Category Archives: Croydon Central

Tories pick Perry as new leader in run-up to local elections

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports as the Town Hall’s opposition Conservatives stage their leadership reshuffle Jason Perry is Croydon’s Conservative opposition’s new leader, elected at a meeting of the borough’s Tory councillors last night. Croydon’s Tories have been enthusiastic … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Lynne Hale, Mario Creatura, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tories issue plea to members to help them ‘fill our hole’

Croydon’s Tories are calling for Tony Newman to stand down as council leader immediately, saying the Town Hall finances “are in an appalling state”. But with the slapstick comic timing of Frank “Ooo Betty” Spencer, the Conservatives’ criticism of Newman … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, Richard Ottaway MP, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ex-councillor admits he was wrong over Westfield scheme

A former deputy council leader has spoken publicly about their deep regret for their part in bringing developers, such as Westfield, to their town centre, leaving it as “a tragedy of a place now”. “There’s plenty of nostalgia and lots … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jo Negrini, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Call to remove Churchill mural puts Labour council on spot

Council leader Tony Newman doesn’t tend to enjoy having his judgement called into question, but a councillor-backed petition to remove the image of the wartime leader from the side of a town centre building appears to do just that, as … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Business, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Gavin Barwell, History, Rise Gallery, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Former Barwell aide tweets his support for ‘Tommy Robinson’

Shaun Bailey, the very dim Tory candidate for London Mayor, came in for another round of criticism last night after his Twitter account posted praise for the supporters of far-right racist extremist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known to some as “Tommy Robinson”. … Continue reading

Posted in Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Gavin Barwell, Ian Parker, Mario Creatura | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croydon ‘takes a knee’ for George Floyd – and for Seni Lewis

Around a hundred people gathered outside Croydon Town Hall this morning to “take a knee” and show solidarity with the worldwide Black Lives Matter campaign and calls for justice for George Floyd. Floyd died in Minneapolis just over a week … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Policing, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

PM ‘insulted all British people’ over Cummings, says MP Jones

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the reaction of one of Croydon’s MPs to yesterday’s controversial covid-19 press briefing from Boris Johnson Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s press conference on Sunday evening, when he defended his senior adviser Dominic Cummings after … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Central, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Negrini faces showdown meetings over finances next week

A consultant ‘parachuted in’ to salvage the council’s rocky finances will deliver a vital report next Tuesday, STEVEN DOWNES reports, as Croydon’s £1.5bn borrowings have been described by a local MP as ‘reckless’ and its financial position ‘unsustainable’  The dire … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Jo Negrini, London Assembly, Patsy Cummings, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Centrale’s Debenhams to remain closed after lockdown ends

Our demise-of-high-street-retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE, says that there’s no coming back from the latest hammer blow to the £1.4bn town centre regeneration scheme Coronavirus claimed another victim last night: Debenhams in Croydon. In truth, the department store, which has been … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Debenhams, Gavin Barwell, Jo Negrini, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Business is booming for housing lobbyist ‘Barren’ Barwell

Despite the lockdown on business prompted by covid-19, like “Lord” Gavin Barwell, the former Croydon Central Tory MP and author of How To Lose A Marginal Seat. In less than six months since being elevated to the House of Lords … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Central, Gavin Barwell | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Planning officials warn of coronavirus risks of co-living towers

A south London council has raised the alarm about the deadly health risks inherent from high-density tower blocks offering “co-living” accommodation, in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing. The concerns aired in Wandsworth over a … Continue reading

Posted in 101 George Street/Ten Degrees, Business, College Tower/Enclave, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Housing, Planning, Property | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

£90m West Croydon deal promises 55% affordable homes

The developers behind a massive residential scheme in an old entertainment venue on Streatham High Road and the redevelopment into luxury flats of the Star and Garter home on Richmond Hill have spent £90million to move in on West Croydon. … Continue reading

Posted in Business, CPO, Croydon Central, Housing, Property, St Michael's Courtyard, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Croydon MP Jones given new beat in Starmer’s opposition

