Category Archives: Chris Wright

Council’s official magazine forgets Remembrance Sunday

A former borough councillor says he is “extremely sad” that the latest edition of Your Croydon, described by Croydon Council as its “main source of community news”, has completely failed to make any mention of the centenary commemorations of the … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Wright, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, History, Local media, Museum of Croydon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Old Coulsdon turns out for Grange Park’s commemoration walk

More than 100 residents took part in  last weekend’s commemoration walk in Grange Park, Old Coulsdon, as we enter the final 100 days until the centenary of the Armistice at the end of World War I in 1918. Chris Wright, … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Croydon parks, History, Old Coulsdon | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Council contempt for public in Orwellian Town Hall meeting

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE watched the latest travesty of a council meeting, so you wouldn’t have to Will they never learn? Monday night saw the Town Hall chamber holding the last full meeting of the council before the local elections … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Wright, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Housing, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Planning, Purley, Queens Gardens, Shirley North, South Norwood, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tories accused of breaking their own rules over selections

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on complaints of undemocratic interference in the candidate selection process, and too much influence from the local party leader in those allowed to stand in May’s Town Hall elections At least four of Croydon’s longest serving … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Fairfield, Helen Pollard, Ian Parker, Mike Fisher, Purley, Shirley North, Steve Hollands, Sue Winborn, Tim Pollard, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trakas-Lawlor votes down Queen’s Hotel expansion plan

Has Croydon’s planning worm turned? KEN LEE reports from the Town Hall chamber, where two developments of little merit were both rejected last night Residents in Crystal Palace are preparing themselves for a long-term battle over the future of the … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Wright, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Jamie Audsley, Parking, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Pete Smith, Planning, Property, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Wayne Lawlor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon Tories take their revenge on Fisher over #WadGate

There was blood on the shag pile at Croydon Tory HQ over selections for next May’s local elections. Political editor WALTER CRONXITE reports on the high casualty rate among some of the council’s one-time big beasts Mike Fisher, until 2014 … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Chris Wright, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Heathfield, James Thompson, Margaret Mead, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Purley, Sara Bashford, Selsdon & Ballards, Shirley North, Sue Winborn, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tory councillor visits Barcelona instead of Town Hall meeting

WALTER CRONXITE reports on what may be the first casualty of the borough ward boundary changes due to be announced this summer There will have been at least one Croydon councillor paying no attention whatsoever to the proceedings in the … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, James Thompson | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

£180m Fairfield operator contract is called-in for scrutiny

Fifteen Conservative councillors signed official forms to call-in the decision to award the operator contract for the Fairfield Halls, a move which some fear might delay the appointment process, and others have described as petty political point-scoring. The matter will … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Chris Philp MP, Chris Wright, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Gavin Barwell, Helen Pollard, James Thompson, Jan Buttinger, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Lynne Hale, Margaret Mead, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Sean Fitzsimons, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tories oppose 2,000 homes in housing minister’s constituency

WALTER CRONXITE reports on the planning permission granted to a Labour council scheme which could make Gavin Barwell’s constituency a safe Tory seat Barely a year before the next Town Hall elections, and Croydon Tories last night handed a gift-wrapped … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, Chris Wright, College Green, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Central, Croydon College, Croydon Council, Environment, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Gavin Barwell, Helen Pollard, Housing, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Luke Clancy, Planning, South Croydon, Sue Winborn, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Nasty Party goes to war over church’s Purley tower block

A nasty war of words has broken out in Purley over the local baptist church’s development of a 17-storey tower overlooking the ugly gyratory road system. So unpleasant is the behaviour that Purley has revealed itself as no longer the … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Chris Wright, Church and religions, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Donald Speakman, Environment, Luke Clancy, Parking, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Purley, Purley BID, Richard Chatterjee, Sue Winborn, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

East Croydon’s Bridge to Nowhere won’t be finished until 2024

WALTER CRONXITE reports on another foregone conclusion at the council’s planning committee, a decision which will blight development in the town centre until 2024, at least Croydon’s pusillanimous planning committee, under the chairmanship of Paul “Five Hats” Scott, last night … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Chris Wright, East Croydon, Humayun Kabir, Joy Prince, Mark Watson, Menta Tower, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Sue Winborn, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tory councillors warned over failure to pay party levy

