Local Council Dictators

TK, Scunthorpe writes:

This is true but don't forget the MPs are even better paid and just as bad.

Derek Edmead, Dartford writes:

I agree.

Debra Alexander, York writes:

Hello. I'm a rare breed pig farmer who is trying to keep Britain farming with my smallholding. But I seem to be the target of  what you might call townies - people who move to the countryside, buy a million pound house and move on to the parish council to look good. Most are probably in debt up to their eyeballs.
Suddenly we have a parish council who complain about putting animals in a field and planting trees!

Recently I had a reply from Harrogate Borough Council regarding a complaint I sent in about an enforcement officer, MR JAMES CULLEN.
MR TIM RICHARDS (Head of planning services), who seems to run Harrogate council, and has family relatives on most parish councils in the little villages locally, replied by letter to an email of mine saying officially that whether or not JAMES CULLEN (PLANNING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER) HAS LIED, THE COUNCIL DOES NOT ALTER ITS POSITION??? Now that seems to indicate that this council condones liars. What do you think?

And I have the official letter from the council as evidence that when you complain to the local government ombudsman in York, you send the letters by fax and they send you a letter saying they have received them. But you never hear from them again! Do they all go to the pub and stay there?

I'm sorry but this country is knackered! There is no one who cares. So just do as you like in life because truly no one cares.

Editorial Comment:

With everything we have witnessed during the last 11 years under New Labour, we would love to think that you could "do as you like" (within reason) but, as we all know, you can't. The only people who seem to be able to "do as they like" are the government, the bureaucracy, the town hall dictators and their armies of paid enforcers - in fact anyone who would prefer that this country becomes a quasi-communist state run by Europe ... the very thing that our forefathers fought to avoid in two world wars.

The whole objective of the freedom wreckers is to stop us doing anything we might like, or everything they don't like, mostly by criminalising everything. And yes, Debra, councils do condone liars - it's a prime requirement for continued employment. If they employed honest and truthful people they wouldn't get away with half the things they did.

If we do not wake up to what's happening around us, it will be too late. Something has to be done now. We might hope that the next election will bring change but our hopes are probably unrealistic. And anyway we cannot afford to wait another two years. We must protest and we must make sure our protest is heard. But it will need more than minor demonstrations. It will require demonstrations by vast numbers of people who really care about this country - people who are determined to stop the rot now.

Any volunteers to lead us out of the New Labour mire and back to sanity?

GT, Lincs writes:

I agree totally.

If people only understood this issue properly there would be outrage. My council is an 'Executive' NELC and they pay themselves outstandingly. Most people think that the powerful people in their council are either MPs or civil servants; Think again! Both of the prior groups are well regulated and easily monitored.

Your council (if it's anything like mine) is run by unaccountable and unregulated senior managers (Officers). Check your council's constitution, see what power some councils have given themselves and realise that the main decision makers in your council are UNACCOUNTABLE.

Valerie Smith, Willenhall writes:

I worked for the local council in Walsall for three years and was one of the few in the Department who lived locally. I was frightened by how much money was wasted on stupid items, and how many "contracts" were given to friends. Days out on expenses that were just glorified piss-ups, awards given to staff at top hotels for doing a job they were paid to do, and overtime allowed when there was no work - we sat all day for months, yet were paid time and half to come in on weekends. This was when Fujitsu were supposed to take over.

I found that items were priced up wrongly on the system so it looked like unit was in profit, yet had actually been losing money for months. I witnessed stolen goods being sold, drugs, theft and even a child abuse book stored away by a temp. When I complained about this I was demoted. Then I managed to gather some evidence. Funnily enough my evidence was lost after being handed over and I was sacked for Gross Misconduct.

Weeks later, a co-worker who also spoke out was also sacked on health grounds. Worse still, six months later, the manager I complained about was released with £65,000 pay-off and the unit was downsized.

I have since been unable to clear my name, I have been abused by staff so much I can no longer go into Walsall alone. And I cannot get another job, even though I was good at my job and am willing to work hard.

Editorial Comment:

None of this surprises us because we hear it all the time. Councils employ a large number of people who would be lucky to get a job anywhere else and the only qualification we think most need is the ability to turn a blind eye to the corruption, break the laws of the land with impunity and lie when required to do so. Read the section on parking administration in the London Borough of Bexley to see how they blatantly practise fraud, dishonesty and corruption - all with guaranteed continuous employment and a fully-protected inflation-proof pension scheme.

Despite the so-called legal protection granted to whistle blowers under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, the usual result is that the honest person is sacked and victimised whilst useless executives walk away with handsome pay-offs, often strolling straight into another job with another local authority.

On another page of this website you can read all about Ian Clement - the former Conservative leader of Bexley Council - who was recently sacked from his job as Deputy Mayor of London by Boris Johnson after financial irregularities. It now transpires that the police are reviewing all Clement's  expense claims to identify the scale of any potential fraud. They have already uncovered an instance where, as Deputy Mayor of London, he entertained the former Chief Executive of Bexley Council, Nick Johnson, at a posh London restaurant.

Johnson had retired from his £200,000-plus Bexley job on health grounds only days previously. He left Bexley with a full pension and a six-figure pay-off. Naturally, councils never worry about spending other people's money on such retirement luxuries for their senior staff. The only difference here was that Johnson's health couldn't have been that bad as he took another £125,000 a year job on a London housing trust four months later! He is now working for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

In a world untainted with the corruption of local authorities, Bexley taxpayers would be demanding that Johnson's pay-off be paid back and that his full pension be stopped. Johnson himself, and anyone still employed by Bexley Council who sanctioned this gross misuse of public funds, would be dragged to the public square next to Bexley's civic headquarters and would be publicly humiliated by being placed in specially-erected stocks. Then they would be thrown in jail.

This will never happen, of course. All that will happen is that there will be more cover-ups, more wastage of public funds on more council trough gobblers, and continued corruption.

But none of this is any use to our correspondent. She made the mistakes of being good at her job and honest - the complete opposite of a perfect council employee. So what Valerie needs now is an employer who seeks the qualities she has. In the meantime, although it's not much consolation, she can at least hold her head high.

Fran, London writes:

BARNET COUNCIL and ENFIELD COUNCIL are two of the most RACIST and corrupt councils I have ever encountered. Their Social Services for Older Adults are seriously corrupt. They PRETEND to be protecting older adults like my mother when really they are on the side of her violent abuser (my brother).
Barnet and Enfield Council helped my brother unlawfully and illegally evict my mother (who is a pensioner) from her own home. They ignored the fact that he has a police record of violence against my mother. Both councils have continued to collude with my brother to cover up the TRUTH. They don't want anyone to know how corrupt these two Councils are.

I was also evicted, along with my mother, and I was homeless for the whole of 2008. Barnet Council don't want to house me even though I have been on their housing register for 10 years plus ... all because they are colluding with my brother. There is one VERY big conspiracy by Barnet and Enfield Council to TOTALLY deny my mother her Human Rights and assist my Brother to drug my mother and make her appear confused. The ONLY reason these two Councils are colluding with my brother is to get my mother assessed as Mentally Incapacitated so my brother can take control of her property and affairs. I think these two councils have some kind of financial interest in my mother's house and want to be in control of her finances. Enfield and Barnet Councils are VERY corrupt!

Bill Kelly, London writes:

How can someone get £200,000 per year while, at the same time, old age pensioners are going to get their bus passes took off them? That's to say nothing of the price rises! Councillors and MPs should get a working man's wage - the job they do is not too hard ... mainly a little paperwork. And masons should be banned from holding office!

Jamal Khan, Edgware writes:

I agree that local councils are corrupt. But what are we doing about it?
As they are our employees maybe we should start to question and demand information from them under the "freedom of Information" act.

I live in Harrow Council who I believe are corrupt to the core. Everyone knows this but we are unable to do anything. NO, that is not right ... we should go to the street and inform people. I have suffered at the hands of my local authority but I will enlighten people about Harrow Council - even if this means distributing leaflets in the street.

We all complain but do nothing. If enough people know their rights the Local Council idiots (employees) will not be able to bully their constituents. If this message gets one person to do something positive about their council then I have done my work. We need to start questioning what they are doing for us and where our money is being spent.

Editorial Comment:

We should be able to rely on our councillors to put things right but unfortunately the vast majority are too weak or too dishonest to make any difference. We can use the Freedom of Information Act to force local authorities to reveal information but don't be surprised by the lengths they will go to suppress details or refuse FOI requests.

Jean Roberts, Dumfries & Galloway writes:

I shouldn't have been surprised to see how many corrupt councils there are in the UK. I have suffered for the last 10 years because of the local council's failure to uphold rules and regulations and have written proof they are the biggest BIGOTED LYING HYPOCRITES that ever lived and breathed!

Even more annoying these supposedly public servants wages are paid by honest hard working tax payers' money, it makes me so angry. I would like to know how they can make the rules up as and when they like or I am right in believing its what goes into their back pockets that is the deciding factor? Would they be so cocky if every morning as soon as they opened their eyes they felt threatened and intimidated in their own home.

I can like a lot of other long suffering decent law abiding citizens live in hope that one day someone or somebody can take on these low life blood sucking leeches and make them pay for being the gangsters that they are.

Ronnie Millar, Livingstone writes:

West Lothian Council have given an adapted wheelchair bungalow to a single mother with kids! Their excuse was there are no disabled families on the list. Lies, lies, lies! I know of six disabled families who would love that home. I am on the war path and would go to jail as long as I got my say.

Nalini Bharania of Wembley writes:

I totally agree with you; these people are NASTY! I exposed my employers and, unfortunately, I reside in the same borough.

I do not know where to start. They are not humans. I refuse to call them humans; they do not have any qualities of humans. I exposed their malpractices and their mismanagement in their children department and they persecuted me by conspiring with a 'child poisoner' - a convicted criminal. Do i need to say anything more? I am hurt, in pain and devastated!!!

Malcolm Wain of Buxton writes:

If you want to read about my experience of the Local Government Ombudsman visit this web page.

Mark of Minster writes:

As you note, "scumbags" of all sorts seem to be protected by human rights legislation.

Can you provide any advice to me, as a parish councillor, with regard to how our community might go about instituting a "name and shame" strategy to deal with an ever-growing menace of anti-social behaviour in our village - everything from speeding, abusive behaviour and vandalism to criminal damage.

Our boys in blue are not always interested due to their own lack of resources and the burden of all the associated paperwork. This whole thing is really starting to blight the quality of life of many residents and there is a growing desire for "local action". However, this needs to be kept within the law and not risk the "human rights" excuse. We also recognise the need for objective evidence before anyone is named.

Appreciate your thoughts and congratulations on your site, which I've only just discovered.

All the best

Editorial Comment:

A while back, the London Borough of Bexley had serious problems in with hooligans on the buses. CCTV pictures of the culprits, taken by cameras on the buses, were printed in the NewsShopper (our local freebie). I believe the campaign was quite successful as many of the wrongdoers were identified by readers and brought before the courts. I can't say how the courts dealt with them but I guess it was probably little more than the usual smacked wrists.

JR of Kirkcudbright writes:

My family and I have lived at our present address for nearly 27 years. We bought the property because it was a peaceful rural cottage. 10 years ago the neighboring farm was sold and has been changed to an industrial site, without any planning permission!

We now have a constant flow of traffic from 7am till 8.30pm some days consisting of every possible form of wagon - HGV, curtainsiders and all other general traffic.

We have had months of continuous chainsaws, tractors, wagons from 8am in the morning till 5.30pm, 6 days a week, and not more than 20 feet away from the house.

If and when a complaint was made to the local council (planning) or environmental health officer, the noise volume increased along with verbal abuse from this person's tenants as well as rubbish thrown on the drive, and bottles thrown at the house at 3.30 in the morning.

We went through all the usual complaint procedures, even with written evidence of the councils so called compliance orders. It was a total waste of time. They just turned a blind eye to everything this creature is doing. Yet if other people had changed a window or a door in their property the council came down on them like a ton of bricks and made them put back the original fixtures and fittings!

