Agenda item

To debate the motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 41.

 

Members are asked to note:

 

·          The motions submitted for debate along with any subsequent amendments received have been attached.

·          Where a motion concerns an executive function, nothing passed can be actioned until approved by the Executive or an officer with the relevant delegated power

 

Agenda republished to include the motions submitted for debate on 5 July 2023 and amendments submitted in respect of the Conservative and Liberal Democrats motions on 10 July 2023.

(1)      Having been put to a vote, in accordance with Standing Order 42(l), the Motion submitted by the Conservative Group “Don’t Punish Brent’s Drivers” was withdrawn from consideration at the meeting.

 

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

 

“Protecting, preserving and promoting Parks and Open Spaces in Brent

 

This Council notes:

 

Our borough is home to many wonderful green, open spaces and parks that are enjoyed by residents of all ages and backgrounds. From smaller parks like Mount Pleasant Open Space in Alperton, King Edward VII in Wembley, to historical parks like Barham Park and Gladstone Park, larger country parks in Fryent, and thriving open spaces in the Welsh Harp and Northwick Park, to name but a few.

 

These vital spaces must be protected, particularly if they are threatened by development that does not meet local need.

 

In recent years we have become even more aware of how important green spaces are for local people. During the Covid-19 pandemic and periods of lockdown, they became a sanctuary for so many who were able to spend time in them, benefiting both mental and physical health.

 

With the promise of much needed homes in Brent it is crucial that new residents are able to access open spaces in the areas they move to. Brent Council continues to work with partners to bring forward new developments to ensure they incorporate adequate large green space which is maintained by Housing Associations/ Managing Companies.  In Wembley Park, for example, a new seven-acre Union Park will feature a bandstand, children’s play areas, sport zones and urban meadow.  It replaces a former 1,000 space care and coach park and is one of the first new large public parks in London for decades and is Wembley’s first new mayor park in 150 years.

 

Achieving Climate Emergency targets relies heavily on safeguarding open spaces, protecting mature trees and important habitats for local wildlife. Without doing so, we risk missing these targets in or borough.

 

The decision by the Planning Committee to allow the building of houses located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park is in accordance with Brent Council’s long established Core Strategy of protecting Brent parks and open spaces from unwelcome development. The disposal of the properties at 776 and 778 Harrow Road was first taken by the Executive in December 2009. The decision made by the Planning Committee was on the basis of officer recommendation and discussion at the meeting, including the consideration of the Local Neighbourhood Plan. The Planning Committee decision does not result in the loss of any local green space from the redevelopment of the buildings and does not impact upon the ability to experience the area of the original historic landscape park.

 

The Barham Park decision does not result in the loss of any local green space and therefore re-affirms the existing precedent of maintaining the protection of parks and open spaces from developmentin keeping with the strength of feeling from local residents on this important issue.

 

Therefore, this Council believes:

 

1.     That all of Brent’s parks and open spaces should be valued and celebrated as vital assets in our community.

 

2.     Parks and open spaces must all be protected from the potential of development, particularly of development that does not meet local need or that is clearly not for genuine community use.

 

3.     The value of parks and open spaces cannot be understated; even more so as increasing numbers of local people have little to no access to their own gardens or green space.

 

4.     The Cabinet should reassure all residents that within its responsibilities it will always prioritise the preservation of our parks and open spaces and promote these assets.

 

This Council resolves:

 

(1)    To confirm its longstanding strategic position that it will recognise the value of open spaces and parks in the borough and seek to protect them.

 

(2)    To call on the Cabinet to ensure within its responsibilities there will be no new buildings and no expansion of buildings in parks other than for legitimate community use.

 

(3)    To reaffirm its Planning Policies on protecting public parks and open spaces

 

(3)    To incorporate in all Planning reports the potential environmental impact applications will have on our area, and how they might impact Climate Emergency targets, utilising our newly approved Sustainable Environment & Development Supplementary Planning Document.

 

(4)    To work with partners across the city, from the Corporation of London, other Local Authorities and City Hall to protect, preserve and promote vital green, open spaces in London.”

 

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

 

“Celebrating 75 years of the NHS in Brent

 

This council notes:

 

§    5 July 2023 marked 75 years of the National Health Service - it is the beating heart of Britain and the Labour Party’s proudest achievement.

 

§    Treating over a million people a day in England, the NHS touches all our lives. It is also the biggest employer in Europe and the world's largest employer of highly skilled professionals, with over 1.3m members of staff from over 200 different nationalities.

 

§    When it was founded by Nye Bevan in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, founded on the simple principle of care based on people’s need, not their ability to pay.

 

§    Today, nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone, and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British.

 

§    The NHS has delivered huge medical advances, including the world’s first liver, heart and lung transplant in 1987, pioneering new treatments, such as bionic eyes and, in more recent times, the world’s first rapid whole genome sequencing service for seriously ill babies and children.

 

§    This year also marks another very important 75^th anniversary – the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in Britain with more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean, ready to embark on their new lives. The Windrush Generation helped to build the National Health Services and we stand on the shoulders of their legacy.

 

§    More recently the NHS and social care organisations have also benefitted from EU and other overseas staff.

 

§    Throughout Covid-19, doctors, nurses, health and social care workers and NHS staff put their lives at risk to protect us all.

 

This council further notes:

 

§    Our NHS colleagues are integral to the work of Brent Council.

 

§    Since its creation, NHS spending has increased by an average of 3.7 per cent per year in real terms. But from 2010/11 to 2018/19, NHS funding growth slowed to 1.4 per cent per year. Spiralling inflation has reduced the value of the NHS budget, with NHS Confederation analysis showing that the NHS is facing real terms cut in funding of between £4 billion and £9.4 billion.

 

§    Over the last ten years, the foundations of the NHS have been eroded through outsourcing to private companies and insufficient investment in both staff and infrastructure. Pay for health practitioners is now less than it was in 2010, 40 per cent of doctors in the NHS are looking to leave the NHS for work abroad; and of Boris Johnson’s promised 40 new hospitals, less than a quarter are yet to gain planning permission.

 

§    There are currently more patients waiting for treatment than ever in the history of the NHS. Furthermore, every month, tens of thousands of patients are spending entire days waiting in A&E with hospitals overwhelmed with patients who are fit to leave or wouldn’t need to be there in the first place if they could access healthcare earlier.

 

§    Ahead of the NHS’s 75th birthday, a report by the NHS Assembly has set out the growing consensus that the NHS should now focus on three key areas for long term development: better preventing ill health, personalising care and delivering more co-ordinated care closer to home.

 

§    The disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities highlighted the deep health inequalities faced by so many of our residents, as well as the inequalities faced by BAME staff in the NHS, which the NHS also needs to urgently address.

 

This Council believes:

 

§    The infrastructure of the NHS at both the community and national level requires wholesale renewal to meet the demands of an ageing population.

 

§    Brent Council has a strong track record of working with the NHS for the benefit of all our residents, to ensure a borough where we can all feel safe, secure, happy and healthy. In partnership with the NHS we have:

 

o      Launched 8 Family Wellbeing Centers, bringing together health, nursing, and parental support for children.

o      Held Prostate Cancer Awareness events in Stonebridge and Harlesden.

o      Won the Nursing Times Award for the Public Health Nursing category and been shortlisted for the unique initiative of the oral health mobile bus, which looked to improve education for parents across Brent about healthy eating and dental health.

 

§    Despite these achievements, there is so much more that could be done to improve the NHS in Brent – and that only with a Labour Government will the necessary change be delivered.

 

§    That the time is now, to seize the historic moment of the NHS’s 75th anniversary to unite behind a shared vision of its next and best era.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

(1)      Request the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care write to the Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, outlining support for the Labour Party plan for the biggest expansions of doctor and health practitioner numbers in the history of the NHS, committing to:

 

o     Doubling the number of medical school places to 15,000 a year

o     Doubling the number of district nurses qualifying each year

o     Training 5,000 new health visitors a year

o     Creating 10,000 more nursing and midwifery clinical placements each year

o     A long-term workforce plan for the NHS, with independent workforce projections, new career paths into the NHS, and new types of health and care professionals.

o     Supporting the expansion by reintroducing the 45p additional rate of income tax paid by those earning more than £150,000 a year.

 

(2)      Work with the North West London Integrated Care System to promote measures that maximise opportunities at a local level to improve life for local residents by:

 

o     Promoting prevention and reducing the number of people with long term conditions.

o     Promoting the best deployment of resources to address identified  need.

o     Work with other statutory partners but also co-produce solutions with our communities and Voluntary Sector that will improve the lives of our most deprived communities in Brent.

o     Working with our diverse communities to ensure equality of experience in accessing health care services.”

 

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

 

“Keeping Brent on the move: renewing our roads and pavements

 

This council notes:

 

§    Providing a transport network which supports economic development and works to improve safety, accessibility and inclusivity is fundamental to keeping our borough on the move in the coming years.

 

§    Whether you walk, drive, cycle or take a bus or taxi; maintaining Brent’s roads, pavements and infrastructure is vital part in creating a safe place to call home.

 

§    In Brent, in the last Administration our teams repaired or maintained over 128 Kilometres of roads and pavements, enough to get you from the Civic Centre to Dover.

 

§    In this year alone, as part of Brent’s “winter resilience” programme of injecting patching of potholes, we have undertaken 2,568 repairs across the borough.

 

§    In London more broadly, as the effects of austerity have compounded, so too has the effect on our public realm. London Councils have stated that our infrastructure is in “managed decline” thanks to years of real terms budget cuts, exacerbated by high inflation. For example, over 80 bridges in London are currently substandard and subject to restrictions owing to a backlog in repairs.

 

§    With the effects of climate change increasing the severity of storms and flooding, our roads, pavements and drainage systems will be overwhelmed more frequently and require greater investment than ever before.

 

§    In the last London Councils “State of the City” report a total backlog for maintenance repairs across all forms of infrastructure in the capital is said to be c. £1.6bn. In Brent, repairing every effected part of our pavements was estimated at the time to be over £60m.

 

§    Brent Council has recently launched a new “Fix my Street” tool which will make it quicker for residents to report roads and pavements in need of repair. At time of submitting this motion 36k reports have been submitted, with 5k fixed in just the last month alone.

 

 

This council further notes:

 

§    That the situation has deteriorated further when, in 2018, the government withdrew highway maintenance funding to Transport for London (TfL). This funding had been ring-fenced to resurfacing TfL’s Red Routes and the 32 boroughs’ principal roads (with Brent Council formerly receiving approximately £900k annually).

 

§    If Brent Council was not in London, adjusted for inflation, we could have expected to receive up to £7 million of funding for our roads from TfL during the intervening period.

 

§    As a result of the significantly reduced funding for our principal road network, the overall condition of these routes has suffered. To address the decline Brent Council has allocated £4m for a Principal Roads programme with £1m of the investment being spent in 2022/23 and a further £2m programmed for 2023/24.

 

§    That unlike the whole of the rest of England, the government provides no funding for the maintenance of highways and pavements in London.

 

§    By way of comparison, the government has committed over £2.7 billion of local highways maintenance outside of London between 2022 and 2025.

 

§    Recent announcements of funding worth £200m from Active Travel England are also unavailable to London boroughs.

 

§    The government has since announced a £380m cut (by more than 50% of its current budget) to the active travel budget in the current spending review, which the Labour Party has estimated could cost more than £2bn in the long term through the impact on public health and wider economy.

 

§    This follows a long line of broken promises from this government on infrastructure, from the Northern Powerhouse Rail to HS2 – now all curtailed.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

(1)    Request that the Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Action, write to the Secretary of State for Transport demanding that London is treated in the same way as the rest of England when funding the maintenance of our roads, pavements, and infrastructure.

