Latest news with #Stonebridge
CTV News
24-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘I couldn't go back to sleep': What's creating an unwelcome buzz in Stonebridge?
Jim Walters has lived in Stonebridge for three years. Then, what he calls the 'incessant buzzing' started. (Carla Shynkaruk / CTV News) Some residents in Stonebridge are sounding the alarm over an unnerving sound they say is making it hard to sleep at night, and a Facebook fact-finding mission seems to have solved the mystery. The sound is described as a buzzing. 'I would say it sounds like an air raid siren,' Jim Walters told CTV News. Walters has lived in the Stonebridge area for three years. Then, what he calls the 'incessant buzzing' started. 'You have to close the windows. I woke up at 5:00 AM last week, one day, and it was going. I couldn't go back to sleep,' he said. He posted the question and concern to the Stonebridge neighborhood watch Facebook page and it got a lot of traction with many people commenting with similar stories. Some of the posts say the sound is 'annoying.' Another person said they have to use ear plugs. Others are calling it loud. One person even said the 'the vibration is shaking my head and keeping me from sleeping.' There was speculation on the post about the origin of the sound as many people tried to find the source of their common annoyance. 'I did talk to people on Facebook about it and they said it was maybe a pigeon alarm or something,' he added. Then after about a week of comments on the post, many residents hoping to get to the bottom of it; the source emerged. Some suspecting it was coming from a senior's residence on Hunter Road. The company that manages Aspira Hunter Village confirmed to CTV News — it was the source of the buzzing. 'Our HVAC system at Hunter Village Retirement Residence is currently undergoing annual maintenance, which required temporarily removing some of the sound-dampening barriers from the units,' said Nadia Daniell-Colarossi, a company spokesperson. 'The majority of the sound barriers will be re-installed within the next day or two and provide a significant reduction in the noise level. We want to assure the community that this is a temporary situation, and our target for full completion of the maintenance is within the next week.' Daniell-Colarossi said the company values being a part of the Stonebridge community and committed to finish the work quickly. 'We sincerely apologize for any disruption this has caused and appreciate the patience of our residents, team members, and neighbors during this time.' Under the city's noise bylaw, enforcement actions are complaint-driven. People call in complaints, and a compliance officer investigates. 'Every concern is taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. If a bylaw is violated, the enforcement team won't close the investigation until the issue is resolved,' said a spokesperson for the city's community standards office. 'Each enforcement team addresses complaints based on priority or the order in which they're received; sending in multiple reports about the same property won't speed up the enforcement process.' Walters says the Stonebridge Facebook page is very active, as residents often comment about bike thefts or porch pirates in the area. He's encouraged that this post on Facebook netted positive results. 'We didn't have to call the police. We didn't have to call the city. We just dealt with it ourselves and thankfully, the company was willing to listen,' he said. He's hopeful the issue will be resolved so he can open his windows this summer, but says he's prepared to follow up if need be.
The Guardian
22-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Campaigners look to Historic England to save Black British site Bridge Park in London
The future of London's Bridge Park complex, a prominent location for Britain's Windrush generation, hangs in the balance as campaigners hope Historic England will save it from councillors' decision to close it within weeks. Bridge Park community leisure centre in Stonebridge, north-west London, was Europe's largest Black-led community enterprise when it opened in the 1980s and is cherished for its part in Black British history. But last Monday, days before Windrush Day on Sunday, which celebrates the postwar history of UK Black communities, Brent council, which took over the day-to-day running of Bridge Park in the mid-90s, decided it would close on 31 July as part of proposals to 'radically transform' the area. Lawrence Fearon, one of Bridge Park's founders, said: 'Bridge Park is not just a building. It's a testament to the dreams of the Caribbean diaspora and the legacy of my generation, who dared to build a better future against the odds.' Campaigners are looking to Historic England for a lifeline. The Save Bridge Park campaign applied to the heritage body earlier this year to have the building listed to save it from development, a move backed by the Labour MP Dawn Butler, Paul Boateng, the UK's first Black cabinet minister, and the broadcaster Trevor Phillips. In the years since Bridge Park was taken over by the local authority, the focus has shifted from enterprise to sports, leisure and events, but it remains well used, with a powerful legacy. Until 1981 it was the Stonebridge bus depot, where staff from the Windrush generation worked. When the site became disused, local young people formed a cooperative – the Harlesden People's Community Council – to transform it into a space for Black-owned businesses, with funding from Brent council and the former Greater London Council, amid high unemployment and discrimination in Margaret Thatcher's Britain. Founders included the community leader Leonard Johnson, whose philosophy – 'let's build and not destroy' – prevented disorder from spreading to Harlesden on the night of Brixton's uprising in 1981. Bridge Park was inaugurated by King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, in 1988. At its peak it had 32 business units, a sports hall, theatre, training centre, recording studio, restaurant and bar. The Royal Shakespeare Company's Ray Fearon, 51, and the Premier League footballer Raheem Sterling, 30, spent formative years there, and are backing plans to save it. Brent council said it acknowledged 'the part Bridge Park had in an important chapter in Black British history', but spending £1.5m to bring it up to 'suitable safe standard' was 'not a good use for public funds'. Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion Muhammed Butt, the leader of Brent council said: 'I understand the deep affection that local people have for Bridge Park, but … it's simply not financially sustainable to keep it open. Instead, we want to get on with building a brand new leisure centre for the community, which will be more than double the size and purpose-built. 'Our plans are all about transforming the area for the benefit of local people – much-needed new homes, more green spaces and new jobs.' Rebecca Markus, a researcher and co-lead of Save Bridge Park, said: 'It's a really amazing, early example of adaptive reuse. There's an idea that for a building to be of architectural merit it needs to be designed by a star architect and subscribe to a specific style, but if our heritage is actually going to reflect the nation then we have to be inclusive in the way we think about these things. 'Buildings hold a tangible connection to the past that can't be captured by words or photographs.' Historic England is expected to make a decision this summer. It was approached for comment.
Hospitality Net
29-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
Blake Doran joined Stonebridge Companies as Vice President of Operations
Stonebridge, a Denver-based innovative, privately-owned hotel management company boasting a diverse range of luxury, resort, full-service, and premium select-service properties, announced today the appointment of Blake Doran as Vice President of Operations. Doran will report to Lee Palaschak, Executive Vice President of Operations. With over two decades of experience in both on-property and above-property hospitality operations, Doran brings a strong foundation in hotel leadership and a proven ability to drive financial performance, enhance guest satisfaction, and support team development. He most recently served as Divisional Vice President of Operations for Remington Hospitality, where he oversaw a multi-state portfolio of hotels and played a key role in executing operational strategies and supporting on-property teams. Doran is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University.
The Independent
25-05-2025
- The Independent
Mother and three children who died after house fire named by police
A mother and three of her children who died after a fire at two houses in north-west London have been named by police. Nusrat Usman, 43, her 15-year-old daughter Maryam Mikaiel, 15, and two sons Musa Usman, eight, and Raees Usman, four, died at the scene of the blaze which gutted the two terraced homes in Tillett Close, Stonebridge, in the early hours of Saturday. Two other family members, a woman in her 70s and a 13-year-old girl, were taken to hospital. The woman has since been released, police said, but the girl remains in hospital in a critical condition. A 41-year-old man who was arrested outside the houses has since been bailed and was subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act, the Metropolitan Police said. Superintendent Steve Allen, from the Met's local policing team in north-west London, said: 'Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened. 'Specialist officers are continuing to support the wider family who have asked for privacy at this deeply upsetting time. 'Local officers are working closely with officers from the Specialist Crime Command on what continues to be a very complex investigation. 'I'd like to thank the members of public, our first responding officers and colleagues from other emergency services for their efforts during this highly pressurised and distressing incident. 'Equally, we appreciate this has affected the wider community who have been extremely supportive. You will see extra officers in the area during the coming days and some of the cordons will remain in place. 'We are grateful for your patience and understanding. If you have any concerns then please speak to them.' On Sunday morning, the road outside the terraced houses remained cordoned off, with two fire engines still at the scene. Bunches of flowers and a blue teddy bear were left near to the homes and crews wearing helmets and respiratory equipment were seen building scaffolding against the burnt out buildings.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mother and three children who died in Brent fire named
A mother and her three children who died after a house fire that took place in north-west London in the early hours of Saturday morning have been named by police. Nusrat Usman, 43, her daughter Maryam Mikaiel, 15 and two sons Musa Usman, eight, and Raees Usman, four, died when the house in Stonebridge, Brent, went up in flames, the Metropolitan Police said. A 13-year-old girl, who has not been named, remains in hospital in critical condition while a woman in her 70s has been discharged. A man, 41, was arrested on suspicion of murder outside the property. He has since been bailed and detained under the Mental Health Act, the Met said. Officers were called to Tillett Close at around 01:20 BST on Saturday, attending alongside the London Fire Brigade (LFB). Two terraced three-storey homes were gutted in the fire. Eight fire engines and about 70 firefighters from stations across Wembley, Park Royal and Willesden were sent out to tackle the blaze. On Sunday, flowers and teddy bear tributes were seen laid near the properties. Supt Steve Allen, from the local policing team, said on Sunday that specialist officers were supporting the family. "Our thoughts go out to all those impacted by what has happened," he said. "Local officers are working closely with officers from the Specialist Crime Command on what continues to be a very complex investigation." Extra officers will also be deployed to the area in the coming days, he added. On Saturday, the LFB said they had received more than 20 calls reporting the fire. Assistant Commissioner Keeley Foster said: "This is an extremely tragic incident, and the thoughts of everyone across the Brigade are with those impacted by this incident. "Upon arrival, firefighters were met with a well-developed fire, involving two adjoining properties. Crews immediately set to work carrying out firefighting operations in order to bring the incident under control." Ms Foster added that the LFB's specialist Fire Investigation Unit would work with the Met to determine the cause of the fire.
