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Next Harlesden Town Team meeting: 07 June 6.30pm Salvation Army Hall

May 18, 2010

Please join us for the next Harlesden Town Team meeting, to be held on 07 June at 6.30pm at the Salvation Army Hall (32 Manor Park Road, Harlesden NW10 4JJ).

At the last meeting, we began a discussion on the formation of the Town Team and introduced the key themes for the draft Harlesden Charter. At this upcoming meeting, we would like to:

- Update you on the Harlesden Charter

- Discuss the organisation and involvement of Harlesden Town Team with the soon-to-be published charter, and

- Introduce a few possible early win projects.

We look forward to seeing you on Monday, 07 June. Please do invite friends and colleagues to attend!

Urban Design Skills

Written by admin · Filed Under Town Charter 

Harlesden Town Team – Logo

May 17, 2010

Potential Logo for Harlesden Town Team

I’ve designed a logo for the Harlesden Town Team forum group, I’d like your opinion on it!!

As some of you may be aware, Harlesden Town Team is an umbrella group for the various Residents Associations in the area, formed out of meetings conducted by Urban Design Skills and Brent Council. The main idea behind its formation is the need for LB Brent to have a one-stop organisation that understands and represents the residents of the area, whilst being independent of council itself, and broadly representative of the wider area, rather than specific streets. One of the short term aims is to secure funding of £3.5m from TfL to improve the urban realm in and around Harlesden.

If you have been involved in the workshops that took place to create the Harlesden Charter, then you are a member of the Harlesden Town Team!! There will be upcoming meetings to discuss the charter, and organise events in the area. Which will be advertised on this site.

With that in mind, I feel it is important for Harlesden Town Team to have an identity, when presenting documents, and campaigns.

I chose to incorporate the most prominent, well known landmark in the area, the Harlesden Jubilee Clock, as this is recognisable to most, if not all Harlesdenites. The colours used reflect those painted on most of the street furniture. I aimed to make it simple and yet distinct, I hope it achieves that.

I’d like to suggest this logo to be adopted by the organisation, however I know its not perfect so feedback would be very welcome, feel free to make comments.

Other designs are very much welcome.

Benamin

Written by Benamin · Filed Under Town Charter 

Willesden Junction Station

May 17, 2010

I am one of a number of concerned residents of Harlesden that have been campaigning for improvements to the entrances of Willesden Junction station, particularly Station Approach.
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We feel that it is currently in a terrible state both aesthetically and in terms of pedestrian safety, especially those that are disabled or with a pushchair. Considering the importance of the station as a hub for London Overground & the Bakerloo line, as well as serving 7 bus routes in the area we feel that Harlesden residents and the business community of Park Royal deserves better, to that end we have been collecting signatures at the station for a petition to show the level of discontent in the area, to date we have about 600 signatories. Heres the online petition, please sign it, it takes 30 seconds!
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As Network Rail will be commencing work to stabilise the embankment shortly, we feel this is an opportunity to address the larger picture, not just fill holes!
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We, a collective of residents working under the banner of Harlesden Town Team, [which is an umbrella group for local residents associations, namely the Junction Association, and Rucklidge Avenue Association] have approached Network Rail, TfL, LB Ealing, LB Brent, & LB H&F about setting up a masterplan for the station, we hope to be included in their upcoming stakeholders meeting to discuss their plans. We feel it is important to get as many residents views of the station as possible, as well as the views of the business community.
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I have designed a visualisation of the current situation at the station, showing the inherent dangers and problems of the station entrance, focusing mainly on the Station Approach entrance, as Network Rail are evaluating what works need to be done to the embankment which appears to be crumbling due to subsidence .
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visualisation of the current situation at Willesden Junction station, showing problems and dangers.
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This diagram highlights the terrible state of the road and paths used to enter Station Approach.
  • Orange shade: Station Road meets Station Approach; Broken road surface, uneven and pot-holed. Dangerous for vehicles entering the station forecourt, as well as the pedestrians crossing the road on Station Road, especially the disabled and those with pushchairs.
  • Blue shaded zone represents the embankment crumbling because of subsidence, which is de-stabilising the pavements and road above.
  • Red Shade: South Side is the embankment thats crumbling; currently Network Rail have just blocked this pavement off, the north side is not much better, pot-holed, uneven and narrow. The state of both pavements forces pedestrians, cyclists, buses, taxis, maintenance vehicles ALL to share the road surface, which is itself unsafe! Extremely unnerving for those with pushchairs or in a wheelchair.
  • Pink zone represents the northern embankment, nearest the Overground/Bakerloo line tracks, which are permanently littered, both disgusting and encourages rodents and foxes. Not cleared regularly at all.
  • Generally: there aren’t enough lights or bins, and the state of Station Approach puts people off using the station unless necessary, as it makes people feel unsafe, also the general filth encourages others to mistreat it, by littering. As well as discouraging businesses from investing in the area due to the neglect from the councils and Network Rail

