Red coats march on Delta Point to protest against evictions

Posted on March 18, 2026 by insidecroydon

On a visit to Croydon, the former housing secretary describes companies run by a billionaire Labour Party donor as ‘disgusting and disgraceful’, as hundreds of their tenants are served Section 21 eviction orders

The red coats are coming: MP Angela Rayne and Labour mayoral candidate Rowenna Davis (right) at Delta Point yesterday.

Angela Rayner, tipped as the next leader of the Labour Party, was in Croydon yesterday to raise further complaints against multi-billionaire landlord Asif Aziz and his various Criterion companies over mass evictions of tenants across his south London property portfolio – including massive blocks of flats in former office buildings, such as Delta Point.

Aziz has been described by The Times as “Britain’s meanest landlord”. Yesterday Rayner, the former housing secretary, described his landlord companies as “disgusting and disgraceful”.

Located near West Croydon Station, Delta Point is a 14-storey former BT office building which was used as a location for Gotham City Hospital in the 2012 Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises. Aziz’s companies acquired the block for conversion into more than 350 flats, the properties marketed for rent under Criterion Hospitality’s “Dstrkt” brand. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Business, Criterion Capital, Croydon West, Housing, London-wide issues, Property, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

BRIT School dance star ready to face his Hollywood challenge

Posted on March 18, 2026 by insidecroydon

Next big step: Brett Sewell was always convinced he would be a star. Pic: Gabriel MacArthur

With half-a-million followers on TikTok, a former pupil at Selhurst’s world-famous performing arts school is preparing for a career-defining move. And Brett Sewell tells GABRIEL MacARTHUR there’s no ‘Plan B’

BRIT product: winning a place at the BRIT School changed Brett Sewell’s life

There is something cinematic about the image Brett Sewell paints of the morning that changed his life. A 14-year-old, shivering, giraffe-print onesie-wearing Brett Sewell. perched on his patio wall in the half-dark, waiting for the arrival of the postman. He had been up since before 5am. He had given the postman one instruction: a light envelope meant bad news, a heavy one meant everything.

The envelope was heavy.

That fateful envelope contained the news that Brett Sewell had been accepted to the BRIT School in Croydon.

His life would never be the same. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BRIT School, Dance, Gabriel MacArthur, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Diz and the Doormen, free entry, The Oval Tavern this Sunday

Posted on March 18, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
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Posted in Addiscombe West, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Business, Music, The Oval Tavern | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Roll-up! Roll-up! Get your council cock-up pay-outs here!

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

Psst! Pass it on! Jason Perry’s council is hoping people don’t bother claiming any refunds for the fines they paid for driving in the Croydon Mayor’s ‘unlawful’ Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. By STEVEN DOWNES

Red faced: the Tory Mayor has used his own social media accounts to publicise his LTN fine refund scheme

Finally, nearly two weeks after a High Court judge ruled that six Croydon Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have been raking in millions of pounds in road fines while being “unlawful”, Mayor Jason Perry has at last announced a system to pay compensation to those who were caught in the camera traps that he ordered to be set up.

The announcement comes from Perry, Croydon’s nightmare mayor, just as householders are receiving annual Council Tax notices.

These council letters show that almost every property in Croydon will have to pay more than £2,000 in the year from April, after Tory Perry managed to hike their local taxation by 33% since 2023.

It’s these same, long-suffering Council Tax-payers who will be paying for the latest costly mistake by piss-poor Perry and his incompetent council – to the tune of at least £5million. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Voting opens in RSPCA’s young photographer competition

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

You have just a week to vote in the 2026 RSPCA Young Photographer People’s Choice Award.

Making a splash: this spaniel was captured in full flow by Zoe Beales from West Sussex

Voting has opened today, with 15 funny and fascinating images vying for the top prize.

Voting opens from 12.30pm – and the winning photo, from a selection from young photographers all under-18, will be decided by the public.

The People’s Choice Award is part of the prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards.

In December last year, the winners of the Young Photographer Awards were announced at the Tower of London after being judged by a panel of photographic experts – with 17-year-old Thomas Durrant taking the top spot thanks to his ethereal image of a stag lit up in the darkness in Richmond Park.

The People’s Choice entries come from the judges’ picks of a selection of images entered in the Mobile Phone and Devices, Pet Personalities and Pet Portraits categories – and some of the entrants were also winners in last year’s awards, too. Continue reading →

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In off the post! Make sure you have registered for postal voting

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

The system for voting by post has changed, and anyone who wants to use a postal vote for the local elections and mayoral elections on May 7 needs to ensure that they are registered to do so.

The deadline to register for a postal vote ahead of the local elections on May 7 is Tuesday April 21.

Recent changes in the law now require anyone using a postal vote to apply every three years for renewal.

Late delivery: given Royal Mail’s lack of reliability of late, voting by post might not be such an attractive option

Postal votes became very popular with electors in 2020 and 2021, when the idea of strolling down to the polling station and casually picking up a potentially life-changing, or life-threatening, virus became anathema.

Following the Elections Act 2022, everyone is required to apply every three years for renewal. Electors who applied for a postal vote before October 31, 2023, will only be able hold their postal vote until January 2026. They needed to re-apply by January 31 for a postal vote that would then last for another three-year period.

Everyone in Croydon who had a postal vote should have received a reminder to re-register from the council’s Electoral Services at the start of this year. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Election debate: Davis v Underwood, Ruskin House, Mar 19

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Community associations, Croydon TUC, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Labour’s Town Hall leader files complaint over Perry’s spending

Posted on March 16, 2026 by insidecroydon

Council’s top lawyer questioned over the public funds used to distribute a propaganda freesheet worthy of something from the regime of dictator Kim Jong-un. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports

Enough to make Korean dictator blush: Jason Perry has been misusing the council’s public funds to produce his propaganda freesheets

Jason Perry has been accused of abusing his position as Croydon Mayor and spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money on his own political propaganda, just weeks ahead of the local elections.

Perry, the £86,000 per year Mayor who has hiked Council Tax by 33% since 2023, has shamelessly included a two-page A4 letter with the annual Council Tax mail-outs sent to all property owners in the borough to try to suggest he’s been doing a bang-up job.

And on top of that, a fifth edition of Our Croydon, the council-funded freesheet, is also being thrust through residents’ letter boxes, whether they want it or not.

Whether they want it or not, residents are also paying for this barely disguised piece of Tory Party propaganda. Perry has authorised the cash-strapped council to spend more than £150,000 in the past year having this propaganda rag printed and distributed around the borough. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Tribunal rules Perry’s yellow box at East Croydon is ‘wrong’

Posted on March 16, 2026 by insidecroydon

‘Disproportionately large’: the hatched yellow box outside the access road for No1 Croydon has been imposed by Croydon Council but does not meet legal requirements

Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor who is already having to find up to £10million in refunds for fines levied on motorists driving in his unlawful LTNs, could now have to repay another £2million for drivers caught in a yellow box trap outside East Croydon Station.

“Yellow Box Guru” Sam Wright has helped motorists successfully appeal against £160 traffic fines imposed by Croydon Council after they have driven into a yellow box exiting Billinton Hill to turn into Addiscombe Road by the landmark No1 Croydon building. Continue reading →

Posted in East Croydon, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Households facing £1,500 in extra bills thanks to Trump’s war

Posted on March 16, 2026 by insidecroydon

Bomb alley: Iran is blockading the Starit of Hormuz, bombing any ships which try to pass through the bottleneck for world trade

Donald Trump’s war on Iran could cost British households £1,500 each this year if it is allowed to continue, according to reports today.

Fuel gouging: petrol has risen by at least 8p a litre, despite warnings against price gouging

With petrol prices at the pumps rising by at least 8p per litre by the weekend, despite government warnings against price gouging by energy firms, there are well-founded fears that as energy prices feed into the economy generally, prices of all products will increase, and there’s a real risk of Britain slipping into recession.

This morning, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced £53million in support for heating oil customers, while warning that energy suppliers engaged in price gouging will face legal action. Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Music Hall performer whose potato song helped the war effort

Posted on March 15, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON CHRONICLES: Musical director of the Croydon Empire theatre enjoyed a colourful career and played a part in the community, writes DAVID MORGAN

A century ago, long before we had mass media in our living rooms and at our finger tips, Croydon locals would seek their entertainment at the cinema or the theatre, where variety and music hall were hugely popular, with a constantly changing cast of musicians, singers and comics.

And among the several theatres operating in Croydon town centre in the mid-20th Century was the Croydon Empire, at 94 North End, roughly where the entrance to the Whitgift Centre stands today.

In 1941, during the darkest days of the Second World War, the Croydon Empire appointed a new musical director who was to become a popular figure both in the orchestra pit and in the wider community.

Music man: Jack Morgan had a long career managing musicians across the country

Jack Morgan (no relation) arrived in Croydon after a career touring the country’s music halls.

Born in Swansea, Morgan was a talented musician and conductor with 20 years’ experience – when just 21, he had been leader of the orchestra at The Hippodrome, Manchester.

Morgan could play most musical instruments, specialising in the violin and trumpet. Despite being in constant demand as he toured the country, he struggled to make ends meet.

He put this down to his name being just too mundane. “I just had to change my name to get a decent living,” he told a reporter. “There was fierce competition from foreign artistes and a fellow with an everyday name like Morgan didn’t stand a chance.”

The change worked and by the mid-1930s, El Romano and his Accordion Band was topping the bill wherever they went. Marvellous reviews exist of their appearances in Mexborough and Swindon. They even appeared on stage in Croydon at the Empire. Continue reading →

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Festival of Choral Classics, St John’s, Old Coulsdon, Mar 28

Posted on March 15, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Church and religions, Coulsdon, Music, Old Coulsdon | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Historic Commercial Vehicle Brighton run, A23, May 3

Posted on March 15, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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No cover-up over £12m SEND overspend, claims council chief

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

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 →

Posted in Amy Foster, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, Education, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Ian Parker, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, SEND | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Man treated after fire in derelict office closes Barclay Road

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

A homeless man needed treatment for smoke inhalation at the scene of a fire on Barclay Road, near the Law Courts in central Croydon on Thursday morning.

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.

Five fire engines and around 35 firefighters were called to the fire, which was on the ground floor of the six-storey, long-derelict office building. Continue reading →

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Spruce Up Sunday at Trumble Gardens, Thornton Heath, Mar 22

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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The 7 questions to ask before booking a boiler installation

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

SPONSORED CONTENT

Replacing a home heating system is a significant investment that requires careful thought.

Many homeowners feel overwhelmed by the technical jargon and the sheer variety of options available on the market. Selecting the right professional ensures the job is done safely and efficiently, providing peace of mind for years to come.

Taking the time to vet a provider helps you avoid unexpected costs or poor workmanship. It’s about finding a balance between a fair price and high-quality service. By asking specific questions, you can identify which companies prioritise your comfort and safety. Here are the most important things to consider before you make a final decision. Continue reading →

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‘Modern-Day Art’ Exhibition at Croydon Art Space, to Apr 30

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

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LTN fine refunds on the way – but Perry doesn’t yet know how

Posted on March 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: It has taken the borough’s £86,000 per year Mayor more than a week to make an official statement on his unlawful LTN moneyspinners. But he still doesn’t know how the cash-strapped council will refund the PCN fines. By STEVEN DOWNES

Ten days after he was ridiculed in a High Court judgement for his hypocrisy and shifting position over Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, Croydon’s failed Mayor Jason Perry has finally made a formal statement through the council press office to confirm that the Town Hall will be refunding motorists who were issued with Penalty Charge Notices for driving in the six traffic zones now ruled to be unlawful.

The refunds could amount to at least £5million, while Croydon’s cash-strapped council will incur untold costs in administering and verifying the refund payments.

No-go zones: Tory Mayor has been ordered to remove the unlawful LTNs

And Transport for London has today confirmed that it is in talks with the council over the status of grants handed to Croydon for implementing “safer neighbourhoods”, with millions of pounds more now at risk.

Some Katharine Street sources fear that the overall cost of scrapping the six LTNs and paying refunds to drivers could reach at least £10million – money that the council does not have, while it has expected income from the road fines budgeted at £2.5million for each of the next two financial years.

Croydon is having to pay the costs of Tory Mayor Perry’s big mouth, after he said publicly that he needed to keep the LTNs to generate revenue for his budgets. Continue reading →

Posted in Broad Green, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fault with overhead cable halts New Addington tram service

Posted on March 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

By GIANELLA A BASILE

Tram replacement: there was little information available, nor any timetable for the buses at New Addington today

There’s been yet more disruption for tram passengers trying to get to or from New Addington, though today’s lack of service was unscheduled, following what Transport for London described as “an overhead line fault”.

Inside Croydon has reported recently on the withdrawal of services due to planned engineering works, and the disconnect suffered by New Addington residents when the tram service is not operating.

Today, transport officials posted a sign at the New Addington tram stop: “Due to an overhead line fault, there is no service between Sandilands and New Addington.

“Please use local buses to continue your journey.” Continue reading →

Posted in Commuting, East Croydon, Gianella A Basile, New Addington, TfL, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brakspear seeks tenant for Greenwich Village bar in The Cronx

Posted on March 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

Sales pitch: figures provided by the freeholders showing The Store’s trade since 2019 are not encouraging

Brakspear, the pubco based in Henley, say that they want to bring a touch of New York’s trendy Greenwich Village to a busy road in The Cronx.

Brakspear has started its recruitment process for tenants or leasees to run The Store, the pub-restaurant in South Croydon. They describe the pub, which has been closed since last August, as “a stylish space”. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Property, Pubs, Restaurants, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trinity pupil wins best child actor in WhatsOnStage awards

Posted on March 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

A first-year pupil at Trinity School in Shirley has been named best child actor of the year in the WhatsOnStage Awards for his performances at the National Theatre’s Land of the Living.

Prize guy: Anton Vehring with his trophy at the Palladium on Sunday night

Anton Vehring is 11 years old. He made his West End stage debut as “Young Thomas”, sharing the role with three young actors.

The play starred Juliet Stevenson and was directed by Stephen Daldry, who famously brought outstanding performances from Jamie Bell when a child actor in Billy Elliott.

The boys’ role required the young actors to speak in Polish and sing in German.

The four boys – Vehring with Platon Filatov, Darcy Tosun and Artie Wilkinson-Hunt – were called up to the stage at the glitzy ceremony at the London Palladium, where Paddington the Musical was the night’s big winners. Continue reading →

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It’s ‘Car Wars’ as Mayor Khan looks to reduce impact of SUVs

Posted on March 13, 2026 by insidecroydon

London’s road hogs could soon face having to pay extra charges for driving in the capital and taking up extra space on our roads and in residential parking bays.

Road hog: having 4×4 capability is essential for driving in the suburbs

Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has today re-launched his Vision Zero policy, which aims to reduce serious and fatal injuries on the city’s streets to zero by 2041.

And as part of the exercise, he has asked Transport for London to investigate the risk posed to pedestrians and cyclists by larger cars and SUVs – “sports utility vehicles”.

“Chelsea Tractors” are especially popular in London, where having 4×4 capability is essential for a drive to Waitrose… SUVs account for about 60% of new car sales in Britain. Continue reading →

Posted in London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Parking, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

LibDem candidate Howard would axe chief exec role at council

Posted on March 12, 2026 by insidecroydon

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

Richard Howard, the former British Army bomb disposal expert, has pulled the pin out on the 2026 Croydon mayoral election campaign by confirming that one of the first things he would do if elected as the borough’s executive Mayor is look to restructure radically the upper tiers of the cash-strapped council’s management – starting by abolishing the role of council chief executive.

Howard reveals his explosive idea in the latest Andrew Fisher Interview, as the Inside Croydon columnist delves into the policies and personalities of the leading candidates for Croydon Mayor.

Cash-strapped Croydon, which has debts of £1.4billion, currently pays its (interim) chief executive £210,000 per year, plus another 20% on top of that in pension contributions. Croydon also has an assistant chief executive, on £166,000 lus similar add-ons.

Both roles had generous salary increases voted through last month by Tory Mayor Jason Perry, who also gave himself a pay rise, to £86,000, not long after hiking Council Tax bills to more than £2,000 per year for most properties across the borough, and after having needed another £119million bail-out from government just to balance his budget.

Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Croydon Council, Richard Howard, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Westfield consult public for 6th time and deliver more delays

Posted on March 12, 2026 by insidecroydon

Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning: one of the latest batch of CGIs distributed to promote a ‘weather-dependent’ Westfield consultation today, for a redevelopment scheme where since 2012 only six ‘kiosks’ have been opened. Not the scale of the tower block to the left, dwarfing the ‘iconic’ Allders building

Paris-based multi-bilion developers URW today begin another public consultation over the future of the town centre – Consultation No6 – which means that their latest planning application, already two years late, won’t see the light of day until long after May’s local elections. By STEVEN DOWNES

And here we go again, with another “public consultation” (meaning lip-service exercise) over the future of Croydon town centre.

This latest (“weather dependent”) consultation begins this afternoon on North End, as Westfield once again goes through the motions of pretending that the views of Croydon residents count for anything to them, after 14 years of multi-million-pound broken promises and the now constant development blight where there was once a thriving town centre.

By Inside Croydon’s rough reckonings, this March 2026 consultation will be the sixth public exercise staged over the future of the town centre in 14 years, after Aussie developers Westfield hijacked Hammerson’s original scheme and with landowners the Whitgift Foundation cobbled together what was initially a £1billion proposal for a shopping mall and around 600 flats. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, North End Quarter, Planning, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments