Forum Topic

Council found guilty of “severe maladministration” in respect of housing and its complaints procedure. No news to me and my neighbours.  We recall the horrors of the time the Council was operating a hostel at 354-6 Uxbridge Road - contrary to planning regulations.  More recently council officer Mark Wiltshire relicensed a landlord as “a fit and proper person” to hold a licence on a large HMO when he knew he had been housing tenants in filth and fire hazard (walls damp and mouldy, smoke alarm taped over, fire escape route blocked with old furniture and rubbish), and knew that he was failing to prevent his tenants from causing antisocial nuisance in the neighbourhood.  Shocking.  More shocking:  Wiltshire still has his job.  The complaints procedure?  We complained about him. It was dealt with by Helen Harris, Director legal and Democratic Services.  Required to respond within twenty days, she procrastinated for nearly five months!  The Council apologised for her “unacceptable” behaviour.  The complaint passed to officer Alison Reynolds. Before we had had a chance to request escalation, she had already refused to escalate the complaint. “I would like to advise you that the Council will no longer enter into any more correspondence with you or your associates”.  It was our right to request escalation. She corrupted due process, Shocking.  More shocking. She still has her job. History has repeated itself and will go on doing so under Mason.  He asked residents to email him with concerns about the borough.  I emailed him about this.  He ignored the email. 

Andrew Farmer ● 805d