 

(2)    Request that the Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Action, bring forward a report to Cabinet, setting out Brent Council’s future capital investment into our roads, pavements, and improvements in our public realm – as part of our manifesto commitment to invest £15 million into a programme of repairs and renewal.”

Before moving on to consider the motions listed on the summons, the Mayor advised members that a total of 40 minutes had been set aside for the consideration of the four motions submitted for debate, based on an initial allocation of 10 minutes per motion. Should the time taken to consider the first motion be less than 10 minutes he advised that the remaining time available would be rolled forward for consideration of the remaining motions.

 

16.1    1^st Motion (Conservative Group) – Don’t Punish Brent’s Drivers

 

The Mayor invited Councillor Kansagra to move the first motion which had been submitted on behalf of the Conservative Group.  Prior to addressing the motion, Councillor Kansagra felt there was a need to seek further advice on an amendment submitted in advance of the meeting by the Labour Group, which he was concerned had been designed to negate the basis of the original motion submitted for debate.  The concerns highlighted by Councillor Kansagra regarding the amendment were also shared by the Liberal Democrats Group who supported the view that the proposed amendment would have the effect of negating the spirit and basis of the original motion.  In responding to the concerns highlighted the Corporate Director of Governance advised that the amendment had been subject to detailed review and on balance was felt to have retained a sufficient element of the original motion to avoid entirely nullifying it.  On this basis the amendment had been cleared to proceed for consideration.

 

In expressing concern at the negative effect of the amendment and precedent it was felt this approach would set moving forward, the Conservative Group advised the Mayor they were no longer minded to move the motion and would instead be seeking to withdraw it from consideration at the meeting.

 

With the Labour Group initially indicating they were minded to continue with the debate in order to consider the amendment they had submitted, the Mayor agreed to a brief adjournment of the meeting to enable the respective Groups to seek further constitutional advice from the Corporate Director of Governance.  Having reconvened, following a brief withdrawal of all members of the Conservative Group from the meeting, it was RESOLVED having been put to a vote, in accordance with Standing Order 42(l), to approve withdrawal of the Motion submitted by the Conservative Group from consideration at the meeting.

 

16.2   2^nd Motion (Liberal Democrats Group) – Protecting, preserving and promoting Parks and Open Spaces in Brent

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Georgiou to move the second motion which had been submitted on behalf of the Liberal Democrats Group.  As context for the motion Councillor Georgiou began by highlighting what he felt was the importance in seeking to protect and value all Brent’s parks and open spaces as vital assets to the local community.  This included the need, given approval of the recent planning application relating to a site located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park, to protect parks and open spaces from the potential of development especially were this was not felt to meet local need.  In valuing the green and open spaces available across the borough, Councillor Georgiou felt the pandemic and increasing levels of development that only provided limited access to green space, had further highlighted their importance given the mental and physical health benefits from the access provided to green and open spaces for so many residents as well as in relation to addressing the climate emergency.

 

On this basis, it was felt the recent decision to allow the building of houses located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park not only went against the Council’s long established Core Strategy of protecting Brent parks and open spaces and local Neighbourhood planning but had also created an unwelcome precedent which it felt put other parks and open spaces in Brent at risk.  Referring to the level of local support for an online petition set up following the recent planning decision calling on the Council to protect parks and open spaces from future development and rejecting the amendment to the motion submitted by the Labour Group, Councillor Georgiou ended in moving the motion by calling on members to recognise the strength of local feeling and prioritise the preservation and promotion of the boroughs parks and open spaces as valuable assets across the borough.

 

The Mayor thanked Councillor Georgiou for introducing the motion and then drew member’s attention to an amendment submitted by Councillor Tatler on behalf of the Labour Group, which had been circulated in advance of the meeting.

 

In moving the amendment Councillor Tatler began by thanking all residents who had signed the petition referred to by Councillor Georgiou and the value placed on Brents parks and green spaces.  In seeking to reassure local residents of the Council’s commitment to protecting and enhancing the boroughs parks she felt it important to emphasis not only the significant level of investment already provided but also the ongoing use of the Community Infrastructure Levy and planning process to secure a number of new parks and open public spaces including areas such as Wembley Park, South Kilburn and Grand Union in Alperton.  In highlighting what she regarded as the progressive nature of the Council’s planning policies in seeking to balance the need for housebuilding with the wider demand for infrastructure like parks and wider sustainability objectives, Councillor Tatler also took the opportunity to remind members of the recently adopted planning guidance on Sustainable Environment and Development; Residential Amenity Space, with Brent one of the first local authorities to have adopted such a policy.

 

As a result, she advised that the amendment sought to recognise the work already being undertaken by Council, in conjunction with the GLA and the London Plan, to safeguard parks and open spaces.  This included Local Plan policies in Growth Areas identifying specific local park provision, a series of play areas and open spaces within new developments and the requirement for developments to provide an urban greening factor, bio-diversity gain, replacement tree canopy cover and space for water and habitats that would not have existed before.  In seeking to query what was felt to be a misleading stance taken by the Liberal Democrats Group, Councillor Tatler highlighted their groups limited engagement in the process undertaken to support the development of planning policy and also their involvement in the original decision to seek to dispose of the Barham Park site referred to within the motion, taken by the Executive in December 2009, where it had been confirmed that the only use of the site would be for a small residential development that would not lead to a loss of green space.

 

In concluding, Councillor Tatler took the opportunity to assure residents how seriously the current Administration took its responsibility to protect the boroughs parks and green spaces alongside the need to balance the demand for housing against promoting more sustainable development.  As a result, she advised the Labour Group would be seeking to oppose the original motion in favour of the amendment move, which was as follows:

 

To add the wording underlined and delete the wording indicated:

 

“Protecting, preserving and promoting Parks and Open Spaces in Brent

 

This Council notes:

 

Our borough is home to many wonderful green, open spaces and parks that are enjoyed by residents of all ages and backgrounds. From smaller parks like Mount Pleasant Open Space in Alperton, King Edward VII in Wembley, to historical parks like Barham Park and Gladstone Park, larger country parks in Fryent, and thriving open spaces in the Welsh Harp and Northwick Park, to name but a few.

 

These vital spaces must be protected, particularly if they are threatened by development that does not meet local need.

 

In recent years we have become even more aware of how important green spaces are for local people. During the Covid-19 pandemic and periods of lockdown, they became a sanctuary for so many who were able to spend time in them, benefiting both mental and physical health.

 

With ever increasing building works the promise of much needed homes in Brent, particularly of tall tower blocks, it is crucial that new residents are able to access open spaces in the areas they move to. Sadly, most Brent Council continues to work with partners to bring forward new developments do not to ensure they incorporate adequate large green space, rather most include only small pocket parks that are not sufficient and often not well which is maintained by Housing Associations/ Managing Companies.  In Wembley Park, for example, a new seven acre Union Park will feature a bandstand, children’s play areas, sport zones and urban meadow.  It replaces a former 1,000 space care and coach park and is one of the first new large public parks in London for decades and is Wembley’s first new mayor park in 150 years.

 

Achieving Climate Emergency targets relies heavily on safeguarding open spaces in our borough, protecting mature trees and important habitats for local wildlife. Without doing so, we risk missing these targets in or borough.

 

The decision by the Planning Committee to allow the building of houses located along the north-west corner of Barham Park goes against is in accordance with Brent Council’s long established Core Strategy of protecting Brent parks and open spaces from unwelcome development. The disposal of the properties at 776 and 778 Harrow Road was first taken by the Executive in December 2009. The decision made by the Planning Committee was on the basis of officer recommendation and discussion at the meeting, including the consideration of the also undermines the whole point of local people getting involved in developing Local Neighbourhood Plans. The Planning Committee overrode the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Plan policy BP1 which specifically designated Barham Park decision does not result in the loss of any local as a green space where development or from the redevelopment of the buildings and does not impact upon the ability to experience the area of the original historic landscape park intended for community uses should be refused.

 

The Barham Park decision does not result in the loss of any local green space and therefore re-affirms creates an unwelcome the existing precedent putting other parks and open spaces in Brent at risk. Following that decision hundreds of local people have signed a petition on the Brent Council website, calling for of maintaining the protection of parks and open spaces from development, which indicates in keeping with the strength of feeling from local residents on this important issue.

 

Therefore, this Council believes:

 

1.     That all of Brent’s parks and open spaces should be valued and celebrated as vital assets in our community.

 

2.     Parks and open spaces must all be protected from the potential of development, particularly of development that does not meet local need or that is clearly not for genuine community use.

 

3.     The value of parks and open spaces cannot be understated; even more so as increasing numbers of local people have little to no access to their own gardens or green space.

 

4.     The Cabinet should reassure all residents that within its responsibilities it will always prioritise the preservation of our parks and open spaces and promote these assets.

 

This Council resolves:

 

(1)    To confirm its longstanding strategic position that it will recognise the value of open spaces and parks in the borough and seek to protect them.

 

(2)    To call on the Cabinet to ensure within its responsibilities there will be no new buildings and no expansion of buildings in parks other than for legitimate community use.

 

(3)    To seek to strengthen reaffirm its Planning Policies on protecting public parks and open spaces by confirming the principle that "real harm" would be caused if permission was granted for the building of houses or other buildings within Brent Parks and Open Spaces which were not intended for direct community uses.

 

(3)    To incorporate in all Planning reports the potential environmental impact applications will have on our area, and how they might impact Climate Emergency targets, utilising our newly approved Sustainable Environment & Development Supplementary Planning Document.

 

(4)    To work with partners across the city, from the Corporation of London, other Local Authorities and City Hall to protect, preserve and promote vital green, open spaces in London.

 

(5)    In view of the public concern about intensification of building in Barham Park contrary to the Neighbourhood Plan policy and restrictions imposed in past disposal documents, to call on the Council and Cabinet to support the Barham Park Trust in considering a Judicial Review into the recent decision of the Brent Planning Committee to approve an application for 4 houses located along the north-west corner of Barham Park.”

 

The Mayor thanked Councillor Tatler for moving the amendment on behalf of the Labour Group and then opened the debate for contributions from other members in relation to both the original motion and amendment.

 

In seeking to clarify the position relating to the decision taken by the Executive in 2009 on disposal of the properties located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park (as referred to by Councillor Tatler in moving the amendment) Councillor Lorber as Chair of Executive at the time, explained the background and context to the decision made.  The opportunity was also taken, in supporting the original motion, to highlight the strength of local opposition to the planning decision and support for preserving the boroughs parks and open spaces and to clarify that the final decision on disposal of the site had been taken by the Labour Administration in 2010.

 

Councillor Hirani also speaking in support of the original motion, highlighted what the Conservative Group felt was the important need to protect and preserve parks and open spaces across the borough.  Highlighting the strength of opposition to the recent planning application and decision relating to the properties located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park concern was expressed at the way in which it was felt the decision had undermined the Local Neighbourhood Planning process with specific reference to the Sudbury Town Neighbourhood Plan policy BP1 and the precedent set as a result, particularly given the importance of the boroughs parks and open spaces, including Woodstock Park, in terms of tackling wider sustainability, bio-diversity and air quality issues.  Recognising the strength of local views Councillor Hirani ended by highlighting what she felt was the importance in the Barham Park Trust seeking to maintain the necessary protection and preserve the original basis on which the park had been provided for the benefit of local people.

 

As there were no further contributions, the Mayor then invited Councillor Georgiou (as mover of the original motion) followed by Councillor Tatler (as mover of the amendment) to exercise their right of reply.

 

In exercising his right of reply, Councillor Georgiou took the opportunity to remind members that the original aim of the motion had been to secure the necessary commitment towards maintaining and safeguarding Brent’s parks and open spaces particularly in cases where they may be threatened by development that did not meet local need.  Given the unwelcome precedent which it was felt the recent decision to allow the building of houses located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park set in relation to not only the Council’s Core Strategy of protecting Brent parks and open spaces but also local Neighbourhood planning policy and strength of public feeling identified in support of the petition to protect Brents parks and open spaces he hoped all members would join him in supporting the original motion in seeking to prioritise the preservation and promotion of the boroughs parks and open spaces.

 

Councillor Tatler in closing the debate and exercising her right of reply again repeated her early assurance regarding the Council’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding and investing in the boroughs parks and open spaces.  Highlighting the value of parks and open spaces along with further plans for future investment and the creation of new open spaces and their importance in terms of air quality and wider environmental and public health impacts she hoped all members would support the amendment moved, which had been designed to reflect the work being undertaken to protect and enhance the boroughs parks and open spaces which she reminded members included no loss of green space in Barham Park.

 

Having thanked councillors for their contributions, the Mayor then moved to the vote on the motion starting with the amendment moved by the Labour Group. The amendment, as set out above, was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

 

The Mayor then moved on to put the substantive motion, as amended and set out below, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“Protecting, preserving and promoting Parks and Open Spaces in Brent

 

This Council notes:

 

Our borough is home to many wonderful green, open spaces and parks that are enjoyed by residents of all ages and backgrounds. From smaller parks like Mount Pleasant Open Space in Alperton, King Edward VII in Wembley, to historical parks like Barham Park and Gladstone Park, larger country parks in Fryent, and thriving open spaces in the Welsh Harp and Northwick Park, to name but a few.

 

These vital spaces must be protected, particularly if they are threatened by development that does not meet local need.

 

In recent years we have become even more aware of how important green spaces are for local people. During the Covid-19 pandemic and periods of lockdown, they became a sanctuary for so many who were able to spend time in them, benefiting both mental and physical health.

 

With the promise of much needed homes in Brent it is crucial that new residents are able to access open spaces in the areas they move to. Brent Council continues to work with partners to bring forward new developments to ensure they incorporate adequate large green space which is maintained by Housing Associations/ Managing Companies.  In Wembley Park, for example, a new seven-acre Union Park will feature a bandstand, children’s play areas, sport zones and urban meadow.  It replaces a former 1,000 space care and coach park and is one of the first new large public parks in London for decades and is Wembley’s first new mayor park in 150 years.

 

Achieving Climate Emergency targets relies heavily on safeguarding open spaces, protecting mature trees and important habitats for local wildlife. Without doing so, we risk missing these targets in or borough.

 

The decision by the Planning Committee to allow the building of houses located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park is in accordance with Brent Council’s long established Core Strategy of protecting Brent parks and open spaces from unwelcome development. The disposal of the properties at 776 and 778 Harrow Road was first taken by the Executive in December 2009. The decision made by the Planning Committee was on the basis of officer recommendation and discussion at the meeting, including the consideration of the Local Neighbourhood Plan. The Planning Committee decision does not result in the loss of any local green space from the redevelopment of the buildings and does not impact upon the ability to experience the area of the original historic landscape park.

 

The Barham Park decision does not result in the loss of any local green space and therefore re-affirms the existing precedent of maintaining the protection of parks and open spaces from developmentin keeping with the strength of feeling from local residents on this important issue.

 

Therefore, this Council believes:

 

1.       That all of Brent’s parks and open spaces should be valued and celebrated as vital assets in our community.

 

2.       Parks and open spaces must all be protected from the potential of development, particularly of development that does not meet local need or that is clearly not for genuine community use.

 

3.       The value of parks and open spaces cannot be understated; even more so as increasing numbers of local people have little to no access to their own gardens or green space.

 

4.       The Cabinet should reassure all residents that within its responsibilities it will always prioritise the preservation of our parks and open spaces and promote these assets.

 

This Council resolves:

 

(1)      To confirm its longstanding strategic position that it will recognise the value of open spaces and parks in the borough and seek to protect them.

 

(2)      To call on the Cabinet to ensure within its responsibilities there will be no new buildings and no expansion of buildings in parks other than for legitimate community use.

 

(3)    To reaffirm its Planning Policies on protecting public parks and open spaces

 

(4)      To incorporate in all Planning reports the potential environmental impact applications will have on our area, and how they might impact Climate Emergency targets, utilising our newly approved Sustainable Environment & Development Supplementary Planning Document.

 

(5)      To work with partners across the city, from the Corporation of London, other Local Authorities and City Hall to protect, preserve and promote vital green, open spaces in London.”

 

16.3    3^rd Motion (Labour Group) – Celebrating 75 years of the NHS in Brent

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Kabir to move the first motion submitted by the Labour Group.  In moving the motion, Councillor Kabir highlighted the celebrations undertaken to mark the 75thanniversary of the NHS, which she regarded as one of the nations and Labour’s proudest achievements.  Referring to the creation of the National Health Service by Nye Bevin in 1948 as the first universal health system of its kind, she felt that despite the critics and attempts to undermine the founding principles, it still stood strong as a service provided free at the point of access and on the basis of need rather than the ability to pay.  In commending the range of pioneering treatments developed by the NHS which had subsequently been rolled out to other health services across the world, Councillor Kabir also paid personal tribute for the service and standard of care received.

 

In seeking to celebrate the achievements of the NHS, tribute was also paid to the diversity of the NHS workforce which, in also celebrating the 75^th Windrush anniversary, it was felt represented another of its great strengths.  Whilst seeking to celebrate these achievements Councillor Kabir advised that the motion was also designed to highlight concerns regarding the Conservative Governments approach towards the NHS, which it was felt had not matched the current reality in terms of investment required to balance the demands of an aging population or in relation to social care, infrastructure and staffing levels and pay.  As a result, the motion, in recognising the need for further investment in the NHS and stable political leadership, was seeking to support the approach within the Plan developed by the Labour Party, including proposals to increase the number of medical school places and district nurses whilst also training more new health visitors and creating more nursing and midwifery clinical placements alongside a long term plan for the NHS.  In commending the motion to members, Councillor Kabir ended by highlighting the way in which it was felt Labour’s Plan for the NHS would not only continue to safeguard and preserve the NHS but also provide the necessary level of investment required to ensure that it would be possible to celebrate its next 75 years.

 

The Mayor thanked Councillor Kabir for moving the motion before inviting other members to speak, with the following contributions received.

 

Following Councillor Kabir’s opening statement, Councillor Moeen, in supporting the motion, expressed pride that it had been the Labour Party who had established the NHS in 1948.  However, whilst recognising the hard work of all NHS staff the need for further investment was identified with Councillor Moeen ending by supporting the call to improve the pay, working conditions and recruitment of NHS staff.

 

Councillor Kelcher also spoke in support of the motion highlighting a need, in terms of ensuring the long-term sustainability of the NHS, for support by a government that believed in the service and would provide sufficient investment, as opposed to the stance taken by the current Conservative Government.  As an example, Councillor Kelcher highlighted the approach taken by the last Labour Government towards tackling NHS waiting lists with the public rating of the NHS during that time at an historical high. In celebrating its history, Councillor Kelcher felt the NHS continued to have a bright future as long as it was properly supported and safeguarded which he felt a Labour Government would be best placed to achieve.

 

In response to the debate, Councillor Lorber felt it was important to recognise that in his view the process of NHS privatisation had started under the previous Labour Governments led by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including the large scale engagement of management consultants.  This process had continued under successive governments since then with Councillor Lorber pointing out the principles guiding the formation of the NHS actually reflected what were regarded to be radical liberal ideals originally proposed by the likes of John Maynard Keynes and William Beveridge, and not only the Labour Party.

 

Councillor Mistry, also responding to the debate felt members should also be aware that whilst the NHS had been formally established by Nye Bevan in 1948 the idea had first been proposed by Winston Churchill whose Conservative Government had commissioned the Beveridge Report.  Since its establishment, the size of the NHS had massively expanded both in terms of workforce and budget with Councillor Mistry highlighting the significant levels of investment provided by the current Conservative Government which she pointed out had resulted in the provision of an additional 41,000 more nurses and 5,100 more doctors compared to 2019.  In paying tribute to NHS staff and seeking to celebrate its anniversary, Councillor Mistry felt it important to outline how the Conservative government were already taking action to protect the NHS, such as expanding the size of the workforce, increasing funding, and undertaking system reform alongside measures being taken to improve access to primary care including provision for GP appointments and expanding community pharmacies.

 

As a further contribution in support of the motion, Councillor Hack reminded members of the difficulty those experiencing poverty had, prior to the establishment of the NHS, in gaining access to healthcare.  In commending the approach outlined within the motion, Councillor Hack felt that the Conservative Party had demonstrated a tolerance of the NHS rather than actually supporting the philosophy of universal healthcare that underpinned the service. In building on the previous point, he reiterated that the Labour Party should be proud of its stance as a party that was seeking to preserve and safeguard the NHS. In concluding, Councillor Hack felt it was important to recognise the impact created as a result of the political choices relating to austerity across all public services including the NHS, and ended with reference to Nye Bevan in stating that the NHS would only last if there were people who believed in it and were willing to preserve it.

 

Councillor Johnson, also speaking in supporting of the motion, commended the role played by citizens from around the world in making such a positive contribution as a key part of the NHS workforce.  Whilst praising the service provide by the NHS, Councillor Johnson felt that it had unfortunately been failed by the current Conservative government in terms of under investment which had also impacted on increasing levels of health inequalities within the system, and staff leaving.  In supporting the call for more investment Councillor Johnson felt this was essential to ensure the NHS was able to continue providing an equal service for all.

 

In expressing further support for the motion and responding to the contributions made by members of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Groups during the debate, Councillor Ahmadi Moghaddam queried the stance taken towards the NHS by both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Parties whilst in power, which he felt had encouraged the privatisation of services.  In contrast, he was keen to ensure that any activity designed to make profit from the NHS was avoided to preserve and protect its status as a much-valued public service and asset.

 

Councillor Matin in contributing towards the debate and in support of the motion took the opportunity to highlight her personal experience of the NHS.  In commending the service provided, Councillor Matin highlighted the importance in ensuring the required level of investment was provided and also that staff deserved a salary that reflected the important nature of service they provided. The opportunity was also taken to comment on previous statements made in relation to NHS privatisation which she felt also need to reflect the approach adopted by the Labour Government under Tony Blair.

 

As a final contribution, given the time available, Councillor Nerva, as Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care, ended by wishing the NHS a happy birthday and highlighting the revolutionary nature of the concept behind the NHS at the time of its formation in providing free healthcare at the point of access.  Whilst acknowledging that the establishment of the NHS by a labour Government had built on the Beveridge Report, Councillor Nerva also highlighted the opposition to is formation expressed at the time by the Conservative Party.  Moving on to focus on the state of the NHS today, Councillor Nerva felt it had been undervalued and underfunded by the current Conservative Government with significant problems also now being experienced in relation to, staffing, recruitment and retention which he argued had been exacerbated by Brexit and concern also expressed at the widening level of health inequalities being experienced as a result of the cost of living crisis, child poverty, and inadequate housing.  In commending the motion to all members, Councillor Nerva ended by highlighting what he felt were the key issues needing to be addressed in terms of ongoing health provision, as set out in the motion, which included tackling health inequalities, prevention, and maintaining equal access to health services for all across the NHS.

 

Highlighting the limited time remaining, the Mayor then invited Councillor Kabir to exercise her right of reply.  In responding and closing the debate, Councillor Kabir whilst keen to recognise the achievements of the NHS felt that more was required in terms of investment and support and therefore hoped all members would join her in supporting the motion as a means of uniting behind a shared vision and in seeking to support delivery of the necessary change in approach by Government required to preserve and safeguard the NHS.

 

Having once again thanked all members for their contributions, the Mayor then put the motion, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“Celebrating 75 years of the NHS in Brent

 

This council notes:

 

§     5 July 2023 marked 75 years of the National Health Service - it is the beating heart of Britain and the Labour Party’s proudest achievement.

 

§     Treating over a million people a day in England, the NHS touches all our lives. It is also the biggest employer in Europe and the world's largest employer of highly skilled professionals, with over 1.3m members of staff from over 200 different nationalities.

 

§     When it was founded by Nye Bevan in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, founded on the simple principle of care based on people’s need, not their ability to pay.

 

§     Today, nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone, and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British.

 

§     The NHS has delivered huge medical advances, including the world’s first liver, heart and lung transplant in 1987, pioneering new treatments, such as bionic eyes and, in more recent times, the world’s first rapid whole genome sequencing service for seriously ill babies and children.

 

§     This year also marks another very important 75^th anniversary – the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in Britain with more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean, ready to embark on their new lives. The Windrush Generation helped to build the National Health Services and we stand on the shoulders of their legacy.

 

§     More recently the NHS and social care organisations have also benefitted from EU and other overseas staff.

 

§     Throughout Covid-19, doctors, nurses, health and social care workers and NHS staff put their lives at risk to protect us all.

 

This council further notes:

 

§     Our NHS colleagues are integral to the work of Brent Council.

 

§     Since its creation, NHS spending has increased by an average of 3.7 per cent per year in real terms. But from 2010/11 to 2018/19, NHS funding growth slowed to 1.4 per cent per year. Spiralling inflation has reduced the value of the NHS budget, with NHS Confederation analysis showing that the NHS is facing real terms cut in funding of between £4 billion and £9.4 billion.

 

§     Over the last ten years, the foundations of the NHS have been eroded through outsourcing to private companies and insufficient investment in both staff and infrastructure. Pay for health practitioners is now less than it was in 2010, 40 per cent of doctors in the NHS are looking to leave the NHS for work abroad; and of Boris Johnson’s promised 40 new hospitals, less than a quarter are yet to gain planning permission.

 

§     There are currently more patients waiting for treatment than ever in the history of the NHS. Furthermore, every month, tens of thousands of patients are spending entire days waiting in A&E with hospitals overwhelmed with patients who are fit to leave or wouldn’t need to be there in the first place if they could access healthcare earlier.

 

§     Ahead of the NHS’s 75th birthday, a report by the NHS Assembly has set out the growing consensus that the NHS should now focus on three key areas for long term development: better preventing ill health, personalising care and delivering more co-ordinated care closer to home.

 

§     The disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) communities highlighted the deep health inequalities faced by so many of our residents, as well as the inequalities faced by BAME staff in the NHS, which the NHS also needs to urgently address.

 

This Council believes:

 

§     The infrastructure of the NHS at both the community and national level requires wholesale renewal to meet the demands of an ageing population.

 

§     Brent Council has a strong track record of working with the NHS for the benefit of all our residents, to ensure a borough where we can all feel safe, secure, happy and healthy. In partnership with the NHS we have:

 

o     Launched 8 Family Wellbeing Centers, bringing together health, nursing, and parental support for children.

o     Held Prostate Cancer Awareness events in Stonebridge and Harlesden.

o     Won the Nursing Times Award for the Public Health Nursing category and been shortlisted for the unique initiative of the oral health mobile bus, which looked to improve education for parents across Brent about healthy eating and dental health.

 

§     Despite these achievements, there is so much more that could be done to improve the NHS in Brent – and that only with a Labour Government will the necessary change be delivered.

 

§     That the time is now, to seize the historic moment of the NHS’s 75th anniversary to unite behind a shared vision of its next and best era.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

(1)      Request the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care write to the Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, outlining support for the Labour Party plan for the biggest expansions of doctor and health practitioner numbers in the history of the NHS, committing to:

 

o     Doubling the number of medical school places to 15,000 a year

o     Doubling the number of district nurses qualifying each year

o     Training 5,000 new health visitors a year

o     Creating 10,000 more nursing and midwifery clinical placements each year

o     A long-term workforce plan for the NHS, with independent workforce projections, new career paths into the NHS, and new types of health and care professionals.

o     Supporting the expansion by reintroducing the 45p additional rate of income tax paid by those earning more than £150,000 a year.

 

(2)      Work with the North West London Integrated Care System to promote measures that maximise opportunities at a local level to improve life for local residents by:

 

o     Promoting prevention and reducing the number of people with long term conditions.

o     Promoting the best deployment of resources to address identified need.

o     Work with other statutory partners but also co-produce solutions with our communities and Voluntary Sector that will improve the lives of our most deprived communities in Brent.

o     Working with our diverse communities to ensure equality of experience in accessing health care services”

 

16.4 4^th Motion (Labour Group) – Keeping Brent on the move: renewing our roads and pavements

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Benea to move the second and final motion submitted by the Labour Group who began by outlining that despite the Conservative Group’s opposition to the expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) it had been the current Conservative government who had placed a condition on Transport for London (TfL) to expand the ULEZ in order to receive financial support following the Covid-19 pandemic.  In highlighting that London had the only major European transport network that was not financially subsidised, Councillor Benea advised that this inequity had formed the basis of the motion.  Moving on to focus on the investment required in highway infrastructure, Councillor Benea pointed out that London Councils had estimated the required level of investment to address the backlog in maintenance and repairs totalled £1.6 billion, with the lack of funding being provided through Government impacting on every council in the capital.  In highlighting the need for a safe, accessible, sustainable and inclusive transport network the need to continue expanding and improving public transport and sustainable travel modes was also outlined as a key issue, with initiatives such as the Mayor of London’s super-loop bus service praised.  At the same time the need to maintain investment in London’s highway infrastructure was also recognised.  Whilst commending the provision of additional capital investment by the Council to support the programme of work required, concern was expressed at what was felt to be the managed decline of highway investment by the Conservative Government in London and impact which the provision of additional investment by the Council itself was having on the provision of other vital services that protected vulnerable residents, with Councillor Benea reiterating that the Council should not be subject to such a binary choice. In commending the motion to all members, Councillor Benea ended by calling for greater investment in transport infrastructure praising the stance taken by the Council when compared to that of the current Government had overseen the curtailment of many key transport infrastructure pledges including Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2.

 

The Mayor thanked Councillor Benea for moving the motion before inviting other members to speak on the motion, with the following contributions received.

 

In thanking Councillor Benea for introducing the motion, Councillor Krupa Sheth, as Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Action, felt it important to start by highlighting that Transport for London (TfL) required £475 million from central government to meet its 2024-25 capital delivery programme, a programme that was integral to both Brent and London and that without a long term funding settlement further degradation of the capital’s transport and highways infrastructure could be expected.  In highlighting the lack of funding being provided for TfL through central government and reminding members of the impact the pandemic had on TfL’s income, Councillor Krupa Sheth outlined how the financial challenges being experienced by TfL also impacted on Brent locally.  In contrasting the funding position for local authorities in London, when compared to those outside of the Capital, Councillor Krupa Sheth highlighted the difference in levels of funding being made available by the Government and impact this was having in terms of the boroughs highway maintenance programme with the position being further impacted through increased costs driven by inflation.  Whilst outlining and commending the additional investment provided by the Council in the borough’s transport network, including £20 million spent across the lifetime of the previous administration and £15 million committed to the highway budget by the current administration, it was pointed out this remained insufficient to cover all roads and pavements across the borough including the work required to mitigate against the impact of climate change.  As a result, Councillor Krupa Sheth hoped all members would support the motion in seeking to ensure that TfL was properly funded and London was treated in the same way as the rest of England when funding the maintenance of roads, pavements, and infrastructure.

 

As a final contribution, recognising the limited time available, Councillor Lorber also spoke taking the opportunity to remind members of the proposals put forward, but not approved, by the Liberal Democrat Group as part of the budget setting process to increase the level of investment in the boroughs highways infrastructure to address the backlog in repairs from £15m to £20m.  Referring to the potential availability of funding through the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy and New House Bonus, it was pointed out that decisions on the priority for use of these sources of funding remained at the discretion of the Council with Councillor Lorber highlighting key areas of concern raised by local residents continued to be focussed around potholes, broken pavements and roads and litter.

 

Given the remaining time available and as no other members had indicated they wished to speak on the motion and Councillor Benea had confirmed she did not need to exercise any right of reply, the Mayor having thanked members for their contributions, then put the motion to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“Keeping Brent on the move: renewing our roads and pavements

 

This council notes:

 

§    Providing a transport network which supports economic development and works to improve safety, accessibility and inclusivity is fundamental to keeping our borough on the move in the coming years.

 

§    Whether you walk, drive, cycle or take a bus or taxi; maintaining Brent’s roads, pavements and infrastructure is vital part in creating a safe place to call home.

 

§    In Brent, in the last Administration our teams repaired or maintained over 128 Kilometres of roads and pavements, enough to get you from the Civic Centre to Dover.

 

§    In this year alone, as part of Brent’s “winter resilience” programme of injecting patching of potholes, we have undertaken 2,568 repairs across the borough.

 

§    In London more broadly, as the effects of austerity have compounded, so too has the effect on our public realm. London Councils have stated that our infrastructure is in “managed decline” thanks to years of real terms budget cuts, exacerbated by high inflation. For example, over 80 bridges in London are currently substandard and subject to restrictions owing to a backlog in repairs.

 

§    With the effects of climate change increasing the severity of storms and flooding, our roads, pavements and drainage systems will be overwhelmed more frequently and require greater investment than ever before.

 

§    In the last London Councils “State of the City” report a total backlog for maintenance repairs across all forms of infrastructure in the capital is said to be c. £1.6bn. In Brent, repairing every effected part of our pavements was estimated at the time to be over £60m.

 

§    Brent Council has recently launched a new “Fix my Street” tool which will make it quicker for residents to report roads and pavements in need of repair. At time of submitting this motion 36k reports have been submitted, with 5k fixed in just the last month alone.

 

This council further notes:

 

§    That the situation has deteriorated further when, in 2018, the government withdrew highway maintenance funding to Transport for London (TfL). This funding had been ring-fenced to resurfacing TfL’s Red Routes and the 32 boroughs’ principal roads (with Brent Council formerly receiving approximately £900k annually).

 

§    If Brent Council was not in London, adjusted for inflation, we could have expected to receive up to £7 million of funding for our roads from TfL during the intervening period.

 

§    As a result of the significantly reduced funding for our principal road network, the overall condition of these routes has suffered. To address the decline Brent Council has allocated £4m for a Principal Roads programme with £1m of the investment being spent in 2022/23 and a further £2m programmed for 2023/24.

 

§    That unlike the whole of the rest of England, the government provides no funding for the maintenance of highways and pavements in London.

 

§    By way of comparison, the government has committed over £2.7 billion of local highways maintenance outside of London between 2022 and 2025.

 

§    Recent announcements of funding worth £200m from Active Travel England are also unavailable to London boroughs.

 

§    The government has since announced a £380m cut (by more than 50% of its current budget) to the active travel budget in the current spending review, which the Labour Party has estimated could cost more than £2bn in the long term through the impact on public health and wider economy.

 

§    This follows a long line of broken promises from this government on infrastructure, from the Northern Powerhouse Rail to HS2 – now all curtailed.

 

This Council resolves to:

 

(1)      Request that the Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Action, write to the Secretary of State for Transport demanding that London is treated in the same way as the rest of England when funding the maintenance of our roads, pavements, and infrastructure.

 

(2)      Request that the Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Action, bring forward a report to Cabinet, setting out Brent Council’s future capital investment into our roads, pavements, and improvements in our public realm – as part of our manifesto commitment to invest £15 million into a programme of repairs and renewal.”