Category Archives: Sean Fitzsimons

Campaign ‘delight’ as developers’ Glamorgan appeal is refused

Addiscombe residents are celebrating the Planning Inspector’s decision to refuse an appeal brought by developers who want to demolish the Glamorgan pub on Cherry Orchard Road. The appeal was brought by Butlers Walsall Ltd after the council’s planning committee rejected … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Planning, Property, Pubs, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Failures of building firm cost housing association £36m

As recent examples including Homes for Lambeth, Brick by Brick and the calamity at The Fold demonstrate, meeting a 1.5m new homes target in five years is fraught with difficulties. BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, reports on the case of 120 … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, East Croydon, Housing, London-wide issues, Sean Fitzsimons, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Labour councillor Clark is forced to seek re-election in Fairfield

With Tamar Barrett’s deselection in Thornton Heath earlier this week, 13 of Labour’s 34 councillors won’t be up for re-election next May. And one shadow cabinet member fears he will lose his Town Hall seat come polling day. By WALTER … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Addiscombe West, Brigitte Graham, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Nick Beall, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Ainscough, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon, Steve Reed MP, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor), Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Southern axe bike racks over car bomb fears at East Croydon

Rail operators Southern say that they intend to remove bicycle racks from outside East Croydon Station because of security considerations, including the possibility of a car bomb attack on the London to Brighton mainline. Southern posted notices this week notifying … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Commuting, Cycling, East Croydon, Sean Fitzsimons, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Perry’s council endorses scheme for 3,000 flats in town centre

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Getting rid of two-thirds of the retail space in the town centre and replacing it with flats is about all that execs from Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield were prepared to share to a council committee, reports our housing correspondent, BARRATT … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Helen Redfern, Housing, Ian Parker, Mayor Jason Perry, Nicola Townsend, North End Quarter, Planning, Sean Fitzsimons, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

They voted to raise your Council Tax, then to increase their pay

TOWN HALL SKETCH: Things don’t sound too good in the Chamber these days, and it is not just because the council has hired a cheaper contractor for its audio system. As tempers frayed at the most important meeting of the … Continue reading

Posted in 'Future Croydon', Amy Foster, Avril Slipper, Callton Young, Christopher Herman, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Carers, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Kola Agboola, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

MP Reed claims those who left borough broke ‘have now gone’

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, checks the ‘facts’ where other local news outlets dare not look Steve Reed OBE, the MP who was Labour’s front bench spokesperson on local government at the time that the council for the area he is … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon North, David Evans, Environment, Fairfield Halls, Lambeth Council, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Historic Glamorgan pub’s threat of demolition from developers

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Time is running out to try to save a Victorian era pub building for community use continues, as JERRY FITZPATRICK, a former Addiscombe councillor, explains Campaigners determined to save a historic pub in Cherry Orchard Road have come … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Community associations, History, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Planning, Property, Pubs, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Residents’ fury as developers bid to demolish Glamorgan pub

Residents and councillors in Addiscombe and East Croydon are furious that property owners have sneaked in a planning application to demolish a long-disused pub and build an eight-storey block of flats in its place. The Save The Glamorgan Campaign has … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Clive Fraser, Community associations, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Patricia Hay-Justice, Planning, Property, Pubs, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Investigation call over property deals for £220m flats scheme

Residents in Addiscombe are angry that the council has ignored hundreds of objections and granted planning permission for 36- and 33-storey towers – and demand a thorough police investigation into the tax-payers’ millions lost on successive Croydon Park Hotel property … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Botanical House, Brick by Brick, Business, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Housing, Jo Negrini, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Report in the Public Interest, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Westfield boss says Croydon scheme could take 15 more years

‘Sustainable’ plans for redeveloping the town centre could see as many as 30,000 new flats built, according to one council figure, but a scheme that was originally due to be completed in 2017 now might only be finished more than … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Sean Fitzsimons, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Jewitt sacked while Newman Numpties scramble back to power

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Lazy’ Clive Fraser and Sean Fitzsimons, long-time loyal supporters of the Labour leadership which crashed the council’s finances, did not have to wait too long before being handed jobs under new(ish) leader Stuart King. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Brigitte Graham, Christopher Herman, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Karen Jewitt, Leila Ben-Hassel, Louis Carserides, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Bonello, Patsy Cummings, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Steve Reed MP, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Tony Pearson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Perry blasted after trying to take credit for Westfield’s new deal

Political correspondent WALTER CRONXITE on how elected Mayor’s grandstanding over a deal with which he had no involvement has been seen through by ordinary Council Tax-payers Croydon Mayor Jason Perry came under fire last night, as he tried to take … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Mayor Jason Perry, Sean Fitzsimons, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

And here are the Labour councillors who broke their word over the 15% tax hike and abandoned the people of Croydon

STUART KING. Leader of the opposition Councillor King took over as Labour group leader in May 2022. Had spent previous eight years mostly holding senior positions, including cabinet posts, in the Labour council administration of Tony Newman, Alison Butler and … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Brigitte Graham, Callton Young, Catherine Wilson, Chris Clark, Chrishni Reshekaron, Christopher Herman, Clive Fraser, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Enid Mollyneaux, Humayun Kabir, Humayun Kabir, Janet Campbell, Karen Jewitt, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, Louis Carserides, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Bonello, Mohammed Islam, Nina Degrads, Patricia Hay-Justice, Patsy Cummings, Sean Fitzsimons, Sherwan Chowdhury, Stella Nabukeera, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor), Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Oval Road’s three years of misery over a failed bin bag trial

When councillor Stuart Collins and Veolia imposed Binmageddon on Croydon, they did so with little proper consideration for the practicalities of plonking multiple large wheely-bins outside the borough’s often small, terraced housing. Whole streets have been taken over by Veolia’s … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Patricia Hay-Justice, Refuse collection, Sean Fitzsimons, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Time’s running out for Axis as new Mayor comes under scrutiny

The honeymoon period is over for Jason Perry, as the first reports of his administration are due to be published this week, reports KEN LEE, our Town Hall correspondent Jason Perry this week faces his first real tests as Croydon’s … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

£100,000 Mayor Perry unveils his old team as the new team

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the completely predictable make-up of the borough’s executive Mayor’s first cabinet, and the wheeling and dealing over who will chair the Town Hall’s most influential committees Given that it took nearly five days to count … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Scott Roche, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

If councillors ask questions, we deserve to be given answers

CROYDON COMMENTARY: With election day a week away, Conservative councillor and member of the scrutiny committee, ROBERT WARD, offers a few ideas for any incoming Mayor Dear New Mayor, Congratulations on your election victory. You have an opportunity to make … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Selsdon and Addington Village | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mayor candidate Shawcross’s ‘new’ direction not so new at all

Any ‘clean break’ with the incompetence and graft of the past at Croydon Town Hall that is being offered by Labour Mayoral candidate Val Shawcross appears doomed by her own campaign’s deep-rooted connections with discredited Tony Newman and some of … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Business, Callton Young, Children's Services, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Fly tipping, Hamida Ali, Humayun Kabir, Karen Jewitt, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Meals on Wheels, Planning, Refuse collection, Sarah Jones MP, Schools, Sean Fitzsimons, SEND, Sherwan Chowdhury, Steve Reed MP, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Residents in Oval Road put in a spin by latest flats scheme

Long-suffering residents in Addiscombe are trying to fight proposals to build two blocks of flats, of up to four storeys, that profit-hungry developers, aided by the council’s planners, are proposing to squeeze into a narrow space between the back gardens … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Jeet Bains, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Planning, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

£67m fraud at Fairfield: Town Hall row over calling in police

CRISIS SPECIAL: The council’s most senior legal official wants to check the £70m Fairfield fiasco for fraud, but the borough’s Labour councillors don’t want to call in the police, yet their leader says she has already reported it to the … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, College Green, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Felicity Flynn, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, John Jones, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Mott MacDonald, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Croydon 2021: voter apathy, petrol queues and dodgy deals

DID WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU: In our final instalment of our annual review of the stories that attracted the most attention in 2021, we reach the season of missed opportunities and not much fruitfulness, as far as Croydon Labour … Continue reading

Posted in 2021 Mayor Referendum, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Planning, Sean Fitzsimons, Steve Reed MP, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Wendy's | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council to be rocked by second Report In The Public Interest

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The £70m ‘Fairfield fiasco’ has provoked serious concerns with auditors over the potential misuse of public money, with bungling developers Brick by Brick under scrutiny. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES External auditors are to issue a Report In … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paula Murray, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Ennis, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sean Fitzsimons, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Call for objections to scheme that threatens No1 Croydon

Councillors in Addiscombe are asking the public to lodge objections to a planning application for a tall tower block – another one – close to East Croydon Station. Developers Fifth State want to demolish the unprepossessing CityLink House office building … Continue reading

Posted in 101 George Street/Ten Degrees, Addiscombe West, East Croydon, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Menta Tower, No1 Croydon, Patricia Hay-Justice, Property, Ruskin Square, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Cabinet member Lewis is cut adrift by New Addington selection

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A leading Newman Numpty was effectively deselected last night, as he and ceremonial deputy mayor failed even to make it on to his ward’s candidates shortlist; meanwhile, chaos in Norbury Park when Labour organisers book too small … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon North, Fairfield, Felicity Flynn, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Jose Joseph, Kola Agboola, Louisa Woodley, Mary Croos, New Addington North, New Addington South, Norbury Park, Oliver Lewis, Patricia Hay-Justice, Sean Fitzsimons, Steve Reed MP, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment