Category Archives: Croydon Council
£1,500 per day for bankrupt council’s third CEO in 10 months
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The propaganda department at cash-strapped Croydon Council waited until just before 6pm to sneak out the announcement of its latest interim chief exec. What they failed to mention is that Mike Jackson, who is to be … Continue reading
Cabinet post puts Fahnbulleh’s climate credentials on the line
PETER UNDERWOOD on a less-heralded Croydon connection to the new Prime Minister’s Cabinet There is a lot of talk in the press about “Manchesterism”, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham bringing the ideas he developed while Mayor of Manchester to his … Continue reading
Perry’s plan: More borrowing. More debt. And £58m more cuts
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Reports sneaked out ahead of next Wednesday’s council cabinet meeting talk of ‘difficult decisions’, after residents have already suffered six years of the consequences of ‘difficult decisions’. By STEVEN DOWNES Less than six months since he pushed … Continue reading
Perry’s cycle lane sabotage looks to cost Croydon another £7m
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Transport correspondent, JEREMY CLACKSON, on how the council kept secret another devastating ruling over the Tory Mayor’s bungling over the borough’s roads Not content with making Croydon’s streets less healthy and more dangerous, Croydon’s failed Mayor Jason … Continue reading
Perry’s latest bright idea: a begging letter to new PM Burnham
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After four years of record Council Tax rises and record borrowing from central government, the borough’s bungling Mayor appears to think that the new occupier of No10 Downing Street might solve his problems. By our Town Hall … Continue reading
£130m Crystal Palace sports centre scheme is given go-ahead
Bromley Council last night granted planning permission for a £130million refurbishment of the long-neglected sports centre at Crystal Palace, with plans backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan that are to be funded by the Greater London Authority. Councillors on Bromley’s … Continue reading
Inspectors rate Whitgift care home as ‘Requires improvement’
Whitgift House, the care home on Brighton Road in South Croydon run by the Whitgift Foundation, has been rated as “Requires improvement” following its most recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission. The CQC found “breaches of legal regulations” and … Continue reading
Perry challenge to Khan: ‘Croydon’s Green Belt is sacrosanct’
Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor, has put himself on a collision course with Lord Sadiq Khan and City Hall over proposals in the draft London Plan to build hundreds of homes on the borough’s Green Belt. “Whilst I am Mayor, … Continue reading
Council spent thousands to pay-off its own staff driving fines
Cash-strapped Croydon Council, under failed Mayor Jason Perry, has been spending thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money to pay off staff and contractors’ parking fines – while at the same time boasting about a “zero tolerance” crackdown on illegal parking. … Continue reading
London’s ‘Lord Mayor’ puts Croydon Green Belt in his plan
Any green space within one mile of a tram stop or railway station might be available for housing development according to Mayor Khan’s draft London Plan. ANDREW PELLING takes a look at the new proposals London Mayor Sadiq Khan wants … Continue reading
Perry’s council to face Judicial Review over Access Croydon
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Failed Mayor Jason Perry probably ought to get a season ticket for the High Court, as his council is facing yet another legal challenge over his decision to close the public access service inside Fisher’s Folly. By … Continue reading
NHS London aiming to provide 1million extra GP appointments
Health trusts to get into the property business to try to provide cheaper homes for health workers closer to their places of work Patient satisfaction with GPs in London is improving, with NHS London hopeful that the government’s 10-year capital … Continue reading
Croydon drops into London’s Healthy Streets ‘relegation zone’
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Since Jason Perry became Mayor of Croydon, the borough’s streets have become more polluted, dirtier and more dangerous places. PETER UNDERWOOD takes a look at the figures This year’s healthy streets scorecard has just been published – here … Continue reading
£275,000: Loadsamoney Perry breaks the bank for new CEO
CROYDON IN CRISIS: As the council faces having to replace its interim CEO with an interim interim CEO, the Mayor splashes the cash to try to find someone for what he calls ‘London’s most important leadership role’ Recruitment ads for … Continue reading
Do you recognise your council as described in the CEO job ad?
CROYDON IN CRISIS In the recruitment ad, are the Commissioners seeking a competent and experienced civic administrator with more than the charisma of a dead fish for the role of council chief executive? Or are they looking for a knight … Continue reading
Perry tries to hide homelessness service with South End move
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Just hours before his council was due at the High Court to face a possible Judicial Review over its closure of Access Croydon, the Mayor announced that he was moving the housing service. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading
Croydon BID fails to inform co-directors of Perry’s resignation
Business ‘improvement’ district has received hundreds of thousands of pounds of public cash while Tory Mayor was one of its directors Jason Perry, Croydon’s £86,000 per year part-time Mayor, has quit as a director of Croydon BID. Piss-poor Perry’s resignation … Continue reading
Mayor Perry’s ‘Motorists’ Charter’ to deliver more accidents, higher car insurance and even put children’s safety at risk
Just what might be coming round the corner in council business now that Jason Perry is back in the Town Hall? Probably a BMW being driven at close to 40mph, reports PAUL LUSHION, our environment correspondent Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed … Continue reading
Perry’s council facing High Court threat over Access Croydon
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council is being dragged into the High Court next week to face claims that it is failing to meet its statutory responsibilities on housing as a consequence of making its offices open only on an appointment … Continue reading
Demolition works get underway for Selhurst £200m main stand
Almost nine years since the proposal was first aired to build a modern main stand and increase home capacity for Crystal Palace games to 34,000, physical, visible works have begun in and around Selhurst Park on a project that may … Continue reading
From cabaret to the World Cup, from Sea Cadets to LTN refunds
PODCAST: The Croydon Insider returns with a new panel of readers to discuss the latest Croydon news, in a Croydonites Fringe special that picks some of the must-see shows at the festival from July 1 to 5. There’s even a … Continue reading
Sutton defends its Ofsted failure by claiming ‘no child was hurt’
EXCLUSIVE: LibDem council deliberately delayed publication of damning report to avoid its failures of SEND children appearing before the local elections. DAVE BURTON reports how councillors and officials have broken confidentiality rules and tried to pass the buck Ofsted and … Continue reading
