, to the Executive on 19th September
said:

"Its not often there's good news to share but this is an exception
... The report that was submitted to the Executive meeting made it
clear that Brent had heard the anger the original plan prompted
and has greatly diluted it."

Cllr Jim Moher, who is also the Executive Member responsible said:
"In consulting parents and schools, we said we would listen and
that we would err on the side of child safety. We have now done
so and hope to engage with schools in a more positive way
about the future of the less risky sites."
"We are all tremenduously proud of Brent's child-safety
record since the School Crossing Patrol service was
introduced.Having listened to the strong concerns of
many parents and schools, and despite the fact that
some sites now have lights and other safety features,
I was not convinced that we should withdraw any at this
time. We will examine them case by case when lollipop
persons leave or retire and consult with the schools
concerned to see if they might take responsibility for
some."

Roe Green Walled Garden - Open Day

Fryent Councillors were in attendance at the weekend at the open day of the Roe Green Park Walled Garden. This is a fascinating place both for historians, community volunteers and local people who want to preserve a bit of old Kingsbury.
We had a very enjoyable time today meeting and chatting with local residents and sharing a nice cup of tea.

Jim chatting with Donna a volunteer from Barn Hill Open Space.

Many thanks,we all really enjoyed the day.

Fryent Ward Working Budget Allocation

Fryent Councillors, Jim, Ruth and George met with our Ward Working Officer Vik Mistry last week. We needed to assess the projects and proposals for allocating Ward Working Money for this year.

We have 20K to allocate to local community groups working for the benefit of local residents. Following a detailed discussion we agreed to fund the following schemes, some will be jointly funded with other Ward Working schemes to offer better economies of scale.

The successful schemes were; 1. The Kingsbury Somali Youth project (** joint funded) 2. A Burglary Prevention scheme run by Elders Voice. 3. A “Teen Club” in Kingsbury Library. 4 We have also allocated money for a “swim bus” to pay for transport to Vale Farm sports centre for the elderly to go swimming. 5 We are also going to donate a much needed bench in the Bush Grove area.

We still have a small amount to allocate and some projects are still being considered but we have asked for more information. If you know of any scheme that requires a small amount of money send an e mail with details to vikash.mistry@brent.gov.uk.

We meet again in October to finalise and sign off this year’s budget allocation.

The Village School

The New Village School was opened this week by The Mayor Of Brent Cllr Aslam Choudry together with Council Leader Ann John. They cut the ribbon officially opening the school together with Head Teacher Kay Johnson. The building was erected in record time in 15 weeks.

Cllr George Crane praised the contractors Henry Brothers for a fantastic achievement the school is wonderful and the Head Teacher Kay Johnson and her staff and pupils are delighted with the results.

Pupils from Kingsbury High School had produced a welcome banner at the School entrance as the Village School will be sharing the grounds of Kingsbury High School while the new Village School is rebuilt across the road.

PUBLIC MEETING - KINGSBURY HIGH SCHOOL - ACADEMY CONVERSION

Concerned parents are organising a meeting at the Father O'Callaghan Centre, Hay Lane , Kingsbury on Tuesday 13th Sept.
Many parents with children at Kingsbury High School will know very little of the school governors proposal to convert to an Academy. Teachers at the school are very unhappy with the plans and are considering taking industrial action.
Parents have an oportunity to understand the implications and send a clear message to the governors that they do not approve of Kingsbury High School becoming an Academy for a short term financial gain.

Please tell other parents about this important meeting.

Fryent Councillors.

Improving the Roe Green Park sports and recreation facilities

As a result of local councillor campaigning, the Council started a three stage facility improvement in this park in 2006. This created the now very popular multi-games area, exercise equipment and landscaped the old lido site to restore it for park enjoyment. Unfortunately, the Council did not complete the 2nd or 3rd phase (adventure play facilities and tennis courts).

Now we have persuaded them to revisit those plans and to use funds generated from planning developments over the years to resource improved sports and recreation facilities. The current proposal is to replace play equipment items; upgrade and provide new for old paths; additional benches and the tennis courts from the previous scheme.

This is great news and your councillors have arranged for the Environment officers to liaise with our 'Walled Garden' enthusiasts beside the park, about their ideas for further improvements. We are also seeking ideas from residents, so lets hear from you.

VILLAGE SCHOOL - LATEST NEWS

The temporary accommodation for the Village School at Kingsbury High School,

Bacon Lane

is nearly complete. The Autumn Term starts for the Village School on 15^th September.

Arrangements for managing traffic are in place to minimise disruption to residents in the area. There will be an opportunity for local residents to view the temporary Village School at the opening ceremony on Tuesday 13^th Sept from 11.00 am until 12.00 noon.

The construction process for the New Village School started in late July. Residents will notice hoardings being erected and site accommodation being delivered ahead of demolition.

The construction company Leadbitter Group are the main contractor who has appointed Micheal Docherty as the Project Manager and Liz Jeffs as the community coordinator.   

Micheal can be contacted on 07766 540039 and Liz can be contacted on 07766 420010 or lizjeffs@leadbitter.co.uk

The contractor will be holding regular Community Open days on the last Tuesday of each month from 10.30 am to 11.30 am. – They look forward to meeting you.

Cllr George Crane

NHS Reform vote at Westminster.

Summer holidays are all but over, School's reopen next week for a new academic year. The riots are a distant memory for most and the "post mortem debates" and rebuilding of communities and buildings get underway.

Next week the unwanted reforms of the NHS will be put to the vote at Westminster. Coalition MP's will vote for a series of reforms that the public, including me, have little or no knowledge of. It also appears every NHS organisation opposes the reforms. So where is the evidence that these changes are necessary?

I have never been a particular fan of the House of Lords but for once I hope they stand up and say NO to the NHS reforms and make the Government think again.
If you want to know more about NHS reforms here is a good link http://38degrees.org.uk

George Crane
(You might also like to view previous blogs on May 29th and March 19th.)

Fryent Councillors visit Bush Grove Estate

Fryent Councillors visited the Bush Grove estates, Kingsbury over the weekend. We were delighted to meet over 100 residents on the doorstep.

We received lots of feedback on issues in the area but it was also  disappointing to see “fly tipping” on the estate.  We will tackle this and try and catch persistent offenders. This anti social action is not necessary, you can phone Brent Council  (020 8937 5050) and they will collect bulky rubbish free of charge.

We also noticed the poor state of the footpath between Church lane and Sycamore Grove and will try and get the area tidied up.

If we missed you please contact us, either comment on this blog or subscribe. 

George, Jim and Ruth.

Protest at Kingsbury High School Academy conversion decision.

I read in the Willesden and Brent Times (28/07) that hundreds of pupils protested against Kingsbury High School becoming an Academy. The pupils refused to go to classes and the Head Teacher hastily arranged a meeting in the school hall. This follows the Kingsbury High School governors having decided at a meeting on 14/07 to go ahead with an application for academy status.

This decision was taken despite opposition from Teachers Unions and complaints from Parents that they have not been adequately consulted. This follows similar disquiet over the recent decision of Claremont High school to seek academy status.

The decision appears to be driven by both Head teachers with little or no support from Teachers or parents.

A concerned parent recently contacted us saying “this decision has been taken but most parents are either not aware of what is happening or don’t know what the implications are for the future of the school.”

Councillor Jim Moher said on hearing the news, ”It is  a shame that the governors did not consult the parents before making such a controversial move, which the teaching staff are so concerned about”.

Please contact your Fryent Councillors by subscribing to the blog or becoming a follower.

YOUR WASTE COLLECTION SERVICE IS CHANGING FROM 3RD OCTOBER 2011

Do you know what the changes are and how they will affect you?

Check out this link http://www.brent.gov.uk/recyclemore.

It’s expensive to keep sending rubbish to landfill. Much of what we throw away can be recycled, reused or composted. Brent Council pays a landfill tax at £48/tonne in 2011. This will increase by £8 per tonne until 2014, when it will be £80 per tonne in 2014.

A little more thought about what we throw away could save a lot of money, be better for the economy and the environment. Lets put a stop to this!


Fryent Councillors, helping the Environment.

Churches oppose benefit cuts.

The Head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, the Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster has condemned the coalition Government cuts in welfare benefit, particularly housing benefit. He is concerned that thousands of poor families may be forced out of their homes.

His letter to Ian Duncan Smith MP, reported in the Times,  follows similar concerns raised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams who recently wrote a quest editorial in the New Statesman. The Churches are particularly anxious about the cuts as they help the worst affected.

Sadly I don’t think anyone in Government is  listening 

KINGSBURY & KENTON AREA FORUM

The next meeting of the Kingsbury Kenton Area Forum takes place on Tuesday 19^th July at Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave NW9 starting at 7.00 pm

Cllr Ann John, Leader of Brent Council will make a presentation on the progress of the new Civic Centre development in Wembley. The Construction Company Skanska will also attend the meeting.

Two further items will be the Green Charter consultation, from Michael Read, Asst Director of Environment, Brent Council and Sgt Sashi Vagadia, Metropolitan Police who will talk and answer questions on local policing issues.

It will also be an opportunity to meet your local Councillors, not just Fryent Councillors. There are refreshments in the break and you can find out what’s  happening in your area.

Fryent Councillors.

Ward Working Walkabout

We had a very successful Ward Working walkabout on Sat 18^th June. We were joined by Vik Mistry from Brent Council and Edward Oniba from the Fryent Safer Neighbourhood Team.

We met in Kingsbury High Road and spoke to residents and traders about recent thefts of gold chains. These are opportunistic robberies and the Safer Neighbourhood teams are very vigilant in the area.  Don’t wear Gold Chains to go shopping unless really necessary, and certainly keep concealed.

We will report areas that we considered needed attention regarding poor state of pavements and will ask streetcare to attend to some fly tipping that we noticed.

Thanks to those residents that found time to meet us during the walkabout, it’s always interesting to get feedback about how the area is perceived.  

If you missed us on the day you can always sign in and post a comment and we will get back to you.

George, Jim and Ruth.

Fryent Councillors.

The Village School

As a result of concerns expressed  from local residents Jim Moher and George Crane, your Fryent Councillors, met Brent Council Regeneration Team and the appointed Village School contractors, Leadbitters, to present concerns and clarify plans.  The Head Teacher of the Village School, Kay Johnson, joined us for the meeting.

We discussed the building programme, community consultation and managing traffic. There has been considerable discussion and extensive consultation on the complicated subject of managing traffic both at Kingsbury High school and Grove Park sites. 

To progress the rebuilding of the school, work has begun on the temporary building at Kingsbury High School and is due for completion at the end of August for the next academic year. Further discussions are planned with the Council Transportation and Planning Teams on traffic management and a travel plan for the school.

The contractors, Leadbitters, have appointed a Community Liaison person to keep residents informed and to respond to any concerns during the project. The contractor will also have a local labour initiative including training and apprenticeships as a boost to the local economy.

Fryent Councillors Walkabout June 18th

Cllr s Ruth, Jim and George are writing to inform you about our Councillors’ Walkabout, on Saturday 18 June 2011.

This walkabout is being organised, in the Fryent ward, as part of Brent Council’s Ward Working initiative. 

Your views are very important to us, as its helps us to improve the way we deliver services to meet your needs.

Walkabouts are also an opportunity for us to see for ourselves what’s happening in the area.

We as Ward Councillors, with council officers, find out from local residents what their concerns are about the local area.

We will then work together with other agencies like the Police and community organisations to draw up an action plan and try to develop solutions to key issues raised.

We will attend the walkabout along with officers from Streetcare, and representatives from the Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team.

The locations are:

·     1pm - outside Kingsbury Post Office, Kingsbury High Road

·     2pm-outside Mcdonaugh’s Public house, 2 Slough Lane

·     3pm –outside St Sebastien and St Pancras RC Church, Hay Lane

·     4pm – at the corner of Coniston Gardens and Kingsbury Road (former Scout Hut).   Followed by walk to Springfield Mount/Edgware Road.   

We tend to spend between 20 and 30 minutes at each venue depending on the number of people to see. Residents will be more than welcome to meet us at the various points above.

We do hope you will be able to come and share your views about your area,

Come and join us!

George, Jim and Ruth - Your Local Councillors

The future of School Crossing Patrols in Brent

The Future of School Crossing Patrols

Brent Council has recently announced a review of the School Crossing Patrol service (SCP), sometimes referred to as Lollipop attendants, due to the shaped coloured banner they hold.

Brent has one of the largest School Crossing Patrol services in London. There are 47 sites covered by SCP,s two of which are in Fryent. One at Fryent School in Church Lane and one at St Robert Southwell School in Slough Lane.

In recent years Brent has been successful in reducing road casualties, especially children. Children killed or seriously injured have reduced from 40+ per annum in the late 1990’s to 11 per annum in 2009, sadly still to many but below both national and London targets. It has to be said that it is difficult to identify any direct contribution of the (SCP) to this reduction. Road casualty reduction has been the result of a combination of activities and initiatives.

RISK EVALUATION

Brent council has devised a model for “risk evaluation” and assessed each SCP location. Some schools may be close to Pelican crossings, be in a 20MPH zone, or simply have a traffic refuge outside the school. 

The results of the evaluation risk model in Fryent would mean that the SCP outside Fryent School would be removed and the SCP outside St Robert Southwell School would be retained.

An alternative option would be for the school to “buy back” the service and cover the annual cost of the SCP, approximately £6000 per annum.

CONSULTATION

Schools are being invited to share the proposals with the wider community, parents and carers. A report will go to the Council Executive in mid July. Details of the proposals will be available on Brent Council website.

The Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 provides that London Boroughs may make arrangements for patrolling school crossings but there is no duty to do so.

So what do residents think? Should your Council Tax pay for School Crossing Patrols? Should the Council only provide for the most risky sites? Be part of the debate.( You can click on  comment or sign in). 

NHS Health Reforms - Brent Public Meeting - Sunday 12th June

The Listening exercise on NHS reforms is due to end in a few days time, if you want to comment you will need to respond before 31^st May. Somewhat belatedly there is a Public Meeting being organised at Brent Town Hall on Sunday June 12^th starting at 3.00pm.

Speakers include Diane Abbott – Shadow Minister for Health.

Representatives from British Medical Association & The Royal College of Nursing

Local Health Care Officials.

I always thought, maybe a bit cynically, that the listening exercise was just a device to get the NHS Reforms away from Public or Media attention during the local elections held nationally in May. I welcome the opportunity for the Public to make their views known, but I am not sure the public is that well informed regarding proposed changes.

If you want to know more about the proposed changes and what they mean, you could check out the following link http://38degrees.org.uk/campaigns  

Cllr George Crane

UEFA Champions League - Closure of Fryent Way Saturday 28th May

The biggest sporting event to come to Wembley for some time is undoubtedly the UEFA European Champions League on May 28th, with its global media coverage. With Man United and Barcelona in the final, a super clash is guaranteed but also an exceptional influx of supporters.

On one hand, we welcome the trade they undoubtedly bring to many businesses and the reputation it gives Wembley Stadium as an international sporting arena. On the other, those closest to the Stadium sometimes have to put up with noisy and sometimes inebriated fans letting off steam (or worse!). The Council is now very experienced in handling such events in close partnership with FA /Wembley Stadium authorities and special police and the transport arrangements have been made to get thousands of fans into and out of the area as smoothly and quickly as possible, with minimum disturbance.

This event kicks off at 7.45pm on Saturday night, 28th May. Allowing for a draw after full and extra-time and so penalty shoot outs, and the Cup award ceremony, it could be 11pm before fans leave the Stadium. This and other contingencies have persuaded the Council at the level of Chief Executive, Mr Gareth Daniel and Council Leader, Ann John, to agree, exceptionally to the parking of Barcelona fan coaches along Fryent Way. From there they will walk under close stewarding to and from the Stadium and leave for home, whatever time it finishes. So, for almost all Saturday and the small hours of Sunday, Fryent Way will be closed to other traffic and alternative travel arrangements in the area are being prepared.

The Council have agreed these arrangements after much consideration. Those responsible for the safe and orderly marshalling of thousands of visitors to the area, can now have the confidence that their plans will ensure these objectives on all our behalfs.

Bogus Gas Man in Fryent

We have received a report from Fryent Safer Neighbourhood Team of a scam currently operating in the Fryent, Kingsbury and Kenton area. I have copied details of the scam below for information. Please pass this on and ask people to be vigilante. People who have been victims of this scam have not lost a lot of money but it could have been much worse.

Cllr George Crane


BRITISH GAS SCAM
Please be aware that we have had several reports of a male cold calling in Kenton purporting to be from British Gas.
He produces what appears to be a genuine British Gas photo ID card with a name and registration number and carries a clip board.
He asks to read your meter and then informs you that he needs to fit a filter to the meter. He asks to make an appointment to fit the filter and then asks for a £5 payment for which he issues a receipt.
We have spoken to British Gas and have been told that they do not fit filters onto meters and the representative would not ask for any payment. This is a scam.
Utility companies will contact you in advance of any planned work that needs carrying out in your home. They will not ask for payment on the day. If someone calls from a utility company please carefully check their identification BEFORE letting them in your home. If you are in any doubt call the company concerned using the customer service number on your bill. British Gas use a company called G4S AccuRead for their meter readings. To verify the validity of a meter reader they can be contacted on 0845 300 3177.
The description of the suspect involved in these incidents is a white male, chubby build with a round face, in his 30s, black hair and an Eastern European accent.
If a person matching this description knocks on your door asking to fit a filter to your meter, as above please contact police immediately using 999. 
If you think you have been a victim of this scam please contact Harrow Police on 0300 123 1212 or your Safer Neighbourhood Team.





  

Commuter parking in Valley Drive, Kingsbury.

From time to time we receive complaints regarding commuter parking in Crundale Ave, Kingsbury. This is a popular parking place (free) for user of Kingsbury Tube station.

A few  years ago the Council held a consultation with residents of Valley Drive to decide if a CPZ (controlled parking zone) should be introduced. This would have restricted parking, except for certain times of the day, which deters commuters but encourages local residents to shop locally for the benefit of local traders. Residents would need a parking permit to park in the road, unless they have off street parking. Following an extensive ballot resident’s narrowly rejected the proposed CPZ plan.

At the time of the previous consultation many residents voted No. It was clear that many people voted from roads largely unaffected by the parking problem. Is it time to consult, once again, to introduce a CPZ, but maybe restrict the consultation to only roads that suffer the parking problems? We would welcome comments?

George Crane

Kingsbury Library

Following months of consultation Brent Council has finally decided to close 6 libraries. This has been a very difficult decision but will not affect the excellent Kingsbury Library in Kingsbury High Road which was not listed or threatened under the consultation plans.

Why is it necessary to close libraries? The current austerity measures introduced by the Con/Dem Government have cut the grant the council receives to pay for many Council services, like libraries.  The council is not allowed to increase Council Tax so has to reduce expenditure. 

Despite these current massive cuts forcing the planned library closures library usage has, in fact, declined in recent years. However it is interesting to note that since the Kingsbury Library has moved from Stag lane, visitor numbers have increased significantly. Nevertheless the challenge for the council is to reverse the decline in visitor numbers and attract the 80% of Brent population that currently do not visit libraries.

Whilst it is regrettable that some libraries will close, those remaining will be the subject of major improvements over the next year. They will have an enhanced on line service, with improved IT provision. They will open 7 days a week, this will also include Kingsbury, and receive significant investment in book stock. In addition a new Library will open in the Civic Centre near Wembley Arena in 2013  to replace the Town Hall library, which will remain open until then.

Kingsbury and Kenton Area Forum

The next meeting of the Kingsbury Kenton Area Forum takes place on Tuesday 26^th April at Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave NW9 starting at 7.00 pm

It is your chance to meet your local Fryent Councillors Jim, Ruth and George and discuss with them how next years Ward Working budget might be allocated.

The ward working budget is a small amount of money that can be used to fund local projects. Each year local residents are asked what they would like to see happen in the area. In the past we have planted trees, paid for park benches, outreach youth activities, supported the Roe Green walled garden project, supported Age Concern projects and lots more. 

There will also be an item on local policing by Inspector Claire Smart and an opportunity to hear about Sports activities in Brent from Leisure Connections ltd.

Will AV give us greater democracy?

We doubt it. When the PM and the Deputy PM feel obliged to face different ways over this issue, you wonder why they are inflicting on the public a totally irrelevent obligation to vote over things which are way down most people's list of concerns. Our own view is that referenda exercises should only be used for vital issues, (such as the 1975 one on IN or OUT of Europe?). We elect MPs to Parliament to get on with deciding such complicated issues, as the intricacies of rival voting systems.

But it seems we will have to do it. Hopefully the weather on May 5th will be nice for the stroll to the polls.
So, what's it all about? One party, the Liberal Democrats,want to change the current First Past The Post system to one which they think will benefit them electorally. They really want Proportional Representation (PR), where you count people's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th  etc preferences and so possibly negate people's 1st preference (as in Ireland, Israel and a few other countries). But the compromise which emerged from their haggling with the Conservatives over forming a coalition is something called the 'Alternative Vote' (AV), whereby only 2nd preference votes are counted.

Be sure to vote.

This fudge is hardly the way to change constitutional arrangements that have served us reasonably well. Yes, it can be a bit crude in giving one party more of a sweep of the seats in Parliament than their overall majority of votes. But it works both ways in a two party system. It usually enables the voters to 'throw the rogues out' when they emphatically want a change of government. Mr Clegg, who sold us such a false prospectus last June as aTV star, but went on to renege on all his promises, is hardly to be believed now.

Kingsbury Primary Schools parking problems.

Further to our blog on March 1^st  2011 all 3 Councillors have had a further meeting concerning traffic problems outside Kingsbury Green and Robert Southwell schools. We met Headteachers from both primary schools, Governors from Robert Southwell together with Police Sgt Matt Howard, Safer Neighborhood Team and Brent Council officers.

The schools are very supportive to addressing the problem and are eager to avoid a potential accident that a minority of irresponsible parents might cause. These parents’ thoughtless actions create an unsafe environment both outside the school gates and between the two schools. This happens at both ends of the school day.

Brent Council officers agreed to look at lengthening and adding additional school entrance “ZIG ZAG” markings and yellow lines outside both schools. Both schools will work with school children to encourage parents not to stop or park outside the school gates. 

Cllr George Crane