Campaigners living in a conservation area in Kingsbury have been told to take down their banners highlighting how much they love their neighbourhood after ONE resident complained.

%image(15563971, type="article-full", alt="Roe Green Village campaigners outside Kingsbury High School where there are plans for commercial footpitches which will "kill the conservation area"")

However members of the Roe Green Village Residents Association (RGVRA) have refused to move the “Love Where You Live” banners from outside their homes in Goldsmith Lane.

Locals hung up the banner in protest against planned commercial football pitches in the nearby Kingsbury High School.

The academy has made a joint application with Lucozade Powerleague for floodlit commercial football pitches in their Bacon Lane campus, which will be open to public until 10.30pm, seven days a week.

In an email seen by the Times, Rita Girdziusiene from the council’s planning enforcement, said: “The council’s planning enforcement section has received a complaint from the resident (details are known to us) in this area complaining about recently installed several banners at several premises in Goldsmith Lane.

%image(15563972, type="article-full", alt="Roe Green Village residents L-R Dan Hulsmann, Tony Rivell and Bob Wallis")

“The application has still not been decided and I do appreciate that there is a piece of legislation which allows you to install a temporary advertisement.

“However, bearing in mind this specific and very beautiful area of the borough, I would be grateful if these banners could be removed without issuing the section 10 notices to remedy this breach.”

Debbie Nyman, of RGVRA, said: “We are not going to take the banners down. The slogan was instigated by Brent Council’s own We Love Where We Live campaign. We wouldn’t have to put the banners up if we didn’t feel threatened by the proposal of Lucozade Powerleague which Brent Council is actually considering and could mean the death of the village.”

She added: “We are really up against it and our local councillors are still keeping very quiet and won’t say what their views are.”

Cllr Sandra Kabir, who is represents Queensbury with Cllr Ramesh Patel and Cllr Kana Naheerathan, said: “The three Queensbury councillors await clarification on certain issues of the Power League planning application and assessment reports from council departments.

“Upon receipt of full information, we shall come to a reasoned opinion on this particular planning application.”

A spokeswoman for Brent Council confirmed only one complaint had been made adding: “As this is a conservation area, the council wrote to advise that once the planning decision is made, the banners need to come down within two weeks.

“It is not asking residents to take the banners down now.”