Forum Topic

Well who would have believed it eh?

I can think of about 20,000 reasons why this councillor does not intend standing down until 2014!A LONG-SERVING Labour councillor is facing calls for his resignation after being found to have abused his power.Mohinder Gill failed to support enforcement action against an illegal extension at the home of a known Labour candidate, according to a damning report.The Heston Central ward councillor was found to have breached the members' code of conduct on FIVE separate counts, following an investigation by Hounslow Council's standards committee. He was this week banned from sitting on any planning committee as a councillor and ordered to write a letter of apology for his behaviour.However, former Labour agent Noel Murphy insisted the sanctions did not go far enough and called on the party to suspend or ban the disgraced councillor.The row dates back to a meeting of the Heston & Cranford Area Committee on September 23, 2010, when members gathered to discuss an innocuous-looking terraced house at 74 Victoria Gardens, Heston.Despite aerial images clearly showing the building had been illegally extended, Mr Gill and other Labour councillors rejected planning officers' advice to order the extension's destruction.The decision was later overturned and an independent investigation was launched into their actions, which cleared everyone except Mr Gill.The report found strong evidence suggesting he had known the owner of the property's wife to be Harleen Atwal, a Labour candidate for Osterley & Spring Grove in May 2010.Mr Gill admitted knowing Ms Atwal, whose father was a long-standing member of the local Labour Party, but claimed to be unaware she lived at the property.However, the report states how he indicated in a conversation to the council's then legal chief Terry Walsh that everyone knew she was married to the property's owner.He even made representations regarding the house to members of the council's enforcement team, it goes on to reveal.All councillors are required to declare an interest if they, or someone known to them, is affected by a decision they are involved in making - something Mr Gill failed to do at the meeting in question.The independent report found Mr Gill to have breached the members' code of conduct on five counts, including the 'use of position to confer an advantage' and 'bringing the office of the councillor into disrepute'.The council's standards committee, which met on May 28 to discuss the report's findings, said: "His (Mr Gill's) relaxed attitude to the relevant proprieties both in terms of attitude to officers and in relation to the transparency and openness of planning procedures was appalling and to be deplored."Members of the committee added that they had stopped short of suspending him from the council largely because he is due to retire at the end of his current term in 2014.But former Labour agent Noel Murphy described the sanctions as a 'disgrace' and urged the party to expel Mr Gill.Opposition leader Peter Thompson said: "I don't think it is the job of the standards committee to throw councillors off the council but many people will be asking if Councillor Gill should reconsider his position, do the decent thing and resign now."However, deputy council leader Colin Ellar called the sanctions a 'travesty' and said he expected Mr Gill to appeal.A spokesman for the London Labour Party said it would launch an internal investigation to decide whether further action was necessary.Councillor Gill has been a Labour councillor for 18 years and was mayor in 2001/2.This is not the first time his actions have been called into question.In 2007, he was part of the Heston and Cranford planning committee which was temporarily banned from taking decisions on enforcement action after a damning report from the Local Government Ombudsman.The report's findings also raise serious questions about why Mr Gill was made chair of the Sustainable Development Committee (SDC), which made planning decisions, last year, despite Labour councillors knowing about the investigation.Mr Gill was unavailable for comment.

Paul Fisher ● 4766d9 Comments

"the actual committee proceedings left me not knowing whether to laugh or cry in despair." It sounds like nothing has changed then since the Tory clowns chaired the SD circus during the last administration.

Steve Taylor ● 4762d

I can remember certain councillors trying it on to get favourable planning decisions for their mates by 'phoning me and others up at home trying to put you under pressure, constantly being on the case if you were in the Civic Centre and making certain 'offers'. I reported several incidents to the then Chief Executive and Borough Solicitor also the Leader of the day. A colleague and myself even gave evidence to an enquiry into planning after we left office. As far as I am aware nothing ever came of anything. Some people just don't want to know about doing things through the proper legal and procedural channels, and would far rather up their standing in their community. For too long the system has shied away from having the guts to deal with this, as it does with other contentious issues, and it doesn't help when the Deputy Leader of the council defends this appalling behaviour, it just makes him as bad if not worse than the individuals concerned.

