Feeling let down – again and again
PEOPLE GRIEVING AFTER GRENFELL FIRE ACCUSE COUNCIL OF FAILING THEM
GRIEVING survivors and people who were bereaved by the Grenfell fire disaster, have told council leaders they have completely failed in their duty.
“You have failed in the past, you have failed in the present and you will fail in the future” was the bitter message from residents at a Kensington and Chelsea council lead- ership meeting.
Councillors were also warned they must confront the past to help build a new future for people affected by the disaster in north Kensington.
Residents who turned out, spoke for over an hour about their anger and frustration over the last 19 months after the catastrophe, which claimed the lives of 72 people.
One resident said the bereaved need to be more involved in Grenfell recovery.
He said: “These families are destroyed, if they come to tell key workers what is going on with their lives they should be helped.”
Speakers at the meeting included Ed Daffarn, who lived in Grenfell Tower and had warned about his concerns over the refurbishment of the tower.
He told the meeting “there can be no recovery without truth”.
Mr Daffarn called for the council to commission reports into a series of issues, including the plans, which have now been overturned, to lease North Kensington library to a private school and its plans to redevelop the site of Wornington College for housing.
The council now says the college, which offers courses for adults such as ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) is key to the north Kensington’s recovery.
The council’s leadership team approved £50m of funding for Grenfell recovery over the next five years.
The money will come from the council’s resources or borrowing.
However residents said the council did not consult widely enough about its recovery strategy.
They said 11 residents’ associations in Notting Dale were not consulted in the draft recovery plan.
According to the council papers it had 844 responses from an ideas day attended by 150 people last November. It said it leafleted 37,000 homes and held seven workshops and 14 drop in sessions last autumn to discuss its “creating stronger communities” strategy.
Councillor Campbell said: “We felt that we have really tried to reach out to the community to find out what is important to them.”
The council’s chief executive Barry Quirk he has already commissioned a report into Wornington College, following the damning Kroll report which looked into the building’s sale.
Council leader Elizabeth Campbell said: “We must redouble our efforts.”
She told residents change must be led by them and added “you need to take us along.”
Jacqui Haynes from the Lancaster West Estate Residents Association told the council: “It feels like we have to fight tooth and nail ...perhaps you need to rethink your principles about what is community led.” Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith who is responsible for Grenfell said there had been a number of consultation events.
He said: “It does not stop you giving us some feedback, this is not the end of the story. What we need to hear from you is what you need.” Notting Dale ward councillor Judith Blakeman said the coucil needs to include people in estates such as Wilson Street, which is run by a housing association as well as people who are not represented by housing associations.
The council will be staging events in February and March to get more feedback about the recovery strategy.
It will also be considered by next month’s Grenfell Recovery Scrutiny.
There can be no recovery without truth.