'Engage' with Council and Galliford Try on August 8th

We hope there will be a lot more to Galliford Try and Brent Council's summer 'stop, listen and reflect' period but here is the first (hopefully not the last) offer: After all August is when many families will be away.

Anyway this will be a chance to make the case for the retention of the Old Library, space for the Willesden Booskhop, a Town Square (now thankfully cleared of the wooden trees!), proper management and anything else that concerns you.

Dear Resident

The planning application for the proposed new Willesden Green Cultural Centre was withdrawn by Galliford Try at the beginning of July.

The Council and Galliford Try are now proposing some further engagement activities with local people and other stakeholders to explore the design for the Cultural Centre including what the building will look like and also what activities will take place in and around the building.

An open day will be held on 8 August 2012 at the Willesden Green Library Centre in the Library Lab to update all stakeholders. You are welcome to drop in at any  time during the day and we will be available to answer questions. There will be presentations at set times during the day and further information on this will be available at the Library Lab.

Thursday 8 August

11am to 8pm at the Library Lab at the WGLC

Beth Kay

Regeneration Officer (Major Projects)

( Office: +44 (0) 20 8937 1038

( Mobile: +44 (0) 7943 190 093

Ê Fax: +44 (0) 20 8937 1050

: Email:beth.kay@brent.gov.uk

*Address: Regeneration & Major Projects, 2nd Floor, East Wing,

349 -357 High Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6BZ

Willesden Consultative Forum tonight

Willesden Area Consultative Forum

Next meeting

Wednesday, 11 July 2012 at 7pm 

Venue

College of North West London
Denzil Road
Willesden
NW10 2XD

Wards covered

Dollis Hill, Dudden Hill, Welsh Harp and Willesden Green

Next meeting

• Local policing update
• Shaping a Healthier Future
• Localisation of Council Tax Benefit
• Draft cemeteries strategy

During the break, you will have the opportunity to speak to your ward councillors, the Safer Neighbourhood Team, speakers and council officer.

KWG up-beat as it moves to the next phase

Keep Willesden Green met at a local community hall tonight and had a minor celebration of the welcome news of the withdrawal of the Galliford Try planning application, before quickly getting down to the business of planning the next stage of the campaign.

In recognition that Brent Council says it is in listening mode, it was decided to ask Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of the council to meet with a group of KWG members.  We will emphasise  participation rather than just consultation and,  in the spirit of the Localism Act, explore ways of working  with the council and other groups  to realise the aspirations of the local community.

There was a very positive atmosphere at this well attended meeting and an up-beat 'can do' approach to the next phase, whatever the difficulties in the past,  which bodes well for the future.

There was a recognition that the campaign had brought the people of Willesden Green together as nothing had before and a determination to build on this new sense of community.

Sarah Teather 'Council must incorporate Old Library into their plans'

From Brent Lib Dems website:

Brent Central MP Sarah Teather has today said that Labour-run Brent Council must listen to local residents over plans to redevelop Willesden Green library after it was announced that the developers have withdrawn the planning application that would have led to the closure of the library for 18 months. Brent Council and the developers have said that they will now seek the community's views over the summer before submitting a new planning application later this year.

Since the plans were announced, thousands of local residents have spoken out against the plans, calling on Brent Council to preserve the locally listed Old Library building. Concerns were also raised after the Willesden Bookshop and the Brent Advisory Service (BIAS) were not been given space in the proposed development.

Additionally, despite the Council admitting there is a need for affordable, four bed family housing, 88 one and two bedroom flats built were included in the previous application with only four three-bed apartments. None of the proposed flats were due to be social or affordable housing.

There was also public outrage after the Labour Council Executive agreed the outline plans of the redevelopment before carrying out a full public consultation. These outline plans included the demolition of the Old Library building.

Commenting, Lib Dem MP Sarah Teather said:

"I welcome today's announcement that Brent Council are willing to work with local residents to improve the redevelopment plans for Willesden Green library. However, Labour leaders must show that this time they will listen to the concerns of the community and incorporate the old library building into their plans.

"The Council had previously vowed to permanently rehouse BIAS and the Willesden Bookshop, but have so far failed to live up their promises. Hopefully this delay will give them time to find these valuable local resources new homes.

"The previous plans were desperately short-sighted. Any new proposals must meet the needs of the community and I will be watching carefully to make sure this is the case."

Willesden Green: Developers and Council are pausing to listen and reflect!

Galliford Try, the developers of the controversial housing development (with Cultural Centre attached) has withdrawn its two planning application for the site.

Galliford Try and Brent Council say that this is to extend the consultation period for the redevelopment and use the summer to seek local people's views.

The planning applications have received an overwhelming thumbs down from local residents with the planning department unable to keep up with the enormous flood of objections.

Cllr George Crane, lead member for Regeneration and Major Projects insisted that 'this redevelopment has never been a foregone conclusion as some people have claimed and this extra time for discussion demontrates that' but went on to state that the development 'needs to be at no capital costs and result in a quality development - these principles remain unchanged'.

Martin Redston, joint chair of Keep Willesden Green, said that he was overjoyed at the decision but that the campaign would not put its guard down: 'We will be looking for genuine consultation leading to community engagement at all levels'.

Details about consultation events and the time line will be publicised shortly. The further consultation will include the design of the new cultural centre and the activities that people want to see in the building once it's complete.  I understand that the original architects are now working on designs that will include keeping the historic Old Willesden Library.

The shows what a well-informed and determined community based campaign can do. Congratulations to all  all concerned.

Willesden Town Square vibrant with the French Market

The French Market last week

The much smaller space under redevelopment proposals

The open space and proposed Town Square outside Willeseden Green Library Centre was vibrant with colour last week as the French Market took place.

The open space in the front of the Library will largely disappear when the new Cultural Centre is built and will be replaced by one BEHIND the building, between the new flats and the Cultural Centre. It will be in the shade and the public will not be able to see it from the High Road.

Objectors to the Town Square application have until July 20th to submit their views to Brent Council. Meanwhile these photographs speak for themselves.

Willesden residents warned about 'desperate' people at their doors

From Brent and Kilburn Times, June 28th, 2012