Brent and Harrow Green Parties call for urgent action on the 'disgraceful' exposure of residents to pollution from the Wealdstone Brook

 

Wealdstone Brook at 8am on March 31st 2022

Brent Green Party has got behind local people campaigning about the toxic contamination of the Wealdstone Stone by raw sewage and have been joined by their colleagues in Harrow Green Party.

There has been much buck passing between the agencies involved, Brent Council, Thames Water and the Environment Agency, and action delayed by questions about particulars when the agencies themselves should be able to see what is in clear view - as well as smell it from some distance away.

Bastôn De’Medici-Jaguar, Green Party candidate for Brent Council's Kenton ward said:

I have visited and witnessed the state of the river, along with Willesden Brook. The situation is absolutely unacceptable. Residents are precluded from enjoying their homes due to the foul smell coming from the Brook as a result of the pollution going on. This has been ongoing for quite some time now and none of the relevant authorities are doing anything to address the issue. The responsibility is just being passed from one agency to the next whilst residents continue to suffer. It is basic human rights, I think, that these residents should not have to endure things as they are. It is also a health risk. As the Brent Green council candidate for the area, I renew my calls to the three organisations (Brent Council, Thames Water and the environmental agency): the situation demands immediate attention, solution and investments needs to be made to ensure that this does not happen again.

Adding her voice to the campaign, Emma Wallace, coordinator of Harrow Green Party, said:

The Wealdstone Brook runs from Wealdstone in Harrow (where it gets its name), first emerging above ground at Kenton and running past the bottom of a number of gardens into Woodcock Park and the borough of Brent, past Wembley Park tube station and finally, joining the River Brent.  The current toxic state that Wealdstone Brook has been allowed to descend into is unacceptable, negatively impacting both the local environment and Brent and Harrow residents' lives.  It is disgraceful that people are being exposed to sewage film and chemical pollution in one of their local rivers.  It is a basic requirement of living in a civilised society that we have healthy and sustainable waterways to support our local environment, for humans, plants and animals.  Someone urgently needs to take responsibility for cleaning up the brook - be that the local water board, Thames Water; the Government's Environment Agency or Brent and Harrow Councils - ensuring that this health and safety emergency does not happen again.  There have been recent reports in the news of water companies allowing high levels of untreated sewage spilling into our waterways - the government needs to take much more stringent action to ensure that the water companies are held to account and clean up our rivers for good. 

 

Vote Green in the Brent Council election on May 5th - Protect Our Environment, Address the Climate Emergency, Hold Brent Council to Account

Vote Green Party in Brent on May 5th

In the local council election on May 5th you'll have 2 or 3 votes. Please consider giving just one of your votes to the Green Party. With green voices on the council we can have cleaner streets and a healthier environment. Green councilors will hold the ruling Labour party to account and make sure the council listens to the people of Brent. So please, Vote Green on 5th May. To find out more about our policies and our candidates go to: http://brentgreens.blogspot.com/

 

The need for fair votes in local elections - including Brent!

The Electoral Reform Society has launched a campaign for a fairer voting system in local elections. Leafleting outside Sainsbury's in Willesden Green yesterday several people raised the issue of proportional representation.

This is what the ERS says:

It’s time for fair votes in English local government

Even though May’s local elections haven’t happened yet, many people already know their vote won’t make a difference. 

Local councils are supposed to represent their communities. But often the make-up of council chambers fail to reflect how people voted – The First Past the Post system throws millions of votes on the scrapheap. 

In London alone, 90% of wards with more than one councillor are represented by just one party, leaving hundreds of thousands of voters without a voice. 

It’s unfair, undemocratic and completely fails to represent the views of voters. But there is a better way. 

This election must be the last under our broken winner-takes all system. 

Northern Ireland has used the fairer and proportional Single Transferable Vote system for local elections for decades – and in 2007 Scotland joined them. Wales has given councils the right to choose. Now it's time England caught up.

It’s time for a proportional system where no one has to ‘hold their nose’ at the ballot box, and where there is healthy competition – rather than a politics of safe seats and ‘one-party states where everyone loses. 

Britain deserves a democracy where votes aren’t thrown on the electoral scrapheap – but where there is real choice and where our voices are always heard. 

Background

Local elections in England use the first past the post system, which means local councils often look nothing like how people vote. Here are just a few of the recent results.

 

USE THIS LINK TO SIGN THE PETITION

Brent Greens back Brent Cycling Campaign's 5 Election Asks for Climate Safe Streets

 

 

Of course backing the principles and aspirations of these aims is the easy part.  Playing a role in actually getting them implemented depends on getting representation on Brent Council and pressing for the policies and funding necessary.  It will be essential to carry out wide-reaching consultation with residents, community and campaign organisations, schools and businesses to ensure that the process is robust and transparent and the expected benefits supported across the borough.

