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DAMESATHOME@GMAIL.COM
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Tuesday 27 November 2018

CHARLIE TANNOCK MEP AND HARD TIMES AHEAD

The Dame was watching her old friend Adam 'Tubby' Boulton on Sky the other day.
To her surprise, up popped Charlie 'the Shrink' Tannock, our noble MEP who represents us for a mere PITTANCE
In dirty raincoat
At one time the entire Tannock family (plus dog) were working for him so the circa £30,000 a month the EU paid will be much missed.

Small wonder he whines to anyone who will listen that Brexit is bad for business-he must be talking about his 'family business.' 

Anyway, Charlie refuses to attend any of the Dame's political gatherings just because she tipped off the Sunday Times about his massive shrinking FRACKING OPTION DEAL

Charlie? 
You seem in such a state maybe it's a case of 'Shrink, heal thyself'.

Saturday 24 November 2018

JUST 6 MINUTES! IS THIS REALLY A LISTENING COUNCIL?

If you live in or near Kensington Square....beware.
ANOTHER VAST BUILDING SITE FOR YEARS

The developers behind the demolition of Heythrop College are back with a plan supported by an odd little lobbying company, Cratus, run by ex-leader Sir Merrick Pooter-Cockell and his little chum, 'lil Bob Neill, MP. 
Interestingly, the funders of this development come from Jo'burg where the Pooter-Cockell clan hail from!
Pooter, 'lil Bob and Johnny Sandelson(also behind Thamesbrook) have had many hours of pre-planning advice from Mr. Stallwood's team so why do residents get a miserly 6 minutes.
So much for the Council 'listening to residents'. There is no law that states 6 minutes as the optimum. 
A through demolition of this dreadful plan needs, de minimus, 20 minutes.


THE END OF A SYLVAN SETTING



LADUREE TO OPEN MEGA RESTAURANT AT HARRODS!

It's time controversial applications were not sneaked in during holiday periods.....especially when Mr. Stallwood's planning team are recommending it-as in this case.

Laduree has applied for permission to intensify its restaurant operation with the creation of a new restaurant with 90 covers and hours extending close to midnight.
If granted noisy customers will pour on to the streets late at night creating even more noise pollution for residents. See the application HERE
How Harrods ever were able to buy the expanse of payment forming the public highway is a mystery. Did massive amounts of money change hands? Obviously.
Residents already endure the noise and nuisance from Harry's Bar and this expansion just exacerbates the problems.
HOW DID HARRODS BUY OUR PAVEMENT?

There already over 10 objections so why on earth are planning officers running roughshod over the wishes of residents by recommending it? 
Have they been offered free pastries?

Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) Variation of conditions Nos. 3 (Limit on Hours), 4 (Number of Covers), 5 (Management Plan), 8 (Tables and Chairs) of planning permission PP/18/00907 (Change of use of internal area of Laduree Restaurant to create Restaurant B, an independent restaurant accommodating up to 90 covers at one time and providing an evening dinner service with extended hours of operation - until 23.30pm daily) for extension of morning opening hours from 7.00am. Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, LONDON,
The meeting will start at 6.30pm on 4th December
Committee Room 1, at the Town Hall in Hornton Street
LONDON, W8 7NX. The recommendation is to grant consent

Everybody should go and a speaker setting
out residents' objections appointed.

Friday 23 November 2018

JAPANESE AMBASSADOR MAKES AWARD TO K&C COUNCILLOR AT EMBASSY


Last night, His Excellency, Koji Tsuruoka, the Japanese ambassador to the UK, welcomed guests to an important occasion marking an award to one of the Royal Borough's longest-serving and most popular councillors.


The award, The Foreign Minister's Commendation, was given to Cllr Robert Freeman for his outstanding support and advice in the development of Japan House in High Street Kensington.

Had Freeman not grasped the nettle we could easily have seen Westminster take this prized building.

Tsuruoka made an interesting observation saying the mark of an adept politician is the ability to achieve an objective without a lot of fuss. 
In that aside he summed up Robert Freeman. 
We must not forget the role played by Victoria Borwick in working with the Embassy.


Tuesday 20 November 2018

URGENT: OBJECT TO THE RUIN OF OUR STREETSCAPE

Buddy and business partner of the horrendous, Sir 'Phil' Green, Richard Caring, become a billionaire by not caring much about others. 
His Caprice Holdings owns Harry's Dolce Vita in Basil St and has been a thorn in the flesh of residents since he opened the bar. Worse, certain council officers have been blatantly complicit in allowing him to get away with breaking every rule in the planning and licensing book. 
Free storage on our pavements!
Fatty Green and Caring

The Dame's planning expert explains Caring clever ploy and says residents need  to urgently OBJECT and get their friends and neighbours to do likewise....





Originally there were just 20 small tables to seat diners were tables so a total of 40 seats  
Now, they want to swop the 20 small tables to 12 large tables
INCREASING seating by more!.....Very devious.

Caring Takeover
with plastic sheeting saying 'I own the pavement'!
Caring is trying this on because he has a problem with his large tables which breach planning consent by extending beyond the 1.6 meters allowed. 
This means there is no footway left for mothers with prams or the disabled with wheelchairs or even pedestrians and after 5.00 pm and on busy weekends pedestrians and others have to battle their way through a forest of chairs...tables....waiters...shopping bags.
His street furniture!

So, it's urgent that we click here and OBJECT  by demanding the Council agree: 

  • only 12 tables provided  they are small and seat a maximum of per table to ensure no extension beyond 1.6 meters so as not to encroach on the footpath
  • Agree to 1 only Waiting Station. Dirty flatware and crockery with food leftovers in the open is unhygienic and unhealthy and attracts pigeons aka 'flying rats' as well as presenting a very unsightly, unattractive streetscape
  • Permanently remove the plastic sheets hanging from the ceiling. They are in breach and ruin the streetscape in a Conservation Area
  • Remove all blankets strewn all over tables and chairs which add to the risk of passers-by tripping over them
  • Remove ALL tables and chairs after closing and store with the restaurant...currently, they litter the street; risk injury to passers-by and ruin the appearance of an elegant and historic area.

Monday 19 November 2018

WHAT? NO ODEON?

ESSA is an excellent residents association and does outstanding work.
A great pity the recent newsletter did little to focus on the deliberate dilapidation of the magnificent Art Deco Odeon cinema.


Sunday 18 November 2018

RUBBISHING OUR STREETS

This council is to be applauded for the high levels of street cleaning.
The teams work hard to clean up behind short-term residents who seem not to give a damn about the simple rules governing rubbish disposal.
There is a limit to what the Council can do. 
Even if it goes through bags to identify culprits they are long since gone.
The problem is worsening as more owners use short-term lettings to generate income exacerbated by the loss of caretakers who would normally police waste management in blocks of flats.

We residents need to do our bit to keep the streets clean of rubbish and attendant vermin.


As Christmas approaches the situation will worsen so please come up with ideas to help the Council manage this problem.
When we see culprits we should immediately report them to the Council.


Friday 16 November 2018

UNPLEASANT MEDIA MAGNATE RESIDENTS OF K&C

Lost Soul Beth Douglas
In March, a mentally troubled resident of our Borough died in the most tragic of circumstances; circumstances that would normally trigger a humane reaction in most civilised people. 



But three powerful residents of our Borough decided to boost circulation and profits by printing vile and unverifiable stories about the poor girl sourced from the stupidly unpleasant and dimwitted boyfriend.
Was he paid for his salacious rubbish by Lord Rothermere of Associated Newspapers and his 'creature', Geordie Greig? 
We shall never know...but more than likely.
Slimeball Greig

Had Beth Douglas been a close relative of Rothermere or Greig would the story have seen the light of day? 
An emphatic NO!



Equally shameful was the coverage in the increasingly downmarket and grubby Telegraph. 
But extenuating circumstances exist here....
Anyone who has ever had dealings with the Barclay family recognise them as an odious bunch of jumped up painters and decorators.

Greig, Rothermere and Barclay should ponder whether hurting a bereaved family in this way was gentlemanly or in the public interest. 
If they had a grain of decency they would not need to ponder long.




