Monthly Archives: October 2011

Willesden Green Liberal Democrat councillor welcomes Burnley Road practice announcement

Posted on October 28, 2011 | Leave a comment
Councillor Ann Hunter

Councillor Ann Hunter

Willesden Green councillor Ann Hunter has welcomed the announcement that the future of the Burnley Road GP practice is secure.

The future of the surgery was placed in doubt last year when NHS Brent considered closed the practice and forcing patients to find doctors elsewhere. Patients and councillors campaigned successfully to keep the practice open.

 In a letter to the local press this week Cllr Hunter, who is a member of the council’s health committee, wrote:

Dear Editor,

I am really pleased to know that Burnley Road Practice, which serves 3,000 patients as well as homeless people in Brent, has a safely assured future, now that Innovision Healthcare Ltd. has been appointed to run it, and its existing staff from 1st November.

Just over a year ago, that was not the case. NHS Brent actively considered shutting the practice and dispersing its patients. This was in response to Brent Community Services announcing they no longer wanted to run the practice.

Brent’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, of which I am vice-chair, immediately took up the issue in response to many patient complaints. A deputation of patients told us they definitely wanted the practice to stay open and for it to remain at the Willesden Centre for Health and Care in Robson Avenue.

So we requested the PCT to set up a series of meetings, which they did and they were very well attended by patients, as well as all three Willesden Green councillors. The patients conducted a very active campaign, the health committee and councillors added their voice, and the PCT agreed to an open tender for the practice.

This was one of the first campaigns I was involved in as a councillor and it is an excellent example of the power of democracy in action. The PCT, with a good bit of nudging, changed its mind after listening to the people that this decision was going to affect most strongly.

If only more decisions could work like this. It’s the users’ voice which should be given priority! Did someone mention libraries?

Cllr Ann Hunter
Liberal Democrat Councillor
Willesden Green Ward

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Watford Road bus stop is back in place

Posted on October 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Watford Road bus stop in Sudbury is finally back in its proper place following pressure from local residents and Liberal Democrat councillors.

The bus stop, outside the parade of shops in Sudbury Town at 36 Watford Road, was taken away and moved up the road by Transport for London without any consultation in July 2010. This meant many residents with mobility problems faced a longer walk to the stop. Residents of the houses outside which the new bus stop was placed faced problems of obstruction when trying to get in and out of their driveways.

Councillor Chandubhai Patel and bus pasengers protest about the removal of the Watford Road bus stop

Councillor Chandubhai Patel and bus passengers have welcomed the return of the Watford Road bus stop to its proper place

Sudbury Liberal Democrat Councillor Paul Lorber organised a petition to the Mayor of London calling for the bus stop to be reinstated in its original location. Finally Brent Council and Transport for London agreed this following a public consultation. The work has now been carried out, much to the relief of local bus passengers.

Sudbury Liberal Democrat councillor Chandubhai Patel said:

Thank goodness this is now sorted out. The bus stop should never have been taken away in the first place.

Cllr Paul Lorber, who also represents Sudbury said:

I’m disappointed it took so long for Transport for London to act, but I am pleased we have finally achieved the right outcome.

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Posted in Transport

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Brent Council pays out £250,000 in redundancy costs following rushed library closures

Posted on October 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

Labour’s decision to close half of Brent’s libraries immediately following the court judgement on 13 October has led to local council taxpayers footing a bill for redundancy payments of over a quarter of a million pounds.

Councillor Paul Lorber and other libary campaigners outside Preston library

Councillor Paul Lorber (right) and other campaigners, pictured outside Preston library, are determined to continue the campaign for local libraries in Brent

Official council figures uncovered by Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader Paul Lorber reveal that the cost of sacking and making redundant staff as a result of the closures is a shocking £258,411.89.

This is more than enough to keep two libraries open for a full year – or longer if the council works in partnership with the community and adopts some of the efficiency measures recommended by the Liberal Democrats.

Cllr Lorber said:

Local people pay their taxes for a decent library service, not for redundancy payments made necessary by Labour’s determination to ignore residents’ wishes.

Paying out such a massive sum just shows how wasteful the Labour Leader’s badly judged actions have been. This bill comes on top of the £102,000 it has cost the council so far to defend its poor decisions in court. It proves how unfit Labour is to run our borough.

