Kingsbury and Kenton resident forum, Brent Connects

The next Kingsbury and Kenton resident forum, Brent Connects, is on Weds 22rd June the day before the EU referendum. It will be held at Kingsbury High school, the Lower School in Bacon Lane and will start promptly at 7pm.


Council Leader, Muhammed Butt and Deputy Leader, Margaret McLennan would like to meet residents at the forum to hear their issues first hand and will take the opportunity to talk about the council’s vision for the borough. This is an excellent opportunity to put the two Cabinet members on the spot about the issues that affect you as a resident of Fryent. They will be discussing: how the council can improve the way it works, what the council is doing well and will be exploring what residents want to see happen in the future to make Brent a better place to live, work and play.
Do you have an issue that you want discussed, now is your chance?

Councillor Ketan Sheth, Chair, Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee and councillor Matt Kelcher, Chair, Brent Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be discussing ways of making scrutiny count in Brent. Effective scrutiny is a vital part of local government and helps to improve decision-making, service provision and cost-effectiveness.

It’s Time to Talk is a campaign which aims to empower residents and community leaders to talk about difficult issues. We will be discussing a planned event in July to encourage attendance and promote the need for communities in Brent to come together.

Please come along either to have your say or just listen to local issues that affect you and other residents.

Please note the venue is the lower school in Bacon Lane, make a note in your diary now to come along.

Fryent Councillors

Kingsbury and Kenton Forum - Brent Connects

The next meeting of Kingsbury Brent Connects will take place on Tuesday 3rd February 2015

The venue will be Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave, NW9
The meeting starts at 7.00pm

This meeting is really important as it gives Fryent residents the opportunity to quiz Council Leader Muhammad  Butt on the planned 54 million pound savings on the Council Budget over the next two years.  

You can read the background to the proposals in the report that the Executive Councillors considered in December 2014. http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/documents/b8067/Budget%20report%20and%20appendices%20Monday%2015-Dec-2014%2019.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=9

Brent Council Leader Cllr Mo Butt said "I want to be as open and transparent as possible, no Labour Councillor wants to make these cuts. However Labour did not win the General election and the Government is reducing the amount of money Councils can spend, we are were we are."  

In real terms, funding for local government has fallen by 43 per cent from 2010/11 to 2015/16 (Source: House of Commons research paper 14/43, September 2014). In Brent this means that the Council has cut 89 million pounds since 2010 and is now facing a further reduction target of 54 million over the next 2 years.

This is also made worse by the freeze on Council Tax for the last 5 years. Whilst this has been good news for Council Tax payers it has meant that the income to the council has been lost. This is probably close to 8 million pounds since 2010. Is it time to pay more Council Tax that can be spent on maintaining some services.? It would be really good to hear residents views.

The meeting will also hear about A&E services at Northwick Park Hospital.

Please try and come along next Tuesday.

George Crane

Fryent Councillors

Kingsbury and Kenton - Brent Connects

The next Brent Connects public forum covering Kingsbury and Kenton will be on:

Tuesday 4th November at 7.00 pm.

The meeting will be held at:

Sattavis Patidar Centre,

Forty Lane junction with The Avenue,

HA9 9PE  

The following items will be discussed at the meeting:

·         Further to the council’s launch of the Brent Borough Plan 2015-19, the meeting will feature an interactive session on emerging priorities for the new Borough Plan. We want your views on how local public services should evolve to help us plan Brent’s future

(See our blog item from Sunday 5th Oct) 

·         There will be a review of the Fryent and Queensbury Week of Action

·         An update on Community Payback

Action points from the previous meeting are on the Bret Council website:

http://brent.gov.uk/your-community/brent-connects/brent-connects-forums/brent-connects-kingsbury-and-kenton/

Fryent Councillors

Kingsbury and Kenton - Brent Connects

The next meeting of the Kingsbury Brent Connects will be held on Wednesday 16th July at the Oshwai Centre, 366 Stag Lane - close to the old Library. It will start at 7pm sharp.

