THE CHAIRMAN OF AN PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE COMPULS

THE CHAIRMAN OF AN PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE COMPULSORY

PURCHASE OF FIVE PROPERTIES BELONGING TO A MILLIONAIRE LANDLORD

WAS TODAY (TUE) TOLD HE WAS ‘LIVING IN A WORLD OF MAKE BELIEVE’.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT INSPECTOR MR RICHARD BARRY,

CHAIRMAN OF THE INQUIRY, TOLD COUNSEL FOR THE LONDON BOROUGH OF

KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA THAT HE WOULD NOT HEAR EVIDENCE ON CLAIMS OF

INTIMIDATION AND HARRASSMENT BY LANDLORD NICHOLAS VAN HOOGSTRATEN.

HE SAID: ‘I CONSIDER EVIDENCE ON THESE MATTERS TO BE

IRRELEVANT TO THIS INQUIRY.

THE ROYAL BOROUGH SHOULD STICK TO THE

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BUILDINGS AND NOT THE TENANTS CASE’.

BUT MR DAVID ALTERAS, REPRESENTING THE COUNCIL, TOLD MR

BARRY: ‘IF YOU SHUT YOUR EYES TO THIS EVIDENCE YOU AND THE SECRETARY

OF STATE WILL BE LIVING IN THE SORT OF MAKE BELIEVE WORLD THAT

HOOGSTRATEN WANTS YOU TO LIVE IN’.

THE HEARING WAS ADJOURNED UNTIL TOMORROW (WED) AFTER MR

GRAHAM EYRE, QC, ALSO FOR THE BOROUGH, SAID HE WAS CONSIDERING TAKING

THE MATTER TO THE HIGH COURT IN A BID TO WIDEN THE TERMS OF

REFERENCE.

EARLIER THE INQUIRY HEARD THAT THE COUNCIL IS ATTEMPTING TO

COMPULSORILY PURCHASE FIVE PROPERTIES BELONGING TO VAN HOOGSTRATEN IN

KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA.

THE COUNCIL CLAIM THAT HOOGSTRATEN, WHO IS SAID TO OWN

NEARLY 200 PROPERTIES IN LONDON, WAGED AN ‘EVIL CONSPIRACY’ AGAINST

TENANTS.

PROPERTY WAS REMOVED FROM COMMUNAL AREAS OF BUILDINGS,

LOCKS WERE CHANGED AND TENANTS WERE SUBJECTED TO THREATS.

MR DAVID BRAND, ASSISTANT BOROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER,

TOLD THE INQUIRY AT KENSINGTON TOWN HALL: ‘IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION

THE CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY WAS SO BAD AS TO CONSTITUTE A RISK TO

THE WELFARE, SAFETY AND HEALTH OF THE OCCUPANTS’.

HOOGSTRATEN, 41, OF HIGH CROSS ESTATE, FRAMFIELD, EAST

SUSSEX, IS APPEALING TO ENVIRONMENT MINISTER NICHOLAS RIDLEY AGAINST

THE COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDERS.

ENDS