Chalcots estate 

• YOUR editorial Comment is absolutely right to call again for a full inquiry – in public – into the actions that led to Chalcots residents being left in dangerous homes for many years, due to cladding and refurbishment decisions made under the PFI private finance initiative scheme, (Is there courage for a public inquiry into Chalcots? June 7).

I have repeatedly asked the leader of the council for details and a timetable for this vital, second phase of the review of Chalcots.

Now, with close to a year passing since the evacuation, we still have no news on even the terms of reference for any further investigation and public scrutiny, or when key documents will be published to help councillors and residents influence these processes. Even the first phase of the council’s “independent review” is taking its time.

Comments to reviewer Marian Harrington closed in February, and we must see her conclusions before the first anniversary. But so far there is nothing in Camden’s forward plan up to September to tell us when to expect this.

Councillors are being told that the second phase of review will indeed look at the PFI in detail, but only after legal action the council is taking is complete. So far, however, this is all taking place behind closed doors, with no sign of public court proceedings. It worries me greatly that this process may be used by those responsible to cover things up further.

Certainly if I were advising the PFI firms and contractors from whom (I presume) the council is seeking damages, I would be making sure settlements were kept out of court and suggesting they offer the council compensation only in exchange for sealing the most damaging documents away from the public for ever. This must not happen.

With the Grenfell inquiry set to take several years, a swift, honest, public, review of what happened at an estate in Camden with very close parallels could help councils and other housing managers learn lessons much sooner.

This is something that has the potential to have national importance and we must not shirk this responsibility. The election was on May 3 but there is no full council meeting scheduled until July 23 for me and other councillors to hold the leader to account publicly for the delays in allowing scrutiny of what happened.

If we reach that date without any further documents being released, and with no news on the next phase of inquiry, many of us will be united in calling out this failure.

CLLR SIAN BERRY
Green Party, Highgate ward