THE KENSINGTON ODEON TO BE RAZED TO THE GROUND THIS MONDAY

MONEY OBSESSED RATBLAT

You have to hand it to the Ritblat family; they really know how to twist the Rotten Borough around their fingers…… 

For months, the Friends of the Odeon Cinema worked tirelessly to persuade the Council to list the wonderful Art Deco building as an asset of community value. 

Yesterday, Ritblat Junior informed a less than surprised Council that he was going to send in the JCB's this Monday.
So, what's the 'back story'?

Well, here goes and it's no credit to the Council……

The Friends had a plan: one which had the support of local associations and amenity groups ( The BFI; ESSA; The Cinema Theatre Association;The Kensington Society; The Theatres Trust; The 20thC Society; SAVE Britain’s Heritage; Opera Holland Park; The Portobello Café Society ;The Curzon Cinema Group and The Hitchcock Foundation and  
....27,000 RESIDENTS http://bit.ly/1N73qeO  ( HELLO COUNCILLORS WE VOTE FOR YOU ! ) and, more importantly, one of Denmark's most successful entrepreneurs with a global record in funding developments and restoring and finding new uses for historic buildings.

In other words, aligning community interest with that of the funder. Not ignoring them……

The Ritblat family, whose only interest is in money ( Young Jamie is quoted in an interview saying “it starts and finishes with the money”) could only dream of the reputation of this man. 
Indeed, the Dame herself overheard a certain European monarch extolling the virtues of Troels Holch Povlsen http://bit.ly/1RrvGel

So enthused was Troels that he wrote in support of the Friends' plan when they applied for the cinema to be designated as an Asset of Community Value in May.

PUBLIC SPIRITED BILLIONARE

On 25th May the Council gave unanimous support for the designation IF financial support could be demonstrated by 31st May....To the shock and horror of Cllr Coleridge the Friends were able to do so and provided letters of support from three billionaire philanthropists.

Despite all of this, and in the most mysterious of circumstances, a letter was issued by the Planning Dept rejecting the Friend's application. 
So, who is responsible for these decisions? 
Step forward Cllr Coleridge.... who has the final say in all applications for Assets of Community Value.

So scandalous was the behaviour of Cllr Coleridge even Cllr Moylan protested the Council had behaved badly.

As a result, the Council invited the Friends to apply again for the cinema to become an Asset of Community Value. 
Now, with all their evidence in place, a decision was

due to be made by October 1st.

Troels and other financial heavyweights were happy to show their support by meeting the Council and discussing how to make the Odeon an asset of community value.

So far, so good. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, it seems that somehow a 'deep throat' in Hornton Street leaked information alerting the Ritblats to the support of Troels Holch Povlsen et al.

The result?
This Monday Ritblat will order in the bulldozers and another piece of Kensington history will be razed to the ground. 
Those with long memories will see parallels

with the odious Cllr Nicholas Freeman's quasi-illegal destruction of the old Town Hall the weekend before listing.

So, which officer or member went behind the back of the Friends and told Ritblat to get a move on ( TC ? ) …..

And, what a spectacular own goal for the Rotten Borough where instead of a fantastic new arts centre and cinema to be named “The Hitchcock” after Britain’s most famous

film director and probably Kensington’s most famous former resident a demolition which will further deaden an already dreary High Street. 
With nineteen empty premises and a string of budget stores the High Street is far from what it once was……

What to do ? Sign this petition and protest outside the cinema on Sunday afternoon from 2 pm ……… http://chn.ge/1WRrV2N

Finally, and ominously, the Odeon, Kensington, is filled with asbestos. If the demolition goes ahead this weekend residents should buy facemasks...