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Thursday 17 March 2016

PAR FOR SOUTH AFRICA....CAPCO SPIES ON RESIDENTS

Dear Dame,
It seems the paranoid are sometimes actually being followed. 

Donny Gordon CapCo
On the 25th February Earls Court developer, CapCo, announced at its AGM  money was to be spent spying on Earls Court & West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estate residents.  The spying includes those who objected to the project like Exhibitioners, who relied on the Exhibition Centre for their livelihood, and the rich and famous, like the Tory Mayoral hopeful, Frank Goldsmith's brother, Ben, who was an objector.

Ironic since this is a Conservative backed project.

South African based, CapCo labels concerned residents 'Activists' who object to the noise, nuisance and destruction of their homes and community. They should not be labelled as such for their concerns and fears now been proven correct. West Ken & Gibbs Green were the ones to break this news on their blog;

"The report goes on to identify “public opinion” as a principal risk and uncertainty: “The Group’s business (or aspects of it) are opposed or challenged by public interest or activist groups”. The impact on strategy could be “reputational damage, litigation, distraction of management and prosecution for non-compliance.” So, what is Capco doing to mitigate this risk? 

According to the rather sinister statement in its report, it is: “Monitoring intelligence on activist groups” – in other words it is spying on the residents of West Kensington and Gibbs Green and on those who have supported the campaign to save the exhibition centres. Do the public authorities – Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Transport for London – that have contracts with Capco, feel comfortable that their business partner is spying on people acting in the public interest? "Why are CapCo spying on British taxpayers?  It's concerning as CapCo are in a joint venture with TFL, a public body, as the Dame has pointed out an offshore company in Jersey to hive off profit from the tax man. Have details of 'activists' that CapCo are interested in been passed onto the developer by TFL and RBKC? Personal data that should not be shared due to the data protection act.To what extent has the spying been done? Has the law been broken in any way, have private details been acquired and have emails been broken into, are phones been tapped?  Ex spook Baron Evans of Weardale recently spoke out 

"Private firms are compiling detailed personal profiles of ordinary citizens using methods that are “just as intrusive” as those deployed by Britain’s intelligence agencies, the former head of MI5 has warned...companies are using “open source” material to learn “an awful lot about what you do on a daily basis and who you associate with” to an extent that “would be very surprising” to most of the public." 

Morningstar are the only paper to have reported on this. As usual the Lebedev owned Evening Standard remains silent. If the Daily Mail had not invested in this project it would probably have published this news too.As for Conservative MPs Boris Johnson and Greg Hands who have come out in strong support of CapCo, do they still stand by the developer and their spying on her majesty's subjects?Harry Palmer

14 comments:

  1. Just heard from neighbours that RBKC Environmental dept have not tested the dust that fell across Earls Court and claim to not know anything about the shaking of houses though plenty of complaints since December 2014.
    The dust also fell as far as Cromwell Road Sainsburys.
    This highlights the council siding with CapCo against residents.

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    Replies
    1. We also saw the beige/pink dust at Sainsburys car park. It's also at Harrington Gardens and Onslow Gardens too!

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    2. Concerned about the dust deposits and the chronic coughs locals seems to be suffering, I contacted Cllr Aouane who assures me 'The dust has been analysed for particulate size and has been found to not be of such a size to be detrimental to human health. I would suggest the increased levels of coughs you have seen people with might be something to do with the season.'

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  2. This is vintage S Africa apartheid time behaviour. Donny Gordon is white Afrikaans.

    It is time for Londoners to stand four square and defend Britain for the British. We do not want filth from down under bringing their nasty practices to England. We have enough to cope with from the Hornton Street Planning Department.

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  3. Did I read this right? Is the CapCo report really saying that they are at risk of "reputational damage, litigation, distraction of management and prosecution for non-compliance"? If this is so, all power to the elbows of the activists!

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  4. Kensington Tory17 March 2016 at 16:20

    Spying, torture and dirty tricks was ghastly during white rule in Apartheid S Africa. The remnants are still around and jump at any opportunity to practice their inclinations. They are certainly not welcome in London

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  5. This story definitely needs to be picked by the Standard and the Mail.

    Foreign controlled company spies on London residents........

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  6. So, Capco - whose share price is down around 25% year-on-year - identifies 'activists' as a threat to its business? Could those be the same 'activists' poo-pooed by pro-developer Tory poodles as ineffectual? They may not have saved Earl's Court - against huge odds - but they have highlighted the sordid saga of how London is being sold out and taxpayers shafted, to the extent that all the mayoral candidates bar one (guess!) and the media are forensically examining this contentious issue

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  7. If you have ever signed a petition or objected to a planning application or contacted your local authority, I'd advise submitting a subject access request under the Data Protection Act to whoever you feel holds information on you. The most they can charge for this £10 - local authorities don't usually charge. Ask for all the information they hold on you, how they got it and who they have shared it with. They have 20 days to reply - if they don't complain to the Information Commissioner.
    In my case Hammersmith Council had recorded petitions I had signed, gave (or sold) my personal details to Savills because I and dozens more objected to a planning application and recorded unprofessional and abusive comments made by officers because I had dared to challenge their opinion.
    Worth doing to find out what they know....

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    Replies
    1. fascinating. thanks. will do!

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    2. Thank you for this suggestion. Just made a request to RBKC.

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  8. Incredibly stupid to announce at your AGM that you intend paying people to investigate your critics among the local population. Where does Capco think it is?
    Apartheid South Africa?

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  9. Wow even MI5 are aware & troubled by these Apartheid lovers from spying on us all.

    Dame we would really like to know why RBKC have not acted on this; its weeks since West Ken lot warned about this.

    Did K&C hand over sensitive info about council tax payers to dodgy developer?

    ReplyDelete

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