Category Archives: Simon Hoar

Countdown to council elections begins in Toy Town gowns

CROYDON COMMENTARY: It is one year until the council elections, and for some, they have everything to lose, writes STEVEN DOWNES Last night’s instalment of a new Mayor of Croydon, Sanderstead councillor Yvette Hopley, marked the firing of the starter’s … Continue reading

Posted in Gavin Barwell MP, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Richard Ottaway MP, Boris Johnson, Crime, New Addington, Croydon Council, Whitgift Centre, Mike Fisher, Environment, Tony Newman, Purley, Margaret Mead, Simon Hoar, Waddon, Centrale, Clare Hilley, Badsha Quadir, Health, Sanderstead, Dudley Mead, Addiscombe, Alison Butler, Waste incinerator, Croydon 8/8, Louisa Woodley, Coulsdon East, Eddy Arram, Selsdon & Ballards, Policing, Tony Harris, Whitgift Foundation, Yvette Hopley, 2012 by-election, "Hammersfield", 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ashes to ashes: Only Boris can stop Viridor incinerator now

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Did Sutton’s LibDems last night grant planning permission to Viridor for its £1bn incinerator project at Beddington Lane just so that someone else could make the tough decision to block it? Contributing editor ANDREW PELLING says that nothing … Continue reading

Posted in Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, London-wide issues, Business, Environment, Outside Croydon, Simon Hoar, Andrew Pelling, Health, Planning, Waste incinerator, Tom Brake MP, Croydon Greens, Sutton Council, St Helier Hospital, Paul Burstow MP | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sutton Council looking to run energy company with Viridor

Sutton Council has been trying to register a commercial company that would manage the energy produced by the Beddington Lane incinerator – even before the proposals from Viridor have received planning permission from … Sutton Council. The decision on the … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Greens, Environment, Planning, Simon Hoar, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Councillor acts as delivery boy for £1bn incinerator company

A senior Conservative councillor in Croydon has refused to answer questions about why he spent much of Saturday distributing leaflets in his ward, apparently as an overpaid delivery boy on behalf of multi-billion rubbish burners Viridor. Simon Hoar, councillor in … Continue reading

Posted in Clare Hilley, Environment, Mike Fisher, Simon Hoar, Sutton Council, Tony Harris, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Sutton official tried to influence vote at incinerator meeting

An audio clip, obtained from the official Sutton Council recording of last week’s controversial planning meeting for the £1 billion incinerator scheme at Beddington Lane, shows that a council official intervened with the meeting chairman to try to force a … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Clare Hilley, Croydon Greens, Environment, Simon Hoar, Stuart Collins, Sutton Council, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Investigation called for over councillor’s planning interests

Julie Belvir, the Borough Solicitor, Croydon Council‘s senior legal officer, is expected to investigate the conduct of Waddon councillor Clare Hilley. Last month, Inside Croydon published an email from Hilley in which she offered her “planning expertise” to a leading … Continue reading

Posted in Clare Hilley, Environment, Housing, Julie Belvir, Planning, Property, Simon Hoar, Tony Harris, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Boris’s latest lies on police and crime figures laid bare

It is a week now since London Mayor Boris Johnson published his police review which confirmed that Croydon, the capital’s most populated borough, is to have all but one of its police stations closed, and this barely 18 months since … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Crime, Croydon 8/8, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Riots Review Panel, Simon Hoar | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dr Toxic’s latest hit is a real Song for Europe (and Waddon)

It’s unlikely to be at No1 when the next charts are announced, and Justin Beiber has little to fear. But Dr Toxic’s little ditty might just end up becoming an ear-worm for the Waddon councillors who sought election on a … Continue reading

Posted in Clare Hilley, Croydon Greens, Croydon North, Environment, Health, London-wide issues, Music, Simon Hoar, Tony Harris, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

X marks the spot: Croydon appoints firm in administration

News reaches Inside Croydon of what appears to be yet another epic fail by the leadership at Croydon Council. On February 11, at the Town Hall cabinet meeting, Mike Fisher, the council leader, and his “top team” decided to appoint … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Environment, Jason Perry, Margaret Mead, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, Phil Thomas, Sara Bashford, Simon Hoar, Steve O'Connell, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Football event gives a kick to community spirit

Community spirit was alive and kicking last Friday as young people and adults took part in a Community Games football tournament staged at the BRIT School. One wag asked, with the event entitled “Leaders of Tomorrow”, what a Conservative MP, … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, BRIT School, Charity, Crystal Palace FC, Education, Football, Gavin Barwell MP, Lives Not Knives, Simon Hoar | Tagged , , , , , , ,

“Corruption of punishment” coming to Croydon high streets

As our council redoubles its efforts to make shopping in central Croydon an increasingly unattractive experience, the Town Hall is poised to hire a private police force that will, if experience elsewhere is a guide, go to great money-grubbing lengths … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Centrale, Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Environment, Simon Hoar, Surrey Street, Waddon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Signs of the Times II: Hoar’s £300 “health and safety” tax

#thatissocroydon BBC London reporter Angela Walker yesterday nailed Croydon Councillor Simon Hoar over proposals to charge shop-owners and other small businesses a £300 stealth tax over five years for placing boards and banners on the pavement. According to Hoar, looking … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Simon Hoar | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Leisure centre opens – and charges locals £44 per month

Olympic legacy? Not at the Waddon Leisure Centre, opened yesterday by Croydon Council inviting a Paralympic champion from… Sutton. The public facility – built at a cost of £15million, or one-tenth of the price we are paying for the Council … Continue reading

Posted in Clare Hilley, Fusion, Leisure services, Simon Hoar, Tony Harris, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Would you risk your life reporting serious crime in a Tesco?

Crime figures are certain to fall in the next few years, according to a serving policeman. Why? Because the cross-London cuts proposed by Boris Johnson will make it more difficult than at any time in recent history for the public … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Crime, Gavin Barwell MP, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Simon Hoar | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Boris to close all but one police station in Croydon

If you still had any lingering doubt that our elected representatives are too often taking the public for a (very expensive) ride, then a brief exchange today between Steve “Three Jobs” O’Connell and a reporter from the Croydon Sadvertiser should … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Kenley, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, New Addington, Norbury, Policing, Purley, Simon Hoar, South Norwood, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , ,