CORNWALL HOMECHOICE PROPERTY NOW EMPTY FOR 100 DAYS.

Blog entered 28 April 2014

  HOMECHOICE PROPERTY NOW EMPTY FOR 100 DAYS.

The 1 Bedroom Ground Floor Flat at Timber Close, St Austell, was advertised through Cornwall Homechoice between 18 to 22 January 2014. As with most properties within walking distance of town the bidding would have been high based on previous records.

The property belongs to one of Cornwall Council’s Homechoice housing partners Sanctuary Housing, also my landlord, and the picture shows the flat in question.

Although there are currently over 28,000 applicants registered with Cornwall Homechoice and only a small number of vacancies each week according to the Council, this Homechoice property has now remained empty for 100 days.

The property has not been declared on the Council’s ‘Recent Lets’ ‘Outcomes for CBL’ website information to assist Homechoice bidders and it has not been re-advertised.

According to Jon Warner, Homechoice Manager West/Central, Cornwall Housing Limited, on 18 March 2014, “we have made a nomination to Sanctuary Housing and they are considering this applicant”, unquote.

According to Helen Harding, Sanctuary Housing Operations Manager – South West, on 8 April; 2014, “With regard to the void property in Timber Close and the length of time it has remained empty ; I can assure you that we have followed the correct procedure in this case”, unquote.

The lost revenue on this property now exceeds £1,000.00 and it is not known if the Council will reimburse Sanctuary, a Charity, or if Sanctuary will simply recoup it’s losses by increasing it’s Rent or Service Charges in July 2014.

So why has this property remained empty for 100 days ?

Because this Homehoice property, like previously advertised Homechoice properties at Timber Close, was ‘ringfenced’ for certain types despite what the Council has knowingly and falsely claimed to the contrary.

That Cornwall Council has been wilfully abusing it’s procedures and deceiving Homechoice bidders, including disabled ones, for a number of years. That it’s Homechoice housing partner Sanctuary Housing wilfully colluded with the Council’s unlawful agenda in agreeing Council nominations regardless.

What made the above property different from all the other ‘ringfenced’ properties at Timber Close was that Cornwall Council was being investigated by the Local Government Ombudsman at the time. I use the term “investigated” loosely since the LGO later ruled in the Council’s favour without actually investigating any evidence of ‘ringfencing’ and deception upon Homechoice applicants/bidders.

For those of you who still believe the Local Government Ombudsman protects the public interest I can assure you it most certainly does not. Even Parliament accepts the LGO needs radical change and I am reminded of the following quotation : that the LGO “Operate the most perverse and publicly criticised system of administrative justice in the world”, unquote.

What do I personally think of the Local Government Ombudsman ? I think prostitution is a more honourable profession.

Cornwall Homechoice is broken and abused and Cornwall Council cannot be trusted with it anymore. Sanctuary Housing, and possibly other Homechoice housing partners, are colluding with the Council rather than collaborating with it.

I recall a telephone conversation I once had with Simon Clark, Managing Director, Sanctuary Housing Services, and detected his frustration with the demands made upon their properties by Cornwall Council. Demands which meant their properties would be used (ringfenced) to accommodate certain types of applicants which the Council had a legal responsibility to accommodate.

The net result being the creation of a covert and unlawful toxic waste dump.

SPECIAL MAYDAY 2013 UPDATE TO PREVIOUS BLOGS.

Top left picture taken on 15th September 2009 shows a Sanctuary gardner cutting some foliage off an un-permitted garden responsible for months of anti-social behaviour during that year. What the gardner failed to do was remove the foliage and branches growing up through the rotary drier lines.