PLEASE, Sign our petition to get Network Rail, TfL, LOROL, and LB Brent, LB Ealing, LB Hammersmith & Fulham to create a masterplan to fix this shoddy and shameful station.

Written by Benamin · Filed Under Local Campains 

Harlesden Gallery

May 9, 2010

Harlesdengallery.co.uk is a new initiative advertising the wealth of talented artists in the NW10 area. The aim for harlesdengallery.co.uk is to become an online hub of creativity showcasing the diversity of this talent, eventually highlighting to Brent Council the need and desire for an arts and cultural space in Harlesden.

Harlesdengallery.co.uk will be linked to a new community website – www.harlesdenlife.net – whose aim is to become an online centre for the local community, promoting campaigns, events and activities. It will act as a forum for local people to have their say, as well as acting as a notice board for events and news on Harlesden life, including civic plans etc. Visitors to the site can become members, register and upload comments, listings etc.

The ultimate ambition for harlesdengallery.co.uk is to acquire a permanent space to operate as a commercial and community gallery. Volunteers working on the www.harlesdenlife.net project are currently lobbying the council to requisition abandoned commercial units to be used by local artists and the community at large. Such schemes have been used in other areas of London and have proved successful in improving the civic environment and even reducing crime and antisocial behaviour.

But this is just an ambitious goal at the moment. For now, we hope the website will serve as a successful means of exhibiting the work of local artists.

www.harlesdengallery.co.uk

Written by admin · Filed Under Culture 

New Cofee Shop On High Street

May 4, 2010

‘Everyone in Harlesden has been so welcoming,’ Dora Delgado tells me as I sip my latte and wrap my chops around a double chocolate muffin at her newly opened coffee shop on Harlesden High Street – the eponymous Dora’s Delights. As if to prove her point, she shows me two greetings cards on a shelf behind the counter, received from grateful Harlesden residents. According to Dora, customers have expressed nothing but gratitude to her.

‘It’s been going really well since we opened in mid-April,’ Dora says, smiling warmly. ‘One woman told me she’d been living in Harlesden for nearly 30 years and had never been able to enjoy a coffee after going shopping. She was delighted we’d opened.’

As I devour the last of my muffin, Dora tells me that she was inspired to set up shop in Harlesden after looking at a few other sites in different areas around north London. ‘When I came here and saw a lack of coffee shops I thought it would be perfect.’ Looking at the few crumbs remaining on my plate she adds: ‘There wasn’t anywhere for people to come and simply sit and enjoy a coffee and a cake.’

Of course Dora’s Delights is not the only café in Harlesden – there are several. But, it could be described as the first inclusive coffee shop on the high street. Some residents feel excluded – rightly or wrongly – from other cafes in the area because they give the impression of appealing to a specific demographic.

There’s no such complaint at Dora’s Delights. Originally from Afghanistan, Dora now lives in West Hampstead and insists she wants to make welcome all the communities represented in Harlesden. Situated opposite the landmark Jubilee Clock, it’s the perfect spot for the avid people-watcher and, with its glazed façade and seats that face the street, anyone with a nosey disposition can watch the world go by at their leisure.

Although Dora has enlisted the help of her husband, daughter and daughter’s boyfriend (who does a mean clean-up with a mop!) to help in these early days, the business is ultimately hers. And, it certainly seems to be making an impression on the high street with many people doing a double-take as they walk by, surprised to see it open. In the short time I’m here, one lady returns to the café and declares: ‘I’ve come back for some more of your hot-chocolate. I can’t get enough of it!’ With that self-same sentiment, I order another latte and greedily prepare to tuck into my second muffin.

Written by amanda · Filed Under Local businesses