Ferret would like to share some good news for once, well for some, but not Jim Kenyon.
Saul Construction has at long last been granted planning permission to build homes on the Kirkby Road site at Hemsworth.
This is the same site that both Jim Kenyon and Ian Womersley wanted to create differing memorials to themselves on.
As we all know it was to be with our money and would cost millions of pounds to create and hundreds of thousands of pounds to run and maintain each year.
Neither one of them had even created a business case or had any idea how it would be funded other than mumbling “grants”.
Ferret said at the time, “best of luck with that one”
Well, Ferret supposes that Kenyon might want to use some of the “losses” from the Lakeside café bar to help fund it. as we know he is able to spend the same money two and three times over.
What was worse still, both Jim Kenyon and Ian Womersley were fully aware that Hemsworth Town Council were committed by contract to sell the land to Saul Construction, but they bludgeoned ahead and attempted to rescind the contract, without paying for works already completed that amounted to about £3,000,000.
Such utter madness and stupidity, by going against known legal advice cost this community approximately £200,000 pounds in legal fees and ultimately a humiliating defeat in December 2021 at which Kenyon also had to agree to sign away any rights to the section 106 money of £300,000 that had been previously agreed with the last Labour Council would be used in this Township.
However, move forward just 12 months to December 2022 and guess who wanted Hemsworth Town Council to challenge Saul Construction again?
That’s right Jim Kenyon, not with his money of course but with our money again!
Hemsworth Town Council at last saw sense and said no, the opposition being led by Councillor Maxine Hird.
This should come as no surprise really that he would try again, after all he’s been at it since 2010 delaying and delaying the development by using legal challenges.
It was never of course with his own money, but by using community funds at times and in the main legal aid and Hemsworth Town Council Funds.
Whatever way you want to look at it, it was “our” money, in one form or another.
The legal battle ended up in the Supreme Court of Justice after he lost an action against the secretary of state trying to prevent the development.
This is where those damming words were used by the judge, “challenge creep” to describe a misuse of the appeals system by Kenyon and his barristers.
We are used to seeing and hearing Kenyon rewrite history in an attempt to turn a loss into a defeat or a failure into success but this one takes some beating.
He had not only lost the case in the highest court in the land but had also signed away all rights in the final settlement deal with Saul Construction.
Yet, as said, he then wanted the council to restart legal proceedings 12 months later.
Kenyon: The Challenge Creep
Ferret hears that Jim Kenyon might be looking for a new home shortly, I’m sure Saul Construction may be able to accommodate him, but he shouldn’t be surprised if they insist on cash up front and any arrears plus interest he may owe them from the legal case that he lost against them, many many years ago that still torments him and drives his costly vendetta to this day…
Wonder if this will go on the Independents campaigning leaflets doubt it Truth ,Integrity and Transparency won’t be on them either the community hasn’t seen any of them for 4 years.
The total Legal expenditure the HTC as wasted over the last 4 years is staggering Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of pounds all the communities money drained away and not a thing to show for it.Barristers ,solicitors the highest courts it beggars belief and all paid out of our precept money and won nothing.Hopefully come May this will stop and change and true community councillors will serve the community and its all its parishioners.
Please can you post on FB Thankyou.
It really is time that all those councillors got behind councillor Hird at this next meeting and stopped Kenyon and the Eccles in their tracks. Its time to drop egos, self promotion tactics and do what they are elected to do. Community first and foremost always.
A certain person reminds me of someone.This person is a big liar , someone who is never wrong, coercive to his subverting followers, a cheat, and above all someone who thinks he’s untouchable yes Boris .Well Boris the parishioners are watching.
Remember so far he as failed in is ultimate aim ,that’s to bankrupt HTC now the councillors more than ever have to thawrt any mad cap ideas he as!