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Category Archives: Improvement Board
Mayor Perry’s first act is to end planners’ ‘9-9-9 emergency’
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the early moves by the new administration Jason Perry’s first executive act as Croydon’s new Mayor was to start to wind-in the toxic legacy of Paul Scott’s time in charge of planning and development … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, grafitti, Jason Perry, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Planning, SPD2, Tory
27 Comments
Council leader Ali announces she won’t seek re-election in May
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tony Newman’s protégé has changed her mind about standing as a councillor in the forthcoming Town Hall elections. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the leader of Croydon’s cash-strapped, Labour-controlled council since October 2020, is to stand … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross, Woodside
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Regina Road, South Norwood, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman
3 Comments
Council chief exec (no, not that one) fired for gross misconduct
Government-appointed commissioners at another Labour-run council have acted swiftly after Slough was handed a record-busting £307m bail-out. By our Town Hall correspondent, KEN LEE Croydon’s cash-strapped council this week lost its status as world record-holders for the biggest bail-out ever … Continue reading
Things are about to get even harder, warns report to ministers
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government minister expresses concerns over the changes being made at council as it implements its ‘extremely challenging’ budget. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council “are at a critical point of their recovery journey and there is more to … Continue reading
‘We’re not teetering on the brink of bankruptcy’ claims Kerswell
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s £192,000 CEO has told a local government magazine that she has a solution to fix the latest financial crisis: more borrowing. By STEVEN DOWNES An 11th-hour decision on a loan from the Department of Levelling … Continue reading
Council looks to second postponement of budget meeting
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall chiefs still trying to negotiate another multi-million-pound government bail-out, with time running out to issue 136,000 Council Tax notices. By STEVEN DOWNES The council is on the brink of crashing into bankruptcy, unable to set … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Business, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Richard Ennis, Tony McArdle
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Michael Gove, Tony McArdle
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Council admits: We’re on the brink of bankruptcy. Again
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After a fortnight of unconvincing denials from the Fisher’s Folly propaganda bunker and the local Labour Party, official reports released ahead of budget-setting meetings confirm that Croydon could indeed have to issue a second S114 notice. By … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, David Padfield, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Richard Ennis, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon Affordable Housing, Croydon Council, Grant Thornton, James Goudie QC, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Richard Ennis, Richard Simpson, S114, Section 114, Simon Hall
8 Comments
Met Police confirm fraud review into £67.5m Fairfield fiasco
KEN LEE reports on the latest twist in the council’s headlong rush towards bankruptcy, and perhaps worse, with the Town Hall’s fate in the hands of Michael Gove The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they have opened an investigation into … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Housing Revenue Account, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Michael Gove, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Tory
11 Comments
What a waste! Tory billions could pay to freeze your Council Tax
The Conservative government is punishing the people of Croydon by refusing to write off any of the council’s debts – but they are happy to write off £13billion from their own cock-ups in Whitehall. By ANDREW FISHER Croydon Council has … Continue reading
Posted in Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice
Tagged Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Conservative, coronavirus, Council Tax, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, John McDonnell MP, Labour, Tony Newman, Tory
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Croydon 2021: a tale of lockdowns, let-downs and meltdowns
DID WE HAVE NEWS FOR YOU: Croydon entered 2021 as a bankrupt borough, yet there was worse still to come. Inside Croydon has been there, reporting on every twist and turn of events around the cash-strapped council as it entered … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Rachel Flowers, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, Report in the Public Interest, Simon Hall, South Norwood Community Kitchen, Stuart King, Tony Newman
Tagged #Binmageddon, Alison Butler, coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Fransoy Hewitt, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Peter Bingle, Regina Road, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, South Norwood, STUART KING, Terrapin Group, Tony Newman
4 Comments
‘Some things have really changed for the better at our council’
CROYDON COMMENTARY: It is important that our cash-strapped local authority does not make cuts for cuts’ sake, and avoids incurring unnecessary costs when there might be other ways to conduct its business. By Councillor ANDREW PELLING Some things have changed … Continue reading
150 more councils close to financial brink, government admits
Other local authorities, including Tory-run councils, are also finding themselves in a slough of despond Croydon is just one of 150 local authorities that have been in urgent talks with Whitehall over their precarious financial situation following 18 months of … Continue reading
Kerswell culls 58 more jobs as council wrestles with budget
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Struggling to cut another £38m from its already trimmed spending, council chiefs’ response is to make more frontline workers redundant. By our Town Hall correspondent, KEN LEE Croydon’s cash-strapped council is struggling to make the further multi-million-pound … Continue reading
