Category Archives: “Hammersfield”

Town Hall meetings halved as new Mayor dodges questioning

Posted on January 25, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tonight’s cabinet meeting has on its agenda the borough’s underperforming schools, the Westfield failure, Council Tax Support and council rents… in all, 24 items need to be considered at a meeting where opposition councillors will barely be … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Centrale, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Schools, Section 114 notice, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Westfield non-developers facing £5m fine for failed supermall

Posted on January 24, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council concedes it is virtually powerless over land-owners and developers for long-delayed regeneration scheme, as influential scrutiny chair admits her committee is not convinced things will change. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The company formed 10 years ago … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Growth Zone, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, Rowenna Davis, Tony Newman, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

M&S’s Whitgift future questioned after shift to Purley Way

Posted on January 17, 2023 by insidecroydon

A bullish £480m expansion plan for one of Britain’s biggest retailers, with ‘the right stores, in the right place, with the right space’, could mean more bad news for Croydon town centre. By our retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE There’s growing … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Town centre stations should be the focus for future vision

Posted on January 6, 2023 by insidecroydon

With more shops closing and others reducing their floor space in the run-down Whitgift Centre, ANDREW PELLING looks east for solutions to address the town centre’s retail decline The continued loss of retail outlets in Croydon comes as high street … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Andrew Pelling, Boxpark, Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Planning, TfL, Tramlink, Transport, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

WH Smith is latest Whitgift Centre store to shut up shop

Posted on December 30, 2022 by insidecroydon

Our retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE, on the latest (partial) closure on Croydon’s already badly run-down High Street WH Smith, one of the mainstays of the Whitgift Centre ever since it opened more than 50 years ago, is about to downsize … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

How ‘Lost’ soon became an apt metaphor for Perry’s mayoralty

Posted on November 22, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The council’s continuing financial woes are due in the main to the Conservative government’s policies nationally over the past 12 years, says reader DEREK THROWER So Part-time Perry, our Croydon Conservative Mayor, is lost in self-pity. We can … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Art, Business, Croydon Council, LOST, Mayor Jason Perry, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mayor Perry has ‘second thoughts’ about investing in Croydon

Posted on November 21, 2022 by insidecroydon

‘Things are going to get worse before they get better,’ said the borough’s £81,000 per year part-time Mayor last week, as he begins to find his Town Hall task a bit of a struggle, reports WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Jason … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Art, Boxpark, Business, CPO, Croydon Council, CVA, LOST, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Higher energy bills, higher tax bills and worse public services

Posted on November 18, 2022 by insidecroydon

After the financial shockwaves caused by the omnishambles of the Tory Mini Budget, yesterday’s announcements by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt offer little hope of prosperity for the people of Croydon, writes ANDREW FISHER Buckle up. It’s going to be rough. Living … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Andrew Fisher, Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Sarah Jones MP, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Whitgift Centre is on a roll in the build-up to Christmas

Posted on November 14, 2022 by insidecroydon

Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres have announced that they will be opening a free roller rink in Whitgift Square on Saturday November 25, to be a feature of festive activities in the town centre right through until Christmas Eve. It … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Activities, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waitrose’s closure is another nail in town centre’s coffin

Posted on November 11, 2022 by insidecroydon

Another nail in the coffin of Croydon as a retail centre will be hammered in place tomorrow, with the closure of the Waitrose supermarket on George Street. The closure was announced by the groceries arm of the John Lewis Partnership … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business | Tagged , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Westfield’s boss admits covid was ‘nail in coffin’ for Croydon

Posted on October 30, 2022 by insidecroydon

There’s no prospect any time soon of French-based developers ending the decade-long blight to the Whitgift Centre, according to the CEO of  Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. By our retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE Covid was “the final nail in the coffin” for the £1.4billion … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Debenhams, Gavin Barwell, House of Fraser, Jo Negrini, Tony Newman, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

#PennReport: Hall and Negrini ‘only wanted good news stories’

Posted on October 6, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Richard Penn’s report tells of how the borough’s political leaders had become ‘paranoid’ about Inside Croydon – which one senior councillor noted was filling ‘the communication vacuum’ created by the dysfunctional council. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES In … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Part-time Mayor Perry to re-boot Negrini’s design review panel

Posted on September 27, 2022 by insidecroydon

The council is looking to re-set its Place Review Panel – now to be renamed the Design Review Panel – and is inviting applications from architecture and design experts to sign up for two or three days’ work each year, … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Alison Butler, Art, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Design Review Panel, Environment, Housing, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Place Review Panel, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Part-time Perry’s video nasty leaves out all the gory bits

Posted on August 18, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: This website’s hashtag when describing the choice of a Mayoral system for running the council was #ABitLessShit. In his first 100 days in office, Jason Perry has done his best to prove that having a Tory Mayor … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Mayor Jason Perry, Nick Hibberd, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Waitrose confirms closure plan for its George Street store

Posted on August 18, 2022 by insidecroydon

The cry went out from horrified shoppers all across Croydon: “But where am I to get my lemongrass?” Waitrose, the supermarket of choice for all those eager young professionals paying over-the-odds for “executive apartments” in Croydon town centre, this morning … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business | Tagged , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

M&S recruiting 130 staff ahead of opening Purley Way store

Posted on August 2, 2022 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: The company CEO’s life-long association with the Croydon store may have helped to give the beleaguered Whitgift Centre a reprieve. By STEVEN DOWNES Marks and Spencer is recruiting more than 130 staff in advance of its opening a new … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Planning, Purley Way, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mayor bids for £20m funding with old and failed projects

Posted on July 11, 2022 by insidecroydon

Our Town Hall correspondent, KEN LEE, on an optimistic wish list for a handful of cosmetic schemes around the town centre Part-time Mayor Jason Perry’s pitch for £20million of “levelling up” money from the Tory government is “just a re-hash … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boxpark, Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Business, Commuting, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Cycling, Environment, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, TfL, Transport, Waddon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Mayor Perry has LOST the plot over latest Allders scheme

Posted on July 1, 2022 by insidecroydon

Hammerson and Westfield are back in town, only this time they’re offering a bit of artwashing in the disused Allders department store building. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Fabien Riggall, the founder of Secret Cinema, today confirmed Inside Croydon’s report earlier … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Activities, Allders, Art, Boris Johnson, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Cinema, Croydon Council, Dance, LOST, Mayor Jason Perry, Music, Planning, Theatre, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Westfield wants to revive plans for Croydon’s blighted centre

Posted on May 18, 2022 by insidecroydon

More than three years after shelving their £1.4bn scheme for the town centre, the developers’ monster mall is back on the drawing board – but with significant differences. By STEVEN DOWNES Like a Frankenstein monster after being given a shot … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Growth Zone, House of Fraser, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Chinese whispers increase fears for £500m Queen’s Square

Posted on February 2, 2022 by insidecroydon

The stalled regeneration of the town centre has suffered yet another blow, possibly a terminal one to a project worth half-billion-pound, which centres on refurbishing the landmark Nestlé Tower, and was seen as among the most significant developments proposed for … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Growth Zone, Housing, Jo Negrini, Nestle Tower, Planning, Property, Segas House, St George's Walk, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

After wasted decade, Mayoral candidates need town centre plan

Posted on January 6, 2022 by insidecroydon

How do you replace a long-promised but never delivered £1.4bn redevelopment in the town centre? In his first column of 2022, ANDREW FISHER (left) offers some suggestions Croydon’s town centre has suffered a torrid time of late. The biggest queues … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Croydon College, Croydon Council, Education, Gavin Barwell, Housing, London-wide issues, LSBU campus, Planning, Property, Timothy Godfrey, Transport, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Croydon 2021: Macarnage, Fairfield fiasco and dropped Bricks

Posted on December 30, 2021 by insidecroydon

DID WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU: Summer in south London’s rottenest borough saw simmering scandals over Brick by Brick and the Fairfield Halls fiasco grab national notoriety, and someone at the council finally admitted that the misconceived Westfield scheme was … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", BH Live, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Neil Chandler, Paul Scott, Planning, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Negrini lands cushty consultancy with ex-council supplier

Posted on December 17, 2021 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE (and available in all good, and some not-so-good, newsagents): The exec who walked away with a £440,000 pay-out from the borough she helped to bankrupt has re-emerged with a juicy ‘consultancy’ from one of the firms she used to … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, CPO, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Boxpark boss wants to take on Whitgift Centre redevelopment

Posted on September 10, 2021 by insidecroydon

Our retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE, on the latest opportunistic comments from a business owner who claims a ‘track record’ of handling the local council The entrepreneur behind Boxpark claims that he is ready to step in and take over the … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boxpark, Business, Centrale, CPO, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

By taking away the buses, they’ve cut off shops in town centre

Posted on August 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the council abandons 10 years of delusion over the retail regeneration of the town centre, regular reader LEWIS WHITE, right, goes on a shopping trip to witness the state of the Whitgift Centre for himself I popped … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Debenhams, Surrey Street, TfL, Transport, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments