Category Archives: Sean Fitzsimons

Council applies emergency brake on New Year parking hike

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Transport correspondent JEREMY CLACKSON reports on how Fisher’s Folly officials have been forced into a sudden U-turn over their money-spinning ’emissions-based’ parking charges New car parking charges, due to come into force at council-run car parks and … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Joy Prince, Muhammad Ali, New Addington, Parking, Pubs, Purley, Restaurants, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Selsdon & Ballards, Shifa Mustafa, Shirley North, Thornton Heath, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Row after Labour councillor calls for scrutiny chair to resign

Backbench councillors who have been marginalised for years under Tony Newman and his cronies are beginning to ask some awkward questions. KEN LEE reports Jamie Audsley, a councillor consigned to almost permanent backbench status under the rule of former leader … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jamie Audsley, Report in the Public Interest, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The late, late show: scrutiny sees anger and hears of bullying

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council is ‘on a journey’, according to the interim chief executive, who clung firmly to platitudes and clichés at her first scrutiny committee this week. But will it all be just ‘words, words, words’, as a … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

NHS boss gets covid numbers wrong: ‘a transcription error’

STEVEN DOWNES, Editor, reports on a crass piece of misinformation over coronavirus provided by the most senior NHS executive in Croydon Matthew Kershaw, the chief executive of Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, last week provided the council’s scrutiny committee with … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon CCG, Croydon NHS Trust, Health, Matthew Kershaw, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Binmageddon!: Oval Road residents despair at rubbish service

Demoralised residents in Addiscombe have appealed to the council to sort out the mess that they have created on Oval Road, where rubbish bags are left festering for days, even weeks on end, often with their contents spewing out across … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Refuse collection, Sarah Jones MP, Sean Fitzsimons, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Campaign group prepares to battle for Glamorgan’s future

Pub-lovers in Addiscombe and East Croydon are rolling up their sleeves for another battle over the future of The Glamorgan on Cherry Orchard Road, against developers who have a track record for allowing old pub buildings to fall derelict if … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Community associations, Planning, Property, Pubs, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Audit Report: Council ignored five warnings on reserves

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Complacency and ‘corporate blindness’ to the problems at the council contributed to the collapse of the borough’s finances. But Grant Thornton’s report also managed to have a dig at Jo Negrini. WALTER CRONXITE reports Grant Thornton’s Report … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Selsdon and Addington Village, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

New leader Ali is set to confront ‘shocking’ council finances

CROYDON IN CRISIS: After winning a Labour group selection battle by 22 votes to 19 over Alisa Flemming, Hamida Ali tells her supporters ‘the hardest graft ever is about to start’. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Hamida Ali has no … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Hamida Ali, Ian Parker, Knife crime, Mayor of London, Paul Scott, Sadiq Khan, Sarah Jones MP, Sean Fitzsimons, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon’s planners save historic Addiscombe house – twice

Addiscombe residents are preparing themselves for a renewed battle to save an historic, landmark house in their neighbourhood after the council’s planning department first refused planning permission to the building’s owners to convert the house into flats, and today refused … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe and Shirley Park RA, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Community associations, Croydon Council, Planning, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Newman gives ‘manifesto pledge’ to ignore referendum vote

Just days before he faces a no-confidence motion at the Town Hall, the council leader has committed Labour to ignore the outcome of a democratic borough-wide referendum. WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, reports Tony Newman, the part-time council leader who after … Continue reading

Posted in 2021 London elections, 2021 Mayor Referendum, 2022 council elections, Croydon Council, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon in crisis: Council makes 20% cuts to adult services

KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter, on the latest cuts at the council While Jo Negrini was having her lawyers haggle over the size of her six-figure pay-off for leaving her job as chief executive of the council, the scale … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Jo Negrini, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman’s claims over diversity miss the real ‘need for change’

Black Lives Matter. But in Orwellian Croydon, some matter more than others, as our political editor WALTER CRONXITE reports While many in England will be rushing off to the pub tomorrow, Tony Newman will be using a Croydon Labour councillors’ … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, David Wood, Jane Avis, Janet Campbell, Louisa Woodley, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Labour councillors signal major Town Hall U-turn over Westfield

Croydon Council is preparing to complete a full 180-degree U-turn over their position on Westfield and the long-promised and undelivered £1.4billion temple to consumerism in the town centre. “It makes sense for radical overhaul of the proposals for Croydon,” was … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, CPO, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Newman bans Labour councillors from ‘liking’ Inside Croydon

WALTER CRONXITE reports on the ludicrous lengths that the council leadership is going to in order to avoid scrutiny of their failing administration Tony Newman, the increasingly absurd leader of Croydon Council, has ordered his fellow Labour councillors not to … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Callton Young, Clive Fraser, Inside Croydon, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Sean Fitzsimons, Stuart Collins, Toni Letts, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Covid-19 a ‘ticking time bomb’ in borough’s 140 care homes

Croydon is among the London boroughs worst hit by coronavirus according to the latest government figures this weekend. And yet the pandemic death toll in this part of south London could be far worse once the fatalities are counted up … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Care Homes, Croydon CCG, Croydon Council, Health, Jane Avis, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman’s ‘virtually all there’ for his secret Town Hall meeting

The government finally moved late last week to make it legally possible for local authorities to stage “virtual” council meetings, and to continue with a semblance of Town Hall business during the covid-19 lockdown. Yet less than 48 hours before … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Croydon Council, CVA, Jo Negrini, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Lack of trust’ sees arts venue selling just 26% of tickets

With the Fairfield Halls refurbishment costs now confirmed as £42.6m, and still rising, the venue is struggling to win back its audiences, as KEN LEE reports The costs of refurbishing the Fairfield Halls rose by another £1.6million in just five … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Jo Negrini, Neil Chandler, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Dartnell Road open space public meeting, Addiscombe, Nov 20

Posted in Addiscombe West, Croydon parks, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Micro-flat developers have helped to fund Labour council

Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, on how a pair of developers investigated for making millions from housing benefits, paid as rents on under-sized flats, have also been generous donors or sponsors of council-run events or to Labour councillors, including Paul … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Alison Butler, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Humayun Kabir, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Paul Scott, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Director with Qatari links resigns from Brick by Brick board

BARRATT HOLMES reports on more revelations about council home-builders’ business which failed to get a mention at last week’s Town Hall scrutiny committee One of the company directors of Brick by Brick has resigned from the board of Croydon Council’s … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Jo Negrini, Planning, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Addiscombe West Bypass’ proves to be a car crash of a policy

JEREMY CLACKSON, our transport correspondent, on the continuing angst caused by traffic levels off the Addiscombe Road The wretched legacy of Mark Watson’s time of power and influence within Croydon Council is still being felt by some of the former … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Community associations, Croydon Council, ECCO, HOME, Jeet Bains, Maddie Henson, Mark Watson, Sean Fitzsimons, TACRA | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

BINMAGEDDON!: Council rolls back on costly bins roll-out

WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, on the latest twist in #CroydonBinChaos All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others Just as “Binmageddon” made it into the headlines of BBC London’s radio coverage this morning (including a … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Croydon Council, Environment, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Park Hill and Whitgift, Patricia Hay-Justice, Refuse collection, Sean Fitzsimons, Stuart Collins, Tom Lawrence, Veolia, Vidhi Mohan, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Govia refuse to attend scrutiny meeting to discuss rail chaos

The chair of Croydon Council’s scrutiny committee has expressed his “strong disappointment” to Govia Thameslink Railway at their failure to send anyone to tonight’s Town Hall meeting that is to look at the chaos affecting tens of thousands of Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in Commuting, East Croydon, Sean Fitzsimons, Transport | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council report says roads ‘will not cope’ with Westfield traffic

Transport correspondent JEREMY CLACKSON on how the Town Hall scrutiny committee wants Croydon to ‘champion’ the local tram network to ensure that TfL ‘takes passenger safety seriously’ Croydon Council’s scrutiny committee has warned that the town centre’s “current road network … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Croydon Council, East Croydon, Sandilands derailment, Sean Fitzsimons, Tramlink, Transport, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

TfL withheld key audit report from tram crash investigators

A transport safety campaigner has accused Transport for London of suppressing vital information related to the causes of the Sandilands tram crash by keeping secret an audit report into the events of November 9, 2016, even to the point of … Continue reading

Posted in Sandilands derailment, Sean Fitzsimons, TfL, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments