25 November (Part 1) - Think of a number, any number…
Bexley
council’s answer to a Freedom of Information request about
the cost of persecuting the Grootendorsts
was provided by a new contributor. The unedited questions and answers were…
Q1. The financial cost of the investigation in to the allegedly untidy garden of Bexley resident
Rita (and Pieter) Grootendorst up to the commencement of legal proceedings.
A1 This is covered in the costs below.
Q2. The financial cost of the legal proceedings for the above including the cost of hiring external lawyers.
A2. The Council’s in-house Legal Service acted on the appeal proceedings and instructed a Barrister
to advise and represent the Council at the trial of the appeal. The Council’s Legal Services spent 60 hours
and 18 minutes on the matter. The "with on-cost" hourly rate of the Senior Solicitor acting was £54.25 -
over 50 hours 48 minutes. The balance of the time spent was by a Solicitor at the rate of £38.30 per hour
and by administrative staff.
Counsel’s fees were £3,750.00 before VAT.
…and I calculated that to be £3,119.75 plus the barrister’s fee of £4,500. All the letter writing and
spying sorties by John Waring and others over two years cost nothing apparently.
Rita Grootendorst is a founder member of the Sidcup Community Group and unknown
to me the SCG had asked the same question and have published
the answer on their website.
This time it is £3,952.60. Which figure is correct? Almost certainly neither of them.