Local residents group North West Two are now using Fix My Street to file reports with Brent Council. I’ll be working with the other residents groups in my area to get links to FMS on all the community websites I can.

Fix My Street (FMS) is A LOT faster and easier than using the Brent Council reporting system. All I need to do to report via FMS is enter the street name, choose the right street and then write up the problem. It’s certainly easier than burrowing through Brent Councils website to find the right e-form to complete when all I want to do is report a broken paving slap or some dumped rubbish.

Using FMS is a great way of making public the problems that are reported to Brent Council.The openness of this tool could reduce the number of duplicate issues reported to the council. I wonder how long it’ll be before Brent adopt a similar method of receiving reports from residents.

News earlier this year was that the Heritage Lottery Fund announced stage 1 funding towards a grant of £1.2 million to help restore Dollis Hill House. This would have enabled Dollis Hill House Trust (DHHT) to work with Training For Life and Brent Council to annex a section of a public park for pseudo-social-enterprise, or, in the words of the DHH, to bring about the “commercial exploitation of the house’s prime and dramatic location, balanced with a positive vision of the house’s future as a cohesive focus for the growing and increasingly diverse population of the surrounding area.”

Last Thursday (6th Nov), TheWillesden Observer ran a cover story asking “Is this the end for Dollis Hill House?” after Boris Johnson decided not to give money pledged by Ken Livingstone.  Johnson is reported as saying that “…in these harsh economic times and with many so many other priorities chasing limited resources, the money would be more effectively spent on initiatives that improve the lives of Londoners.”

Click through to the Observer website for some pictures of the derelict and firedamaged building.

I’m currently wondering how much money Brent Council could save by pulling down the building. More reports on this when I get the information.

The NW2 residents association is alerting local residents to an application for a 24h license for the sale of alcohol by a new business opening on the broadway. The former New Heights Furniture Shop in Cricklewood Broadway has been taken over by a supermarket called Way–2–Save. They have a branch in Neasden which has very good range of food, fresh fruit and veg and a halal butchers which would add to the choices for supermarket shopping in the area in a positive way.

I’ve emailed an objection to Brent Council’s Health Safety & Licensing team as I agree with NW2 and other local residents that Cricklewood does not need more alcohol provision as it is already ‘well stocked’ by a vast array of bars and off licences.

Brent Council have responded promptly to my email:

Thank you for your representations about Mr XXXXXXXX XXXXX XXXXXXXX’s application for a premises licence. We have reviewed your representations and accept them as valid objections (under the Licensing Act 2003). We will now arrange a hearing to decide whether or not to grant the premises licence.

Keep an eye on the NW2 website for further updates.

With the candidates nominated for the Stonebridge by-election, here’s a little summary of them for you:

• ALADESHE, Funmi The Conservative Party
• COX, Sarah Respect
• ORR, Brian Green Party
• VAN KALWALA, Zaffar The Labour Party
• WILTSHIRE, Sandra Elina Liberal Democrats

Is “Happy voting!” really the proper way to close an email announcing a Council By-election? Anyway…
A seat has become vacant in the Stonebridge Ward following the death of Councillor Dorman Long. A by-election will be held on Thursday, 13 September 2007 to elect a new representative.

The by-election gives the Lib Dems another opportunity to win a seat - but will they win it? I doubt it. Stonebridge ward is a Labour heartland - you only have to look at the votes cast in the 2006 Local Election to see that… Winning this single seat will not change the overall political balance of Brent Council: The Lib Dems would need to win a few more by-elections or benefit from defections (not for the first time in Brent’s recent political history) in order to be in a position to leave the alliance with the Conservatives and lead a majority administration. This by-election is a litmus paper - are Stonebridge residents pleased with Cllr Paul Lorber’s coalition administration, enough to give the Lib Dem’s another Councillor? Or will we see a new face in the Council from the Labour Party?