THE BIG RETORT

On January 12, 2024, we submitted a detailed Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Lewisham Council concerning its legal department and planning enforcement officers’ aggressive prosecutions of ordinary citizens. The FOI aimed to uncover the council's expenditure on criminal legal advice and prosecutions, with a focus on cases involving external legal firms like Browne Jacobson, exacerbating costs for taxpayers. The goal was to ensure transparency and accountability in the council's actions and unchecked legal spending. Little did we realise, there's more to this story than meets the eye. TheBigRetort... Lewisham Council's response to our Freedom of Information Act request was unsurprising. Its position was to invoke Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, citing excessive costs as grounds for refusal.  A familiar retort. However, this type of refusal from the team headed by Jeremy Chambers, Director of Law & Corporate Governance, underscores a...

Kevin Bottomley, the former proprietor of KJ Building Supplies in Brockley, dragged out of retirement, still finds himself ensnared in an unrelenting kafkaesque legal battle with Lewisham Council. His alleged crime? Storing basic construction materials on land and in a container adjacent to his shop. However, beneath the thin veneer of law enforcement lurks a profit-driven agenda. Lewisham Council, under the guise of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), stands to gain a significant portion, 37.5%, of what it claims is £167,000 of the proceeds from successful prosecution. A crime indeed. Bottomley's plight illuminates the unjust practices of a local authority operating as modern-day bounty hunters, all under the guise of democracy. This article exposes the unjust treatment of a senior citizen and the dubious tactics employed by Lewisham Council's enforcement officers who place discretion aside in the pursuit of an easily forged shilling The prosecution Lewisham Council'...

The acquisition of the Parthenon Marbles, also controversially known as the Elgin Marbles, remains an enduring saga intertwining history, cultural heritage, and the complexities of ownership. In the early 19th century, Lord Elgin's removal of these ancient sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens raised debates that still echo through time. Yet, what about their monetary value? TheBigRetort In 1816, the British government acquired the Marbles from Lord Elgin for a paltry £35,000. However, the question of their true worth in today's terms transcends mere monetary evaluation. Adjusting for inflation over nearly two centuries reveals a stark contrast between the value paid then and the potential contemporary value. Be that as it may. Determining the present-day value of £35,000 from 1816 involves a trawl through historical records, understanding economic shifts, and estimating inflation rates over time. The process is complex, relying on average inflation rates spanning 207 yea...

Pictured above, Quentin Hunt with the Powells On October 31st, a legal battle regarding wasted costs unfolded between the London Borough of Lewisham Council and a Brockley resident, Trevor Powell, and his wife. This case, which was heard at Bexley Magistrates Court recently, revealed significant issues with the Council's earlier legal representation at a previous trial. And serial unexplained absences by its prosecutor. At an earlier hearing on October 5th, the presiding judge, D.J. Sarah Turnock, expressed visible bewilderment at the Council's handling of what initially seemed like a mundane dispute over a single additional skylight's planning enforcement. However, it swiftly transformed into a consequential wasted costs order against Lewisham Council due to the absence of its prosecutor. The inexplicable absence of the prosecutor did not sit well with the district judge. Council prosecutor Jay Kidd-Morton had demanded that the couple themselves appear or face further ...

In the world of property management, landlords often find themselves navigating a complex terrain where financial interests must be balanced with the welfare of tenants. Profit and goodwill form a delicate balance, one that a landlord, who's been managing rental properties for decades, is all too familiar. Recently, a chance encounter with a potential tenant seeking an affordable rental home in a conservation area shed light on the stark differences in perspective that can shape these relationships. TheBigRetort A recent encounter with a militant flat seeker looking for a rental property revealed a strikingly different viewpoint to lettings than most landlords might expect. This particular tenant, firmly believed that landlords should reduce rents for tenants, not out of goodwill, but because it was the "right" thing to do.  Her perspective was clear: greedy landlords should provide lower rents. Any financial sacrifices they might make were secondary. It did not for...