Dear Hornet,
I have been reading the Hornets Nest for many years and appreciate your balanced view of goings-on in RBKC.
However, I was shocked to see that the piece about Emma Dent Coad's daughter was removed in a New York Second.
If you are going to allow yourself to be threatened by Momentum thugs then you have lost the respect of many readers.
You should immediately put back the post.
A saddened reader.
Public meeting
The Kensington Society is hosting a public meeting in St John’s Church, Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill on Wednesday 2 February at 6:30pm.
Please come and sign the PETITION
The Notting Hill police station, which until 2017 served all of North Kensington and is situated less than a mile from the Grenfell Tower area, is about to be sold by MOPAC (the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime). However, the Kensington and Chelsea council has made a bid to buy the station so it can be used by the community instead of being replaced by luxury housing.
The council's deputy leader, Kim Taylor-Smith, says:
“This building is a community asset and it should stay that way. The last thing I want is to see it sold to the highest bidder to develop expensive apartments that are snapped up by investors.
Our plans include much-needed local services. We want to offer adults with learning disabilities residential and respite care here, near their families. The area also needs more GP facilities, and we’re also keen to offer the police the opportunity to keep a home in Notting Hill on the site. All of these services could be housed in the former police station.”
Dear Dame,
Please look at the above. Rather amateur and clueless isn't it?This is taken from a Council candidate nomination paper from a Ms Eva Jedut of Earl's Court.
Most members here have never heard of Ms Jedut.
No offence but one would think it best if she got some more experience by standing for an unwinnable Labour ward first.
It's astonishing when people in charge of our party nowadays appear to think she is able enough to stand in safe North Kensington wards like Dalgarno.
It is even more astonishing when they deselect Cllr Pat Healy, a highly respected long serving councillor, who has devoted years to serving her constituents and plenty of others in this borough excellently. She has a background as a highly respected journalist; a Labour Party member for over half a century and a tireless campaigner for the elderly, the sick and the vulnerable.
These days the party apparachniks in charge with an unreasonable personal dislike of Cllr Healy worked to replace this formidable woman with a complete amateur.
Ms Jedut will be severely out of her depth to say the least but what a shambolic way to run a party?
What actually happened was that Cllr Healy got through the initial vote and then it was engineered that the shortlist be shortened for the next round which was then was shortened until she got knocked out. Old Stalinist methods die hard!
Now the constituents of Dalgarno will be stuck with a far from adequate replacement whose campaigning efforts amounted to "I proudly placed Labour posters in my window and red balloons on my balcony during the last election I live by the polling station." and
"I underline limitations of Tory Party when dealing with issue (sic) of housing, NHS, education, environment and Brexit in any talk I may have with my neighbours and friends "
It's almost laughable, but not quite when you consider the people this clueless person is going to be representing.....their needs and the calibre of the person she has replaced.
If this sounds fishy, it really is. Some of the people in charge have a lot to answer for.
One is Ms Claire Simmons. Ms Simmons is now Chair of the NW Branch of Kensington Labour membership. The NW Branch of the Labour Party consists of the membership of the wards of Norland, St Helen's, Notting Dale and Dalgarno .
Ms Simmons has made unproven allegations of corruption against Pat Healy and unnecessarily called the Police to her home address.
Today, Friday, is the day when members of Notting Dale Ward pick their council candidates. This is an even safer Labour ward than Dalgarno and is a guaranteed job for life. The front runner for the ward only just happens to be one Claire Slmmons, who has been a member for over 10 years but her Labour Party campaigning was unheard of to most of us - no meetings, canvassing, leafleting or doing anything until she was promoted. She is in charge of the membership of both Dalgarno and Notting Dale wards What a coincidence.
These activities need to be reported to Labour Party headquarters and they need to be investigated immediately.
Yours meaningfully,
Disaffected North Kensington Labour Party Member
Office of the Chief Executive
Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London, W8 7NX
Chief Executive
Barry Quirk
All elected Members, RB Kensington and Chelsea
Tuesday 25th January 2022
My resignation as the Council’s chief executive - to take effect later this year
I have written today to Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, the Leader of the Council, advising her that I shall step down from my role as chief executive with effect later this summer.
The Council can now begin to search for a new chief executive; so as to make an appointment in July. This will be after the 5th anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy, after the hearing sessions at the Public Inquiry, and after the new Council has been elected locally.
It has been a real honour to work for this Council, helping it to meet the enormous challenges it has faced over the past five years. Elected Members have supported me immensely in my role, and I sincerely hope to have the chance over the coming months to be able to thank each councillor personally for your help and support.
Leading the Council’s overall efforts in the response and recovery to the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire tragedy has been the most difficult, the most humbling and the most important professional challenge of my 45-year career in London local government. I remain in awe of the dignity, humanity and positivity of the bereaved, survivors and residents affected by this tragedy. There is so much more we need to do to support each of them along their personal routes to recovery.
More generally, it has been a real privilege to help the Council reinvent its governance, values, policy priorities, and management over the past four years. It has been marvellous to have had an opportunity to have worked with, and learn from, such talented and dedicated staff here at Kensington and Chelsea.
I should specifically like to thank Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, the Leader of the Council, for the clarity of her purposeful leadership, and for her unstinting support to me over this entire period.
Although I will step down later this year, I will continue in my role, actively leading our managers and staff, to ensure that the business of the Council continues to progress.
Yours sincerely,
'Lordly' Moylan has a curious way of helping his old master, Mr Johnson...
Lordly's long held dream of being 'looked after' by the buffoon seems about to be dashed.
A glistening prize of some ambassadorial role in a Far Eastern country was something Lordly yearned for.
Lordly? Boris is in a real old jam and your interventions make matters worse.
Zip it up, man!
When Thames Water commissioned this Review one wonders what it truly wanted to hear.....
Mike Woolgar, the chairman reported last week and had very little to say mainly because nothing has actually happened.
His co-member, Roger Falconer, a retired academic living in Yorkshire, had nothing to say apart from alluding to his work on the Somerset Levels flooding.
The lady in the image, Lykke Leonardsen lives in Copenhagen so one doesn't expect to see too much of her.
When Mr Woolgar was asked if a resident could join the Review he said NO: a shame, Cllr Lindsay who has worked hard for all of us would have been ideal.
Most of what Woolgar had to say revolved around the impact of Climate Change....not one word about the duplicate floods of 2007 when Climate Change was not on the tip of tongues.
The Dame holds no great hope for a constructive result but the reaction of others would be helpful.
From the Council.
"Following the flooding event that impacted Kensington and Chelsea on 12 July 2021, the Council, in its role as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), is undertaking a formal flood investigation under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010)."
We need to remember that the Council also needs to self-examine.
It has been lax in cleaning gullies which contributed to the floods. Similarly, it has allowed contractors to pour waste into main drains.
"Following the flooding event of 12 July 2021, the Council, in its role as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), is undertaking a formal flood investigation under section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010). This work is being undertaken by consultants but as part of this, we are undertaking a household survey asking owners/tenants of properties that were affected by the flooding to complete a short questionnaire.
The information supplied will be passed on to the consultants and help the Council to understand how this flooding event has impacted the local community, and to consider potential options to manage the risk of similar flooding occurring in the future."
Please click on the link HERE and fill in.
Thames Water made this claim in an email:
We must never let that happen
1. Did Thames Water (TW) fail to leave open key major drainage and outlet systems on the day of the flood? Or did TW fail to open such systems in due time to prevent the catastrophic build-up of floodwater? These systems might include holding tanks that were left shut; outfall pipes to the River Thames and so on.
2. It was evident on the day that the water flooding people’s homes suddenly subsided – exactly as if a key outlet had been opened. There is a great deal of video as well as anecdotal evidence of this. Was there something that was opened that allowed all the water to flow out? What exactly happened? Some suggest there was an airlock?
3. Is there a minute-by-minute operational log of TW’s actions on the day of the flood? If so, can we please all have access to this? If not, why was this not kept? Should we consider filing a Freedom of Information Act request?
