Recently in Brent Category

I have hung rather a lot onto Greg Clark's "General Power of Competence" for local authorities, due to become statute in the forthcoming Decentralisation Bill, and I would sincerely hope that I am not wrong to do so.  But only the other day in conversation a (very) leading property developer dismissed it as "smoke and mirrors", which I found a little alarming.  I didn't argue with him at the time (well, you don't) but it got me thinking.  Having managed to get a number of projects away through the principle that you - ahem - "fake it until you make it" (Paddington being a prima facie example of this) I am quite a believer in "smoke and mirrors" really.  I guess any local authority worth their salt which can tell a good story, demonstrate it has the support of the community (and stakeholders and service providers), invoke its powers (planning and what-have-you) and - better still - offer up some land, has all to play for.  Call it smoke and mirrors if you like, it would imbue confidence. 

 It might be helpful to look at examples of proactive local authorities already in action, even now (perhaps, especially now).  Regeneration projects are still being delivered though PPP in places like Lambeth of course and another excellent example of a local authority playing in its assets to great effect is at South Kilburn, where the London Borough of Brent is currently master-planning an extraordinary turnaround. 

South Kilburn really does seem to be on a bit of a roll now (although there was still the ritual kerfuffle this Saturday morning when one of our officers had to come over to my place to get me to sign emergency papers before I flew out to MIPIM; same thing happened last year! Ah, the course of urban regeneration never did run smooth). 

I am really thrilled to report that the Homes and Communities Agency have come through with a very innovative and creative deal, awarding Brent council funding for the building of 500 new homes in place of crumbling 18-storey tower blocks on the South Kilburn Estate.

London and Quadrant (L&Q) are our chosen partner, the two sites (Albert Road and Carlton Vale) are being sold to them with - and this is the crucial part of the deal - the proceeds then being reinvested into the regeneration of the South Kilburn Estate. 

All parties, from HCA throughout, are investing for the long term here. It's a serious group effort.

Two-hundred and eighty-six new homes will be delivered now and the next phase of regeneration can begin. What a huge relief. 

Here you see a lovely photograph of the leader of Brent, cllr Paul Lorber (Liberal Democrat) on the right side of the picture and the lead member for regeneration cllr John Detre (Conservative) on the left, pretending that it is they themselves who will be demolishing the reviled bison blocks. 

The admirable "Place West London" weekly e-letter carries the news this morning that Boris and Brent council have approved plans for the phased demolition and redevelopment of the Barham Park Estate. 

This is hot on the heels of the hefty approval that we got in nearby South Kilburn last week, thus neatly proving not one, but two, of my recent pet theses: first that Brent is the new Southwark and, secondly, that there is no better time than this point in the cycle for local authorities to bring their de-risked projects to market.

Get your skates on out there!

Construction at Barham will start this summer and is estimated to take five years to complete, in this case by our old friends Notting Hill Housing Association and the late Alan Cherry's Countryside Properties (btw, Richard, Guy and others, I can only apologise about not being able to attend Alan's Memorial Service in a couple of weeks. I will be strutting my stuff out at MIPIM on that day, and I have to earn my crust. I will be deeply sad not to be with you).   

It's official! Brent is the new Southwark. It is, quite simply, Land of Opportunity.

This has been a pet thesis of mine in recent years but is now totally reinforced in the light of the news that my very good mates over at Brent council have launched their vision for a new Alperton. And quite right too!

I regularly used to eye up Alperton when I was CE at the Park Royal Partnership. And me and my old muckers at the dear-departed Brixton plc used to stomp around there on a regular basis (btw is it really true that the beauteous, but thoroughly mild-mannered, buttoned-down, measured and considered Peter Dawson is going to give evidence against Tim Wheeler at the high court next month? The mind seriously seriously boggles!).

Now, the energetic and pragmatic cllr John Detre, lead member for regeneration at Brent, wants to see Alperton transformed into a place that people choose to live, work and invest. Opening up the splendid Paddington branch of the Grand Union canal "turning it not only into a place to travel to and from home, work and school but also a place to visit and enjoy".