Latest news with #andChelseaCouncil
BBC News
18-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Rapid purchase of properties for Grenfell residents criticised
A London council is trying to sell 14 properties it bought to house the survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy that are in such a poor state that they cannot be rented and Chelsea Council said it knowingly took some risks purchasing the properties "in the necessary interest of speed", a council report authority had to find homes for hundreds of residents displaced by the fire in Grenfell Tower in June 2017, in which 72 people died and more than 70 were injured. In all, they bought a total of 290 group Grenfell Next of Kin said the admission was just one example of "epic failures in the aftermath of a disaster". A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Purchasing 290 homes in 2017 was an unprecedented challenge, and the council knowingly took some risks to complete sales quickly."The authority said it soon became evident some of the properties were unsuitable and would prove difficult to bring up to the high safety standards required for social housing. They added the purchases would not have been made had more detailed information been available and had the "necessity of the circumstances" been different."This included conducting only limited surveys and purchasing privately owned properties that we assumed could be made suitable for social housing," they said."It is inevitable that quality will vary when purchasing this many properties at speed, especially as many had been in private ownership."The council wants to sell 14 homes it purchased because they are in such a poor state that they cannot be brought up to standard, which has raised questions about council processes and a waste of taxpayer money. Emma O'Connor, who escaped in a lift from the 20th floor with her partner, accused the council of failing to learn from its said: "They don't investigate before they do something. Rush is the biggest red flag. You cannot rush fire safety."People's lives mean more than money. If it takes a long time [to find a suitable property], so be it. It's a human right to live somewhere safe."Survivors group Grenfell Next of Kin said the admission was "the tip of the iceberg".They said: "The decision made by the Tory government in the immediate aftermath of the fire to leave the same negligent Tory council in charge of the aftermath with a blank cheque, without any oversight or scrutiny, was a grave misstep, harmful for the victims and irresponsible."Kensington and Chelsea Council said residents were moved on once issues were raised with the properties it purchased after the tragedy. Some of the properties were never occupied due to safety issues such as unusual layouts or fire escape council said it would reinvest the proceeds from the sales back into social housing in the February, the government said the 24-storey Grenfell Tower would be gradually dismantled. A spokesperson said the process was expected to take around two years and it would be done "sensitively", with no changes to the building before the eighth anniversary of the disaster in June.
BBC News
29-03-2025
- BBC News
Notting Hill Carnival sound system banned after bottle attack
A sound system has been banned from Notting Hill Carnival after a man at the venue had a bottle smashed over his head and was left on the and Chelsea Council said it had no choice but to revoke Volcano Sound System's licence after the reveller suffered "deep lacerations" to his neck, head, legs and hand during last year's authority called the decision "proportionate and appropriate" after the Met Police raised concerns about letting the venue operate again this council said the carnival should safe for everybody, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported. According to documents shared with the council, the bottle incident took place when a drunken party-goer was refused entry to a VIP area by an Met said nobody at the club called the police or ambulance service, and criticised Volcano manager Courtney White's handling of the matter as "completely unacceptable".Mr White said it was "unfortunate" the police had requested a licence review after what he said was a decade of safely delivering a sound system the council committee said Volcano, which had operated at the festival since 2008, failed to protect an intoxicated and clearly vulnerable person who had been seriously assaulted on the said the venue breached a number of its licensing conditions, including ensuring security staff were clearly identifiable. 'Deflected his responsibility' Volcano staff and Mr White, the committee said, showed no consideration for the victim's vulnerability and made no effort to tell police or ambulance services about what had said nobody approached police to explain the situation once they arrived and that Mr White did not appreciate his responsibility to run his premises decision read: "At times during the hearing, the premises licence holder seemed to deflect his responsibility by stating that his security team did not follow his instructions and that the Metropolitan Police did not provide him with enough support."It said the police had explained their role was more reactive whereas the premises licence holder should be was a summary decision, and Volcano cannot appeal until a full decision is handed White, who claimed a person involved in the assault wearing a Volcano T-shirt had bought it and was not a staff member, said they would stop selling branded clothing to aid in identification. He also pledged to train staff and volunteers "via a reputable training provider" and increase the number of welfare stewards.
