For years the Council stood by watching as the area around Brompton Road degenerated into a clone of Edgware Road, replete with shisha pipe smoking establishments(all breaking health&safety rules) plus swarms of Eastern European beggars and Gulf number plated Lamborghini's racing around residential streets. When residents expressed their fury and banded together to protest the Council sent out an enforcement officer demanding some harmless publicity aimed at activating residents be removed!
One resident wrote to the Dame....
Dear Hornet,
Over 200 local residents crowded into St Joseph’s Hall to express their feelings on supercars and anti-social behaviour at the Community Meeting held at few weeks ago. Residents were outraged that the police and the Council have been able to achieve very little over the last 5 years. Now, when residents take direct action by hanging posters, the Council responds immediately. Hmm… Does this show that the commercial interests of the landowner are more important than those of residents?
We look forward to working with you on this issue as we are now much more informed about tools that can be used. Specifically, we need help/inspiration on how to encourage RBKC to issue a Public Space Protection Order. They are being incredibly wet about the whole thing and are reluctant to use this new power. Meanwhile, Westminster, Oxford, Kettering etc Councils are all taking advantage of this piece of legislation to help their residents deal with ASB. What a travesty!
Yours.........
Yours.........
To whom it may concern,
As an Enforcement Officer i have noticed a number of illegal fly posting items recently placed up in the Brompton Ward, notably the following streets;
Markham Square, Thurloe Square, Thurloe Street, Brompton Road, Alexander Place, North Terrace, South Terrace, Pelham Place, Pelham Crescent and Exhibition Road.
I have attached some images. Could you please contact me in regards to why these items have been placed up on street furniture (i.e. lampposts etc) and also confirm whether you have valid authority to do this from the council.
Regards
Neil Bates
Contracts and Enforcement Officer
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Council is wet on enforcement and needs to be kicked hard. Residents need to bring a great deal of pressure on their Ward Councillors and expose them in the local press for being lazy and disinterested. That would be a good start,
ReplyDeletePerhaps the Dame could publish the names of the Ward Councillors who seem determined to do nothing.
There is one enforcement Officer, Luke Perkins, who is a terrier. But he seems to concentrate on basement enforcement.
DeletePerhaps Luke could be given more responsibility and some existing headcount moved across to him. If he gets wets transferred he can sack them and find some heavies who can cut mustard
Don't waste time on Luke, "terrier" is an optimistic label:
Deletehttp://www.realbrighton.com/photo/129863
Could not agree more. Supercars race around the streets at speeds 3 times the legal limit? The police could not care less. Beauchamp Place used to be charming. It's now a mid eastern slum
ReplyDeleteArabs really do bring the tone of a place down when they appear in numbers of more than 1. The richer they are, the worse they are. Qataris the pits.
DeleteThis is not what one thinks of when "Knightsbridge" is mentioned - unruly crowds urinating in the streets and hookers hanging around the edges, punctuated by the roar of a 12-cylinder motor. I think the landlord, SKE, has a lot to answer for here - they are very much in the middle of this trend. And where is the Counci£? £e$$ is more, i gue$$.
ReplyDeleteCouncil not interested in doing anything
DeleteOfficers take the lead from Councillors. If Counsellors decide that something is a priority and if there is a legal framework then Officers will deploy resources and take action. "Pipe smoking, beggars and Gulf Lamborghinis" have never been raised in discussion by Councillors or flagged as situations requiring action. Resources could be diverted from other areas to tackle these situations.
ReplyDeleteThe Councillors for the affected Wards are
ReplyDeleteBrompton
Coleridge
Paget-Brown
Weale
Courtfield
Coates
Marshall
Rutherford
Stanley
Pascall
Warrick
All of these councillors are well known to the Dame who follows them closely. Some unfortunate names in the line up who are worse than a waste of space. Even a few strangled farts. But there are a couple of names to approach.
Cllr Coates did sterling work with basements and has shown that when he gets the bit between his teeth can be ferocious on behalf of his residents. Cllr Paget-Brown is the Leader - a glance from him is enough to make Officers jump. The organisers of the St Josephs Hall protest should approach these two Councillors in person and try to get their interest and support.
Strangled farts indeed! They know who they are.
Delete'Specifically, we need help/inspiration on how to encourage RBKC to issue a Public Space Protection Order. They are being incredibly wet about the whole thing and are reluctant to use this new power...'
ReplyDeleteA bit of legal advice should be sought, as the Council depends on our 'ignorance' of the law and does as it feels fit. If there are some serious issues, the Council should be compelled to act, not merely to 'have a look'...
Part of the problem could be that SKE has developed luxury 14 flats in the area, which are not for sale but only for rent. With weekly rents running between £1,000 and £3,000, nobody but Gulf playboys are likely to rent them. See more in an Evening Standard article from 2010: http://www.standard.co.uk/business/why-hot-potato-alsop-can-be-found-down-at-the-dairy-6755314.html
ReplyDeleteI think you'll find Perkins is a planning enforcement officer. This appears to be straight forward anti-social behaviour. As usual, RBKC attacks those suffering from bad behaviour, rather than disciplining the culprits.The explanation is doubtless the number of RBKC councillors wIth their sticky fingers in Knightsbridge property pies.
ReplyDeletepies often owned by Gulf 'playboys'... Bit difficult to do anything when the Qataris own 1 Hyde Park and the Chelsea Barracks plot. and many other choice locations. Those concerned should perhaps scrape together few quid and get a proper legal advice to put stop to all this, if they do not already have an independent, untainted legal brain in their midst....
DeleteHope the Dame will take down Anonymous 16:20's disgraceful, shameful & racist comment. Many say this about the British abroad.
ReplyDeleteThat is how Knightsbridge visiting Arabs behave....why pretend otherwise?
ReplyDeleteThe Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides wide powers for the local authority to deal with anti-social behaviour. Of particular note is chapter 2 of part 4 which deals with public protection orders. Further, there are community powers under section 104, where a review can be sought.
ReplyDeletePerhaps readers should use the trigger form after complaining three times to the councilreport the matter. The form can be found here
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/community/communitysafety/antisocialbehaviour/communitytrigger.aspx
By using a trigger, the authority has to take action and rview hat action has been taken
So come on readers, report, report, report and then trigger!
As usual, the hornets spread wisdom and light. Brompton activists now have a do it yourself kit for kicking the Council into action.
DeleteThe Arab problem has been articulated. Residents are up in arms. A legal framework exists to take action. A bunch of local councillors need to be kicked into action. A Campaign Team is required to do some press briefing and eyeball the Councillors.
A job for the out of work HSBC Banker who convened the recent residents meeting in St Joseph's Hall.
William Fall of Alexander Square is the name.
DeleteThis ex HSBC banker is full of rage and in an excellent frame of mind to make a real nuisance in Hornton Street
This not one person's campaign but all of ours as a community!
DeleteI think all readers who are affected should be making a complaint (three on three separate occasions) and then using a trigger form
DeleteMy family have had a house in the Hamptons for more than 100 years. It used to be quiet and tranquil when we drove down for the weekend from New York. Now everyone commutes by helicopter. Friday through Tuesday is a nightmare of noise as thousands of choppers come and go. Its progress and you Brits should get on with your lives.
ReplyDeleteIt is still the best Century to be living in
Foreigners should keep their wisdom to themselves
DeleteNew York Dude should know that local residents have taken helicopter operators to court because of the noise! Get your facts straight 'Dude'!
DeleteNew York Dude should shove off. The best century to be living in? With all the senseless wars you have started. Ken Tory is right.... Yanks should keep their 'wisdom' to themselves.
ReplyDeleteA Bell Jet Ranger makes MUCH more noise than a Lamborghini. Wimps in Knightsbridge who want a quiet life should go and live in Hammersmith. With the plebs.
DeleteYou sound very common....as if you would know much a Bell Jet Ranger or Lamborghini...a real loser probably who likes to drop brand names.
DeleteThere is a clear problem with licensing on the Brompton Road. Despite all the many complaints by residents, the number of cafes is allowing for a domination by one type of people- mainly young males walking 5 abreast down the road in large groups. It is unhealthy as people are afraid and avoid the area causing it to become dominated further. The council is supposed to represent the interest of the residents as a group but it is clearly showing a lack of duty of care.
ReplyDelete