Monthly Archives: June 2010

New Academy brings more choice for Brent children

Posted on June 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Brent’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed the extensive progress made on the new Ark Academy in Wembley.  With the hoardings around the building coming down, local people can see the progress made.

After several years of planning and active support by the previous Liberal Democrat-led administration, the ambitious new building in Bridge Road is rapidly taking shape.

The new type of school provides “all-through” education for pupils aged three to 18, all on one site with excellent public transport (bus and Tube) links nearby.

While the primary school has already been operating in temporary buildings, this September will see the first admission of Year 7 classes to the school – effectively the launch of the traditional Secondary element – in prestigious new buildings.

Specialising in Maths and Citizenship, the Academy team are aiming to ensure that every pupil gains the skills, knowledge and qualifications needed to either continue into higher education, or to directly pursue their career on leaving.

The much needed local school has been built despite opposition from Labour MP for the area Barry Gardiner, and a number of Conservative councillors – all of whom lost their seats in the recent local elections.

Brent Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader, Councillor Paul Lorber comments:

“Four years ago, we decided to tackle head on a crisis in the number of school places available in Brent. Increasingly it was a matter not of whether parents could get the school of their choice, but whether they could get their children into a local school at all.

“So it’s great to finally see the new buildings taking shape as a result of our firm decisions and leadership.  The Ark Academy will not just provide much-needed places for Brent schoolchildren, but also broaden the education offer available in Brent.  I hope the project’s critics can now see the clear benefits it will deliver.  I am also confident that the Academy will play its full part in improving further on the best ever GCSE results in Brent which were attained last year.”

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Posted in Education

Brent pays £6 million price for Labour economic incompetence

Posted on June 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Brent Council is facing a cut to its budget of £6 million as central government struggles with the legacy of 13 years of Labour, which has left the treasury coffers empty.  Former Labour Treasury minister, Liam Byrne left a note to his successor saying, ‘Dear chief secretary, I’m afraid there is no money. Kind regards – and good luck! Liam.’

The cut is part of local government’s contribution to the £6 billion of public spending cuts announced by the coalition government last week.

During their time in Office – Labour wasted £12 billion on a failed NHS IT system and around £4.5 billion on the unwanted war in Iraq.

Commenting Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Paul Lorber said:

“People in Brent are beginning to see the cost of 13 years of Labour government.  There will clearly be some very tough decisions for the council to make as the government finds savings to pay down the country’s record level of debt.

“But it’s important to be clear: these spending constraints are an inevitable consequence of the spendthrift and wasteful legacy of Gordon Brown.  So there is no excuse for Labour in Brent to try and pass the blame onto others – these cuts are Labour cuts.”

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Posted in Finance, Labour Failure

Take advantage of Bike Week, say Liberal Democrats

Posted on June 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrat Councillors today encouraged Brent’s residents to get out and enjoy cycling during “Bike Week”.

Running from 19-27 June, Team Green Britain Bike Week aims to show how cycling can easily be part of everyday life. It’s a great opportunity to promote cycling as an everyday, healthy and practical lifestyle choice that can help the planet too.

Team Green Britain Bike Week are hoping to make this the biggest Bike Week yet – encouraging half a million people to join in events, rethink their everyday journeys and switch to cycling as the most convenient way to get around.

Team Green Britain is an initiative supported by EDF energy, the Eden Project and The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) amongst others.  Events will be taking place across London and the UK, with events in Brent including Northwick Park Hospital holding a ‘cycle to work week’ and a bike clinic being held at Queen’s Park (Salisbury Road) Farmer’s market on Sunday 27th June.

Encouraging residents to think more about cycling and its benefits, Cllr Paul Lorber, Leader of Brent’s Liberal Democrats said,

“Cycling is a great way to get out and about around our borough.  I’d encourage all of Brent’s residents to give cycling a go during Bike Week to see for themselves the benefits, both to the environment and their own health, cycling can bring.  Residents can attend events right across London during the week and learn more.  The summer is always a great time to take up cycling and appreciate the sunshine.”

