RBKC make Exhibitions of themselves

Kensington & Chelsea-ers, and the numerous visitors to our world class museums in South Kensington cant help but notice the flurry of activity going on "redeveloping" Exhibition Road and the surrounding area. The council have appointed a private developer in the latest stage of the £21.8 million contract.

The contractor has been ordered to lay pristine granite paving slabs, making the Exhibition Road area a single surface spanning from South Kensington Station to Hyde Park.

Using what the councils say are "high quality dark and light granite slabs to create an impressive interlocking design that is expected to last for up to 100 years without significant repair - far longer than a conventional road surface which is expected to last only 25 years"

Very commendable Hornet hears you say.
Perhaps. But Hornet wandered by a couple of the workmen laying these beautiful granite slabs, and as usual attracted a little attention from the hard hatted chaps.

Speaking to them, Hornet was surprised to learn that these slabs are, so these chaps said, imported from China rather than using a home grown supplier, or one a little closer. The transportation costs of these monolith slabs must have been just as mammoth, on the purse and the environment. Even if it came from the granite quarries of India, its still a world away.

Still, if it is China, what with our Dear Leader cosying up to Iran, why should a far east dictatorship regime be any different?

So  next time you go down to South Ken, and marvel at the wonderful new paved surfaces, each step you are taking has a massive carbon footprint, and could have been mined by political prisoners and/or child labourers.

Well Done to the Chief Architect.