Croydon’s Tory group on the council is feeling the financial pressure, and some elected councillors have been issued with warnings by local Conservative officials after failing to make payments from their council allowances into the campaign fund being used to … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Mario Creatura, Mike Fisher, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Council presses on with £22m academy that no one wants

As Croydon Council prepares to give the go-ahead for a school which has just 29 first-choice applications, WALTER CRONXITE turns detective to investigate the mysterious case of the disappearing demand for school places Residents living near Croydon Arena in Woodside … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, Education, Hamida Ali, Julie Belvir, Oasis Academy, Oasis Academy Coulsdon, Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Paul Greenhalgh, Paul Scott, Planning, Ryelands Primary and Nursery, Schools, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

96 days to go and councillors’ self-interest is showing

Have you had someone with a rosette knock at your door yet? You will, says WALTER CRONXITE, you will. Though how the tax-payers of Croydon will benefit from one of the longest election campaigns in history is questionable Fed up … Continue reading

Posted in 2015 General Election, Addiscombe West, Chris Wright, Croydon Central, Dudley Mead, Eddy Arram, Gavin Barwell, Helen Pollard, Jan Buttinger, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Louisa Woodley, Maggie Mansell, Malcolm Wicks MP, Margaret Mead, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Mark Watson, Patricia Hay-Justice, Robert Canning, Sara Bashford, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Hollands, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman, Wayne Lawlor, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Planning committee dominated by Oasis school governors

Angry residents from Woodside and South Norwood are considering a formal complaint about the conduct of a meeting on Thursday in which four of the 10 members of the council’s planning committee, including the chairman, all had some connection with … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Wright, Croydon Council, Education, Environment, Oasis Academy, Parking, Paul Scott, Planning, Ryelands Primary and Nursery, Schools, Tony Newman, Transport, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

These councillors voted last night to build on a Croydon park: next month they will want you to trust them with your vote

When you last had a chance to vote for the local council four years ago, were you asked for your views on the council building on public open space so that the developers could make more than £100million in profit? … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Business, Chris Wright, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, David Osland, Environment, Fairfield, Heathfield, Helen Pollard, Housing, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Lynne Hale, Planning, Property, Richard Chatterjee, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Sue Winborn, Taberner House, Tim Pollard, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Residents appear helpless to halt the ‘Curse of Coulsdon’

Ignored and unheeded, the residents of Coulsdon appear to have few options in their opposition to aspects of the Cane Hill housing development, writes ANDREW PELLING None of the Conservative party’s six Coulsdon councillors attended Friday’s Community Centre meeting, which … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Cane Hill, Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, David Osland, Gavin Barwell, Ian Parker, Jeet Bains, Justin Cromie, Planning, Terry Lenton, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Coulsdon was sentenced to be crucified last night’

There was a mixture of dismay and outright anger among Coulsdon residents after last night’s strategic (ha!) planning meeting at the Town Hall saw six Tory councillors vote through the planning applications for Barratt to build 677 houses on the … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Boris Johnson, Cane Hill, Chris Wright, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon South, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Environment, Housing, Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Parking, Planning, Property, Richard Ottaway MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Cromie pays price of conscience as Parker focuses on 2015

Rumours of local Tory defections to UKIP – none of which have yet been substantiated – continue to be aired, after a week in which two more Conservative Croydon councillors were unceremoniously de-selected by their party. Justin Cromie and Ian … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Badsha Quadir, Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Central, David Osland, Donald Speakman, Gavin Barwell, Graham Bass, Ian Parker, Jeet Bains, Justin Cromie, New Addington, Purley, Terry Lenton, Tony Pearson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

LibDems promise to give Tories ‘bloody nose’ over Cane Hill

The Liberal Democrats standing in Coulsdon East in May’s local elections say that they want to give the incumbent Tories at the Town Hall a “bloody nose” because of what they call a “fiasco” over the mishandling of the planning … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Cane Hill, Chris Wright, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Justin Cromie, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Planning, Terry Lenton, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Vandalism in Town Hall, all to “protect” Councillor Fisher

Further confirmation, as if any were needed, of our opinion that the Philistines have truly taken over the asylum. The photograph above was taken this week in the previously splendidly grand entrance hall to the 115-year-old Grade II-listed Croydon Town … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Wright, Clare Hilley, David Osland, History, Jason Perry, Justin Cromie, Mike Fisher, Planning, Sue Winborn | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment