Flats Evacuated in London

So glad that at last common sense prevails and these people are safe.

Let's hope it happens countrywide. Recently a block of flats where my ex mother in law lived was demolished. They have built some lovely social housing for the tenants, new shops,  GP surgery, community centre.

Looks fantastic and all are happy 

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40389148

Bit abrupt how the council instigated it though.
Given a couple of hours notice and turfed out of your home late on a Friday night .. and if you have nowhere to go you're offered an airbed in a leisure centre.

The repair words are estimated to take one to two months.
It's all becoming a bit of a shambles.

Doubly a shambles  ...
This morning the council have said one block didn't need to be evacuated and have allowed the residents back.

Makes you wonder if anyone actually knows what is going on.

sags wrote:

Doubly a shambles  ...
This morning the council have said one block didn't need to be evacuated and have allowed the residents back.

Makes you wonder if anyone actually knows what is going on.

 Disrupting families again.

It is indeed a shambles bet the old chestnut will come out. We will learn lessons from our mistakes.

I just try to imagine me being disrupted. What do you take ? Some have pets too.

That vision of that tower block ablaze still haunts my thoughts and the people and their thoughts.

Had a few sleepless nights I can tell you.

Let's open these empty flats brought by wealthy businessmen who have never lived in them. We know in our hearts that won't happen sadly 

But what do you do with so many people if you do evacuate them?

Where to?
Semi-permanent residence in hotels?
That leisure centre is a rubbish idea. The airbeds are no more than two foot apart on the floor. What about privacy? Cooking? Washing and toilet facilities. Is this supposed to be for 1 to 2 months?

Requisitioning empty flats is actually a worse solution.
Private property is private property and I'd shudder to see the day come when a government commandeers it to solve a housing shortage, albeit a temporary.

Hitler had some stranger ideas for thinning out the population.

Build more social housing abandoned many years ago by successive governments. 

Buying your own council house was great for many years ago both my mother in laws did and have lovely homes. Including my brothers in laws who refused to buy theirs, Ron had his head screwed on as the council, put central heating in, double glazing the works. I think we seem to focus on us getting mortgages at an early age. I just seemed natural to me. I think there were other options like Co ownership at the time. Could have been a better option, maybe.

Social housing was never replaced or restocked to the numbers that were needed vastly 
.

Our one son has brought but at a struggle needing a bit of help from us. Out other still in over inflated payments  renting, one months in advance, bond extra. His lease ends in 6 months.

I think a fairer system should be brought,in whereby youngsters can part buy a property if they wish or not  but with protection from rent rises etc.

Why do we have this inbuilt scheme to necessarily  own all of our home, with so easy  for some youngsters, not all expecting to inherit their parents home. There should be easier ways for them to attain their own housing. 


I will quote a friend, she married a man, second marriage whose children took an instant dislike to her. My friend is the kindest nicest lady you wish to meet. She tried all sorts to win them round but they were playing dad and step mum against each other. These were not kids but in their twenties. Only wanted dad as a cash machine. Never would come to see him which broke his heart

Got what they wanted each time.

Last year the dad finally sussed and said no more.

The daughter rang my friend who is now 28 renting demanding more money,.

When it was refused she turned around to my friend and said, that's alright Dad has willed the house to both of us  one day you will be out on your ear, we hate you anyway?.

Back to original thread.

I am surprised that you feel wealthy Arabs and other nationalities in Kensington  cannot spare their homes for a few months in a desperate situation for a few months till at least alternative arrangements can be found.  This was a profound tradegy of unprecedented  proportion. Not simply a house fire

catgate wrote:

Hitler had some stranger ideas for thinning out the population.

Never a truer word said ... he provided the accommodation and the extermination.

It's become a difficult situation. People in similar accommodation worried when they go to sleep at night and understandably wanting something done. Is it better that the building is sorted out gradually while people stay in their flats, so living with the risk? Or should they be taken out of the worrying situation immediately so that the risk to life that exists in the towers is gone at a stroke?

Safest is leaving the building but that's far more disruptive than staying in it while the safety measures are being carried out. There is no good solution.

The situation should never have arisen of course but given that it has, I think getting people out is perhaps the best option. Could any Council be forgiven if the same thing happened to another tower-block full of people when they'd seen what happened to Grenfell Tower. Could they forgive themselves if they left people in buildings that can quickly become death traps?

Goldie wrote:

I am surprised that you feel wealthy Arabs and other nationalities in Kensington  cannot spare their homes for a few months in a desperate situation for a few months till at least alternative arrangements can be found.  This was a profound tradegy of unprecedented  proportion. Not simply a house fire

Why surprised? And why just Arabs? There are Russian oligarchs .. a few embassies with a few spare rooms ... a few politicians with weekend flats .. a few city types who own London pads.

It's not the answer to solving a housing shortage, however temporary as it undermines the whole concept of home ownership. If an owner volunteers that is fine but not to commandeer them.

Besides, the shortage of social housing is not the issue here. That's another problem entirely which has worsened under successive governments. I could be wrong but believe that about 1 million houses have been purchased by tenants since the Right To By scheme first came in. One could say .. the tenants should never have been offered the right to buy them as that also undermines the whole concept of cheap, affordable housing for people who have hit hard times and struggle to pay for a roof over their heads.

Councils got fed up of having to maintain their housing stock so offloaded it cheap.
They also unfailingly accept the cheapest tender for any contractual work undertaken on them.
Which probably accounts for the horrendous fire at Grenfell towers. He should not and need not ever have happened.

Mart wrote:

It's become a difficult situation. People in similar accommodation worried when they go to sleep at night and understandably wanting something done. Is it better that the building is sorted out gradually while people stay in their flats, so living with the risk? Or should they be taken out of the worrying situation immediately so that the risk to life that exists in the towers is gone at a stroke?

Safest is leaving the building but that's far more disruptive than staying in it while the safety measures are being carried out. There is no good solution.

The situation should never have arisen of course but given that it has, I think getting people out is perhaps the best option. Could any Council be forgiven if the same thing happened to another tower-block full of people when they'd seen what happened to Grenfell Tower. Could they forgive themselves if they left people in buildings that can quickly become death traps?

Safety must come first ... imagine if there was another fire and any council now had to own up to knowing about the hazards.
They're covering themselves. I expect that's why Camden councils evacuation last night seemed to be such a knee jerk reaction and ill-prepared, ill thought out and literally evicted people from their homes at a ridiculous time with so little forewarning. There were women with babies who should have been tucked up in bed.

I haven't followed the news today but gather that some are refusing to leave.
Faced with the police stepping in I wonder what will happen to them.

They will have to either remove all the cladding or evac and rehouse the tenants, because in this bloody country there is always the chance that a fire will be started deliberately by some lunatic who should be in jail or in hospital

sags wrote:

Goldie wrote:

I am surprised that you feel wealthy Arabs and other nationalities in Kensington  cannot spare their homes for a few months in a desperate situation for a few months till at least alternative arrangements can be found.  This was a profound tradegy of unprecedented  proportion. Not simply a house fire

Why surprised? And why just Arabs? There are Russian oligarchs .. a few embassies with a few spare rooms ... a few politicians with weekend flats .. a few city types who own London pads.

It's not the answer to solving a housing shortage, however temporary as it undermines the whole concept of home ownership. If an owner volunteers that is fine but not to commandeer them.

Besides, the shortage of social housing is not the issue here. That's another problem entirely which has worsened under successive governments. I could be wrong but believe that about 1 million houses have been purchased by tenants since the Right To By scheme first came in. One could say .. the tenants should never have been offered the right to buy them as that also undermines the whole concept of cheap, affordable housing for people who have hit hard times and struggle to pay for a roof over their heads.

Councils got fed up of having to maintain their housing stock so offloaded it cheap.
They also unfailingly accept the cheapest tender for any contractual work undertaken on them.
Which probably accounts for the horrendous fire at Grenfell towers. He should not and need not ever have happened.

Oh yes of course agree all nationalities. Not a fan of Russians since witnessing their behaviour in India on holiday one year. Obnoxious  people but I think that applied to the moneyed younger generation. :;smile:

I believe housing shortage  is due to Nimbism mainly. Not in my back yard syndrome. For years developers have wanted to include social housing within private development. My brother and architect submitted many a plan over the years through a well known housing group. Attended many a meeting and the hostility from the public on brown waste land mostly refused. Didn't want  it near them etc etc

The plans submitted blended the social with private, both living in harmony , many plans sumpbmitted making allowances as most do. New schools, pharmacy, pubs, community centre. It would have been beneficial for all.

The main concern  was but yes kids woukd hang around the shops and cause trouble. The reply but haven't you got children.  You mean your children then do you? No kids from social housing,  The reply what's the difference,  well they are common, reply you mean your children or social housing children,  irate reply, social housing children?not mine!....

Some plans went ahead regardless, one having David Heseletine direct approval.

The site worked and remained tidy and problem free. Social housing tenants taking pride in their new homes.

The old council estates in Cardiff. Even have amongst snobby council house tenants have good and bad areas. Oh you live there, that's not bad or you live in the bad area called the Gazza strip by the locals, oh no. . When you actually live there and grow up there it is not as bad as I often thought myself. Nice people, nice community.

There  is plenty of snobbery amongst us all and plenty of brown areas of land still available to build social housing on. 

Britain is getting smaller with a growing population. So needs more land to build unfortunately 

Pps  my husband is from a council estate. The nice part. I was informed one day on cleaning his windows,  oh hi new neighbour. It's nice to see somebody nice and friendly moving into this area. It's a nice area and we do not want anyone living here.

Oh sorry I don't live here just helping Mr Goldie tidy up the house for sale but who too. Oh an Indian family are interested are thinking of buying it. You can't.  This is a good area  We can, we are selling it to the person who offers us the highest price and they have so far .

Couldn't resist my wicked streak appearing.  :;smile: they didn't even like the new couple who moved in. Him a service man and his wife. Why? Because they made too many improvements to the house. Green eyed God more like