Category Archives: Planning

£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

Posted in Athletics, Basketball, Bromley Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Crystal Palace Park Trust, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming, Tennis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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

Posted in "Hammersfield", Addington Hills, Addiscombe West, Andrew Pelling, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, East Croydon, Environment, Housing, Lloyd Park, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, New Addington North, New Addington South, Park Hill and Whitgift, Park Hill Recreation Ground, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon and Addington Village, South Croydon, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

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

Posted in "Hammersfield", Addington Hills, Addiscombe West, Andrew Pelling, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, East Croydon, Environment, Housing, Lloyd Park, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, New Addington North, New Addington South, Park Hill and Whitgift, Park Hill Recreation Ground, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon and Addington Village, South Croydon, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

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

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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

Posted in Croydon NHS Trust, Health, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayday Hospital, New Addington Community Diagnostics Centre, Planning, Purley Hospital, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘The saddest news about Croydon town centre since the riots’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Local MP and Fairfield ward councillors urge developers to make good on their long-standing promises to regenerate the town centre. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES MP Sarah Jones today called on Westfield “to work at pace to deliver … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Croydon West, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Sarah Jones MP, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The 15-year takeover of Croydon town centre by Westfield

The £1billion regeneration of Croydon town centre has been plagued by a decade and a half of developer delays, economic turmoil, a global pandemic and a complete reshaping of the original retail-led proposal into what, in its latest iteration of … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

SOLD! Westfield in £31.5m deal to buy Whitgift Centre freehold

After 15 years, two large-scale planning applications, a planning inquiry and a CPO,  Croydon’s biggest landowners have today announced that they have sold off a large chunk of their property in the benighted town centre in the hope that it … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

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

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

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

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

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

Posted in Crystal Palace FC, Football, Planning, Property, Selhurst | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Croydon Park to reopen in 2027 as ‘The Canopy’ apart-hotel

A year later than promised, with little more than half the homes proposed in the planning application, and with no sign of the 39- and 36-storey towers that council planners had insisted upon, there are plans for the  Croydon Park … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Botanical House, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Housing, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, The Canopy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

It’s really time to go when they throw ‘Mix’ into gesture politics

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Are you a ‘Mr’, a ‘Ms’, or a ‘Mx’? You’re unlikely to be a ‘Mix’, unless you’re a member of the Labour Party in its troubled Croydon East CLP. KEN TOWL, pictured right, explains A couple of days … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon East, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Melanie Felten, Nicola Townsend, Planning, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

How to navigate the planning process without getting it wrong

ZAEEM CHAUDHARY, pictured left, offers some expert advice for any Croydon homeowners planning to undertake building works When you are looking to make a home renovation project, one of the first things you need to check is whether you need … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Planning, Property | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sherlock Holmes and the mystery of the 24 unaffordable flats

Planning permission was refused last night for a scheme that threatens a South Norwood heritage building which was once home to Arthur Conan Doyle. But this case is not closed yet… And so it came to pass… The first planning … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, History, Housing, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Sean Fitzsimons, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

£1.45m Addiscombe landmark building withdrawn from auction

Financial figures published for the sale of Grade II-listed Leslie Arms were altered ahead of the auction date, with a two-bedroom flat shown now to be paying just £800 per month in rent. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Anwar Ansari, the … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Leslie Arms, Planning, Property, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Report calls urban sprawl ‘forgotten disaster of last 50 years’

A report from CPRE London published today says successive governments over the past half-century have actively enabled urban sprawl into the countryside. Urban sprawl means building low-density housing outside of towns, on green fields, and far from shops, schools and … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Parking, Planning, Property | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Labour-Tory marriage of convenience is failing Croydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: With the Green Party deliberately excluded from the planning committee by a Labour-Tory pact at the Town Hall, new councillor PAUL AINSCOUGH, pictured left, says that the borough’s two largest parties are still not listening to the public … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Fairfield, Paul Ainscough, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Labour’s secret deal with Tories to block Greens on planning

EXCLUSIVE: Once the election results were in last month, Croydon’s Labour leader agreed what’s been called ‘a shabby, short-sighted stitch-up’ to keep Green councillors away from important planning decisions – while also boosting allowances paid to their party. By STEVEN … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Jason Cummings, Mark Adderley, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Leslie Arms timeline: sad 25-year decline of heritage building

Between 2000 and 2025, the owner of the Grade II-listed Leslie Arms on Lower Addiscombe Road submitted 13 separate planning applications for the building – 14 if you include his 2009 appeal against a refusal of a planning application. Ten … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, History, Housing, Leslie Arms, Planning, Property, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Addiscombe’s listed pub building put up for auction at £1.45m

The Leslie Arms, the Grade II-listed Victorian pub building on the corner of Cherry Orchard Road and Lower Addiscombe Road, has been placed for sale by auction next month. The auctioneers’ guide price is £1.45million. Built in 1900, the Leslie … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Leslie Arms, Planning, Property, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

£40m Trinity School expansion given planning green light

The council’s planning committee has given a green light to a £40million development to expand Trinity School in Shirley Park to ready the independent boys’ school to go fully co-educational by 2031. The scheme is the first major re-build since … Continue reading

Posted in Alasdair Kennedy, Business, Charity, Education, Jason Cummings, Old Palace, Planning, Schools, Shirley South, Trinity School, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Planning control has got worse under developers’ friend Perry

STEVE WHITESIDE has compiled dossiers of evidence that show that nothing much has changed in the council planning department since 2022. In some cases, for the residents living next to some developments that have gone ahead, things have actually got … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Stink from Arkwright Road flats smells of council failures

Jason Perry boasts that he halted the overdevelopment of parts of Croydon, caused by SPD2, the hugely unpopular ‘Suburban Design Guide. STEVE WHITESIDE has compiled dossiers of evidence that show that nothing much has changed in the council planning department … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Purley, Sanderstead, Venetia Reid-Baptiste | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Shared ownership makes Mosaic Place hard to piece together

Even before the latest global economic shock hit the construction trade, house-building in London had slowed to a crawl. JOHNNY DOBBYN looks at one scheme of more than 100 flats in Purley that provides a possible case study to show … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Fount Spring Place, Housing, Johnny Dobbyn, London-wide issues, Mosaic Place, Planning, Property, Purley, The Fold | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment