HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED A SOLICITORS LETTER

PART ONE OF THREE 

Tuesday 4th December 2012 

HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED A SOLICITORS LETTER

It now appears that the Three Newly Elected LABOUR Councillors Representing The De-Brus Ward on Hartlepool Borough Council. ROB COOK, Chairman of the Planning Committee, SYLVIA TEMPEST  Secretary of the Local Labour Party,  and  Sheila Griffin,  are so lacking in  Common Courtesy , and are so Desperate to avoid having to Answer  any of my Serious Allegations of Council Misconduct in Public Office, or to Explain their total lack of action to investigate any of  my Serious allegations,  they have all asked the Chief Solicitor of Hartlepool Borough Council PETER DEVLIN , to write to me the following letter , which I received yesterday , Monday, 3rd December, 2012,  at 1.00 p.m. 

To add Substance to my above Comments , I  wish to make it  Perfectly Clear here and now,  and to avoid any  further Possible Misunderstanding,  that NONE  of my (3) Three newly elected  Labour Councillors Representing ? The De-Brus Ward on the Hartlepool Borough Council have, to the best of my Knowledge,
 made  “ANY”  attempt  to Contact me, by Phone, Letter or E-Mail or even  a Personal Visit to my Home, to Validate, Discuss, or give any explanation as to WHY  NONE  of my Serious Criminal Allegations have been Investigated. ?  They are all  Fully aware of my Criminal Allegations and  what Excuse they Can offer for Not Investigating my Concerns is entirely up to them?

Dear Sirs,
CORRESPONDENCE WITH WARD  COUNCILLORS 

I have been asked  to Contact you by your Ward Councillor’s, Tempest, Cook  and Griffin, as they are becoming increasingly concerned by the Tone   of your Correspondence. 
I must therefore ask that any further correspondence regarding regulatory matters I.e. F.O.I. Data Protection etc,  be forwarded to the Council’s legal Division, for the attention of the Chief Solicitor, who will review the correspondence and will Only Respond where the Correspondence contains something new that has not been addressed by the Council Previously 
Yours Faithfully
~~~~~~~
For P DEVLIN 
CHIEF SOLICITOR

This personal letter to my Home address  from Peter Devlin  is Contrary to my Previous Request to Hartlepool Borough Council , that all Correspondence Regarding any of  my Freedom of Information Requests and any  Answers , should be made available to be Viewed by the General Public, in the Public Domain, on the Internet (WDYK) Site. 

One might wonder, as I do,  WHY should the Chief  Solicitor of Hartlepool Borough Council Peter Devlin, asks  me, on behalf of my Ward Councillors TEMPEST  COOK and GRIFFIN  to  Personally Forward to  Him the Chief Solicitor of Hartlepool Borough Council,  Any Freedom of Information Requests,  I May Submit  in Future,  to Hartlepool Borough Council is  Both  CONFUSING and DEFINITELY  UNCLEAR ? 
Am I to Understand that PETER DEVLIN, Chief Solicitor of Hartlepool Borough Council, is Saying that ANY  future Correspondence from Me to my Democratically Elected Ward Councillors in E-Mails or Letter  Containing Private and Confidential material MUST also in FUTURE be VETTED  by HIM ?  

This is  Unbelievable Arrogance, which I Definitely Reject? What Legal Authority gives this Individual a  Paid Employed Council Official, the Right to Effectively threaten to  Censor my Private Correspondence? The E-Mails I sent to my Council Representatives were  I though Private and Confidential, ?

Is this Veiled Legal Threat,  Enforceable? Against a Local and Honest Tax Paying Citizen? Reporting Criminal Misconduct  by Employees in the Planning Department, of Hartlepool Borough Council, One might ask, WHY , if my allegation of Criminality are Unfounded , have I NOT been Challenged to Produce my Bone-Fide Documentary Evidence in a  Court  of Law.
What are they afraid Of, ? Perjury I believe is a Serious Offence.

Could it Possibly be that  the  (3)  Three Now,  Elected Labour Councillors of the De-Brus Ward,  are foolishly attempting to  Hide these  Serious issues, Surrounding my  Allegations of Criminality by involving the Chief Solicitor of Hartlepool Borough Council, PETER DEVLIN  in  what I believe to be an attempt  to intimidate me into SILENCE ? 

I  also BELIEVE  It is UNLAWFUL for a PUBLIC AUTHORITY to ACT  in a WAY WHICH   is INCOMPATIBLE  WITH A    "CONVENTION RIGHT" 
                                                
 Article 10, Freedom of Expression of the Human Rights Act 1998, 

This Right Shall include Freedom to Hold Opinions and to RECEIVE  and IMPART  INFORMATION and Ideas WITHOUT INTERFERENCE by PUBLIC AUTHORITY and REGARDLESS of FRONTIERS  


This  Sounds Suspiciously like, My freedom of speech is definitely under threat here ? Is this an attempt  by Hartlepool Borough Council to  Severely Restrict or Totally Ignore ( as they have done in the Past) any Further Freedom of Information Requests , I may make to Hartlepool Borough Council, ? and to my Democratically Elected Labour Councillors of the
                                                         DE-BRUS WARD 
                                                TEMPEST,  COOK ,  and GRIFFIN ? 


I AM OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER JOSEPH GOEBBELS, THE INFAMOUS  NAZI MINISTER 
OF PROPAGANDA and CENSORSHIP ? I COULD BE MISTAKEN, BUT  DID'NT  HE   START  LIKE THIS,?

It is was always my Understanding that any Freedom of Information Requests submit  to Hartlepool Council, are addressed to the Freedom of Information Officer,  whoever that Appointed  Person may be,?

If PETER DEVLIN, the Chief Solicitor of Hartlepool Borough Council,  Wishes, for Reasons best Known Only to Himself, to appoint himself the  Freedom of Information Officer, for Hartlepool Borough Council,   in addition to his Position of  Chief Solicitor, then that is  HIS Concern and the Hierarchy of Hartlepool 
Borough Council to Decide, if He is judged a Suitable Person to have the JOB and He  is  appointed Freedom of Information Officer , that is Definitely of NO Interest or Concern of MINE , ?
If  PETER DEVLIN  Wants the Freedom of Information JOB, I have NO Objections. ?

Will he be able to Manage  these  additional Duties,?  He appears to me, to Manage the Hartlepool Legal  Department,  like  a HIGH CLASS  Restaurant, with a Extensive a La Carte Menu, Resulting in his Legal Department of Solicitors, Picking and Choosing which Laws and Statutory Legislation they  may decide to Accept or Reject ? On a Daily Basis 

From my Personal Experience, they have Consistently Ignored all my Previous Bona-Fide Documentary Evidence Highlighting  Criminal Wrongdoing by Council Officials , including Breaching  my Human Rights of Property Ownership, 

The First Protocol Article 1, of the European Convention on Human Rights 

Obviously I have been Misinformed in thinking that my LABOUR Councillors , TEMPEST,  COOK and GRIFFIN, Represent effectively the interests of the Ward for which these Councillor’s  were  Elected,  to deal with Constituents’ enquiries and representations ? 

I though I was supporting a Lively Get up and Go, Local Labour Politician, "ROB COOK"
 who gave me the Distinct but Obviously the Wrong Impression, when visiting my Home and viewing the Property Damage caused by  the Neighbours Carbuncle of a Kitchen Extension originally built “Without” Planning Permission ?and attached to my Property, both  by his Words and Attitude, that if he was elected as Labour Councillor In the forth coming local elections for the De-Brus Ward, he would try hard  to address my Concerns ? Wrong again!  And to Clarify WHY  I though I had at last Found a very Rare Politician Animal  that could be Trusted ? Read on-------

 ROB COOK ,  Prior to his election as Labour Councillor for  the De-Brus Ward, knocked on my door, and was invited into my Home, following a Lengthy  Discussion on Why I should  Vote Labour in the Forthcoming Local Elections,  he was invited and accepted my Invitation, to Inspect  the Carbuncle of an Unsafe and Potentially Dangerous  Building Extension, erected Without Planning Permission or the Property Owners Consent,  and attached  by a  Do it Yourself  Cowboy Builder, onto my Outside Detached Wash-House rear Wall and Roof, effectively Preventing  my Family the Safe use of the Wash-House Facilities, by Blocking Off the Gas Ventilation Ducts  Creating a Possible Serious Life Threatening Situation of Fire and Explosion, if any attempt had been made to Light The Gas Heated Hot Water Boiler,?

A Situation that has Existed for over Five (5) years, Despite Numerous Council Officials being Made aware of this Disgraceful Situation ? 

In the light of Recent Events, the  Comments  by Rob Cook  after his Visual Inspection, including the phrase, uttered  at the time of his home visit and after his ocular  inspection of the Severe Property Damage, 

“it should never have been  built, and it should be demolished “?  

Prior to his Successful Election, as a De-Brus Ward Councillor,  Now appear to have been Nothing less than  False Indignation and Deceitful Political Electioneering, his aim was simply to gain more votes to achieve Political Office, the ends justify the means ? Or does it,?

Just to keep any  Reader attention focused, if there is any,? 

 Retrospective Planning application  H/2009/0568  was Granted by Two (2) Planning Officials, Case Planning Officer Richard Trow, assisted by Mr. Reece, Building Control Manager, without ANY involvement or Input of the Council Planning Committee, Despite Overwhelming Bone-Fide Evidence, KNOWN to Richard Trow, who had a Personal interest in this Project, ? that the Retrospective Applicants DID NOT Own the Freehold Land and Property ? 

This incident  Clearly Proves  Making Controversial Planning Decisions, knowing there are Allegations of  Criminality Unresolved, Without the Involvement of Democratically Elected  Councillors is Simply Prone to  Possible Corruption and Abuse. 
It is Certainly NOT “In the Public Interest”  for allegations of Serious Criminal acts by Council Officers to be   “Covered-Up”

More in Part Two?

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS ON CORRUPTION AND MISCONDUCT IN PUBLIC OFFICE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS to HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL
 ON CORRUPTION AND MISCONDUCT IN PUBLIC OFFICE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC VIEW
BY THE WHATDOYOUKNOW INTERNET SITE.



On 4 December 2012 20:11, WhatDoTheyKnow wrote:
Dear Alan Harvey Flounders,

Your request 'Requesting a Internal Review' at
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/requesting_a_internal_review
has been reviewed by moderators.

We consider it is not a valid FOI request, and have therefore hidden it from other users. We reached this because the dominant purpose of your correspondence appears to be to pursue a grievance rather than to obtain recorded information. I also consider that the content of your request is potentially defamatory. I found in places that your request difficult to follow which suggested there was a lack of focus.

A few weeks ago I hid a similar request you had made to the same authority for similar reasons - I am sorry for the delay in writing to you about this earlier request. to you about this earlier request.
Please read our policy on focussed requests:
                                            http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/help/requesting#focused

You will still be able to view both requests while logged in to the site. Please reply to this email if you would like to discuss these decisions further.
Yours, The WhatDoTheyKnow team.

Reply to WDTK site 

Dear Sirs, 
Thank you for your belated explanation received on Tuesday 4th December 2012, on why my latest F.O.I. requests to Hartlepool Borough Council have been removed from Public View. 
including my Latest Annotation highlighting the Comments from Peter Devlin, Chief Solicitor of Hartlepool Borough Council, including my Annotation challenging the outrageous behaviour by the three newly elected Councillors of the De-Brus Ward, Rob Cook, Chairman of the Planning Committee,
 Sylvia Tempest, Secretary of the Local Labour Party and Sheila Griffin, who are openly aiding and abetting Criminality, their Behaviour can only is described as Outrageous? 

It has Never been my intention to place your very valued and Helpful internet site in a position that any F.O.I. requests or views expressed , could result in any Legal Challenge to your site, and to that end I deliberately have set up my own Blog, 

                                                   http://alanflounders.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Where I intend to Continue to publish and expose to Public View the Undoubted Corruption I have personally discovered,  is regularly committed by some Officials of Hartlepool Borough Council, ? Both elected and non elected ? 
If they can Challenge my Allegations, Why don't they Sue Me. ? 

“CORRUPTION hurts people all over the world every day. Victims of corruption need to speak up to Challenge people who are  unfit to occupy Any Public Office. 

Could it be that undue influence has been brought to bear by Hartlepool Borough Council to suppress the matter? Some may think so, when one considers that your  e-mail only arrived on Tuesday 4th December 2012, “After” my latest F.O.I. request was submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council 

                                                        I am a Victim. 

CORRUPTION is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone who depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority. 

I can Honestly Say that I am NOT only very Disappointed but Deeply Saddened 
By your decision, to hide from Public View the questions in my Freedom of Information Requests , Dated 13th November 2012, to Haley Martin, in which I had named Public Officials, employed in both the Legal and Planning departments of Hartlepool Borough Council of Questionable and Dishonest Behaviour, 

I intend to Publish on this Site , everyone of my Freedom of Information Requests which have been removed  from Public View by the WhatDoTheyKnow Team,  including my Annotations.


Hartlepool Borough Council have continued to Lie and Refuse to Release Fraudulent Documents to me, regarding the Legal Ownership of Property built on without Council Planning Permission , but More importantly, Without , the Legal Property Owners Consent “ME” . When Granting the “Retrospective Planning Application” H/2009/0568 by the Case Planning Officer, Richard Trow, who I discovered and Believe was the Architect personally responsible for the Redesign of the Kitchen Extension, and who it is known  to have been the Draughtsman, of the Engineers Drawings which were Submitted to “HIMSELF” the Case Planning Officer, Who Would have the Delegated Authority to Decide Whether to Grant this Controversial Retrospective Planning application H/2009/0568 or NOT,? without any Input or involvement by any Elected Councillors of the Planning Committee?
 It's very similar situation,  to marking your own Examination Papers, you just can’t Loose ? or can you? wait and See. 
Thanks again for all your help in the Past , best sincere wishes to you all.. 

Local authorities use libel laws to silence criticism

Local authorities use libel laws to silence criticism