Croydon Council’s propaganda department was busy this week.
On Monday, they pumped out this cheery piece of social media, to big-up the great work they claim is being done on Croydon High Street and North End.
According to Croydon Council, something called the “Town Centre Taskforce” is “making our borough cleaner, safer and healthier”, something which they say is an “Executive Mayor priority”. That’s referring to Jason Perry, the Mayor who hiked Council Tax by 27% but failed to fix the finances (which was another of his “priorities”).
Apparently, according to the council’s PR department, if you witness a crime, you should report it to the police… Who knew?
North End appears to be getting some special TLC from our rubbish council, probably because Westfield, the property speculators who have inflicted 15 years of development blight on the area, think it needs a bit of a spruce up.
As part of this campaign for a “cleaner, safer and healthier” borough, the cash-strapped council has spent some money on plastic signs, which have duly been tied to trees and lampposts to get the message over about “cleaner, safer and healthier” streets.
Only it doesn’t appear to be working very well.
‘Cleaner, safer and healthier’: so much for the council’s PR campaign
Within minutes of the council’s tweet, one of Inside Croydon’s dedicated band of citizen journalists was in touch by email, with a couple of photos attached.
“Have you seen Croydon’s latest marketing campaign?” they asked, referring to the message boards and the council’s recent social media messaging.
“Looks like it’s not too successful so far,” our reader said, and suggested: “Maybe the marketing budget would be better spent on physical rubbish collection!”
But that would be the job of Veolia, the rubbish contractors who were sacked in 2023 for failing to do their job, and then re-hired by Mayor Perry in 2025 on increased payment terms.
Other concerned readers have also been in touch, with very worrying reports of seeing town centre traders coming out of their premises to fly-tips black bin bags on the street – the very antithesis of the council’s “cleaner, safer and healthier” messaging.
Perhaps most shocking was that this alleged fly-tipper was recognised as being the owner of a town centre business and a leading member of a business organisation which has “friends in high places”, or at least at Croydon Town Hall. Maybe the fly-tipper has some kind of inside info about there being insufficient enforcement officials on patrol in the town centre?
Read more: ‘London’s filthiest borough’ hands £40m rubbish deal to Veolia
Read more: Westfield looking for ‘bargain basement’ sale of Croydon site
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Did anyone notice the walkway by the old Alders entrance to the side of George Street Tram Stop was blocked up for a week or so creating a lot of inconvenience. It has now been removed and some badly fitted artwork appears in the former frontage.
It is the usual inane fifth rate pop art which takes a big effort to notice, but if you look closely it has been bodged into the space to make it fit or damaged before. Really badly done.
For a moment I thought it was going to be some grand entrance to Perry’s imaginary pods, but even that fantasy was dispelled by what appeared after the boarding was removed.
In London Road, people routinely dump their domestic rubbish on the street (usually next to a tree or lamppost – I guess they think it looks tidier that way). Consequently, there is almost never a time when the street looks clean or tidy.
That’s a direct result of a change of policy under this idiot Mayor, who decided to allow those living in flats above shops to put their black bin bags out every night for what Veolia call “banded” collections.
Who could have predicted it would lead to messier streets, strewn with rubbish and sticky with bin juice.
The pace is filthy all the time with dirty overflowing bins that are not emptied frequently, litter all over the place dangerous as butters in electrician bikes and scooters go in and out of pedestrians at speed then throw in the anti social behaviour and the list goes on. What planet are tge politicians, council managers and contractors on? Not the peoples.
London Rd, North End and Church Street are filthy dumps. The quality of shops in Croydon are no different to any of the regular high streets in the UK so I am puzzled why Croydon Council keep ranting on about their achievements. They could take a leaf out of City Hall on Oxford Street and start shutting down vape shops and chicken shops but CC can’t because they are so broke and desperate for money they will let any bucket shop setup anywhere if the price is right.
too many mini markets and tatty homeware shops .
It’s not only Croydon town centre. It’s all over
Croydon. It’s absolutely ridiculous dirty unhygienic
Unhealthy place to live. BROADGREEN Is night
Mares Dumped vehicles all over STONECROFT WAY
AURIA ROAD ROCHFORD WAY MITCHAM ROAD
it’s seems like no matter how many times you raise
Issues they don’t cared at all.
Easy on the caps lock, please, Prakash
those places you mention are only a tiny proportion of Croydon. Dont label the WHOLE of Croydon with their tag !!!!!
No, Hazel, because that’s your job, isn’t it?
Have you tried raising these complaints with your Broad Green councillors Prakash? Sherwan Chowdhury, Stuart Collins and Dr Manju Shahul-Hameed should be able to help you