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Grenfell Tower The Aftermath Thread SIX.

691 replies

HelenaDove · 05/07/2017 19:46

I thought i would take the oppurtunity to start thread six as thread five is now coming to an end. Thanks Thanks to all those lost in the fire their survivors families friends and volunteers.

Link to thread five which also includes links to previous threads.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/2959251-London-Fire-Grenfell-Tower-thread-five?pg=1

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HelenaDove · 30/06/2018 23:33

HelenaDove Sat 30-Jun-18 23:28:43

Whats going on up in Salford.............i got a real sense of deja vu seeing this tweet.

twitter.com/Bettytoo22/status/1013004051200528384
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HelenaDove Sat 30-Jun-18 23:30:37

this is related to that tweet.

salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2390

Some of you from the early threads will remember the links about Salford because i slotted them into the early Grenfell threads. Because i could see the same attitude going on up there.

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HelenaDove · 02/07/2018 19:48

twitter.com/Bettytoo22/status/1013853927576625154

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HelenaDove · 02/07/2018 19:52

"Electricity surges in Sprucecourt @PendletonTHG blame my cooker @Beko came out said nothing wrong with my cooker.left with a bill of £183.I cant afford it.#Pendletontogether refuse to admit electrical faults in spruce #GrenfellTower had same problem"

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HelenaDove · 12/07/2018 19:56

Dispatches.....Getting Rich from the Housing Crisis. (1 Post)
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HelenaDove Thu 12-Jul-18 19:39:01

Broadcast date...........Monday 16th July.

"The pay of some social housing bosses has hit record levels during the current housing crisis. For Dispatches Anthony Barnett visits communities under threat and asks why, in one of the poorest areas, a housing association executive received a pay out of more than a million pounds"

Synopsis from Radio Times.

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HelenaDove · 17/07/2018 21:25

from fb.

"I moved into my sanctuary property in August 2016. My radiators will not switch off. Last year they paid compensation of over £300. Still, my radiators are coming on. They have replaced valves after valves, Said it is connected up wrong, said it is connected to my shower wrong, They have cleaned the system out. I have two switches, one for gas and one for the hot water. They have told me to have hot water on constant, then told me to have it on the timer, Then told me to only switch on when hot water is needed. The last two times they have been out one chap says we cannot keep coming out. There is nothing wrong with your system, it is because I am using hot water on constant. Even if I try it on the timer or off the heating still comes on. But surely if I have my heating switch off but my hot water one on, then it should only be my hot water that comes on, Or am I missing something!
My Daughter and 2-year-old Grandson live with me, the house has been so hot I have to have fans on constant, My Grandsons room is were the tank is so it is extremely hot I had a fan on, it tripped the switch, Thank goodness I was awake due to my ill health, His fan had tripped the switch, it was overheating, smoking and the inside had melted, I dread to think what would have been the outcome if I was asleep. I am disabled. My energy suppliers have been fantastic and have said my energy bills are not normal, My gas bill is over £800 in arrears, My electric for using fans is over £200 in arrears. I emailed them about covering the cost and this is the email I got back from them after I sent them copies of my bills they requested.. Dear Mrs

Thank you for supplying your gas bills.

I have discussed the complaint with our Gas Trade Supervisor who advised despite numerous visits to reports of the boiler issues you have experienced no fault has been found. Upon reviewing you bills the gas usage is normal so I would recommend you discuss the excessive amounts with your gas supplier.

I regret to inform you that we are unable to cover the cost of your gas bills and can confirm there has been no failure in service in regards to attending your repairs.

If you wish to proceed further with your complaint, please specify any issues you remain dissatisfied with by calling the repairs team or by replying to this email. If we do not hear from you within 20 working days of the date of this email, we will consider this matter resolved and close your complaint."

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HelenaDove · 18/07/2018 18:33

"Detectives investigating the Grenfell Tower fire have conducted three interviews under caution over potential offences relating to the disaster – including manslaughter.

“The police investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire has moved to a new phase with a planned programme of interviews under caution,” Scotland Yard said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that more interviews would take place in the coming weeks.

The interviews, carried out since late June, came as detectives investigated possible charges of gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and breaches of the Health and Safety Act relating to the fire last summer that killed 72 people.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police said the force would not confirm whether three separate suspects had been interviewed, or whether the same suspect had been interviewed more than once.

No one has been arrested for offences relating to the fire itself, though individuals who allegedly falsely claimed to have lived in the tower to receive compensation have been arrested on suspicion of fraud.

Yvette Williams from the campaign group Justice4Grenfell said she welcomed the development in the investigation.

But she added: “It’s unfortunate that it’s taken months after it happened, because if it had been somebody responsible like a member of the public, they would have been called in in June last year.
Guardian Today: the headlines, the analysis, the debate - sent direct to you

“But we do look forward to the police doing a thorough investigation and that they are already thinking ahead in terms of gross manslaughter charges can only be a positive thing.”

Officers have spent the last year scouring the tower for forensic evidence and plan to hand back control of the building to Kensington and Chelsea council in early August.

Commander Stuart Cundy said: “The handover of Grenfell Tower by the police will only occur once we are entirely confident that all police work has been completed at the tower and handing the tower over to the responsible body will have no bearing on the ongoing criminal investigation.

“The concerns of the bereaved, survivors and residents as well as the wider community will be central to how the handover takes place. We recognise this will be a significant milestone and one that is bound to stir a range of emotions for all those affected by this tragedy.

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HelenaDove · 19/07/2018 00:18

www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=4617

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HelenaDove · 17/08/2018 16:19

HelenaDove Fri 17-Aug-18 15:54:45

www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/anne-carver-lodge-residents-row-with-notting-hill-genesis-housing-association-1-5656237
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HelenaDove Fri 17-Aug-18 16:09:14

"Ms Nolan collapsed in her shared-ownership flat at Anne Carver Lodge in Stanley Avenue on August 1.

Police, alerted by social services, forced open her door after looking through her letter box and seeing her motionless on the floor.

But despite her desperate situation, landlord Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) Housing Association refused to fix her door, telling her concerned neighbours it was the pensioner’s responsibility

The leaseholders, most of whom have a shared ownership arrangement with the housing association, said it’s an example of how badly they are all treated – whether its confusion over service charge hikes, installing scaffolding to deal with a leak that was reported two years ago, or disregarding safety fire policy.

Lorraine Jimenez, who lives in one of the 30 flats within the three storey block, wrote to building insurers to determine who was responsible for Ms Nolan’s door. She said: “NHG point blank refused to arrange the repair or replacement of Claire’s door and told the police that she had to arrange the repair herself. This is despite them knowing her age and that she was in a bad way and taken by ambulance to hospital.”

And she claimed: “They stated that it was not their responsibility which in fact it is. The door is part of the fabric of the building and is as such covered by their buildings insurance so they had a duty arrange this repair. We’ve been having many issues with NHG but this is just callous.”

She explained how they have all seen the charges for cyclical work on the estate – such as structural changes, painting or replacing windows – “increased by 800 per cent”. And she said the residents association has been going “back and forth” arguing costs

The latest work is scaffolding that appeared on one side of the building on July 16, to repair a leak in a flat reported more than two years ago.

Hitesh Sangtani, whose home is affected by the scaffolding, said to date no one had appeared to do any work. He said: “I’m going to make a formal complaint about this. The last two weeks of July were very hot and the way they’ve mounted the metal beams, we could only open the window a fraction. My 70-year-old mother is suffering with the heat and also with the fear that a burglar might attempt to climb it and break into her room.

“At first we thought the scaffolding was part of cyclical work which is due to happen soon, but it’s independent of that. So why do this work now? When we will be charged again?”

Shelley Marcia added: “Service charges are always a problem. They are never accurate, always an estimate, so at the end of the year you get a letter saying you are in arrears, so you have to go back to them and the whole thing is very stressful – very, very stressful.

As for Ms Nolan’s door, her neighbours paid for the door to be replaced and hope to be reimbursed by NHG.

Her brother Joe Nolan flew from New York after being called by UK police officers and alerted to his sister’s condition.

The 80-year-old said: “She’s not well. The hospital wish to move her to a rehabilitation home but she’s very, very weak. From my understand NHG has the responsibility to respond, especially when it’s an emergency as happened to my sister. They were really unconcerned about what was transpiring. To think police were making the request. There should be no question when police contacts the housing association for assistance, there should be an immediate response.

“That was disgraceful. I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else in future.”

He added: “The police were extremely courteous, civil and very concerned about my sister and very professional in their work. My wife and I really appreciated the kindness that has been offered by her neighbours who showed real concern. In this building the community should be fostered, not disregarded.”

A NHG spokesman said: “The upkeep of front doors is generally the responsibility of leaseholders, as set out in their lease, though our checks have shown that is not the case at Anne Carver Lodge. However, in these particular circumstances discretion should have been used regardless and the door repaired by us immediately. We thank the resident’s neighbours for their generous response and will of course reimburse them.” There was no comment on the other issues"

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HelenaDove · 20/08/2018 16:38

"Families living in a north London block of flats judged to be at risk of collapse have told the Victoria Derbyshire programme they are living in fear.

Eighty seven households have been told to leave by the end of October, but only 19 have accepted accommodation.

Checks after the Grenfell Tower fire found parts of the Tangmere block could fall if there was a gas explosion.

Haringey Council said it was working with residents to find them new homes.

Like many of the blocks on the Broadwater Farm estate, the 116 flats in the six-storey Tangmere were built using a large panel system in the 1970s.

It is the same kind of construction as the Ronan Point block, which partially collapsed in east London 50 years ago, killing four people.

The incident led to a requirement for re-enforcement work on similar towers. But this was not completed everywhere, and structural checks on the blocks in this estate were only ordered last year."

The council told residents the risk of a collapse was low, but the threat was sufficiently high to require evacuation due to its construction method, and the fact that it had a gas supply.

It said a number of additional safety measures had been put in place to reduce the risk further, including replacing gas cookers with electric and employing 24-hour concierges to prevent people bringing gas bottles into the building.

Selina Dusie, a mother-of-four who has lived there since 1996, said: "I am scared. If I go to work and leave my children home I'm scared. I don't know what is going to happen.

"No-one is safe in this building. They [the council] told us they are going to move us but every day they say something different."
'People at risk'

Arnold Tarling, a surveyor and fire safety expert, said there had been been a number of reports since the 1980s outlining the risks in the building.

"I have raised concerns about the way the building is constructed," he said.

"I have raised concerns about the fact that they have gas in them when they shouldn't. I also have concerns about their fire doors, when they've got plastic fire doors defectively installed

Patrick Crooks, 53, who lives on the fourth floor, is still angry he has been told his studio flat is unsafe.

"I have made this my home and all of a sudden they just want to kick us out and put us somewhere worse," he said.

"It is hard thinking about it, day by day. But what can I do? If they have to kick us out they have to kick us out."

Research group Tower Blocks UK said there were around 1,500 large panel system blocks across the UK that need to urgently be structurally investigated to ensure they were not in danger of progressive collapse.

The construction became popular in the 1960s as a way of building cheap housing. Other tower blocks in London, Leicester and Portsmouth have been evacuated following checks.

"We consider these blocks to be a potential risk. They need to be examined to ensure that they are not in danger of progressive collapse, and to ensure that each flat can contain a fire for one hour," said tower block safety campaigner Frances Clark.

'Inherent design flaws'

The council's preferred option is demolition, but it is still in consultation about whether to rebuild or to refurbish Tangmere. The estimated cost of repairs is £13m.

Lord Heseltine was environment secretary from 1979 to 1983, responsible for reviving run-down estates in high-poverty areas.

He wants central government to offer more support to local authorities to evacuate residents who are found to be living in unsafe buildings.

"I would like to see far more power from London switched to local people, local authorities and local communities," he said. "I think they have a greater sense of what's at stake, a greater involvement, and a greater knowledge of what needs to be done."

Haringey Council said it has made offers of alternative accommodation to 60 households, with 19 of these accepted and a large number of viewings arranged.

It has also made a series of commitments to residents, including a promise that they will be able to return to the estate once the block is strengthened or new homes built, and that they will not be worse off financially due to the move.

The council said: "Tangmere absolutely needs improvements. We know there have been a number of issues, which staff are constantly trying to address. But in terms of long-term solutions, the block has inherent design flaws which make many issues very difficult to resolve.

The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "Building owners are responsible for checking their properties, and we have given councils and housing associations advice on checking the structural safety of buildings which use large panel systems."

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HelenaDove · 25/08/2018 20:59

Update on Thistle Housing Association which is featured on page 9

www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/16595801.thistle-housing-association-slammed-for-financial-mismanagement/

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HelenaDove · 26/08/2018 17:07

www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/16596905.toryglen-residents-fury-over-botched-home-repairs/
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HelenaDove Sun 26-Aug-18 17:05:02

"ON every visit to Kerrycroy Avenue and surrounding streets, more and more residents wanted to speak out about problems with their homes.
One couple had to have their house roughcasted four times before it was of accepted standard
And, in one instance, repairs had to be made when the flue from their boiler was sealed in by workmen, causing a potential hazard.

One block of flats had scaffolding erected that blocked their patio doors – used as main entrances to the homes.

READ MORE: 'Our two-year hell' - Glasgow housing group's catalogue of serious failures exposed

For most, they could go out their back doors... but one woman in a wheelchair was left trapped in her home.

In another block of flats, blue plastic was used to cover residents’ windows
While they were told this would be for a few days, the plastic was there for five months, meaning they couldn’t see out and had to have their lights on even in daytime.

One man told the Evening Times he’d come home from work to find two workmen having a physical fight in his front garden
This resulted in police and an ambulance being called – and further delays to his upgrade works.

READ MORE: Toryglen flats saga continues with residents claiming 'turmoil'

Residents claimed they had no notice of the works until Thistle employees visited their homes to say they had to pay £2129.10 towards costs.

Some said they were visited on a Tuesday and told they had to pay up by the Thursday or work wouldn’t go ahead.

One man had sewage flood his home six times
READ MORE: Tollcross woman in housing association battle to meet director over late mother's home

In another property, an object was dropped from scaffolding and plunged through a patio – giving a narrow escape to the owner.

A group of residents set up a website to detail the problems they were having and Thistle bosses reported them to the police

In another incident, a resident contacted Thistle to ask for a workman to repair a damaged entry system and was visited by police with an accusation of vandalism instead.

The Evening Times has repeatedly asked how much the project costs have now run to but neither E-on nor Thistle will divulge the answer"

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