The other day The Dame quoted phantom councillor Mary Weale's
strategy for dealing with residents. According to this indolent
councillor it was 'We hear....we do not listen.'
Residents in Hillgate Place face the same
indifference and disdain for their views.
Residents and the council agreed parking spaces should be
removed to allow access for fire engines. So far so good.....
However, having been promised consultation over a solution to the problem
they found the council intransigent and devious in their approach. There was
no 'consultation'-just a piece of paper tacked on to a lamp post
inviting comments....
So residents launched a petition-but that, so far, has been
ignored.
The petition made clear residents accepted the removal of parking
spaces to allow access for fire engines. Their objection was the proposal
of crude double yellow lines. Residents say an unalleviated double yellow
lines would inevitably increase traffic speed in an area very
busy with parents and children coming and going to the two local
schools. It will also be highly detrimental to the streetscape in this
conservation area. The residents’ modest, low cost proposal, is
simply to break up the run with kerb extensions to slow the traffic
and enhance the street.
Why are the council throwing up every objection they can think of
– against policy, too expensive, just a security access/parking
issue.
But at the end of the day what perplexes residents is
why the Council say they would consult knowing they had no
intention of doing so...
Come on Ward councillors it's time to stand up for residents...that
is why they elect you!
The Ward Councillors fell down badly on this one. Cllr Freeman seems to have lost interest in his residents. Cllr Ahern was never interested. It was delegated to Cllr Buckmaster, who lives in Hillgate Street.
ReplyDeleteBuffy was preparing for his year as Mayor and so had little time for this "local nuisance". He played a devious game and pretended to consult. But it was a two faced exercise. The normally placid leadership of the Campden Hill residents Association is up in arms - spitting bricks. But the confirmed bachelor has moved on - rejoicing in his new found fame and fine robes. And the Bentley
Of course the Council never had any interest in the pedestrian views of muppets. Mothers and prams? Young children? Less parking space??? How trivial. No points to be scored here with personal projects like propulsion to the House of Lords.
For two hundred years years fire engines have used the ancient streets of Hillgate Village without a problem. But then someone decided that it would be nicer to have bigger Fire Engines - and suddenly the streets became too small. What the pathetic Councillors should do is tell the Fire Brigade to think again
As usual, Horton Street has lost sight of what local Government should be about. Representing the interests of residents.
Down with Mubarak. He sails a rotten ship
ReplyDeleteCllr Buckmaster is wonderful with the old ladies - most of whom stopped driving many years ago. He is otherwise considered generally useless.
ReplyDeleteA dangerous man, Bufffy, and architect of the Holland Park School fiasco. A bandwagon that the ambitious Pooter jumped onto.
ReplyDeleteBandwagon? More like a submarine.
ReplyDeleteWhen oh when are people ever going to realise they don't give a damn about the residents....its all about THEM!
ReplyDeleteCamden Hill Residensts seem to forget that instead of whining incessantly
ReplyDeleteabout their ward cllrs they can select an Independent with Conservative views. Stop whining: do something!
The council act as if the whole thing is a foregone conclusion. They act as if it is their right just to railroad things through and seem to see residents as just a nuisance that get in their way.
ReplyDeleteSilly suggestion 21.13. This is a Conservative Ward. Time for our Councillors to start behaving like Conservatives and remembering what representative democracy is about. Independents will be frozen out of the systems and processes in the Town Hall.
ReplyDeleteLook what has happened to the hopeless Liberals!!
Its up to the Tory Councillors to sort out the dictatorship in Hornton Street. So long as you don't, you are a bunch of Poodles yapping for your SRAs
21.16 should have a word with the Chairman of CHRA
ReplyDeleteFrom an outsider's point of view it’s shocking that the council acts like a cosy club. There's no ‘go to person’ prepared to fight a cause and challenge the others because they are all in the same club.
ReplyDeleteDisgraceful behaviour by the councillors concerned
ReplyDeleteThere is only one solution.
ReplyDeleteWe residents should put up an Independent candidate with Conservative values to challenge the incumbents. That is the only thing they understand. This lot have no feeling for democracy. Freeman does his best but has been continually pushed to one side by Pooter. Pooter is jealous as Freeman is a highly qualified lawyer, whereas Pooter is just a thick ex ciggy salesman
Disgraceful indeed. Consultation with concerned residents....basic basic duty!
ReplyDeleteWhat I don’t understand is their absolute inflexibility. First of all they pretend to miss the point and act as if residents are objecting to the removal of parking spaces – which we are not. Then they say this is just a transport, not an environmental issue. Then they say it is against policy. Then they say there are lots of other double yellow lines in the borough so why are you making a fuss. Then they say, traffic won’t speed up when we open up the road and encourage them to do so. Then they say there is no money to put in sympathetic kerb treatments. There clearly is money to spend where they choose to do so, but this is not apparently something that residents have a say in.
ReplyDelete11;22 You are not alone in not understanding them!
ReplyDeleteUltimately its because this is yet again another insane not thought through development. They will simply change their answers to suit the day, hour, minute or wind direction, because they can.
Why you may ask...because they are incompetent and nothing rational comes from the town hall. Exhibitionist Road, Conran's loan for his Origami Altar to his talents, Housing developments in North Kensington that ignore residents, Holland Park School fiasco, soon to be Earls Sport! Flame throwers and Elephants are just a few examples.
They hope by giving different answers to residents they will give up, and they don't have to bother about the very wealthy ones because they think they don't care because they don't live here most of the time.
Arrogant bunch!
The council’s dishonest use of the English language reflects their devious and manipulative approach to the whole process. When they said there would be “consultation” with the residents what they actually meant was that there would be notification. These two words do no mean the same thing. Why not be honest from the start and say that whatever the people affected think, the council has no intention of taking their views into account. The scary thing is, perhaps they actually believe that pinning ‘lost cat’ type notices to a few lamp posts is proper consultation!
ReplyDeleteUnless and until residents of the Rotten Borough vote en masse for true Opposition candidates, nothing will change. Newer Conservative councillors are quietly appalled at what goes on in Hornton Street. The problem is that they remain quiet, either for fear of losing preferment, or bullying.
ReplyDeleteRather than waiting for a palace coup, residents are well advised to vote for those who are certain to be frozen out. Such Opposition councillors are free to represent residents and publicly criticise the Council - without regard for the consequences. This is no quick fix, but Hell will freeze over before K & C Tories change their arrogant ways.
Some excellent points here. It is now a question of finding a good candidate.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the Dame would back an Inde Conservative
It is precisely this arrogance that will come back to bite them.
ReplyDeleteI have just seen a picture in the local rag of Buckmaster with young children. After the seeing the shocking images sent out by ex Cllr Phelps of very young boys we should insist that all councillor be checked.
ReplyDeleteI was very angry that Buckmaster invited his great friend Phelps to the Mayoral induction. 3 Conservative cllrs have lost their seats: we should really check on any having contact with young children
The picture of Cllr Buckmaster that emerges from this blog is one of a really shallow and self interested Councillor. The worst sort of Conservative
ReplyDeleteAND a person with some really dodgy friendships
The council have always felt they can get away with anything and they have a shameful history of doing so – just look at the overnight destruction of Kensington's fine old Town Hall in 1982, the day before it was due to be listed - and now the totally unnecessary, expensive vanity project that is the new Holland Park School. Both of these had strong and vocal opposition but it made no difference to them.
ReplyDelete“They hope by giving different answers to residents they will give up” – you’re right. They seem taken aback, even affronted by persistence. They seem to see any different views to their own as confrontational - and perseverance as somehow disrespectful of their office and the prescribed order of things.
ReplyDeleteThey need to remember they are public servants not dictators.
ReplyDeletePooter Mubarak is a very perceptive chacterisation of Cllr Cockell
ReplyDeleteThe locals rose up to topple the monster in Egypt - K&C residents are still waiting for Tory backbenchers to wake up and do the decent thing in Hornton Street
This blog seems to be the only place where residents can publicly express views about how this borough is run. All other forms of communications in the borough seem to be Council propaganda or promotional vehicles for estate agency advertising.
ReplyDeleteSomeone mentioned the destruction of the old Town Hall. That was executed by the late Nicholas Freeman in the most duplicitous, dishonest and anti resident manner. Freeman was an unprincipled man and it is no surprise that he is a bit of a hero to
ReplyDeletemany cllrs...but those who know a crooked man.
They even have a prize at Hornto St to commemorate the guy
Please do not forget the contemptible way residents of Lancaster West Estate have been treated with regards the imposition of the Kensington Academy. "We hear..but we don't listen" Yeah!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat annoys me is that the Council say it is a minor matter - i.e. not worth their doing anything special about. What they really mean is that they can't be bothered.
ReplyDeleteFor me this whole episode has been a complete eye opener. I have always (probably like most residents) been pretty apathetic about the Council. As long as the streets are cleaned and the bins emptied, I've never had reason to complain. I even said I was satisfied with their services when I was collared by some poor bloke desperately trying to get people to answer his survey last year. Now I know better - it's been quite a revelation..
ReplyDeleteNo worries Cockroach that you don’t remember who you took out to Dinner at the council taxpayers’ expense in New York. The Daily Mirror has a word for it ‘Camnesia’. The Mirror only uses short words, so you should be ok with that. Next time why not make it a Country Supper? Perhaps you could even pay for that yourself.
ReplyDeleteΟh well, nevеr mind. It's the old saying...when it cannot be done, better to do it yourself.
ReplyDeleteMy web blog ... http://www.cheappersonalloans.me.uk