4. Is there a minute-by-minute operational log of the London Fire Brigade’s actions on the day of the flood? Did LFB’s actions result in the sudden draining of floodwaters? If so, can we please all have access to this? If not, why was this not kept? Can we also see all email and other exchanges between TW/LFB/Met Police? These are not commercial in confidence, but ARE a matter of public concern and public safety. Should we consider filing a Freedom of Information Act request for access to all communications?
5. Who was in overall control of TW’s operational response on the day, and what action(s) did this person or persons take to deal with the emergency?
6. Given the prior and well-known serious flooding of the affected areas, (e.g. in 2007) why has TW not built infrastructure sufficient to prevent such flooding? It is not enough to point to extra new holding tanks if they in fact failed. It is obvious that more money should already have been invested in a root and branch upgrading of all drainage and flood containment systems so as to at least prevent or at least minimise catastrophic flooding. Given this failure to invest and improve systems, isn’t Thames Water responsible for the overwhelming extent of and damage caused by the flooding, and therefore liable to pay affected residents due compensation?
7. What is the legal liability of TW in respect of compensation payments?
8. Is it enough to point to an ‘Act of God’ – as TW keeps insisting – being to blame for the flooding? It has been evident for more than 20 years now that climate change is producing ever-greater and more serious extremes of weather. Hasn’t TW failed entirely to respond to this simple fact, and shouldn’t TW therefore accept liability/pay compensation for its failure to invest appropriately?
9. What are the terms of the Independent Review? What will happen as a result of the Review?
10. Could the review clarify the responsibilities of the respective Councils and Thames Water? There seems to be a lot of buck-passing between the parties, which is not helpful for residents?
11. Why have insurance claims been rejected by loss adjusters prior to the Independent Review reporting – doesn’t this mean that they are pre-judging the outcome of the independent review? What can be done about this?
12. Is Thames Water NOW and immediately going to upgrade systems so as to pre-empt and prevent further extreme flooding of the type we suffered? What exactly is it going to do, when?
13. Surcharging into the Thames – did this happen in response to the flooding we suffered? If not, why not? Was the sudden - and much too late - opening of surcharge outlets explain the sudden and rapid draining of the floodwaters?
14. Surcharging into the Thames – is this to do with the edges of the Thames, could the surcharge be through pipes that were put over barges – would this be a solution?
16. Following the cancellation of the Counters Creek scheme post 2007 flooding, many residents fitted electrically operated flip valves/pumps in their homes. Is TW prepared to fund the fitting of these systems to all homes in the affected areas? Is TW prepared to fund further flood containment measures for residents, e.g. fitted drop-down door shutters?
15. Counters Creek – why was it cancelled? Is TW now going to proceed with this plan, to help prevent future catastrophic flooding?
17. What preventative measures can residents take to help themselves? Details and costs please. Does placing sandbags outside doors/down the loo/on the loo seat actually help prevent flooding?
18. Can residents fit a non-return valve (NRV) themselves or not because it is a TW asset? If residents do want to fit them how can this be funded?
19. Road & infrastructure design – how closely is TW working with the Councils/TfL on this to prevent and alleviate flooding? It has been said that the road humps [sleeping policemen] in the road diverted the water from running away into the gutters and sewerage system, and the “humps and uneven patches” meant that the water then streamed into people’s houses and shops – has this been mapped?
Is this about the state of the Borough in January 2021?
If so, it must have been based upon research carried in 2020 which means it's really rather dated.
You can trawl through it HERE and let the Dame know what you think.
He had no fear and no compunction about taking on shady, seedy and greedy small-time politicians. He will be much missed.
THINK has written a glowing and GREAT TRIBUTE to Francis.
He died far too young.
.....a lie according to the facts provided by this reader
"High tide on 12th of July (a not particularly high) was at 4:40 pm - it was continuously falling before and during the flooding incident. By 6:30 pm it was 1.63mt below this high"
On a 1930 Main Drainage map, there are two pumping stations - the one at Lots Road is shown as being slightly upstream from the Counters Creek Sewer draining West Kensington, and therefore seemingly not controlling it.
The Western Pumping Station at Chelsea Bridge is the next downstream one, taking the Ranelagh Sewers which would seemingly drain Portobello Road."
