Recent Comments
Diana Pinnell on Perry’s latest money-mak… Anthony Miller on MP Jones ‘gravely concer… Darryl Sugg on Perry’s latest money-mak… Andrew Pelling on MP Jones ‘gravely concer… David Wickens on Perry’s latest money-mak… tonycroydon on Old Palace closure brought on…
Category Archives: Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Foundation decides to close Old Palace School in 2025
Pupils at a £20,000 per year independent school in Old Town which is operated by the borough’s biggest land-owners will be told at assembly on Friday morning that it is to close after ‘many years’ of financial struggles EXCLUSIVE by … Continue reading
Squatters take over Brick by Brick’s abandoned office building
Perhaps this is the start of a people’s fightback against the Croydon Establishment. A group of squatters calling themselves “Reclaim Croydon” has moved in to the abandoned offices of Brick by Brick in the town centre, to show the high … Continue reading
Council’s debt costs could hit £70m next year warns Mayor
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Jason Perry says he’s still hoping to get a Government write-off of a chunk of the borough’s borrowing, but otherwise he’s short on ideas or solutions. KEN LEE endured the latest ‘Question Time’ at Norbury, so that … Continue reading
Perry’s council refuses to name its design review panellists
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor decided to re-boot Negrini’s Place Review Panel, but after almost a year’s delay, the identities of the ‘experts’ assembled remain closely guarded secrets. By WALTER CRONXITE “Just what are they trying to hide?” a Katharine Street … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Design Review Panel, Environment, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Place Review Panel, Planning, Whitgift Centre
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Design Review Panel, Hawkins Brown, Hugh Pearman, Jo Negrini, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Place Review Panel, Royal Institute of British Architects, Victoria and Albert Museum, Wayne Hemingway, We Made This, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
Leave a comment
Serious concern raised over brutal end to town centre artwork
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES There’s growing concerns and “disappointment” that Croydon, the 2023 Borough of Culture, has managed to lose yet another significant piece of public artwork, right from under the noses of the council. A much-admired, mid-20th Century frieze … Continue reading
Posted in AMP House, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Environment, Fairfield, History, Property, Ria Patel, Stiles Harold Williams, Whitgift Centre
Tagged 20th Century Society, AMP House, Croydon, Croydon Council, Cultural Quarter, East Croydon, East Croydon station, Humanity Relief, John Grindrod, Richard Plant, Stiles Harold Williams, Whitgift Centre
11 Comments
GLA has few checks on how £1.3m Culture grant is being spent
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The cash-strapped council received £1.35m from City Hall towards the staging of the Borough of Culture, but it is subject to next-to-no external scrutiny over how that public money is being used. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Community associations, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Borough of Culture, City Hall, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, GLA, Greater London Authority, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
2 Comments
Now German shoe retailer decides to give Croydon the boot
Shoe retailer Deichmann is the latest business to decide to close their store in central Croydon. As Inside Croydon reported exclusively earlier this week, the Sainsbury’s supermarket in the Whitgift Centre, which has traded there ever since the shopping mall … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Croydon, Deichmann, North End, Sainsbury's, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
15 Comments
Sainsbury’s confirms it is to close Whitgift Centre store
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Supermarket chain says it was a ‘difficult decision’ to close flagship shop – but at least they have five higher-profit ‘Local’ shops nearby. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Britain’s second-largest chain of supermarkets has admitted that it can … Continue reading
Whitgift Centre ever-present Sainsbury’s opts to shut up shop
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Latest exit of flagship store will be a hammer blow to the town centre. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The exodus of major stores from the blighted Whitgift Centre is about to get worse still, with Sainsbury’s to … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Marks and Spencer, NatWest Bank, Sainsbury's, Sainsbury's Local, Waitrose, Westfield, WH Smith, Whitgift Centre
16 Comments
Perry admits he has failed to secure £540m debt write-off deal
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After a year in office, the Tory Mayor told a Purley audience last night that he has failed to ‘fix the finances’ and he won’t be opening the local swimming pool without lumbering the area with another … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Purley, Purley Pool, Rishi Sunak, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
26 Comments
When God Save The King! caused a dust-up on Duppas Hill
Two hundred years ago, when an ageing monarch was about to be crowned and there was dispute over which members of his immediate family he would allow to attend the ceremony at the Abbey, it was not all sweetness and … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon parks, Duppas Hill Park, History, Museum of Croydon, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Coronation, Coronation parties, Duppas Hill, KIng Charles III, KIng Charles III Coronation, King George III, KIng George IV, Marks and Spencer, Meghan Markle, Prince William, Princess Diana, Queen Caroline
Leave a comment
What will the ‘new’ Westfield deal really mean for Croydon?