Brick by Brick ‘sweetheart’ sale could have cost another £45m
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The latest report from government-appointed inspectors assigned to check on the council finances reveals that a sweetheart deal to sell failed house-builders Brick by Brick to a Manchester developer could have cost the bankrupt borough another £45m. … Continue reading
Multi-million-pound loss on hotel ‘not ideal’ says panel
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Whitehall-appointed inspectors raise serious doubts over the council’s property sales. By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s sale of the Croydon Park Hotel at a loss of as much as £10million has been condemned by government-appointed officials. Such a … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Callton Young, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony McArdle
Tagged Callton Young, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Improvement Panel, Labour, Peter Bingle, S114, Section 114, STUART KING, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
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Cash-strapped council still going over-budget, report finds
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government commissioners say that there’s been ‘an opportunity missed’ because of the slow pace of change under council CEO. By STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell, the chief executive of the cash-strapped council, has been subjected to overt criticism … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Ennis, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Department for Levelling Up, DLUHC, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, S114, Section 114, Tony McArdle
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Council flogs off hotel for less than £29.8m it cost to buy
CROYDON IN CRISIS: While one Labour MP dines out with a notorious property lobbyist whose employees include the council’s deputy leader, one of the firm’s clients has snapped up the Croydon Park Hotel at a bargain basement price. EXCLUSIVE By … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Callton Young, College Green, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Housing, Improvement Board, London-wide issues, Planning, Property, Steve Reed MP, Stuart King
Tagged Brick by Brick, Callton Young, College Green, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon Park Hotel, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Peter Bingle, Steve Reed OBE, STUART KING, Terrapin Group
11 Comments
Reshuffle sees Philp shunted sideways to the ‘Ministry of Fun’
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the unlucky ‘escape’ in the government reshuffle for Croydon’s only Conservative MP Croydon’s only Tory MP has finally made his escape from the clutches of Priti Patel at the Home Office. There are rumours, unconfirmed, … Continue reading
Posted in Boris Johnson, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Housing, Improvement Board, Surrey
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Culture, DCMS, Department of Digital, Media and Sport, MHCLG, Michael Gove, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Nadine Dorries, Surrey Heath
3 Comments
Ali promises to release report into ‘collusive, unhealthy culture’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Has the council leader made another meaningless promise to the borough’s residents over ‘disciplinary action’ against those responsible for the Town Hall’s financial collapse? By STEVEN DOWNES The potentially dynamite but still unpublished Penn Report into possible … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Improvement Board, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Tony Newman
2 Comments
Jenrick ministry defends choice of all-white improvement panel
The government has been forced to defend its decision to appoint an all-white “improvement and assurance panel” to oversee Croydon Council’s efforts to recover from its financial collapse last year. In January, Robert Jenrick’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local … Continue reading
£700,000: Croydon counting the costs of council failures
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Town Hall has been hit with ‘penalty fines’ of its own since its financial collapse 12 months ago. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES £697,300 And rising… That’s how much Croydon Council says it has paid so far, … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Report in the Public Interest, Robert Canning, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Grant Thornton, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Robert Canning, Robert Jenrick, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
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Croydon warns Whitehall it will end taking child asylum-seekers
Just as the US-backed government in Afghanistan collapsed under assault from the Taliban, with potentially tens of thousands of people urgently seeking refuge outside their homeland, so Croydon Council has announced that it will refuse to take any more unaccompanied … Continue reading
Bankrupt borough could overspend by millions again this year
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Cash-strapped council is facing another busted budget, according to latest estimates. By STEVEN DOWNES Less than six months since Croydon was handed the biggest bail-out in history, following the authority declaring itself effectively bankrupt, and the council … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Chris Buss, Croydon, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tony McArdle
9 Comments
Government-appointed advisers pulled plug on BxB sale
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Improvement Panel’ ordered council to abandon its poor-value deal to sell Brick by Brick, and instead to pay Wates Construction £1.12m to oversee the loss-making builders’ work on 23 sites. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Tony McArdle
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Phil Brookes, Tony McArdle
11 Comments
Homes England called in to check Brick by Brick sale value
CROYDON IN CRISIS: There’s mounting concern over possible poor value for tax-payers in the ‘sweetheart’ deal arranged with Manchester developers. By STEVEN DOWNES Growing suspicions surrounding the too-good-to-be-true deal over the sale of loss-making house-builders Brick by Brick has seen … Continue reading
