Celebrity squares: These are the little box-like hutches that Brick by Brick’s architects wanted to build the College Green site
Among the recommendations contained in the report on the future of Brick by Brick going before next Tuesday’s scrutiny committee is a list of sites which are no longer to be developed by the loss-making council-owned builder.
The biggest site is at College Green, what was called the Fairfield Homes development, which was rushed through the planning process last year in the slim hope that it might rescue the failing company’s finances.
As it is, with a town centre site with planning permission for 421 homes of which only 16 per cent are affordable, it seems likely to be an attractive commercial proposition for better-capable developers to buy from the council, without Croydon having to waste any more money allowing Brick by Brick to play at being a development company.
In Appendix 4 of the report to the committee is an extensive listing of “Sites no longer to be developed out by Brick by Brick”, many of which had been brought forward in 2019 and some even announced last year, in a controversial round of additional proposals which were hugely unpopular with many existing residents.
Labour politicians, including Croydon MP Sarah Jones and John Healy when he was housing shadow, supported BxB
Some sites have already been granted planning permission, by Brick by Brick’s owners, Croydon Council, which makes the property more valuable to potential property developers, though several are on small sites which commercial operators would usually regard as “unviable”.
As a Katharine Street source said today, “The downfall of Brick by Brick stemmed from utter arrogance of the council under Jo Negrini, thinking they could install rookie developers and make money by developing sites which experienced and established builders would reject because they are, by definition, just not viable.”
The report recommending Brick by Brick being wound down is the latest slap in the face for former council leader Tony Newman, his finance chief Simon Hall, and Paul Scott and Alison Butler, the husband and wife act who were cabinet members in charge of planning and housing and who did so much to push through this poorly managed scheme.
Town Hall sources suggest that winding down the company could see the council lose at least £100million in lost revenues, loans and interest payments due from Brick by Brick.
Sites in Waddon, on Bramley Hill and Duppas Hill Terrace, which the Labour ward councillors opposed because of over-development, are among those on a list which will no longer be developed by Brick by Brick, as are several schemes in New Addington and Upper Norwood.
Some sites are already under construction, or subject to contracts with builders, and therefore will be completed in the hope that something might be salvaged from this multi-million-pound clusterfuck.
The full list of sites to be continued are here:
But the sites which are not to be continued with Brick by Brick are:
Read more: Council set to take £100m hit as it winds down Brick by Brick
Read more: Brick by Brick has paid nothing to council
Read more: ‘An accountant could have foreseen this more than a year ago’
Read more: Officials to investigate possible wrong-doing at council
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC London News
- ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: Croydon was named the country’s rottenest borough in 2020 in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine – the fourth successive year that Inside Croydon has been the source for such award-winning nominations
- Inside Croydon: 3million page views in 2020. Seen by 1.4million unique visitors
If nothinng else, dozens of small develeopments has been a wonderful job creation scheme for architects.
“If nothing else”? It’s the only thing they have been “good” for.
Remember how Negrini was made an “Hon FRIBA”? For services about to be rendered…