Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

 
 
Saturday, 11th September 2010

BNP legal bid cost taxpayers £5,000

Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 08 October 2009
The borough council spent almost £5,000 in taxpayers' money pursuing a legal injunction to stop caravans being parked at the British National Party's annual festival in Denby, it has been revealed.
The right wing party held its controversial Red, White and Blue bash on land owned by party member Alan Warner off Codnor Denby Lane in August.

Amber Valley Borough Council wrote to Mr Warner in July warning him that using his land as a temporary caravan park for the weekend was contrary to the Town and County Planning Act and obtained an injunction.

Mr Warner says he refused to sign the injunction as it did not specifically say how many caravans would be allowed and as soon as the number was confirmed as three he agreed. However in the meantime the council pursued a case in the High Court against him.

Now a freedom of information request by the BNP has revealed council solicitors' fees amounted to £4,373 plus VAT of £626.25 for the case.

Mr Warner said: "The only reason I didn't sign their injunction was because it said a 'small number' of caravans would be allowed. That could be ten, it could be 20. When the police confirmed it was three I signed up straight away but Amber Valley jumped the gun.

"It is unbelievable really, costing the ratepayers all this money."

Mr Warner says he has now submitted an application to Amber Valley Borough Council applying for permission to site 40 caravans on his land next summer.

Amber Valley Borough Council has defended its decision to pursue an injunction against the number of caravans permitted at the festival.

A spokesman for the council said: "Do we feel the costs of the High Court injunction were a constructive use of public money? Yes."

More than 1,000 people marched in protest against the festival on August 15 and police made 19 arrests as well as issuing two cautions and two fixed penalty notices.

In September, a BNP member, 66-year-old John Jones, was fined £146 by Derby magistrates for making a Nazi salute at protesters.

Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 07 October 2009 1:53 PM
  • Source: Ripley & Heanor
  • Location: Ripley & Heanor
 
Prev
1
Next
1

Janis Gregory,

Ripley 07/10/2009 16:36:29
I loathe the BNP and all it stands for. I also feel that the people of Codnor and Denby Lane have had enough to put up with over the last few years.
2

denbyist,

Denby 07/10/2009 18:03:06
Another £5,000 of the public's money swilled down the drain by our pathetic council.Add this to the £11,500 they lost for their failings re. the Cinderhill fiasco and the £13,000 compensation they had to pay for another failure at Whatstandwell,then the money lost to an Icelandic Bank and it adds up to one answer-AVBC is led by a bunch of numpties who don't give a damn about OUR money because they have their own agenda.I suggest we all stop paying our council tax until these numpties are removed from office!
3

talonfan,

ripley 07/10/2009 18:18:57
You have every right to "loathe" the party on whatever grounds you like Janis. Whether it be that you are a died in the wool leftie, or someone that has fallen for the media lies and political spin of other parties.
However, the BNP are a legal political party with veiws that represent many people. The are not violent, cause trouble, blow up tube stations, etc.
If they were treated fairly by the press, giving them an equal chance to defend themselves from the foul slurs and lies of other parties and leftwing groups, they would have even more voters!.
4

Plastic Copper,

Derby 07/10/2009 19:46:15
£5000 wasted in pointless persecution of legal political party more like.

Please stop buying this newspaper, it distorts the truth.
5

Joan Walters,

Exeter 07/10/2009 21:28:20
It was sheer spite by the council, who could - were it any other group apart from the BNP - have used discretion, avoiding this costly litigation by acknowledging that any caravans would have been on site only for that weekend. Many old people attending the festival were put to much inconvenience by Amber Valley Borough Council. They should be ashamed of their partisan, spiteful and vindictive actions. Let us hope more BNP councillors become elected and the offending council officials punished.
6

Green Arrow,

South Wales 08/10/2009 10:30:51
People should be aware that the Labour MP for Amber Valley, Judy Mallaber is a "former" communist and outspoken supporter of the violent and undemocratic UAF. Did she play any part behind the scenes in the persecution of a rival political party?

7

Lewis Allsebrook,

Heanor 08/10/2009 18:09:21
I told the council personally at the very beginning that the RWB festival and the BNP fully intended to comply with the law.

The court injunction was a totally unnecessary, overreaction by the Council directed at a political party (the BNP) that worries them greatly because the pressure we apply makes them start working. No wonder they want to get rid of us so much, they just want to get back to a cushy lifestyle unhindered at the Council.
8

Michael Clarke,

Amber Valley BNP 08/10/2009 21:25:34
Amber Valley Council wasting money? Now theres a novelty!
Analysis of this report on the ambervalleymatters website.
Note the inclusion of the negative last two paragraphs that have no bearing on the content of the report.

Ref: Janis Gregory
I loathe those of the loony left but I am not so intolerant as to wish to deny them a voice. In my experience I usually find that people who make statements such as yours do so out of ignorance (they believe all the rubbish printed about the BNP) or malevolence (they have a political agenda). Which are you?
9

Big.B,

Denby 13/10/2009 08:43:45
Michael Clarke, it appears you are again trading insults on the web, if janis Gregory 'loathes' the BNP surely it is her choice, are we not all allowed opinions without being classed as ignorant or malevolent.
The BNP may have changed, the news printed may be rubbish, but there are still lots of questions unanswered which need to be dealt with if you are to be accepted by the majority. The question of racial discrimination still hasn't been cleared up for me. I asked you a question on this web site some time ago but did not get an answer. Can you tell me if I would be warmly accepted to join the BNP if I am English born, worked all my life in England, paid my taxes, never been unemployed but have Afro carribean parents hence I am black. Proud to be English and proud to be black, tell me, would I be welcome to join??
Prev
1
Next

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.