Forum Topic

Labour candidate 'let out illegally converted flats'

Oh dear, here we go again...http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/labour-candidate-let-out-illegally-6931608

Phil Andrews ● 4140d16 Comments

The thing is people do and have in the past - see Tower Hamlets - it's good that at long last political parties are waking up to the disbelief and disgust of the electorate. No-one wants some chancer in any position where they can make policies affecting the rest of us, it's not good enough. Politics should be a question of belief and commitment and passion not an opportunity to make a quick buck, I do honestly think some of these people would join any of the parties if they thought they'd get away with a fiddle.

Vanessa Smith ● 4137d

A rogue landlord standing for Council election in Hounslow Heath.  How DID he think he could get away with it?

Philippa Bond ● 4137d

Sorry but we are all beginning to see how these things work, the answer really is ... Time will tell.

Sarah Felstead ● 4138d

Sarah, that's just ridiculous. The local elections are next month, the wards concerned may have to pick new candidates if the suspension isn't lifted pretty quickly, which doesn't seem likely. That means neither could be 're-instated' as neither would be elected would they? I am so glad someone found their wedding tackle and did the only thing they could, about bloody time.

Vanessa Smith ● 4138d

Thats right chaps - suspend in a flurry then reinstate as Mayor next year?

Sarah Felstead ● 4138d

The candidate and his dad (Darshan Grewal) have now been suspended by the Labour Party. It looks like Hounslow Heath will have an alternative Labour candidate in the May 22nd elections.

John Connelly ● 4138d

Hi Phil,It certainly wasn't the practice in my day to draw such situation to the attention of the relevant ward Councillors.  Now, I believe enforcement matters are reported on the weekly pending decisions list that Officers circulate to all Councillors every week.Looking at the recent committee report, this breach was reported on such a weekly list back in June 2013.  Obviously that was then followed by the Certificate of Lawfulness application, which was refused, and then the matter was reported to the enforcement sub-committee for authorisation to serve an enforcement notice.To be fair the owner isn't a current Councillor, and I've no idea about these things but presumably hadn't been selected by the party as a candidate when this matter was first investigated in mid 2013.But I totally agree that you'd have thought at some point before this matter ended up at committee someone would have "had a word" so that it was sorted out to avoid this becoming public knowledge weeks before local elections. Especially after what has gone on before, so publicly, in respect of planning enforcement and the behaviour of a minority of Councillors.

Adam Beamish ● 4139d

AdamWould it not be the usual practice for officers, at some point before it reached the enforcement stage, to draw the situation to the attention of the relevant ward councillors?And if so, is it really credible to think that the message would not have got through to this applicant at some point through the internal party grapevine?I find myself wondering whether he felt he had reason to believe the Planning Committee might sweep this under the carpet.  Do we have details of whether there was a vote and, if so, did anybody take his part?

Phil Andrews ● 4140d

I agree in terms of Joe Bloggs - reality is that no matter how hard Officers work, or how many successful prosecutions the Council secure, some people will still take the risk.However, when it comes to an potential or actual Councillor, it has always bemused me why you would put yourself in that position.  It's not like a moment of madness or such like, this has clearly been going on for some time to reach the stage where the Council has to resolve to serve an enforcement notice.

Adam Beamish ● 4140d

" Firstly you'd think that a potential Councillor would, to protect their own reputation, if they have no idea of the planning regulations, approach the Council first to clarify what can and cannot be done without requiring planning permission."My impression is that people work to what they can get away with.

Sarah Felstead ● 4140d

Like father like son; you cannot expect a high moral standard from the children if the parents cannot lead by example.Let's hope the people of Hounslow Heath ward are made well aware they would be voting for a Rogue Landlord

Bradley Fisher ● 4140d

What really beggars belief is that he isn't slung out of the Labour party for bringing it into disrepute. Although it took years for them to wake up to the damage that that arrogant, lying tosspot Rahman in Tower Hamlets was doing. I wish I could say I was shocked but I'm not in the least. These people think the law that the rest of us live with just doesn't apply to them, like father, like son. I really don't think they'd know the truth if it smacked them in the face. What's wrong with the rest of them, don't they know mud sticks?

Vanessa Smith ● 4140d

Just to add to the mix one of the councillors who sat on this enforcement committee was his fellow Hounslow Heath candidate Corinna Smart though it is unclear how she voted or declared an interest

Paul Fisher ● 4140d

What beggars belief more than anything is that in two months from now this guy could be sitting on the Planning Committee passing judgement on others.

Phil Andrews ● 4140d

It really does beggar belief.  Firstly you'd think that a potential Councillor would, to protect their own reputation, if they have no idea of the planning regulations, approach the Council first to clarify what can and cannot be done without requiring planning permission.However I can to some extent appreciate that such things might be accidentally overlooked, especially when it comes to some of the more complicated aspects of planning legislation...but not converting a house into flats !.Secondly, reviewing the Certificate of Lawfulness application that followed there's (again being generous) clearly doubt about some of the evidence submitted, and it certainly doesn't pass the relevant legal tests (i.e. it isn't clear, unambiguous and appears contradictory to the Council's own evidence).Thirdly, if I ended up in that situation my immediate thought would be "right, I need to keep this out of the public eye" so I'll make damn sure I remedy the breach of planning control immediately, without any need for any committee reports or such like, in an attempt to avoid publicity.It really does show that nothing has changed when it comes to a minority of Councillors and planning enforcement in Hounslow, regardless of previous Ombudsman investigations etc.  No wonder I can't imagine ever returning to local government, it would drive me nuts !.

Adam Beamish ● 4140d

You could not make it up could you?Good old Hounslow being dragged through the mud once again

Paul Fisher ● 4140d