Monthly Archives: February 2012

Labour councillors block lifeline for Brent libraries

Posted on February 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrat councillors last night (Monday 27 February) put forward budget proposals that would have given Brent back its closed libraries, and lifted the threat to Brent’s School Crossing Patrols.

Other proposals included:

  • Reversing Labour’s cut to the highways and pavement budget – and investing extra money to tackle the maintenance backlog
  • Cleaning up Brent’s dirty streets with targeted action to tackle the roads worst affected by Labour’s street cleaning cuts
  • Cutting parking charges to give a boost to local High Streets
  • Restoring the Navratri grant and funding for other cultural festivals in Brent

The Liberal Democrats set out a costed programme of savings to pay for their plan including:

  • Slashing the bureaucracy and administration associated with ward working – where for every pound spent on a project another 94p  is spent on administration – without touching the project budget.
  • Abolishing the council’s Customer and Community Engagement Directorate and distributing its functions to other directorates
  • Streamlining the council’s spending on communications including ending the door to door distribution of Brent magazine and cutting unnecessary spending

The Liberal Democrat proposals, set out in The Liberal Democrat Alternative 2012 [PDF], maintain the council tax freeze. The council tax grant from the government means that this year is the third year in a row that there has been a council tax freeze. The first freeze was introduced in 2009 when the Liberal Democrats led the council.

The Lib Dem proposals were voted down by the Labour majority. 

Liberal Democrat Leader Paul Lorber said:

Labour has stopped listening to local residents and is no longer on their side. Labour Leader Ann John actually boasted about the library cuts when she made her speech.

The Liberal Democrats have listened to Brent residents. We have drawn up a budget which responds to their priorities and invests money in the issues they think are important including the state of our streets, the damage done by Labour’s parking charge increases and the closure of our libraries.

 Labour councillors could have clawed back some credibility by voting for the Liberal Democrat proposals last night. Sadly they ducked the test and Brent residents will suffer as a result. We will continue the fight for local people.

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Posted in Campaigns, Clean Streets, Community, Council Tax, Environment, Finance, Liberal Democrats, Libraries, Voluntary Sector, Young People

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Alison Hopkins welcomes crossing patrol back to Our Lady of Grace Junior School

Posted on February 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

Dollis Hill campaigner Alison Hopkins has welcomed a successful conclusion to the campaign to bring back a school crossing patrol to Our Lady of Grace Junior school – but Labour-run Brent Council faces criticism for the length of time the process has taken.

A new crossing patrol to replace the previous post-holder was promised to Dollis Hill Liberal Democrat councillor Javaid Ashraf by the Labour councillor in charge of school crossings at a council meeting in July 2011.

The new crossing patrol was meant to be in place for the new school year in September but Brent Council’s internal bureaucracy led to recruitment delays. The crossing patrol finally started work today (Monday 27 February) a full term-and-a-half overdue.

Councillor Ashraf, who collected petition signatures along with local campaigner Alison Hopkins and other residents and parents said:

I am shocked at how long it has taken Brent Council to put in place a new crossing patrol. Why has there been such a long delay? Pupils have been without their school crossing patrol through the darkest days of winter. I am pressing for an explanation and apology to be sent to the school.

The school crossing patrol service was under threat last year from Brent Labour’s plan to axe 30 school crossing patrol across the borough. However a campaign led by parents and local Liberal Democrat councillors forced Labour councillors to think again. The council agreed not to sack any existing school crossing patrol staff.

However if Labour’s proposed budget is passed at Brent Council tonight (27 February), the council will maintain Labour’s policy of not replacing crossing patrols at so-called low-priority sites if existing post-holders leave. Over time this will mean fewer and fewer school crossing patrols in Brent.

Local campaigner and council candidate Alison Hopkins said:

Dollis Hill Lane is one of the busiest roads in the area, with heavy lorries and speeding cars. It’s potentially lethal. Children at our Lady of Grace Junior School need their crossing patrol. If elected as Dollis Hill’s new councillor I will be in a strong position to fight to keep it.

Published and promoted by R Wharton 19 Roe Lane London NW9 9BH on behalf of A Hopkins (Liberal Democrats) 9 Humber Road London NW2 6EH. Printed (hosted) by Automattic, Inc. 60 29th Street #343 San Francisco, CA 94110-4929 United States of America

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Posted in Campaigns, Community Safety, Young People

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Re-open Barham Park Library in time for Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee

Posted on February 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

This letter was published in Thursday’s Wembley and Willesden Observer.

Dear Editor,

The fantastic Barham Park in Wembley and the buildings within it were donated for the recreation and enjoyment of local people by George Titus Barham (known as Titus Barham) in 1936 shortly before his death.

Titus Barham was the managing director of Express Dairies and a major benefactor of many good causes in the area including Wembley Hospital and Wembley and Sudbury Tennis Club.

On May 31 1952 the council opened a public library in Barham Park in one of the buildings donated to local people by Titus Barham.

Paul Lorber and other library campaigners with Hands Off Our Library and Save Our Library signs outside Barham Park library

Sudbury Liberal Democrat councillor Paul Lorber and other library campaigners are working to re-open Barham Park library

The popular library, the only one within a park, had served local people until it was closed by Labour councillors in October last year.

Under the terms of the bequest, the council cannot sell the building and it has to be used for the benefit of local people in line with Titus Barham’s wishes.

As things stand the Labour-run Brent Council is failing to fulfil those wishes and is probably in breach of Charity Commission rules. This year is the Diamond Jubilee of the opening of Barham Library.

What better way of celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee than enabling a joint celebration by re-opening Barham Park Library (and the other closed libraries) for the benefit of local people.

It would show Brent Council is serious about serving local people and that there is a genuine support of helping people to improve their education and gain access to culture and knowledge.

Yours,

Councillor Paul Lorber

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Posted in Libraries

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Brent Lib Dems Choose Local Campaigner Alison Hopkins for Dollis Hill

Posted on February 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Original version posted at www.brentlibdems.org.uk.

Alison Hopkins, Liberal Democrat candidate for Dollis HillLong-time Dollis Hill resident Alison Hopkins is the Brent Liberal Democrat candidate for the Dollis Hill by-election on Thursday 22 March. A local through and through, Alison has lived in Dollis Hill for over 55 years.

Alison attended Braintcroft primary school and married her husband at the local church – St Mary and St Andrew – in 1974.

Alison has a long record of campaigning for local people. As the Neasden representative of the Brent SOS libraries campaign she has been fighting the Labour Council’s plans to close half the libraries in Brent, including both the libraries serving Dollis Hill residents: in Neasden and Cricklewood.

She is campaigning against the Council’s slashing of the street cleaning budget that has seen rubbish pile up in Dollis Hill’s streets and she has taken a stand against the Labour Council’s frittering away of thousands of pounds on luxury hotel away-days and expensive meals, money that could have been used to keep the libraries open and the dumped rubbish off Dollis Hill’s streets.

Alison is also one of the founding members of the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood Regeneration, a campaign group which has worked with Sarah Teather MP, fighting to stop Barnet’s plans to build a massive rubbish dump on the doorsteps of Dollis Hill schools.

The Dollis Hill by-election is set to be a tight race between Sarah Teather’s Liberal Democrats and Brent Labour Council bosses’ candidate. In 2010, the Conservatives finished in third place: they cannot win in Dollis Hill.

Local campaigner Alison Hopkins said:

I’m delighted to have been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Dollis Hill. I grew up here, have lived here almost all my life and have witnessed firsthand what the Labour Council’s waste and neglect has done to our area.

I will stand up for local residents on the issues that really matter – the closure of our libraries, the rubbish in our streets and the preservation of our wonderful local community.

Sarah Teather MP said:

It is great news that Alison will be standing for the Liberal Democrats in Dollis Hill. She’s been campaigning on local issues for years and knows the area like the back of her hand.

At a time like this, with a wasteful Labour council getting rid of many of the important services that local people rely on, I know Alison will be a real champion for Dollis Hill.

