Category Archives: Colonnades

Stormzy’s football club’s ground on council’s ‘For Sale’ list

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s ‘asset disposals’ programme is making desperately slow progress, as it adds tennis clubs, community centres, scout huts and a rugby ground to its list of available properties. But few, if any, existing tenants have been … Continue reading

Posted in AFC Croydon Athletic, Business, Charity, Colonnades, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Football, Golf, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Property, Purley-John Fisher, Rugby Union, Scouts and Guides, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Police seek witnesses to stabbing of teenager at Colonnades

The Metropolitan Police are asking for witnesses to come forward after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed in broad daylight yesterday at a bus stop outside The Colonnades, by the busy A23 Purley Way. The victim was rushed to hospital after … Continue reading

Posted in Colonnades, Crime, Knife crime, Waddon | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Oxygen provides a breath of fresh air for kids’ holiday activities

Inside Croydon is putting some real bounce into kids’ Easter holidays, offering 12 free jump passes for the bigger, better and bouncier Oxygen Croydon trampoline park at the Colonnades, off the Purley Way. Oxygen Croydon is having the finishing touches … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Business, Colonnades, Purley Way, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Jenrick issues ‘strongly-worded’ warning over property deals

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government minister targets bankrupt borough when he tells LGA conference ‘Councils shouldn’t make investments for which they are not well-equipped’. By WALTER CRONXITE It seems increasingly likely that Whitehall will insist on Croydon flogging off many of … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Why selling the unsaleable is not the answer on Brick by Brick

CROYDON IN CRISIS: It is nearly three years since this website began exposing the financial disaster that Brick by Brick was creating for Croydon Council. NICHOLAS PANES, the construction industry expert who advised on our reports, looks at the options … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Planning, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Wood comes knocking with brief to investigate Brick by Brick

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Can it really just be coincidence that the troubleshooter appointed to conduct an urgent review of the council also has extensive experience working at one of Jo Negrini’s former boroughs? WALTER CRONXITE reports It seems almost certain … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Property, Report in the Public Interest, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Auditors look at legal sanctions over council’s finances

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A Town Hall committee has been told that the council was ‘in breach of financial regulations’ over its commercial dealings, as they delivered a report with 75 recommendations for improvements. By STEVEN DOWNES The resignation of Simon … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Katherine Kerswell, Simon Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Hold very tight: will Buss give Brick by Brick a rough ride?

Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on how the local council troubleshooter who was brought in to deal with Kensington and Chelsea’s finances in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire has now been hired by Croydon In the final … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paul Scott, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Audit shows £9m shortfall in Hall’s property speculation deals

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Internal audit report will make very uncomfortable reading for the council leader and his finance chief, and shows worrying budget problems for most of the council-run schools. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor It is barely a week … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Business, Children's Services, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Karen Jewitt, Katherine Kerswell, Schools, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon in crisis: Council has been axing jobs since January

EXCLUSIVE: The Town Hall leadership is spinning to giddying levels to pin the blame for the council’s parlous financial position on covid-19, the Tory government… indeed anyone but the people responsible: themselves. But it is now emerging that the council … Continue reading

Posted in Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Shock as leader of council with £1bn property debts is ousted

The leader of a local council which has gambled hundreds of millions of pounds on the property market has been ousted by party colleagues, and may now face an independent investigation. No, loyal reader, don’t get too excited just yet… … Continue reading

Posted in Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Outside Croydon, Surrey | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Chancellor is taking an axe to councils’ magic money tree

Croydon Council has more than £1bn of borrowings – half of which has gone on Brick by Brick and the purchase of some commercial properties. Proposals contained in the Budget this week could put an end to that, as KEN … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Bernard Weatherill House, Brick by Brick, Business, Centrale, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Croydon parks, Jo Negrini, New Addington, Planning, Property, Queens Gardens, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Interest hike squeezes Brick by Brick’s speculative schemes

The Tory government’s obstinate fixation to drive the country off a Brexit cliff-edge at the end of October is driving down the value of the pound and causing massive problems for industry. Especially in construction – which could mean very … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boxpark, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Jo Negrini, Planning, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

£29m: Croydon tops the table for flogging off public assets

With inflated claims of returns from the council’s house-builder being compared to a Ponzi scheme, a former council official says, ‘We are in uncertain times and the risks being taken with public money are huge compared to the marginal potential … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Scott unveils secret plan to build 12,000 flats beside Purley Way

EXCLUSIVE: Under pressure over rising housing targets, has Paul Scott found his get-out-of-jail-free card alongside the A23? KEN LEE reports Having spent the past five years excusing the overdevelopment of neighbourhoods throughout the borough by claiming that there are no … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Broad Green, Business, Colonnades, Cycling, Environment, Harris Primary Purley Way, Housing, Ikea, Joy Prince, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor of London, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Purley Way, Robert Canning, Stuart Collins, TfL, Transport, Waddon, Waste incinerator, Wing Yip | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Colonnades purchase is massive gamble with public money

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Spending millions to buy a private business risks feather bedding property speculators, says DEREK THROWER Under a Conservative government, local authorities, including Croydon Council, are being given public cash to nationalise private assets and land. That’s quite extraordinary … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Purley Way, Waddon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments