Port of London Authority ("PLA") - Public Inquiry (starting 10am on 25 Feb 2025) - what the PLA doesn't want you to see

Location of Inquiry: 46 New Broad Street, London, EC2M IJH

Feb 21, 2025

I am a retired accountant and have been campaigning, on behalf of hundreds of river residents, against the PLA’s balcony charging scam for the last two years. The totally unaccountable PLA (no shareholders, no government control, no regulator and no ombudsman) abuses its powers to bully residents into paying extortionate amounts, often more per sqm that their flats are worth, for a so called balcony “River Works Licence” (“RWL”). A Public Inquiry is being held into the PLA’s attempt to give itself even more powers. This must be stopped!

I was told by the Inquiry’s Chair that, as a member of the general public and an “interested party” (I can’t, apparently, be an official “objector” because I didn’t object during the two “consultation” periods in 2019 and 2021 - but no RWL holders were notified about it either then or subsequently!), I could make a written submission to the Inquiry, which I did on 13 February 2025, and this would be published on the Inquiry’s website (https://www.hwa.uk.com/projects/proposed-port-of-london-authority-harbour-revision-order-inquiry/), which it wasn’t. I can only assume the PLA has been pressurising the Chair to suppress its publication. As result and with only one working day left before the Inquiry starts, I have decided to publish it myself - see below.

I am also speaking at the Inquiry on the first day and have prepared a slide deck, which summarises my written submission, to assist. The Chair also told me that this would be published on the Inquiry’s website - but, so far, it hasn’t been. As result, I have also decided to publish this - see below.

Any members of the press of general public are welcome to attend the Inquiry at any time and the timetable is on its website. A joint press release by most of the objectors is also attached.