Vanessa Smith ● 4763d

What rather frustrates me about this particular case is, reading the background papers, three people provided sworn affidavits which the Council's aerial photographs proved were completely false.  Whilst all the subsequent fallout is perhaps understandably directed at one Councillor, those three individuals should also be the subject of legal action for contempt of court, and hence my frequent arguments on here about why Joe Public is often willing to 'fight dirty'.To steer away from any political arguments, reading the minutes you'll see that several Labour Councillors opposed the overturn of the Officer recommendation, with Councillor Mann in particular pointing out the 'dangers' of not relying upon the undisputed evidence of the aerial photographs and reminding the committee of past problems (i.e. the 2006 Ombudsman investigation which led to H&CAC being stripped of its decision making powers).I have always said that when I worked at Hounslow I got on with every Councillor and that is the truth.  I regularly came into contact with both Mohinder Gill and Ghopal Dhillon and on a personal level I like them, indeed H&CAC was my 'favourite' committee to attend as an Officer.However, I can assure everyone that there are numerous forms in a scrutiny file with the Civic Centre (forms which I and all of my team filled in everytime we spoke with or met a Councillor) which make reference to how Mohinder and Ghopal asked me (not pressurised me I should stress) infront of their constituent to write a "softly softly/gentle committee report" and I suspect those forms were used as part of the 2006 Ombudsman investigation.Whilst I don't like to say it, I recently attended an SDC meeting and whilst I have no issues with how the item I was interested in was decided/nor the decision, the actual committee proceedings left me not knowing whether to laugh or cry in despair.

Adam Beamish ● 4763d

He certainly appears to have an agenda at the moment that's for sure but unfortunately says he has been far too busy over the last few weeks to respond to any e-mails regarding the out of control stench at MogdenIndeed poor old Cllr Ed Mayne has been replying and apologising on Cllr Ellars behalf recently and taking the flak for the relevant Lead Members complete lack of action

Paul Fisher ● 4764d

Colin Ellar is being disingenuous to say the least - why am I not surprised? This sums up nearly everything that made me decide to leave the Labour party. Ellar is nothing but a disgrace for even attemtpting to defend the indefensible. Perhaps he needs the votes to elect him as Leader after the next elections?

Vanessa Smith ● 4764d

I honestly cannot fathom how cllr Ellar can possibly defend this man?When I was a cllr I heard numerous accusations as I am sure we all have about the Heston and Cranford Area committie and yet when one of them gets caught bang to rights he is defended!

Paul Fisher ● 4764d

They should sling this shyster out now - I doubt he's the only one who's been at it, he simply isn't fit to hold any public office.

Vanessa Smith ● 4766d

"This disgraced Cllr, who, from the publicly available information went on post the incident  in 2010 to be elected to the role of  Chair of SDC a most important role. Why was this permitted?"Paul - I agree that from what I have read in the press it does indeed seem weird that this Councillor will probably be permitted by his party to remain  in office until 2014 and it seems the party bungled by electing him to the role of SDC Chair in 2010. However, this coming from John Todd is a bit rich. Pot calling kettle comes to mind when I recall the debacle of the Conservative Chair of  SDC noting the members refusal to grant the Mogden expansion planning application and then permitting the Conservative Cabinet member for Environment to leave the chamber and subsequently return and recommend approval of the application.  Although objections were raised by the Lib Dems and ICG,  the Conservative Councillor was allowed to remain Chair of SDC until the Tories were kicked out of office more than a year later. For the short time the Tories chaired the SDC, the most havoc was inflicted upon LBH environmentally

Steve Taylor ● 4766d

PaulThis disgraced Cllr, who, from the publicly available information went on post the incident  in 2010 to be elected to the role of  Chair of SDC a most important role. Why was this permitted?Cllr Gill is now Chair of a sub committee of Scrutiny dealing with Housing. Why?Given the facts now published surely suspension or removal from the posts mentioned would have been  appropriate pending resolution of this investigation.In my view Senior Officers and this Administration failed to protect the credibility and reputation of the LBH.Finally why is this deceitful Cllr allowed to remain as a Member of LBH and a member of th Labour Party?Cllr C. Ellar the Deputy  leader Colin Ellar called the sanctions a 'travesty' and said he expected Mr Gill to appeal. Another 'head in the sand' quote from a thick skinned, myopic Labour member.It is indeed a travesty that Gill continues to receive public funding and a special responsibility allowance despite being found to have abused his position. 

John Todd ● 4766d