Agenda item

For Members to consider any petitions with more than 200 signatures on which a debate has been requested, in accordance with the Council’s Petition Rules and Standing Order 66.

Members are asked to note that the following petition is due to be presented at the meeting:

Protecting Brent Parks and Open Spaces (Lead petitioner - Councillor Paul Lorber)

NOTED the presentation of a petition by Councillor Lorber containing 1170 signatures relating to the Protection of Brents Parks and Open Spaces.  In presenting the petition, Councillor Lorber highlighted his focus on Barham Park given concerns identified as to how it was felt proposals presented at the recent meeting of the Barham Park Trust Committee would set an unwelcome precedent not only in terms of the risk to the Council’s long established Core Strategy of protecting Brent parks and open spaces but also in relation to local Neighbourhood planning and the safeguarding of other parks and open spaces in Brent.

In outlining the historical context to the gift of Barham Park and its use as a much valued community asset, with the Council as sole Trustee, concerns were expressed at the management and maintenance of the Park and buildings by the Barham Park Trust along with the cost and outcome of the recent strategic property review and feasibility study presented to the Barham Park Trust Committee on 5 September 2023.  Referring to the design options identified for the Park building as part of the architectural feasibility study considered by the Trust Committee, concerns were highlighted at their potential impact on the existing charitable and community based organisations currently occupying the building as tenants (given the social value they generated) and suggested alternative use including a mixture of a hotel, Airbnb, offices, café and shop units.  Given approval of the recent planning application relating to development of the housing site located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park and the Trust’s recent agreement to progress negotiations on the possible variation of the restrictive covenant protecting against development on that site, Councillor Lorber felt the petition also served to highlight the level of concern expressed about the need to protect parks and open spaces across the borough from potential future development.

In concluding presentation of the petition, Councillor Lorber called on all members to recognise the strength of local feeling and prioritise the preservation and promotion of the borough’s parks and open spaces as valuable and vital assets for local communities across the borough.

In responding Councillor Tatler, as Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Growth, began by thanking all residents who had signed the petition for highlighting the value placed on Brents parks and green spaces.  In seeking to focus and address the issues highlighted within the main petition, rather than wider rhetoric expressed by the Opposition Groups, the opportunity was taken to reassure local residents of the Council’s commitment to protecting and enhancing the boroughs parks as evidenced not only through the significant level of investment already provided by the Administration but also the ongoing use and allocation of over £2m of the Community Infrastructure Levy and planning process to secure a number of new parks and open public spaces including areas such as, Staples Corner, Neasden, Church End, 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 measures adopted within the Local Plan been to protect and safeguard parks and open spaces.  These 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 (with over 4000 new trees planted to date) and space for water and habitats that would not have existed before, with members reminded that the Liberal Democrats had opposed initial adoption of the Local Plan.

In concluding, Councillor Tatler took the opportunity to end her response to the petition by once again reassuring residents how seriously the current Administration took its ongoing responsibility to protect the boroughs parks and green spaces.

Eligible for Call-In: No

The Mayor advised that she had accepted a request for a petition to be presented at the meeting by Councillor Lorber, representing local residents, which contained 1170 signatures and related to the Protection of Brents Parks and Open Spaces.

Unless otherwise indicated by members, the Mayor advised that she intended to allow up to five minutes for presentation of the petition before then allowing Councillor Tatler (as Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Growth) up to two minutes to respond.

As no objections were raised on the approach outlined, the Mayor invited Councillor Lorber to present the petition.

In presenting the petition, Councillor Lorber highlighted his focus on Barham Park given concerns identified as to how it was felt proposals presented at the recent meeting of the Barham Park Trust Committee would set an unwelcome precedent not only in terms of the risk to the Council’s long established Core Strategy of protecting and safeguarding Brent parks and open spaces but also in relation to local neighbourhood planning.

In outlining the historical context to the gift of Barham Park and its use as a much valued community asset, concerns were expressed at the management and maintenance of the Park and buildings by the Barham Park Trust along with the cost and outcome of the recent strategic property review and feasibility study presented to the Barham Park Trust Committee on 5 September 2023.  Referring to the design options identified for the Park building as part of the architectural feasibility study presented to the Trust Committee, concerns were highlighted at their potential impact on the existing community based organisations currently occupying the building as tenants (given the social value they generated) and suggested alternative use including a mixture of a hotel, Airbnb, offices, café and shop units.  Given approval of the recent planning application relating to development of the housing site located along the north-west corner ofBarham Park and the Trust’s recent agreement to progress negotiations on the possible variation of the restrictive covenant protecting against development on that site, Councillor Lorber felt the petition also served to highlight the level of concern expressed about the need to protect parks and open spaces across the borough from potential future development.

In concluding presentation of the petition, Councillor Lorber called on all members to recognise the strength of local feeling and prioritise the preservation and promotion of the borough’s parks and open spaces as valuable and vital assets for local communities across the borough.

Having thanked Councillor Lorber for presenting the petition, the Mayor then invited Councillor Tatler (as Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning & Growth) to respond.

In responding, Councillor Tatler began by thanking all residents who had signed the petition for highlighting the value placed on Brents parks and green spaces.  In seeking to focus and address the issues highlighted within the main petition, rather than wider rhetoric expressed, the opportunity was taken to reassure local residents of the Council’s commitment to protecting and enhancing the boroughs parks as evidenced not only through the significant level of investment already provided by the Administration but also the ongoing use and allocation of over £2m of the Community Infrastructure Levy and planning process to secure a number of new parks and open public spaces including areas such as, Staples Corner, Neasden, Church End, 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 measures adopted within the Local Plan to protect and safeguard parks and open spaces.  These 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 (with over 4000 new trees planted to date) and space for water and habitats that would not have existed before, with members reminded that the Liberal Democrats had opposed initial adoption of the Local Plan.

In concluding, Councillor Tatler took the opportunity to end her response to the petition by once again reassuring residents how seriously the current Administration took its ongoing responsibility to protect the boroughs parks and green spaces.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Tatler for her response and advised as this concluded consideration of the petition she would move on to the next item.