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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