Neighbourhood planning provides an excellent opportunity for us, the local community, to shape the future of Sudbury. It can help us influence what changes and improvements we think are necessary to make Sudbury a better place to live, work and play.

Over the last year residents and businesses came together at a series of events to discuss ideas for the neighbourhood plan. These ideas are presented in a master document *“Options Report”.

We asked for your thoughts on these ideas before we drafted a series of policies that will eventually be used to shape and determine the future planning proposals and applications for the area.

The neighbourhood plan is being led by Sudbury Town Residents’ Association (STRA), who is the first Neighbourhood Forum to have been designated in the London Borough of Brent.  Sudbury is one of only a handful of areas in London where the neighbourhood plan is being prepared.  STRA Neighbourhood Forum is recognised by Brent Council as an appropriate body to develop a new plan, being representative of the community. This is a major step for the area and for Brent Council.

The focus of the neighbourhood plan is on the high street; essentially the area between Barham Park and Butlers Green. The plan also includes Vale Farm and Sudbury Town Piccadilly Line tube station and Sudbury & Harrow Road Chiltern Railways station. We encourage everyone who lives, shops or works in the area to view what is being proposed. 

This is the most exciting opportunity for the Sudbury community to collectively make positive changes for the future. 

For further information and membership details please contact or email STRA info@stra.org.uk or call Renu Kaul on 07840 491 142 or write to STRA, c/o SMC, 809 Harrow Road, Sudbury, Middlesex HA0 2LP

If you are receiving nuisance calls a reminder that you can take action. Follow the link below for information.

http://ico.org.uk/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/marketing/calls

Following a period of consultation during 2012 a Vision for Barham Park was agreed by the Barham Park Trust Committee along with a programme of improvements over ten years.

The first phase of works is the removal of the bank of ageing conifers adjacent to the railway. These works will commence during the week beginning 26^th February and last for a few weeks.

For more details take a look at the document below.

The Neighbourhood Plan Exhibition Launch was held on 25 January 2014 at Vale Farm. The purpose of the launch was to consult on the draft neighbourhood plan, which will set out proposed policies.  The draft plan builds upon the work undertaken to date, the various consultation exercises and responses to this.  In accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations (Regulation 14), the forum are obliged to consult on the draft plan before it is submitted to the Council for examination purposes.  The consultation period will last last for six weeks.

Brent Council was on hand to answer questions about the neighbourhood plan, both in general terms and its relationship with Council policy, how it will be implemented and help shape change in Sudbury Town.

The consultation period lasts six weeks and there will be further planned exhibitions. 

Vale Farm have allowed STRA to display the Boards at Vale Farm for two weeks from Saturday,  25 January 2014 – Saturday, 8 February 2014.  On Saturday 22 February 2014 the Boards will be moved to a new location at St Andrews church.

STRA has been awarded a further £7,000 from CDF to progress the Neighbourhood Plan.  London Borough of Brent will manage the funds for STRA.

For the latest on the Vale Farm refurbishment see here. 

Existing sports centre customers and the local community around North Wembley will benefit as Vale Farm Sports Centre undergoes a fantastic modernisation programme. This will transform a number of facilities to create a brighter and more vibrant centre, with a better choice of activities for everyone.

Thank you for those members who took part in the TfL Piccadilly line engagement.  We greatly value the time STRA members spent sharing their views with Tfl. Over 14,000 responses were received in total, providing Tfl with customer insight for future planning as well as helping  to decide whether Piccadilly Line trains should stop at Turnham Green at all times. The results of the engagement have now been published on the TfL website and can be found at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/tube/piccadillyline

On Sunday 8th September STRA member Gini Moore took part in a bike ride challenge cycling from London to Windsor in support of Asthma UK.

This charity is close to her heart because like many of us she has family members who suffer with this condition.  Gini wants to raise money for further research and also raise awareness of asthma.





Please consider sponsoring her as every donation will be gratefully received and will make a real difference!

http://www.justgiving.com/Gini-Moore

Here is Gini's write up of the experience.

On Sunday 8^th September last I took part in a bike ride from Richmond Green to Windsor to help raise funds for Asthma UK. There was a choice of three routes – 55 and 37 mile and a shorter 29 mile route which included towpaths. I opted for the 29 mile route because this was my first cycling event.  While doing the ride there were times when I felt that I had missed a turning and somehow gotten onto one of the longer routes! In all, I enjoyed taking part in the challenge.  The weather started fine and sunny; ideal cycling weather for late summer.   Half way through the ride this all changed and the wind and rain on the on-road route provided something of a challenge. My waterproof poncho wasn’t much use.

Cycling through the great expanse of Windsor Great Park was a most enjoyable experience en route to the finish.

Taking part in the ride was an amazing experience for me. I now have more confidence cycling on-road and I fully intend to continue cycling on the road as well as the towpath.   My old new
Scott bike never failed me once during the ride.

I didn’t have a set target in mind when I took on the challenge. I just wanted to raise as much as I could for a very worthwhile cause. My total to date is £325 plus £72.50 gift aid.  I’m very pleased with this figure.

 In which case, a free new cycle guide packed with useful information would be for you.

The booklet, produced on behalf of the council by transport and consultants SKM, has details of free training, rides, maintenance sessions and much more.

To order one, phone or email Sharleen Hannon on 020 7939 6221 or Shannon@globalskm.com

 

The film was well received.  About 30 people attended. All who attended thought it was well worth stepping out to attend the film viewing in spite of the weather.  At the end we all sat in silence for a couple of minutes.  The comments were

• Thought provoking

• Interesting

• A must see

• Please arrange a second viewing

• Informative

• Could we arrange for a viewing at the schools in the
  neighbourhood?

STRA will try and arrange a second viewing in the new year.

Vacancies for allotments in Brent

Seven allotment sites in Brent now have vacancies for anyone who wants to try their hand at food growing

The vacancies are at allotments in Cecil Avenue, Wembley, Kinch Grove, Kenton, Lyon Park Avenue, Alperton, Sudbury Court Road, Sudbury, Vale Farm, Wembley, Woodfield Avenue, Wembley, and Dors Close allotment, Kingsbury.

Allotment gardening is a great way to grow healthy food, keep active and works out a cost of just 22p a day for a standard size-five pole plot - that's about half the size of a tennis court and is big enough to grow enough fruit and veg for a small family.

Call Brent Council on 020 8937 5619 to apply for an allotment or you can apply online at www.brent.gov.uk or email parks.service@brent.gov.uk

Brent's parking shops have now all closed and Sudbury residents will have to use the new online and phone system for parking services. You will need to set up a parking account. Scratch cards are valid until 31 October 2013.

Details at www.brent.gov.uk/parking

STOP PRESS Residents will now be able to use scratchcards until August 31 next year. See here for more information.

One of our councillors has asked the Council for proper maintenance of the recently improved site in Maybank Avenue (on the corner with The rise).

Sudbury Councillors used their ward working money to get the area cleared up and replanted a while back and were assured that it would be properly maintained in the future. When Councillor Lorber took this photograph the weeds we once again waste high.

Paul has now asked the Council to clear the site of weeds and any rubbish and to maintain it properly in the future.

If you're interested in our work and would like to support us, read about us and  the projects we've contributed to in the past.

Browse through these pages to learn more about us and our projects.

Our main project at the moment is the development plan for Sudbury. More details of this can be found above. In particular you can find out about our status as a neighbourhood forum and a meeting held on the 16 March to take the neighbourhood plan forward.