Paul Lorber, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Brent Council, said:

The Labour-run Council has run rough-shod over the wishes of local people. It has failed to listen to the concerns over the library closures and has cut back on street cleaning while Labour councillors spend thousands of taxpayers’ pounds on luxury awaydays and meals.

This election is a great chance for the people of Dollis Hill to tell the Labour Council that they have had enough of their waste and neglect.

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Posted in Elections, Liberal Democrats

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Brent Council seeks to pull wool over Secretary of State’s eyes on library figures

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Councillor Paul Lorber, Liberal Democrat Group LeaderCouncillor Paul Lorber, Brent Liberal Democrat Leader, has challenged the Brent library figures on which the Secretary of State for Culture relied when deciding not to order an inquiry into Brent Council’s library closures.

According to a letter [PDF] sent to Brent SOS libraries campaign by government lawyers, the Secretary of State doesn’t need to intervene because:

Brent Council have confirmed that the figures they hold for library visit numbers for December 2011 and January 2012 show substantial increases in visits to the six remaining libraries – as compared with figures for the same months for the previous year.

However figures uncovered by Councillor Lorber show that overall library usage has dropped by nearly 20,000 visits a month. It is not clear whether Brent Council shared these figures with the government before the Secretary of State made his decision.

Month

2010/11

2011/12

% change

actual change
October 2011

156,274

131,396

-15.9%

-24,878
November 2011

137,746

113,448

-17.6%

-24,298
December 2011

107,888

100,020

-7.3%

-7,868
January 2012

129,064

109,911

-14.8%

-19,153
 

 

average

-13.9%

-19,049

Councillor Lorber has written to the Secretary of State setting out his concerns about the evidence used by the Secretary of State to justify his decision.

He said:

The Secretary of State is relying on flawed evidence to justify his reluctance to get involved. Brent Council appears to be trying to pull the wool over his eyes by claiming that library usage in Brent has increased.

Tragically the facts show otherwise. Since Labour closed half of our local libraries far fewer local residents are visiting, studying and enjoying their local library service.

Councillor Lorber has also expressed concern that the Secretary of State quotes Brent Council’s claim that opening hours at some libraries have increased while failing to take into account thefact that overall opening hours have decreased from 544 hours per week to 349 hours a week (8 hours of which are unstaffed).

You can read a copy of Councillor Lorber’s letter to the Secretary of State here Letter to Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP – February 2012 [PDF].

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Posted in Campaigns, Labour Failure, Libraries

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Get help to pay electricity bill before it is too late urges Brent Lib Dem councillor

Posted on February 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Shivering Brent residents could be missing out on £120 rebates towards the winter’s electricity bill – according to Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Daniel Brown.

The Alperton councillor was alerted to the fact that dozens of residents could be missing out on help by a local resident who missed out on a payment from British Gas who are no longer accepting claims for this year.

The government’s Warm Homes discount scheme is designed to help pensioners on low income and some other vulnerable households by providing a £120 rebate off the winter’s electricity bill. Most pensioners who receive pension credits should receive the rebate automatically but some other people need to apply. The eligibility criteria vary according to the electricity supplier.

Councillor Brown said:

I am grateful to the resident who drew this to my attention. It isn’t too late for local people who qualify to apply for a rebate. I urge people who are eligible to apply as soon as possible, before this year’s funding ends at the end of March.

Poor pensioners and families have been hit particularly hard by high energy prices. Many are living in cold homes, which could put their health at risk. I don’t want local people in this situation to miss out on the chance of free help. It is disappointing however that time seems to have run out for people who are with British Gas or Scottish Power, given the amount of money these firms make.

People who think they might be eligible and want more information can call the Warm Home Discount Scheme Helpline on 0845 603 9439 (lines are open from 8am – 6pm, Monday to Friday). They can also contact their electricity supplier or find out more at www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/funding/whds/whd_broader/whd_broader.aspx.

 

 

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Posted in Government, Health, Housing, Utilities

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