Harlesden campaigners alarmed at council plan for community hub
Following a consultation late last year, residents highlighted the need for improvements to the leisure centre and community spaces but the council said the poor condition of the existing building would require at least £1.5m to restore it – which was "not a sensible use of limited funding". Residents have now been asked to take part in a new consultation, which proposes to shut the community centre as early as July 2025.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the Harlesden People's Community Council (HPCC) said they were "concerned that the consultation process may not have reached those most impacted". The group has urged Brent's black community to participate in the Phase 2 survey "to ensure your voices are heard".
A brief history of Stonebridge
Intended as a post-war utopia, Harlesden's Stonebridge was a high-rise, high-density housing estate. By 1981, the unemployment rate for young people on the estate was estimated to be over 50% and with no community facilities to help meet residents' needs, many turned to a life of crime.Then a 25-year-old Leonard Johnson returned home from prison with a message for his community: "Let's build, not destroy".He was the driving force setting up Bridge Park, then the largest black community project in Europe. The objective was to develop self-help and community empowerment strategies to tackle deprivation in Stonebridge.A community action group was established, made up of young black people from the estate. Early activities included maths, English, drama, electronics and black history classes, all run from a small garage on the estate.When the disused Stonebridge bus garage came up for sale, Mr Johnson saw the potential of the site to provide a sports hall, cafe, workshops, IT facilities and childcare – all to be run by local people.It was bought on behalf of the HPCC for £1.8m by Brent Council, in conjunction with the Greater London Council and the Department of the Environment. The new space contained Brent's first IT centre, a creche for working mothers on the estate, many of whom were single parents, and changing rooms to service the nearby Stonebridge Recreation Ground.One third of the main shed was dedicated to providing units for local businesses. In 1996 Brent Council took over management of Bridge Park but it remained an community asset.In 2017, the site was provisionally sold to an offshore developer, sparking a legal battle over ownership between the council and the community. In 2020, the High Court declared Brent Council the "sole legal and beneficial owner of Bridge Park".In 2024, Save Bridge Park was launched, with an attempt to have the site added to the National Heritage list for England.Source: HPCC
HPCC listed concerns about the plans, including the lack of an IT centre, managed workspace, theatre, and music studio, all of which are currently offered at Bridge Park."These are key resources that support local youth and help steer them away from crime. To exclude these facilities is to neglect the fundamental needs of the community."The group is now campaigning to have Bridge Park included on the National Heritage List for England to "help secure the necessary funding to preserve the facility and keep it as 'a vital resource for our community".
Brent Council leader, Muhammed Butt, said: "Bridge Park Leisure Centre is so much more than a building and we want to honour its history and build on its legacy for the next generation of residents."He added that the next phase of consultation was "about gathering feedback on the proposed closure, and transition arrangements for residents".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
5 hours ago
- STV News
English and Northern Irish officers to be deployed in Scotland for Trump's visit
English and Northern Irish police officers will be deployed in Scotland to assist with the policing operation surrounding President Donald Trump's visit. The US President will visit both of his golf courses in Scotland – Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire – between July 25 and 29. The President will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer while in Aberdeen, while plans are being put in place for Trump to meet First Minister John Swinney, according to the Scottish Government. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has confirmed 'a number of officers' will be arriving in Scotland, with the cost of deployment being paid for by Police Scotland. A spokesperson from the force said: 'A number of officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland will travel to Scotland in the coming days to support Police Scotland colleagues in the planning and safe delivery of policing around the US presidential visit. 'The deployment follows a request for mutual aid via the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC). 'The full cost of the deployment will be recovered from Police Scotland.' Durham and Cheshire constabularies confirmed that they also received a request from Police Scotland and will be providing support during Trump's first visit to the country since being voted in for a second term. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Chilling moment naked porn star dances covered in victims' blood after double killing
Twisted killer Yostin Andres Mosquera can be seen without clothes singing and dancing in the aftermath of his attack on Albert Alfonso and Paul Longworth last year Harrowing footage shows a killer singing and dancing naked in the aftermath of a brutal attack on a couple he had just butchered. Yostin Andres Mosquera was covered in the blood of civil partners Albert Alfonso, 62, and Paul Longworth, 71, who he murdered in July 8 last year in their flat in Shepherd's Bush, west London. He was this week found guilty of killing he men, before decapitating them and dumping their bodies in a suitcase on Clifton Suspension Bridge. Sick Mosquera is seen joyfully dancing around with no clothes on having been captured on a camera set up to record a sex session. The adult entertainer was staying with the couple and tried to access their bank details on their laptop after dismembered the men, stuffing their heads in a freezer and travelling to Bristol to try and get rid of the evidence, a court heard. Woolwich Crown Court heard Mr Alfonso was repeatedly stabbed, suffering injuries to his torso, face and neck, while Mr Longworth was attacked with a hammer to the back of his head and his skull shattered. During a retrial, jurors heard Mr Alfonso enjoyed 'extreme sex' and Mosquera, a Colombian national who did not speak English and whom he met online years earlier, was part of that world, jurors heard. His actions after stabbing Mr Alfonso, including singing and dancing, could have been an outburst as he had been overwhelmed by all that had happened to him, his defence counsel suggested. Mosquera's plan was to hurl the suitcases over the bridge to dispose of the remains after the 'calculated' and 'premeditated' killings, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said. He admitted killing Mr Alfonso but claims it was manslaughter by reason of loss of control. He had pleaded not guilty to murdering both men and insists Mr Alfonso killed Mr Longworth. He told the jury he feared for his own life and believed he was about to be killed when he stabbed Mr Alfonso. The defendant claims that he thought Mr Alfonso would do to him what he claims he had already done to Mr Longworth, he felt 'intimidated' and threats had been made to his family in Colombia. The court previously heard that computer searches for the phrase 'where on the head is a knock fatal?' were made on the day the two men died. It was suggested that Mosquera made repeated computer searches to find a freezer in the build-up to the killings. Many of the searches were in Spanish, some used Google translate and were also made while Mosquera was the only person in the house, the jury heard. He asked questions about delivery options and several searches were looking for a deep freezer, a chest freezer, a large indoor and outdoor freezer for sale. In the days before the killings the phrase 'hammer killer' was also tapped into the computer. The court also heard that Mosquera had first come to the UK from Colombia in June 2024 on the promise of English lessons and financial support from Mr Alfonso, whom he had met years earlier through webcam sex websites. Detective Chief Inspector Ollie Stride, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command who led this investigation, said: 'This has been one of the most harrowing murders my team have ever investigated, a case that will stay with many of us for a long time. Paul and Albert were murdered in the most brutal and callous of ways in their own home. The investigation has been complex and intense and we worked tirelessly to build a catalogue of evidence which would ensure we brought Mosquera to justice. 'The team have consumed hundreds hours of footage, including some of the utmost disturbing and graphic nature. Those images will stay with all of us for a very long time. We are grateful to all those who helped us build this investigation, including Avon and Somerset Police, who commenced the investigation and arrested Mosquera. "As well as the many witnesses who provided detailed accounts of events which must have been extremely hard to share. We have also worked closely with the LGBT+ Independent Advisory Group and I am grateful for their support and the advice they have provided as they helped monitor the investigation. 'Paul and Albert had known one another for decades. They were in a loving, committed relationship and welcomed Mosquera into their home. They did not deserve to have their lives taken away from them in the most traumatising of circumstances. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Paul and Albert's family and loved ones and all who knew them, as they continue to process the trauma of what happened.'
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Shocking moment Marbella policeman slaps sunbathing tourist
Footage shows an argument between tourists and police at a resort in Marbella, Spain, during a crackdown on beach vendors when suddenly an officer lashes out at a man A tourist was filmed being hit in the face by a police officer in an argument during a crackdown on beach vendors in Spain. The policeman, who was seen wearing a helmet, slapped the man twice around the face despite there not appearing to be any prior physical provocation. The shocking incident happened on Saturday afternoon in Marbella at the popular holiday resort called Playa del Faro - which is popular with British tourists. The unidentified holidaymaker appeared to yell 'Hijo de puta' which in English would translate as 'Son of a bitch' before being slapped. Local reports said he had been remonstrating with the officer over his aggressive attitude towards the so-called 'looky looky' men who swamp Marbella's seafront in the summer and sell counterfeit goods like sunglasses and bags in breach of municipal regulations. Police officers were seen pushing one of them before the holidaymaker assault as others chased after fellow street sellers trying to run away with their belongings. Despite the video footage appearing to identify the police officer as the aggressor, the elderly tourist is understood to have been arrested. Another holidaymaker in a pair of skimpy swimming trunks, filmed being surrounded by seven officers and pinned to the ground after a shouting match and a lot of finger pointing, tried to intervene but also ended up getting arrested. Sources claimed today, as the video footage going viral was being looked at by local authorities to see if any officers should face disciplinary action, that one of the detainees threw a bottle at cops. He is denying the allegation. The beach drama occurred around a fortnight after another street vendor was filmed punching a policeman in the face as he tried to stop him confiscating the counterfeit goods he was selling at a Marbella beach bar. The astonishing scene unfolded in front of British tourists, with one forced to jump out of the way as the violence flared yelling: 'What the F##k! That was mental.' Police later claimed the 'looky looky' men they have to deal with on a regular basis are getting more and more aggressive and don't think twice about employing violence when police try to stop them and seize their merchandise because they know the courts will let them off with little more than a fine if they can be tracked down and identified. Marbella Town Hall has not yet commented on the actions of the police officer seen slapping the tourist filmed insulting him at the weekend. They said the incident had happened during a routine police inspection against itinerant street trading. Police officers on quads are carrying out more regular inspections during the summer in Marbella.
