London Fire: Grenfell Tower thread five

[RhythmAndStealth]

RIP

Five victims officially named
At least 79 victims expected, possibly more
Many displaced and struggling

To all those affected and all those helping

Thread four
Thread three
Thread three contains links to threads one and two.

According to the Independent they are Social housing, in affordable housing blocks

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/grenfell-tower-latest-victims-rehoused-2bn-kensington-luxury-apartment-block-68-flats-a7800856.html

The properties are "newly built social housing" at a site where private homes are on offer from £1,575,000 to £8.5 million and boast a 24-hour concierge and a private cinema, according to the website of developer St Edward.

The homes will be in two affordable housing blocks at the site, and were purchased by the City of London Corporation in a deal brokered by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Mary, I doubt it was a toss up between two types of cladding. I'd say it was moreso that maybe three companies tendered for the works giving an overall cost. Each would have provided the specs for cladding they would be using. While looking at the tender, it wouldn't have been a case of choosing one company over the other on the basis of the cost of cladding. Tenders are generally awarded primarily on overall price and obviously meeting the initial specs. It's possible that no company actually offered the alternative cladding. It's available we know, but we don't know whether it was ever offered as far as I know.

Alba You got none of it?

The problem as I see it without having any knowledge whatsoever is that the council or whoever put it out to tender didn't put a higher spec on the cladding.

From another thread.

"Actually I think the money was there. James O'Brien read out a letter on LBC the other day which had been sent to the highest band council tax payers in the borough. It said they were getting £100 council tax reimbursement because the council had been so efficient they had a huge surplus. This was in 2014 so about the same time that cheapo cladding was put on. Shortly afterwards the Conservatives got a huge majority in the council elections.

It was the political will that wasn't there"

Mary the kctmo took over the management of the borough's council house stock many Years ago. They manage thousands of properties and leaseholders (those that bought under right to buy) pay them a lot of money. Technically yes some tenants are on the board (probably mainly those residents that own their home and speak English) but it is run as a business with senior people earning hundreds of thousands of pounds. The reality is those residents in grenfell tower had very little say in the refurbishments.

It is wonderful to see the residents are going to be rehomed in the borough.

Also councillors of rbkc are on the board of kctmo. Judith Blakeman a labour councillor has written on behalf of kctmo some nasty and bullying letters to the grenfell action group who were trying in vain to highlight the dangers. She then after the fire had the audacity to try and speak up for the residents and talked of the octal as if she had nothing yo do with them. Couldn't believe her cheek. She's been referred to as the Tory council's poodle as she has been known to go along with them on many occasions.

*octal??? Should say kctmo

Helena, I think a link to that letter was on here a few threads back, if it is the same one, it was in the Guardian.

The person who wrote it, took the money he'd got back to one of the support centres. He described it as blood money

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/16/my-council-tax-rebate-from-kensington-and-chelsea-is-blood-money

Those flats would have been handed over anyway as part of an S106 agreement, I think. The money has been paid to speed up the build.

grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2017/06/19/grenfell-tower-the-kctmo-culture-of-negligence/

Not sure if this has been posted already. The grendel action group's latest information, highlighting the years of negligence on the part of the tmo.

*grenfell not grendel

Judith Blakemans pathetic attempt at pretending to be their advocate was an attempt at her covering her own arse.

And some quarters still wonder why the residents trust in the authorities has completely gone.

Yes Helena couldnt believe her cheek!! I do hope no stone is left with the lot of them.

Beyond yes. It all went to businesses who were looted and had property stolen as far as I can tell. The shop under us that had been the target was uninsured because they'd lied on their policy, so they got a pay out, but we were underinsured and the Home Office told us (but not until after about 6 months) that it was our problem basically. The government comp was allocated on a market value basis for physical stuff only, so nothing for hotel costs, wages lost, food budget because we had no cooking facilities for 6 weeks. Our insurance didn't house us or reimburse us for any of the costs of travelling or for money we paid to friends to cover our living costs when we stayed with them either.

I'm very glad to see this much scrutiny now - and that there will finally be an upgrade (although upgrading nothing is pretty easy!) to the emergency response to events like this. There are so many costs you incur that you can't insure yourself for - no policy exists to do it. I was lucky that my bank allowed me to extend my overdraft so I could at least buy some clothes etc. The Sky News debacle also royally screwed me at a time when I was managing recovering from 2 surgeries, becoming homeless, having to return to work and fighting the insurance company. If any of the victims are young and without family around or vulnerable in any way I'm very concerned that they'll give up because it's made SO difficult to navigate all of this.

that needs reporting in the national press while grenfell is fresh in people's minds. Cause I can very easily see the same happening to them :(

Surprisingly, "catastrophe insurance" seems to be an actual thing (covering natural and manmade disasters and terrorist attacks), though it's just making me think of volcano insurance.

Albadross i was thinking about what you went through and the thought did occur to me that it was probably businesses who got the money.

What happened to you and the way it was dealt with was disgusting.

" that needs reporting in the national press while grenfell is fresh in people's minds. Cause I can very easily see the same happening to them"

THIS!

Oi, media people who are always trawling mn!!

Albadross is a "real" poster FYI who has been on various news, not a random troll. You need to be reporting this, not crap about wedding cakes or whatever it is that's been nicked this week.

Albadross Do you have twitter? Hashtag journorequest and your story will probably get picked up.

SIXTEEN council inspections failed to spot flammable cladding.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/21/grenfell-tower-16-council-inspections-failed-to-stop-use-of-flammable-cladding?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I'm so glad there's some housing being freed up.

Skeptical brain thinks:

1. What will these flats be like & what facilities will they be able to access?
2. What happens to the other people on the waiting list for social housing? Have the council just knocked back other people instead, in order to white wash this particular PR disaster. Wouldn't be surprised if they've done this as would fit with the mentally of pitting people in need again st each other vs actually freeing up more in total.

I really hope I'm being too cynical here...

Flats near me have a beautiful entrance with a porter and spacious lifts... and a scrubby door round the side for the paupers social housing. It's a kick in the teeth each time I see it, stark reminder that our society has created a second class of citizens. Harks back to the servants entrances in the olden days.