An open invitation for Bristol City Council housing boss, Nick “DROOPER” Hooper to confirm in writing that he’s happy at the conditions Anthony Palmer and his son are currently living in.

Also an invitation to Drooper to identify the non-existent bits of housing law his department are quoting:

 

Thank you for your email and the information you have provided. It has been noted and passed on to our legal representative. On Thursday the 28th April  I attended a meeting with Mr Palmer.

Present at that meeting were Mr Palmer’s Social Worker, Health Visitor and a lady from the housing department (Housing Support Worker), who I have to say I felt rather sorry for as she was clearly the messenger of nothing new. I assume this is the contact to which you refer in your email?

I would now like to deal with what I was able to ascertain from that meeting. The support worker mentioned a move to another hostel called Windermere in Southmead which would bring Anthony closer to his support network and also give him a front room bedroom & kitchen.

At this point it looked like there was a glimmer of hope of a move in the right direction. Only to be told in the next breath there were no current vacancies but we will put you on the list!

When challenged over the waiting period he could expect to wait, it became a case of how long is a piece of string? So nothing substantial was being offered other than ifs, buts and maybes, which seems to be how your department is run these days.

There are three factors that concern me a great deal. Firstly, the child has a serious health problem with eczema that requires him to be bathed in emollients. Something that Mr Palmer is unable to do. He is currently sitting him in the shower tray, having to hold the shower head as one minute it goes from warm to a temperature that could scold the child. Secondly, the development of the child is being held back as stated by both the social worker and health visitor.

Thirdly, the preferences for ex-servicemen that automatically takes Mr Palmer up a band from band 2 to band 1: I noted with interest the comments made by the housing support officer where she stated that this did not apply because Mr Palmer had left the Army some 7 yrs ago and that Bristol City Council had set the criteria for this at 5 yrs.

I challenged this and I was informed this was set down in the Housing Acts (1996) and the (2012) amendments by government allowing local authorities to set there own criteria and length of time between discharge.

To this end I have been unable to locate such a clause within the Acts. Can you please advise as to what section of the Acts covers this statement for my reference?

Unfortunately I have come across statements like this in the past within Bristol City Council only to find it is a bit of a Peter Pan world or wishful thinking on the part of Bristol City Council. I usually find a quick Legal Action remedies such statements before we even get to issuing court proceedings.

A synopsis of where Mr Palmer currently stands is as follows:

1) If, but and maybe in terms of another hostel.

2) Bristol City Council feel they have no Statutory or Legal Duty in terms of his son’s health problems and how they are exasperated by his current  housing condition

3) Bristol City Council feels it is okay to ignore the advice of another organisation involved with his and his child’s welfare

4) A possible Peter Pan World in terms of him being put in the correct banding

Now without wishing to sound facetious, I think it only needs me to ask when you will be placing a member of yours or Mr Ferguson’s family in to such conditions?

Certain people within society of certain political persuasions would like to push the great unwashed back in to the squalor of the 1800s living with rats and cockroaches while they get rich off the selling of council houses.

Will you and your department please confirm in writing that you are happy at the conditions Mr Palmer and his son are currently living in?

I look forward to your immediate reply

Yours Sincerely

Mr Stephen Norman

Local Independent Candidate Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston Ward