History of Councillor Mary Arnold

Kimberly Rd playground (Willesden Lane) is now being redeveloped. After calling several meetings with the 'stakeholders', a plan to fund the modernization of this playspace is secured. Brent's Parks department is leading the initiative, using the health and safety funding from Brent Housing Partnership, government Playbuilder funds allocated to Brent together with the Kilburn Neighbourhood funds we committed to make sure the project is delivered.

Last week a few people asked me what was happening for Local Democracy Week. By then it was too late to tell them about the town hall event on the Monday but the Community Safety bus was on the Kilburn High Road on Thursday and people got involved to find out more about the council’s role in keeping them safe and reducing crime.

The bad news is that a group of young people have been causing a nuisance to local residents again in Dunster Gardens, North Kilburn. The incidents are similar to the criminal damage and grafitti issues that generated the petition two years ago and led to us setting up a multi-agency partnership group to tackle the problems.

The partnership is growing and now includes all three councillors, the Neighbourhood Working co-ordinator, Marcia Griffiths, and Fiveways TRA. I have passed the chair over to Keith Lunn (south Kilburn OK Club) with a vice chair Jim Foord (Fiveways) and Simon Topping (Neighbourhood co-ordinator for Extended Schools) is providing good support.

Our campaigning to increase children’s play and ball court areas in the North Kilburn area is beginning to kick in. Kimberley Rd playground is now on the BHP (Brent Housing Partnership) list of Environmental Improvements marked urgent due to Health and Safety issues. It has also been identified for upgrading in the Playbuilder Scheme for which Brent has £1million government funding to spend over three years. Kimberley Rd is one of 20 schemes and is scheduled for year 2 (2009/10). Streatley Road gardens is also earmarked for funding.