Private Eye on Shelter

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Our Council's former Chief Executive, who was recently appointed Chair of the housing charity Shelter, has been making waves recently. The charity's own staff are deeply unhappy at his appointment on the grounds that he presided over policies in our borough that are directly at odds with Shelter's. The hamfisted attempt to fend off the criticisms, first with "no comment" and then with platitudes has done nothing to repair the damage.

Now Private Eye weighs in with its own analysis which asks, on the basis both of the appointment and of the subsequent floundering, whether the charity actually knew the background of the person it has just appointed as its own chair.

These sort of questions are now going to hang over any public campaigns run by the charity that go against the draconian housing policies pursued by H&F Council. And there will be few that don't.

Crack & heroin dealer nabbed in W6

Crack

Earlier this week a man was apprehended by a Safer Neighbourhood Team with a "stop and search". Their suspicions proved to be well founded as 51 wraps of crack cocaine and heroin were found, along with what the police describe as "a large amount of money". The arrest was carried out on the Queen Caroline estate in Hammersmith.

This is a really important result. While there will be another dealer along soon enough to replace them it does nevertheless disrupt the dealers networks and may lead to more arrests. Long term simply arresting people alone is clearly futile but its a vital part of protecting communities.

Here's an example of what can develop among our communities in Shepherd's Bush if the police are not on top of it. Scary stuff.

Taking off shortly

I'll be departing these fair shores again for a few days this week for work, which means the blog will take a back seat for a little while. Apologies in advance...but in the meantime keep the stories coming to shepherdsbushblog@yahoo.co.uk

Crime in the Bush: Miranda Hart

Comedienne Miranda Hart, who lives in W6, was a victim of a house break in last Friday night as a result of which she lost her laptop. She has made a number of emotional appeals for its return, including the one on Twitter above, having clearly lost a lot of material which I imagine she had not backed up anywhere else.

A police spokesman said:

“Police were called to an address in Shepherd’s Bush to reports of a burglary on Friday 11 October at 11pm. A number of items were stolen.Officers from Hammersmith and Fulham are investigating. There have been no arrests.”

You have to assume there won't be any either, hence Ms hart's own offer of a reward for the return of the computer.

Shelter slammed over H&F record

 

Housing charity Shelter have been slammed by Andy Slaughter MP for appointing the former Chief Executive of our Council to chair its Board of Trustees. Derek Myers, who had a controversial record on housing issues, is alleged by our MP to have the 'worst housing record' in the UK. Mr Slaughter, in a letter to Shelter's Chief Executive Campbell Robb, says:

"During Derek Myers’ tenure as Chief Exec of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, the Council introduced some of the most punitive housing policies in England. Over 9,000 households were kicked off the Council’s housing waiting list, and the Council has placed many homeless families in unsanitary, poor-quality temporary accommodation, most of which is outside the Borough"

He goes on:

"For those in Hammersmith & Fulham who find themselves homeless, the situation is equally bleak. If you are one of the lucky few whom the Council agrees to help, you can expect to be placed in poor quality temporary accommodation many miles away from the Borough. Some of my constituents have been forced to take their children out of school, or have been forced to give up paid employment, after being placed in temporary accommodation on the other side of London.

Even those who are placed in temporary accommodation in the Borough may find themselves placed in uninhabitable flats, which are unsafe and infested with vermin. This was the fate of a blind constituent who has been forced to endure sleepless nights while being eaten alive by bedbugs. Despite her case being featured on the BBC news, the Council is yet to deal with the infestation and disrepair to her flat.

Finally, the Council, rather than commit itself to build more affordable and more social housing, has increased the rate at which it sells off its stock of housing, all the while giving priority to developers who plan to build luxury housing, which is totally out of reach to the vast majority of local residents. Whole estates are being demolished, blocks of council flats stand empty awaiting private development and developers are typically asked for 5% or 10% affordable homes against a target of 40%."

This goes to the heart of what Shelter claims it is all about. It is a charity who until recently forked out for giant advertising hoardings across Westminster tube with a mock up picture of children crawling across the green benches, to drive home its message to honourable members going home to their well sized (and frequently expenses-funded) houses that other people had rather less space.

So you might imagine that Shelter would respond with an impassioned defence of their new Chair. Er, no, not really. Here's what Jon Kenworthy, the Vice Char of Shelter told Mr Slaughter in his reply:

"I have spoken to Derek about the points that you have raised in your letter and I and the board remain convinced that Derek's experience, knowledge and commitment make him an ideal candidate for Chair of the Trustee Board".

Not the sound of an organisation entirely sure of its ground. Perhaps because their own staff also appear to be deeply concerned. Here's what the staff reps sent to the 'nominations and governance committee', responsible for the appointment of Mr Myers in the last few days:

"Our members are concerned that some of the recent appointments to the Board do not reflect this approach and that some Trustees have been appointed whose background does not appear to be consistent with Shelter’s core mission or values.

We do of course appreciate that the Board rightly seeks to appoint members who have previous experience in housing. We note that the new chair of the Board, Derek Myers, has previously worked as CEO of LB Hammersmith and Fulham. We appreciate that this is a non-political role. However, our concerns are that the policies pursued by this authority are in conflict with our aims and could be potentially damaging to our policy stance. In particular:

• The borough takes a particularly hard line on tenure. In short, rather than lifetime tenancies, Hammersmith and Fulham advocates that the ‘vast majority’ of social tenants be granted fixed term agreements which can be terminated after five years, and that 18-25 year olds be granted two year fixed terms (p7 and p8, Tenancy Strategy). We note that Shelter has made recommendations to local authorities in terms of tenure and would be interested to hear the Board’s thoughts on these policies.
• In terms of allocating social housing, LBHF states in its allocations scheme (p28) that only those with annual income of below £40,200 will ordinarily be considered for the waiting list. We note that Shelter’s research shows that LBHF is the fifth most unaffordable borough in the UK (Inside Housing, 9.1.13) and that the median income necessary to pay an affordable (i.e. 80% market rent) is £53,766 (Inside Housing, 9.8.13). We note that affordable rents are only available to those in social housing and that tenants on far less than the necessary income will be prevented from accessing social housing in this way. They will presumably also be unable to access private rented housing at 100% market rent. We are aware that part of Shelter’s current focus is on the affordability of accommodation and would be interested to hear the Board’s views. 
• In terms of policies on homelessness, LBHF has argued for the legal requirement for housing authorities to have a homelessness strategy to be removed: this was something Shelter strongly campaigned for and regarded as a significant gain in the Homelessness Act 2002. The Borough has also indicated its intention to discharge its housing duty to homelessness applicants in the private sector wherever possible, including making out-of-Borough placements. 
• In terms of the charity sector more generally, we note that Palingswick House, previously home to 20 voluntary sector organisations, was closed by the local authority and sold to the creators of a free school in order to reduce debt at a time when the council was cutting council tax each year."

They seem to know our neck of the woods quite well! 

Apple Day at Fulham Palace

Fulham Palace is right at the other end of our long and narrow borough. To get there from our northern tip of H&F you have to navigate the Hammersmith roundabout, with all of it's roadbound crazies, and then the crawlathon down Fulham Palace Road. And all the while trying to evade our Council from entrapping you into a traffic fine. But it's well worth it, as I found out earlier today.

A bit damp

Having lived in the borough for getting close to ten years I had always relegated Fulham Palace to one of those places I knew I should really go and see but never found the time to. This morning, thankfully, I finally made it.

The Palace proudly lists its creation date as the year 704, but most of the buildings you see are fascinating layers of history with each building on top of the other. You cross a medieval moat, enter what looks like a Tudor yard and visit the cafe in an 18th and 19th century house.

Links with local schools

Consulting the Palace website all of this is confirmed and set in context - and the main point is that it has been the home of Bishops for well over a thousand years. These guys were only one rung down from Kings and continued to play a leading role in running the country via the Church of England until well into the 19th century. They still, of course, occupy seats in the House of Lords.

So back to the Palace - first off, its free to enter. That is amazing. These grounds, and the buildings within them, are a living museum. Every room has a plaque explaining its origins and there are guided tours too. Secondly, it's kid-proof. Always a plus. In fact the gardens are perfect for running in although they'd draw the line at ball games with those french windows. Thirdly, it's a living breathing garden complete with pumpkins, other vegetables and apple trees. Oh, and there is plenty of parking if you're so inclined (pay meters mon-sat on the road outside) or the 220 from the Bush will take you right outside and back.

Real life pumpkins

Which brings me to the slightly bizarre apple festival they had there today. Having been there I am still slightly unsure as to why the humble apple was chosen to be celebrated but joining us in the rain were a very good band, and a few apple themed stalls that included everything from the use of apples in getting drunk on gin or cider, and some serious eating going on with a pig being roasted on a spit.  It wasn't one for vegetarian animal rights people.

In fact it was one of those scenes you only ever see in the British Isles - people in rainjackets chewing on apples, drinking gin and dancing in the pouring rain to a band playing medieval music. Which is great in its own unique way, but sadly I also didn't get the impression there were too many people there from outside a fairly high income bracket and a local postcode. That's either because they don't know about it, or the prices of things in the cafe put them off (£2.50 for a kids box drink, really!?)

So the purpose of this is to get some of you fellow hoy polloi-ers from oop North of the borough down there. It really is well worth a visit, and there is a nice looking kids park just next door too. Fulham Palace - another corner of our borough I am very glad to have discovered. I'll be back. 

Propaganda Special: West Ken Estate

Resident Update Issue 1 (09 10 2013)

Our Council has launched a very well financed propaganda offensive on the West Ken Estate they wish to demolish, in order that property developers can move in. The plan, which was condemned this week by the London Assembly, is subject to numerous legal challenges mounted by the vast majority of residents represented by the Residents Association of the two estates - West Kensington and Gibbs Green.

Part of the new propaganda offensive is the apparent re-establishment of the so-called "Steering Group" - the group set up by the Council three years ago to bypass the elected residents associations. The Council has been spending £38,000 of your cash supporting this small mouthpiece group and has even bussed them in to Town Hall meetings to put on counter demonstrations against the elected majority outside. That was, of course, until their own "Steering Group" Chairman resigned in disgust and joined those opposing the scheme.

North Korea Style is back

But the latest wheeze, which you the taxpayer are funding, is an extraordinary contribution to the literature of the English language. Named "Resident Update" it is nine pages of pro-demolition propaganda, which would have made even the editors of the propaganda rag "H&F News" blush, before the Conservative government forced our Council to close it down. Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State forced our Council to close "H&F News" as it was, in his words, "propaganda on the rates" which "weakened democracy". It is difficult to see the difference with this latest attempt. It has a double page dedicated to "mythbusting", for example, while the lucky residents can also join them for a "coffee, fact-chat". 

In fact this effort is backed by the recruitment of a seven-strong "regeneration team", housed in a nearby office, who are introduced to residents in the pages of the glossy colour magazine. And to prove that our local Authority has lost none of its North Korean style brainwashing skills there is even a "word finder" game at the back for kids, with lots of buzz words relating to how wonderful the idea of demolishing the estate is.

So who are these people and what do they want? Here's how they describe themselves:

"The West Kensington and Gibbs Green Steering Group have been set up to provide all our fellow neighbours with information that we have gathered about what is and what will be happening to our estates with regards to the new development"

And:

"We are currently made up of 6 people and always welcome anyone who wishes to help with open arms"

Note that they qualify 'open arms' with "wishes to help" - anyone who doesn't take their view (the majority) can presumably expect to met with the same heavy handedness meted out to this nine year old little girl.

Was that enough? Did they sit back and think, no we'll think of the taxpayers now. No, they did not. For there is a website too - which is the most amateur effort I have seen for a long time. All those people they claim to have in support? Here's a photo gallery of them - see if you can spot the differences in the photos:

To save a long article I will leave it there - download it at your leisure and judge for yourselves. But as you do you may wish to reflect on how hard you have had to work to pay the taxes which our Council is using to produce propaganda on the rates, employ seven people and distribute their magazines - all to promote a scheme which the vast majority of residents have consistently said they do not want and have fought all the way. The local elections are on May 22nd 2014.