Top right picture taken on 22nd September 2009 shows the Area Manager Janet Swales and a Service Delivery Officer investigating the un-permitted garden as part of my stage 2 complaint. The cut foliage on the flag stones top right were left from 15th September 2009. Although Swales observed the same foliage and branches growing up through the rotary drier lines Swales chose not to have the foliage and branches removed until a number of weeks later. This because the tenants had to first be conned and robbed via the ‘Deed of Deception’ questionarre which Swales and Michael Howarth introduced. My stage 2 complaint was eventually closed by Sanctuary Director Simon Clark some 800 days later unresolved and against my wishes because the TPAS Mediation Scam to protect Sanctuary failed in 2010.

Bottom left picture shows the wooden shed. Note the hedge at the rear of the shed and trunking going up the wall. .

Bottom right picture shows the lumps of cement on the roof above my front door which have fallen off the sides of the main roof tiles above to leave exposed gaps. I reported this to Sanctuary over a year and a half ago and a contractor did visit late last year. Nothing has since happened.

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A Special May Day 2013 Update to previous Trophy Award Blogs.

The recent shrub bed issue remains unresolved and the shrub bed still looks like a landfill site. The only visual change is the piece of drying frame now has a lampshade. The shrub bed continues not to be maintained in accordance with Sanctuary’s Ground Maintenance Specification and Sanctuary therefore continues to steal money from the tenants and it’s housing partner Cornwall Council by way of the weekly Service Charge.

(The top left picture shows the very same shrub bed in 2009 and the cause of months of anti-social behaviour. From the time Sanctuary knew via complaints to the time it was levelled some 200 days had passed).

With regard to tenants and Cornwall Council being robbed of £3,000,00 in 2009 by Sanctuary’s criminality, which has continued, Cornwall Council has shown no interest in investigating it’s housing partner.

With regard to me banking the weekly Service Charge and Rent this continues and the account presently contains approximately £340.00. I am willing and able to pay the amounts held back as soon as Sanctuary upholds my rights and complies to conditions outlined in my weekly emails to Sanctuary’s Directors Clark and Crawley and CEO David Bennett.

The Doorbell issue remains unresolved as there are still a number of flats without doorbells. Directors Clark and Crawley and CEO Bennett have been kept aware of the issue every week since 5th November 2012. Sanctuary’s view, conveyed by Directors Clark and Keeley, is that Sanctuary is not responsible for providing doorbells. This is groundless and somewhat tight-assed from a Charity with a multi-million pound turnover. The properties had doorbells when the tenants moved in and Sanctuary is responsible for the contractor who removed the doorbells and failed to return them.

My offer to buy replacement doorbells if Sanctuary will agree to install them remains open and unanswered. I have reminded Sanctuary that quite a few of the tenants are vulnerable and that it would be grossly negligent of Sanctuary to encourage tenants to attempt to wire up replacement doorbell themselves.

The Wooden Shed issue remains ongoing and Sanctuary has recently stated it will not be applying for retrospective planning permission to enable tenants to democratically decide if this hazard and eyesore should remain. Although it’s housing partner Cornwall Council did not insist retrospective planning permission should be obtained, the combustible shed still remains without a safe and appropriate Fire Risk Assessment Report in the public interest.

The Official Report, conducted by a Fire Officer for Cornwall Council, was undertaken some 6 months after the shed was first reported. The assessment took less than 3 minutes to conduct and the Fire Officer failed to declare a combustible hedge backed onto the shed and trunking with cables ran up the wall near to the hedge. Although the Local Government Ombudsman, Cornwall Council and it’s housing partner Sanctuary are aware the Report is flawed and unsafe the Report remains, but not in the public interest.

The falling concrete/cement mix falling off the ends of the main roof tiles remains unresolved. I reported this to Sanctuary over a year and a half ago and did the blog last year in response to Sanctuary’s failure to do anything about it. A Contractor approached me late last year regarding moss growing on the roof and I was truly amazed Sanctuary had atleast grasped the problem related to the roof, but had nothing to do with moss.

This problem is happening to some if not all of the 1st floor flats. The contractor said he would return last year and I am still waiting. The gaps beneath the main roof tiles are still exposed to the elements.

The crack in the wall which alarmed the kitchen fitters on 14th February 2013 remains unresolved. The deep crack, running from ceiling to floor, was discovered when the fitters were preparing the kitchen next door for a replacement kitchen. So concerned was the foreman that it was suggested Sanctuary should be contacted for advice. Within hours it was covered-up and Sanctuary now considers the matter ‘confidential’ and will not disclose who was qualified enough on site to ‘assure’ Sanctuary the crack was safe. Also suggested that day by one of the workman was that Sanctuary ‘wouldn’t want to spend money’ which I still find very revealing and possibly the answer to everything.

With regard to the ‘Director of Sanctuary’ who stated I was “dangerous” in a complaint to Devon & Cornwall Police last year I still do not know who the ‘Director of Sanctuary’ is despite investigation by Sanctuary. I have withdrawn from Sanctuary’s Complaints procedure due to a dishonest attempt to fragment a statement to protect the ‘Director’ and because Directors of Sanctuary would themselves have had an opportunity to protect themselves in the proceeding stages if one of them made the false and malicious statement.

With regard to the excessive noise made by contractors this remains unresolved. Sanctuary refused to pay compensation on the grounds the work was “essential”. Because the tenants were offered a choice in having this work done the work was therefore not in fact “essential”. I have reminded Sanctuary I had a lawful right to live in my home in peace and that Sanctuary had a duty of care not to subject me to excessive and prolonged noise nuisance if it could have been avoided. Had the workmen not used excessively loud and powerful tools the level of noise nuisance would have been reduced and the problem would have been avoided.

The IPCC is still investigating three Devon & Cornwall Police Officers over my wrongful arrest and I still hope to see Oonah Lacey in Court for her key roll in the TPAS Mediation Scam of 2010 to protect the criminality of TPAS Accredited Sanctuary Housing in 2009 and beyond.

RICHARD KEELEY OF SANCTUARY SHAFTESBURY.

The Rogue in question this time is Richard Keeley, Regional Director of Sanctuary Shaftesbury, a subsidiary of Sanctuary Housing, who joined Sanctuary Shaftesbury in 2009.

Richard reports to Simon Clark, Sanctuary Group’s Director of Customer Services. A pair who both like to bully, blackmail and invoke complainant policies when they don’t get their own corrupt way.

I first had contact with Richard when Janet Swales, Area Manager of Sanctuary Shaftesbury, blocked the progess of my complaint at Stage 2 in August 2009, and referred the matter to her Regional Director Richard Keeley. A dialogue via email and letters began and Richard soon resorted to blackmailing me into either accepting Mediation or remain at Stage 2 of the complaints procedure indefinately.

With little choice but to accept the idea of Mediation I then began a dialogue with TPAS. Richard had recommended TPAS and had offered to finance Mediation by them. Doubt to cover the cost was expressed by Richard if I decided not to use TPAS. Within a very short time of my contact beginning with TPAS I began a written dialogue with the TPAS Mediator.

On 25th October 2010 I met the TPAS Mediator in Cornwall for an arranged one to one meeting but  walked into a trap set by the TPAS Mediator, a friend of Richard’s, and Sanctuary Housing. Despite my written complaint within 24 hours of that meeting a Report later followed and Richard invoked a complainant policy against me for 6 months rather than investigate my complaint. (This Mediation Scam is recorded elsewhere on my site for further reading).

Richard was wrong to blackmail me into Mediation and was wrong to let the TPAS Mediator bury serious issues he promised me, in writing, would be discussed and resolved in Mediation but were not. Richard was wrong not to investigate my complaint that the meeting of 25th October 2010 was flawed and unsafe. Richard was wrong to then introduce a complainant policy against me so as to avoid answering questions for 6 months only to then threaten me with another complainant policy mid 2011 for a further 6 months.

Almost a year after that ‘Scam’ on 25th October 2010, Simon Clark, Sanctuary Group’s Director of Customer Services, confirmed, in writing, I had never agreed to enter into Mediation and that what happened was a ‘genuine misunderstanding’. Mr Clark has since failed to explain why this misunderstanding was not investigated a year ago and in response to my complaint.

