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Southall residents being bullied by Ealing Council for not suffering in silence

Sat 27 Nov 2021
Mr H and his family moved into the Berkeley flats on the Southall Waterside 2 years ago and have been badly affected by the toxic air pollution there.

He told the council officer that he did not want the property because it was not suitable but they didn't listen to him. He was immediately taken off the LOCATA list which means that he cannot go back on the list for another 10 years.

He had health problems before moving here but now the family problems are far worse. He has been forced to closed doors and windows to keep the foul smell out.

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The pandemic has not helped either. In 2019 he got a doctor's note to state that his child had health problems. The doctor also told him that other patients had reported similar issues. He was hoping that this would convince the officer that the flat was not suitable and he should be rehoused. The council has done nothing since 2019. He asked for help but he got no response.

The children have attendance issues at school due to ongoing health problems aggravated by the foul odours around the flat. Why are the children not attending school?

Ealing Council Social Service officers came into his flat with video cameras and wanted to speak to the children alone when covid was rampant. Eight officers in the past 4 months have been hassling him and his children. They don’t want to know about the contaminated land affecting his family’s health.

The family are being treated as bad parents due to ill health, of the parents and their children, during the covid pandemic. Social services have given them no support.

When he ask them for help, he says “I have been told to keep quiet. Don't speak to anyone.”

“I have suffered bullying and racial abuse from the council officers.”

No one has asked “Are you ok?”

“I am speaking out for the sake of my son. I have had enough.”

“I want someone to do something.”

“Tricks and bullying is used to silence people” says Mr H.

Why would parents not send their children to school?

“They are abusing their position. No one listens. They don’t answer any questions.

“I feel scared and threatened. Can’t stay quiet (any longer).”

“They have people who can put the boot in, if we speak out.”

When ill children cannot attend school, all the social services can do is to harass the ill parents.

They are blaming parents of the children who fail to attend school due to ill health caused by the Berkeley development. The Council is in denial about the issue. The odours are NOT harmless and adverse effect on health is real.

No one seems to be tackling the source of the problem which is the contaminated soil next door.

He feels threatened by Ealing Council. They should be helping him, not putting the boot in.

His family can relate to what CASH campaigners have been saying. They have experienced the same symptoms. Mr H, his wife and the children feel dizzy when inside the flat.

There are more families like that. Another resident says “The smell knocks you off your feet, it affects your eyes and your throat. I can smell it in the bedrooms. When I wake up at night and open the windows for some fresh air, I can smell the odour.” Her family is also suffering. The constant smell of tar and diesel affects eyes and the throat.

Why am I doing this (raising this issue)?

When I see kids being affected, by the smell of foul odours in their bedrooms, I cannot believe it is happening in the 21st century. They (the council officers and ward councillors) would not put up with it, if they were affected.

All 15 elected councillors in Ealing Southall belong to the Labour Party. They are more than happy to canvas ANYWHERE for the Labour party and have their photos taken in the process.

Ealing Council Leader admits that the residents are suffering but his hands are tied partly due to the original planning permission.

Put the legal stuff aside for a moment. How many of the 15 elected Labour councillors are willing to be photographed with the suffering residents to say we are with you and that your continued suffering is simply Not acceptable?

To succeed in politics, you have to join a party, say MP Virendra Sharma. Then you have to make difficult compromises between what the resident’s want and the party-political line.

The residents are not asking for cake.
They want an end to their daily suffering.

What is stopping the councillors standing with the residents? The party-political line? What does the Labour Party gain by standing with the developer that is poisoning the Southall residents?

Oh, I can smell the stench from Dormers Wells.
Well, what have you done about it, Councillor?
The decent thing to do, it to publicly state, “If I can smell the stench from here, what about the poor nearby residents? Surely 4 years of daily suffering is enough for anyone.”

Next year, they will come knocking on your door saying “Can we count on your vote?”
“to poison us”?
“to toe the Labour party line?”
Time for change?

“Let’s not score points. Let's Work Together.” = “Let’s do nothing”.


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