The Dame was having a pre-lunch Saturday stroll in Holland Park with old friend, the Duchess of Malfi.
Imagine their shock/horror when they realised 'very light opera' entrepreneur Mr 'Foxy' Volpe had been busy behind the Council's back with another little enterprise.
It seems Foxy has gone into the import/export trade!
This idyllic area of the park has now become a container park to store his stock in trade.
It seems he is importing food and wine from Sicily where the Volpe family have extensive 'business interests'.
Some might moan but Foxy Volpe has friends high up in the Council.
Could they be 'investors' in his new venture?
We should be told!
How does Foxy get away with it?
ReplyDeleteThe chap an absolute bounder
as the Dame says: well connected at Horton Street , dear Commander. No doubt there is some monetary consideration passed around for this little perk...
ReplyDeleteThis containers issue ought to be raised by councillors during a council debate!!!
ReplyDeleteExcept that there are almost no Council meetings to raise these things at now since the local Tories abolished democracy.
DeleteBrown Envelope Brigade .
ReplyDeleteexactly so..... thick brown ones.....
DeleteHolland Park is supposed to be a park. It is not a container storage depot. It is absolutely unacceptable that the Council allows this desecration to take place.
ReplyDeleteWhy have there been no protests from the various resident bodies? Campden Hill Residents, Friends of Holland Park, Kensington Society?
ReplyDeleteFor many years Volpe (failed travel agent) was employed by the Council as a Library Assistant which was a convenient position to "park" him while he ran the Holland Park Opera funded by council taxpayers. Of course he knows Hornton Street well, has his "contacts", knows what he can get away with, and habitually pushes the boundaries.
ReplyDeleteVolpe has absolutely no interest in the sanctity of Holland Park. He is only interested in his wretched opera. This latest desecration is not acceptable. The Dame is right to call for action.
Volpe wants a permanent tent in order to reduce the cost of dismantling and storing every year. He is determined to do this and will create as much mess as possible every year to erect the tent until the council caves in. These containers are part of his strategy of "persuasion"
ReplyDeletethe guy is SO predictable.
DeleteHave any of our parliamentary candidates commented on this as yet?
ReplyDeleteMPs (and candidates) have bigger fish to fry.....
DeleteOnce again, piggy's grip is nowhere to be seen (or felt)
This is the second season "on their own" and funded by £500k severance pay, courtesy of Kensington and Chelsea taxpayers. The culmination of a £10 million tax subsidy over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe burn rate was £1 million on a fully costed basis but the council is still providing substantial subsidies ie no rent on facilities and free storage.
Volpe was confident that he would get private funding to replace the Hornton Street hand outs.
I give it one more season before the liquidators are called in.