Decision details

(1)       Following the approval of an amendment moved by the Labour Group in relation to the original Motion submitted by the Conservative Group, the following Motion (as amended) was AGREED:

 

“Kingsbury Curve

 

Residents living either side of the Jubilee line between Kingsbury and Wembley Park have to put up with the excruciating noises when the trains go past on what is known as the Kingsbury Curve.  Following the return of Night Tube services on the Jubilee line, a speed restriction has been applied during Night Tube services.

 

The noise is so bad that it can be heard in people’s homes even with all the windows shut!  The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that noise exposure levels should not exceed 70 dB over a 24-hour period, and 85 dB over a 1-hour period to avoid hearing impairment. Residents have suggested that this section of the track regularly exceeds these levels.

 

The track has been there for around 90 years, yet it is only in the past 4 years that these noises have started which coincided with the removal of trees and shrubs from the bank together with replacing the sleepers with concrete ones and relaying the track.

 

TfL are aware of the problems and work continues to find the right solution but it is anticipated that it will be a long-term piece of work. TfL have conducted trials over the summer period and are reviewing whether a small reduction in speed could be applied to all trains in this section of the track without adversely impacting the service we provide to passengers. However, speed restrictions are implemented sparingly given the impact on timetables across the entire Jubilee line.

 

We appreciate that residents have raised multiple concerns about the impact of the noise on their wellbeing and their quiet enjoyment of their home. They cannot fully enjoy their gardens in the summer or leave their windows open and children struggle to study because the noise is a serious distraction.

 

This Council is asked to recognise:

 

The legal duty it is under to take such action to enforce those who create excessive noise, whether that be by loud parties, music, cars revving their engines, or even night time deliveries, duties which this Council does its best to carry out.

 

It’s duty to protect its residents from this intrusive and excruciating noise.

 

This Council therefore resolves:

 

To request that TfL work with residents and Brent Council to address the noise concern with a robust engineering-led procedure to prioritise works as quickly as possible.

 

To request that TfL provide residents with a named contact, with ready access to experts that are working to tackle the root cause of noise. This involves visits to residents' homes to measure noise levels both before and after any work is undertaken.

 

To request that TfL explore measures to mitigate the impact of the noise over the Christmas holidays.

 

To lobby the Secretary of State for Transport for additional capital investment to upgrade and improve the infrastructure that helps keep London on the move such as the track on the Kingsbury curve.”

 

(2)    The following Motion submitted by the Liberal Democrats Group was unanimously AGREED:

 

“Ending Heartless ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’

 

This Council notes:

 

That the Cost-of-Living Emergency declared at our last Full Council meeting will have a huge impact on all who live in Brent, including many here who are unjustly excluded from any financial or legal support from the state. 

 

There are a growing number of people in our Borough who, through no fault of their own, are unable to access the help they desperately need. This number will almost certainly increase as we approach what will be an unprecedented and difficult few months ahead.

 

Elected Members and Council Officers are currently effectively prevented from supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our community, because of Section 115 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, which states that a person will have ‘no recourse to public funds’ if they are ‘subject to immigration control’.

 

The restrictions in this section of the law do not recognise the reality on the ground, which currently means we have individuals sleeping rough outside our very own Civic Centre and elsewhere across Brent.

 

‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ restrictions have pushed migrants and their families into severe poverty and in some cases homelessness.

 

The limitations in our ability to support individuals with ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ and the need to apply further political pressure on the Government to act.

 

The commendable efforts of the voluntary, charity sectors and many in our community who seek to give individuals who currently have ‘no recourse to public funds’ the support they need, whether by offering shelter, food or legal advice.

 

The Council calls on the Government to:

 

1.             Reduce the risk of people experiencing destitution and acknowledge that the current laws around eligibility for financial and legal assistance means that we are leaving far too many without any help at all 

 

2.             Ensure that no one is excluded from social services’ support which operates as a short-term safety net

 

3.             Urgently suspend ’No Recourse to Public Funds’ conditions in order to offer needed assistance to people who are currently ignored by the state

 

This Council resolves to:

 

1.             Work in a cross-party way to lobby the Government to remove the heartless ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ restrictions on migrants and their families

 

2.             Immediately ask the Leader of the Council, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group to sign an open letter to the new Home Secretary and Ministers in the Home Office highlighting our local authorities’ huge concerns about the number of people with ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ being pushed into acute poverty and therefore requiring immediate financial assistance

 

3.             Make public the number of known individuals in our borough who are currently barred from any support whatsoever, due to them not having ‘Recourse to Public Funds’, as a way of highlighting the extent of the problem we face

 

4.             Further strengthen the Council’s relationship with the voluntary and charity sector and community groups who are already giving support to individuals who have ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’, by inviting them to the Refugee Summit (as agreed at the July 2022 Full Council meeting) in order to establish ways the Council can also intervene and offer any resource we have to help with the work that they do

 

5.             Work with Praxis and other similar organisations, who have expertise in supporting people with ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’, to develop an easy access document, which consolidates all possible avenues of help (largely in the voluntary and charity sector) that can be distributed across the Council to make it easier for Elected Members, Council Officers and others to offer the best possible advice and guidance when approached for help

 

6.             Produce a similar public document that the Council will make available to all interested groups in the community and voluntary and charity sectors, that can also be shared on the Council website and online channels.”

 

(3)    The following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was AGREED:

 

“A Place to Call Home: Safety and Security for tenants during the cost-of-renting crisis.

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.             London is one of the most expensive places to rent in Europe, while Brent is the second most expensive outer-London borough.

 

2.             Rents have risen three times faster than wages since 2010 and continue to rise, by 15.8% in the year to May 2022. The London Renters Union branch in Brent is regularly seeing rent increases of 30%, 40% or even 50%, contributing to the cost of living emergency and pricing residents out of the borough.

 

3.             Brent has also seen a significant dent in first-time buyer affordability, with the average price paid up by more than double the national average. Those buying their first home in the borough now pay a huge £89,753 increase compared to pre-pandemic market values.

 

4.             People under 30 are facing a growing cost-of-renting crisis. According to recent reports, 4 in 10 of this age group are now spending more than 30% of their pay on rent.

 

5.             In Brent there are over 22,880 households containing 53,644 individuals that remain on the housing waiting list, with an average waiting time for a 3-bedroom council property typically over a decade.

 

6.             Brent Council is continuing to tackle the demand for affordable homes by increasing supply, with a target of 5,700 affordable homes to be built by 2028, of which, 1,700 will be built by the Council.

 

This Council further notes:

 

1.             While the government has rejected calls for intervention, rent controls are common practice in Europe, both regulating the initial rent that landlords can charge, and the rate of rent increase within tenancies.

 

2.             Brent Labour has made a commitment on behalf of renters to use its voice to call upon the government to introduce new legislation to regulate rent increases, strengthen enforcement and improve the energy standards of the rental sector.

 

3.             That the government is consulting on capping rents for council and housing association homes to prevent them from rising significantly. Although welcome, it will come at significant cost to councils and registered providers that will absorb the brunt of inflation, with no funding announcements made by government to match the steep shortfall in income.

 

4.             Like inflation, energy bill increases serve only to impact residents that are already struggling in some of the worst housing conditions.

 

This Council believes:

 

1.             That the pandemic has shown that regulating the actions of landlords is a political choice and they can be regulated for the public good at times of crisis.

 

2.             Without intervention in the private rented sector, rents will continue to rise causing economic hardship, instability and homelessness for tens of thousands of Brent residents.

 

3.             The government must rethink mechanisms to regulate the cost of rents and ensure that low and middle income tenants do not have to spend more than a third of their income on rent.

 

4.             The Renters Reform Bill is an essential piece of legislation for renters' security. In order to meet its aims, rent rises within tenancy must be limited so that landlords cannot evict through massive rent hikes.

 

5.             As energy bills soar, private tenants’ right to a warm home should be protected and landlords should be required by the council to meet the legislation relating to energy efficiency.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

1.             Publicly support the Mayor of London’s call for a two-year rent freeze within the private rented sector and the introduction of rent controls to help ease the cost of living crisis facing Londoners.

 

2.             Work with the Mayor of London to make the case for Brent to participate in the “right-to-buy-back” scheme – and help bring more properties back into public ownership.

 

3.             Create a new Private Renters Strategy, mapping out the council's approach to enforcement, our support available to tenants; and our plans to bring more of the 2,734 empty properties in Brent back to the market.

 

4.             Work with London Renters Union and Advice for Renters to support the case for a borough-wide selective licensing scheme covering the 40,000 PRS properties in Brent that would drive up standards.

 

5.             Urge the new Secretary of State to expedite the commitments to renters in the recent white paper, including: the removal of Section 21 evictions, the introduction of a rental sector ombudsman, the outlawing of discrimination against benefit claimants, and the application of the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time.”

 

(4)    The following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was AGREED:

 

“Transport for London Funding

 

This Council notes:

 

1.          With Brent residents currently facing an unprecedented cost of living crisis, as well as a climate emergency, it has never been more important that residents can access an affordable, green and publically funded transport network across our capital.

 

2.          London is the only major city in the world that does not consistently subsidise its public transport. TfL relies upon passenger fare income to fund seventy-two per cent of its costs. By comparison, fares income covers only thirty-eight per cent of transport network costs in New York and in Paris, with public funds providing the remainder.

 

3.          This is largely down to the fact that the Government took the decision, in 2015, to remove TfL's £700 million annual operating grant from April 2018 onwards. As a result TfL has faced a 37% cut to their budget in just five years.

 

4.          The root of TfL’s financial problems is the pandemic. Before the pandemic, TfL’s finances were in good health and it was on track to record an operating surplus for the first time in TfL’s history.

 

5.          The Mayor of London has stood up for our capital during a tough month of negotiations with a zombie government to find a new funding settlement. He has successfully fought to ensure TfL no longer faces moving into managed decline.

 

6.          However, the government has been clear that its war against London is not over. Ministers are still refusing to provide enough funding for our transport network, which will likely mean TfL will be forced to increase fares in the future and proceed with some bus cuts. If this happens, Londoners should know that it will only be the government that’s to blame.

 

This council believes:

 

1.          A sustainable funding deal for TfL is an essential component of any pandemic recovery programme, it supports the growth of jobs, housing and community wealth; and crucially reduces carbon emissions in the capital by taking cars off of the streets.

 

2.          That TfL desperately requires new funding sources, taking inspiration from other global cities that have raised additional revenue through land value capture and emission charges.

 

3.          It is inexcusable that of the funding announced there is no new monies to expedite the delivery of new rolling stock on the Bakerloo Line, with the oldest trains in use in the United Kingdom. It could also jeopardise potential funding for the new West-London Orbital line, a shovel-ready new Overground line that could transform regional transport connections.

 

4.          It is a travesty that TfL has been forced to propose the scrapping of 22 bus routes and a service reduction on almost 60 more. In particular, the removal of the number 16 and number 31 route will severely impact residents in Brent.

 

5.          Brent’s Labour Council has always worked to support residents with cheap and sustainable travel options. The implementation of School Streets, publishing of a Climate Emergency Strategy and ongoing provision of the freedom pass for residents show our commitment to supporting active travel and providing accessible transport options for every resident.

 

6.          A decrease in the funding made available by TfL to London boroughs will negatively impact our residents and our ambition to keep Brent on the move.

 

This council therefore resolves:

 

1.          To request that the Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change write to Transport for London’s Commissioner Andy Byford expressing this chambers opposition to the scrapping of 22 bus routes, including the number 16 and number 31; and the reduction of provision more generally.

 

2.          To voice its opposition to unsustainable funding arrangements for TfL, calling upon the incoming Secretary of State for Transport to close the funding gap once and for all, during the next round of negotiations.

 

3.          To request that each respective Group Leader considers writing to local branches of ASLEF, RMT and Unite showing support for their industrial action against the impact on jobs, terms and conditions of these proposed cuts.”