The vindictive rush to close the libraries has also denied hundreds of young people access to their local library over half term and led to the cancellation of much valued half-term activities.

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Posted in Campaigns, Finance, Labour Failure, Libraries

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Brent Council’s Barham Park library closure hits old and young

Posted on October 25, 2011 | Leave a comment

The effects of Labour’s library closures are spreading: hitting old and young alike.

Yesterday (Monday 24 October) children were unable to take part in the advertised half-term activity at Barham Park Library.

Today for the second week running older people who participate in the Barham Park Healthy Walks programme were unable to use the toilets at Barham Park library before they set off and at the end of their activity. The walkers meet every Tuesday morning at 10.30 am for a healthy walk around the park.

The library also provided seats and a warm place to meet for participants who arrived early or wanted to stay on after their walk.

Liberal Democrat councillor Chandubhai Patel, who represents Sudbury ward which includes Barham Park, said:

This is yet another illustration of the way in which Labour’s library closures have hit all parts of the community. Local libraries are not only gateways of learning for young people but they are also part of the social glue which holds communities together.

Cllr Chandubhai Patel and protestors outside Barham Library

Cllr Chandubhai Patel and other protestors outside Barham Library

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Posted in Campaigns, Libraries

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Brent Lib Dem Leader calls for talks to re-open libraries following today’s court decision

Posted on October 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Brent library campaigners won the latest round of their legal battle with Brent Council. They have been given permission to appeal against last week’s judicial review decision, which went in favour of the Labour-run council.

Councillor Paul Lorber and other library campaigners outside the Royal Courts of Justice

Councillor Paul Lorber and other library campaigners outside the Royal Courts of Justice last week

Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader Paul Lorber has called on Cllr Ann John and the Labour Group on Brent Council to sit down with library campaigners and discuss the re-opening of the libraries that Labour closed so suddenly last week.

As a result of the legal action taken by library campaigners Brent Council has agreed not to board up Kensal Rise library and to put other action on hold until the full case is heard in the court of appeal.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Paul Lorber, who was responsible for keeping Brent’s libraries open between 2006 and 2010 when the Liberal Democrats ran the council, said:

It’s taken High Court action to bring a halt to Labour’s desperate campaign of vandalism against our libraries. Cllr Ann John and her fellow council Executive members clearly couldn’t wait to board up the six libraries they axed and empty the buildings of books – even though there are volunteers and community groups willing to help keep the libraries open.

I think ordinary Labour councillors are shocked by the depth of anger in the community about the way they have behaved.

They now have an opportunity to bring the council back from the brink by telling Councillor Ann John to sit down and talk seriously to campaigners from all six closed buildings about re-opening the libraries.

Next week is half term. Hundreds of children won’t be able to get into their local libraries to borrow books for holiday reading and take part in half-term activities. We need the libraries back open and operating as soon as possible so they can continue to serve the community which values them so highly.

The Liberal Democrats set out a plan to keep the libraries open with assistance from the local community when the council’s budget was set in February.

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Posted in Community, Labour Failure, Liberal Democrats, Libraries

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Brent MP Sarah Teather backs local library campaigners

Posted on October 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sarah Teather, MP for Brent Central, has expressed her disappointment following the High Court’s decision to reject the application for a judicial review into the closure of libraries in Brent.

Sarah Teather MP and library campaigners outside Kensal Rise Library

Sarah Teather MP (centre) campaigning with other library supporters to save Kensal Rise Library last year

Sarah Teather said:

 Local residents have made their opinions clear – they want the libraries to stay open and are willing to fight to make that happen – it is a real shame that Labour run Brent Council is refusing to listen.

I would like to praise the efforts of the local library campaigners who have worked incredibly hard to raise the money for this legal challenge. They have achieved great things and I know that they will continue to fight to save the six closed libraries - as will I.

Following the Council’s announcement in April to close the six libraries, Sarah wrote to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to ask him to intervene and instigate an inquiry into the closures. In light of yesterday’s decision Sarah has written again asking him to intervene.

Liberal Democrat council group leader Paul Lorber, who joined protesters outside Kensal Rise library earlier today, condemned Labour councillors for rushing to close the libraries so soon after the court judgement.

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Posted in Campaigns, Libraries

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