Category Archives: Friends of Ashburton Park

Ashburton’s sorry tale of park life in a council with no cash

It’s not a good sign when, less than a month into the new administration of £81,000 per year Conservative Mayor Jason Perry, residents are already getting restless. Perhaps inevitably, the complaints of the Friends of Ashburton Park involve the cutting … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Community associations, Friends of Ashburton Park, Jeet Bains, Maddie Henson | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

All Croydon parks ‘under threat’ says environmental campaign

A shocking report from charity CPRE London highlights how the council’s Local Plan has put every open space in the borough at risk from development, writes PAUL LUSHION, our environment correspondent Croydon, and its planning protection-lite revised Local Plan, has … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Friends of Crystal Palace Park, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Grangewood Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Heavers Meadow, Friends of Lloyd Park, Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green, Friends of Millers Ponds, Friends of Norbury Hall Park, Friends of Selsdon Woods, Friends of Shirley Windmill, Friends of South Croydon Rec, Friends of South Norwood Country Park, Friends of Spa Wood, Friends of Stambourne Woods, Friends of Wandle Park, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Merton, Sadiq Khan, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cash-strapped council bankrupt of ideas for borough’s parks

Our environment correspondent, PAUL LUSHION, on the council’s latest blatant attempt to off-load its public responsibilities The council has what it calls its “Parks and Green Spaces Renewal Strategy 2022-2025”, which they say outlines “plans to support the borough’s cherished … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Duppas Hill Park, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Crystal Palace Park, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Grangewood Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Heavers Meadow, Friends of Lloyd Park, Muhammad Ali, Planning, Val Shawcross, Veolia, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

5-bed Ashburton Lodge to be auctioned for price of a flat

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Developers and property speculators look set to profit as more public-owned property is to be sold on the cheap. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Croydon fire-sale, with public property being flogged off in a rush at bargain-basement … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Ashburton, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Ashburton Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Meeting called over failed Addiscombe one-way scheme

The Addiscombe traffic balls-up is set to be discussed at a public meeting next week. The organisers were unable to confirm whether a proposal to change the name of Lebanon Road to “Alderman Watson Boulevard” will be on the agenda. … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe and Shirley Park RA, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe Residents Association, Community associations, ECCO, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, HOME, Jeet Bains, Lebanon Road Residents' Association, Maddie Henson, TACRA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Butler in U-turn over parks protection: ‘Nothing to see here’

Alison Butler, the Croydon Council cabinet member responsible for planning, has made a U-turn over the future planning status of the borough’s parks. On Saturday, Inside Croydon reported how the government planning inspector had rejected Croydon Council’s efforts to apply … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Federation of Allotment and Garden Societies, Croydon parks, Duppas Hill Park, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Friends of Crystal Palace Park, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Grangewood Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Heavers Meadow, Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green, Friends of Millers Ponds, Friends of Selsdon Woods, Friends of Shirley Windmill, Friends of South Norwood Country Park, Friends of Wandle Park, Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, Peter Underwood, Planning, Queens Gardens, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Residents have 48 hours to save 70 parks and open spaces

The people of Croydon have 48 hours left to try to save more than 70 of the borough’s parks and open spaces from being put at serious risk of being handed over to developers to be built on. Alison Butler, … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Duppas Hill Park, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Grangewood Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Heavers Meadow, Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green, Friends of Millers Ponds, Friends of Selsdon Woods, Friends of South Norwood Country Park, Lloyd Park, Peter Underwood, Planning, Queens Gardens | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Council kills off Percy the park keeper and abandons 120 parks

CHRIS PECKHAM, our environment correspondent, on the latest shocking admission of failure at Croydon Town Hall Croydon Council is about to shut-up the park keeper’s hut in more than 120 of the borough’s open spaces, as it seems primed to … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Bensham Manor, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Grangewood Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Heavers Meadow, Friends of Selsdon Woods, Friends of South Norwood Country Park, Friends of Wandle Park, Jamie Audsley, Quadron, Thornton Heath, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Old Ashburton library to be handed over to private companies

That “ambition” thing we were told so much about in 2013 and 2014, before the last Town Hall elections? It seems that if you want to turn it into the “delivery” thing, it can take a long time and a … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Ashburton, Community associations, Croydon parks, Education, Friends of Ashburton Park, Timothy Godfrey | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council fails to staff its own consultation session in Ashburton

Croydon’s non-consultation consultations reached a new nadir over the weekend, when a promised drop-in session about the old library building in Ashburton Park was left unstaffed by council officials. Residents, and some councillors, have long suggested that such “consultation” sessions … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Croydon Council, Friends of Ashburton Park, Planning | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

One month left for bids to take on Ashburton old library

There’s less than a month for businesses and community groups to submit “expressions of interest” in taking on the old Ashburton library building. The handling of the future of this prestigious and historic building, set in 18½ acres of parkland … Continue reading

Posted in Ashburton, Community associations, Croydon Council, Friends of Ashburton Park, Jo Negrini, Nathan Elvery, Planning | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Ashburton’s councillors are making plans for park life

As a report to next Monday’s council cabinet meeting demonstrates, there could be much change in Croydon’s parks in the coming couple of years. Croydon’s Labour-run council is consulting on one of its parks, the much disputed Ashburton Park, and … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Andrew Rendle, Ashburton, Community associations, Friends of Ashburton Park, Maddie Henson, Stephen Mann | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Volunteers get together to help maintain Croydon’s park life

Our environmental affairs correspondent, CHRIS PECKHAM, reports on a new group established to safeguard our green spaces Last week saw the latest meeting of the fledgling Croydon Parks, Woodlands and Greenspaces Forum: a group that brings together all of the … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon Federation of Allotment and Garden Societies, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green, Friends of Millers Ponds, Friends of Selsdon Woods, Friends of Wandle Park, Friends of West Norwood Cemetery, Gardening, Health, Kenley Airfield Friends Group, Lakes Playground Action Group, Lloyd Park, London-wide issues, Timothy Godfrey, Wandle Park, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Big Picnic, Ashburton Park, Sunday June 7

Posted in Activities, Ashburton, Community associations, Friends of Ashburton Park | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Tories’ botched library sale has left building open to vandals

The Spivocracy strikes again: Croydon Conservatives’ attempt to flog off a £500,000 public building to their mates for a knock-down £85,000 on the eve of the local elections have seen the old Ashburton Library left vulnerable to the worst of … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Andrew Rendle, Ashburton, Church and religions, Community associations, Croydon Council, Environment, Friends of Ashburton Park, Libraries, Maddie Henson, Nathan Elvery, Stephen Mann, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Scandal’ of council’s £84,000 sale price for Ashburton Library

The outgoing Conservative-run council in Croydon tried to sell-off the publicly owned old Ashburton Library building on the day before the local elections at the knock-down price of £84,000. Independent valuations conducted for the council had suggested that the building’s … Continue reading

Posted in Ashburton, Church and religions, Croydon Council, Friends of Ashburton Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Secrecy surrounds council’s sale of old Ashburton Library

A Town Hall meeting tonight will discuss the sale of the old library building in Ashburton Park. But the ultra-secretive Tory administration that controls the council is refusing to reveal to the public the sale price of the publicly owned … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Ashburton, Church and religions, Community associations, Croydon Council, Eddy Arram, Education, Friends of Ashburton Park, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Obama’s mentor offers advice to Friends of Ashburton Park

Arnie Graf, the American community activist and mentor to President Barack Obama, will be the guest of honour at the second meeting of the Friends of Ashburton Park, to be staged this Wednesday, October 23. Graf has 50 years experience … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Activities, Ashburton, Friends of Ashburton Park | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ashburton residents firmly oppose sale of old library

SARAH JONES reports from last night’s first meeting of the Friends of Ashburton Park, as they considered the sell-off of the old library Sometimes, the world is a hard place to be. Times are hard, money harder to find and … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Ashburton, Community associations, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Friends of Ashburton Park, Libraries, Sarah Jones MP, URV | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Friends of Ashburton Park meeting: Sep 11

The recently formed Friends of Ashburton Park will be holding a public meeting on Wednesday September 11 at 6.30pm in front of the Old Library. “We want to hear residents’ views on the sale of the building, discover what people … Continue reading

Posted in Ashburton, Friends of Ashburton Park | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment