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Category Archives: Council Tax
Finance chief leaves council three months sooner than planned
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Weeks after the abrupt departure of CEO Katherine Kerswell with a £50,000 ‘farewell present’, the early exit of head of finance Jane West prompts speculation that she has become the latest council boss to receive a generous … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Ian Golland, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Kristian Aspinall, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Uncategorized
Tagged Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council budget, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Ian Golland, Jane West, Kerry Critchlow, Kristian Aspinall, Lambeth, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Newham, Steve Reed OBE, Tory
15 Comments
Reed confirms council funding formula will favour Croydon
#FUNDCROYDONFAIRLY: Government announces it will re-set its system for deciding grants to local government and, at last, cash-strapped Croydon might receive a fairer share. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Labour government has today announced that it is to scrap “outdated … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP
Tagged 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed OBE, Tory, Waddon
5 Comments
Commissioners critical of Mayor Perry’s risky financial plans
Council Tax UP Borrowing UP Council debts UP An official report ahead of a Town Hall meeting tomorrow night paints a grim picture. And the government Commissioners are unimpressed. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Croydon’s financial position “remains extremely fragile … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Uncategorized
Tagged Auditors, Commissioners, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Ged Curran, Grant Thornton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory
8 Comments
Now even Mayor Perry agrees we need to Fund Croydon Fairly
Columnist ANDREW FISHER, and this website, have been lobbying government to #FundCroydonFairly since early 2023. So why did it take Mayor Jason Perry so long to catch on? In 2023, this website helped to launch a campaign for fair funding … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP
Tagged 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tory, Waddon
11 Comments
Labour’s Davis tells minister Reed to fund Croydon fairly
Simultaneously, two of the borough’s mayoral candidates have decided to demand better government grants for the council. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Something very strange happened in Croydon yesterday. The leader of one of the larger political groups said: “For … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP
Tagged 2026 Croydon mayoral election, 2026 local elections, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tory, Waddon
7 Comments
Exits and pay-offs: our news panel goes behind the headlines
The latest golden goodbye for a departing council CEO, the terrible state of even new flats around central Croydon, Westfield and the Allders kiosks, and what looks like the hot ticket for Christmas entertainment – all get discussed on our … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", 2017 General Election, Allders, Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Insider, Inside Croydon, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Under The Flyover, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Allders, Allders kiosks, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Insider, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Patreon, Podcast, Spotify, Steve Reed OBE, The Fold, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
7 Comments
Auditors issue Perry with warning over ‘unsustainable’ finances
The council’s emergency borrowing since 2019 will top £1billion within three years, according to a highly critical report from auditors Grant Thornton, as they show Croydon’s Mayor the local authority equivalent of a yellow card. By our Town Hall reporter, … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, EFS, Exceptional financial support, External auditors, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Pay-off, Perry's pay-off, RIPI, Statutory warning, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory
6 Comments
#BINMAGEDDON: Perry sneaks out charges for wheelie bins
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Having dumped his secret plan to charge a £5 admin fee for new bins, now the borough’s Tory Mayor is charging residents up to £39 for replacement wheelies. By our Town Hall reporter, SANDRA STEAD Jason Perry, … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Refuse collection, Veolia
Tagged #Binmageddon, 15% Council Tax hike, Biggest Dump In Britain, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Litter Free Norbury, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tony Hooker, Tory, Veolia
14 Comments
Kerswell gets ‘vote of confidence’ in email from Commissioner
Two months since the government sent in Commissioners to run Croydon’s cash-strapped and chaotic council, a round-robin message to staff today suggests that the team has already ‘gone native’. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Staff working in Fisher’s Folly, cash-strapped Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Alison McGovern MP, Commissioner, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Steve Reed OBE, Transformation plan
7 Comments
Now Kerswell’s deputy CEO joins the rush for council exits
EXCLUSIVE: To lose one of her trusted inner circle might be unfortunate for Croydon chief exec Katherine Kerswell, but to lose two is beginning to look like an exodus. By STEVEN DOWNES Elaine Jackson, the senior council executive who Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jane West, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
8 Comments
Go West! Cash-strapped council’s finance chief is set to quit
EXCLUSIVE: Councillors were kept in the dark about departure of council’s S151 officer, as her exit is linked to the government’s appointment of Commissioners. By STEVEN DOWNES Jane West, Croydon’s finance director since 2022, is to stand down from her … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jane West, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
3 Comments
