Category Archives: Bensham Manor

Little Progress in Croydon, as Newman backs another loser

WALTER CRONXITE says there were plenty of Croydon mentions at the Labour conference, but few signs that those in charge of the local party are about the embrace enthusiasm for the leadership any time soon As Croydon’s Labour politicians and … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, David White, Housing, Jane Avis, Jo Negrini, John Wentworth, Karen Jewitt, Sadiq Khan, Sarah Jones MP, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

‘I’m not influential’ says influential Labour figure

Andrew Fisher, the Croydon resident who is policy adviser to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, has said that his ranking as the ninth most influential figure on the left is “obviously nonsense”. But as Corbyn’s speech to the Labour Party Conference … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Andrew Fisher, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Housing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Borough boundary changes set up councillor re-selections

The political map of Croydon is about to be re-drawn – literally – over the next few weeks. And key changes to the number of borough councillors and the lay-out of the borough’s wards could deal a serious reverse to … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Chris Philp MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council sells Taberner site in secretive multi-million pound deal

Croydon Council has agreed to sell the Taberner House site. The deal has been done within the first month of Jo Negrini being installed as the council’s chief executive, but neither she nor Tony Newman, the leader of the Labour-run … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Housing, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, RIF, Simon Hall, Taberner House, Tony Newman, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Barwell’s 2020 vision would see him run for Croydon Mayor

WALTER CRONXITE on the recent machinations and positionings by a career politician who is preparing for defeat at the next Westminster election Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell has admitted that he has ambitions to run to be Croydon’s first directly … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Mario Creatura, Mark Watson, Paul Scott, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Labour members seize their chance to show support for Corbyn

Labour members in Croydon North, eventually given the opportunity to attend a nomination meeting over the party’s leadership, voted overwhelmingly in favour of Jeremy Corbyn last night. For the second time in 12 months. Steve Reed OBE, the Progress MP … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Mark Watson, Paul Scott, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council drops own housing company for new Taberner scheme

In central Croydon, where some think it is “easy” to build houses, it’s back to square one for the building of homes on the site of Taberner House, the council’s former office block. Work on the £150 million project is … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Planning, Taberner House, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council £500m Growth Zone plan includes Croydon’s 39 Steps

WALTER CRONXITE, our man in the public gallery with a Yorkie bar and a half-completed crossword puzzle in the Metro, reports on Croydon Council’s modernisation scheme and its stern warning to developers Westfield Croydon Council will tonight launch its own … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Growth Zone, Housing, Jo Negrini, Parking, Planning, Property, TfL, Tony Newman, Tramlink, Transport, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council’s shock non-announcement: Murray handed culture job

The sheer predictability of Croydon Council over its internal stitch-ups on senior jobs is so crass that sometimes even they appear embarrassed by it. Paula Murray has been confirmed as Croydon’s culture director in a permanent capacity. Hitherto the deputy … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Ambition Festival, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Boxpark, Business, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Music, Paul Scott, Paula Murray, Stanley Halls, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council wins its 20mph referendum by narrow majority

Croydon’s own referendum – over whether part of the borough’s residential streets should be turned into a 20mph zone – turned out to be a narrow victory for the party in power. The Labour-run council’s proposals for streets in parts … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Bensham Manor, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Fairfield, Heathfield, Norbury, Selhurst, South Norwood, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Scandal’ of £388m-worth of Croydon homes standing empty

Croydon Council was this week celebrating bringing 137 homes in the borough back into residential use for those on the housing waiting list. Yet according to figures published today, based on data from the Land Registry and property website Rightmove, … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Football-watching councillors are rewarded with promotions

WALTER CRONXITE, our man outside the Town Hall with a Yorkie bar and Mike Fisher’s discarded copy of the Racing Post, sees a clear message in the latest council cabinet reshuffle: mediocrity will be rewarded in Croydon Tony Newman, Croydon’s … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Callton Young, Croydon Council, David Wood, Hamida Ali, John Wentworth, Kathy Bee, Matthew Kyeremeh, Pat Ryan, Paul Scott, Planning, Stuart King, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Transport, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Newman snubbed as Labour group gives backing to Collins

After spending a couple of hours sitting in the shadow of the Clocktower nursing a half-finished pint of lukewarm Stella, WALTER CRONXITE reports on last night’s meeting which, if it wasn’t the end of the beginning, might be remembered as … Continue reading

Posted in 2016 London elections, 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, John Wentworth, Mark Watson, Pat Clouder, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Scott, Phil Thomas, Sean Fitzsimons, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bungling Newman sets up Collins for deputy leader contest

Tony Newman, Croydon’s Labour council leader, seems primed to torpedo his councillors’ own local election prospects with his latest piece of old pals’ act patronage. In the past 18 months, through poorly presented and badly timed policy announcements issued from Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in 2016 London elections, 2018 council elections, Addiscombe West, Alison Butler, Broad Green, Croydon Council, John Wentworth, Maddie Henson, Mark Watson, Oliver Lewis, Pat Clouder, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Scott, Sarah Jones MP, Stuart Collins, Toni Letts, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Murder on the dance floor as Newman checks who’s in step

Ignore the pointless “debate” on the EU referendum and badly sung versions of Land of Hope and Glory. Monday’s council meeting was in fact a thinly disguised contest to judge the performances in the Town Hall chamber of some of … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jane Avis, Kathy Bee, Mark Watson, Mayor of London, Nathan Elvery, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan, Wayne Lawlor, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Woodside councillors take one-way route to a dead end

Residents living near Croydon Arena and South Norwood Country Park have had two years of turmoil as the council has gone ahead with building a massive secondary school. When they’ve turned to their Woodside ward councillors for help, well… GLORIA … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, Environment, Hamida Ali, Oasis Academy, Paul Scott, Planning, Schools, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Council’s private housing company signs up architects’ firms

After going to the trouble of recreating its own borough architects’ department, Croydon Council has now gone and signed up seven firms of architects – yes, seven – to design between them the hundreds of new homes across the borough. … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Housing, Paul Scott, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council launches second area to trial 20mph traffic zone

A second large area in the north of the borough could get a 20mph zone on its residential roads, as the council begins a consultation tomorrow asking residents if they agree to extending the speed restrictions into South Norwood, Selhurst … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Bensham Manor, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Fairfield, Heathfield, Kathy Bee, Selhurst, Shirley North, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Transport, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Council’s landlord licensing scheme can’t cope with workload

Six months since its introduction, and Croydon Council’s flagship landlord licensing scheme is still not functioning fully. The licensing scheme was part of Croydon Labour’s “ambitious” manifesto, seeking to protect tenants in private accommodation from rogue landlords or having to … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Jo Negrini, Planning, Property, Pubs, South Norwood, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council pledge on Living Wage forgotten for #IWD party

A senior Town Hall figure has admitted that Croydon Council “has no idea” whether the staff working at the venue at which it is staging a “celebratory event” this evening for International Women’s Day are paid the London Living Wage. … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Business, Croydon Council, Surrey Street, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Council’s ‘wrong’ leader could face a night-mayor of a vote

WALTER CRONXITE on a revisited proposal which gives the strongest indication yet of how one Croydon MP sees his own career prospects It’s beginning to look a lot like Gavin Barwell is lining up his next job. The idea of … Continue reading

Posted in 2016 London elections, 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Coulsdon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Gerry Ryan, Jo Negrini, London Assembly, Mayor of London, Nathan Elvery, Paul Scott, Shirley North, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Shirley shome mishtake: local plan prompts more anger

The battle for Shirley Oaks arrives on the Town Hall steps ahead of tonight’s council meeting, as residents are expected to demand answers to their concerns over outline plans to build 750 homes on Metropolitan Open Land. Nearly 50 questions … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Ashburton, Boris Johnson, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Property, Shirley North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Having a ‘mare: Newman could use chance for a reshuffle

Punch and Judy’s back on at the Town Hall tomorrow night, with the latest full meeting of the council. Nothing of note is likely to be decided. Little of real interest will be announced. That’s transparent and accountable democracy in … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Bernadette Khan, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, John Wentworth, Louisa Woodley, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mike Selva, New Addington, Patricia Hay-Justice, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Wayne Lawlor, West Thornton | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Boundary change won’t cut £6m cost of top-heavy Town Hall

All change! But as WALTER CRONXITE reports, Croydon’s Labour group won’t be lobbying for any real reform of democracy in the borough, and instead will just shore-up their own self-interest The Croydon Council elections in 2018 will be fought with … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Fieldway, Heathfield, Kenley, New Addington, Norbury, Purley, Sanderstead, Selhurst, Selsdon & Ballards, Shirley North, South Croydon, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dis-Connected Croydon prepares to fritter away another £1.6m

Dis-Connected Croydon, that multi-million-pound scheme which has already left a trail of uneven paving, narrowed or closed cycle lanes and park benches conveniently placed near to open-all-hours off licences around the borough, is about to find more ways of spending … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Boris Johnson, Croydon Council, Environment, Fairfield, Mayor of London, People for Portland Road, Planning, South Norwood, Stanley Halls, Stanley People's Initiative | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments