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Category Archives: Leisure services
Football club forced to play games away over Arena uncertainty
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 Croydon Arena, Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, Donna Fraser
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Shut Arena has Croydon trailing in national fitness campaign
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 Better, Croydon Arena, Croydon FC, GLL, Greenwich Leisure, South Norwood
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Council splashes cash on new pool that went £17m overbudget
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
Library closures: Lewis forced to issue statement on plans
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 Bradmore Green, Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Labour, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, Tory
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Shhh! Four libraries could be flogged off. Don’t tell anyone
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 Bradmore Green, Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Helen Pollard, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Norbury, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Sanderstead, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Tory
2 Comments
TUC calls for ‘Domesday Book’ to register outsourced deals
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 Capita, Greenwich Leisure, idVerde, TUC, Veolia, Viridor
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GLL Foundation seeks applications for 2019 round of funding
Posted in Athletics, Boxing, Charity, Cricket, Cycling, Football, GLL - Better, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby Union, Sport, Swimming
Tagged GLL, GLL Foundation, Greenwich Leisure
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Croydon Arena football pitch savaged as ‘danger’ to players
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
Angry complaints force U-turn over leisure centre charges
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 Better, Croydon, Croydon Council, GLL, Greenwich Leisure, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, Purley, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Waddon
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GLL lined up for libraries, as well as leisure and pools
GENE BRODIE, our bookish gyms correspondent, on an added twist to the tale of a 20-year leisure centre management contract GLL – Greenwich Leisure Ltd – could be lined up to take over the operation of Croydon’s library service. GLL … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Carillion, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Fusion, Greenwich Leisure, John Laing Integrated Services, Leisure services, Libraries, New Addington, Purley, Purley Pool, South Norwood, Sport, Thornton Heath, Waddon
Tagged Croydon Council, GLL, Greenwich Leisure, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, Purley, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Waddon
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People Power wins battle of the paper cups in Thornton Heath
There’s been a (minor) victory for People Power in Thornton Heath, as the firm who manage the local pool and leisure centre have promised to reinstate drinking cups at the gym’s water coolers. “We got it wrong,” Fusion Lifestyle said … Continue reading
Public start the fightback over standards at Fusion centres
The cup of cheer is hardly overflowing for leisure centre users around the borough. Indeed, many don’t have even a paper cup, as KEN LEE reports The borough’s swimming pools and leisure centres are coming in for ever closer scrutiny … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Fusion, Jamie Audsley, Leisure services, Maggie Mansell, New Addington, South Norwood, Thornton Heath Community Action Team, Waddon
Tagged Fusion, Fusion Lifestyle, Jamie Audsley, Maggie Mansell, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Timothy Godfrey, Waddon Leisure Centre
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Council is splashing the cash for another swimming summer
Croydon’s Labour council has splashed the cash again, to give the borough’s under-16-year-olds free swimming sessions over the summer holidays. The free offer runs from Monday July 26 to Tuesday September 4. “This is the fourth summer in a row … Continue reading
Make a splash with council’s free swimming offer for under-16s
Free summer swimming for under-16s is available at all of Croydon Council’s leisure centres for the six weeks of the schools’ summer holidays. As well as free swimming there will be crash courses for those new to the water, and … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Croydon Council, Education, Health, Leisure services, New Addington, Purley, Purley Pool, Schools, South Norwood, Swimming, Thornton Heath, Waddon
Tagged Croydon Council, Labour, New Addington, Purley, South Norwood, swimming, Thornton Heath, Timothy Godfrey, Waddon
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POLL: Back our scheme to save Purley Pool – permanently
