Category Archives: Julie Belvir

Bankrupt council paid firm of solicitors £2m over two years

Posted on January 4, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council used to have a senior official known as the ‘Borough Solicitor’. These days, the cash-strapped council is out-sourcing much of its legal work to a single firm of solicitors, at huge cost. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Inside Croydon, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Julie Belvir, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Council was paying £110,000 per year to ‘despicable’ legal firm

Posted on June 23, 2016 by insidecroydon

Parents of children with special educational needs who have been forced to fight stressful and demanding legal cases to seek proper support from Croydon Council have won a small victory by getting the Town Hall to cancel arrangements for legal … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Education, Jon Rouse, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Chief executive Elvery has quit £180,000 Croydon Council job

Posted on March 30, 2016 by insidecroydon

The council’s CEO is the third senior executive to announce their departure from Croydon so far this year. WALTER CRONXITE reports Ambitious for Croydon? Hmm, maybe the allure of the £1 billion Hammersfield development is not so attractive after all: … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Jon Rouse, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Paul Greenhalgh, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Council erases role of Borough Solicitor as Belvir leaves

Posted on February 24, 2016 by insidecroydon

Julie Belvir, the Borough Solicitor, is to leave her job and the post of most senior legal adviser to the council is to be abolished in a cost-cutting measure. Because it’s not like Croydon Council doesn’t need all the legal … Continue reading →

Posted in Clare Hilley, Croydon Council, Julie Belvir, Riesco Collection, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hammerson admit £1bn Croydon supermall delayed till 2021

Posted on February 15, 2016 by insidecroydon

Finally, Hammersfield have admitted publicly that work on their £1billion supermall, a deal which Tory MP Gavin Barwell and London Mayor Boris Johnson boasted would secure Croydon’s future, now won’t start until 2017. Adding the words “at the earliest” would … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jo Negrini, Julie Belvir, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The year in review, as it really happened inside Croydon

Posted on December 31, 2015 by insidecroydon

2015 marked the fifth year of publication of Inside Croydon, and we’re proud to continue to offer truly independent coverage of what is really happening in the borough, the unvarnished truth, without influence or favours from the speculators or politicians, … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Bernard Weatherill House, Boris Johnson, Boxpark, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon West, CPO, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Education, Emily Benn, Environment, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Inside Croydon, Jo Negrini, John Wentworth, Julie Belvir, Mario Creatura, Pat Ryan, Peter Underwood, Planning, Schools, Steve Reed MP, Stiles Harold Williams, Sutton Council, Tom Brake MP, Tony Newman, Waste incinerator, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council’s chasm of unaccountability grows wider each day

Posted on October 19, 2015 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Our borough’s elected representatives are being increasingly marginalised by a system that places huge power in the hands of a handful of unaccountable officials, writes STEVEN DOWNES Make the most of it at the Town Hall tonight. For … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Bernard Weatherill House, Business, Cane Hill, Chris Philp MP, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Housing, Jo Negrini, Jon Rouse, Julie Belvir, Maggie Mansell, Nathan Elvery, Norbury, Oasis Academy, Paul Scott, Planning, Pubs, Purley, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Thornton Heath, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, URV, Whitgift Centre, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Long overdue that councillors take charge at our councils

Posted on September 25, 2015 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Our report last week about a controversial meeting between Sutton Council’s chief executive and one of the borough’s councillors annoyed our loyal reader ARNO RABINOWITZ. But he was not surprised There’s a terrifying tendency, not only in Croydon … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Niall Bolger, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The 2015 Garbage Gallery: Have the bin men been?

Posted on September 19, 2015 by insidecroydon

SEP 19 UPDATE: There is a problem for Croydon’s Labour-run council. Having got elected to the Town Hall in 2014 on a platform that promised to clean-up the borough of the blight of fly-tipping, it’s becoming increasing clear that, however … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Refuse collection, Thornton Heath, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

UKIP supporters to face demands for legal costs from council

Posted on September 12, 2015 by insidecroydon

Croydon Council has begun legal proceedings against a UKIP-dominated group which has refused to return thousands of pounds in an unspent grant. Council officials have decided to pursue the group’s committee members for the costs incurred for recovering that money. … Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Peter Staveley | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Boxpark announced food plan after getting £3m council loan

Posted on September 8, 2015 by insidecroydon

Croydon Council’s £3 million loan of public cash to persuade Boxpark to set up a pop-up shopping mall alongside East Croydon Station was made in the expectation that the retail outlet would be a mixed development of trend-setting fashion stores … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Boxpark, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Jo Negrini, Julie Belvir, Menta Tower, Property, Pubs, Restaurants, Ruskin Square | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Croydon’s suffering Labour pains at delivering promises

Posted on August 11, 2015 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Being “Ambitious” for something is one thing, says ARNO RABINOWITZ. Actually delivering on those election promises is proving a different matter Just for fun – but then I am a closet masochist – I looked through the Labour … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, CALAT, Croydon Council, Duppas Hill Park, Education, Environment, Family Justice Centre, Housing, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Legal case against landlord scheme comes from Bury, Lancs

Posted on July 27, 2015 by insidecroydon

The leadership of Croydon Council will be up before a High Court judge next Tuesday, August 4, at the start of a Judicial Review of its landlords licensing scheme which is being brought by a company registered in … Bury, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, Alison Butler, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Jo Negrini, Julie Belvir, Planning, Property, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Father gets council to promise refund of lesson charges

Posted on April 30, 2015 by insidecroydon

Our education correspondent, GENE BRODIE, reports on a Croydon Council U-turn over its unlawful charges of £3,500 per year to some parents of children at state primary schools A campaigning parent is claiming victory over local authority bureaucracy after Croydon … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Education, Julie Belvir, Paul Greenhalgh, Purley Oaks, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Judge rejects incinerator appeal as focus turns to Viridor ‘gift’

Posted on April 28, 2015 by insidecroydon

A High Court judge this morning dismissed the latest, and possibly last, appeal under a Judicial Review by the Stop the Incinerator Campaign against Sutton Council’s decision to grant planning permission for an industrial-scale waste incineration plant to be built … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Nick Mattey, Planning, Refuse collection, Shasha Khan, Stuart Collins, Sutton Council, Tom Brake MP, Tony Newman, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

CEO Elvery takes the rap for council’s propaganda posters

Posted on March 7, 2015 by insidecroydon

WHO REALLY IS RUNNING CROYDON (Part 94): Another email has flooded into our inbox from the plush executive offices in Fisher’s Folly. According to Nathan Elvery, the council’s chief executive, it was all his fault that political propaganda was plastered on … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015 General Election, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Town Hall’s propaganda posters may re-appear as leaflets

Posted on February 22, 2015 by insidecroydon

It was not only the gobby fac totem of a local MP who power-steered his way into a car crash interview last week. The leader of the council, Tony Newman, was at it as well. Croydon’s #PosterGate took an inevitable … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Julie Belvir, Mario Creatura, Nathan Elvery, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How MP for Whitgift Foundation has lobbied ‘Inspector Blight’

Posted on February 4, 2015 by insidecroydon

STEVEN DOWNES reports on a Tory MP’s latest failure to declare his interests in a £1 billion redevelopment of central Croydon The official inquiry into Croydon Council’s Compulsory Purchase Order for property in and around the Whitgift Centre began yesterday. … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2015 General Election, Bernard Weatherill House, Business, CPO, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jo Negrini, Julie Belvir, Planning, Property, Purley Way, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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

Posted on February 3, 2015 by insidecroydon

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

Council meeting goes through the motions as a costly joke

Posted on January 27, 2015 by insidecroydon

WALTER CRONXITE, our man watching the webcast with a Yorkie bar and  a cup of strong black coffee, calls for another reform of Croydon Council: scrap meetings of the full council. They’re a complete waste of time and public money, … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon West, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Julie Belvir, Kenley, Lynne Hale, Mario Creatura, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, Phil Thomas, Purley, Purley Pool, Richard Ottaway MP, Sanderstead, Steve O'Connell, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Waste incinerator, Whitgift Foundation, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Labour council continues to charge for reading lessons

Posted on January 26, 2015 by insidecroydon

GENE BRODIE, our education correspondent, has discovered that Croydon’s Labour-run council is using a legal loophole to continue to charge local children up to £3,500 per year just to teach them how to read and write Croydon Council continues to … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Education, Julie Belvir, Paul Greenhalgh, Schools, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Borough Solicitor issues councillors with CPO gagging order

Posted on January 24, 2015 by insidecroydon

WHO’S REALLY RUNNING CROYDON COUNCIL (Part 94): The borough’s 70 councillors, all democratically elected as recently as last May to represent the interests of the people of Croydon, have been ordered to express no opinion whatsoever about the £1billion Hammersfield … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jo Negrini, Julie Belvir, Planning, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Report covers up council’s role in #WadGate scandal

Posted on January 21, 2015 by insidecroydon

Croydon Council has overseen a cover-up of the role of senior public officials in the #WadGate scandal, in which over the course of a year the now former council leader, Mike Fisher, was allowed to trouser an extra £13,000 of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Julie Belvir, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, Shirley, Steve Hollands, Steve O'Connell, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Oasis governors cleared to rule on academy planning decision

Posted on January 4, 2015 by insidecroydon

Croydon Council’s highly paid legal eagles see nothing wrong with current and former governors from an Oasis academy in the borough being part of a planning committee that is to decide on an application to build a six-forms-of-entry Oasis academy … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon North, Environment, Hamida Ali, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Oasis Academy, Paul Scott, Planning, Schools, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

#WadGate report delayed as inquiry seeks more information

Posted on December 20, 2014 by insidecroydon

Mike #WadGate Fisher, and the rest of Croydon’s Tories, have at least another three weeks to wait for the outcome of the inquiry into how the former Conservative council leader managed secretly to claim an extra £11,000 in Town Hall … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015 General Election, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Gavin Barwell, Julie Belvir, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, Steve Hollands, Steve O'Connell, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment