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Category Archives: Lisa Taylor
Whitehall picks McArdle to sort out council’s financial mess
CROYDON IN CRISIS: At Monday’s cabinet meeting, the council leadership repeatedly denied that the appointment of an Improvement Board from Whitehall will amount to a takeover. But if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… Tony McArdle, … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Schools, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Virgo Fidelis
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Section 114, Simon Hall, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Virgo Fidelis, Virgo Fidelis Convent School
4 Comments
Council set to lend more money to failing Brick by Brick
CROYDON IN CRISIS: When in a hole, stop digging? Not Croydon’s bankrupt council, which is ‘damned if it does, damned if it doesn’t’ according to a senior Tory councillor over plans to throw more cash at its loss-making house-builder. KEN … Continue reading
Reshuffle puts execs in high-stakes game of musical chairs
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked council documents suggest that the interim chief executive has already made her mind up as to who she wants in her top team. By STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s £192,474 per year interim CEO, looks set to demote … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Section 114, Shifa Mustafa
10 Comments
Kerswell’s management savings plan: no change at the top
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Staff, unions and residents expected to react angrily to the council’s £193,000 interim CEO’s plan to make only minor changes to the staff on the biggest salaries at Fisher’s Folly. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell’s plan … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Elaine Jackson, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Elaine Jackson, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Shifa Mustafa
5 Comments
Now Scott tries to play the blame game over Brick by Brick
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on how the chief architect of the council’s disastrous housing policy is trying to salvage his reputation Paul Scott, part of the clique which led Croydon Council to bankruptcy, broke cover at a virtual Town … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Housing, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Martyn Evans, Paul Scott, Planning, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, S114, Section 114, Tony Newman
9 Comments
Council’s Christmas present to Croydon: another S114 notice
Ho! Ho! Ho! The countdown to Christmas at the council’s Fisher Folly offices began in earnest this morning with the issuing of a Section 114 notice – another one – signalling that officials are still unable to deliver a balanced … Continue reading
BxB-built library which has never opened is now to be closed
The story of South Norwood Library is just the latest example of how thoroughly screwed-up and costly the council’s relationship with its loss-making house-builders has become. GENE BRODIE, our bookish gyms correspondent, reports This could only happen in Croydon. The … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Education, Jane Avis, Libraries, Lisa Taylor, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Brick by Brick, Broad Green Library, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Jane Avis, London Borough of Croydon, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Sanderstead Library, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Tony Newman
8 Comments
Kerswell tries to gag council staff over Section 114 crisis
Council staff have been ordered not to read or talk to Inside Croydon. Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on how the council’s £192,000 per year CEO has quickly adopted the bunker mentality of her discredited predecessor Katherine Kerswell has been … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Section 114, Tony Newman
10 Comments
Croydon in Crisis: The questions the council refuses to answer
Frontline council staff, having already this year been put through one “reorganisation” – meaning more than 400 job cuts – now believe that there are more jobs to be axed. Seeking reassurance, these are just some of the questions which … Continue reading
The cuts: Fisher’s Folly to be sold and 3-weekly bin collections
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The problem facing Croydon Council as it seeks to balance its books is that, after a decade of Tory austerity, there’s precious little left to cut. STEVEN DOWNES reports The frustration with the slow pace of progress … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Alisa Flemming, Andrew Fisher, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Lisa Taylor, Refuse collection, Report in the Public Interest, Schools, Section 114 notice, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Andrew Fisher, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Section 114, Timothy Godfrey, Tory
11 Comments
£36m Brick by Brick ‘risk’ helped to trigger Croydon’s S114
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council finance director says that the loss-making house-builder’s failure to pay dividends was a primary cause of her issuing the Section 114 notice. By STEVEN DOWNES More than half of the council’s forecast £66million overspend in this … Continue reading
Angry council staff have hard questions for exec directors
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The honeymoon period for interim chief exec Katherine Kerswell appears to be over after a memo, sent just as the Section 114 notice was issued yesterday, has prompted new anger among the already demoralised staff. KEN LEE … Continue reading
S114 notice will make cost-cutting ‘more stringent and tough’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Chief finance officer Lisa Taylor sent out her report on the Section 114 notice at just after 3pm today, as her new boss, Katherine Kerswell, the interim council CEO, sent this email to all council staff Dear … Continue reading
Costs of covid-19 not the cause of financial collapse, says Ali
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After three weeks in the job, Hamida Ali admits that it was the Labour administration’s own errors, and not extra spending on coronavirus, that has led to the issue of the Section 114 notice. By KEN LEE, … Continue reading
Croydon In Crisis: Council forced to declare itself bankrupt
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Devastating blow’ for the borough as it has issued a Section 114 notice, making it the first local authority in London for two decades to admit it has gone bust. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council’s finance director, Lisa Taylor, … Continue reading
What is a Section 114 notice? What will it mean for the council?
Croydon Council today admitted that it had gone bust. Under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, Section 114 (3) dictates that: “The chief finance officer of a relevant authority shall make a report under this section if it appears to … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Lisa Taylor, Section 114 notice
Tagged Croydon Council, Lisa Taylor, S114, Section 114
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CEO Kerswell: council staff ‘are angry, upset and want answers’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: They say confession is good for the soul, though apologies issued yesterday by several council executives read more like pleas to keep their jobs. By WALTER CRONXITE There were several council staff members who half-expected Katherine Kerswell, … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Heather Cheesbrough, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Chris Wood, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Shifa Mustafa
15 Comments
Consultant gives 75 reasons for council’s financial mess
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tony Newman goes into tonight’s council meeting without the cabinet member for finance who has been at his side for a decade, and confronted with a report that shows his administration failed to listen to the warnings … Continue reading
Croydon’s rescue plan placed ‘at risk’ over £8m covid grant
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The cash-strapped council is struggling to make its sums add up, reports WALTER CRONXITE The £22.4million gap in the council budget could yet get worse, with the status of £8million of government grant made before the end … Continue reading
Newman wins vote but consigns Labour to election misery
TOWN HALL SKETCH: The borough is in the middle of two crises – the coronavirus pandemic and its own financial mess. Yet last night saw the first full meeting of Croydon Council in almost three months, an ’emergency’ meeting only … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe East, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Jeet Bains, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Mario Creatura, New Addington, New Addington Residents' Association, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Addiscombe, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Mayor, New Addington, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Tory
6 Comments
Is the end nigh? Newman facing cash crisis triple whammy
76% of readers think Tony Newman is not fit to be council leader 21,000 residents sign petition calling for a democratically elected mayor Whitehall bail-out for cash-strapped council to carry onerous conditions Tony Newman might be wishing he never came … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Jo Negrini, Labour, Paul Scott, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
1 Comment
Newman bypassed cabinet and colleagues on CEO decisions
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the latest decision by decree from the council leader, and with a profile of the interim CEO who had a chequered career before joining Croydon Before she was announced yesterday as the interim replacement … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, CPO, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
12 Comments
‘I can’t guarantee we won’t issue a Section 114 notice’
After weeks of repeated denials from Town Hall chiefs that the council is broke, last night there was a refreshing outbreak of frankness by an official. KEN LEE reports One of the council’s most senior officials last night admitted: “I … Continue reading
Town Hall finances under urgent review by Southwark treasurer
Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on how Croydon has had to call in experts from across London to help them out of their financial hole In the closest thing to an admission of her absolute failure in her job … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Simon Hall
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Duncan Whitfield, Jo Negrini, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Simon Hall
4 Comments
£83m: Council counts the cost of coronavirus emergency
The Town Hall borrowing millions of pounds more, only 1 in 5 council staff able to work in Fisher’s Folly, local businesses ‘on their knees’, and a ‘tsunami’ of mental health cases presenting at GP surgeries are just some of … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Libraries, Lisa Taylor, Tony Newman
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Tony Newman
2 Comments
