0:00:00 > 0:00:00Tessa Jowell talking to Nick Robinson.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Good evening.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13I'm Asad Ahmad.
0:00:13 > 0:00:18In a highly unusual move, Labour-run Haringey Council has been
0:00:18 > 0:00:21told by the party's ruling Executive to put a halt to a multi-million
0:00:21 > 0:00:26pound regeneration project in north London.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29The plan to renew thousands of council homes has proved
0:00:29 > 0:00:31hugely controversial - but in this latest move, there's
0:00:31 > 0:00:35also some discomfort locally about Labour's National Executive
0:00:35 > 0:00:37stepping in to tell a local council what to do.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42Here's Susana Mendonca.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49This resident has lived on Northumberland Park
0:00:49 > 0:00:50in Tottenham for 29 years.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53The local council wants to knock this down and rebuild it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And it has promised that all social tenants like her would get to return
0:00:56 > 0:00:59to live here if they want to.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Yes, I have been here a long time and I love the place.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I wish to come back.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08I asked about the rent and they said the rent is going to be the same.
0:01:08 > 0:01:14But I am wondering how true it is going to be.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17This is one of the areas in this north London borough that would be
0:01:17 > 0:01:19included in the so-called Haringey Development
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Vehicle, or HDV.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22That's a 50-50 partnership between the council
0:01:22 > 0:01:26and a private developer.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Haringey Council says this plan is all about regenerating inadequate
0:01:28 > 0:01:31estates and building much-needed new homes - more than 6000 of them,
0:01:31 > 0:01:3740% of which they say would be affordable.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39But it has been met with huge opposition, not least
0:01:39 > 0:01:45because of the council's choice of business partner.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Lendlease was the company behind the Heygate estate
0:01:50 > 0:01:52redevelopment in Southwark - once home to more than a thousand
0:01:52 > 0:01:54socially rented properties, the development that replaced it now
0:01:55 > 0:01:59has less than 100 of them.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Which is a comparison that those protesting against the Haringey
0:02:01 > 0:02:05plans have continued to make.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09This is not a rejection of the ambition behind the HDV.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13It is the fact it is poorly thought out, it is too risky, it is very,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16very likely to fail in at least some way, the most likely way
0:02:16 > 0:02:21of which is the proportion of homes for genuine affordable social rent
0:02:21 > 0:02:28will probably be small and will no doubt dwindle over time.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30The plans, which also include building on council-owned
0:02:30 > 0:02:33sites in Wood Green, have led to huge divisions
0:02:33 > 0:02:34within the Labour Party here.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Councillors who support the HDV have been deselected and some opposed
0:02:36 > 0:02:42to it have now got the backing of Labour's ruling body.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44We have now got the Labour Party's National Executive Committee
0:02:44 > 0:02:48effectively telling a Labour council what to do over a specific
0:02:48 > 0:02:53policy, which is in itself quite extraordinary.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56And I am thinking where does this end, so what happens the next time
0:02:56 > 0:03:00a campaign group who is now part of the Labour Party is not happy
0:03:00 > 0:03:07with something that a Labour council leader is doing?
0:03:07 > 0:03:09With pressure continuing to mount, the future of this
0:03:09 > 0:03:12development remains unclear.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21Tim Donovan is our political editor.
0:03:21 > 0:03:27Apologies wasn't issues with sound this evening. -- apologies
0:03:28 > 0:03:28Apologies wasn't issues with sound this evening. -- apologies about
0:03:28 > 0:03:30some issues. We are back on track now.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31This is a local issue,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35but with many people outside Haringey watching what happens?
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Because it is a row that some people think lays bare wider divisions
0:03:39 > 0:03:44within the Labour Party, both locally in Haringey and suggesting a
0:03:44 > 0:03:50potential split and differing factions within Labour nationally,
0:03:50 > 0:03:57too. The main organisation, Momentum, the activist, grassroots
0:03:57 > 0:04:01community organisation not created that long ago, has run 35,000
0:04:01 > 0:04:05members already, runs parallel with Labour, supportive of Corbyn and his
0:04:05 > 0:04:09beliefs. They are very active in Haringey and have oppose these
0:04:09 > 0:04:12plans. There is not a total crossover, lots of people oppose
0:04:12 > 0:04:17these plans who are not in Momentum, but politically Momentum are held to
0:04:17 > 0:04:24have been responsible for about 20 existing councillors, Cymbeline
0:04:24 > 0:04:27deselected all voluntarily standing down, because they do not want to
0:04:27 > 0:04:31stand in the May elections.Lots of people wondering what will happen
0:04:31 > 0:04:36now.The senior ruling body will send in a senior MP to mediate, it
0:04:36 > 0:04:40is thought the leader, who has put so much political capital and effort
0:04:40 > 0:04:44into getting these plans up and running, will meet party bosses. She
0:04:44 > 0:04:47cannot you press the button because she is waiting for the outcome of a
0:04:47 > 0:04:52judicial review, but I suppose it is possible but the outcome of the May
0:04:52 > 0:04:57elections will lead to a Momentum heavy, heavy with people who oppose
0:04:57 > 0:05:00this scheme, thus it may not get off the ground.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04It will be interesting to see what happens. Thank you, Tim Farron and
0:05:04 > 0:05:05-- Tim Donovan.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08The mother of a young girl who died when playground equipment
0:05:08 > 0:05:11collapsed on her in east London, has been told that the council
0:05:11 > 0:05:13responsible for its upkeep won't face any criminal charges.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Alexia Walenkaki was enjoying playing near her mother
0:05:15 > 0:05:18in a park in Mile End, when a wooden post collapsed.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Her mother says the decision shows there's one law for some people -
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and another for those of colour, and who are poor.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27She's been speaking to Alex Bushill.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Baby, flowers of light.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34Sleep and see brighter dreams...
0:05:34 > 0:05:37This is a poem chosen by Vida that always reminds her of her little
0:05:37 > 0:05:39five-year-old girl.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43She was crushed to death here before her mum's eyes.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45The playground has since been closed, remodelled and reopened,
0:05:45 > 0:05:50but everywhere, there are reminders of Alexia.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Alexia was a charmer.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Whoever she came into contact with instantly fell in love with her.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59This photo even shows the equipment that was to crush her,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01the wooden timbers in the background clear to see.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06It was a moment Vida watched unfold.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I noticed the log on which they were playing as a swing
0:06:09 > 0:06:11started to collapse.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16I ran as fast as I could to where the children were playing.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18But when I got there, Alexia was already on the floor.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21There was not much I could do.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Today, we learned that the CPS are not going to bring
0:06:24 > 0:06:29charges against the council which runs this playground.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32That's despite the fact that we now know that in 2014 and 2015
0:06:32 > 0:06:35in the years leading up to Alexia's death, there were not
0:06:35 > 0:06:38annual safety inspections.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Alexia's family say that if there had been,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42she would be alive today.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47In a letter seen by the BBC, the CPS explain this decision.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Whilst accepting that annual checks had not been carried out since 2013,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52the CPS did point to how there had been an operational inspection
0:06:52 > 0:06:55on 1st June and a daily inspection on the day Alexia died,
0:06:55 > 0:07:0017th July 2015.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03No issue with the log was identified in either.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06For Vida's lawyers, though, it simply isn't good enough.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08I don't think the system they had in place for
0:07:08 > 0:07:09inspections was good enough.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Yes, there were daily and quarterly inspections being carried out.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15However, the last annual inspection wasn't carried out for a year
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and ten months prior to Alexia's death.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20This inspection is important because it's a lot more
0:07:20 > 0:07:22thorough and more in-depth than in the quarterly
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and daily inspections.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Tools are used which detect defective equipment which may not be
0:07:28 > 0:07:32apparent during a quarterly and daily inspection.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Vida puts it far stronger.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38There are different laws for people of this country
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and there are different laws for people of colour.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44You think you're a victim of racism?
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Yes.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Because I'm a nobody and I am poor.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50That's the way I see it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Because I'm alone, there was nobody to fight back,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56so they do what they want.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58The CPS has declined to comment on Vida's
0:07:58 > 0:08:00concerns of discrimination, but it is going to
0:08:00 > 0:08:02review its decision.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04As for Tower Hamlets, they won't comment either,
0:08:04 > 0:08:09with an inquest into Alexia's death now set for early spring.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13I just felt that if I needed Alexia, this is where I should come get her.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15In the early days, I would stand outside and actually
0:08:15 > 0:08:19yelled her name, calling, expecting a response.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23But, you know, that wouldn't happen.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25That silence is obviously forever, but Alexia's image, her memory,
0:08:25 > 0:08:30will be here too, for ever.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34If you're passing the stretch along the Thames
0:08:34 > 0:08:37near the South Bank from now on, look out for pyramids.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Colourful ones.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42They've been installed to fix a leaky roof.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45That's one way of dealing with it - and it's given
0:08:45 > 0:08:46the Hayward Gallery a whole new light.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Here's Wendy Hurrell.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50A rare view of a gallery.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Installation in progress and the first exhibition to be put
0:08:52 > 0:08:59on these walls for over two years.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01In the meantime, a multi-million-pound restoration
0:09:01 > 0:09:04has been happening to update the electrics, to replace
0:09:04 > 0:09:09the painted-over decaying pyramid roof lights.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Now the ceiling has windows onto the sky, we will see the works
0:09:12 > 0:09:14beneath quite differently.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Of course, normally, we get daylight coming in,
0:09:16 > 0:09:17but right now you see
0:09:17 > 0:09:24the wonderful purple, changing lights of David
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Batchelor's sculpture that's on the rooftop right now.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29And this is what it looks like from the roof -
0:09:29 > 0:09:3466 brand-new pyramids especially lit up until the end of March to mark
0:09:34 > 0:09:38the reopening of the Hayward Gallery and celebrate its 50th year.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41We are continuing to try to find artists from across the world
0:09:41 > 0:09:43who we think are really articulating something new and saying something
0:09:43 > 0:09:47about the world we live in - showing it to us in a way that
0:09:47 > 0:09:51makes you think.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55The Director of the Hayward Gallery speaking to Wendy Hurrell.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Now for the weather with Ben.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Now for the weather with Ben.
0:10:02 > 0:10:08A very wet state today? Not particularly inspiring at all. Heavy
0:10:08 > 0:10:13rain, very strong winds as well. The good news is tomorrow looks
0:10:13 > 0:10:17considerably brighter and considerably quieter. We will see
0:10:17 > 0:10:20some sunny spells, Shell is passing through in the breeze, not as windy
0:10:20 > 0:10:23as today. During the rest tonight, largely dry
0:10:23 > 0:10:29conditions with clear spells, a few showers might pass through time.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Chillier than last night, four, five or six the minimum temperatures.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38A bright enough start tomorrow, spells of sunshine. There is the
0:10:38 > 0:10:42chance that one or two will creep through at times but they should be
0:10:42 > 0:10:46fairly light, very few and far between. I suspect many places will
0:10:46 > 0:10:51still dry all day. Not as windy as it has been, eight
0:10:51 > 0:10:55to 10 degrees. Into tomorrow, staying fairly cool
0:10:55 > 0:11:00with clear spells and a few showers. Friday looks nice, still fairly
0:11:00 > 0:11:00cool,