Bob Smytherman, a director of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership and chairman of the Federation of Private Residents’ Associations, takes over as mayor of Worthing today.
The elevation comes 13 years after he was first elected a councillor. A LibDem and leasehold activist, Bob has assured LKP that he has no ambitions to unseat Sir Peter Bottomley, Tory MP for Worthing West. This will come as a great relief to leaseholders, who have much cause to be very grateful to Sir Peter, who has intervened in numerous cases of leasehold injustice even though they are not in his constituency.
Last year, Bob chaired a meeting of leaseholders addressed by LKP and John Fenwick, 65, the leaseholder who won the “legal torture” case at Oakland Court: gaining £65,500 over wrongly paid charges for the notional rent of the house manager’s flat.
Bob continues as chairman of FoPRA, although will be taking a back seat.
We wish the mayor well, and here are the charities he is campaigning for:
http://www.worthingmayorscharities.co.uk/