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HERSTMONCEUX GENERATING WORKS
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No restoration can begin until dispute resolved - still ongoing 2012
THE MODERN AGE OF ELECTRICITY
We are now in the modern electrical age. We rely on electricity for computers, to power our factories, run our offices and our homes. This was all made possible because of the electrical generating industry which began with private landowners installing generating equipment for their estates. This soon spread as townships started up municipal supplies, absorbing private installations as they expanded so heralding the modern age.
1995 MARS - MONUMENTS AT RISK SURVEY - ENGLISH HERITAGE
During the 1990s it was realised that all evidence of this important stage in Man's development would be lost as the archaeological remains of early installations were being demolished unchecked at the rate of one a week or more. For this reason English Heritage commissioned a Monument Protection Program in 1995, as a means to identify and preserve examples of different types of installation.
One such example that was nearly overlooked is the Old Generating Works at Herstmonceux in England. The story of how this building came to be recognised by English Heritage, the County Archaeologist and others is a lesson to public authorities to tend to their duty to protect the historic built environment, rather than steamroller protest as to injustice. The local administration in this case had taken a dislike to the occupier, after neighbours with good connections wanted to purchase the barn like building and he'd refused to sell.
1987 SECRETARY OF STATE (Inspector Dannreuther) DECISION LETTER
In 1987 the local council told the Planning Inspectorate this building held no history worth preserving. Wealden District Council's officers were so practiced at slight of hand that the Inspector was blinded to the physical facts, even though he could see that the building was at least 75 years old, he declared it a newer building on an old site, that had never been used to generate electricity - thus devoid of any history worth saving. This was of course completely wrong.
1995:
The occupier(s) applied again in 1995 and this time the council employed a so-called specialist conservationist named Chezel Bird, who presumably having been instructed not to assist the applicant, failed to consult English Heritage as required by Government guidelines. Surprising, since she turned out to be an ex-English Heritage employee, turned witness for hire. This application was also taken to appeal and once again the Planning Inspectorate accepted Wealden District Council's assertions in good faith. In reality, this Inspector (Michaels) was blinded to the facts even more so than Inspector Dannreuther. But the fact is they both failed to properly inspect the building during site visits - and crucially, relied on false evidence manufactured by this Council's officers - where perhaps they should have sough expert opinion where both factions were telling different stories.
The occupier continued to lobby local councillors, then later in 1997 he was introduced to a gardener named Ron Saunders. Ron had worked on the estate in 1936 and remembered seeing the generating machinery and batteries in situ. He went on to explain that his father was an engineer who had operated the equipment.
1998:
Armed with this new information the occupiers applied again in 1998 to save the building by means of a conversion. He applied for residential and commercial uses - to try to corner the rats so to speak. This is the usual way old buildings find a beneficial use and become restored. With so many council's misbehaving it's hardly a wonder that all our monuments are being lost. We can't imagine that many people would go to all this trouble - and that is what councils bank on.
Victorio Patrick Scarpa & David Whibley
Heritage criminals, Christine Nuttall & David Phillips
This local authority was so corrupted that it's high ranking officers again misdirected the elected members to ignore the obvious local history in favour of further obstructing the applicant. One officer adept at lying was Douglas Moss. he obtained photographs on a site visit under the cover of a copyright agreement, then claimed he'd returned all the photographs and negatives to the occuier, with a covering letter to confirm that to be the case. You'll not be surprised to learn that his partner in crime, David Phillips turned up with copies of the same photographs that Doug Moss had taken and claimed has been returned. David Phillips was claiming that he'd take them much later on a different visit. Unfortunately, for Messrs Moss and Phillips there was a scratch on the retuned negatives that proved them both liars. This was the second time David Phillips had been caught out fabricating evidence using photographs. The other case involved a tree - when the judge noticed that the shadows were in the wrong position for the time David Phillips was claiming.
[During one audit of WDC's accounts there was quite a large sum spent obtaining barrister's advice about Mr Moss's departure from the straight and narrow. Lying like this is of course a breach of the RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) Code of Conduct. Nevertheless, instead of dismissing Doug Moss and David Phillips, Wealden District Council, with Vic Scarpa and Trevor Scott in the legal department, were and are prepared to spend public money to defend misfeasance in public office, where the covering up of such impropriety can then become criminal malfeasance - such as in the case of R v Bowden 1995.]
During the 1998 application, WDC's then head of legal services, Victorio Patrick Scarpa, actually stood up and advised the committee "we don't want to give permission to this applicant." This treatment is unlawful according to the Human Rights Act 1998 - Hitler would have been proud of Mr Scarpa for putting the jack-boot in. It would appear from the evidence that this council does not recognise the (human) rights of the individual but rather is a law unto itself. Then why did we bother fighting in the Second World War? This was later brought home when a Mr Chester Hudson (a law abiding private citizen) learned from Wealden's files that they had known what the building was in 1985, but had buried the evidence. Dirty rotten scoundrels you might say! And a good name for the next volume if it hadn't been used for the Steve Martin / Michael Caine film from 1988 or (previously School for Scoundrels 1960 B&W starring Terry Thomas and Ian Carmichael). Wealden declined to determine the application - which is another way of saying "we're not playing any more." The burning question is: Why are these officers allowed to carry on as they are? What about the Members taking back control of their Council. The current Leader of this Council is Robert (Bob) Standley. In January of 2014 he was asked what he intends doing about their Chief Executive, Charlie Lant's abject failure to investigate and if necessary sack any officer conducting himself inappropriately.
1999:
Undaunted, the occupier applied again in 1999 and this time sought the advice of English Heritage and the County Archaeologist independently, where it was certain Wealden Council would avoid doing anything which might reveal their long term deception. An article in the Evening Argus netted the 1911 operating instructions missing from Amberley Museum, when a member of the public realised what he'd bought at a boot fair. Where the Royals are not in a position to become directly involved in run of the mill cases, English Heritage did what they could to persuade Wealden Council to do the right thing. Fat chance. Give a crook the keys to the safe and he'll help himself. Other officers involved in this case include Ashley Brown and Ian Kay, the district and assistant district planning officers. A solicitor called Geoff Johnson had also written some very slippery letters to the occupier.
During the course of his investigations, the occupier(s) met a number of persons complaining of heavy handed treatment, involving the same corrupt officers in his local Council's legal and planning departments. It seems he was not alone. The lack of policing of the planning system encourages corruption - planning favours - brown envelopes and the like. Corruption in local administration, apart from the obvious criminal implications, is such a waste of resources, where bent officers get rich (usually long serving officers in peach positions). Recognising this loophole, the Nolan Committee (Lord Nolan), now Neil Committee, suggested admitting a new crime to the statute books way back in 1997. These recommendations have not been acted on, but we remain hopeful that the many examples of injustice now surfacing will persuade those responsible for law and order to act to quash this particular form of white collar crime.
2000:
The Human Rights Act 1998 became enacted. English Heritage placed this rare survivor on their Monument Protection Programme for the Electrical Generating Industry, held to be the dawn of the modern age of electricity.
2005:
Wealden had to face up to the fact that they'd been caught out lying to the Secretary of State for years. But, they still would not admit that directly. Instead they first tried to bankrupt Nelson. They sent in David Phillips and Christine Nuttall armed with a warrant and a police officer (and a supporting cast of underlings) - but the occupier filmed the whole thing, calling their bluff - because he knew that the warrant had been obtained from the magistrates courtt by deception (see the Fraud Act 2006, Section 4). During this visit, captured on film, when David Phillips and Christine Nuttall were asked if they knew what a malicious prosecution was, they ran to get away from the camera. We understand that David Phillips is still working at Wealden District Council. Why on earth that should be so when he has breached his position of trust on so many occasions is a mystery. Concerning Mr Phillips, there is also the matter of perjury (the scratched negatives) relating to a High Court appearance - where he refused to enter the courtroom, which the police have so far failed to investigate despite repeated requests. We're not sure what the statute of limitations is? Why would the police not investigate? Could it be because the local council collects taxes to fund the local police. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There is much more juicy stuff concerning the police - all will be revealed.
The next ploy was to pursue bankruptcy (cost awarded by Dame Butler Schloss). WDC served a High Court notice that was based on fraud, which they then withdrew unreservedly within 48 hours. Then came a Statutory Demand, which Nelson counterclaimed against - and that led to an Agreement by Consent in the County Court. This Agreement will be published in full in Volume 2. Basically, the parties were to jointly instruct experts for a joint planning application - on a no fault basis. But guess what? That's right, they breached that contract and did not make that joint application.
Eric Pickles MP & Secretary of State for Planning
2014 PRESENT DAY
The occupier wrote to Trevor Scott (WDC head of legal services) several times in 2012 and 2013 asking for an explanation as to why Wealden District Council have breached the contract they signed in the Eastbourne County Court in 2005. To date he's received no satisfactory explanation, just denial. This leaves the matter in the hands of the Secretary of State for planning, the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, who was asked by recorded delivery in a letter dated the 10th of July 2012, what he intends to do about corrupt councils and planning legislation that is not compatible with European legislation that was put in place to stop inhumane treatment.
Some 3 1/2 months later, a reply was finally received from Eland House, but not from Eric, from Theresa Donohue, on the 26th of October 2012. Unfortunately, Theresa has not got her facts right on this occasion, for she seems to believe that this particular Enforcement Notice might be appealed, when the time limit for appealing such Notice expired some 26 years ago, at least 15 years before we had the facts, and some 22 years after we had the facts, but Wealden District Council breached their Agreement, not to Enforce - which of course brings than matter back into the frame, where previously it had been Agreed.
This is though something that Mr Pickles should be concerned with. A Cabinet Minister cannot just look the other way when an officer of the court has lied to his Inspector. On this occasion it is not just one council officer, it is several of them. So this is a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. We shall once again invite Mr Pickles to join us in referring the matter to the High Court, Administrative division, for a declaration of incompatibility and an order quashing the unlawful Enforcement Notice. Failing which, Mr Pickles' culpability in what amounts to a cover-up, may of itself become something that the Crown should look at.
Whatever happens will be recorded faithfully for yet more amusing revelations of abuses of positions of trust and a dreadful squandering of taxpayers £millions, which we say makes David Cameron's cabinet a bit like watching a Punch and Judy pantomime. We can say this because we have the freedom to speak guaranteed by Article 10 - but for how long? David Cameron is well aware that England is no longer the bastion of principles it once was. Talk about role reversal, with Germany and France perhaps now setting the standards and us strutting about parliament in jack boots declaring that we'll leave Europe - because we don't like it when the European Court tells us when we've been behaving like little Hitlers.
EDF ENERGY and SEEBOARD
Today the energy supply role is reversed. EDF Energy supply electricity to the old generating buildings. The supply manager is Richard Hughes. Lime Park Heritage Trust (LPHT) is in communication with EDF's managers: Richard Hughes and Vincent de Rivaz, concerning this valuable historic site.
A series of communications spanning ??? months has taken place, beginning with the simple request that a bill be amended to show the proper address/user.
LINKS:
Herstmonceux Electricity Generating Works Circa. 1900 - 1936 Links:
Introduction | Instructions | ISBN | Batteries | Boiler Room | Floor Plan | Ron Saunders
Industrial Revolution | Lime Park | Machinery | Map | Power House | Argus 1999
Public Supply | Roof Construction | Rural Supply| Sussex Express 1913 | Conclusion
Archaeology South East | East Sussex CC | English Heritage | SIAS | Sx Exp 1999
Memories of Herstmonceux by Margaret Pollard
ENERGY GENERATING-DISTRIBUTION UTILITIES
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