29 October (Part 2) - A slap on the wrist
The wheels of justice turn slowly but the law
has caught up with the infamous Kulvinder Singh.
For knocking down Ye Olde Leather Bottle the oldest pub in Bexley in a manner
that put the public at risk of injury from falling masonry and potentially asbestos
not to mention electric shock and a gas explosion he personally was
fined £5,000 with costs of £1,000 and his company Balmonza Ltd. was fined £20,000 with £1,000 costs.
Probably not enough to satisfy the many residents in Bexley and elsewhere whose
lives have been blighted by this company’s activities.
The case would probably not have reached the Health & Safety Executive if it were not
for the efforts of Belvedere Councillor Daniel Francis. He and a number of residents
supplied them with evidence while Bexley Council refused to cooperate with it.
Previous Leather Bottle related blogs…
Still standing - September 2015
Bought by Singh - September 2015
Bexley Council knows - September 2015
First sign of demolition - October 2015
The making of a cliff - March 2016
Excavators on site - April 2016
One enormous iron cliff - April 2016
A dangerous hole - April 2016
Hole gets worse - April 2016
Planning application - May 2016
Bought for more than half a million, it will be down soon - June 2016
Down it comes with threats - June 2016
Useless Council - June 2016
Planning Application - September 2017
Plans rejected - October 2017
Still a bombsite - February 2018
Another Planning Application - April 2018
H&SE confirm their interest - November 2018
More activity on site - August 2019