£204,000 per year CEO tells staff they’re getting 3.2% pay rise
Our Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the increasing inequalities in pay at the cash-strapped council Everyone can relax: Katherine Kerswell’s back! Croydon Council’s chief executive announced her return from holiday with her regular, condescending “Weekly Waffle” internal email to … Continue reading
Funding review for English councils could finally help Croydon
Croydon could actually be among the “winners” of the next review of local authority funding from government, according to a report from the country’s leading independent economics research institute. The Institute for Fiscal Studies report, published today, probably doesn’t tell … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues
Tagged Angela Rayner MP, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, IFS, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Labour, London, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Westminster, Whitehall
8 Comments
Council facing High Court challenge over ‘No Access Croydon’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Public Interest Law Centre is bringing a Judicial Review against the council claiming it is failing to meet its statutory responsibilities and is acting in a discriminatory manner EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Tory Mayor Jason Perry … Continue reading
Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry
Tagged Access Croydon, Bernard Weatherill House, BWH, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon BME Forum, Croydon Council, Croydon Nightwatch, Emma Gardiner, Fisher's Folly, Homelessness, Katherine Kerswell, London Renters' Union, Mayor Jason Perry, PILC, Public Interest Law Centre, Public Services Delivery Hub, South Norwood Community Kitchen, South West London Law Centre, Tory
9 Comments
McArdle’s reward for Croydon failure: £1,200 per day in Brum
Having delivered no appreciable improvement in Croydon after more than four years, the council’s ‘improvement’ panel left south London last week, to be replaced by Commissioners. But the panel members’ ride on the gravy train does not end there. By … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Robert Ward, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tony McArdle, Tory, Transformation plan
7 Comments
Surrey, Lambeth and Bromley beat Croydon as rotten boroughs
Based on official Ombudsman figures, our council remains among the most complained about in England. But might there be a glimmer of improvement in the figures, or has our borough just been overtaken for rotteness by others? EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning
Tagged Amerdeep Somal, Bromley Council, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth council, LGO, Local Government Ombudsman, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Surrey County Council, Tory
16 Comments
It’s a lock out as High Court bailiffs move in on Praise House
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Some of failed Mayor Perry’s biggest fans had a rude awakening on Friday morning when the council sent in bailiffs and locked them out of their civic-owned building. The tenants claim they have no idea why. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Business, Charity, Church and religions, Commissioners, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged 37 Tamworth Road, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Damian Luke, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Pastor Damian Luke, Praise House, Praise House Church, Section 114 Notice, Tamworth Road, Tory, Transformation plan
18 Comments
Tory improvement panel ‘clearly failed’, says Tory councillor
In the first break with the omerta adopted by Mayor Jason Perry and council CEO Katherine Kerswell over the so-called ‘improvement panel’, a senior Tory councillor says that the appointees of the Conservative government ‘failed’. By WALTER CONXITE, Political Editor … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Robert Ward, Section 114 notice, Selsdon and Addington Village, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
4 Comments
£642,000: the annual cost of government’s four Commissioners
The government might have decided to send in Commissioners, but it will be Croydon’s Council Tax-payers who will be picking up the bill. Yet again. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s long-suffering residents will be expected to pay the generous daily … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
6 Comments
‘The government was left with no choice’ over Commissioners
The government “was left with no choice” but to appoint Commissioners to take over the running of Croydon’s omnishambles council, a decision which reflects “serious failings on leadership and culture” at the Town Hall. Two of Croydon’s Labour MPs, Sarah … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Chris Philp MP, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Ged Curran, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Natasha Irons MP, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 Notice, Steve Reed OBE, Streatham and Croydon North, Tory, Transformation plan
11 Comments
Minister McMahon orders in Commissioners to run council
STEVEN DOWNES reports on another day of shame for Croydon’s Tory Mayor and his £204,000 chief executive, as government minister orders ‘a short and sharp reset, with fast action… to shift the dial on the council’s recovery’ The government today … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
23 Comments
Meet the Commissioners: council experts sent to save Croydon
Just who are the Commissioners named today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to have been appointed with the task of steering Croydon Council off the rocks of toxic debt and crass mismanagement? Last month, local government … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
4 Comments
Kerswell tells staff: Commissioner news could come this week
Croydon’s £204,000 per year chief exec appears to have bowed to the inevitable that the government will take over the running of the debt-laden council. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor “Her empire is crumbling around her.” That’s how one Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Property, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tony Ralph, Tory, Transformation plan
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