http://www.local-directory.net/harlesden/local-life/

Important dates for our diaries as Odessa and Palermo Neighbourhood Watch joins up with other local groups to form KENSAL GREEN STREETS. Go to www.kensalgreenstreets.blogspot.co.uk for more information.

Next Saturday there's a 'rubbish breakfast' between 9am and 12 noon on Park Parade - corner of Leghorn Road - free coffee, juice and croissants being served - and talking rubbish! Here are the details:

As part of our Kensal Green Streets project, please join us for breakfast on Saturday 23 March on Park Parade (corner of Leghorn Road) between 9am and 12noon.  We'll be serving free coffee, juice and croissants and talking rubbish.  How to reduce it, how to reuse it, how to recycle it and, if there's any left over, how to dispose of it in the right way. So if you want to know where any item of household rubbish goes, join us on the 23rd March. Or if you just want a chat with your neighbours over a cup of coffee – you can do that too. We look forward to seeing you. Your Kensal Green Streets Team.

Together we can save money on gas and electricity, with the Big London Energy Switch       

The Big London Energy Switch is a scheme bringing together households who want to lower their gas and electricity bills.        Collecting households together can encourage energy companies to offer a lower price on energy bills. To participate in the scheme to switch energy provider you simply need to register with Big London Energy Switch. After you have registered you can choose to accept the offer or not – so by signing up you have nothing to lose.

This is an energy switching scheme supported by Brent Council, 17 other local authorities in London, and London Councils.  The Big London Energy Switch is bringing together as many Londoners as possible who want to switch energy providers to get a better rate. The more people who register, the lower we hope the new energy tariff will be.  A lower price for all individual households is not guaranteed, but similar schemes by other councils have cut bills by up to £200 a year for some households. 

Once the period for registration has passed, energy companies will bid for the business by putting forward the best available price they are willing to offer.  After this auction has been held and the winning bid chosen, those who have registered will be offered a new energy tariff.  If you had registered you can then choose whether or not to change energy provider.

You can register by going to http://www.biglondonenergyswitch.org.uk/.  You have until 31st March 2013 to register for the scheme.  Once the new provider has been chosen after the auction registrants will be contacted again.  Registration is free and there is no obligation to switch from a present provider by registering. 

Visit http://www.biglondonenergyswitch.org.uk/ for further information and to register your interest. 

Also, you can see a YouTube clip about the scheme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l29WtMpyZcA) 

Last week I said I'd provide you with an update from Operation Big Wing, a Pan-London operation of visible coordinated activity to cut crime and disrupt those who continue to cause harm to our communities. So, here is a brief overview of results.   Activity was driven by Safer Neighbourhoods with 45 planned operations completed involving over 200 officers. To support my local officers, Special Constabulary and Cadets, I received additional instructors and officers from Hendon Training College, the Safer Transport Command and office based departments. This is all part of the continued emphasis to ensure more front line police officers are visible within the community.

Some headline results; 25 arrests in total for various offences including, robbery, drugs supply and burglary. Of note, is a routine arrest for a relatively minor offence. When fingerprints were taken and cross-searched via the national database a suspect was identified for a residential burglary in Ellerslie Gardens, NW10 from 2003. This suspect has since been charged with two burglaries and failing to comply with a drug treatment order and remanded in custody. Over 300 enforcement visits to local pubs, off-licences, bookmakers, pawnbrokers and scrap yards were completed, ensuring compliance with legislation and licensing conditions in conjunction with partners from Trading Standards, UK Border Agency and the Community Safety Partnership. Over 30 offences were reported for summons and prosecution. Continuing our focus on uninsured vehicles and the inherent link with crime and public safety, officers conducted an intelligence led Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) operation, stopping over 80 vehicles and seizing 4 vehicles for driving with no insurance. Targeted ASB patrols took place across the Borough at ASB hotspot locations, responding to local community requests in Mapesbury, Brondesbury, Sudbury, Dudden Hill & Kilburn Wards.  

Operation Carpathian is a continued initiative to tackle burglary and ASB in Brondesbury, Mapesbury and Dollis Hill wards in conjunction with Barnet police and local stakeholders, including Cricklewood Improvement Programme, in response to community concerns. The team led by Brondesbury Police Sergeant, Rob Gibbs, are conducting intelligence led high visibility patrols, targeting key locations, enforcement visits to known offenders and conducting search warrants to detect and disrupt criminal activity. In the past two weeks there have been a total of eight arrests, offences including robbery, handling stolen goods, possession of offensive weapon and drug related offences. Over 150 stop and searches have been completed, which has led to a knife and drugs being recovered. Three premises search warrants have been conducted, directly linked to community intelligence.   Officers from the joint Kilburn High Road corridor team from Brent and Camden conducted a search warrant at Poolcrest Snooker Club, in response to community intelligence. Four arrests were made for drugs and money laundering offences with a substantial amount of drugs recovered, along with a significant cash seizure. A three month interim Closure Order has been obtained by Camden Council, which will be reviewed in June.    

Finally, just another update on the continued Smart water pilot at Brent. The Harlesden saturation area continues to see significant reductions (year on year 85% reduction). Smart water is just one tactic we use to tackle the challenge of burglary. Let me be clear, my officer's will seize any opportunity to prevent, arrest and disrupt offenders to make Brent the safest Borough in MPS. My team continue to work relentlessly to achieve all our key targets, with current reductions for priority crime such as burglary (-7.8%), which equates to 212 less victims and robbery (-33%) which means 631 less victims year on year.           If you are interested in becoming a Special, a Cadet, or a Volunteer, you can find more information in the “Careers” section of the Met website www.met.police.uk. For more information on Neighbourhood Watch, see www.brentnw.co.uk or ask your local Safer Neighbourhoods police team. Please review our website, Wanted Wednesday - Police would like to hear from anyone who may know of any of the subjects’ whereabouts. If you have any information please contact the Brent’s Wanted Offenders Unit on 020 8733 3092 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. You can follow us on Twitter @MPSBrent.   

Brent Police have recovered a couple of jewellery items and are appealing for members of the public to come forward if you recognise the items belonging to you.   Police believe the jewellery may have been stolen in a burglary and would like to trace the original owner.   If you recognise this jewellery please contact 0208 733 3039 or e-mail QK-CPU@met.pnn.police.uk. Proof of ownership will be required.   Anyone with information regarding burglaries should contact their local police station on 101 or call crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 11

Brent Connects Harlesden - covering Harlesden, Kensal Green and Stonebridge wards.

Date: Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Time: 7pm – 9pm

Venue:

All Souls Church

Station Road

Harlesden

NW10 4UJ

BBC ‘Question Time’ style interactive session on: ‘Impact of the government’s radical overhaul of benefits in living memory, on local residents’.

Panellists will include:

·         Cllr Bobby Thomas - Chair

·         Jacky Peacock OBE - Brent Private Tenants' Rights Group

·         Davis Oates, Head of Customer Service and Benefits, Brent

·         Sandy Fenwick, Department for Work and Pensions, West London Integrated District Operations Manager

·         Perry Singh, Assistant Director, Housing

·         Sophia Johnson, Service Manager, Brent CAB

·         John Doocey, Community Services Director, Cricklewood Homeless Concern (CHC)

Neighbourhood Watch Meeting - February 26th 2013

PC Simon Carver – email: simon.carver@met.police.uk

Policing

Working for the neighbourhood street police, dealing with drugs and anti-social behaviour in the area. There are some changes that will be going on and some police stations may be closing however this should help with putting more police on the street.

If you do see anything suspicious if not urgent call the 101 telephone number or alternatively if urgent call 999. A few neighbours are still concerned that drug dealing out of cars is going on in the area. If you do see this and wish to report then please try and take the details of the car, colour, make, model, registration plate etc. – please however DO NOT put yourself at risk!

Station Approach

Bobby updated us on the development of Station Approach. The paths will be widened and resurfaced. They are looking at the overall parking in the area.

Cleaning

Again concerns about the general cleanliness of the streets – Harrow Road has been highlights as a concern – if you do have concerns please email chris.whyte@brent.gov.uk

Ward working meeting will be allocating funds to environmental projects- a walk was conducted in the Harlesden Area and talks about rubbish and bins are been discussed.

23rd March Reach, RARA, Junction and Odessa and Palermo neighbourhood watch groups are meeting to discuss an environmental event. We have been allocated 5k to clean up the 4 areas which will include getting rid of rubbish, skips will be available for dumping and to inform residents about recycling in the area. Our group will be conducting the clean-up in October. Volunteers will be needed so please let us know if you can assist. Just a reminder that if we help the out NHW groups they are more likely to assist us! - Please let us know if you are happy to help!

New blog page for Kensal Green Streets – kensalgreenstreets.blogspot.com

30th JUNE BIG LUNCH PARTY

Last year we were unable to hold the street party but we are pleased to announce this will be going ahead this year! The other NHW groups in the area will be joining us and that has allowed us to get some funding to host the event. This again will be held in Furness Road school playground as in previous years.

We are planning again on having a bouncy castle, music, face painting, possibly a stall with quality bric-a-brac. If you do have any suggestions on other ideas that may make the party interesting please let us know. If you do know anyone that can assist with any form of music or entertainment please let us know by return. Again as in previous years we are asking residents to bring ‘food to the table’. Soft drinks will be provided. If you have some spare time to assist we will be needing people to help with setting up and closing up on the day, helping with advertising and informing local residents etc.

Pocket Park Furness Road

Some new ‘spiky’ plants have been put in to deter people climbing over in to neighbours gardens. There is a project being developed to produce a sculpture for the park using rubbish.

Petitions

We asked people at the meeting to sign the petition against the incinerator that is proposed by Willesden Junction – there is NO need for this to be moved to our area and we do NOT wish for excess traffic and fumes! They are also looking at moving the Jubilee clock in centre of Harlesden - again there is no need for this and this is a listed piece.

Parking

The parking scratch cards will over the next few months be expiring – apparently there is a new phone system for all visitor parking. We will be looking into this and will update you on our findings as we have some concerns. If you do have any complaints regarding this please email; davidthrael@brent.gov.uk

Other

People are still concerned about walking to the station.

There are concerns about the building next to the jet set club as to what this will be - we will try and find out what the plans are.

Di Sottos – the plans are for Brent to part buy the plot and build housing – this may be some years ahead!

Harlesden Regeneration next meeting Monday 4th March 7.30 at The Salvation Army Hall, Harlesden

Bobby's Mayor Making ceremony 15th May,6.30 at Brent Town Hall - all welcome

The concrete pavement Ramps that have appeared in the local roads appear to be shoddy and unfinished, Bobby to investigate

Helpers confirmed for The Big Lunch and Rubbish day

Michael – Claudia – Nicola - Lee

Next Neighbourhood Watch meeting - June 25th at 8pm at the church.

I will e mail Chris Whyte to come to this to discuss rubbish particularly on the Harrow Rd,but generally.

If you wish to join our groups – please visit the group on facebook Odessa & Palermo neighbourhood watch. Also another group (not in facebook!) www.odessapalermoblog.org

If you do have any comments – suggestions please us know!

We would also welcome some assistance with the next neighbourhood watch meetings. The usual people have increased commitments and are therefore unable to be as involved as they have for the last few years, so if you are happy to be more involved in the community please get in touch.

Karen