Sarah Jones, the MP for Croydon Central, will continue as a shadow minister after all, as Sir Keir Starmer, the new leader of the Labour Party, included her in his junior appointments last night. But Jones is moved from housing … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, London-wide issues, Policing, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MP Reed promoted to Labour’s front bench in Starmer reshuffle

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the step up for one of Croydon’s MPs Steve Reed, the MP for Croydon North, has been appointed to the shadow cabinet by the Labour Party’s new leader, Sir Keir Starmer. It’s the dream … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Lambeth Council, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

New Addington residents call for halt on Brick by Brick plans

One of the borough’s biggest – and fastest-growing – residents’ associations has accused the council of deliberately using the coronavirus emergency to help it push through controversial and unpopular development plans from its loss-making building firm, Brick by Brick. And … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Community associations, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Fieldway, New Addington North, New Addington Residents' Association, New Addington South, Planning, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Labour MPs step in to help co-ordinate emergency volunteering

Croydon’s Labour MPs are working with council agency Croydon Voluntary Action to help recruit volunteers, collect donations for food banks and offer support to those that need it during the coronavirus emergency. With the sudden emergence of a wide range … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, CVA, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman feels pressure as Fairfield selection referred for review

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on how an internal party scandal is about to cause more discomfort for the Croydon council leader As council leader Tony Newman comes under increasing pressure over a range of policy failures, while the Democratically Elected … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, David White, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

‘A time to prepare, not panic’ MP Jones says over coronavirus

Croydon, London and much of the country was going into a self-imposed lockdown today, as sports events, concerts and other public gatherings, large and small, were being postponed or called off to try to avoid the spread of coronavirus. In … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Central, Croydon Minster, Croydon NHS Trust, Crystal Palace FC, Health, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayday Hospital, Mayor of London, Sarah Jones MP, Sport, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Concrete-coated Brexit is a disaster for Croydon’s Westfield

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Britain’s exit from Europe has played a major part in the collapse of the town’s Westfield scheme, says SIMON SPRAGUE During the General Election campaign in December, I made the perhaps unwise decision to join Twitter. I set … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Central, Mario Creatura, Simon Sprague, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Scaled-down town centre development could take 10 years

MT WALLETTE, our unbuilt shopping malls correspondent, reports on the deep hole that Croydon has got itself into over the aborted Westfield development Croydon Council has allowed itself to be mugged by a couple of multi-national developers, and has handed … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, London-wide issues, Mario Creatura, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Wait-field: now Labour council leader Newman calls it a ‘mess’

Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the rancour and recriminations between the borough’s third-rate politicians, desperately trying to pass the buck over the stalled £1.4bn supermall scheme, as City Hall is forced to step in to try to salvage … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jo Negrini, Jules Pipe, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Barwell cashes in on his ‘expertise’ as an ex-housing minister

Gavin Barwell, the author of How To Lose A Marginal Seat, is sticking his snout in the trough ever deeper. Despite being firmly rejected by the voters of Croydon in 2017, the former Conservative MP and housing minister who ignored … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Central, Gavin Barwell, Housing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

MP Jones calls for end to ‘permitted development’ conversions

Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones has called on the government to scrap “permitted development” rules which allow developers to convert offices into the “slums of the future” without the consent of local councils. Even though Croydon’s Labour-run council blocked further … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Housing, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Central’s Starmer-Rayner choice hints at shift from Corbyn

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the outcome of local Labour meetings and how their leadership nominations might reflect the direction of the party There’s more than a touch of EuroVision about it. “And the decision of the Croydon Central … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, London Assembly, Patsy Cummings, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman stifles report which alleges conspiracy over selection

WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, on a leaked report over the rumbling row in Croydon Labour over a selection stitch-up that saw Tony Newman’s favoured candidate put forward for last November’s Fairfield council by-election A internal party report, leaked to … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Central, David White, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Sarah Jones MP, Tony Newman, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments