Kensington & Chelsea

Products from firms connected to the Grenfell Tower refurbishment will not be used on buildings owned by Kensington and Chelsea council. Deputy leader Kim Taylor-Smith made the pledge at the housing and scrutiny committee following revelations that contractors had used Kingspan  insulation on the multi-million pound Barlby School and adjacent Queensmill special school which is due to open this autumn.

A former resident of Grenfell Tower said there were so many concerns about the refurbishment of the 24-storey building in the years before the blaze that there were calls for an independent inquiry into the way it was run. David Collins, who chaired the Grenfell Tower residents association said many who lived there were unhappy with the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation which looked after homes for the council.

People bereaved by Grenfell are calling for a ban on products made by companies connected with the Grenfell Tower refurbishment being used on Kensington and Chelsea Council’s building projects. It comes after floor insulation was used on a new £36.5m school for children with special needs and primary school next door, a mile away from Grenfell Tower where 72 people tragically died.

Portobello Road Market is starting to recover to its pre-pandemic strength, and some traders are even reporting a new-found customer base – local people. Saturday April 17 will see the long-awaited return of the world-famous Kensington market’s many antiques dealers.

Campaigners are urging shops to waive their delivery charges for the disabled as the service is a lifeline for them. Sandip Sodha, from Action Disability Kensington and Chelsea’s access group said many people with long-term health conditions, the disabled and older people are struggling  to make ends meet during the pandemic.

A body found in a pond in Epping Forest has been identified as the missing 19-year-old Richard Okorogheye. Richard, who was a student at Oxford Brookes University, went missing from his home in Ladbroke Grove on Monday, March 22. His death is being treated as unexplained and police do not believe, at this stage, that there was any third-party involvement.

If Taekwondo teacher John Webster says children he teaches in North Kensington are “exceptional”. He should know as he’s a coach for the New Zealand Olympic team. The Taekwondo Master hopes he will join the Olympic hopefuls in Tokyo for this summer’s games if Covid rules allow.