Homeless, cladding, walking, green jobs and go vegan

Trevor Ellis, Chalkhill Road,Wembley, writes:

I know times are hard and local authorities are struggling to maintain key services as Covid-19 continues to hold back progress.

Under such tough social conditions, it’s not surprising to find that a growing number of residents are relying on state support.

However, in order for homeless people to apply for housing assistance in Brent, they need access to a computer to complete an online application. The three people that I saw today (April 20) in Neasden, Willesden, and Wembley Park were homeless and didn’t have access to a computer. Further to that, due to lockdown, assessments are currently taking place by phone rather than in person at the civic centre. It’s reasonable to presume that a person who lives on the streets, won’t have a smartphone or money to pay for credit. Therefore, they will lose out on available support and I suggest that an exception should be made for them in order to ensure that help always goes to those most in need.

The young man I saw lying on the floor in the Neasden subway was using a plastic shopping bag as a makeshift pillow. It transpired that he had been there for over 10 hours and I can’t begin to imagine how he felt, lying on the floor which is more often than not, litter laden and far from hygienic.

The other man in Willesden, was wrapped up in a white duvet on the pavement outside a building in broad daylight. The pavement serves as his makeshift bed and I wonder how he ended up in such a situation.

Bridge Road, Wembley, also serves as a resting place for the homeless and that is where I saw a lady who was sitting on the pavement, outside Barclays bank. I’ve seen her several times in the same place, wrapped up in a bedsheet, with a paper cup at her feet, no doubt hoping that someone would drop some spare change into it.
Striking the right balance between personal and social responsibility is, in my view, the key to unlocking and solving rough sleeping in Brent.

It’s heartbreakingly clear that the current system is failing to provide adequate support for rough sleepers.

I won’t vote in the upcoming and future GLA elections, because the people that stand and win the most votes consistently fail to address this problem properly.
In addition to that, how can Brent even aspire to become ‘Better’ until this issue is addressed wholeheartedly by the local authority and central government?

Cladding scandal a living nightmare

Tulip Siddiq MP, Hampstead and Kilburn, writes:

So many of my constituents in Hampstead and Kilburn have faced a living nightmare as a result of the cladding scandal, which is shamefully still not resolved nearly four years on from Grenfell.

The fact that leaseholders in West Hampstead have been forced to take legal action as a result of soaring costs for the remediation of flammable building materials – as reported by the Ham & High – shows just how bad it has got. These residents have some of highest fire safety repair bills the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign group has seen, yet the government is not supporting them.

Last month, I joined an important meeting with many of my constituents from Camden and Brent who have been affected by the cladding scandal. It was heart-breaking to hear the stories of people whose lives have been turned upside down and who are trapped in unsafe buildings they cannot sell, facing eye-watering bills for problems that they had no part in creating.

This is something I have raised repeatedly in parliament, and I have voted many times now for action that would shield leaseholders from costs, speed up remediation works and pursue the developers who built unsafe housing. Unfortunately, the government whipped their MPs to vote against this every time and the Conservatives have allowed irresponsible developers to get off scot-free.

The cladding scandal must not be allowed to continue. I will keep using my voice to speak up for leaseholders who have been so badly let down.

Pledge support for Walking London

During the pandemic, people in London have rediscovered the simple act of walking (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Brent Parks Forum, full contact details supplied, writes:

During the pandemic, people in London have rediscovered the simple act of walking – the oldest, cheapest and greenest transport there is.

It has allowed us to stay healthy, happy and connected to those around us.
But lots of us still struggle with narrow, cluttered, uneven pavements; crossings that prioritise cars rather than people; and growing numbers of speeding vehicles.

That’s why I support Living Streets’ Manifesto for Walking - London. It calls for candidates in our mayoral election to pledge to tackle air pollution, transform our streets for people of all ages and abilities, make walking the natural choice for short journeys, and end pedestrian deaths and injuries on our roads.

It is time we redesigned our streets around people not cars.

That way we can all continue to enjoy the benefits of walking and healthier, happier communities.

We must invest in green job creation

Paul Atkin, Highfield Avenue, Colindale, writes:

New research from Green New Deal UK shows that the severe local job losses we are suffering through the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could be almost entirely replaced by jobs in green infrastructure and care work if the government puts the investment in.

Overall, 1.2m green jobs could be created throughout Britain in the next two years at a cost of around £68bn. 1,492 of these in Brent Central, 1,401 in Brent North and 1,285 in Hampstead and Kilburn.

We have to create jobs and tackle the climate crisis at the same time, as investing in these jobs is the difference between people having purposeful work and losing their livelihood; and meeting our climate targets or failing. The tragedy of the situation is that there are 30,000 fewer green jobs in Britain today than there were in 2014 and it is appalling that Britain is investing far less than France or Germany, the US or China.

We need action now to invest in these jobs and give us the chance of a future.’

Why not try vegan and change diet?

Tod Bradbury, campaign manager, Animal Aid, writes:

This June Animal Aid will once again be hosting our Summer Vegan Pledge.

It is the perfect opportunity for those who are interested in trying a plant-based diet to do so, with all of the help and support they need.

It has never been more important for people to reduce their animal product consumption. The production of animal products, such as meat and dairy, is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution, land use and fresh water use around the world.

On the contrary, a plant-based, vegan diet requires less land, fewer resources, produces vastly fewer greenhouse gas emissions and the world’s major dietetic organisations all agree that a well-planned vegan diet is adequate, healthy and can provide health benefits.

• Sign up for free at: animalaid.org.uk/SVP21