Category Archives: Voluntary Sector

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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Festivals not bureaucracy demand Brent Liberal Democrats

Posted on November 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

At this week’s Brent Council meeting Liberal Democrat leader Paul Lorber called for the Labour-run council to spend scarce taxpayers’ money on direct support for community groups – instead of subsidising an expensive council-run Festivals Unit.

Councillor Paul Lorber and members of the Hindu Council with a petition signed by 6,000 residents

The local Liberal Democrats believe community groups that want to hold local festivals and community events can deliver more for local people than a central bureaucracy at the Town Hall.
 
The call for a rethink follows a decision by Labour Councillors to cancel support for the celebration of long standing festivals in Brent, including Christmas, Eid and Navratri. At the same time the council is paying for a Festivals Unit which costs £120,000 to run yet spends just £197,000 delivering events.

Liberal Democrat council group leader Councillor Paul Lorber said:

It is financial madness for the council to spend such a high proportion of its events budget on staffing and overheads. For every £5 the council spends directly on events, it spends another £3 maintaining its Festivals Unit. £120,000 spent by community organisations on community events could lever in an enormous amount of voluntary effort and matching funding.

The Council should back local residents to organise their own festivals and events – instead of diverting spending to unnecessary bureaucracy.

Councillor Lorber points out that the council already has a Grants Unit responsible for the distribution of money to local groups, which could manage applications from community organisations which want to organise traditional events.

The Liberal Democrats are demanding that the Council should place more emphasis on cutting waste and becoming more efficient in order to make savings and protect local services such as libraries and school crossing patrols.

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Posted in Community, Voluntary Sector

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Brent Lib Dem councillors resolve funding impasse for Cricklewood Improvement Plan bid

Posted on September 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

Mapesbury Liberal Democrat councillors have successfully persuaded Brent Council to provide official backing to an exciting funding bid being prepared by the Cricklewood Improvement Programme – despite being told that Cricklewood is not a priority for Labour council bosses.

Mapesbury Liberal Democrat councillors Chris Leaman

Councillor Chris Leaman

The proposal to seek thousands of pounds from the Outer London Fund had been put at risk by the reluctance of the council’s Labour Executive members to provide support. Local councillors and residents were told the needs of Cricklewood did not feature among the Labour administration’s political priorities. The failure of Brent Council to join Barnet Council and Camden Council to back the bid could have dealt the project a fatal blow.

But when Councillors Chris Leaman, Hayley Matthews and Sami Hashmi presented a request for support to Monday night’s full council meeting (Monday 12 September), councillors swung behind the project and Labour’s leadership was forced into supporting the Cricklewood Improvement Programme bid.

Councillor Hayley Matthews, who was approached by local residents who were concerned by the Labour council’s attitude, said:

Mapesbury Liberal Democrat councillor Hayley Matthews

Councillor Hayley Matthews

I am really pleased that councillors saw sense and voted to support this excellent community-led project. Cllr Hashmi, Cllr Leaman and I have now written to the Chief Executive to seek assurances that the council’s expression of support will be followed through and to ask for regeneration officers to work with the Cricklewood Improvement Programme to ensure that the best bid possible is submitted.

Councillor Sami Hashmi, who has also worked hard to persuade the council to back the scheme including by speaking to many council officers, added:

Mapesbury Liberal Democrat councillors Sami Hashmi

Councillor Sami Hashmi

This plan will help revitalise Cricklewood by improving the environment and stimulating the local economy. Cricklewood is split across three council areas which makes co-ordination difficult so we can’t afford to waste this opportunity.

At Monday’s council meeting councillors voted in favour of the following motion, moved by Liberal Democrat councillors representing Mapesbury ward:

Supporting Cricklewood and its residents (Outer London Fund)

Brent Council welcomes the award of £500,000 to Willesden Town Centre from the Outer London Fund (first round). The council thanks and congratulates all those who played a part in securing this funding which will benefit Willesden residents.

Council notes that the Cricklewood Improvement Programme has developed a bid to the Outer London Fund (second round) which if successful, will deliver funding to improve the environment and benefit the local economy in Cricklewood.

Council welcomes the fact that this bid has received support from Barnet Council and Camden Council, which along with Brent Council serve the Cricklewood area.

Council thanks the members of Cricklewood Improvement Project for the voluntary effort that they have contributed in order to improve and enhance the area and congratulates them on their hard work.

Council believes this work deserves the support of Brent Council and gives the Cricklewood Outer London Fund bid its full backing.

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Posted in Community, Voluntary Sector

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Brent festivals decision reveals Labour confusion over grants

Posted on August 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

At Brent Council’s Call-in Committee meeting last week (3 August) Labour backbench councillors voted to endorse the Executive’s decision to remove funding from Navratri, Eid, St Patrick’s Day, Diwali, Christmas festive lights and other festivals in Brent.

Lib Dem Leader Paul Lorber receives Save Navratri petition from local residents

Lib Dem Leader Paul Lorber challenged Labour's plans to withdraw support from community festivals and events

Leading Labour councillors gave conflicting reasons for their decisions, with some saying it was all about money, some claiming that the council would be breaking the law if it continued to support the event, and some simply being hostile to the idea of events linked to particular faiths.

Liberal Democrat Leader Paul Lorber, who led the challenge to Labour’s decision said:

Labour’s arguments don’t stack up. The council could find money to support these popular community-organised festivals if it switches some funds from the extravagant council-run events it is planning and the expensive staff unit which will organise them.

If Labour’s argument about the new equalities laws is correct other council-funded services with links to faith- and culture-based organisations are at risk. I am seeking clarification about the impact on other council grants.

Once again Labour is making decisions without thinking through the consequences.

Paul told the the Wembley Observer:

We had a lengthy debate but the Labour members were clearly whipped. There could still be an opportunity to instigate debate on this decision again in the future, when the council comes to announce its budget. It’s very disappointing but we have not given up all hope as yet.

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Posted in Campaigns, Voluntary Sector

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Last chance to save Navratri, Eid, St Patrick’s Day and Christmas celebrations in Brent

Posted on July 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

Liberal Democrat councillors have put pressure on Brent Council’s Labour leadership to think again about their decision to cancel support for Navratri, Eid, St Patrick’s Day, Christmas and other celebrations next year.

Lib Dem Leader Paul Lorber receives Save Navratri petition from local residents

Lib Dem Leader Paul Lorber is campaigning against Labour's plans to withdraw support from community festivals and events

They have ‘called-in’ the Labour Executive’s decision for debate at a meeting next Wednesday (3 August).

Following an outcry by local residents Labour has already been forced to delay its plans until April 2012 meaning that Diwali, Fireworks Night, Eid celebrations, Navratri events, and Christmas Festive Lights will go ahead this year.

Now Labour councillor Lesley Jones, who is responsible for the decision, has been called before the council’s Call-in Overview and Scrutiny Committee by the Liberal Democrats. Cllr Jones will be required to answer questions and justify her decision to withdraw support from these popular events from April 2012.

The council’s Labour leadership plans to spend over £300,000 a year running its own events rather than providing financial support to voluntary and community organisations.

Councillors could vote to refer the decision back to the Executive with a recommendation to save Navratri and the other celebrations and spend less on the council’s own events. The meeting will take place in public at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 3 August 2011.

The council claims that new Equalities laws, introduced by the previous Labour government, mean that only secular, non-faith based celebrations should be supported. But there is no evidence that other councils have stopped funding events that have a religious origin.

 Liberal Democrat Leader Paul Lorber said:

 Ann John and her Labour group are hiding behind these changes in legislation to justify taking away support from long-established community events.

 “Most of these events attract support from across the community. The council could save money by redirecting some of the budget it pumps into expensive council-organised events towards these popular community-organised celebrations.

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Posted in Campaigns, Community, Voluntary Sector

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Liberal Democrats call for unspent festivals cash to be used to save 2011′s Navratri

Posted on July 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Labour’s confusion about Brent Council’s festivals policy means time is running out to organise the planned programme of festivals and event in Brent. As a result tens of thousands of local residents look set to miss out on Brent’s traditional heritage of community events and activities, including Navratri and the Respect festival.

There is a question over whether the council’s flagship “Brent Celebrates” event which the council planned to organise in place of its support for Chanukah, St Patrick’s Day, Eid, Diwali, Christmas, St George’s Day and Navratri can go ahead because of staff shortages and the limited time left to make arrangements.

Lib Dem Leader Paul Lorber receives Save Navratri petition from local residents

Lib Dem Leader Paul Lorber is campaigning against Labour's plans to withdraw support from community festivals and events

At the same time residents cannot book venues and plan for Navratri until they know whether the council will overturn Labour’s plan to end support for the celebrations.

The crucial meeting is due to take place on Monday 18 July, just days before the summer holidays begin. Many Navratri celebrations rely on being able to book school halls.

Liberal Democrat Leader Paul Lorber, who has backed the Save Navratri campaign and helped deliver the 6,000 strong petition against Labour’s cuts said:

“It seems clear that the council will find it difficult to organise its expensive Brent Celebrates festival this year. As a result tens of thousands of pounds allocated to festivals and events in Brent could be hoarded unspent in the council’s bank account at the same time as local organisations are struggling to deal with the effects of Labour’s decision to withdraw support for their community events.

“Navratri can still go ahead as usual this year if the council agrees to put the money it will save by not being able to organise Brent Celebrates towards the cost of Navratri and other community-run events. We need a decision quickly. Waiting until 18th July could be too late.”

Cllr Lorber has written to the Leader of the Council, Ann John, to ask her to approve the idea.

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Posted in Campaigns, Community, Voluntary Sector

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