The running mates, who recently went to Bratislava for Councillor Lorber’s first ever marathon, ran the 10K route which included part of Wembley High Road past Friends of Barham Library near Argos.

Syed Shah, Paul Lorber and Peter Corcoran after their 10K run

While Councillor Lorber continues to run in support of Friends of Barham Library and welcomes donations to virginmoneygiving.co.uk/paulllorber the 3,000 walkers and runners from the Swaminarayan Temple were raising money for a number of other good causes including national charity Kids which supports young children.

Councillor Lorber said:

As always the Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden organised a fantastic event. The beautifully sunny Sunday morning attracted a record number of participants who walked or run the the 10km with smiles on their faces.

It was great to see people of all ages taking part. The oldest participant was 90 and the youngest just three years old. Syed, Peter and I were honoured to take part.

The concrete walls of the Palace of Industry building are one of the few physical reminders of the massive event still in the area.

The Palace of industry building before demolition (Image: oyxman)

Quintain Estates wishes to demolish the wall as part of their plans to provide a temporary car park close to Wembley Stadium and the new Civic Centre.

Councillor Cummins is backing a proposal to retain a portion of the wall at the edge of the proposed car park. He spoke in support of retaining the wall’s a Brent Council’s planning committee in March, but acknowledged the council does not have the legal power to stop Quintain from demolishing the walls. However he hope the developer will listen to the arguments from local people.

Plans drawn up by local historian Philip Grant show that part of the wall could be retained without affected the proposed operation of the car park. Councillor Cummins said:

The British Empire Exhibition reshaped Wembley from a mainly agricultural settlement into a centre for sport and industry.

Now Quintain Estates are re-shaping the area again on a massive scale. It would be fitting for them to retain this vestige of local history to help mark the ninetieth anniversary of the exhibition next year.

The walls are of particular interest to architectural and engineering historians because of the innovative use of reinforced concrete, which was used on a greater scale than ever before to construct the exhibition.

Image: By oyxman (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

Cutting back shrubs and opening out views has made the path look and feel safer

Park users and residents contacted local councillor Alison Hopkins about the very overgrown, scruffy shrubs obstructing the path leading to the railway bridge at the bottom of Parkside. These blocked a clear view for walkers and were seen as a crime risk.

Many locals use the bridge every day to walk across to the Tube station on their way to work, as well as those enjoying the park.

Councillor Hopkins arranged for the overgrown foliage to be cut back a few weeks ago and secured funding from the council’s ward working scheme to improve the area. The current unsightly low brick walls and broken paving will be replaced with a gentle grass slope and two or three slim specimen trees once better weather allows work to start.

Councillor Hopkins said:

We want people to be safe in Gladstone Park and to feel safe. These changes will give people a clear sight line when walking over the bridge and provide a sweeping view of a lovely part of Dollis Hill. We are so lucky to have Gladstone Park on our doorstep. I hope these improvements will lead to even more people using it.

These proposals look broadly positive and in line with proposals Liberal Democrats have made at recent budget meetings. It’s curious that Labour councillors are prepared now to support plans for the abolition of the Customer and Community Engagement department which they previously voted against.

However I am not convinced local people will benefit from a new Assistant Chief Executive with a vaguely defined remit costing £100,000 to £150,000 a year.

The report is also notably silent on the process and timetable for the recruitment of a new Chief Executive. This could be a waste of time and money if the council recruits a new Chief Exec who wants a different structure. We will ask questions about this at next week’s meeting.

The proposals, drawn up by Interim Chief Executive Christine Gilber,t are supposed to save up to £900,000 per year (not taking account of any redundancy costs). They reduce the size of the corporate management team from nine directors to five; reduce the number of Assistant Director posts from nineteen to fourteen; introduce a new Assistant Chief Executive post; and reallocate functions including the creation of a new Education, Health and Social Care department.

The full report is available at http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=153&MId=2046.

Paul is going to his birth place to run a marathon in support of Friends of Barham Library who want to reopen the closed library in Barham Park Wembley.
 

Paul Lorber is campaigning to re-open BarhamPark library

Friends of Barham Library have now been campaigning for two years for their Library and currently run a Volunteer Library and Bookshop at 428 High Road, Wembley which is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from around 12 noon to 5pm.
 
As of last Sunday Paul had raised just over £1,000 to get him to the half way mark in his Marathon fundraising target of £2,000.
 
Paul is being trained by Wembley’s own Ironman Peter Corcoran a veteran of numerous Marathon and Ironman Challenges. Peter intends to get Paul through the 26 mile run and said:

Paul has been training very hard through the long winter and is determined to finish his Marathon especially since the organisers have changed the route so that it now passes his old home in Bratislava. 

Peter is urging all supporters of the Library Campaign to rally round and sponsor Paul by making a donation via www.virginmoneygiving.com/paullorber.
 
Friends of Barham Library have launched a fun competition urging supporters to guess Paul’s finishing time. The ten people guessing a time closest to Paul’s actual time will be able to pick a FREE book of their choice from Friends of Barham Library large collection in their Wembley shop.
 
More information on the Friends of Barham Library facebook page.

The decision comes after two-and-a-half years of pressure led by Willesden Green Liberal Democrat councillor Ann Hunter, who first won the backing of Brent Council’s Health Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the move and then persuaded the Pension Fund.

Councillor Hunter said:

I am delighted that the Pension Fund Committee has taken this step. It makes very clear that the pension fund will not invest directly in tobacco. Moreover their fund managers will not invest any part of segregated funds into any company that receive more than half of their income from tobacco.

This is excellent news, and definitely a step in the right direction. I am so glad that councillors and officers on the Pension Fund Committee have listened to us on Health Scrutiny and to other councillors and Brent residents who care about improving the health of the borough.

Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable deaths in Brent. The council plays an important role with Brent Primary Care Trust helping local people stop smoking through the Brent Tobacco Control Strategy. 2,668 people were helped to quit in 2011/12.

The relevant part of the Pension Fund’s new Statement of Investment Principles now reads:

• The Brent Pension Fund has an overriding fiduciary duty in law to invest Fund monies to achieve the best possible financial return for the Fund consistent with an acceptable level of risk. However, the Fund recognises that companies can enhance their long-term performance and increase their financial returns by adopting positive social, environmental and ethical principles in planning and running their activities. The Fund has delegated to the external investment managers responsibility for taking social, environmental and ethical considerations into account when assessing the financial potential and suitability of investments.
• Each investment manager is asked to work positively with companies to promote forward-looking social, environmental and ethical standards. This should not, however, deflect from the primary objective of achieving the best possible financial return for the Fund, in accordance with the Fund’s fiduciary duty.
• In line with the above, fund managers are instructed not to invest segregated elements of their portfolio in companies that generate over half of their income from tobacco products, due to the risk that tobacco companies may face large liabilities from outstanding court actions.

Councillor Paul Lorber and the local Liberal Democrat team have a long record of campaigning for fairer parking charges

Councillors this week heard that Labour’s big High Street parking charge increases have led to a big drop in the number of people using meter parking near local shops. After Labour increased the cost of parking in High Streets by 50% local shopping parades experienced a 24% drop in the volume of parking.

A report presented to the Executive [PDF] shows that as a result of drivers staying away from the shops, overall income from parking was half what had been budgeted and £1.6m less than if there had been no change in shopping patterns.

Lib Dem councillors say this is the worst of both worlds: the council has failed taxpayers by falling short of its income targets and failed local shoppers and traders by discouraging people from using local shops.

As part of the same report Labour councillors on Monday (11 March) agreed new parking charges which undermine the 15-minute parking pledge made just two week’s ago when the council set its budget.

Detailed recommendations agreed by Brent Council’s decision-making Executive set out new parking charges of:

• £1 for the first 15 minutes if you pay in cash (as most people currently do)
• 50p for the first 15 minutes if you pay using your phone

The highly publicised 20p rate only applies if you park, pay, shop and drive away again in a 15 minute period.

Liberal Democrat council group leader Paul Lorber said:

20p for 15 minutes should mean 20p for 15 minutes, not 20p, 50p or £1 depending on the circumstances.

Traders in our High Streets are not going to benefit from much extra business if customers are continually checking their watches and only have time to pick up a packet of chewing gum.

Once again Labour has failed to deliver the changes they promised and that local people need.

Elsewhere in the report the council admits that Labour’s massive parking increases mean: “Brent’s tariffs are more in line with neighbouring Inner London boroughs than with neighbouring Outer London boroughs.”

The estate, which includes the Big Yellow self-storage unit as well as Staples stationery shop, had generated complaints about the amount of rubbish dumped at the entrance and lying around at the side of roads, and in hedges along the boundary.

After contacting the estate’s Canary Wharf-based managers Alison received assurances that waste has been cleared away and that damaged fences will be repaired. The managers also have plans for improved landscaping at the front of the site.

Councillor Hopkins, who represents the Dollis Hill ward, said:

Thousands of motorists pass this site every day. It had reached the state of being a real eyesore. I am very pleased that we have now seen some action. I will keep a close eye on progress to ensure that the promised landscaping and improvements are delivered.

In contrast the Labour Leader called for community involvement in the budget but endorsed proposals which maintain controversial cuts to libraries, street cleaning and school crossing patrols.

The Liberal Democrat Alternative 2013/14 Budget

Libraries

Labour’s library closure programme including striping Kensal Rise library of its books and computers in the middle of the night

Labour closed half of Brent’s libraries, broke promises to work with volunteer library campaigners, engineered the transfer of Cricklewood  and Kensal Rise libraries to All Souls College, sold off Tokyngton library and blocked the return of library services to Barham Park and Preston

Liberal Democrats will invest an additional £400,000 per year to support library volunteers across the borough, including access to professional support, catalogues etc. and to finance plans to re-open closed libraries

Parking

Labour has hiked parking charges – twice in four months for parking permit holders – introduced parking meters in roads where they didn’t previously operate and is hitting older and poorer residents without internet access especially hard with punitive parking fees.

Liberal Democrats will freeze April’s planned parking charge increases, reverse January’s parking permit increase and keep daily visitor parking permits at £1.

We will start a wide-range review of parking tariffs and penalty charges in Brent to ensure they meet the needs of residents and businesses in Brent – ending the current policies which discourage people from shopping locally.

Labour’s proposal for a 20p rate for the first 15 minutes at parking meters is a welcome acknowledgement of the problems caused by their parking policies, but does nothing to help parking permit holders.

Highways repairs

Labour has failed to maintain our roads and (especially) our pavements to the standards that local residents expect.

Liberal Democrats will invest an extra £500,000 over and above the administration’s budget proposals to mend potholes and resurface pavements, keeping pedestrians safer and reducing damage to Brent residents’ cars.
 
Street cleaning

Labour’s cuts to street cleaning mean that rubbish is piling up on our streets

Labour has cut street sweeping and graffiti removal, leaving Brent’s streets dirtier than ever and local people fed up with the build-up of rubbish on their streets.

Liberal Democrats will invest £250,000 to clear the backlog of Labour’s rubbish and pilot more effective ways of working.

CCTV

Labour has failed to provide funding for the renewal and extension of Brent’s CCTV system. Liberal Democrats will restart the CCTV installation programme for local High Streets and hotspots (costing £135,000).

Festivals

Labour removed the Navratri grant and abolished the budget for Christmas, Eid, St Patrick’s and other local cultural festivals and celebrations.

Liberal Democrats will reinstate £115,000 funding for festivals which bring the community together.

Tree planting

Liberal Democrats will invest in a £50,000 tree planting programme, making our streets and public places greener and healthier.

School Crossing Patrols

Labour has let down parents and children by stealthily removing school crossing patrols from our schools.

Liberal Democrats will reverse Labour’s cuts and recruit new school crossing patrols when vacancies occur at an annual cost of £60,000.

Total additional spending: £1,797,000 (£862,000 recurrent, £935,000 one-off) 

The Liberal Democrat budget proposals are funded by:

Reduction in size of Corporate Management Team
The move into the Civic Centre, reduction in the overall size of the council and changes in role means that the Corporate Management Team can be slimmed down, saving £518,000.

Restructure of Customer and Community Engagement Directorate
Savings from ward working admin (while maintaining the project budget), communications, the festivals unit and mayoral support will save £344,000.

To fund one-off expenditure the Lib Dems will reduce the size of three very large uncommitted earmarked reserves by £935,000 (transformation reserve: £450,000, redundancy and restructuring reserve: £420,000, remuneration strategy reserve: £65,000). This will leave £4.25m in these reserves plus over £12m in the general reserve to cover contingencies and risks.

Friends of Barham library currently run their volunteer library in Wembley but want to return to the library’s traditional home in Barham park

Instead they chose to hand over the building to an organisation based in Kensington and Chelsea with no connection with the borough.

The Labour councillors backed a bid from ACAVA (Association for Cultural Advancement Through Visual Art) which offered a much smaller rent than council officers estimated was required for the former Barham Library building and other parts of the Barham Park complex.

Barham Park and the associated buildings were gifted to the council by Titus Barham in 1936 for the recreation of the public. Titus Barham, from the famous Express Dairies family, was a generous benefactor who donated large sums of money to local causes including Wembley Hospital and Sudbury Tennis Club. He wanted to ensure that local people would benefit and enjoy his home and his gardens after his passing.

The buildings have provided local services to local people ever since. This included Barham Library from 31 May 1962 until its closure by Labour Councillors in October 2011. Labour kept the building empty and derelict for over 16 months despite an offer from local charity Friends of Barham Library to pay rent and run a volunteer library at no cost to Brent Council taxpayers.

There were shambolic scenes at Brent Town Hall when the Barham Park Trust Committee met on Wednesday 13 February. Just hours before the meeting council officers had to issue a last minute ‘supplementary report’ to correct errors in the original paperwork. Labour councillors were summoned to a secret meeting behind closed doors 30 minutes before the start of the committee meeting. Following this local residents who had came to speak about the recommendations on the agenda were denied the right to speak by Labour Councillor Ruth Moher who chaired the meeting.

The Council failed to meet a commitment to the Charity Commission to consult current and prospective future users of the building about what they wanted to see the buildings used for. Evidence suggests most Sudbury residents want to see the return of a local library against the wishes of Labour councillors.

Councillor Paul Lorber, who represents Sudbury ward where Barham Park library was located, said:

This is another shameful episode in the story of Labour’s library closure policy. Local people are seeing community assets being taken away from them by Labour Councillors who simply do not care. Titus Barham would turn in his grave at the thought of how Labour Councillors are destroying his generous gift to the people of Wembley.

One of those refused the right to speak was Vi Steel, the Chair of Brent Pensioners Forum and a Sudbury resident. She wanted to ask the Committee to think of all the young and older people who have lost out as a result of the closure of Barham Library and would benefit from the return of book lending to the area.