Forum Topic

WPCC Statutory Inquiry report - latest news on publication

I’ve just received the following email from my Solicitor (Herbert Smith Freehills LLP):Dear NickThe Charity Commission has informed us that they intend to publish their final report on the statutory inquiry into the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators later this month (although this timing is not definite). They will write to the current and ex-trustees before the report is published although the notice period may be very short eg only a day or so.We will keep you updated if we hear any further.I’ll let everyone know when I receive advance notice of the actual publication date. Of course “later this month” leaves them only about two weeks.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2492d16 Comments

thanks for the update Nick. as an aside, the wpcc is a charity, could a levy payer therefore disclose the levy payment under "charitable donations" on a tax return?

Adam Tripp ● 2491d

Adam, nice try but I think not. The levy is part of your Council Tax and I think it is therefore unlikely to be tax deductible. But I’m not a tax lawyer or accountant. If you don’t pay it your very own Council will take you to the small claims court. It might be amusing to ask the HMRC.Incidentally, you’ll have noticed that the CC have built an escape clause into their announcement; they say the timing of the announcement “is not definite”. They’ll probably try and sneak it out on a “high news” day so it doesn’t get reported. The WPCC will then bury it in a list of announcements several clicks from the Home Page which no one will see.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2491d

Many thanks again Nick for your continuing efforts to out the devious ways of the WPCC.

Robert E Wilkinson ● 2491d

If and when the trustees and management of WPCC are found guilty of “mismanagement and maladministration” which led to large financial losses, what should they do?Bear in mind that even after all this time one of the present trustees Dr Ros Taylor is still in post. It is also the fact that Chief Executive Simon Lee also retains his position. He was the one who wrote to the Charity Commission repeatedly to say they had a Qualified Surveyors Report and followed charity law. They hadn't.  All the other current  Conservators supported the management and trustees in their shoddy, secretive loss-making deal.Any suggestions gratefully received.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2491d

"We are grateful the Charity Commission has highlighted shortcomings in the management and administration of the commons, we have have learnt many valuable lessons from this report and will therefore work hard to ensure future incompetence and mismanagement is carefully concealed. As a first step we intend to increase the levy in order to secure our pensions....oops, no, no, no, quick delete that last sentence, delete, delete, delete!"

Adam Tripp ● 2491d

Dismiss them all and re elect some honest candidates!

Robert E Wilkinson ● 2490d

The current board are now trying to bury the undersale of Mill House. The WPCC sold it for £2.5m, it was sold again the same day for £6.1m.  Their own chronology confirms that the sale by the charity was unlawful, as they ignored charity law.  Instead of simply publishing the material requested under EIR, (which the charity is subject to) they are using lawyers and counsel to defend their actions.I received yesterday the WPCC's submission to the GRC tribunal - 17 pages of legal argument on behalf of the trustees explaining why they are right in refusing to publish the material and advice.  It was prepared by the “utterly first class” Christopher Knight of 11KBW.  Trustees lose millions, trustees try to bury evidence, levy payers foot the bill.Misconduct and maladministration.

John Cameron ● 2490d

John, is that the same Christopher Knight QC who acted for the government over prorogation in the Supreme Court? If so, it seems he is not infallible.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2490d

Dear Mr. Evans,Thank you for the heads up. I was wandering the common the other day looking at the high fence that has been erected around the Chief Ranger's House. There was a chap from the commons staff measuring the top. It looks like more height is to be added. Possibly to keep out the baying mob? My thoughts turned to the long overdue CC report. Kind regards, etc

Denzil Darby ● 2489d

The countdown begins. There are just eight working days left in January before the expected publication of the “Statement of Reasons” final Statutory Inquiry report.I asked earlier what the likely finding of maladministration and misconduct by some of the trustees will actually mean. It is of course the case that WPCC did admit very reluctantly and quietly to failing to get a valuation for Putney Hospital access rights. They also manipulated the belated retrospective valuation report by Daniel Watney (a report that has been very severely criticised) with the result that they admitted to incurring a loss of £325,000. There was a concerted and expensive cover-up which went on for years, and which it might be argued continues today.But did they apologise? No. Was there any sign of contrition and a change in behaviour? No. Did the Chief Executive or his supporters resign? No.I’m looking forward to watching what happens in the next few days.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2486d

Again. They recently promised to publish the Statutory Inquiry report by the end of January 2020. Nothing has appeared.It is now nine months since myself and other past and present Conservators received a draft of their report with a request that we comment on factual errors within a month. I did so, as did others. Since then silence. Incidentally, not only was the report factually incorrect it also glossed over much of the relevant detail which led a majority of the charity trustees to lose vast sums of money while failing to follow charity law. Consequences so far? None.More kicking the can down the road?Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2475d

They’re having one of those “Confidential Special Board Meetings”.This is the Agenda: https://www.wpcc.org.uk/downloads/agendas/agenda-february-2020.pdf. You will be forgiven for not knowing what they are actually discussing - none of the papers are available.I wonder what they will discuss under the heading “Regulatory Update”. The Statutory Inquiry has not yet been released.NickYour very own WPCC correspondent

Nicholas Evans ● 2473d

I would imagine they are also considering the advice from their Counsel at 11 Kings Bench Walk - who is fighting to stop the publication of the valuation advice they didn't receive when selling Mill House.  Counsel's advice is being paid for by Levy Payers - who fund the charity - but are prevented from scrutinising the governance of the WPCC.One of the 'arguments' to publish information under EIR is 'Public Interest' - ie is there a public interest in the material being published?Given the misconduct and mismanagement in the administration of the charity (as confirmed by the Charity Commission's still to be published Statutory Inquiry) it seems to me that there is a public interest.  If there is, the argument may be supported by the First Tier Tribunal (Information Rights) and allow levy payers to scrutinise transactions, particularly those which are unlawful.The WPCC and their Counsel argue there is 'no public interest'.  I wonder why....?

John Cameron ● 2472d

Still no sign of the Charity Commission’s final report on the Statutory Inquiry into Mismanagement and Misconduct by the Trustees of WPCC.It seems that a policy of keeping their heads down and mouths closed is in place. Interestingly the one “appointed” trustee who was on the board in 2014 when the dodgy easement for building a road on Putney Common happened - Dr Ros Taylor the Defra appointed Conservator - is to have her term extended to Autumn 2020. No blame, no shame. She was there when the dirty deed was signed, supported the cover-up, and was on the small sub-committee that decided that they wouldn’t pursue the losses. Despite having been told by the Commission to recuse herself aa conflicted. Business as usual.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 2466d

How very depressing!I wonder what ever happened to honesty?

Ivonne Holliday ● 2466d

The Charity Commission have confirmed that their final report which will be published on Tuesday 18 February.Levy payers can expect a charm offensive from Windmill Towers defending the lies of Simon Lee and the trustees' misconduct and mismanagement.

John Cameron ● 2464d