Content

5.1     Planting of
Additional Trees Along Bathurst Gardens
 
Cabinet NOTED the comments made
by Naeema Hasan in support of a petition containing 58 signatures
from local residents seeking the planting of additional trees along
Bathurst Gardens.  In addressing
Cabinet, Naeema Hasan outlined what were felt to be the significant
benefits provided for those living amongst trees, which included
improved air quality, improved energy conservation and most
importantly improving the mental health and wellbeing of local
residents.
 
In emphasising the disparity of
tree coverage between Bathurst Gardens and neighbouring streets
Naeema Hasan advised that, whilst being one of the longest street
in the local area, Bathurst Gardens was an outlier in terms of the
number of trees containing only 12. 
This number compared to the 48 trees on Clifford Gardens, 43 on
Leigh Gardens, 37 on Buchanan Gardens, 51 on Palermo Road and 17 on
College Road (between Mortimer Road and Purves Road).  As an additional contribution in support of the
comments raised, a further local resident (Arun
Kumar) also spoke to highlight the number of mature
trees which had been lost over the years without being replaced as
a further contributory factor with the petitioners, as a result,
calling on the Council to consider the planting of more tress along
Bathurst Gardens.
 
In responding, Councillor Krupa
Sheth (as Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure &
Climate Action) began by thanking Naeema Hasan for attending the
meeting in order to present the petition on behalf of local
residents.  In highlighting the
challenging nature of the financial position faced by the Council
she advised that whilst unable to commit any core budget for the
provision of new trees she would be willing, in response to the
petition, to facilitate a meeting between local residents, ward
councillors and the Council’s Principal Landscape Architect
in order to explore the options available.  This was in view of the need, given the resource
pressures identified, for tree planting projects of the type being
sought to be supported through external funding with the officer
identified having already indicated he would be willing to meet
with residents from Bathurst Gardens in order to consider the
potential options available to seek funding for such a
scheme.  In concluding her response,
Councillor Krupa Sheth reiterated her willingness to facilitate
such a meeting in order to explore all available
options.
 
5.2     Special
Educational Needs and Disability School Transport
 
Cabinet NOTED the comments made
by Zaynab Alfadhi in support of a
petition containing 123 signatures regarding the arrangements for
the provision of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
school transport within Brent.  In
addressing Cabinet, Zaynab Alfadhi began by explaining that she was
a resident of Brent and the parent of a child with special
educational needs attending a special school in Brent and in
presenting the petition was also representing the families of other
children with SEND from across the borough in order to raise
concerns, which had been ongoing for a number of years, regarding
the provision of SEND transport given the service was not felt to
be meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND or
their families.
 
In highlighting the reliance of
both her and many other families on the service it was felt that
the Council needed to take action in order to address the level of
concern being raised, especially in relation to the impact of
extended journey times, recognising the Council’s duty of
care and need to safeguard the wellbeing of the children currently
impacted by the quality of service.  In
providing specific examples about the type of issues being
experienced and distress being caused as a result of the current
standard of service and length of journey times, concerns were also
raised about the lack of special educational needs provision in the
borough and extended journey times for those having to travel
outside of Brent to access suitable specialist educational
provision, which meant they were often outside of the recommended
travel time for primary and secondary school aged
children.  It was pointed out that these
issues had been compounded by the increased number of children
included on each route as well as other external factors such as
traffic delays and roadworks.
 
In outlining further concerns
regarding the increase in journey times being experienced by many
service users, Zaynab Alfadhi also highlighted the impact from an
educational and family perspective not only in terms of time being
lost at school and at home, but also as a result of the associated
behavioural impact on the children and young people created by the
anxiety and stress due to the lack of routine and
stability.  In concluding, members were
therefore urged to review the current level of SEND transport
service provision, in light of the concerns and issues highlighted,
in order to ensure that sufficient and better managed routes were
provided with additional transport and less children on each route
that would not only assist to reduce journey times but also better
reflect the level of service required by vulnerable children and
young people with SEND and their families.
 
In responding, Councillor Krupa
Sheth (Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate
Action) thanked Zaynab Alfadhi for attending the meeting in order
to highlight the issues raised and began by outlining how seriously
the Council took its responsibility in safeguarding the wellbeing
of children and young people with special educational needs and
disabilities.  In highlighting the
process undertaken to plan each route, which involved the
use of specialist software as well as local knowledge, Councillor Krupa Sheth outlined how these measures were designed
to ensure sufficient capacity that not only met the needs of the
children using the service but also the necessary obligations in
relation to journey times within the constraints of the resources
available.
 
In highlighting the range of
external factors outside the direct influence of the service that
also needed to be taken into account in terms of journey times,
such as traffic congestion and delays in children being ready to
board a vehicle on time, the number of pick-ups on any
specific route was also recognised as a factor influencing total
journey times with the planning and implementation of  routes being monitored to ensure that, where
identified as necessary, adjustments could be made
taking account of the need to ensure the most efficient use of
resources.  Whilst often a difficult
balance to achieve, Councillor Krupa Sheth
ended by seeking to reassure the petitioners of the Council’s
commitment to continue monitoring provision of SEND school
transport in order to ensure the delivery of a good quality service
and journey times were kept to a minimum as a key priority for
those relying on the service.
 
In commenting further,
Councillor Grahl (as Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and
Schools) also recognised the wider concerns raised regarding the
provision of SEND places within Brent, highlighting the investment
which had been provided as a result by the Council to provide over
400 new SEND school places in the borough.  Whilst recognising that this would not necessarily
improve the situation for all families who had supported the
petition, Councillor Grahl felt that this would be an important
measure to assist in extending the support available for children
with SEND in accessing more local provision with both her and
Councillor Krupa Sheth advising they would also be willing to meet
with the petitioners separately in order to discuss any further
concerns or support required.
 
In concluding consideration of
the petition, Councillor Muhammed Butt (as Leader of the Council)
advised that Cabinet had recognised the importance of the issues
and concerns raised which would continue to be kept under review in
order to identify any further actions or improvements that could be
made as part of the Council’s commitment to the welfare of
every child in Brent.
 
Eligible for Call-In:
No