30/06/2017 London News

Did Camden council put savings over safety by changing its proposals

This programme sees documents showing savings

And we'll have the latest as the leader of Kensington and

Chelsea Council Nicholas Paget Brown announces he'll step down.

Feltham Prison is found to be unsafe and violent,

with one officer even attacked during an inspection.

It is going to kick off big-time. Going to kick off big-time. They

will still blame the kids. Vickers they have not learned.

From one of the worst to one of the best -

how helping out in the community has turned these pupils results around.

Compression seats are made for the Chinese and Russian military. We

could deconstruct them and rework. Plus, the creative ways

we are reusing materials - but we find out how Londoners have

been recycling since Roman times. Good evening and welcome

to the programme. Documents seen by this programme

would suggest that Camden council made savings of nearly a million

pounds by removing fire doors from proposed refurbishment plans

on some of its tower blocks. It's being reported

that the original cladding proposed for Grenfell Tower may actually have

been replaced with a cheaper, Now, BBC London can reveal

that this may not have been exclusive to Kensington,

although Camden Council insists they only signed of on plans

that included doors - As rows go, this one

just turned nasty. This is a pretty

complicated business. What we know for sure,

there are four tower blocks which have been evacuated

because they are so unsafe. The cladding on the outside

is not fire retardant. What we don't know yet

is exactly who to blame. Camden council thinks it does,

blaming its contractor. As the leader explained to this

programme one year ago. We thought we were working

with reputable companies, The cladding may be coming down,

but the rhetoric is stepping up. Writing to Camden council

threatening legal action Adding the Council

signed off of the works, BBC London has seen the document

showing the emission of fire BBC London has seen the document

showing the omission of fire doors in communal areas

during the contract The allegation is that

Camden Council knew the fire doors were being omitted,

but they wanted that In response Camden Council released

a statement saying... We asked an independent

fire expert for his view His response, subcontracting

this kind of work has All the checks and balances we once

had, they have gone. All the knowledge in local

authorities, which was there to provide good, quality building,

and to check to ensure buildings were put up

and maintained properly, Thoughts shared by many

of the residents, like Lulu, who collected the last

of their family's possessions. This row between council

and contractor is of little interest It is just the beginning

of what will be years The leader of Kensington and Chelsea

Council has resigned. He really did not want to go. Yesterday afternoon

he sat down with our pitiful editor Tim Donovan saying this was not the

right time to go. A like unchanging 24-hour is, a man under increasing

pressure, he felt he could not continue. Let's look back at the

interview he did with our political editor, Tim Donovan. Heavy resigned?

That is not a Matavesi day, we will look at that in due course. My job

at the moment is to make sure the council has ahead that can be

recognised, I'm the public face of the council. I need to be be seen to

ensure that the proper response for the devastation to people's lives is

in place. Would you accept you will not with the leader in six months'

time? That is not a matter I am prepared to discuss now. After that

interview, he presided over a council meeting which was described

as chaotic and farcical. The council had wanted to ban the public and

press from the meeting, saying they were worried about this order. A

judge ruled the press could be the meeting. He insisted that therefore

they could be no open discussion about the fire. The meeting could

not go ahead because of legal reasons. In resigning he referenced

what had happened since that meeting, for one of the reasons he

was going. As council leader I had to accept my

share response ability for these In particular my decision

to accept legal advice that I should not compromise the public

enquiry by having an open discussion in public yesterday has itself

become a political story. And it cannot be right

that they should become the focus of attention,

when so many are dead or still I have therefore decided

to step down as leader of the council, as soon

as a successor is in place. We've had four high-profile

resignations, the council leader, deputy leader, council Chief

Executive, as was the man in charge of managing the tower block. Tonight

Sadiq Khan has said the governor needs to bring in commission is to

take over the running of the council at will -- what will be difficult

time. No longer "on time and on budget",

we hear how Crossrail stations Young offenders locked

in their cells almost all day, reckless violence

and staff being attacked. Those are the findings

of a damning report of Feltham The Hounslow jail has been found

to be unsafe for both staff and inmates as Ayshea Buksh

has been finding out. For years now, the regime at Feltham

Young offenders in Scituate has been criticised. Levels of violence

against inmates and staff is said to be at an all-time high. Charles

Young has been working with offenders in and out of prison for

years. As an institution, he fears for Feltham's future. It is going to

kick off big-time. Big-time. They will still blame the kids. Because

they have not learned. As an ex-offender himself, Charles take

the experience of life inside to schools, to scare young people away

from crime. That understands why young offenders still lash out. You

don't understand why you get so angry comedic know what to do with

that anger. When you come out you take it on the officers. When they

disrespect you, that is your key to have a go at them. You want everyone

else to look at you, because you are in prison. Look at me. I can do it.

Scared, frightened little boys. Female prisoners range from 15-21

years old. The latest in inspection shows they're being locked up for

around 22 hours each day. Little exercise, or interaction with

others. Unfortunately in terms of trying to manage this is rotted

environmental behaviour, it has put itself into a negative cycle.

Punitive. Just involves more and more restrictions on the stability

of the boys to move around, getting the fresh air, get exercise. Most

importantly get to school. Less than half of the boys get to school. The

government's prison and probation services following the report they

are determined to improve safety. And have created a new youth custody

service. For Charles, education is key. At their race, 15, 16, 17, 18

and they don't understand the long-term effects of prison. And the

benefits of an education. Listening to the right people. The prisons

inspector believes drastic action must be taken to avoid an escalation

of violence, to protect Feltham's young prisoners and overstretched

staff. Well joining me now

is the Chief Executive of the Howard League

for Penal Reform, Frances Crook. You must be extremely concerned

by what this inspection has found? Everyone in London should be

concerned about what is going on in Feltham. More than 100 children

locked up in this prison. Many locked up all day, all night, for

weeks on end. In fact the Howard league has taken the legal case on

behalf of one child held in solitary confinement for months. We are

waiting for results on that. Even the children getting education are

only going for seven hours a week. This is no way to treat children. Of

course they misbehave. Young boys, they have energy, testosterone,

hormones, they are hungry because they're not fared much. They never

go outside. Cannot get a shower. Of course they kick off, of course they

misbehave. We have known this for years? Four years ago, reports of

gang violence in the prison. Why is more not been done? It should be

closed down. We should not be caging children in a modern-day dungeon.

Start doing their best, but unskilled, not trained to do the

job. Expecting it somehow to be a miracle. It will not happen. You say

close it down, realistically what happens? Many of the boys are on

remand, many will not get a prison sentence when they go to court. They

should not be there in the first place. For children who require

custody there are local units that are successful, more expensive, but

they work. Let's put the few who need to be in custody in local

secure units, the rest should be managed in the community safety.

That way Londoners will be better served, better for victims, not

creating more victims. For the children, better for the staff. What

does it need to take, or for action to be taken? We have our fifth

Justice Secretary in five years. Only just appointed. Meeting him

soon. I'm hoping he will take firm action. Not going to be legislation

anymore, there is not time apparently. Action can be taken, we

need to be seven to protect these children. This is a child protection

issue. We need to do something about protecting Londoners. Worrying

situation. BBC London has learnt that parts

of the flagship Crossrail Five station upgrades in the west

of the capital won't now be The news comes as a bitter

disappointment to local residents. Our Transport Correspondent Tom

Edwards has this exclusive report. Welcome to West Ealing Cross

railway station, meant to have a new footbridge,

new lifts, new public rail. Meant to be finished

by the end of next week. Four other stations,

Acton, Ealing Broadway, Southall and Hayes and Harlington

will also be put back. Most were meant to be finished

by the end of the year. We are expecting to have

by next month a new station Residents say they are

bitterly disappointed. And having told very little

by the developers Network Rail. They have been hiding,

citing minor delays, This is supposed to open next month,

clearly not going to happen. The way that the project was meant

to run, the work adjacent to the station the space to be

completed for the massive Going to be trying to build

a new station every director roads and traffic at the peak

demand for passengers. 85% of Crossrail, the largest

engineering project in Europe Including stations

like Canary Wharf. New trains will start using this

section in West London next summer. The local council said the delays

will also put back their work We were told we would actually get

Ealing Broadway delivered early. Now we're looking to

have a considerable delay, In terms of health and safety

issues, from May 2018, trains will be running,

but any station buildings Crossrail says all the stations

will be finished by the time Crossrail's much repeated mantra

of being on-time and on budget no A fifteen-year-old boy has been

found guilty of murdering the teenager Quamari Barnes -

who was stabbed to death outside was attacked outside

the Capital City Academy His killer can't be

named because of his age. He had been waiting for him -

and chased him before stabbing him. A London based charity has set up

a team of psychologists after the tragic events at Grenfell

Tower. Concerned about the long-term

impact of the tragedy on the local community,

the Unity of Faith's Foundation is offering free counselling

to anyone who needs it, yesterday it was a local teacher

who sought their help A child asked me, he lost his

friend. Not seeing him anymore. In the class. What should he do? The

painful realities of life after Grenfell Tower. Mohammed teaches

children Islamic studies. Learning how to school them in grief. Ask

them, described them, what are you going through? What is troubling

you? We must bring their fears onto the table? Bring everything out,

even if they cry. Let them cry. This psychologist is providing the

answers. Through this unity of fake charity. Putting together what he

calls a task force of councillors to give support. For Mohammed, with

pupils in its class leading best friends, that support helps answer

the difficult questions. What is their understanding of it? How did

they interpreted when they talk to you? Mason the children say, was it

because of the fridge. All the reports that people got killed. They

are kind of terrified by the concept of the fridge at home. When I leave

them I sometimes cry. When I hear their stories. For those directly

affected, the council has offered a social worker to help, and said that

educational psychologist are providing support. The doctor is

astonished at the slow response. One would expect in London in 2017

things would be put in place. That is the reason we're putting a task

force together. God forbid we have another crisis, but at least we will

have a task force, a group of psychologists supporting people in

need. Supporting them in crisis. Now that crisis is Grenfell Tower, and

the trauma it has caused. With the top tennis players

in the World getting ready to descend on Wimbledon next week

for the start of the Championship, in another corner of of south west

London, those further down the World rankings have been battling it out

to get the opportunity to play Roehampton has staged Wimbledon

qualifying since 1947. The first time there has been a show called

with seating. The first time there has been a charge for tickets. The

?5 costs goes to charity. Because they have introduced the ticket

system. A bit of a hassle going on the Internet to get one. Even so,

still good value for money. Not the real Wimbledon, does it feel like a

bit of the Ben Watson flavour? I think so, the matches are quite

challenging. The one we just saw. There was not supposed to be any

play today. Tuesday's rain means that taking an extra day to get

these matches completed. In total 128 men, 96 women have taken part.

Some having to win as many as six matches to make it through to

Wimbledon. Prize money of ?35,000 are waiting. As we saw last year,

once they are there, anything can happen. Slough born Marcus Willis

found himself rubbing shoulders with Roger Federer 12 months ago. Sadly

no repeat this time round. He lost yesterday. This mini Wimbledon even

has a mini Henman hill overlooking court 16, where playing for the

final men's qualifying place where these two players. The Italian took

it in straight sets. Always when I played there, people support me,

very good to me. Important to feel like time. A lot of Italians here.

Every year at the other people close to me, this is nice. Not as the

players entertain the public. A pigeon, too. Perhaps next year

Wimbledon qualifying will need its own Wimbledon hawk.

Now, you might remember the phrase 'The Big Society'?

It was David Cameron's idea for people to volunteer

in their community to help make things better.

It didn't really work out as planned.

But a school in east London has launched its own version -

on Friday afternoons pupils swap the classroom for a

And its seen the schools results improve.

Our Education Reporter Marc Ashdown went to meet them.

81. A game of bingo across the generations. The residents of

chestnuts care home, and pupils from Woodside primary Academy. Every

Friday afternoon the children swap the classroom to become community

support rose. -- support heroes. They come every Friday, it is nice.

They seem to you, reader story. We talk about what we do in school. We

tried to make their day brilliant. What you think about them? I think

they are marvellous. Very good. Different from normal life? Oh, yes.

I like we can share our opinions, how we live. You are a bit younger.

Just a little bit. Yes. That is one of a range of activities the school

lays on. Instead of lessons, judo, ballet, fencing, roller-skating. If

you want to get out the class you can go to enrichment. Something fun.

Helps us to socialise, share different ideas. It has boosted

results. A failing school in 2013, they are in the top 10% of the

country, rated outstanding by Ofsted. Naked confidence, try to do

things, and learn. We believe you are never too young to contribute

something to society, in the classroom, Haskell, external. Many

schools are struggling with tighter budgets. This is funded by starting

changes. Meaning they no longer paid any supply teachers. It has been a

hit with parents. They come home, so energised, we have done this. You

don't mind them being out and about? It is fine, I believe children learn

more when they enjoy what they do. These children and injuring been

part of their own big or little society. Fantastic.

Thirsty Londoners use 7.7 billion plastic bottles a year -

and we're not always great at reusing them.

So could we learn something from the Romans or Victorians?

Museum of London has put together items from its archive that

show our imaginative reuse of household objects

Whether it is on an industrial scale, or in minute detail for

mistaking materials is a modern-day concern, despite our throwaway

society. Make doing men, that is a well phrase. It became a mentor in

the Second World War. The concept was nothing new. Take this Roman

pot. Stuck back together 2000 years ago. With glue made from tree resin.

These are led plugs for medieval vessel. Snapped a wine glass stems

were held back on with wire. When I break wine glasses I think do not go

to that length. Very unsightly, but people could carry on using it. Ours

was not the only generation knowing there was money and rubbish. 18th

and 19th-century Dustman reaped the rewards. What they would do was

collect rubbish, as today, sifting through it. Using the mounds of dust

that they found, turned into cleaning agents, all sorts of

things. Actually a very, very well-paid job. For the time. As for

clothing, these 18th-century shoes are made from fabric woven 100 years

before. Refashioned, just designers do today. These are compression

suits. Originally made for the Chinese and Russian military. We

deconstruct them and rework. Guardsman's jackets. Siberian

sheepskin coats. One of my absolute favourite things we do, these. Silk

map dresses. Rather than being printed, they are original 1915 silk

maps. For me, going out and finding the original items is like

archaeology. Finding them, giving them a new life, it excites me. The

more we can do to defeat the idea you can throw something away after

one or two times wearing it. That thing has been made with love,

attention and care. Shipped all across the world, to end up in a bin

in a few weeks, that is really quite worrying. One generation's junk is

another treasure. Quite what they will make of our work rubbish one

millennia from now, is anyone's yes. Let's get a check on the weather.

Not a bad weekend in store? The weather has got better day on

day. So much so we have had a bit more blue sky today. Temperatures

hitting 22 degrees. Over the course of this weekend, should be largely

dry. Mostly overnight. Sunshine, more sunshine, as a result feeling a

bit warmer as well. Across the UK as a whole, not much rain around. It

was the south-east with the best of the breaks. I of the temperatures.

Coming down from the north, more clout. Thick enough to give us rain

and drizzle, before midnight. That will edge its way southwards

overnight. Tending to clear away right at the end of the night. A

good deal of clout. Quite warm. Temperatures 45 and 15 degrees.

Quite typically. A cloudy start first thing. Any spots of rain soon

clearing away very quickly. Cheering up nicely. Sunshine coming through.

Area cloud moving down from the north-west. Before then temperatures

will be higher than today. A warm day than today. 24 degrees, possibly

25. Back to where we were at the start of the week. The weather front

coming in from the north-west. That may whet the garden is a bit over

night. Saturday into Sunday morning. If you are up early walking the dog.

Expect rain and drizzle. Properly gone by eight, nine o'clock.

Sunshine coming through. Good spells of sunshine. Not as warm, perhaps we

have that cloudy start. Still 22 degrees also likely. Looking ahead

to the beginning of next week. Seeing the start of Wimbledon. It is

pantomime weather. Wishy-washy. We have the westerly airflow, bringing

in clout. Some sunshine. Maybe some rain around. Especially later on

Monday and Tuesday. On the whole, better than it has been for quite

some time. Cannot complain with that. Very good. The main

headlines... Cladding used to renovate

Grenfell Tower was changed to a cheaper and less fire resistant

version according to Kensington Chelsea Council says

safety would not have been compromised in order to manage

budgets. This programme has seen others

documents that suggest Camden Council made savings

of nearly a million pounds by removing fire doors from proposed

refurbishment plans on some The council says they will conduct a

thorough independent review. A coroner has concluded five men

from London who drowned at Camber Sands in East Sussex

died from mis-adventure. The friends died while playing

volleyball in the sea last summer. And a report into conditions

at Feltham young offenders prison has found it's unsafe

for staff and inmates. Offenders were found to have

been locked up almost I'll be back later during

the Ten O'Clock News, but for now from everyone

on the team have a lovely evening. Experience the power

of the BBC Proms.