FLIP FLOP (Part 94): Purley Pool has been given a reprieve, of sorts. Following an announcement this morning by Tony Newman, the council leader, the only public swimming pool serving a vast catchment area in the south of the borough … Continue reading
Posted in 2015 General Election, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Emily Benn, Fusion, Leisure services, Mike Fisher, Planning, Purley Pool, Swimming, Tony Newman
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Labour, Mike Fisher, Purley Pool, Tony Newman, Tory
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Purley Pool shows Tories and Labour are both in shallow end
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Croydon South’s anarchist candidate, JON BIGGER, pictured left, says that the decision over Purley Pool is another example to show there’s little difference between his Conservative and Labour election rivals The debate around the closure of Purley Pool … Continue reading
Posted in 2015 General Election, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Emily Benn, Jon Bigger, Leisure services, Purley, Purley Pool, Tony Newman
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon Council, Emily Benn, Jon Bigger, Labour, Purley, Purley Pool, The Hon Emily Benn, Tony Newman, Tory
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Croydon council offices cost more to build than The Shard
Fisher’s Folly, the glass palace that is our council’s headquarters which opened just over a year ago and which cost the borough’s Council Tax-payers’ £144 million, was more expensive to build than The Shard. That’s the conclusion reached by a … Continue reading
Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Jon Rouse, Leisure services, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, Planning, Property, Taberner House, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, URV
Tagged Bernard Weatherill House, CCURV, Conservative, Croydon Council, Fisher's Folly, John Laing, Jon Rouse, Labour, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Tory, URV
4 Comments
Developer price tag for New Addington pool is £10m too much
David Cameron and Gideon Osborne, the Tory Prime Minister and his Chancellor, have been described as “two posh boys who don’t know the price of milk”. Croydon’s own career politician, Gavin Barwell, the MP for the Whitgift Foundation, has himself … Continue reading
Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Leisure services, Nathan Elvery, New Addington, Planning, Property, Purley, Purley Pool, Sport, Swimming, Tony Newman, URV
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Council, Labour, New Addington, Purley, Purley Pool, Tony Newman, Tory, Waddon, Waddon Leisure Centre
2 Comments
Purley Pool to close as council Budget cuts begin to bite
Croydon Council is to close Purley Pool in a cost-cutting exercise aimed at avoiding having to spend at least £780,000 on urgently required repairs and renovations to the much-neglected swimming facility. Purley’s swimming pools’ fate was sealed once the council … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon South, Fusion, Leisure services, Nathan Elvery, Planning, Property, Purley, Purley Pool, Sport, Swimming
Tagged Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Labour, Purley, Purley Pool, Tory
4 Comments
Council set to bring pools, parks and library service in-house
Croydon school pupils denied desks to study in the borough’s public libraries, free swimming sessions going under-publicised, and our parks being locked up because of a lack of contractor staff could all be things of the past if outsourced services … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Carillion, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Environment, Fusion, John Laing Integrated Services, Leisure services, Libraries, Refuse collection, Timothy Godfrey, Wandle Park, Waste incinerator
Tagged Carillion, Conservative, Croydon, Fusion, incinerator, Labour, Libraries, Quadron, Sara Bashford, Tim Pollard, Timoth Godfrey, Tory, Viridor
2 Comments
Waddon pool’s service without a smile for £44 a month
WALTER CRONXITE, our intrepid reporter in the 32in waist Speedos who has a faint whiff of chlorine about him, reports from poolside at the over-priced and poorly finished Waddon Leisure Centre If you ignore the stinking pool of brown water … Continue reading
Posted in Fusion, Health, Leisure services, Purley Way, Sport, Swimming, Waddon
Tagged Croydon, Croydon South, Purley Way, Waddon, Waddon Leisure Centre
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Leisure centre opens – and charges locals £44 per month
Olympic legacy? Not at the Waddon Leisure Centre, opened yesterday by Croydon Council inviting a Paralympic champion from… Sutton. The public facility – built at a cost of £15million, or one-tenth of the price we are paying for the Council … Continue reading
Posted in Clare Hilley, Fusion, Leisure services, Simon Hoar, Tony Harris, Waddon
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon Council, Gym, Jamie Ward, Leisure centre, London, London Borough of Croydon, Waddon
6 Comments
Laings give up on URV schemes due to lack of interest
Croydon Council’s “innovative” £450 million urban regeneration vehicle will not be copied by any other local authority any time soon, as their partners in the scheme, John Laing, have announced that they will not be bidding for any more such … Continue reading
