Grenfell: The End of an Experiment?
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- Опубліковано 29 тра 2018
- Following the fire at Grenfell Tower, Anthony Wilks investigates the culture of Kensington and Chelsea Council and where it came from.
The film accompanies a written piece about Grenfell and its aftermath by Andrew O'Hagan for the London Review of Books. Read it here: lrb.me/thetower
Subscribe to the LRB from just £1 per issue: mylrb.co.uk/adw21W
Correction: At 20:02, the figure '8,840' should read '6,840'.
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This council is disgusting. They had to have known this was going to happen. They did not respond to tenants concerns and threatened them with legal jargon. They should be held responsible for 72 counts of first degree murder.
Cost cutting has cost lives.they will probably continue putting up these buildings on the cheap .it was about saving money.i only hope that those responsible can live with there conscience .
I do believe that a death caused by willful negligence in the name of cost-cutting is tantamount to murder. Here we see 72 of those occurring and little accountability for it to this day. It's completely unacceptable and every detail I hear about this tragedy enrages me further. One of the most apt descriptions of the Grenfell fire comes from the thumbnail of Plainly Difficult's video on the fire: "Cost Cutting at Any Price."
The fact that the counselor thinks that having won awards means they can't have done any wrong says it all really.
The result of graduation ceremony in action. They've been praised for routine checkpoint with zero achievements - now every little worthless effort they put, is a matter of great celebration.
Exactly... won awards from the rich people who they serve with time on their hands to vote. Morons.
When I was about 21, a fresh graduate, I was close to buying one of the top floor flats in one of the sister buildings to Grenfell. It was two bedroom, very spacious and had views right across London, main windows facing the Thames, the corner windows to Wembley.
In the end, I didn't buy it, because they were about to start recladding the outside, and they wanted an each private owner to pay £80k for it. That was the same cladding that Grenfell was later covered in. Quite frightening really.
Damn. 80k per person? To pay for their own casket? Those thieves.
Glad that you never purchased the flat. No one should be purchasing a flat in a huge tower block. It's too frightening
Haya Glamazon I would of chose a 1st floor apartment there
I had the same is Sheffield, they wanted £7 from me towards a new roof, the council were the leaseholders and I was on the bottom floor. There were 11 other dwellings. Makes for an expensive roof when my dad could have done my bit to the same spec for a grand.
Tom Jardine you still have to pay regardless of what floor you’re on.
Congratulations on this clear and hard-hitting film. Absolutely right that ignoring history is usually a bad idea.
I live in the United States and watched this happen online. I cannot fathom how difficult it is to deal with the memories of that night. Hopefully, those in charge will make sure they don't take advantage of those they serve and allow another tragedy like this to happen ever again.
As an architect, there is no way that this tragedy was unforeseen, as the council like to suggest. In the last part of this documentary (53:51) the man is utterly correct. The design of Grenfell was in such a way that it created a vacuum in which the fire would spread up and around the building, engulfing the whole mass in a fireball, much like a chimney. The coucil ignored maintenance issues and refused to look into problems, which to me seems very suspicious.
Its also interesting that as poorer working classes occupy an area strive to achieve and become better, create an ORIGINAL identity and subculture which usually flourishes! That area now having 'character' is then Hijacked by rich upper-class citizens who monopolize upon that identity and subculture because they have the money to buy them out. The wealthy are opportunist leeches who deprive poor communities of the 'tools' that helped them escape, instead of helping their fellow man they steal there ideas/identities, package it in a box, wrap it up and sell it on to other wealthy individuals to make more profit. now thats capitalism folks.
Mr Mojo Risin Come live in oppressive communism with me, you'll love it!
Mr Mojo Risin well said
Is it that black and white is it?
So now the PM has belatedly apologised for not meeting the victims' families when she visited the area to thank the fire service - an apology that's taken a year to make. She also remarked at the time that it was '... an unforeseen tragedy.' And this is the person who's running the country - or supposed to be.
Back in 1945 a B17 Flying Fortress crashed into the Empire State Building. The aircrew and a number of people inside were killed but the building didn't collapse.
I lived in and grew up in Westborne Park Road and went to a youth club run by Claudia Jones, the BIT was right on my doorstep and we hung out there with Nicolas and Pals they were great days for a 12 year old, my friends lived in some of those slums in Coville Road they were death traps there was a makeshift kitchen on all the landings and there was always fires, the council didn't care then and don't care now, It is a wonderful area of London with some of the most amazing people on this earth, my heart broke when I saw the Grenfield fire it bought back flashbacks of the flat fires I saw as a kid, someone needs to go to prison THIS time, god bless to you all
I just want you to know that I was moved by your comment and the history you shared. What an extraordinary contrast of opposites in such a small area. I hope people like you write down your own history. I can't visit that time, but I can follow your experiences :)
It's really scarey you say flat FIRES, plural. How many does it take before they act?
So sad what happened, I know it goes without saying that we all have thought, RIP those lost and thoughts to fam and friends. Also its such a shame that in the years after, some tenants still didn't have permanent accommodation. I thought the international news media shaming the local council would force them to act. I was wrong.
God bless them.
This was a great documentary highly informative and entertaining, well edited, and narrated you guys deserve more views this is top notch doc. thank you!
Ratso Rizzo Indeed it's an excellent documentary
On the evening after the fire, Councilor Feilding-Mellen, head of housing for Kensington & Chelsea, hosted a party at his country residence. At least 72 people were dead on his watch and hundreds were without anywhere to sleep that night, but he went ahead with a party!
The only thing that surprises me is the fact that you find that surprising. Of course he went ahead with his party. They don’t care!!
Wonderful nuanced examination of the history behind Grenfell. Essential viewing.
It's not just this council. It's all of them even in Newham council started to demolish social housing and sell land to private developments making people homeless or move them outside of London to places like Birmingham etc. So why are they taking our tax and not helping the poor. Upper class people started to move into Newham private developments and I predict 5 more years the area would be divided as rich and poor..
Ali Ahmed if they continue moving the rich in and the poor out there will be no heart left in London and it will die.
undeniable truth in your words and the thought of class segregation in my homeland is horrifying, its not what britain used to be about we were once proud of our non-biased majorities its just sad proof of how corrupt the people in power are nowadays. they won't have any luck pushing more populus into birmingham the homeless situation there is at critical levels already mostly due to them doing the same there. tearing down high rise housing blocks to build houses for theso-called elite.
Me and my friend went to Grenfell tower the following evening of the fire to give black bags of clothes for the victims who had lost everything it was so difficult to stop the car as cars with aid were being turned away, we was told you can’t leave your car here so turn back and leave, looking up & seeing the building with red glowing embers of the contents inside each home still burning was absolutely upsetting and knowing people were inside burned alive just brought tears to my eyes, it was terrible seeing it on the news but being there and seeing it in person? just made me so angry with the leaders of this borough, no one should ever face anything like this & I’ve noticed nothing has been done to remove the cladding from the other 400 tower buildings in London? 4yrs on they all still have this cladding on, there was a fire 4 minutes away from where I live last weekend it was on the tv news the same thing happened cladding caught fire very quickly destroying 3 storeys of that building thank goodness the firefighters got control of that fire & had it been at night like Grenfell it may have been worse, when will these councils learn? They are full of excuses yet fail to see they are at fault it’s disgusting
The sad truth is, we had already seen the effects of flammable materials over 40 years ago with the Summerland fire.
Sadly lessons never seem to be learned
The politician took 'responsibility for the 'perceived' failings' If they were only seen by others as failings - and not actual failings - why would he resign. Why could this official creep not ADMIT that mistakes had been made? People had died, but the failings were percieved, not real.
GRRRR!!!! Your comment got me riled up! I HATE those political non-apologies: "I'm sorry you feel..." "I'm sorry if..." "We regret that you..." I learned when I was TWO how to say I'm sorry for what I'd done! In Japan, an official is expected to cry real tears when giving a public apology to show his/her sincerity. I think we should import that one to the West!
I visited a friends house near Ladbroke Grove on the Saturday after the fire and I saw all the posters up everywhere of missing people from Grenfell tower. It was heartbreaking. It was also unnecessary. I say unnecessary because the events of that horrible night were so avoidable. Not to mention criminal.
This was very well done, thank you for making it.
I am from Rio, Brazil and truly can say our local authorities can relate To these depicted in this documentary. To fight for less greed by real estate kings and landowners is a must in any community! To fight for safe housing is our right after so many regardless meadures that took already so many lives! Congrats on the excellent research!!!! Loved it - very inspiring indeed!!!
Brilliant documentary. When are people going to hold their hands up admit their mistakes that lead to these deaths and face true justice?. Kudos to the community for remaining so calm and not resorting to fighting their fire with a very justifiable fire upon the people responsible.
It's clear that the poor were ignored for years. That building would have been made safe in weeks if the rich lived in it. Heads should have rolled for this tragedy and failing, yet it only impacted the poor so never mind. 35:15 yes she won't win an Oscar anytime soon.
Nuanced and insightful. Thanks.
Thank you for an extremely informative and objective presentation 👩🏻💻
This film is truly excellent, I watched it all and now have a much better understanding.
Haden! check out the Grenfell inquiry here: ua-cam.com/users/results?search_query=grenfell+inquiry
@@carlosonliones202 Hi Carlos I have been watching it upto lockdown and its tragically enlightening.
There are hundreds of hours but it's done in a simple to understand way.
So far I have ascertained that Studio E are very much jointly responsible along with the council.
Reasons.......
The council offered such a low budget that Studio E was the only design company to take it and they had never designed for a high rise also Studio E left the fire breaks meant for around the windows, (off) otherwise the cladding would not fit.
Studio E referred to the residents committee being trouble makers in an email to another department when infact the residents committee were just trying to highlight the danger.
I've only see three hours over weeks but already to me, the obvious is being ascertained.
Its tragically compelling probability because I'm hoping the responsible will be dealt with according.
I have not enjoyed one minute of the proceedings but anger makes me determined to learn the truth and not from social or MSM.
My only concern is that the inquiry will spread the responsibility too thinly thus no individuals will be prosecuted..
🙏🏽Thank all involved in this historical and fact finding documentary 👊🏼
💫💫💫💫💫
35:07 'Why did everyone think we let them down?' When those affected needed help on the day they wanted and needed help there and now. For the council to tell someone that has just lost friends/family and their home.. well you will need to contact.. or you will need to phone.. or you will have to go to.. just tells that person or family that the council just do not care - initial impressions count and last.
Exactly.
What a hurricane of piss with turds for flying debris. Earlier today I watch (UA-cam) a 2013vid of a 1984 TV documentary about the pre-fab council housing of the 60's and it was not just these councils in London. Cheers for this upload.
6:11 Dear Mr. Roncolato: Very good speach, Sir. The window and its frame are airtight. The gab between the frame and the building wasn't. Very common.
meanwhile, has anyone gone to jail? and why the hell not?
No one 'has gone' to jail because we have jurisprudence you fucking pleb. Innocent until proven guilty. If you want people to be rounded up and herded into jail due their association with an event, go live in Turkey or Somalia. Otherwise, sit up straight, read around a subject, don't blithely follow whatever the tabloids tell you and reflect on the privilege it is to live in a lawful, wealthy society that can afford to spend £10m renovating subsidised housing for the working class and then another £100m on the survivors when it goes wrong. Moron.
someone has to be held accountable for this for putting that cladding on the building that made the fire spread everywhere.
Gencturk92 well the same cladding has been put on 300 buildings up and down the country. How many people do you plan to punish?
and do you think its safe to do that ?
No. But now you're diverting from your original point. Accountability. Let's determine if the building contractors knowingly used flammable materials. Let's determine if the firefighters made the right decision in confining residents to their homes rather than ordering an evacuation. Let's see which regulations governments over the past 30 years removed (Including New Labour, who were elected largely on a raft of de-regulation promises). Let's use our justice system to investigate, scrutinise and if applicable, prosecute. But let's not use the court of public opinion (which is ill informed, short of attention and incompetent, legally speaking) to try those most visible. Not least because they've (the TMO) already sentenced themselves by dissolving their company and arguably worsened the lives of social housing residents, across the borough.
What an interesting film well done.
Great video:) Truly shocking that in the 21st Century, a council could get away with what happened:(
Which is so very wrong 😑
At first I thought it was veering away from what It needed to be about but when I realised it was leading to the TMO it all fell into place and I think it is a very good and useful documentary..
The enquiry currently ongoing will end with the usual 'lessons will be learnt', no council member will lose their gold plated pension pot, no one from the council will be prosecuted.
Absolutely bang on what happened.
My kids went to playgroup at the bottom of that tower years ago and it's so 😔
Windrush wasn't popular in the 50s. Adding to it has only made things worse. Look what we have now.
Have just received and viewed your sterling report on Grenfell. My comments to follow, if welcome. Comments are about the Council not about your presentation, which left no stone unturned in the tradition of all good investigative journalism. I
Blocks all over the country have been refurbished in the same shoddy way, and with the same cladding.
Draughts and weird wind noise from ill fitting windows seem common.
Any internal work is poorly finished, and needs hours of work to put right.
Maybe the contacting out system of getting the job done is the best we've got, but it's chaotic and hurried when the work actually gets done.
These jobs are expensive, and the funding seems to be there, but the results are usually awful.
It's because the work is contacted out and then contracted out and so on with each contract ensuring they get their cut of profit = difficult to trace whose fault it is and makes accountability a fairy tale .
8:38 60 years later we are still saying the same thing.
34:54 "We're all going to replay this, for the rest of our lives...." Yes, dear. Really, the councilors are the ones who are suffering. And you were there for them. Well, not THERE, physically there, helping people. But in the general area. In solidarity. I mean, the smell must have been appalling.
Well said.
I thought the same. Fake tears 🙄
Flora Posteschild Construction Mangers stress and neglect workers. Money's there God; egoism is the way of there day! Lets face it the racist management that's to blame was helped by a racist government. Both more interested in a good time, than people's life's? Now blood on there hands.
Yeah, total crocodile tears. She's not crying because of any genuine compassion for the victims of Grenfell and their families but rather because she's part of the total fuck up that is the tory-run council. She gives not a single shit about the 'lower orders' but rather only cares for herself and keeping her rich mates happy; Tory incarnate.
She reminds me of the Nicola Murray character from The Thick of It, even physically.
each street has own story,well done
35:20 most disingenuous i have ever seen from any councillor.
Why oh why is it still standing
It should stand forever... but they will all want to forget.
WireTamer mabe but you could also say that about any building that has had tragedy in the past,rather knock it down than let them refurbish it.
It must stand, as a monument to the criminal negligence and corporate greed that caused this tragedy. A daily reminder to the genteel folk of K & C of how their quest to make a building look nicer for their delicate eyes, and their support of a culture that is dedicated to the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many led to the deaths of dozens of people. Let them look at it for ever.
David. Exactly. It's too soon to turn it into a sexy shopping centre. Maybe wait 1 more year. Then the council will start publishing reports about how happy the still homeless Grenfell survivors will be with the luxury Armani goods in their graveyard.
David angry What’s happening with this tower now, are they demolishing it or going to totally refurbish it?
So when they said "Gentlemen *trust* each other", they were speaking their scheme out aloud, too bad noone knew the new meaning of "trust" back then.
What i find shockingly-amusing, is the fact, that we've all played Monopoly since the early childhood, and some of us are still failing to see (or admit to themselves) the *main* reason, these incidents happen.
Also, i liked this little video-article. Very settle, different-angled and to-the-point.
Here's the answer. It's called the Magirus M68L. It's a ladder truck that's built in Germany with a ladder that can reach 68 m. How tall was Grenfell Tower? 67.3 m. How many similarly cladded tower blocks are there around Greater London? It could come in handy for other fires too, now that LFB can no longer trust in compartmentation in tall structures. It comes complete with a rescue cage/platform, enough plumbing to run a monitor (included) and a hose, computerized anti-oscillation stabilization for those windy days, and get this, a 3-passenger, variable-speed elevator to scale the ladder! No more "fireman's carry" to get those rescued members of the public down. They can ride in style. (Elevator music extra.) How much does this cost? I dunno. Magirus don't post the price on their website, but I bet it's about the same as that botched beautification project they did at Grenfell Tower. I think London needs two of these units, and they can be paid for by the people who made them necessary, the RBKC. They've got a fair few quid sitting in the bank that they can't spend on housing, but perhaps they could use some of it to purchase a few appliances as a gift to LFB, a way to say thank you for the massive work they've done in trying to clean up RBKC's mess in North Ken. If RBKC can't cough up with existing funds, then perhaps a borough-wide property tax assessment? If nothing else, that 20 million pound insurance payout for the building should about cover the cost.
Here's a picture:
plus.google.com/photos/115667945699832802506/album/6158672627197478433/6158672657161445538
Just to let you know . The funding for the London fire brigade was cut just prior to grenfell
the cladding was made out of petrochemicals sandwiched between aluminum. It's the equivalent of having a one of those carriable gas tanks worth of petrol per tile. How the hell did that ever pass fire safety? I mean sure Grenfell had other issues there's no doubt but number one was the cladding, that's what carried the fire up a building to the roof in minutes. I'll never understand that.
This is being picked apart in the enquiry ( life stream) right now. The bottom line is deregulation going on from Thatcher's days - profit profit profit
I have a friend who bought a flat in an exclusive block on the kings road, Chelsea. He bought it in the 60’s for £8,000. It’s now worth £2m. It’s small. Just shows how even tiny properties are worth a fortune due to the area that they’re in.
What worries me is that there were fires like this before. One event in France, where a trash bin on fire spreaded to the building's cladding. There was no major damage, but the fire still managed to climb to the 6th floor. Only the exterior of the building was affected.
There were fires like this in Britain before. One happened in Scotland, and recommendations were made to the government to stop it happening again, which was filed away in a filing cabinet and ignored.
The programme does well to place the tragedy in a historical context and to explain the culture of the local council. The tragedy may prove to be a turning point in which the devolution of responsibility to charities and quangoes over recent decades is reversed and responsibility returns to elected officials. This may not be welcomed by Labour who placed sympathisers and members in many of these organisations between 1997 and 2010.
The programme however assumes that council run housing is better than housing associations. This may on balance be true. However, it is a questionable assumption given the high levels of incompetence and corruption in local government and needs to be proved. There is no guarantee that the council would have prevented the sloppy workmanship and safety failures, had they been in control of Grenfell as opposed to the TMO. Nor is there a guarantee that returning responsibility to the council would make that council responsive to the views of local residents. Bureaucrats are liable to take the view that voters have a vote every few years and that is the extent of consultation that they deserve.
I liken the degree of out-placement of Council responsibility to having isolated themselves to the extent that they are now vulnerable to threats to which they once had a natural immunity. Truly in the eyes of the Council their response to the tragedy was to sit back & have the Charities do what they do; utterly oblivious to the expectations, of people around the world, that they demonstrate a marshaling of the RBKC's services at their command.
I think most councils in the South East would struggle to find homes for 120 or so families at short notice. In responding to the tragedy RBKC should have been helped by the Mayor of London and/or the national Government. I was shocked that Theresa May did not go down there that first day to find out what help was needed. The attitude of Cameron/Osborne in particular was to substantially cut financing of local authorities and leave those authorities to deal with their own problems. Of course, none of that excuses RBKC's inaction.
This has given me good insight to the problems thanks for making it, more people need to see this
Most London boroughs are over populated and far too big for councils to look after. Brent Council is utter shit too. The block I lived in had like 10ft grass due to them not cutting it in months, then in a few years they will ask every tenant who bought their flat (not rent) to pay £20,000 each so they can decorate and furbish the blocks. Council housings are run awfully all around London, the people worthless to them.
lol
lol
Does anyone know what will happen to the tower now, is it being knocked down or redone? 🤔
Pat Kat Thank you. 👍
me hee Your agenda is clear you're a xenophobic bigot, a facist, typical Tommy Robinson supporter.
Surprised its not knocked already. .here last year they knocked a perfect building to stop homeless living in it..Dublin
me hee Idiot!
"Kensington and Chelsea council, supported by the government, clearly state that they have no plans for the site and that the future of the site will be determined by the community."
35:00. one has to wonder if Catherine Faulks should give back the money she spent on acting lessons as they clearly havent worked. fake attempt an crying when 70 people lost their lives and she tries her best to palm off onto the charities what the council should have done!
This.
@@bumbozambumbazebulon6738 not sure what you mean here Bumbo
Rbkc and the ghastly former TMO, is what represents true poverty - it is called "moral poverty '! Them who perceive fellow contemporarys as lesser beings than them;: surely is a reflection of themselves??
show the Kensington and Chelsea council a break down
London's very own Tower of Babel. BABYLONDON.
immediately after the fire the next day there was a meeting with council leaders and the residents. a man was crying/screaming becuase he lost his son in the fire and instead of consoling the man for halting the meeting, they THEY told him to be quiet and stop making a scene. grenfell is all about the rich vs the poor, the priviledged against the unpriviledged but also about race. the richer, white politicians dont understand or care about the poverty, the lack of jobs. the working class white/asians/blacks were disrespected at every turn. the insulation only cost 30k but the company behind the insulation spent £30 million on legal costs to avoid accountability for the tragedy
segregation still exist
they think they are rich how many other people has invest in their community and prosperity
I came here after watching "Inquiry. The Great British Housing Disaster (Adam Curtis, 1984)" which is definitely worth a watch as it shows how badly these are built to begin with. They were all a botch job from the get go because they were all built in the 60's which was a complete and utter shit ahow. They said back then that if they put some sort of weatherproofing insulation on the outside, that it must not be combustible. And here we are, 40yrs later, with people paying with there lives, AGAIN!
It's so shocking that like most things in life no matter what it is. It's always the punters that pay with there lives and not the people high up making the decisions.
Wow this is a great report on a terrible tragedy.
I will never forget this, just hope never happens again!
Why aren't people not still watching this. This shit is the truth.
Been humming for 20 years
If a small one man company blatantly disregarded the british standard building code and caused all this hurt it would be custodial sentence and a very hefty fine. Massive company do just that backed by the council and so far nothing. Now normally I'm indifferent to protests but this one go for it guys you all need justice
39.23 very interesting!
Social cleansing
Both social and racial cleansing...
The council are criminally neglectful and irresponsible in my opinion
💔
Density due to mass migration and the necessity for ugly counsel tower blocks
No accountability of negligence for the loss of these life's.... All you governing bodies on judgement Day you will pay trust that as justice knows where you live ⚖️
02:16 - This says it all...
At the heart of this is one simple problem: K&C never changes political control. So it could write off chunk of the borough. That's note the case in Hammersmith & Fulham, Brent and other boroughs where changes happen regularly.
I think you hit the nail on the head there. They dont give a shit about the north of the borough.
Honoured Mr. Wilks, this report is journalistic investigation on its best! Today I have to end at 15:43, due my poorly english language skills. It took me two hours thoroughly understand the first 15 minutes of your input. (thanks at your correct English almost without slang words and leo.org)
13:17 It needs to know industrial revolution starts in the mid 18th century in England and 50 - 100 years later in Germany (School knowledge of my own.) At the time the destitution poured in cities! Why? Population explotion! Humans poured in the cities and became slaves of kapitalism.
You did a great job as journalist, Mr. Wilks, (so fare I watch your vid), but my question is: You does not research the whole history but focussing at your point of view. Journalism generelly is picking one point of situation and take it as a center, from which it argue. Isn't it? If you don‘t you were a researcher. So tell me why we need journalism.
Best regards.
Congratulations on your hard work learning our bizarre language! I think his answer might be that his story cannot cover everything. The industrial revolution had many consequences. Poor people moved to places like North Kensington. That is important to his story, but more history about urban poverty might take focus from his main message. He didn't say it directly, but he did describe conditions that might be considered "slaves to capitalism." The story he is telling is one that is happening in modern times, so it should focus on modern times, while also covering enough history to understand what is happening now. There has to be a limit to his historical content or he won't have time for his main story. Journalists must make choices. This is my guess. Only he can answer.
What’s this got to do with grenfell tower ?
It's the context that explains the decisions made by the council.
It's not the houses that are the problem. It is the people. Houses in Notting Hill are now highly sought after. Many years before, it was run down. Social engineering is responsible for the problems of mixing poor people with rich people. It just breeds resentment. I am wondering why Grenfell residents still have not yet been re-housed.
The numbers at 20:00 should show comparisons with all London boroughs not just comparing Islington and Kensington and Chelsea.
the last 7minutes is the part to watch................................
I love that single homes london have back in the day, those building have no soul
The ones responsible need to be destroyed otherwise they will never be stopped.
Paget and his perceived failings need to go to prison.
That old Monty Python sketch about the architects doesn't seem so funny any more now. Just sadly accurate.
72?? Still don't believe that!
Because its clearly not true
Very sad about Grenville. all I've learnt in life is is you want a fair and just way in life don't be poor!
1:44 holy crap that is the beigest interview I've ever seen.
Devastating least we forget
This should of never happened
God bless them all
If immigration had been managed properly, the 1958 riot would never have happened. You already had indigenous British living on starvation wages in third world conditions; why on earth would you want to add to the pool of unskilled labor and make the crowding in these areas even worse? Who benefited from this, other than sweatshop owners and slumlords, then, later, the shoddy contractors who built these awful towers. The elite classes of the UK, unhappy with the oversupply of labor they already had, demanded an unlimited supply of indentured servants and they used the media to portray anyone who got in their way as know-nothings and bigots.
Their excuse has always been that indigenous British are lazy and too demanding. In reality: indigenous British just don't want to work in terrible conditions for peanuts while their bosses take massive profits. People not native to the area away from their support systems are easier to exploit.
“The council which had allowed these inequalities to persist” : so you think they should have taken the rich people’s money and given it to the poor? Rather undermines the English concept of private property, no?
Boo hoo, private property is public robbery.
I am seeing a lot of things in England that are ugly. In Canada, all highrise buildings have both smoke alarms and detectors in each apartment, and they are connected to the main alarm system in the hallways. The alarms are very loud, legally required to sound at a certain decibel. Builders are not allowed to cut corners and use flammable materials in construction. The Canadian building codes are governed by the Mechanics Act, and depending on the severity of the infraction, they face fines of up to $500K or a stint in the Federal penitentiary. Regular fire safety inspections by fire marshals are mandatory, and again they face heavy fines and scandal in the newspapers for violating building codes. If this had happened in Canada, the builders who put on that cheap cladding to save money would be looking at charges of criminal negligence and again find themselves sitting in a jail cell. It's ironic that Canada was once a dominion of England, and yet we have laws in place that are enforced, where it seems a lot of dreadful people in the English commercial sector are allowed to play fast and loose with people's lives, with impunity. Smh
I find disturbing and inappropriate that some people can be jealous of Grenfell Tower survivors , who apart from losing all their precious memories also lost family & friends because of hey are offered permanent housing.
If I were homeless, I would have been jealous of them before the fire as well.
Even with my sound turned right up, the commentator is very quiet!!!
4 years later
3 years after this
Shit still not make a bit of difference 😔
Where's Rock Fielder Mellen!?!?
In Switzerland
Off was his head.
The Summerland fire set a precedent.. what a pity it was ignored. So many subsequent fires involving similar materials or methods of construction. Disgraceful.
Btw I do admire the construction workers who will be on the job,I couldn't do it,I'm a bricklayer,but I'd find it to morbid, knowing there are people's ashes in the flats. I already have a good idea,that they will not search through for fragments like they did on 9/11. They will just tear it down
They brought in some forensic scientists who worked on the twin towers, also each flat will be carefully examined and all contents checked and removed. its a crime scene and will be treated as such for many more months to come.
Paul Reynolds I certainly hope so mate
Strategic Arms-length murder
It would help to have good audio
Petitions or marches are just entertainment to them. Begging for justice don't work. Do what the Icelandic people did.
I hope Rachman is rotting in hell.
TMOs are meant to manage a small number of properties not 10,000 properties.
The HRA was in the past subsidised from the rates. It was the conservative government who brought in the new law that the HRA could not be subsidised. It has been a bloody disaster.
Quality costs more initially but over time costs a lot less. When i worked for Tower Hamlets we had surveyors and contractor meetings along with housing officers and tenant reps every week. There was an office set up where tenants could go in and make complaints which were recorded on computer and in writing. I would go every week with the surveyor and call on the people who complained to investigate. For a poor borough we did far better than the rich Kensington and Chelsea.
I asked the following 2 questions to the grenfell enquiry:
"Dear Sirs,
I would like to ask who decided that it was safe to change the old metal glass windows for the new plastic double glazed windows? and was a fire risk assessment carried out for this alteration.
I would also like to ask has the electrical voltage harmonisation regulations lead to any increase in white goods fires like the one that started the fire in Grenfell Tower.
thank you
yours sincerely "
I received this answer:
"Thank you very much for taking the time to contact us.
Unfortunately whilst hearings are still in progress we are unable to answer your specific questions. All findings/rulings will be made public as can be seen here within the rulings section on our website.
Evidence that has been disclosed to the public is published on the Inquiry's website when it has been adduced at a hearing. You can access this via the evidence page. The search function allows you to filter by witness and evidence type. Videos and transcripts of all hearings can be found on our hearings page.
The Inquiry Terms of Reference and List of Issues show lines of investigation the Inquiry will follow which is likely to evolve as the Inquiry progresses. As you will see this covers Issue 4 decisions about alterations to the exterior of the building, including the windows, will be explored.
To follow the Inquiry’s progress please do check our website. You can also Follow us on Twitter.
Kind regards
Grenfell Tower Inquiry - Correspondence Team
E: contact@grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk
T: 0207 842 3583 II 0800 121 4282
Holborn Bars, 138-142 Holborn, EC1N 2SW
www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/ "
I have not yet received an answer to my questions.
@@SB-dx7kb You would need to know something about electricity and the European electrical voltage harmonisation that took place in 2003 to understand my question relating to the cause of the fire.( I have worked all my life since 1969 in the electrical industry).
An American electrical engineer gave a very detailed account of how the fire was started by a fault in a fridge, I don't know why it had to be an American electrical engineer we have plenty of good electrical engineers in this country.
The question was relating to the increase in white goods fires that have been documented since the said electrical voltage harmonisation,
ie was the fridge that started the fire in the Grenfell tower a design which was originally for one of the countries that had the lower 210/220 volts and was sold in the UK and plugged in into the higher voltage of 240/250 volts? yes that's right our voltage is still the same as it used to be higher than the other countries we Harmonised to 230 volts by allowing a greater tolerance, it's still 240/250 volts depending how close you are to the substation,you can measure it yourself at the fuse board or at a power point, you will notice that closer the point is to the fuse board the higher voltage is and it is quite common for the kitchen to be one of the nearest rooms to the fuse board.
Regarding my other question about the plastic double glazed windows the people who signed off the work is all public knowledge and documented in the contracts for the works, the point I'm getting at is did anyone asked the original designer of the tower block if they thought it was a good idea to change metal and glass windows for plastic and glass windows? I think the answer would have been no,at least not the bog standard ones like the ones at Grenfell tower that were melting and falling out onto the firemen.
I don't know how they are unsure of how many people were living there? I get that you may have had people staying over or visitors, but I live in a block, and God forbid something happened, are you telling me that the council wouldn't have a clue who was living there? How bizarre and dangerous. No wonder London is the state it is in right now. Our councils are failing us. We need to split them and make them smaller, they're too wide spread so nothing gets done.
They don't have much trouble figuring out who's living there went your late of a rent payment ill tell you that much...
Many hands are involve with this:
you can see grenfell from my school at the top westminister and Brent where I grew up is ten times better but where I was born new ham was so bad as a child
32 mins. There is nothing HIS about 'David Cameron's' big society - it is straight up Saul Alinsky.
What are we doing
The Kensington & Chelsea Council, & The T.M.O. Should be given The Size 12 Boot & a Total New Council & T.M.O. Appointed Consisting of just Tenants of The Respective Building That They Live in, & The People That have The Tenants interests first & Not Like The Present Council.
I Think The Present Council Should be Forst to to Pay out of Their Coffers for Housing for all of The Grenfell Tower Residents No Exceptions.
People need to go to jail