30/06/2017

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:00:12. > :00:13.Good evening and welcome to BBC London News,

:00:14. > :00:17.Documents seen by this programme suggest that Camden Council made

:00:18. > :00:21.savings of nearly ?1 million by removing fire doors

:00:22. > :00:24.from refurbishment plans on some of its tower blocks.

:00:25. > :00:27.There's been controversy over the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower,

:00:28. > :00:31.and now BBC London can reveal details of similar disagreements

:00:32. > :00:35.over how the Chalcots Estate in Camden was refurbished,

:00:36. > :00:42.As rows go, this one just turned nasty.

:00:43. > :00:43.This is a pretty complicated business.

:00:44. > :00:48.What we know for sure is there are four tower blocks

:00:49. > :00:50.on the Chalcots Estate which have been evacuated because

:00:51. > :00:53.1000 fire doors are missing internally.

:00:54. > :00:57.The cladding on the outside isn't fire retardant.

:00:58. > :01:01.What we don't know yet is exactly who to blame.

:01:02. > :01:04.The council thinks it does, blaming its contractor.

:01:05. > :01:07.As the leader explained to this programme a week ago.

:01:08. > :01:09.We thought we were working with reputable companies,

:01:10. > :01:11.and we thought we had what was specified.

:01:12. > :01:14.We feel let down that's not the case.

:01:15. > :01:18.The cladding may be coming down, but the rhetoric is being scaled up.

:01:19. > :01:21.The contractor Rydon has struck back, writing to Camden Council

:01:22. > :01:25.threatening legal action for those specific comments,

:01:26. > :01:28.adding the Council itself signed off on the works

:01:29. > :01:33.BBC London has seen a document showing the omission of fire doors

:01:34. > :01:36.in communal areas during that refurbishment contract

:01:37. > :01:41.The allegation is that Camden Council not only knew

:01:42. > :01:43.the fire doors were being omitted, but they wanted that

:01:44. > :02:02.In response Camden Council released a statement saying...

:02:03. > :02:05.We asked an independent fire expert for his view

:02:06. > :02:08.His response, subcontracting out this sort of work has

:02:09. > :02:13.All the checks and balances we once had, they've gone.

:02:14. > :02:16.All the knowledge which was in local authorities,

:02:17. > :02:20.which was there to provide good, quality building, and to check

:02:21. > :02:22.to ensure buildings were put up and maintained properly,

:02:23. > :02:28.Thoughts shared by many of the residents, like Lulu,

:02:29. > :02:31.who we met as she collected the last of her family's possessions.

:02:32. > :02:40.I don't know where it is going to end.

:02:41. > :02:44.This row between council and contractor is of little interest

:02:45. > :02:49.It is just the beginning of what will be years

:02:50. > :02:58.After the leader of Kensington and Chelsea resigned

:02:59. > :03:00.earlier this evening, the Mayor Sadiq Khan has called

:03:01. > :03:02.on the current administration of the council to be

:03:03. > :03:06.He said the government needs to get a grip and immediately act

:03:07. > :03:08.to appoint commissioners to take over the council.

:03:09. > :03:13.Tolu Adoeye reports on the events of the last 24 hours.

:03:14. > :03:19.That's something we'll look at in due course.

:03:20. > :03:21.Due course came sooner than expected.

:03:22. > :03:24.Just yesterday afternoon, this was Councillor Paget-Brown

:03:25. > :03:27.telling BBC London's political editor it wasn't

:03:28. > :03:34.Would you expect to be the leader in six months' time?

:03:35. > :03:38.That's not a matter I'm able to discuss now.

:03:39. > :03:41.Hours after the interview this happened.

:03:42. > :03:46.A council meeting arranged to discuss the fire descending

:03:47. > :03:52.The press and the public had been banned, but a judge

:03:53. > :03:56.After receiving legal advice, Councillor Paget-Brown

:03:57. > :03:58.cut the meeting short, saying there could be no open

:03:59. > :04:04.In resigning today, he referenced the fallout from that decision

:04:05. > :04:08.as one of the reasons for his departure.

:04:09. > :04:11.As council leader I have to accept my share of responsibility

:04:12. > :04:17.In particular, my decision to accept legal advice that I should not

:04:18. > :04:20.compromise the public enquiry by having an open discussion

:04:21. > :04:27.in public yesterday, has itself become a political story.

:04:28. > :04:30.And it cannot be right that this should have become the focus

:04:31. > :04:34.of attention when so many are dead or still unaccounted for.

:04:35. > :04:38.I have therefore decided to step down as leader of the council

:04:39. > :04:45.Tonight, the mayor Sadiq Khan has welcomed the resignation.

:04:46. > :04:48.He's called on the government to get a grip and immediately act

:04:49. > :04:52.to appoint commissioners to take over the running of Kensington

:04:53. > :05:11.The mayor said he's written to the Prime Minister Theresa May and he's

:05:12. > :05:14.telling her this council is simply not fit for purpose. He wants these

:05:15. > :05:20.independent commissioners to come in. They are usually former Chief

:05:21. > :05:26.Executive Southwark Council that he believes that's what's needed to get

:05:27. > :05:31.the council through this difficult time. He says they should be in

:05:32. > :05:36.place until May next year, until local elections take place. We've

:05:37. > :05:39.had other resignations. Not just Councillor Paget-Brown. The deputy

:05:40. > :05:43.leader has resigned today, the housing chief went today, and last

:05:44. > :05:49.week the council's chief executive also went, so this is a council

:05:50. > :05:52.without leadership at the moment. It's a council that is really in

:05:53. > :05:56.crisis. Robert Atkinson, who is Kensington and Chelsea's Labour

:05:57. > :06:00.leader echoed what Sadiq Khan said. He said external help is needed to

:06:01. > :06:02.get the council through this time. Thank you for the update.

:06:03. > :06:12.Let's find out what the weather is up to with Tomasz Schafernaker.

:06:13. > :06:19.The weekend is looking pretty good for most of us, lots of sunshine on

:06:20. > :06:22.the way. I want to emphasise the word mostly sunny, because it won't

:06:23. > :06:26.be sunny all the time. There is a bit of rain in the forecast, just

:06:27. > :06:31.spit sunspots. This is what we have out there right now. A bit of damp

:06:32. > :06:34.weather. This is going to last through the night. This is nothing

:06:35. > :06:41.too heavy. If you are up very early in the morning, maybe for a walk, a

:06:42. > :06:45.walk with the dog, there won't be big puddles. It will be absolutely

:06:46. > :06:49.fine and dry. Lots of sunshine on the way on Saturday. This is the

:06:50. > :06:55.temperature in Central under, around 24 Celsius. Low 20s just outside

:06:56. > :06:59.town, a really nice day on the way on the whole. Another band of rain

:07:00. > :07:03.is heading our way for early on Sunday morning. If you're up at that

:07:04. > :07:08.time this rain will probably be a bit heavier. Then it should be out

:07:09. > :07:13.of the way by midday or 1pm, the sun should be out again. Another decent

:07:14. > :07:16.day. A bit fresher on Sunday. The wind will change direction out of

:07:17. > :07:22.the north-west. It will be just that bit fresher. I've disappeared, so

:07:23. > :07:28.it's time for the Outlook. Temperatures in the 20s Lustig into

:07:29. > :07:31.Monday. That day on Sunday looking absolutely fine. By Monday, maybe a

:07:32. > :07:34.bit more cloud. Here's Outlook with absolutely fine. By Monday, maybe a

:07:35. > :07:42.bit more cloud. Here's Outlook with Darren Bett.

:07:43. > :07:47.Hello, dry -- July is almost here but June was one of the warmest and

:07:48. > :07:50.wettest on record. This is from the Met Office, it shows areas

:07:51. > :07:53.particularly wet, notably in Scotland. This is the first month in

:07:54. > :07:56.the last year with significantly