Michael Gove has three cardinal rules on building new schools…
Rule 1: No new school to cost more than £38 million
Rule 2: School places must be added
Rule 3: School playing fields are sacrosanct
"Prime Minister", 'Squatter' Cockell has broken every one.
The £100 million spent by Cockell on Holland Park School stands as testament to what happens when little men put their egos above the public good.
And.... on the subject of the ‘public good’.... one
of the myths fostered by Cockell was that taxpayers-forced to fund this
monstrous waste of money, would be allowed to use the state of the art sports
facilities and the luxurious swimming pool.
Predictably that sop to taxpayers has been
mysteriously withdrawn.
Why?
According to the schools' insurers they feared post-swim residents would rush around the school pinching things!
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| OUT OF BOUNDS TO THOSE WHO PAID FOR IT |
Why?
According to the schools' insurers they feared post-swim residents would rush around the school pinching things!
On Monday, 3 June at 6.00pm... for just
an hour... residents will be allowed to tour the school. Rumours that G4S have
been retained to prevent residents looting the expensive furniture may be wide
of the mark.
The Dame has decided to take up the
opportunity and will be there with her entourage. She may even take a dip in the
pool….
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| THE £1000 SCHOOL CHAIRS |
One mischievous resident had this to say….
"I love the thought of life-guards! I've seen pictures of strapping young men racing down a beach to rescue people in the sea, but I hadn't expected to find them round a relatively small, indoor pool!
They could provide an added
attraction!”
That led the Dame to
speculate upon which councillors would look good in their lifeguard apparel.
Certainly, Danny 'Boys' Moylan would cut a fine figure of a man, parading up and down the pool, keeping a paternal eye on the young aquatic athletes.
Fortunately, ex cllrs Phelps and Lamont are not around to force their way onto the lifeguard team...
Certainly, Danny 'Boys' Moylan would cut a fine figure of a man, parading up and down the pool, keeping a paternal eye on the young aquatic athletes.
Fortunately, ex cllrs Phelps and Lamont are not around to force their way onto the lifeguard team...
Perhaps our Prime
Minister could get involved…..his job at the LGA looks rocky
and colleagues at Hornton St are drawing lots as to who will tell Pooter..."Time for Your Last Length...At Long Last"!
It will be down to Cllr. Ahern as Cabinet Memebr for Planning and Mr. Bore as Executive Director to make sure that the planning condition is enforced and that residents are allowed to use the pool. Holland Park School say that it will have to be supervised when used by the hoi polloi - and they have no money to pay for supervisors. They expect the Council to pay.
ReplyDeleteThe closure of Kensington Sports Centre at Walmer Road has left a gap in preventative health provision for residents of this borough, most especially vulnerable groups like the elderly and disabled. The Council are supposed to be working in Partnership with GPs to ensure residents stay fit and healthy therefore a community minded school could offer their pool....sorry our pool to these residents. Since when has a school become a museum whether the insurance company likes it or not things will get damaged.
ReplyDeleteThe track record of this Councils enforcement of promises made by developers to residents is abysmal they will promise anything to get their own way and once they have achieved this suddenly develop memory problems or use health and safety as an excuse to renege on their commitments. As for residents thieves... There are a few mainly in Hornton Street lead by the prince of thieves cockerel.
Another cynical twist in the scandalous saga of Holland Park School.The Headmaster is a devious individual who never had any intention of allowing sports facilities to be used by residents and is now using administrative means and weasel words to bypass a Planning Condition and promise from the the Council to its residents. Spineless Councillors such Cllr Ahern (Cabinet Member for Planning) and ego trippers like Cllr Cockell (who has long since lost any sense of honesty) are not to be relied on.
ReplyDeleteIts what happens when voters allow a monopoly to continue and a Leader to stay in office for 15 years
The boring Mr Bore is a hugely overpaid box ticker. Thanks to lazy Councillors on the Planning Committee he and his Department in Hornton Street have been allowed to monopolise power in the niche area of planning - they care not a fig for residents.
ReplyDeleteUnrestrained power is the enemy of democracy and Cockell's culture does nothing to moderate this. Councillors want an easy life and are content to leave decisions to Officers. How many Councillors on the Planning Committee read their papers? (None). How many decisions are decided before Planning Committee? (All). How often are residents listened to? (Never)
Bore and his Department are a bad joke. Their political Masters are an even worse joke
UKIP will put an end to this. Officers and Councillors will be accountable to voters
DeleteBasement Veteran-
DeleteEvery word you say is true.
The Planning Dept are ripping the heart out of our once beautiful Borough and Councillors do not dare stand up to the thuggish Bore and his willing henchmen/women.
The planning committee is a JOKE!! Residents are pushed aside and developers are given the red carpet treatment. They can talk all they like, show all the plans they want, and we only have a couple of minutes to make our point to hear that "Nothing can be done.... The council has his hands tied...." and other nonsense. It is an insult.
DeleteThe Campden Hill Residents Association (CHRA) fought for and obtained the undertaking that residents would be able to use the new school sports facilities. This was a planning CONDITION included in the permission to demolish the school and build a new school.
ReplyDeleteWhy does the Chairman of CHRA have to spend hours, days and months reminding the Council of this undertaking?
Time for Paddy Cllr Ahern to wake up and start doing his job.
DeleteNote to Editors: Cllr Ahern is Cabinet Member for Planning
Has anyone tried to make a booking to visit the school on 3rd June?
ReplyDeleteInvitations were sent out with a request to RSVP Victoria Bailey-White. Of course email immediately bounced back - another trick by the tricky Headmaster. A call to the school (by telephone) reveals that the grand sounding Bailey-white no longer works there.
Clearly the grasping and pushy Headmaster wants nothing more to do with residents. And he certainly does not want us inspecting his lifeguards
The Hon Ms Bailey-White retired. Please contact Benaisha Daruwalla, PA to the Headmaster, if you would like to visit the school
DeleteDoes Ms Daruwalla exist? Is there a an email? Or even a telephone number?
DeleteHard pressed residents and council tax payers should be told
Daruwalla?? How on earth is this name pronounced?
DeleteHigh time for the school to learn that the customer experience will be enhanced if the interface is handled by a Smith, or a Brown or a Jones. Man, woman or child - many by this name can be found. But please, not a Daruwalla!
Bailey-White was counting her days to retirement. Could not wait to leave and well out of it.
DeleteOf course the lady exists. Telephone 0207908 1000
ReplyDeleteIf the Hon Ms Bailey-White has been replaced I am not impressed and will need to consider the future school for my sprog
ReplyDeleteI want my Life Guard!
ReplyDeleteAny Lifeguard will do......
DeleteMichael Gove and his silly rules had nothing to do with this school. It is a prestige new institution for the Royla Borough
ReplyDeleteOf course Gove had nothing to do with it! It was Pooter Sir Cockle making a bid for the House of Lords. Trying to get noticed. His Statue of Liberty in the Park. And the toady Headmaster getting his "free kitchen"
DeleteWhat a wicked state of affairs under Sir Merrick Cockell. Things just do not get any better under the present leader; time for a change of leadership. If not the Tories will find them up against it in both the Council and General elections with so many disenchanted Tory Voters fleeing to UKIP. If the Tories are to have any chance of success they really must stop treating the electorate with contempt.
ReplyDeleteThe list of broken promises, double dealing, box ticking and featherbedding goes on and on. The council tax "take" in Kensington and Chelsea has become a venture fund to support the whims and vanities of Cockell and coterie and the box ticking of Bore and his minions. Plus expense account jollies for Pooter in America.
ReplyDeleteResidents should not be surprised that a Planning Condition to allow them to use the school swimming pool is swept aside by undersize Headmaster Hall and tolerated by oversize planning supremo Paddy Ahern.
The house that Cockell built
The school is a White Elephant. Huge expenditure to tart up an oversize institution instead of building school capacity where it is required. This is what happens when democracy is swept aside and is replaced by uncontrolled ego, vanity and ambition. The toxic Cockell/Hall combination is coming home to roost
ReplyDeleteWhy is the Council tolerating the dismissal of a Planning Condition from a jumped up Headmaster? Could it (once again) be that well known "understanding" in the corridors of power at K&C?
ReplyDelete"Time for the last stroke - at long last"
DeleteWe live in hope......
There has been such a sustained dismissal of residents and their feelings during the last decade of Cockell's Leadership that this behaviour has now become the norm.
ReplyDeleteBut a Leadership challenge is just around the corner and now is a good time for one of the contenders to give a signal that the supremacy of residents will be re established in K&C. Enforcement of the school Planning Condition to allow community use of the pool would be a giant step for democracy
Prime Minister Sir Pooter Squatter Cockle, Leader of the Very Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and "Spouter" Merrick of the Local Government Association (Diminished)is harbouring evil thoughts about the Dame and her friends
ReplyDeleteThe LGA has become another wakiki bird - flying around in ever decreasing circles and shortly about to vanish up its own backside
DeleteThis is a pathetically silly blog
ReplyDeleteWell then read the Royal Borough for your news!!!
DeleteUnless there is more than one Bailey, the Head's former PA was the rather lovely Miss Victoria Bailey-King, a young woman in her twenties,very professional and charming with it.
ReplyDeleteThe school's email addresses are displayed on their website along with the main telephone number.
Miss Daruwalla is a buddy of Miss Bailey-King from her own school days at Notting Hill and Ealing High. I don't recall seeing an advert for the PA job which is a pity as I am sure there would be many worthy applicants from the local area.
ReplyDelete