Co-working offices in Kensington and Chelsea struggle with rents and huge Business Rates so it is morally unjustifiable for the Council to set up in competition using Council assets to undermine local business.
The Council is now able to undercut businesses paying huge rents and business rates and so force them out of business. It has already done this to Justin Downes's low cost co-working space.
This abuse of assets is the 'brain(used advisedly)child of Cllr Lady Faulks.
Lady Faulks works for a business helping multimillionaire clients find high-end London property.
One thing we can be certain of is this.... Her Ladyship will not be encouraging the Council to set up a property search company....one rule for Lady Faulks....another for the plebs!
The Council should not be in the risk business. This is not what Government is supposed to be about. Especially Conservative Governments. It is a sure fire way to waste Council Tax.
ReplyDeleteCllr Faulks probably feels that she is "doing good" by offering cut price office space (actually, it is office space subsidised by Council Tax) to small business owners. For a Cabinet Member of low intelligence, the idea no doubt makes her feel useful. What she fails to understand is that she is destroying the market mechanism which is a cornerstone of Conservative belief.
Faulks is not a Tory. She is a Chelsea puffer. Just like her friend dizzy
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DeleteFaulks' problem is that she cannot resist throwing public funds at her own vanity projects. Of the very large sums of tax extracted from residents and businesses, Faulks is apportioned a tiny percentage.
Rather than simply providing direct support to small, existing local businesses in less prosperous areas, Faulks finds it more “fun" to throw our money at new "business opportunities.” It never occurs to her that such projects are likely to directly compete with tax paying, existing ones. A recent example was the breathtakingly stupid idea of opening a subsidised cafe inside the Hornton Street Library. Faulks naturally gave no thought to the consequential losses that would face local coffee shops. Apparently, the project is still going ahead.
Again inside the Library, she now intends to open subsidised work spaces. Public money - our money - will be used to put nearby, small, commercial work spaces out of business. There was no public consultation. The woman simply doesn’t care. While RBKC libraries doubtless need to find new uses for their buildings, there must be many, much needed services that could be provided. For example, we have no shortage of poorly educated adults needing support; but they’re neither fashionable nor “fun."
Catherine Faulks has the commercial insight and intellectual depth of a grasshopper.
If the Library is not needed because it is obsolete, then it should be sold. It is a very valuable site. If there is a demand for more offices and sandwich shops on the site then let the market decide and trade at market rates
DeleteWhy on earth does dizzy Campbell support this woman Faulks and give her a Cabinet position?
ReplyDeleteFor the puzzled, rather inelegantly named “Whip it Out,” the explanation as to why Dizzy keeps Faulks in office, The answer is perfectly simple. Faulks is so breathtakingly shallow and stupid, she makes Dizzy feel good! Poor Dizzy is so easily intimidated by intellect. The two featherbrains can play at running a premier London council together, at our expense.
DeleteHappy days!