STEVEN DOWNES outlines some of the likely consequences of this week’s announcement that Paris-based Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield have bought out their former partners Hammerson for the redevelopment of the town centre In all the flurry of civic excitement over the announcement that … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Growth Zone, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, FreeState, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jean-Marie Tritant, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor Sadiq Khan, New Working Class, Tony Newman, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, URW, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
7 Comments
MP Jones: Time for Westfield to grasp Croydon opportunity
Sarah Jones, the MP for Croydon Central, today responded to the news that Westfield’s parent company had bought out Hammerson’s half-share in the Croydon Partnership, including the Centrale shopping mall, potentially removing the log-jam in the long-delayed redevelopment of Croydon … Continue reading
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 15% Council Tax hike, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Mayor Jason Perry, Sean Fitzsimons, STUART KING, Tory, Unibail Rodamco Westfield, URW, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
5 Comments
Westfield seals deal to buy Hammerson out of town centre
Westfield’s parent company has this afternoon confirmed that they have bought out Hammerson, the owners of the Centrale shopping centre, from their half-share of the Croydon Partnership, the joint venture which has inflicted a decade’s worth of development blight on … Continue reading
M&S announces Purley Way store opening date as Apr 27
Using the former John Lewis At Home site, the Croydon 38,000sqft clothing store and foodhall is the first of 20 stores being opened by Marks and Spencer in 2023 Marks and Spencer has announced Thursday April 27 as the official … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Parking, Purley Way, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Croydon, Hammersfield, Marks & Spencer, Marks and Spencer, MS, Purley Way, Whitgift Centre
4 Comments
London Repair Week activities, Whitgift Centre, Mar 20-26
Posted in Activities, Community associations, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Repair Cafe, Repair Week, Whitgift Centre
Leave a comment
Free cyanotypes photographic workshop, Turf Projects, Mar 25
Posted in Art, Turf Projects, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Cyanotypes, Heather Lawrence, Turf Projects, Whitgift Centre
Leave a comment
Windrush Generation’s exhibition is playing sounds of the 70s
After a week spent playing ‘silly games’ with the borough’s politicians, for a deserved break, KEN TOWL got serious about Lovers’ Rock Croydon’s musical heritage is immense. It is so rich and varied that the council is putting together some … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Community associations, History, Ken Towl, Music, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Christine McNabb, Janet Kay, Ken Towl, Lovers' Rock, Sonia Williams, Whitgift Centre, Windrush Generation, Windrush Generation Legacy Association, Wraydette McNabb
Leave a comment
Town Hall meetings halved as new Mayor dodges questioning
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 Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Reports in the Public Interest, RIPI, Tory
4 Comments
Westfield non-developers facing £5m fine for failed supermall
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 Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Partnership, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Tony Newman, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
24 Comments
M&S’s Whitgift future questioned after shift to Purley Way
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 Croydon, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Marks and Spencer, MS, Purley Way, Steve Rowe, Stuart Machin, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
13 Comments
Town centre stations should be the focus for future vision
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 Andrew Pelling, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, East Croydon station, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Labour, Nestle Tower, St George's Walk, Tory, West Croydon station, Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
13 Comments
