News
Peace Tree planting in Queen’s Park on Thursday 2nd September at 11am, meet at the bandstand, with His Holiness Mahamandaleshwar Paramahans Swami Maheshwarananda (known as Swamiji) and Mr. Harbhajan Singh, the Mayor of the London Borough of Brent. All welcome, refreshments afterwards at Yoga in Daily Life.
QPARA Wildlife Noticeboard Grand Opening- 4pm on Wednesday 8th September by the tractor yard entrance on Kingswood Avenue (opposite Montrose Avenue). Noticeboard designed by QPARA members, paid for by Neighbourhood Working Fund, to be a focus for local wildlife activities involving schools, wildlife walks and recording. Opening by David Lindo, the urban birder, see http://www.theurbanbirder.com/london/ . Refreshments. All welcome.
Friday 30th July 2-7pm Open Day at Islamia School, 129 Salusbury Road for information about the plans to build a new school on part of the site. First in a series of open days which will continue through August. See www.islamia.brent.sch.uk
Open Gardens and Studios Day Sunday 13th June 2010 – The day was a great success. Thanks to the gardeners, artists, visitors, musicians and visitors.
New Councillors elected - our three ward councillors are Simon Green (Lib Dem) along with two new Labour councillors, Michael Adeye and James Denselow. Congratulations to Simon on his re-election and welcome to Michael and James. See all Brent’s new councillors here
Putting in the new plants
Keslake Road planters improvement - we have recently put 200 new plants into the planters at the junction of Keslake and Chamberlayne Roads. This project was paid for out of the Neighbourhood Working Fund, and was jointly organised by the Residents’ Association with Brent Council, the City of London (Queen’s Park staff brought the plants to the site and provided a water bowser) and the Safer Neighbourhoods’ Team.
Sergeant Graeme Day of the Safer Neighbourhoods’ Team sampled the delicious pastries provided for us by Crazy Baker, 697 Harrow Road, tel 020 8964 1712
The water bowser from the park
Four more olive trees planted in a joint venture between QPARA and Queen’s Studios. Toasting the trees from our Queen’s Park mugs!
Chevening Road- excessive traffic speeds Qpara continue to urge Brent council to consider restricting speeds to 20mph. This will not be done without some form of physical traffic calming measure (eg humps or road narrowing). Since the installation of humps along Harvist Road last year, Chevening is the only road skirting the park without any form of traffic calming (more details in the Minutes, supplied to all members)
Residents’ Parking permit renewals- don’t expect a reminder, but you can now apply online for a renewal and please note the following permit charge changes from 1 April 2009:
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first resident permit for vehicles under 1201cc or DVLA Bands A and B (for example CO2 emissions below 121g/km) will be issued free of charge
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this change will apply to permits expiring / issued on or after 15 March 2009.
For more information contact the Parking Shop 84 Walm Lane, NW2 4QY tel 0208 451 4571.
Brent Cross expansion - on hold following the election
We have planted 6 new olive trees in large terracotta pots outside the Police Station on Salusbury Road. This project took a lot of planning and we are delighted that it has finally taken place. QPARA bought the pots, trees and soil (from the proceeds of the last Open Gardens and Studios Day) and carried out the installation on Friday 11th December. Robert Budwig who designed the scheme said “I’m so thrilled that the trees are here at last- this is the best Christmas present ever!”.
The delivery
planting the trees
The planting team with Sergeant Graeme Day and Indi Johal of the Safer Neighbourhoods' Team
Chevening Road re-surfacing Brent Council Transportation department are experimenting with resin-bonded pebbles in the tree pits along the road. Where there is insufficient space to insert a kerb stone by a tree they have used concrete to create a kerb and the effect is very good. The resin is water permeable (we’ve tested this!) and solves the problem of creating a safe pavement surface around the large roots of the mature plane trees.
Brent Climate Change Strategy launched on Wednesday 2nd December. Read more here and complete Brent’s suggested Pledge to make small lifestyle changes here
Sergeant Graeme Day has replaced Sergeant Mick Pilkington on the Queen’s Park Safer Neighbourhoods’ Team. Sergeant Day or another member of his team always attend the monthly meetings. Read more on the Police Liaison page.
Best attended AGM ever on Thursday 12th November and two new Officers appointed – Jamie Hope as Vice Chairman and Mark Norbury as Membership Secretary. Thanks to everyone who came and helped to make it such a succesful evening.
Neighbourhood Working Fund £20,000 is available anually in each ward for local projects which meet certain criteria. Ideas by e-mail please to our councillors Emily Tancred emily@tancred.co.uk, Simon Green simonjgreen@hotmail.co.uk and Will Motley tichmot@hotmail.co.uk
Sergeant Mick Pilkington appointed to new position. Sergeant Pilkington has led the Queen’s Park Safer Neighbourhoods Team since it was set up three years ago. Under his leadership we have had an excellent and devoted team of PC’s and PCSO’s who have helped make our neighbourhood safer and cleaner. We wish Sergeant Pilkington every success in his future role in the Directorate of Professional Standards based in Colindale. 16th October is Sergeant Pilkington’s last day in our area, but we hope he might come back to Queen’s Park Day as a guest.
North London Line noise and vibration. Representatives of the Residents’ Association met with Network Rail on 22nd September and were told that the 10pm “sand train” will have new wagons which may reduce noise and vibration, but there is still no explanation for screeching noises made by freight trains in the Kensal Rise Junction area
Tree vandalism – 25/7/09 Two young street trees have recently been snapped off- in Winchester Ave and Montrose Ave. Please keep an eye on the street trees in your road, particularly the new ones, and if they need attention contact neal.stlewis@brent.gov.uk. If they look dry water through the black watering tube (2 or 3 buckets full if possible)