An item on the agenda includes a consultation on draft Planning policies - come and have your say. The Council is keen to prevent too many takeaway, betting shops, pawnbrokers, and payday lenders in our town centres. If you can`t get to the meeting check out this link:
http://brent-consult.objective.co.uk/portal

Other items will include a discussion on Community Infrastrcture Levy - how should Brent spend money it receives from developers when they approve planning applications.

The Forum will also need to select a local representative to the Brent Safer Neighbourhood Board.

The usual Soapbox item is included and refreshments are available during the break and it`s an opportunity to meet your local councillors. I am sorry I can`t make it that night but hopefully Ruth or Shama will be able to attend.

Cllr George Crane
Fryent Councillor

Brent Connects - Kingsbury and Kenton Forum

The next meeting of Brent Connects, Kingsbury and Kenton will be held at a new venue on Tuesday 23rd July at 7pm.

The new venue will be the Oshwal Ekta Centre, 366 Stag Lane, Kingsbury NW9 9AA

We will post a blog nearer the time when the agenda has been decided but make a note of the date now.

George Crane
Fryent Councillors.

Kingsbury and Kenton Area Forum - Brent Connects

The next Brent Connects Area Forum meeting will take place on Wednesday 6th February 2013 at Kingsbury High school, Princess Ave. NW9.

The agenda is likely to include the following items:

Government Welfare Reforms - how the cuts will affect you.

Kingsbury Library, what`s on.

Civic Centre - Customer services, what`s up.

Local Policing issues.

This is your opportunity to have your say on local Council services, the popular Soap Box item will still be on the agenda. Make a note in your diary now.


Fryent Councillors, hope to see you there?  

KINGSBURY AND KENTON AREA FORUM - BRENT CONNECTS

Come and discuss the local issues that concern you at your next meeting.

Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave   10^th October Starting at 7.00pm

Your Area Forum is changing and in future it will be known as Brent Connects Kingsbury and Kenton.

Why is it changing? The aim is to get more residents engaged with what’s happening 

in their local community. They will be more interactive, feature “Question Time” style sessions.

Fryent Councillors said ”It is vital that we listen to local people and get more people involved and in what’s going on in their local area.”

KINGSBURY AND KENTON AREA FORUM

The next meeting of the area forum will take place on Tuesday 17th July at Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave, NW9.
Some of the agenda items that will be discussed are:

· Localisation of Council Tax Benefit

· Draft Cemeteries Strategy (consultation takes place from 2 July to 28 September)

· An update on local Policing

· Shaping a Healthier Future – consultation by NHS

In addition, there will be a written feedback on the Ward Working sessions that took place at the last forum meeting.

The item on the future of the NHS locally is very important as radical changes are being proposed that affects the way the Hospitals are managed.

Fryent Councillors 

KINGSBURY AND KENTON AREA FORUM

The next meeting of the Kingsbury and Kenton Area Forum will take place on Weds 11th April at Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave NW9.

The following items will be on the agenda for consideration.

·         Establishing Ward Working Priorities – these will be ward-based break-out sessions

·         Allotments and Food Growing Strategy - update

·         Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June – how residents can organise street parties

There will be a written update on the Olympic Route Network.

Please let us know if you have any additional suggestions. We hope you will continue to lend us your support in bringing forward local issues to your local forum.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Fyent Councillors

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KINGSBURY AND KENTON AREA FORUM

DATE CHANGED

The next meeting of the Kingsbury and Kenton Area Consultative Forum has had the date changed.

The meeting will now take place on TUESDAY 7^TH FEB not on the 8^th Feb as previously stated in our blog in December. The venue remains Kingsbury High School, Princess Ave, Kingsbury and the meeting will start at 7.00pm.

The topic for the meeting will still be “Have your Say” it will be an opportunity to listen to the Leader of Brent Council, Councillor Ann John who will outline the issues for next year’s Council Budget and Council Tax. The Council is facing difficult financial decisions due to reductions in the level of Government grant for the last few years. Many Council services will either have to be reduced or priorities changed due to less money being available.

You will have an opportunity to ask questions.

Please pass on this message to anyone you think attends the meeting who may not know of the date change.

Cllr George Crane

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