UNIONS STAND WITH UKRAINE - Saturday April 9th

 

Introducing Eugenia Barnett your Green candidate for Harlesden and Kensal Green

Professionally I am an ecologist who has worked in research labs (databasing was dull) and in environmental education with young children (exciting)! I am a passionate campaigner for equality in opportunity and education for all. 

 

Personally, I am a mother who has navigated Council bureaucracy for my child’s education, our housing, and many related services. I have seen how it works. 

 

My life experience in nature conservation has shown me how local effort is most important in bringing in the real global results in protecting our local wildlife as well as worlds ozone layer. 

 

I have all the experience to allow me to work for you locally with a vision to impact Brent's global footprint so as to preserve our environment for your children and next generations. 

 

I bring my experience to the voters and would like to be Harlesden & Kensal Rise’s Local Councillor with interest in biodiversity, water and environmental health quality, housing issues and transparency issues in dealing of Brent Council if they should arise.

Your Green Party candidates for May 5th Brent Council elections - restore democracy in Brent!

Brent Green Party want to give as many people as possible the chance to vote Green in the May 5th Council elections.  We do not have the resources to stand in every ward, much as we would like, but where you can please vote Green to show your support for policies that will address the climate emergency as well as pursue social and economic justice. A 'Green in the Room' can make an enormous difference.

These are our candidates in 16 wards:

Ward	Green Party Candidate
Barnhill	Richard Porter
Brondesbury Park	Natasha Woodward
Cricklewood & Mapesbury	John Kohut
Dollis Hill	Peter Murry
Harlesden & Kensal Green	Eugenia Barnett
Kenton	Bastôn De'Medici-Jaguar
Kilburn	Nathan Williams
Kingsbury	Maurice Gold
Preston	David  Pearson
Queens Park	Sheila Simpson
Roundwood	Marion Dunmore
Stonebridge	Simon Erskine
Tokyngton	Martin Francis
Welsh Harp	David Stevens
Wembley Hill	Jordan Harris
Willesden Green	William Relton

 

 

Come and hear the Green approach to cycling in the borough at hustings on April 20th

 

 

From Brent Cycling Campaign 

BRENT CYCLING  CAMPAIGN ELECTION HUSTINGS 

 Wednesday April 20th 7pm-9pm

St Catherine’s Church, Neasden Lane, London, NW10 1QB

The May local election will be like no other. The next four years will determine what happens to Brent for the foreseeable future in terms of resilience as we face the biggest challenge of our time.

Transport is a major contributor to pollution and enabling people to transition to sustainable travel will be pivotal to decarbonisation and reducing harmful emissions. Here's your chance to ask how they will deliver the change we need?

Should the health situation change, we will hold this event online.

Candidates:

• The Green Party: Nathan Williams (Kilburn)
• The Liberal Democrats: Councillor Anton Georgiou (Alperton)
• The Labour Party: Councillor Neil Nerva (Queens Park)
• The Conservatives: TBC

The Hustings will be chaired by Sarah Green, a local resident and human rights campaigner (formerly End Violence Against Women Coalition and Amnesty International), and a Brent school Governor.

We are collating questions in advance and there will be a chance to ask directly at the event, feel free to email yours if you wish at: brent@lcc.org.uk.

REGISTER

Introducing Martin Francis your Green candidate for Tokyngton

 

I was privileged to be asked to stand as a council candidate in Tokyngton by residents.  They were not happy with the service they receive from the current Labour incumbents and wanted a positive alternative who had the ward’s needs as his priority.

 

Residents had written to Muhammed Butt (Leader of Brent Council) about their concerns and had received no response. An article on my blog Wembley Matters and their presentation of a petition to Brent Council eventually produced some action in the run up to the council election.

 

I was previously headteacher at a Wembley primary school and developed a close relationship with parents and the local community. This opened my eyes to the issues they faced and when I retired I set up my local blog to campaign for environmental and social justice.  My aim was to give a platform to people whose voices are unheard, ignored or disparaged and put pressure on the council for more transparency and accountability.

 

My particular concern has been the over-close relationship between the council leadership and developers which has resulted in over-development and the gradual swamping of classic suburban Metroland in the Wembley area by densely-packed, high-rise flats that despite the council’s claims are not affordable to local people.

 

I continue to be involved in primary education and champion a broad, creative curriculum, rich in the arts and music, rather than a narrow pursuit of tests results. After retirement I ran a voluntary organisation, Brent Schools Without Walls, offering free environmental education to primary pupils in Fryent Country Park. I fought with others against the closure of Stonebridge Adventure Playground and the loss of six of our local libraries, including Tokyngton.

 

The almost one-party Brent Council needs an effective opposition passionate about Brent and its people. Make your vote count – even one Green in the council chamber can help make a difference.

VIDEO: Reasons to vote Green in the Brent Council election on May 5th