A misunderstanding which neither TPAS or Sanctuary Housing’s highly paid professionals had themselves realised even when the facts were presented to them. A misunderstanding which Michelle Reid, CEO of TPAS, investigated in early 2011and found nothing wrong or inappropriate. An investigation by Michelle Reid which only came about after she had first lied and cheated, in writing, to protect the TPAS Mediator and TPAS Accredited Sanctuary Housing.

To date I have remained at Stage 2 of the complaints procedure since August 2009. On 1st December 2011 Simon Clark closed the original 2009 Complaint unresolved, and against me wishes, because I would not give way to him blackmailing me into returning and proceeding with the original complaint then 800 + days old. This because it was now the least damaging option for Sanctuary Housing.
 

In July 2011 the TPAS Mediator was sacked or resigned.

No one from TPAS has spoken to me since the early part of 2011, and Sanctuary Housing is still quite content not to right any wrongs and has since attempted to harass me out of my home. Richard is still hiding behind complainant policies to avoid questions and scrutiny.

For further reading please read ‘The Medevil History of Castle Sanctuary’ in which Richard Keeley plays ‘Dick The Head’ head sorcerer in all things doggie doo and bullshit.

THE SANCTUARY REPORT, 21/04/2014

Blog entered 21 April 2014

“The Sanctuary Report” will become a new weekly up-date of issues included in my weekly email’s to Simon Clark, Managing Director, Sanctuary Housing Services, and Sanctuary CEO David Bennett.

The present weekly email is some 10 pages long and covers most issues and complaints, most of which remain un-resolved, since 2009. The Report will save the reader wading through pages of text. If the reader would prefer to read everything he/she need only ask. The purpose of the weekly email is to prevent Sanctuary ever claiming it did not know.

Today’s email dated 21 April 2014, was sent to Simon Clark, Rosemary Crawley, for the attention of CEO David Bennett, and Stephen Gilbert MP, and included 2 specific Issues. (1) The continuing un-repaired fence damage in Timber Close from January -February 2014, and (2) The Doss house (flat) within Timber Close arranged by Cornwall Council and approved by Sanctuary Housing in 2012.

On the issue of the un-repaired fence damage I drew attention to Sanctuary’s view of 8th April 2014 that the problem with the fencing is not a Health and Safety issue. I acknowledged it therefore cannot become a Health and Safety issue until such time as someone is hurt or injured by the debris.

On the issue of the Doss house I reported it continues to cause a nuisance and that 3 police cars had attended w/e 20/04/14 on separate occasions. That the most police cars that had attended at any one time to this property was 5 cars some time ago. I also reported one drunk had knocked on my door recently and wanted to come in then wanted money when I told him to sod off. That sooner or later a drunk will die here and that when it happens I will expose the Council and Sanctuary’s CEO Bennett. That I particularly felt sorry for the vulnerable female tenant who lives below these toxic parasites.

(History : The Doss house was previously advertised through Homechoice without a preference but was fully furnished up until a day before bidding closed. That it was ‘ringfenced’ for certain types despite Cornwall Council stating it did not do that with Homechoice properties. This lie was supported by a no less corrupt Local Government Ombudsman to protect the Council and Sanctuary, and Simon JR Mansell MBE, Principal Legal Officer Corporate Governance for and on behalf of Cornwall Council).

MINUTE BLOG.

Did you hear the one about a Council being told a tenant’s long term mental illness was “deteriorating” but did not intervene because her landlord had installed CCTV on the estate.

Protecting the “One and All” of it’s Housing Partners.

MINUTE BLOGS.

Says here the Sanctuary Group Board and CEO are going to start putting it’s tenants before profit.

You must be reading our latest edition of the Voice.

Phew, that’s a relief, I thought it was true.

MINUTE BLOGS.

WHEN I DIE I WANT MY ASHES TO BE SCATTERED IN 

THE GROUNDS OF SANCTUARY HEAD QUARTERS.

THAT WAY EVERYTIME THEY LOOK OUT OF A WINDOW 

THE BASTARDS WILL REMEMBER THAT IT IS WRONG TO 

CON AND CHEAT TENANTS AND THAT I AM OUT THERE

SOMEWHERE WATCHING THEM.

TROPHY WINNER CORNWALL COUNCIL, 27/05/13.

Gentleman in the picture is not the author.

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Trophy Winner for Monday 27th May 2013 goes once again to Cornwall Council, and Cornwall Homechoice.

(This is a follow up to last week’s award to Cornwall Council dated 20th May 2013).

Since that award I have received a reply from Jon Warner, Homechoice Manager West/Central, Cornwall Housing Limited, in reply to my enquiry of 5th April and Complaint of 1st March 2013 to Cornwall Council.

On the issue of a single mother with a baby Mr Warner confirmed “Our current Homechoice allocation policy allows for the nomination of a single parent with one child or baby to be eligible to bid for and be nominated for a 2 bedroom property”, unqoute.

On the issue of Bedroom Tax Mr Warner confirmed “It is my understanding that a single parent with one child or baby will not be treated as under occupying a two bedroom social housing property”, unquote.

Speaking as a Cornish Homechoice applicant who is bidding for 2 bedroom properties in order to better care for my wife who has mental illness and can no longer live on her own, I think it perverse of Cornwall Council to reward single parents with a baby or child below 3 years with a 2 bedroomed property for making a lifechoice decision thereby denying other Homechoice applicants who had no choice.

Statistics show single parents do in fact have babies to obtain social housing and that children from single parents will most likely end up making exactly the same mistakes as their parent. Statistics also show the UK has the highest rate of teenage births in Western Europe and which is far worse in the poorest areas. (Pre 2010 Report).

So why exactly does a single parent with a baby under the age of 3 need a 2 bedroom property ?

I am aware of no legislation which demands that a single parent with a baby or child under 3 must be eligible for and be nominated for a 2 bedroom property ?

If there is no legislation then Cornwall Council has chosen to give single parents with a baby or child under 3 an unfair advantage over other Homechoice applicants. Other applicants who may have a greater need of a 2 bedroom property but are being subjected to discrimination.

Why should a single parent be excluded from paying bedroom tax when the burden to pay is just as great on everyone else including couples living in a 2 bedroom property who will have to pay the tax regardless of the reasons why they need separate bedrooms. According to the Government single parents are financially responsible for their children.

Is Cornwall Council’s policy not preventing tenants downsizing to a 2 bedroom property, to avoid paying higher penalties and to free up 3 or 4 bedroom properties, by providing more of it’s 2 bedroom properties to single parents with a baby or child below the age of 3 ?

So what if, due to the present economic depression, greater numbers of single parents with a baby or child below 3 turn to the Council and are also made eligible for and are nominated for 2 bedroom properties. The availability of 2 bedroom properties will fall and the Council will start fiddling with it’s procedures to deny more genuine applicants qualifying for them.

When my wife was first assessed for Homechoice medical priority there was a CPN on the panel. My wife was awarded Low Priority and placed in the same category as alcoholics and drug abusers. We Appealed and the award remained at Low Priority, the only difference this time being there was no CPN on the panel. That the Appeal panel consisted only of members who knew nothing about mental illness or related issues and were employees of Cornwall Council. This I believe is one way to fiddle procedures and increase the possibility of more 2 bedroom properties being availabe to single parents with a baby or a child below 3.

The reality of this is it unfairly abuses the rights of the mentally ill and the disabled and denies them equality, a level playing field. As I understand it there are no such hurdles, obstacles or panels to prevent a single parent with a baby or child below 3 being eligible for and being nominated for a 2 bedroom property.

This somewhat dishonest, rigged, discriminatory, abusive, blatantly one sided and perverse sort of trophy is therefore awarded to Cornwall Council and Homechoice for discrimination.

Footnote : In reply to the absence of the CPN, Community Pychiatric Nurse, at Appeal Mr Warner would only say that “Normally a representative is present but obviously full attendance can not always be guaranteed due to leave, sickness etc.”, unquote.

As the Homechoice Manager West/Central Mr Warner had 28 days to ensure an appropriately trained representative in mental illness was on the Appeal panel to determine mental health issues in the interest of the applicant. If Mr Warner honestly thinks his explanation is adequate and removes whatever Duty of Care Homechoice and Cornwall Council had to my wife that day then they all need fucking help.

I also still await an apology from Rachel Lytham, Housing Needs Officer, for her numerous written false statements referring to me as an “ex husband”, unquote. This in contradiction to the information we supplied Homechoice and the letter of support Dr Anthony C Hereward’s supplied Homechoice which clearly stated a number of times I was my wife’s “husband”. A Letter of support Ms Lytham claimed she and every other panel member had read before it’s decision. Really !

Up-date 21/02/14 : My wife unfortunately died a month after this blog was written, of Cancer.

KNOCK – KNOCK

Knock knock
Who’s there
Wragge
Wragge who ?
Wragge & Co, Sanctuary Housing’s legal representatives.

If that’s the same Wragge & Co which threatened full repossession of my flat at Bodmin County Court a week before xmas, and neglected to include the ‘Notice of Repossession’ served on me the day my wife died in June 2013 in your evidence, then you can **** off back to whichever rat infested sewar you normally inhabit.

IPCC UP-DATE, 18/09/13.

Blog entered 18 September 2013

                                                       IPCC UPDATE

For those of you who have been wondering how the IPCC Appeal is going the following will update you all.

The IPCC contacted me earlier this month to say there will be a further delay in reviewing my Appeal which it received in February this year.

You will recall I lodged an Appeal with the IPCC because of the leniency shown to 3 police officers by Devon & Cornwall Police following it’s own internal whitewash. That although the 3 officers were wrong, based solely on what little evidence was available from not investigating properly, the officers should only receive ‘Management Action’.

In reply to the IPCC, I have now submitted further evidence which has since come to light concerning the favouritism shown to Oonah Lacey who was responsible for having me arrested on 24 April 2012. Readers will recall my problems with Oonah Lacey began when she was a TPAS Consultant and conducted a TPAS Mediation Scam in 2010 to protect TPAS Accredited Sanctuary Housing, my landlord.

Leading up to my arrest in 2012 Oonah Lacey’s company ‘Involvis’ was conducting a survey analysing the impact the then new Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Framework Agreement on the provision of interpreting services across the justice sector. The survey closed 11 days before I was arrested and locked up for internet harassment. The article on the survey appeared in “Police Life” in May 2012.

I also reminded the IPCC that according to Oonah Lacey’s written statement/complaint to the police in April 2012, and used extensively by the police in recorded interview due to a lack of written evidence and investigation by them, Oonah Lacey stated she had decided to hand her notice in to TPAS and left on the 19th August 2011 to set up a housing consultancy and training organisation in partnership with Penny and Charles Arbuthnot.

The organisation was called ‘Involvis’ and had actually been set up months before Oonah Lacey had stated it had. I allege the reason why Oonah Lacey wilfully misled the police was to distance herself from claims she had been sacked by TPAS earlier in 2011 for alleged fraud. Although the police contacted TPAS over these allegations, but obtained no evidence, it would appear TPAS also misled the police to protect itself, Lacey and TPAS Accredited Sanctuary Housing.

The Internal Police Investigation into my complaint against the 3 officers should have uncovered the truth but it did not even scratch the surface, which served only to protect the 3 officers, Oonah Lacey, TPAS and Sanctuary Housing. It has also been suggested Cornwall Council may also have had something to do with my arrest.

Further Up-Date : It is now April 2014 and 14 months since the IPCC recieved the Appeal.