From Brent Council
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From Brent Council
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The informal consultation process on the closure of the Brentfield Road (Gwenneth Rickus building) site of Leopold Primary School began yesterday with a letter to parents:
Brent Council has launched an informal consultation seeking the views of the public regarding the closure of the Gwenneth Rickus site of Leopold Primary School. This is being proposed in response to falling pupil numbers in Brent, resulting in a high number of spare places in local primary schools.
The proposal will not result in changes to the provision of education on the Hawkshead Road site.
No decisions have been taken yet, but if the proposal to close the Gwenneth Rickus site was to be implemented it would begin to take effect from September 2025.
It is important you have a chance to have your say on this proposal. A consultation document and response form is available on the Brent website at www.brent.gov.uk/neighbourhoods-and- communities/have-your-say, via email LeopoldConsultation@brent.gov.uk and hard copies are also available from the school’s reception. All documents are also available on this webpage www.brent.gov.uk/leopoldconsultation where you can find facilities to translate them into different languages.
There will be six public consultation meetings where you will be able to find out more about the proposal and express your views. Public consultation meetings are being held at:
• 9am, 3.30pm and 6.00pm on 14 November 2023 at Leopold Primary School, Gwenneth Rickus Site, Brentfield Road, Neasden, NW10 8HE
• 9am, 3.30pm and 6.00pm on 15 November 2023 at Leopold Primary School, Hawkshead Road, Harlesden, NW10 9UR
The informal consultation runs from Wednesday 1 November until Wednesday 13 December 2023.
Please note that when I went to the webpage this morning it was not accepting submission at present.
For ease of reference I embed the consultation document below:
A reader responded on Twitter:
I was in the post office on the last day it opened. The staff have been made redundant and are very sceptical about a new premises. Apparently this is normally sourced and opened prior to a closure.
From TfL
Bakerloo line |
Sunday 23 to Sunday 30 JulyNo service between Queen's Park and Harrow & WealdstoneFor travel to/from central London, use alternative routes via the Jubilee, Metropolitan, Central or Piccadilly lines, London Northwestern Railway services or local bus routes. For stations between Queen's Park and Harrow & Wealdstone, use bus routes 18, N18, 36, 112, 266, 487, 718 and 719. Bus routes 718 and 719 are temporary routes that will run throughout this line closure.Bus route 718 will run daily every 10 minutes between Harrow & Wealdstone and Queen's Park. Bus route 719 will run every 15 minutes from 07:00 to 19:00 on Monday to Friday only between Wembley Park and Queen's Park. If the strikes go ahead, there will be severe disruption on Tube services. Please check for the latest updates before you travel. |
What appears to be the last public consultation meetong on the future of Islamia Primary School takes place tomorrow, Wednesday 9th November at Preston Park Primary School, College Road, Wembley. HA9 8RJ. (Nearest tube Preston Road on the Metropolitan Line).
So far the only option offered has been move to Strathcona Road site in Preston ward or close. The consultation closes on November 16th. You can comment on the Brent Council Have Your Say site HERE.
Here are a selection of the comments so far. Publication here does not represent approval of the content but it is important for everyone to know what is being said.
Strongly Oppose the relocation to this site
The site is most definitely not suitable for the school (any type of school for that matter).
The road itself is very narrow and Carlton avenue is already a very busy road. As many have mentioned the students of this school are not located in the local area and therefore probably won’t use public transportation. That means their parents will drive them in. Adding to traffic and local pollution. Wasn’t this the reason those ridiculous LTNs were installed.
Many of the students parents don’t even want the school relocated to this site and even started a petition.
Brent council don’t seem to have the local residents in mind when proposing such ideas. It is already an over populated area where resources are being maxed out.
Again I’d like to express how strongly I oppose this school moving to this site.
HA9 doesn't not need or want this school
Reasons relocating the school to HA9 / Strathcona is a totally unsuitable:
We do not need another school at this site. There are already 3 schools in an around the area and it gets extremely busy in the school peak hours. Residents of the area are extremely unhappy with this proposal because this will create additional traffic, congestion and noise and air pollution.
