The thing the Dame abhors is waste.
Around £650,000 was wasted on the stupid and ugly fountain and the overpriced benches in Chelsea Green....a scheme universally hated.
the £600,000 piece of rubbish
Down the road at Worlds End, the much loved and very much used Under 5 Centre is about to close through lack of funding.Now we know that ring-fencing determines how revenues are used but this is sheer madness.
The £650,000 should never have been wasted in this way: a way should have been found to divert funds to protect the Under 5 Centre.
My London describes with great pathos the reaction to this unnecessary closure. HERE
Please read and comment so that the Council is aware of the strength of feeling.
This is not the time to be splashing out on fripperies like art for Leighton House and unwanted 'place making'
This is the time to focus financial resources on those in real need.
Please sign the PETITION
As ever, the Dame is spot on with this story. RBKC provides nothing of real value to the wider community. Instead, it wastes endless millions on vanity projects that benefit specific councillors and doubtless specific contractors. Think Exhibitionist Road and Kensington High Street.
ReplyDeleteThe Dame is posturing. Again. Cllr Campbell and her Cabinet are determined not to waste Council Tax on failing ventures. Our money is being looked after
DeleteYou just sound a silly bore: probably the tedious Matthew Palmer
DeleteIs disgraced ex Cllr Palmer on the up again? God save Kensington.
DeleteIs that Lloyd North again @ 17:32
DeleteI think it's one of Palmer's successors in Queen's Gate Councillor Will Lane, who's been spending quite a bit of time on social media (when he isn't attending right wing Nat Con conferences).
DeleteThis is an amazing story. Or maybe not.
ReplyDeleteAny functioning democracy that is capable of prioritizing bling fountains in the richest part of the Borough (paid for by Council Tax) over a child care center (in one of the most deprived parts of the Borough where parents struggle to make ends meet), is daft. Completely daft. Take away the child care, damage children for the future, and deprive parents of employment opportunities and then spend taxes to support unemployment.
Of course this is the most amazing demonstration of the flawed decision process in the RBKC Town Hall. Devoid of political judgement. Devoid of economic common sense. Devoid of any connection with the electorate.
But the list of calamity spending, calamity decisions, and calamity common sense, is now so long in dizzy's so called Conservative administration that no one should be surprised. The sooner this administration is sent packing the better
For decades, RBKC has sought to shut public facilities that benefit low income, N. Kensington residents. RBKC tried to shut the N. Ken. Public Library; to hand to a private school. A greatly needed, local higher education college was only saved when 500 people turned up to protect it. Part of Colville School and half its playground were "let" to a private French nursery school. Public anger forced RBKC U-turns. However, RBKC succeeded in shutting other facilities; including the children's clinic under the Westway; the nearby horse riding school; the Isaac Newton school; handed to a private school and many more. This is clearly RBKC's undeclared policy.
DeleteWhat are the dozy Tory Councillors doing about all of this? Are they permanently asleep? Or just permanently hoping for patronage handouts from dizzy? Why does Cllr Sof Macfee sit quietly and allow this to happen? There were high hopes for this Councillor - a refreshing, connected up Councillor - or so we thought
DeleteAnother first for dizzy lizzy. Silly cow
ReplyDeleteNot a "first". A repeat. An infinite repeat of disgraceful and elitist decisions. The cow is supposed to represent ALL RESIDENTS - not just the Chelsea set
DeleteGive Joe Powell time. Not long now.
ReplyDeleteLow income people use public services, in a way that the wealthy do not. Ridding
ReplyDeleteK & C (particularly N.K) of as many low income persons as possible has been been going on for decades. It's RBKC's most successful, unannounced policy. The Dame may wish to published relevant extracts from the 2021 census report. It makes for hair raising reading. The population of K & C is now only about 140,000. Twenty years ago it was 190,000. Westminster ditto. Co-incidence? No.
But Westminster & Hammersmith have reversed this policy and are now working hard to support, expand and balance their resident populations. Only RBKC remains happy to preside over an accelerating decline in population. As a Labour Councillor predicted a decade ago, the Royal Borough appears to be aiming at being the most attractive ghost town in Europe . (just look at the falling school rolls )
ReplyDeleteReturning to the sculpture itself; it bears a strong resemblance to the Lion Pillar of Ashoka monument, in India. It was erected by the Emperor Ashoka in 250BCE.
ReplyDeleteSo that justifies wasting an obscene amount of public money on it & letting the under 5s centre close?
DeleteWhat do the LABOUR councillors have to say about closing venerable advice centres and under fives nursery provision while spending £650 K on fountains and £1350 a pop on ugly benches ? Has anyone heard a peep from them? And just how many LABOUR Councillors are there with so many resignations and suspensions ? ( If nothing else shouldn't there dininished numbers reduce the number of special allowances that they divi up amongst themselves
ReplyDelete