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The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Inside the battle to save a once award-winning building which is now crumbling from neglect
When 73-year-old pensioner Pat Findley moved into Lillington and Longmoore Gardens before the turn of the millennium, she was ecstatic. The 1970s Grade-II listed estate in Pimlico, with around 1,000 homes, was an award-winning complex boasting 'beautiful' brutalist architecture and a quaint garden room at its centre. The council was attentive; the community was close-knit. But fast forward three decades, and Ms Findley says she feels like she's 'at war'. In the past year, roofs have collapsed, flats have flooded, residents have been hospitalised by scalding or 'contaminated' water, and sewage pipes have burst, causing the smell of faeces to permeate through the estate. Ms Findley says there is a new issue 'every three months'. Her own flat is infested with woodlice. Families have been evacuated, and residents have been left sleep-deprived and struggling to work after failed attempts to fix leaks and persistent mould. A recent Freedom of Information request found that the estate needed 2,086 plumbing repairs between January 2020 and March 2025. The estate has since been nicknamed 'leaky Lillington'. Leaseholders, nevertheless, have seen their maintenance bills skyrocket, as they foot half the costs of the council's decisions. But Westminster Council, she says, which owns and manages the estate, is stubborn in the face of the residents' complaints. One leaseholder, who asked to be anonymous out of fear for reprisal from the council, put it plainly: 'The council see us as the enemy.' The council has dismissed these allegations, saying they have a 'thorough complaints process', adding that they 'have apologised for any stress caused'. When asked about the specific issue of leaking, they claimed it was due to 'an ageing communal hot water and heating system that needs to be replaced', adding that they were 'working towards finding a more efficient, reliable and sustainable option'. Their acceptance of problems notwithstanding, the council received top marks when the housing regulator inspected the estate in February this year. This prompted at least 55 residents to co-sign a letter disputing the result to Labour deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. They accused the council and the regulator of 'marking their own homework'. A response from Ms Rayner's team, three months later, directed the residents to make a complaint to Westminster Council. Now, Ms Findley says she wishes she had 'never moved into that plot in the first place'. 'They don't give a toss and we're treated like dirt,' she says. 'I don't need the stress anymore. It's grinding me down.' The only relief is the community of residents that have rallied around one another. In the time that Ms Findley has lived in Lillington, social housing across the UK has fallen into disrepair following chronic underinvestment and neglect, as the central government has shifted the burden of responsibility for these homes onto less well-funded local councils. When The Independent visited the estate and spoke to residents from houses across the complex, one theme was common: Lillington and Longmoore Gardens are dangerous and a disaster is waiting to happen. London Fire Brigade last year raised concerns with Westminster Council about safety issues in the estate. Many of the residents asked to be quoted anonymously because they feared repercussions from the council, even eviction. Ernest Stafford, from the Residents' Association, urged the council to reassure residents that they are allowed to voice concerns about the estate without fear of being evicted but the council reportedly declined to intervene, prompting accusations from the residents that the council was 'quite happy to intimidate' people into silence. One resident, a mother of three, says she is 'extremely concerned' by the council's lackadaisical approach to dangerous situations. She has spent the past year battling a repeatedly collapsing and leaking ceiling in her flat. 'My life can't get any worse than it is sadly,' she says. 'I've been through it all.' She describes an incident in January in which the block's fuse box was left on fire after an electrician contracted by the council declined to properly investigate why the lights in several flats were flickering. The blazing fuse box was discovered by an employee of the UK power network after the resident called them for help. 'I dread to think what might have happened if they hadn't come when they did,' she says, adding that her block is full of vulnerable and elderly people. 'It posed a real and serious danger to the safety of everyone in the building.' Another resident in a different house in the estate says she 'suffered long periods of sleep deprivation and stress' after the roof on her building began badly leaking, partially flooding her flat. A poor repair meant the leaking persisted for years. A previous leak in her flat took months for the council to fix. 'I have never felt the council take into account the impact of their poor repairs processes on residents' day-to-day life and wellbeing,' she says. 'There was generally little sense of urgency or understanding of my issues, it was just another job number to them.' Underscoring what the residents say is apathy from the council is the poor management of costs and a lack of accountability and transparency. The role of head of repairs for Westminster Council has changed four times in the last two years, stifling attempts to remedy the issues with repairs. An advert was put out for the role of head of repairs last year, listing the salary as up to £120,000, further upsetting the residents. A leaseholder in another building provided documents that showed her maintenance costs had doubled to nearly £7,000 in just a few years. Included in those costs was a bill to be paid by all the leaseholders of that block for £8,300, to cover the insurance and maintenance of the lifts. She said she had not seen a single lift operator tending to the elevators since she moved in. 'If the contractor says they have to do something, the council just says yes,' she says. 'There is no traceability of any kind.' Ed Pitt Ford, the Conservative councillor for Pimlico North, says the current Labour council in place since 2022 is 'wasting a huge amount of money' without oversight. 'It feels like the contractors are operating unsupervised, the contracts are not being managed and hence a huge amount of money is being wasted,' he says.