More details can be found on the “Bike Week” website: www.bikeweek.org.uk

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Posted in Environment, Sport, Transport

Where’s the money Dawn? Ask Liberal Democrats..again…

Posted on June 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrats today reacted with surprise at the Labour run-Brent Council’s recent statement regarding the Building Schools for the Future programme.

In late 2009 Labour MP Dawn Butler proudly sent round pictures of herself holding a cheque to Brent for £80 million for rebuilding schools, though Brent Council never actually received a penny of this £80 million.

When the Labour Government announced the last round of the Building Schools for the Future funding many local Councils feared that they could get led-on in the same way as the colleges were.  More than 100 colleges paid out millions in design work for new buildings under the ‘Building Colleges for the Future’ programme, only to have Labour withdraw the money later.  Locally, the College of North West London spent £4m in preparation for a new building only to be told at the last minute that the plans were scrapped because Labour had promised more money than they actually had.

Councillor Paul Lorber, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said:

“I’m surprised by this move by Labour.  Surely if their then MP Dawn Butler was pictured holding a cheque for £80 million then they actually had allocated the funding?  Our concern at the time was that this was just a Labour electioneering and they hadn’t actually thought about how they’d pay for it.  I think it will be a real shame if Ann John’s Labour Party had written a cheque without sufficient funds in the bank to cash it.  Unfortunately making promises they can’t keep is what Labour do best.

“Everyone knows a Labour cheque isn’t worth the paper it is written on.”

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Posted in Education, Finance

Veolia Water flooding chaos slammed

Posted on June 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Veolia Water – previously Three Valleys Water – has come in for severe criticism from Liberal Democrat Councillors in Brent following the most recent in a spate of flooding incidents across the borough.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Daniel Brown has repeatedly raised concerns over issues about flooding with water companies in Brent.  The latest incident, caused by burst water mains from Veolia Water led to Preston Road, Wembley being closed for two days.

Concerns were raised that work done further down Preston Road earlier this year led to increased pressure on older pipes which led to the burst and yet more chaos for road users.

Councillor Daniel Brown, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Highways and Transportation, said:

“I have repeatedly taken up the issue with water companies in Brent: this is a problem which needs to be taken seriously. Brent residents do not deserve to face regular disruption as a result of water companies failing to maintain or preserve drainage systems.   Burst mains cause chaos while they are fixed – Preston Road was shut for two days.  Veolia Water and Brent Council’s Transport bosses need to explain what they are doing to make sure this doesn’t happen again so people who live and work locally aren’t inconvenienced.”

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Posted in Utilities

What have Labour got to hide, ask Liberal Democrats

Posted on June 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Eyebrows were raised today as it emerged that Brent’s Labour Party had removed their local election manifesto from their website (http://www.brentlabour.org.uk/manifesto-for-6-may – now removed).

The manifesto, which sets out in detail their pledges, including reaching 60% of waste being recycling by 2014 (though no detail of how this will be achieved), a council tax discount for households headed by someone over 75 and increasing the park warden service.

Liberal Democrats however expressed surprise that Labour wouldn’t want to make their more detailed manifesto publicly available so local residents can see what they have planned for Brent over the next four years.

Councillor Paul Lorber, Leader of Brent’s Liberal Democrats, said:

“It seems a little odd that Labour would choose to remove their manifesto from their website so soon after the election. During the campaign we expressed concern that their pledges seemed to be uncosted and that they didn’t really make a great deal of effort to explain to residents how they would actually deliver their promises without a big increase in the council tax or cuts in other services.

We’ll wait for further details about how they intend to make good on their promises to residents, but I think the very least they could do is let residents see what it is they’re planning in the next few years.”

Brent Labour Manifesto for 2010 Local Elections

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Posted in Elections, Labour Failure