There is no denying that decent hard working tax payers are being bled dry by these bloodsucking corrupt vermin and something should be done to stop them. Now!!!!!

Editorial Comment:

Seems like it's happening everywhere. IW of Peterhead (see letter below) had a similar experience in Barnet and a lady in Derbyshire has experienced years of disruption which has forced her (and me) to defend ourselves in the High Court after we tried to publish the truth and expose the culprits.

James and June Stokes of Birmingham write:

Birmingham Building consultancy assistant enforcement officer recommended his brother-in-law to build 2 storey extension. Used his position within the department to get each stage passed. Foundations passed but only 33cms deep. Drains passed but not in place, just a hole in the ground. DPC passed but do not exist. Steels passed but are wrong size and cannot support upper floor. Roof resting on bedroom ceiling joist, held up with one nail.

Council computer records show build passed up to completion stage. We have expert report - same expert used by Birmingham Trading Standards and Watchdog. Building consultancy have known about this for 2 years and still have taken no action against either the builder or the surveyor.

My husband works for Birmingham council and has been threatened with code of conduct yet the house is unlivable and has to be knocked down.

Can provide all reports to prove facts. Do not know how many other times they have worked this scam. Do not know how many people in Birmingham may have completion certificates on death trap homes. Need help publishing what has gone on.

Editorial Comment:

Makes you despair, doesn't it?

IW of Peterhead writes:

The following is an example of corruption by the London Borough of Barnet's Planning Department and planning enforcers. I must stress, first, that the issue happened during the period December 2001 through to 2005. I must also stress that this article does not intend to be racist in any way and mentions of parties is purely to demonstrate the gravity of Barnet Council's corruption. I will also say, as has probably been said in other articles, that I would be the first to take Barnet Council to court, IF I had the money to do so... Just have to hope I win the Lottery!!

In early 2001 a piece of land behind houses in a road in Golders Green, was auctioned off by London Underground. The Tube runs over ground on a solid bridge at this point. There were a number of bids on the land, including a resident, whose house and garden border the land. This person was outbid and lost to another bidder of the Orthodox Jewish Community, who gained the land for a mere £10,000.

For six months or so the land remained derelict, with mature trees and bushes and substantial wildlife, including foxes. In April 2001 the house neighbouring the bridge was sold off, also to the same Orthodox Community. There is a fence between this house and the bridge wall, which can give access to the land if the fence is taken down. Within a few weeks of the house being bought, it was secretively and rapidly turned into a nursery school for Orthodox under 5's children.

Neighbours opposite and next to the house complained, including myself, as rubbish, toys and builder's debris, was thrown over our fences into our gardens. We contacted environmental health, who visited three times. The planning department ignored our requests to examine the legality of the school. Eventually, I overrode Barnet Council and contacted the Department of Education, who sent inspectors to the property. They instantly used their powers to permanently close the school down, stating that they had never seen such deplorable conditions and standards, including unprotected, bare electrical wires protruding from the walls!

Between the closure and October, the land and house remained empty and unchanged. Then in October, bulldozers, JCBs and tipper lorries appeared and the land was cleared of all trees and fauna, at the same time destroying the wildlife s' habitats. The land was then concreted over. The Planning department was immediately contacted and the reply was that no planning law had been broken.

The land remained concreted and empty until December 23rd (conveniently just before Christmas) when eleven articulated lorries carrying 45 foot long Portacabins and a crane turned up to illegally crane the Portacabins over a resident's house and garden, without any permission. The Portacabins on legs reached a height of 11 feet, which towered over mine and my neighbours back gardens. The Portacabins were to become a school for over seven's Orthodox Jewish Boys.

I immediately published a letter to all households within a 200 meter radius of the school site, stating what objectors could legally do to prevent all this happening. Approximately thirty objections were sent to the council and a petition with plus fifty signatures of objectors were also sent to Barnet Council. The planning department of Barnet Council did absolutely nothing. Every time they were contacted by phone, the planners responsible for the case, were either out of the office, or too busy to take calls. Any letters sent to them were replied with a fob off standard letter of "we are dealing with the matter and we'll let you know" - They never did let us know.

When we visited the council's offices in Whetstone for pre-arranged appointments, we were told the planners were off sick and the appointment was, therefore, cancelled. This went on for three years and nine months, when eventually a planning meeting at the town hall in Hendon, was to be held. A planning application had been submitted, but all objectors had been denied access to see the plans!!!

Five representatives for objectors including myself went to the meeting. On arrival it was clear that the committee was predominantly Jewish, even the receptionist was an Orthodox Jew. The only committee member who sided with us, was an Irish guy, who I have to say tried his hardest for us, but never had a hope in hell's chance of winning. The Committee passed the planning application immediately, allowing the Portacabins to remain and the school to operate with no restrictions.

After the meeting we were approached by a non-orthodox Jewish person, who told us he was on the objectors' side and that he had proof that the Orthodox Community had monetarily bribed the council to pass the planning application. Sadly we could do little about it due to lack of money. My solicitor told me I'd need at least a million pounds to sue the council, especially as they would probably use Orthodox Jewish solicitors themselves. We were forced to give in.

My property had lost £30,000 in value, due to the presence of the eye-sore at the back of the garden. I now hated living in my house. Further there was a great deal of anti-Semitism between the Jewish community, also due to the school's eye-sore and pollution. I eventually had to sell my house to cut my losses at a knock down price. I moved as far away as possible from the area, to North East Scotland, where I now reside.

I hope this article highlights just how unjust local government and local communities can be. I will NEVER forgive Barnet council for their atrocious sins, unless they come forward and offer me at least £50,000 in compensation for the loss I had to make on my house, in order to escape the disgusting environment the area around my house was turned into. I have not mentioned here what daily life was like for the three and a half years plus, that neighbouring objectors had to endure, but please feel free to contact me by email if you'd like to know the details... I warn you it's quite shocking and on many occasions involved the police

Editorial Comment:

In some ways this is very similar to the situation in Erewash where land between domestic residences and an engineering concern was grabbed by the owner of the business who destroyed all the vegetation and covered the land with hardcore, even though the land was a designated flood plain.

To this end, Richard Hayden, owner of the engineering business, was helped by council officers and police officers. Unlike your case, there was no known Jewish connection .... but a goodly number of the participants in the dirty deeds came from an Irish background.

In your case, it shows that racism does exist and it's very often the indigenous British that are the victims.

Alan ransfield of Exeter writes:

Devon County Council (DCC) have refused my FOI request for 6 PFI schools in Exeter which I state are illegal and unfit for purpose. Both DCC and the City Council and the HSE have imposed a lifetime ban on me for raising such concerns.

Editorial Comment:

I guess that confirms your suspicions were correct.

Jacqui Thompson writes:

We have been battling with Carmarthenshire County Council Planning and Legal department for 5 years. Trying to get rural planning for my brother and young family, constantly refused and twice at appeal whilst all around are succeeding, including Prince Charles at Llwynwormwood!

We were sued for libel by the Head of Planning in 2006, defended it for a year but had to settle in October 2007 as at risk of losing our family home. We continue to argue the fact that the council illegally backed him.

Editorial Comment:

My understanding is that local authorities cannot bring libel actions.

Douglas Allan of Glasgow writes:

Maybe we should teach the council servants who's boss.

The Wirral council have just admitted that all council tax is unlawful. Other councils have very reluctantly followed suit. Why is council tax unlawful? A lot of very clever people have looked at the common law of the land and that is why no law exists that allows councils to take our money. Councils will cry out that you owe us money because the local government act 1992, sections blah,blah,blah says so. Well the 1992 act, along with all the other acts and statutes of parliament, are only given force of law by consent of the governed. That means for the acts and statutes to work they need your consent. No consent don't bother with them.

Council's are tax collectors, revenue gatherers - that means that they are a company. You, reading this are a person. One definition of a person is that you are a company, a corporation - sounds strange but Black's law dictionary says so. That means that a contract must exist between you and the council. There is much more you can read and learn from a web site called lawful rebellion. Learn why your birth certificate is a contract, why do you have Mr or Mrs in front of your name.