Forbes
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Gosger Hopes To Make The Grade In The Haskell Stakes
Trainer Brendan Walsh and his team hope to lead Gosger to the winner's circle in the Haskell Stakes Report card time can represent some anxious moments. Do you have the numbers to be considered one of the good ones in your class? School is still in session for the three-year-old Thoroughbreds and a big test is coming up for one runner in particular at the Haskell stakes on July 19. Gosger is a beautifully marked son of Nyquist that made himself well-known with a courageous run in the Preakness Stakes. Under the masterful conditioning care of Brendan Walsh, this powerful striding colt came within a neck of shocking the world at odds of 15-1 in the second leg of the Triple Crown series. He may have not gotten the A+ he was looking for at Pimlico, but a stellar performance in just his fourth career start was still something to behold. 'He absolutely ran great in the Preakness', says Walsh. 'We think he ran a winning race, we just unfortunately were up against a fantastic horse in Journalism that overcame a lot and just refused to lose.' In the 150th Preakness, Walsh's charge broke beautifully under jockey Luis Saez and stalked a solid pace (23.16 opening quarter, 46.66 half mile). Turning for home, this grandson of Tapit took the lead and rolled clear while Journalism was trading paint with a pair of runners five lengths behind. As the wire drew closer, Gosger saw his lead diminish as the powerful and far more experienced Journalism dug deep. Eclipsed at the shadow of the finish pole, this youngster lost his cigar to a run for the record books. The final sixteenth of a mile turned in by Journalism is said to perhaps be the fastest in Preakness history. Prior to his heroics at old Hilltop, Gosger had given the wily Walsh all the signs he was ready for a big test. After a second-place finish in his only start at two, this Kentucky-bred won his three-year-old debut at Gulfstream Park in February, then aced the graded stakes exam with an impressive score in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. 'We have always thought highly of him', says Walsh, a native of Cork, Ireland. 'He was bred to be a good horse but we just had to be a little more patient with him. Illness and a big growth spurt set him back just a bit, but we like what he is doing now'. The performances at Keeneland and Pimlico, along with recent works have the Gosger team excited about a run in the Haskell Stakes. Contested at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, this mile and an eighth run over the Oceanport dirt offers $1 million in purse money and an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Facing another stellar field with Luis Saez back aboard, Gosger will have a chance to prove he belongs at the top of this class of three-year-old males. 'Luis was eager to get back on him for this race and we are very excited for this opportunity', says Walsh. 'Gosger has not always been the best work horse but recent efforts in training have been very good. He always shows up on race day and we hope to see him continue to move forward.' The grade 1 Haskell Stakes will be run on July 19 as the centerpiece of a card that features six Stakes races. Gosger currently has two wins and two second place finishes in four lifetime starts with career earnings of $692, aced the Lexington Stakes test on April 12
Times
28-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Gaze at Ripon Cathedral from your garden — yours for £1.6m
In the shadow of Ripon Cathedral, the Old Hall is a grade II* listed townhouse bursting with 18th-century Georgian elegance. On the ground floor is a 1738 staircase hall with period plasterwork, while ornate wooden panelling, marble and hardwood floors can be found throughout. There are five reception rooms, including a sitting room and drawing room, plus a modern kitchen/breakfast room and a one-bedroom annexe. Across the first and second floors are five bedrooms and three bathrooms, including a main bedroom with an en suite and walk-in wardrobe. Outside, the private walled gardens are mainly lawn, and a gated driveway leads to an expansive parking area with single and double carports. This property on Warwick Square in Pimlico, west London, has 1,445 sq ft of flexible accommodation, combining a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment and a self-contained atrium-style annexe. Historically, planning has been granted to combine the two properties, but the separation opens doors for different types of living. There is a private courtyard garden, as well as shared outdoor space with the rest of the square. Victoria station is close by, with underground and national rail services. Housed in the former Woodhams Brewery in Rochester, this two-bedroom home is unusually spacious for a flat, with 1,720 sq ft on offer. There are two bathrooms, including one with a freestanding roll-top tub, plus a bespoke crafted kitchen and three reception rooms. It is gated, and with access to a courtyard garden and communal gardens. There is space for a third bedroom if the buyer applies for planning permission. The property has two allocated parking spaces, but Rochester station is a ten-minute walk away, with a direct train to Stratford International taking 29 minutes. Two grammar schools and the prestigious King's School are nearby. Foyers Lodge is a traditional Highland property on the southwest side of Loch Ness with views up the Great Glen. The owners bought it in 2016 and completely renovated it, turning it into an award-winning (it won a Michelin key in 2024) boutique hotel, but it could also be used for weddings, events or as a luxurious family home. There's a two-bedroom staff apartment, a self-contained one-bedroom suite and six en suite bedrooms, all set in formal gardens and woodland across 2.2 acres. It comes with eight salmon-fishing licences on Loch Ness, fishing rights on Loch Bran and Loch Mhor, and planning submitted for owners' accommodation and garaging. Built in 2016, Pheasants has won a Riba award and featured on Grand Designs. It's a five-bedroom riverside house set in 2.17 acres, in Mill End, near Henley-on-Thames. It has a one-bedroom flat in a gatehouse; there is 6,678 sq ft of living space in total. The 44 solar panels on the roof help to keep the energy bills down. Shrub Cottage has three bedrooms and is a short walk from Port Gaverne harbour, near Port Isaac. The 760 sq ft accommodation includes an open-plan kitchen/sitting room with a wood burner. Outside, there's an enclosed front garden with a patio and parking for two cars. A traditional, rustic villa perched above the sea between the beach towns of Kalkan and Kas in the Antalya province, in the southwest of Turkey, also known as the Turquoise Coast. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom property is in the Patara Prince Resort and is a five-minute stroll downhill to the beach. This charming villa, nestled in the idyllic vineyards of Döbling, is where Viennese musical history was written. It was here, in 1831, that a six-year-old Johann Strauss II composed the first bars of his first waltz. The original annexe where the composer, known as Schani, took his first steps still stands today. The villa is set within its own park-like orchard with an unobstructed view of Vienna. There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a sauna, a wine cellar and a light-filled gallery. An elegant, Andalusian-style villa near Marbella on the Costa del Sol, blending traditional charm with modern comforts. The main floor offers a bright living room opening to a terrace, a separate dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen with pantry and laundry. The ground floor has direct access to a private pool and a large landscaped garden. The property has two en suite bedrooms and a third bedroom, all opening to the pool, and a covered porch with a barbecue. On the first floor is a master suite with a dressing room and a private terrace offering panoramic views. It comes with access to communal tennis courts.
