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She always replies that what she lacks in political acumen she compensates for in common sense.
This council does many, many good things. It does it no harm to have the old Dame prodding and pushing when she feels it could do better: hence her determination to rid it of the freeloading Cockell.
She has always stridently opposed the millions of pounds wasted on the the amateurish and third rate Opera Holland Park.
Even opera buffs( of whom we have many in the Borough) say it's pointless with two world class opera companies down the road.
Bite the bullet, Nick....close it down.
Finger on the pulse as always.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Dame, for supporting this important community event that will allow local residents to voice their displeasure that RBKC think it is acceptable to squeeze the vulnerable to fund elitist indulgence:
www.facebook.com/events/751712601608177/
This matter has already been taken up by others. see the below link
ReplyDeletehttps://you.38degrees.org.uk/local_chapters/38-degrees-events-kensington/forum_threads/1473?token=8d77cecd94365214e1c66af31c7c2c0e6d3b83f7#message_5739
At the heart of this council is an extraordinary degree of delusional thinking. The clique of philistine councillors who run the borough fondly imagine that the Holland Park Opera lends them high cultural status. Little do they know.
ReplyDeleteAnother Season Underway of Holland Park Opera to the unique backdrop of loudly mating birds Peacocks are SO indiscriminate.
ReplyDeleteViper Volpe seems to have hired a PR Agent. Got a full page spread and photo in the Sunday Times. Came across as a thug. Very different from the Christies of Glyndebourne.
Fortunately for Times readers he has a new pair of shoes without holes in the soles.
The Town Hall continues to put it about that the tax payer subsidy for Holland Park Opera is "only" £450k per year. But just like the Planning Department in Hornton Street there is one set of data for public consumption and another set of books that shows the true picture. The "only £450k per year" does not include the cost of dismantling and storing the tent, back office support given for free by the Council, and write off of capital charges. The fully built up cost is nearer to £1 million per year of Council Tax.
DeleteAnd it is also convenient to forget that no rent is charged for the land or for the tent, and no rent is charged for the Council building next to the Opera used for ticket sales and admin. And no rates are charged on any of the buildings.
The opportunity cost, funded by tax payers, is close to £1.3 million per year. And rising.
£300k per year estimated as the cost of rent and rates that are provided gratis, in a prime London location, for the Opera facilities and ancillary offices! What is Officer smoking?
DeleteMy estimate of the market rate for these facilities £700k per year. At least.
The opportunity cost to the Kensington and Chelsea council tax payer is close to £2 million per year.
The only time my missus and I went there (admittedly some years ago - never again) we didn't hear any peacocks. Only planes overhead flying in to Heathrow every 90 seconds and the exuberant cricketers knocking their balls about right behind the tent. At least they stopped when the howling wind and driving rain started up.
ReplyDelete