CBWRA committee apparently continues with arbitrary CBW app account closures – despite the resolution passed by residents at the Special General Meeting

Sadly it seems that the CBWRA committee are continuing with the process of arbitrary closure of CBW app accounts of anyone who dares to question the wisdom of the committee. A resident has informed me that earlier today (29.11.23) they posted a link to my blog regarding electricity prices at CBW and inviting residents join me in calling for refunds from Rendall and Rittner, and they told me that their CBW app account was closed some hours later. There was an almost immediate response to the post from Louis-Sebastian Kendall’ (‘Co-Chair’) stating that this blog was ‘misleading’ but when asked to explain what specifically was misleading he was unable to do so. Mr Kendall claims he met with the head of Rendall and Rittner procurement to secure a deal for electricity at CBW outside of the bulk tendering process. That may be true for all I know but if so, it has not resulted in a great deal – the new rates are still a little above the going rate and with a standing charge which has inexplicably more than doubled. As far as I am aware the CBWRA committee have never mentioned this deal which they supposedly achieved to residents before today which seems odd. I am not aware of any lobbying by them for refunds for residents either.

Hilariously, Vasundhara Talwar (an unelected committee member) then also waded in and claimed that this blog is ‘notoriously unfactual’ whatever that may mean but again was unable to give any evidence or specific examples. Ms Talwar states that it is ”better to rely on RA minutes on how RA is approaching R and R and the electricity deal”. That is amusing on two counts i) there have not been any minutes as far as I am aware, re the new electricity contracts ii) the idea that CBWRA committee meeting minutes are reliable or accurate. In my view there is often little relationship between CBWRA minutes and the actual meetings (which can readily be proved through a comparison of audio recordings and published notes). The notes of the last committee meeting were one side A4 and no notes at all were produced for the so called leaseholder forum meeting in October. The notes from the May committee meeting at which residents were strongly critical of the CBWRA committee simply omitted 99% of the criticism and residents were banned from attending committee meetings shortly afterwards. One of the other things that happened at this meeting was that I explained in great detail to the committee and to residents present what the problems were with the electricity retendering by Rendall and Rittner were. The committee were clearly unaware of most of these issues and the co-chair asked me to send details of the research I had done, after the meeting, which I did. None of this appears in the notes from the May committee meeting. In fact nothing at all which I said in the meeting appears in the notes. If that is not censorship then I don’t know what is.

The audio recordings of at least two CBWRA meetings where the committee /chair have been criticised have been ‘lost’ due to supposed technical failure. Notes from CBWRA committee meetings are usually sent by email (to those who are signed up) about 4-5 weeks after meetings and may sometimes be found on the CBW app but you really have to look for them. They are not published in the main chat of the CBW app (because that might lead to discussion or questions and we don’t want that, do we:) ).

The CBW app account of the person who posted this link from my blog today was apparently closed without any information, explanation or procedure despite the SGM motion passed 10 weeks ago which says that CBW app accounts cannot be closed without the use of a written process which allows the person ”accused” to see the supposed evidence for account closure and respond to it and only then after 2 warnings. No such procedure has been produced and it seems that the CBWRA committee may continue to close the account of anyone who should dare to criticise them in any way or to report anything that is critical of the committee in any way. I genuinely feel sorry for people who are so insecure and intellectually immature that they cannot cope with any scrutiny or criticism.

Mr Kendall and Ms Talwar are part of a committee that misinformed residents for two years that Right to Manage was not possible, a committee which closed my CBW app account for saying that Right to Manage was possible and a committee which has a considerable history of saying things to residents which are provably untrue.

I have invited CBWRA committee on several occasions to point out anything on my blog which is untrue or misleading but they have never been able to do so. The invitation stands and on my blog there is also freedom of speech and the right of reply, unlike the CBW app.

Are people who engage in arbitrary censorship fit to represent residents’ interests? Are people who misinform residents that Right to Manage is not possible suitable people to be in charge of a Right to Manage process or a Right to Manage company? Is a committee that is mostly unelected and relies on unfair elections to hang onto power one that you should have confidence in? I suggest it may not be.

Update: This resident has reported that their CBW app account was apparently re-opened on 30.11.23 – I can only assume that was in response to this article. If that is confirmed then that is good news and I will update this article further in due course.