This site is on the narrow road with parking on both sides of the road. The bus route 223 also operates through this narrow road. If you have to pass through in the school pick up and drop off times, travelling through this road is a nightmare. People are parking everywhere, hooting and not following the traffic rules and no common sense prevails whatsoever.
I strongly object to the school at this site due to all the above issues.
You have 1 faith based Islamic school and at a time where far right anti-Islamic sentiment is rife instead of continuing to be the “most diverse and inclusive” borough in London you choose to spit in the face of the Muslim population of Brent this is outrageous.
The area has three schools adjacent to this site already. Traffic is already gridlocked by these schools, residents will be blocked in as there is only one way in and out of this site.
I strongly oppose this change. I live very close to the area . Firstly no local residents have been informed of this , I got a leaflet drop today (04/11) telling me the consultation period is 28/09/22 to 19/11/22 & a consultation meeting will be held on 09/11/22. This is an event day area, Brent council ignored the residents on this issue so parking is an absolute nightmare in the area. This is a residential area with one bus route that is always delayed as you can only get one car on the roads due to heavy traffic and full capacity cars constantly parked . Most of the primary schools in the area old & new have been extended and are now undersubscribed . The proposed area is on an industrial estate not suitable for young children but we just cannot cope with the volume of current traffic or non availability of parking in this area. It’s madness that parents with young children have to travel from NW6 to South Kenton . Is there another agenda to close that school for developers to build flats to make lots of money . Not one local resident was aware of this proposal until recently . I object to this and hope Brent planners don’t approve it. I’ve also heard it’s a done deal . If this is the case it’s illegal without proper consultation.
This school has no link to this area and does not belong here. It will only serve to exacerbate the existing terrible traffic issues that residents like myself currently have to suffer during school drop-off and pick-up times on Carlton Avenue East and surrounding roads.
I have witnessed and taken photos of illegal parking, blocking of drives, driving on pavements etc. which were shared with the council. We have only just recovered from the ill-considered LTN schemes and now Brent Council is looking to foist this new silly proposal on long suffering local residents, which will actually increase traffic further! This will only lead to increased risks for residents, road users and pedestrians, including school children. Residents' considerations need to be first and foremost, as we will have to live with the consequences of yet another scheme serving outside interests.
There is already enough school provision in the area, and any further requirement should be met through existing schools and serve the entire community, rather than any specific group. Moreover, Strathcona Road is certainly not an appropriate location, and option 1 should be firmly rejected. Of the available options, I support option 2 – if this school continues, it should be somewhere closer to its current location, where the above issues do not exist and local links are already present.
I do not agree with the proposal, there are already 2 other schools in close proximity to the location proposed. These are Byron court primary and Preston park primary. There are extreme challenges at present with parking and traffic and the introduction of another school, will add to what is already a huge problem. The increase in cars will add to traffic, pollution, noise in our area.
I would suggest an alternative location be found for the school.
I do hope this proposal is shared with the neighbourhood and proper consultation and feedback gathered before proceeding. I urge you to write to each household in the area and seek proper feedback before proceeding with what I would refer is a poor proposal with sub standard options.
Ever since Brexit secular schools have less students than they have the capacity for. Faith based schools should be reduced as much as possible and those students integrated into the secular schools that now have space. It is important for children to experience as much diversity as possible from a young age.
This area cannot cope with another school. Strathcona Road is very narrow and cannot cope with the traffic. The traffic during school times on Carlton Avenue East is terrible with people illegally parking, blocking drives, driving on pavements, numerous accidents have happened etc. It is dangerous.
When Roe Green Strathcona was closed, extra school places were allocated to surrounding schools. Most schools in the local area are not fully subscribed so we do not need yet another school in the area especially one where most kids will be needed to be dropped off by car.
Brent Council was intent on low traffic neighbourhoods and this proposal is any thing but low traffic.
Why was Roe Green Strathcona forced to close? why are all those reasons not valid anymore? Stop being so two faced Brent Council
I vote for Option 2. The options presented are terrible by the way. How can it be either close the school or relocate to where no one wants it! has brent council seriously considered alternatives???
Will Brent Council reopen the road that leads to East Lane instead of a private gate for a privileged few?
I think relocating the Islamia Primary School to Wembley is a great idea! Wembley is already a very multicultural area and the addition of this school will further encourage that multicultural tradition. We proudly have other faith schools such as Catholic and Jewish schools in our local areas and I think the addition of an Islamic school will reflect even more so the diversity we are so proud of.
It’s really saddening that the Council, the Governing Body and the Foundation have all agreed on either moving 6 miles away or ceast to exist. No other options are given. How is this acceptable? The Council must and can do better!
From Brent Libraries
Harlesden Library will be closed for refurbishment between 29 August 2022 and February 2023.
Reserve and collect, essential PC use and printing will be available at a library contact point in The Designworks, Harlesden, NW10 4HT from Monday 12th September.
We will also have a small collection of children and adult stock available to borrow. All other libraries will be open as usual.
Any Harlesden Library items you have on loan can be returned to any other library in Brent. For any further information please check our library web pages, email: libraries@brent.gov.uk or telephone 0208 937 3400.
Statement from Brent Council
Due to the increase in the number of fans attending the EURO 2020 Semi-Final and Final at Wembley Stadium, Fryent Way will be closed and used for parking on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday this week.
This is to allow for more fan parking in designated zones and has been planned to help minimise disruption to residents. The closure will go into effect at 2pm with vehicles diverted via Kingsbury Road and Church Lane, and will be lifted at midnight. The road will have a central lane open for emergency vehicles only.
We would still encourage Ticketholders to travel by public transport or coach. Wembley Stadium will not provide parking for private vehicles during the event, except accessible parking. Nearby street parking is reserved for local residents and businesses.
Event Day parking restrictions will be active from 8am to midnight on main roads and from 10am to midnight on residential roads. If you have a paper Event Day permit, please make sure it is clearly displayed in the vehicle. Electronic permit holders do not need to display a permit.
Brent's only surviving local paper, the Brent and Kilburn Times, which during the Covid19 crisis has been asking readers for support has been saved from bankruptcy and potential closure along with other Archant titles. Readers will have noticed how thin the paper has been recently.
The Eastern Daily Press, lead title of the 150 year group, explained the acquisition by Rcapital.
Norwich-based Archant - which publishes EDP, Norwich Evening News and many newspaper and magazine titles throughout East Anglia and beyond - has been acquired by new investors who will provide funding to continue its transformation into a successful modern media company.
The announcement also gives security for many hundreds of Archant pensioners and their families, and protects the hundreds of local businesses Archant trades with, who may otherwise have suffered losses had the business, hit hard by Covid-19, been forced into bankruptcy.
Simon Bax, Archant’s Executive Chairman, said safeguarding the interests of local suppliers and customers, and its near-1,000 employees had been his priority.
Archant and our newspapers and magazines are an intrinsic part of East Anglian life. Not only do we employ hundreds of people in the region, but we are also an important part of hundreds of other local businesses who supply us, or depend on us to help grow their business.
Like so many other businesses, Covid-19 threw us into a very difficult position. Naturally, I am very sad this deal marks the end of ownership of the local families who founded our company all that time ago. But equally I am happy we have found a new partner who respects our heritage and is able to nurture Archant’s future.
I would also like to thank the Colman and Copeman families who have been the custodians of quality journalism in East Anglia for so long – their legacy is a modern media company that will continue to proudly serve the region.
The new owners, family-based firm Rcapital, specialise in backing companies with immediate financial challenges but who otherwise have ambitious and compelling plans for commercial success.
Chris Campbell, partner at Rcapital, said:
We are incredibly pleased to have worked alongside Archant’s management team and KPMG to put forward a plan that will restructure finances and inject fresh capital into one of Britain’s oldest local newspaper brands. We are hopeful, that with the support of its creditors, Archant will emerge from this challenging period as a stronger business that continues to provide a vital service to its clients and readership. Today’s announcement marks an exciting next phase for both Archant and Rcapital - I am looking forward to working with Simon and his team to deliver on the transformation plan.Like many other businesses in the UK, Archant had become increasingly hamstrung by multi-million payments required to pay down the large deficit in its long-defunct company pension scheme.
Under the deal, that pension scheme has been transferred to the Pension Protection Fund, a public body responsible for managing almost a quarter of a million pensions in the UK.
Shareholders in holding company Archant Limited, which has been placed into administration as part of the change of ownership, have been informed their shares are now of no value.
There is no interruption to publishing in the business, which continues to trade as before.
Clearly it is early days and we will have to wait to see what the 'transformation plans' will mean in terms of jobs and the survival of titles. Closure or transfer to on-line would be a blow against local democracy. The group have this week launched a campaign backing local councils' demands for adequate post-Covid funding.
Hi All, Since we opened the Delipod Hub has attracted artists, artisans, writers and musicians along with customers from toddlers to grannies and the full diversity of cultures for whom Brent is home. Little did we know however that the Delipod Hub was held with such affection until the petition to save it was launched by a local resident’s association only a few days ago.
It has now over 800 signatures and rising, and the voices of support have been spontaneous, many and loud. For your information, we have now signed the lease surrender document as we had built up arrears and were under threat of legal proceedings - this after repeatedly trying to engage with Brent on this issue for well over a year.
I wrote to the local councillors on Friday. I have written again just now stating that we will not start to any significant dismantling of the Hub until Tuesday leaving the option open on Monday for a reconsideration. Perhaps this is too strong, but from the messages of support we’ve received, it’s almost like the Hub’s closure would be an act of physical, social and cultural vandalism.
Seee the one-minute compilation of some of the live music nights held at the Hub – it’s fab. Please do sign and spread the petition: LINK Monday!!!
Thank you, Peter (Billy) & Serena
"With huge regret, next Friday will be our last live music event after which Delipod Hub will be closing, the last day of trading will be Saturday 26th Oct. After rates (which came in much higher than anticipated), rent and service charge there’s not much left and after over a year of trying to renegotiate them, we’ve been unsuccessful. We’d love to go out with a BANG so please come and celebrate our last evening of live music with the fabulous RumBand. Thank you for your custom and support, over the period we’ve been open.
Peter (Billy) & Serena"
If council officers had actively been trying to prepare a case for the closure of the school, these are precisely the measures they might have taken. First ensure nobody knows about the place and even when they live next door, refer them to another school. In fact the head teacher has said that she has several reports of prospective parents who asked for their child to come to the school actually being told by council officers that the roll at Strathcona is full and they can take no more children. I would ask that the cabinet investigate these allegations which, if true, represent a serious breach of trust on the part of public officials.
Of course much of this might be more understandable were the school underperforming. In fact despite all the problems it has experienced, Roe Green Strathcona School is an excellent School, with their first cohort of Year 6 students achieving progress in the top 3% of Schools in England this academic year. This is particularly remarkable when one considers the extent of mid year admissions. In the public meeting held at Roe Green Strathcona on 6th June 2019, which was attended by local councillors, many parents testified to the quality of teaching and the quality of pastoral care that the school provides.
Just 3 years ago Council officers made an urgent recommendation that Roe Green Strathcona School become permanent by September 2016. They are now trying to persuade councillors that the school is not viable. What was then a saving is now said to be a financial drain on the council. What was then required to cope with the primary admissions crisis is now said to be part of an unnecessary and unsustainable surplus. What was then said to provide parental choice into the future is now having its very existence airbrushed from the Council admissions website.
Teachers and staff at the Roe Green School are rightly proud of the progress that has been made since the creation of the Strathcona school five years ago. In a borough where children had been out of formal education for many months, the School has added significant value to the educational development of every child that has entered its classrooms. They have served the council well. If the cabinet were to rubber stamp the proposal to launch a formal consultation for the closure of the Strathcona School site. I believe they would be betraying that service and acting arbitrarily.
Protest at Brent Civic Centre |