Giving the Redbridge Cabinet until 18th February to order a Nolan Standards Enquiry into Jas Athwal

 I sent this earlier today

Dear Cabinet Members and Ms Hamilton, 

 

It has recently come to my intention that Ms Sandhu, your monitoring officer, did not carry out a Nolan Standards Investigation into Jas Athwal following the news about his unlicensed slum flats. An investigation is required for a number of reasons, including that there is a reasonable suspicion that Jas Athwal lied when he said he had an agent, when instead he was managing the flats with the assistance of family members. I quote from the BBC article written by Joe Pike on 30th August 2024:

 

“Most of the people I spoke to said Mr Athwal and his property manager were slow to respond to complaints or were completely unresponsive.”

 

This suggests Mr Athwal was involved in the management of the flats with a family member. A search of the Redbridge Landlord Register on 5th September 2025 shows JS & AK Athwal managing a flat in question from 6th September 2024. 
 

The contrast with Rachel Reeves MP is striking: I quote from City AM of 30th October 2025:

“While Southwark’s rules on housing allow tenants to claim up to 12 months of rent if they’re a tenant of an unlicensed property, the spokesperson said that enforcement action was reserved for those who failed to license their property when notified of an error.

“When we become aware of an unlicensed property, we issue a warning letter advising the landlord that they have 21 days to apply for a license – enforcement action such as fines are reserved for those who do not apply within that time or where a property is found to be in an unsafe condition,” the spokesperson said.”

 

The BBC story written by Joe Pike on 30th August 2024 suggests Mr Athwal did not have a licence.

 

“Mr Athwal has now also admitted his flats do not have the correct property licences required under a scheme he introduced as Redbridge Council leader.” 

 

And

 

“On the licences, Mr Athwal said: "It was my understanding all the licences for my properties were up to date, but I have recently seen an email which shared that licences are due to expire. I am in the process of renewing all licences." 

 

I wrote to Ms Sandhu on the 7th February requesting a standards investigation should be carried out. My email is at the Investigate Jas Athwal blog.

Ms Sandhu has not replied to me, and it seems Ms Sandhu will not order an Standards Investigation. This is unacceptable, I request that you:

a) Instruct Ms Sandhu to carry out a Standards Investigation into Mr Athwal

b) Should Ms Sandhu refuse to do so, then you suspend her pending a disciplinary enquiry. 

c) You appoint an interim Monitoring Officer to conduct a Standards Investigation. 

 

I would expect any investigation you order to discover and publish:
 

a) The name/s of the agent who managed the properties in question

b) If a fine of Jas Athwal was required in line with the Council's own guidelines and a court case involving Redbridge Council and Irene Ekweozoh covered in the Redbridge Guardian. I quote from the Judge:

 

““The basic facts of this case are that a landlord with a single property… was unaware of the need for a licence, having been absent from the country for ten years.

“When the officer inspected the flat… they found it to be well maintained and in good condition.  A licence was granted without a requirement for any work to be done.

“The appellant’s non-compliance with the licensing requirement did not, therefore, cause a significant risk (or any risk) to the occupants or to the public as a whole.

“The appellant in this case has no past history with the local authority, which indicates that informal action would not be expected to achieve full compliance. 

“Full compliance had been achieved months before the fine and there is no suggestion that any other problem has since been brought to the respondent’s attention.

“This seems to me to be a case in which the appropriate disposal, in accordance with the respondent’s policy, is to deal with the matter informally.” ENDS QUOTE

Mr Athwal's conduct fell short of the guidelines set out. Should I not hear from you by 6pm on 18th February, I will be minded to report you to the police for misconduct in public office.

 

Regards

 

Andy Walker