The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) last year raised more
money from the sale of two council houses in the rich south of the
borough than it spent on the devastated Grenfell Tower’s new cladding,
financial records obtained by the Guardian have revealed.
The contrast between the council’s wealth and its drive to cut costs on
the tower refurbishment has been laid bare in council documents that
reveal the Conservative-controlled council raised £4.5m from the sale of
two three-bedroom houses in affluent Chelsea. It spent just £3.5m on
the whole of the cut-price cladding system for 120 homes, which burned
with such ferocity last month in a blaze that claimed at least 80 lives.
Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft
The council
has “usable reserves” of £274m and in 2014, when costs were being cut on
Grenfell, its finances were so buoyant it awarded a £100 council tax
rebate to residents paying the top rate.
They confirm that almost £300,000 was cut from the cost of the
cladding system used on Grenfell Tower by changing from zinc to
aluminium as part of what was described internally as a “value
engineering process”. Zinc panels with a fire retardant core were
replaced by cheaper aluminium panels with a core that has since proved combustible in government tests.
Cuts were made to the way the gas risers
fitted inside Grenfell’s internal corridors were treated, the documents
reveal. About £60,000 worth of intended works to duct panels and
ventilation grills for the risers were omitted, according to the
documents.
In 2012 the original contractor, Leadbitter, said the project would cost £11.3m
and planning drawings at this stage show the architects and engineers
had proposed cladding with a fire-retardant core. The overall cost of
the project was rejected as too expensive by RBKC and it appointed Rydon
instead on a tighter budget of £8.7m. That followed a “value
engineering process”, according to a report by Kensington and Chelsea’s
housing and property scrutiny committee.
The Government has confirmed those who come forward
to receive support and assistance will receive only 12 months' limited
leave to remain independent.co.uk
The most violent of the violent-est crimes we give life to If these Queensbridge kids don't like you We bring drama of the worst kind to enemies Your first time will be your last Earth memories It's only your own fault I gave you fair warning Beware of killer kids who don't care Unaware fools will be dealt with in time It ain't a mystery how I form the words in rhyme In nineteen hundred and ninety square All shook niggas is supposed to have fear Tryna get a piece of this pie, we don't share Prepare for the worst cause I been there Try to, keep a positive mind and walk a straight line don't work So niggas is forced to do dirt And God made dirt, so this dirt won't hurt If I listen to the lessons and the rules I learnt On these streets for 19 years and not leaving My first priority's to reach 21 breathing Forever beef, nobody will ever be even So I grab the heat before breezing Lost in this foul mind state I can't keep straight thinkin' But I keep my eyes on the Earth without blinking It's hard to be a man in this land of the venom Any man try to front he get slugs in him Because...
He ain't a crook son He just a shook one We live the life that of diamonds and guns And numerous ways that we choose to earn funds Some niggas get shot, locked down and turn nuns Cowardly hearts and straight up shook ones He ain't a crook son He just a shook one
For every rhyme I write it's 25 to life To all my peoples in the Bridge know what I'm talking 'bout, right Ain't no time for hesitation, that only leads to incarceration You don't know me, there's no relation 'Cos Queens niggas don't play I don't got time for the he say she say I'm bigger than that Claiming that you pack a gat but you scared to get locked Once you get upon the Island change your ways and stop 13 years in the projects of hard times I've lived in Wake up in the morning thank God I'm still living Sometimes I wonder do I deserve to live Or I am going to burn in hell for all the shit I did? No time to dwell on that cause my brain reacts Front if you want nigga Lay on your back I don't fake jax kid You know I bring it to you live Stay in a child's place, kid you outta line Criminal minds thirsty for recognition mission I'm strictly sipping E&J like got my mind flippin' I'm bugging digging my ways out of holes by hustlin' Get that loot kid You know my motherfucking function Cause long as I'm alive I'ma live illegal And once I get on I'ma put on all my people React quick, spit lyrics like macs I hit Your dome up When I roll up Don't be caught sleeping cause I'm creeping You just a shook one
He ain't a crook son He just a shook one We live the life that of diamonds and guns And numerous ways that we choose to earn funds Some niggas get shot, locked down and turn nuns Cowardly hearts and straight up shook ones He ain't a crook son He just a shook one He ain't a crook son He just a shook one We live the life that of diamonds and guns And numerous ways that we choose to earn funds Some niggas get shot, locked down and turn nuns Cowardly hearts and straight up shook ones He ain't a crook son He just a shook one
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