With regard to David Prichard-Jones: he has published his correspondence as well as other material which sheds an interesting light on the practices of Lambeth Housing on a google groups page at -
http://groups.google.com/group/about-the-lambeth-almo?hl=en
It does not look as if the management of Lambeth's Department of Housing and Regeneration are very interested in resident participation , or have grasped the concept of corporate identity.
Read the material, and you can make up your own mind.
Some people might find it surprising that anyone would want to be on a board whose members are treated as he has been.
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Although lengthy, David’s file makes interesting reading. It is a novel idea that an elected representative can be arbitrarily dismissed, or be forced into resigning to avoid dismissal by an unelected officer, without referral to either the members of the body upon which he sits or those who elected him.
It does not say much for the independence of the members of that body that they stood by in silence and did nothing. Away with them!
It sure is curious reading.
How could any senior council officer hope to get away with saying that he or she was unaware that it was wrong to organise or support a deputation to speak on an issue that was so clearly political as taking away responsibility for Lambeth Housing from elected councillors and giving it to a board that allows things like this to happen? And how can one have confidence in a board whose members would not support a whistle blower, (one of their own number) who made public such a thing?
If officers treat board members like that, what chance will tenants have?
Up to now I have been neutral on the ALMO question - there is no question that we need the money that we hope it will bring in (if anything like the figure bid for is granted), but this file has completely destroyed my confidence in the ALMO board's ability to manage anything.
If tenants had known of this at the time of the ballot the result you can be sure the result would have been very different.
From the signatures to the Memoir presented to Yvette Cooper. M.P. it wouild seem Mr. Prichard-Jones view's received considerable support from resident representatives generally.
This is another matter that should cause concern:
"There is one further matter which I would wish to bring to the Department’s attention, since it indicates Lambeth officers' cavalier attitude to the Rules of Natural Justice and accepted rules of administrative procedure, and that concerns my summary and arbitrary public suspension from the Shadow Board without a proper hearing and subsequently the extensive prior publicity given to the council's intention to refuse to permit me to stand as a candidate. (See my letters to Chris Lee, dated 22 December 2007, and 6 and 14 January 2008, all of which remain unanswered.)
I do not suppose that many tenants would take this point, nevertheless, you, as a senior civil servant, will appreciate how serious it is, and the grave injustice that could arise should such procedure be followed in other cases.
Such conduct is particularly offensive in that the recipient’s reputation and livelihood could be seriously damaged without him necessarily having the knowledge or ability to fight back. It is particularly disgraceful when the perpetrator is a Head of Service, as it then becomes an encouragement to others to behave likewise.
In due course, when the Minister has made her decision, I propose to make a formal complaint against this officer. I would have done so already, but for the fact that it might further jeopardise the success of the project."
[Extract from Mr. Prichard-Jones's letter to Mr. Sheldon Ferguson of CLG, dated 23.2.2008]
I understand that Mr. Lee, the officer complained of is the head of Lambeth's housing service. Is this matter still outstanding? This type of conduct is not acceptable in a person who holds such a senior post.
Some might think that it is not an ALMO that Lambeth Council needs but a Commission of Inquiry.
Not much more to say here.
No serious person could afford to sit on such a body.
Not surprising that Lambeth are having trouble finding board members.
There is likely to be real trouble if (as seems likely) no funds are made available to carry out the promised improvements.
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