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Sunday 6 January 2013

KENSINGTON SOCIETY FIRES BROADSIDE AT COUNCIL

PERMANENT BLOT ON HOLLAND HOUSE

The Kensington Society is one of the most effective and powerful of Borough resident associations:its views need to be taken extremely seriously....
In a broadside against the Council's own application to itself, making the Opera Holland Park canopy permanent, it has demonstrated the administrative incompetence of the Cockell Leadership. 
Amanda Frame, Chairman of the Kensington Society, has submitted a devastating objection, with a forensic analysis that has become a hallmark of the Kensington Society. 
But it is the introduction to their evidence that is jaw dropping:

"The Kensington Society is strongly objecting to this application. Before addressing the points of the
objection however, we must point out an error in the description. With regard to the Listed Building Grade it is noted as N/A. Holland House is Listed Grade I and it was one of our first listed buildings: it was listed on 29 July 1949. 
Listed within the RBKC’s own website, The History of the Royal Borough, "The great houses of Kensington", Holland House is noted as one of three of the greatest houses in the Royal Borough. It is unfortunate that in an application made by RBKC itself it does not recognise the importance of this building. 
English Heritage guidance, published in January 2012, states that they MUST be consulted about any application which affects the setting of a Grade I or II* building. We understand that English Heritage has not been consulted and therefore any approval of the application is invalid".

There cannot be clearer evidence that Cllr Cockell is trying to run the Borough as his personal fiefdom. When he wants to do something-even if plain wrong, he just steamrollers the system and abuses process to achieve his ends. To hear that his close Cabinet colleague, Cllr Lightfoot, is concerned about the application makes the situation even more serious.....

65 comments:

  1. Economic analysis determines political action. Cllr Cockell enjoys the status and kudos that he derives from "his" opera in the park but it is costing £ millions of council tax and he has to find a way to cut the losses. Expanding the "season" from seven to 20 weeks or more is the answer. He is taking political action to achieve this without thought for heritage or the interests of residents who want to walk their dogs in a beautiful park. He is upsetting powerful groups of residents, Friends of Holland Park, the Kensington Society and the grandees. Fertile ground for a revolution.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Retired Chief Executive6 January 2013 at 12:17

    This is more evidence of an administration that is in terminal decline. A local Government Councillor who describes himself in the official council website as "Prime Minister" is evidence of manic hubris. A once professional Planning Department that cannot even recognise its statutory obligations (as pointed out by the Kensington Society) is evidence of a team that is tearing itself apart because it is being forced to act against its professional obligations. There must be governance processes somewhere in the Conservative Party to resolve the Leadership situation in K&C. A leadership that has become a danger to democracy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One litmus test of an organisation in decay is to understand how the "informal" organisation works. When the main concern of employees is "What does he want to hear?" things are usually in a very bad state. There seems to be more and more evidence that the Cabinet and senior staff at the Council are fixated with knowing the answer to "What does he want to hear?".

      Delete
    2. As a former employee I find it so sad to see that this council has joined others in the gutter and making up it's own rules. I would never have believed it possible. The turning point was when senior management forgot their role and their main aim was their 'golden handshake'.

      Delete
  3. When are the Tory backbenchers in Hornton Street planning to wake up and take notice of what is going on around them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't be naive ,they are all fully aware of everything. They don't care a jot unless it impacts on them. What we need is to be able to throw the lot out and start again if we can find anyone out there with any principals

      Delete
  4. I think it is time for change at Hornton Street before it is too late

    ReplyDelete
  5. I would not just leave it to the bank benchers. How about the front benchers getting off their backsides, acting responsibly and letting Sir Merrick know that enough is enough and that it is time for him to go!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It is always a sad sight when good men and women get spoiled by power and hang on too long. Mrs Thatcher's end was sad. She was a strong woman and everyone in her Cabinet was too frightened to tell her after she overstayed. Cllr Cockell has been holding on to power for 14 years. Not even American Presidents are allowed to go on for more than two terms. The Dame has been lecturing Cllr Cockell for years. If he wont leave with dignity, then he needs to be bundled out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The sooner the better

      Delete
    2. If he is not willing to go with dignity then he should be pushed out and replaced with somebody more suitable.

