The anonymous leaflet claims that the hub will attract patients with mental health conditions, methadone users, undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. There is no evidence to support this claim.  Pharmacy and methadone  The anonymous leaflet claims that the proposed pharmacy will attract methadone users.   • The proposed pharmacy will not dispense methadone  • Only specific commissioned pharmacies provide this service  • The pharmacy relocating to the hub is not commissioned to do so  Pharmacies are widely used community healthcare services and are not associated with increased crime.  There have been many reports of drug use in the proposed Gladstone Park site, which we hope to help address through the proposed redevelopment. Severe Mental Health  Out of 15,000 patients registered with Willesden Green Surgery, a small proportion (around 145 patients) have a diagnosis of a severe mental health illness.  • These patients are stable and supported within the community.  • Willesden Green Surgery is a general practice and does not provide specialist or acute mental health services.  • All GP practices care for patients with a range of health conditions, including severe mental illness.  • Acute and specialist mental health care is provided by dedicated secondary care services (e.g. Park Royal), not on GP premises.  In 30 years of operation, we have not experienced incidents of violence related to patients with severe mental illness. All patients are cared for in line with NHS guidance and treated with dignity and respect.  Undocumented residents  All 52 Brent GP practices are part of the national Safe Surgeries initiative, which allows patients to register without proof of ID or address. This is to make accessing healthcare easier for everyone.  As all Brent GP practices accept undocumented migrants, there is no evidence to suggest that Willesden Green Surgery has a higher proportion of undocumented migrants than the wider Brent population.  UK research shows undocumented migrants are generally less likely to access GP services due to barriers such as fear and lack of awareness. There is no evidence to suggest that a health and community hub would attract undocumented migrants to the area.  There is also no evidence linking undocumented migrants or GP services to increased safety concerns in local communities.  Asylum seekers  Asylum seekers are individuals seeking safety and are entitled to access NHS care, like all members of the community.  The anonymous leaflet refers to the practice vision and strategy page, which was written in 2023 when a number of asylum seekers were registered at the practice.  Since then, a dedicated NHS asylum seeker service has been established across North West London, resulting in a significant reduction in asylum seeker registrations at individual GP practices.  • Willesden Green Surgery currently has only two patients out of approximately 15,000 registered under the NHS North West London asylum seeker service.  • This reflects the fact that there are currently no asylum seeker hostels within the practice catchment area. • Similarly, in 2024–25 the practice received NHS funding for four patients under the asylum seeker service.  The practice vision page has now been updated to reflect this change.  Brent is one of the most diverse boroughs in London, and the practice serves a broad and representative local population in line with the wider community. The proposed hub will serve local residents and is not expected to change the local population profile.  Overall  The NHS operates a zero-tolerance policy towards violence or illegal activity, with incidents managed in partnership with the police and potentially resulting in immediate deregistration. The proposed hub will bring a well-used, staffed, and well-lit building to a currently underused site, helping to reduce antisocial behaviour.

The current Gladstone Centre site is a pre-war disused building that has become a focus for antisocial behaviour.  Over the past 6 months, fourteen incidents have been reported to the police including:  • A female chased with a weapon  • Fires being started on site  • Rough sleeping  • Drug dealing  • Dog attacks  • Theft and assault  In addition, engineers attending the site have reported evidence of human excrement and drug paraphernalia. We share this not to alarm residents, but to be transparent about the current challenges on the site.  Local community groups have previously explored options such as CCTV and were quoted approximately £30,000–£40,000 for installation. However, CCTV alone is unlikely to address the underlying issues.  The proposed redevelopment would enable a comprehensive approach to improving safety, including:  • A well-used, active building with a regular presence of staff and visitors  • A modern, well-lit design that removes hidden and unobserved areas and improves natural surveillance  • Integrated CCTV as part of a wider security strategy  • Ongoing partnership with the local Safer Neighbourhood Team  Well-used, active spaces are widely recognised to reduce antisocial behaviour and improve safety.

We understand valid concerns regarding parking and traffic. GP appointments are spread throughout the day, which avoids large peaks in traffic at any one time. Whilst there has not been any parking or traffic related issues at our current Anson Road site, we appreciate that a somewhat bigger footfall can be expected and we must be proactive to mitigate any potential issues before they occur. To address this: • A full independent transport assessment will be carried out • This will model traffic and parking. • Mitigation measures will be agreed with Brent Council and TfL  The site is on Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), where planning policy requires car use to be minimised and prioritises walking, cycling, and public transport.  The Greater London Authority has advised that maximising car parking would not be supported in this location, as the hub will primarily serve local residents within walking, cycling, or public transport distance.  In addition, there is already significant existing parking provision nearby. There are three large pay-and-display bays on the park side of Kendal Road, totalling over 400 metres of parking: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a03920_aa6b657c3c1f4b7cbb31557fda241d5d~mv2.jpg Bay 1: ~130m (approx. 20–22 spaces), within a 1.5–3 minute walk Bay 2: ~185m (approx. 28–31 spaces), within a 3–6 minute walk Bay 3: ~92m (approx. 14–16 spaces), within a 6–9 minute walk (west end of Kendal Road) This provides approximately 60–70 pay-and-display spaces within a short walking distance of the site. Initial observations from Google Street View, Google Earth and local resident observations show that the vast majority of these pay & display spaces are often vacant. Only the bays on the park side of the road are pay-and-display bays: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a03920_57112457357344a2b538da07817507a4~mv2.png

The anonymous leaflet raises concerns that the community hall could host large or disruptive events. The proposed community hall will:  • Be similar in size to the existing facility (approximately 140–150 sqm)  • Be managed by a local charity based on community need  • Be used for low-key, community-focused activities such as health and wellbeing sessions, parent and children’s groups, and local meetings.  The space is not designed for large-scale events, and its use and capacity will be appropriately managed in line with community needs and local feedback.

The anonymous leaflet claims that the project is designed to generate profit for the GP practice. This is incorrect.  • The land freehold will remain owned by Brent Council  • The GP practice will hold a lease and deliver NHS services  • The community hall lease will be held by a local not-for-profit charity at a peppercorn rent (see Community Hall Funding section).  The majority of the £8m development cost is being funded by the GP practice. Due to current NHS funding constraints, this investment is unlikely to generate any financial return for at least 30–40 years.  In fact, the scheme represents a significant financial commitment and risk for the practice. Recognising this, NHS North West London submitted a business case to NHS England in March 2026 requesting additional funding to support the project. This was not approved due to wider NHS funding pressures.  Despite this, we have chosen to proceed at financial risk to protect local GP services. The alternative would be the potential closure of Willesden Green Surgery, which we are not prepared to accept after serving our community for the past 30 years (see “Why does Willesden Green Surgery have to relocate?”(https://www.willesdengreensurgery.nhs.uk/new-hub?questionId=34ddbd60-7cfd-42ba-85c3-146d734548de)).  We are also motivated by the opportunity to create a high-quality, integrated health and wellbeing hub for our local community, while supporting local employment.