14 January - Parking fines. Exposing Bexley’s dishonesty. (Episode 12)
I
am grateful to a reader for bringing my attention to
Saturday’s Telegraph, the only issue I don’t see, which refers to a report
by the Association of Town & City Management that claims the demise of shopping
centres is due, if I may be permitted a rough and ready summary, to stupid councillors.
Here in Bexley we do at least have the satisfaction of knowing that our parking
situation, among the very highest charges in south London and by a clear margin the
highest at night and on Sundays, is definitely the work of an idiot. Step
forward councillor Peter Harold Craske, erstwhile cabinet member for Public
Realm. You have to be an idiot to do what he allowed over his home telephone
line yet he is the best leader Teresa O’Neill could find to decide policy for
all the borough’s major infrastructure. The Controller at her very best.
Do I have to remind you of
this? (Craske’s obscene blog.)
Or the state of Sidcup High Street?
For an example of Bexley’s parking policy and war on the motorist I can do no
better than return to the disabled pensioner who parked outside KFC in the
Broadway where the loading only signs were barely visible.
The man soon discovered that Bexley’s first stage appeal process was a sham; dismissal
of appeals at that stage was automatic. The ex-policeman knew the
situation fell under the conspiracy laws and reported it to Bexleyheath police who said
they couldn’t take action against Bexley council. The officer who signed the letter was
Chief Inspector Tony Gowen the man who
arranged a meeting with Bexley council
which was not a party to his crime, to ensure the Craske case would collapse.
When we left the ex-policeman’s story on
December 22nd
he had just sought a copy of Mr. Chris Loynes’ investigation into Bexley council’s
malpractice. Almost needless to say Bexley council refused to give it to him.
They had already accepted at Director level that the original Penalty Notice
should not have been issued, it was no longer a secret that their procedures
were riddled with flaws and non-compliance with the
regulations but how that came to pass was considered to be a state secret. No
one must have confirmation that Bexley council is run by a bunch of shysters.
“Disclosure of the information you seek would prejudice the Council’s ability to
offer an effective public service” or to put it more clearly, if everyone knew
what you have found out it will affect our ability to illegally fleece motorists.
Unknown to the retired policeman the whole thing was turning incestuous. Chris Loynes was Deputy Monitoring Officer
seeking to protect himself from further scrutiny.
The policeman may not have known who was Monitoring Officer but he did recognise a
stitch up when he saw one; he reported his concerns to the Information Commissioner.
This story is reported in an indeterminate number of episodes.
A cumulative version is provided for convenience.