      Delete
    3. The only way it will get better is to not only get rid of him but the senior management who have bowed and scraped to these idiots .

      Delete
  7. Pretty strong stuff from the Kensington Society

    ReplyDelete
  8. The last week or so of blogging on the Hornet suggests that there is a crisis in and around Hornton Street that goes wider than the opera

    ReplyDelete
  9. The crisis is bigger than anyone can imagine, when he is eventually extricated from his seat then and only then will we see the true chaos of what this tinpot dictator has left behind. What we have seen via the wonderful Hornets Nest is the tip of the iceberg.

    Interesting that all the powerful people only wake up when a tent is being put up over a building and I agree its another example of his arrogance. But what they haven't realised is even worse, the residents, that includes rich and poor have been sold up and down the river by his tri borough antics. With certain officers in charge relishing the fact that they can take their neighbour ie RBKC down a peg or two.

    Time to get rid of him and redress the fact that Kensington and Chelsea residents simply want a local council to deal with their local issues and to spend our money on projects that our communities need.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every word you have said is spot on.

      Delete
    2. Wildlife and foxes. This is the only way to wake the Tories up. Nothing else matters

      Delete
  10. Residents in the more affluent part of the Borough are now experiencing the kind of ill treatment our community on Lancaster West Estate (North Kensington) have been subjected to for the last couple of years.
    Read more about the Council and the Planning Department's contempt for residents at:

    http://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But you have to understand that these people are not like the Tories that used to govern this borough. This crowd are only out fthe umber one and the people in the North have to fend for themselves. Let us hope that the people in the less affluent areas remember this at the next election and go to vote.

      Delete
  11. Kensington Resident6 January 2013 at 18:33

    I have not seen the detailed objections from the Kensington Society but the words above suggest that standards have slipped very badly. Planning Applications are a semi judicial process and the quality of submissions are expected to conform with the rules and regulations. For the Council itself to make glaring omissions and misrepresentations in an application that it makes to itself demonstrates that there is extreme abuse of process going on. When I talked recently with a Tory Councillor and protested about the tent proposal he told me not to waste my time. "It is a fix" I was told. The exact words. I did not believe this person. Now I am not sure

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would say that this most serious allegation that the tent proposal will go through because "It is a fix" requires to be fully investigated before this matter can be discussed any further. If there is any truth in this allegation that correct procedures are not being followed by the letter then this must be put right before any further discussion about not only this application but also any others in the pipe line. Those shameful people who are responsible should also be dismissed immediatley and possibly face criminal prosecution.

      Delete
    2. Before anybody says this must come from Mr Palmer the correct spelling is immediately!

      Delete
  12. This blog has been saying devastating things about the current Tory administration in Hornton Street. Why don't they respond on line and tell us if the bloggers are wrong?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because their arrogance knows no bounds that is why they will not respond and nothing will happen to them. These are the words of a realist .

      Delete
  13. If Cllr Mills intends to stand for the Leadership of K&C then she had better pull her finger out. There is a "moment" in politics and after a successful year as Mayor she has presence and visibility. And many supporters. Her moment is now. But in a years time she will be history.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In twelve months time she will be dust. Just another Councillor. Now is the time to move

      Delete
  14. Mills - Leader - I predict that this story is more bollocks from the Hornet

    ReplyDelete
  15. There are have been 26 previous comments all discussing issues sensibly, coherently and intelligently.
    On this occasion the Dame will allow your comment will stand, however, in future remember to express yourself in a civilised way...others manage to.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I quite like the canopy. will keep things dry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it will be perfect for a soaking wet idiot like you

      Delete
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