What has this to

Thursday 15 November 2018

MISARA'S AGM....PLEASE PUT TUESDAY, 20 NOVEMBER IN YOUR DIARY

MISARA, the hyper-effective residents association, holds its AGM on Tuesday 20 November at 7pm in St Simon Zelotes church, at the top of Moore Street. 
St Simon Zelotes
Resident Associations only properly succeed in their purpose with the overwhelming support of residents.
You can read the MISARA newsletter HERE 
It gives a comprehensive overview of annual activity.
If you live in any of the following streets you are welcome to attend and can join at the door.

Clabon Mews, First St,Halsey St,Hasker St, Lennox Gardens and Mews, Milner St, Moore St, Ovington St, Rawlings St, Richards Place and St Catherine's Mews.


We have two guest speakers again this year:
Sir Paul Lever KCMG, Convenor of the Jubilee Place Residents' Network, a member of the Council of the Chelsea Society and the Brompton and Hans Town ward's representative on its Planning Committee. 


Paul Lever
After a distinguished career in the diplomatic service, including serving as Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and finally as HM Ambassador to Germany, he became Chairman of the Royal United Services Institute and in 2017 wrote a book "Berlin Rules: Europe and the German Way" so will be able to help us understand better what the Germans want from Brexit


Edward Stourton, the well-known broadcaster, journalist and writer. He was widely considered to be the best interviewer on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, from which he was dropped in 2008-allegedly for being a toff.
Shocking Toff!

Fortunately, this has made him available to present a wide range of other radio programmes, all of the highest quality.
Repirt

Wednesday 14 November 2018

COUNCIL SPONSORED VANDALISM

The Dame referred to the near illegal demolition by the Council of the Old Town Hall. 
30 years on there is another example in the same street.
how it is

One of the finest examples of Art Deco cinema architecture instead of being a source of civic pride has become a rotting monument to developer greed-aided and abetted by a council in thrall to the likes of the Ritblat family.

Celebrated American author, TD Allman, on passing the Odeon observed..' a city that fails to cherish and preserve its cultural edifices is doomed to mediocrity'

If a resident allowed a Conservation Area property to dilapidate in this way he would face prosecution.


how it was



Smashed to pieces
the sweeping marble staircase

The developers would love us to forget the beauty of the exterior and interior. Fortunately, Guy Oliver who fought so hard to save the cinema is like a terrier with a bone and will not give up easily.
Cllr Taylor-Smith....Do something NOW
Oliver


Monday 12 November 2018

ALLISON 'FLIGHTY' FLIGHT....THE DEVELOPER'S MATE AT GLA

.....Allison Flight has been appointed deputy head of development management at the GLA under John Finlayson, head of development management, & Juliemma McLoughlin, assistant director of planning. Flight was previously strategic developments team leader at RBKC....

Those in the know will remember Allison ‘Flighty’ Flight. 
Flighty was the RBKC planning officer who rushed over and gave Capco’s lobbyists DP9 massive displays of affection when the planning committee gave Capco the go-ahead for Earls Court.

Now that Flighty works for Mayor 'Khan’t do anything right' Graham Stallwood has a friend at the GLA

The Dame got her gnarled old hands on this transcript of a telephone conversation....


City Hall Switchboard: Flighty? Got Gra on the line for you

Flighty: ‘Morning Gra, happy we are calling in Holiday Inn?
Can’t have ignorant residents telling us what to do.


Stallwood: Flighty, it's not just residents.....I blame the planning committee.
Since Grenfell, they seem to think that they can ignore us experts.
Thank goodness we have you planted in City Hall to teach the b******s who runs the show.

Flighty: Don’t you worry, Gra. 
After Newcombe House residents should have got the message "elected busybodies need to keep their nose out of planning business.
Who the hell do they think they are?

Stallwood: Have you got it all sorted?  
The Chinese are getting fed up and I am getting furious phone calls from Sir Merrick Cockell and his mate, L'il Bob Neill.

Flighty: Chill! It’s all cool. 
Khan is well out of his depth so I have been working on James Murray.
James is the deputy mayor for Housing and planning. 
We need to get him on board.

Stallwood: Well, don’t let me down Ali. 
I told the Committee the Mayor will bulldoze it through.
I will have egg on my face if it doesn’t happen.


Flighty:  Chill....Graham: it's sorted and the Bolly is on you.
Bolly Boy Stallwood