Boston Globe
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Sovereignty, Journalism give Belmont Stakes a rematch from Kentucky Derby
Journalism opened as the 8-5 morning line favorite with Sovereignty the second choice at 4-1. Journalism won the Preakness run without Sovereignty after owners and trainer Bill Mott opted to give their horse extra rest. Advertisement The intent was to focus on the Belmont rather than chase the chance for Sovereignty to become the sport's 14th Triple Crown champion and first since Justify in 2018. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'We felt that the best thing for him and to have a career through the whole season, and maybe into next year as well, was spacing his races a little bit,' Banahan said. 'Bill Mott, who's trained horses for us for a long time, is very judicious about where he wants to place his horses. And we put a lot of faith in the recommendations that he would give us.' Michael McCarthy-trained Journalism is the only horse running in all three legs of the Triple Crown this year. And he is the favorite for a reason. Advertisement 'Journalism is a very tough horse,' said John Shirreffs, who trains Baeza. 'One thing about Journalism, [if] he runs his race [like in] Kentucky, Pimlico, he's very tough. He's solid. So, it's going to be a very difficult horse to beat.' Shirrefs said Baeza is emerging and developing, hoping the half-brother of 'Hopefully we get out of the gate well and get a nice pace,' Shirrefs said. 'It's just the how the race unfolds and him not getting into any trouble.' Long shot Heart of Honor is running again after finishing fifth in the Preakness three weeks ago. New to the Triple Crown trail are Hill Road, Uncaged, Crudo, and Rodriguez, who was scratched from the Derby with a minor foot bruise that also caused him to miss the Preakness. Banahan expects Rodriguez to go to the lead, as so many of Hall of Fame and two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert's top horses do, and provide the main speed. 'That horse is going to be ready,' Chad Brown, trainer of Hill Road, said of Rodriguez. 'You can be assured of that. And it sure looks like he's by far the fastest horse in the race.' Brown has won the Preakness twice but never the Belmont. After going to Saratoga with his parents while growing up and getting into horse racing as a result, he's hoping to end his drought at his home track. 'We have a very unique time in history where there'll be three Belmont Stakes run total at Saratoga before you'll never see another one again,' Brown said. 'So, to be part of history with that, that would be extra special.' Advertisement
The Guardian
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Homes for sale in cultural hotspots in England
The Culture Mile is a project devised by the City of London Corporation with the Barbican, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London Symphony Orchestra and the Museum of London. It consists of an arty trail, running for just under a mile from Farringdon. The brutalist development has cultural facilities of its own and runs architectural walking tours. Within the vast complex is a south-facing two-bedroom apartment for sale. It's on the fourth floor of Speed House, and has a private balcony and views over the residents' gardens. £995,000. Frank Harris, 020 7600 7000 Photograph: Harry H/Frank Harris On the first floor of an apartment block overlooking the River Avon is a three-bedroom flat. The mid-century, low-rise development has balconies that jut out above the lush communal gardens. The apartment has a galley kitchen and a dual-aspect living room with sliding doors that open on to a private balcony. There's a space in a secure car park, it includes six moorings and the sale is chain free. The town centre of Stratford – home to the Royal Shakespeare Company – is a short walk away. £685,000. Knight Frank, 01789 206 953 Photograph: Knight Frank Where Westminster meets Pimlico, and within walking distance of Tate Britain, the Saatchi Gallery and the King's Road, is a mansion block with a one-bedroom apartment for sale. With high ceilings and domed sash windows in the living-dining-kitchen area, it is bright and airy, and has views of Battersea Power Station. It comes with a storage room on the lower ground floor. There is no onward chain and the price includes a share of the freehold. The block sits on Bloomburg Street, which links Vauxhall Bridge Road and Vincent Square. £500,000. Jackson-Stops, 020 7828 4050 Photograph: Jackson Stops Nestled among the traditional Victorian terraces and villas, in the private Cressington Park estate, is a 1970s modernist five-bedroom detached house. The large aluminium-framed glazed panels are the stand-out feature and flood the interiors with light. Downstairs there are open-plan living spaces, a bespoke oak kitchen and three bedrooms – one now used as a gym. It is a two-minute walk to the River Mersey promenade and a 12-minute train ride into the city centre with its wide array of art galleries, pubs and restaurants. £1.25m. The Modern House, 020 3795 5920 Photograph: The Modern House This terraced row of new cottages has been built in a Georgian style to complement Bath's architectural vernacular. It forms part of Holburne Park in 2.4 hectares (six acres) of green space in the north-east of the city. In the middle of the terrace is a neat four-bedroom home for sale. Despite the traditionally inspired exterior the inside has been designed to modern tastes with a front-to-back open-plan layout downstairs. It is a few minutes' drive into the city centre with its busy cultural calendar, including the Bath festival. £860,000. Savills, 01225 302 888 Photograph: Savills/BNPS
