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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Grenfell residents condemn basing of new taskforce in council office | Grenfell residents condemn basing of new taskforce in council office |
| (6 months later) | |
| Lancaster West residents’ group warns lack of distance between recovery taskforce and council undermines impartiality of the team | |
| Guardian staff | |
| Sun 30 Jul 2017 16.20 BST | |
| Last modified on Fri 15 Sep 2017 20.17 BST | |
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| Residents of the estate surrounding Grenfell Tower have condemned the decision to base the the newly appointed recovery taskforce in the offices of Kensington and Chelsea council, warning this undermines the impartiality of the team. | Residents of the estate surrounding Grenfell Tower have condemned the decision to base the the newly appointed recovery taskforce in the offices of Kensington and Chelsea council, warning this undermines the impartiality of the team. |
| Members of the Lancaster West residents’ association say they were told that the recovery taskforce, as well as being responsible for returning powers from the multi-agency Grenfell fire response team back to the council, would scrutinise council structures and processes. | Members of the Lancaster West residents’ association say they were told that the recovery taskforce, as well as being responsible for returning powers from the multi-agency Grenfell fire response team back to the council, would scrutinise council structures and processes. |
| The government set up the Grenfell fire response team in the wake of the disaster, after Kensington and Chelsea council was severely criticised for its inadequate response. | The government set up the Grenfell fire response team in the wake of the disaster, after Kensington and Chelsea council was severely criticised for its inadequate response. |
| “We insist that for people appointed to be independent, or allowed to be truly independent, the taskforce should not be located in Kensington Town Hall,” said Andrea Newton, vice-chair of the Lancaster West residents’ association. | “We insist that for people appointed to be independent, or allowed to be truly independent, the taskforce should not be located in Kensington Town Hall,” said Andrea Newton, vice-chair of the Lancaster West residents’ association. |
| Newton said office space near the tower was available and could be used by the team. | Newton said office space near the tower was available and could be used by the team. |
| In a hand-delivered letter to residents, the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, announced the appointment of the team, comprising of Aftab Chughtai, the chair of West Midlands police independent advisory group, Javed Khan, the chief executive of children’s charity Barnardo’s, Jane Scott, the leader of Wiltshire county council, and Chris Wood, former chief executive of Newham council. Wood is a board member of Red Door Ventures, a residential development company owned by Newham council. | In a hand-delivered letter to residents, the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, announced the appointment of the team, comprising of Aftab Chughtai, the chair of West Midlands police independent advisory group, Javed Khan, the chief executive of children’s charity Barnardo’s, Jane Scott, the leader of Wiltshire county council, and Chris Wood, former chief executive of Newham council. Wood is a board member of Red Door Ventures, a residential development company owned by Newham council. |
| In the letter, Javid states that the recovery taskforce has been commissioned to ensure a managed transition of responsibilities from the Grenfell response team back to the council, and would “over the summer scrutinise RBKC plans to make sure that they are robust and that they have the right resources in place to deal with the challenge of recovery”. | In the letter, Javid states that the recovery taskforce has been commissioned to ensure a managed transition of responsibilities from the Grenfell response team back to the council, and would “over the summer scrutinise RBKC plans to make sure that they are robust and that they have the right resources in place to deal with the challenge of recovery”. |
| The taskforce was announced in the same week Scotland Yard reported there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect Kensington and Chelsea council and the tenant management organisation that managed Grenfell Tower of corporate manslaughter. | The taskforce was announced in the same week Scotland Yard reported there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect Kensington and Chelsea council and the tenant management organisation that managed Grenfell Tower of corporate manslaughter. |
| Local resident Celeste Thomas said: “Confidence in the council is, understandably, low, so for any Grenfell recovery taskforce to be truly independent one would expect, at a minimum, a degree of distance between [the taskforce] and council.” | Local resident Celeste Thomas said: “Confidence in the council is, understandably, low, so for any Grenfell recovery taskforce to be truly independent one would expect, at a minimum, a degree of distance between [the taskforce] and council.” |
| Thomas saw no reason for the taskforce being situated in the council’s Kensington offices: “Operating from the same building when there is a criminal investigation into RBKC and being simultaneously charged with supporting the council and with assessing [whether] they are providing an adequate response doesn’t lend itself to the appearance of independence at all.” | Thomas saw no reason for the taskforce being situated in the council’s Kensington offices: “Operating from the same building when there is a criminal investigation into RBKC and being simultaneously charged with supporting the council and with assessing [whether] they are providing an adequate response doesn’t lend itself to the appearance of independence at all.” |
| The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea did not respond to requests for comment. | The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea did not respond to requests for comment. |
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