CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall bosses have been forced to accept 23 recommendations from external accountants after IT problems saw them lose track of thousands of payments, in the latest council cock-up that was described by a veteran Tory councillor as ‘quite frightening’.
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES
Croydon’s failed Mayor suppressed discussion of a £12million “IT error” ahead of last month’s budget-setting council meeting.
A veteran Conservative councillor this week described the multi-million-pound “mis-statement” in the council’s draft accounts as “quite frightening”.
Having a ‘mare: failed property deals, High Court rulings and £12m ‘lost’ from the SEND budget have piled up problems for failed Mayor Jason Perry
This latest financial omnishambles comes soon after Tory Mayor Jason Perry needed a £119million government bail-out to balance his council budget while claiming he has Croydon’s finances “back on track”.
It is more like Ground Hog Day at Croydon Town Hall, with outside experts called in to try to unravel the latest mess of the council’s own making, much like the dark days of 2020 after Croydon issued its first Section 114 notice of effective bankruptcy.
Prior to Perry’s budget meeting in the Town Hall Chamber at the end of February, opposition councillors were blocked from asking about the massive overspend on SEND children – those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Belatedly, senior staff have admitted that the cash-strapped council bust its SEND budget in 2024-2025 by at least £12million. But it wasn’t until this Thursday – three weeks after the Tory Mayor’s budget was voted through – that a specialist report into the multi-million-pound disparity finally got to be discussed publicly at the Town Hall. Continue reading
There were no other casualties reported from the fire, which seems to have been caused by bedding being too close to a heater. “The fire is believed to have been caused by combustible material placed too close to a heat source,” the London Fire Brigade said.
Replacing a home heating system is a significant investment that requires careful thought.
EXCLUSIVE: In our latest Andrew Fisher Interview with candidates to become Croydon Mayor in the local elections on May 7, Richard Howard says that he would work on a cross-party basis at the Town Hall, would look at ways of ending the borough’s contract with the toxic polluters at the Beddington incinerator and he would get rid of tiers of expensive bureaucracy at the cash-strapped council
Property searches are one of the most important steps in buying a home, yet many buyers underestimate their significance. These searches uncover hidden issues that could affect your property’s value, your safety, or your legal rights. Without a thorough examination, you could inherit serious problems that’ll cost thousands to fix.
The country’s largest women’s organisation, famous for its jam-making and cake bakes, the singing of “Jerusalem”, but above all its general good deeds and fellowship, is coming to central Croydon.
