Category Archives: GLL – Better

Parents facing ‘hollowed-out’ half-term of council activities

Posted on February 13, 2023 by insidecroydon

When Jason “It’s going to get worse before it gets better” Perry referred to the “hollowed-out council” that he took charge of last May, the Tory Mayor must have had in mind the borough’s library service, which has been run … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Children's Services, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Leisure services, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Schools, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council offers warm spaces – at libraries closed for Christmas

Posted on December 19, 2022 by insidecroydon

Cold-hearted Tory Mayor Jason Perry has, somewhat belatedly, got round to publicising a list of warm banks around the borough. But typically of the dysfunctional council, the listing of 34 venues is offered on its website, which is not accessible … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Nightwatch, GLL - Better, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Fuel crisis takes grip of borough leisure centres’ opening times

Posted on December 10, 2022 by insidecroydon

Times are tough. Now Croydon’s leisure centres and swimming pools – owned by the cash-strapped council and operated for them by Greenwich Leisure – are reducing their opening hours because they can’t afford the steepling costs of heating the buildings, … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Leisure services, Libraries, New Addington, Purley, Purley Pool, South Norwood, Swimming, Thornton Heath, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Further £38.4m to be sliced from next year’s council budget

Posted on October 1, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall leadership hoped to keep the latest round of cuts secret until after next week’s referendum, as the consequences of the borough’s bankruptcy start to hit home. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES £12m of adult social care … Continue reading →

Posted in 2021 Mayor Referendum, Adult Social Care, Callton Young, Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Hamida Ali, Jason Cummings, Leisure services, Libraries, Purley Pool, Richard Ennis, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

‘The damage to the Fairfield Halls reputation is severe’

Posted on September 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: While the cash-strapped council remains preoccupied with its finances, the once prestigious arts centre on the other side of Park Lane risks sliding towards cultural oblivion. By our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK There are growing concerns that … Continue reading →

Posted in Arnhem Gallery, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, GLL - Better, Mayor of London, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Paula Murray, Sadiq Khan, The Wreck, Theatre, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Purley campaign demands answers over pool’s lack of funding

Posted on January 22, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: With Greenwich Leisure, who operate the borough’s leisure facilities, under intense covid-19 financial pressures of their own, local mum RACHEL GARNETT (pictured left) explains the vital importance of the continuing campaign to save Purley Pool from closure … Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Leisure services, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Libraries, pool and Arena may not open because of cash crisis

Posted on September 17, 2020 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: More embarrassment for Tony Newman as Croydon-owned sports centre in his ward remains closed, while fears have been revived that the Labour-run council could flog off some libraries for housing Several of the borough’s public libraries and … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, GLL - Better, Leisure services, Libraries, Simon Hall, Sport, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Councillor warns Purley leisure centre may never reopen

Posted on September 8, 2020 by insidecroydon

A ward councillor in Purley says that the council-owned swimming pool and leisure centre there, which has been closed since March because of coronavirus, is at serious risk of never being reopened.

Posted in Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Helen Redfern, Leisure services, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Pool, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Football club forced to play games away over Arena uncertainty

Posted on August 2, 2020 by insidecroydon

The borough’s longest-established non-league football club go into the new season forced into a nomadic existence, uncertain of when their home ground at Croydon Arena will be available to stage home games. The council-owned Arena, the home ground of Croydon … Continue reading →

Posted in Athletics, Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, Football, GLL - Better, Sport | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Shut Arena has Croydon trailing in national fitness campaign

Posted on July 28, 2020 by insidecroydon

With the government launching a £10million health awareness campaign to encourage the public to take more exercise and lead active and fitter lifestyles, it appears Croydon has made a false start. There’s mounting concern among some of the borough’s biggest … Continue reading →

Posted in Athletics, Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, Cycling, Football, GLL - Better, Leisure services, South Norwood, Sport | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council splashes cash on new pool that went £17m overbudget

Posted on January 3, 2020 by insidecroydon

Two years late and £17million overbudget, the New Addington Leisure Centre has finally opened. The building on Champions Parade is a particularly ugly block even as carbuncles go. It houses a six-lane, 25-metre pool and smaller teaching pool. There is … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, GLL - Better, Leisure services, New Addington | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Library closures: Lewis forced to issue statement on plans

Posted on June 9, 2019 by insidecroydon

The Labour cabinet member who told the scrutiny committee that he ‘absolutely’ has plans to build more flats on the borough’s public libraries now says the council ‘currently’ has no plans to close libraries. Our bookish gyms correspondent, GENE BRODIE, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Carillion, GLL - Better, Libraries, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Shirley North, South Norwood, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Shhh! Four libraries could be flogged off. Don’t tell anyone

Posted on May 15, 2019 by insidecroydon

Our bookish gyms correspondent, GENE BRODIE, on how the Labour-run council is clearing the way for more non-unionised volunteer-run libraries than the Town Hall’s Tories ever managed Croydon Council has been accused of secrecy again, this time after stopping most … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Carillion, Coulsdon, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Education, GLL - Better, Helen Pollard, Jo Negrini, Libraries, Norbury, Old Coulsdon, Planning, Property, Purley, Sanderstead, Shirley North, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

TUC calls for ‘Domesday Book’ to register outsourced deals

Posted on January 22, 2019 by insidecroydon

One year on from the collapse of outsourcing giant Carillion, and the TUC is calling for greater transparency in the way private firms are able to profit from and operate public services. The Carillion collapse had some knock-on effects in … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Carillion, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, GLL - Better, idVerde, Libraries, Refuse collection, Skanska, Veolia, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

GLL Foundation seeks applications for 2019 round of funding

Posted on January 15, 2019 by insidecroydon
Posted in Athletics, Boxing, Charity, Cricket, Cycling, Football, GLL - Better, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby Union, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Croydon Arena football pitch savaged as ‘danger’ to players

Posted on August 13, 2018 by insidecroydon

The borough’s longest established non-league football club is threatening to withhold its hire fees from Croydon Council over the poor state of the pitch at Croydon Arena. Officials from opposition clubs who have played Croydon FC in the opening week … Continue reading →

Posted in AFC Croydon Athletic, Athletics, Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, Football, GLL - Better, Leisure services, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Angry complaints force U-turn over leisure centre charges

Posted on July 11, 2018 by insidecroydon

The council’s ‘Better’ leisure centres have been forced to abandon plans to charge the carers of disabled people for use of the facilities. But those on low incomes are still expected to pay £28.50 for a membership scheme they probably … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Felicity Flynn, Fieldway, GLL - Better, Greenwich Leisure, Health, Leisure services, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool, Simon Hall, South Norwood, Sport, Swimming, Thornton Heath, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment