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Category Archives: Report in the Public Interest
Rubbish councillor Roche finally sacked from Mayor’s cabinet
Jason Perry’s ‘top team’ for his second term in charge of the Town Hall sees a belated call-up for a 76-year-old pensioner, and an overdue axing for a work-shy colleague. KEN LEE reports Scott Roche, the Conservative councillor for Shirley … Continue reading
Posted in Alasdair Stewart, Andrew Stranack, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Fly tipping, Housing, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Luke Shortland, Lynne Hale, Margaret Bird, Mayor Jason Perry, Ola Kolade, Refuse collection, Richard Chatterjee, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Robert Ward, Scott Roche, Selsdon and Addington Village, Shirley South, Simon Brew, Veolia, Yvette Hopley
Tagged Cllr Alasdair Stewart, Cllr Jason Cummings, Cllr Robert Ward, Cllr Scott Roche, Conservative, Council Cabinet, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fly-tipping, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Tory, Veolia
5 Comments
No cover-up over £12m SEND overspend, claims council chief
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall bosses have been forced to accept 23 recommendations from external accountants after IT problems saw them lose track of thousands of payments, in the latest council cock-up that was described by a veteran Tory councillor … Continue reading
Posted in Amy Foster, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, Education, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Ian Parker, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, SEND
Tagged 2026 council budget, audit and governance committee, Cllr Amy Foster, Cllr Ian Parker, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Council budget, Council IT department, Croydon, Croydon Council, Education, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Oracle, SEND, Shelley Davies, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Synergy, Tory
4 Comments
It was a bad deal for Croydon. Why did they allow it to happen?
CROYDON COMMENTARY: With Tory Mayor Jason Perry using £½million of public money as a hush fund, RICHARD HOWARD, pictured right, the LibDem mayoral candidate, lays out all the obvious flaws with the council’s Red Clover Gardens scheme Two years ago, … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Brick by Brick, Business, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Housing, Ian Parker, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Howard, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, The Penn Report, Tony McArdle
Tagged 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon mayoral election, Brick by Brick, Cllr Ian Parker, Conrad Hall, Conservative, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Croydon, Croydon Council, Green Party, Ian Parker, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Liberal Democrats, Lion Green Road car park, London Borough of Croydon, Major Richard Howard, Peter Underwood, Red Clover Gardens, Regen Capital, Regen Coulsdon, Richard Howard, Scrutiny and Overview Committee, Tory
3 Comments
Auditors issue Perry with warning over ‘unsustainable’ finances
The council’s emergency borrowing since 2019 will top £1billion within three years, according to a highly critical report from auditors Grant Thornton, as they show Croydon’s Mayor the local authority equivalent of a yellow card. By our Town Hall reporter, … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, EFS, Exceptional financial support, External auditors, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Pay-off, Perry's pay-off, RIPI, Statutory warning, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory
6 Comments
Devolution Bill tries to fix Pickles Tories made of local councils
Among the multi-layered answers to “how did we get in this mess?” over Croydon’s, and other local authorities’, financial crises, Big Eric Pickles and his 2011 Localism Act goes a long way to explaining how Town Halls across England and … Continue reading
Posted in Claire Holland, Croydon Council, London Councils, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice
Tagged Angela Rayner, Audit Commission, District Auditor, Grant Thornton, Jim McMahon, Local Audit Office, Research for Action, The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
7 Comments
Labour Party ends suspension of ex-council leader Newman
CROYDON IN CRISIS: After more than four years, the two men who presided over what at the time was the biggest financial collapse in the history of local authorities in England have been allowed back into their political party. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, David Evans, Fieldway, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington South, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Rowenna Davis, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Steve Reed MP, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Cllr Rowenna Davis, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, David Evans, Fieldway, Jo Negrini, Labour, Lord Evans of Penge, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Simon Hall, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory, Woodside
23 Comments
Accountancy watchdog moves in on officials from Woking
After almost five years, not a single person in Croydon has ever been held responsible for their parts in the council’s financial collapse, the scandal of Brick by Brick or the Fairfield Halls refurbishment fiasco. But in Surrey, two former … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Crime, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Financial Reporting Council, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI, RIPI2, Simon Hall, The Kroll Report, The Penn Report, Tory, Woking Borough Council, Woking Council
9 Comments
Government panel wants Croydon to flog off the Fairfield Halls
CROYDON IN CRISIS: With the council’s annual overspend reaching £100m, Whitehall-appointed commissioners could force the sale of the arts centre, which the C20 Society describes as an ‘underappreciated South Bank Centre of the suburbs’. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon could … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Music, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Theatre
Tagged 20th Century Society, Alison Butler, BH Live, BHLive, Borough of Culture, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tony Newman, Tory
33 Comments
92% of readers disagree with Kerswell’s Peer Review findings
Croydon Mayor Jason Perry and the council CEO who tells him what to do, Katherine Kerswell, had better be very worried, as a series of public opinion questions have had responses in which more than 90% of iC readers have … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report
Tagged Conservative, Corporate Peer Challenge, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Kathy Kerswell-Reid, Kent County Council, Leicester City Council, LGA, Local Government Association, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 Notice
5 Comments
‘Mayor and CEO are respected and provide strong leadership’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Like a dodgy business that offers to pay for positive reviews on Tripadviser, the council has been patting itself on the back this week because some local government colleagues have said some nice things about them. By … Continue reading
Posted in Annette McPartland, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report
Tagged Annette McPartland, Conservative, Corporate Peer Challenge, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, LGA, Local Government Association, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Plant, Section 114 Notice, Stiles Harold Williams
19 Comments
MP Reed claims those who left borough broke ‘have now gone’
WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, checks the ‘facts’ where other local news outlets dare not look Steve Reed OBE, the MP who was Labour’s front bench spokesperson on local government at the time that the council for the area he is … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon North, David Evans, Environment, Fairfield Halls, Lambeth Council, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Clive Fraser, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon Park Hotel, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Steve Reed OBE, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman
8 Comments
The Jase and Kathy Show – a Christmas Special for Croydon!
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Inside Croydon has obtained a leaked video from an internal council webinar earlier this month, where the Mayor fails to mention the £83m overspend predicted in a recent report to government, and council CEO seems to blame … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Improvement Board, Inside Croydon, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Christmas, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Fairfield Halls, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Morecambe and Wise, S114 notice, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Young Mr Grace
5 Comments
Councillor complains over legal failings: ‘It feels morally wrong’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: No one will face legal action for their part in the council’s financial collapse, despite Town Hall bosses spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on special reports and advice from high-powered barristers. Yet one of Mayor Perry’s … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shirley South, The Penn Report
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Penn Report, The Kroll Report, Tony Newman, Tory
1 Comment
Negrini doctored specialist reports and withheld finance details
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Investigators from Kroll never had investigatory powers to check people’s bank accounts in the search for possible fraud over the £73m refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls. But there was evidence in the public domain of ‘direct personal … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, College Green, Colm Lacey, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mott MacDonald, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Arup, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mott MacDonald, Penn Report, Project Dillon, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI, RIPI2, The Kroll Report, The Penn Report, Tory, Vinci, Vinci Construction UK Ltd
15 Comments
Pressure mounts on Sutton finance chief over Fairfield fiasco
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Kroll Report, which this week had its release delayed because of legal threats on behalf of a former council director, might be seen as a waste of another £310,000 of public money. But for former director … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, Lisa Taylor, Penn Report, Richard Simpson, Sutton Council, The Kroll Report, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
8 Comments
Kroll Report provides no answers to £73m Fairfield fiasco
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Jo Negrini refused to be interviewed, all Colm Lacey’s emails got wiped and former cabinet members Newman, Scott, Butler and Hall were never spoken to in person as part of the £310,000 investigation. By STEVEN DOWNES Late … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, College Green, Colm Lacey, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mott MacDonald, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mott MacDonald, Paul Scott, Penn Report, Project Dillon, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI, RIPI2, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Kroll Report, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory, Vinci, Vinci Construction UK Ltd
13 Comments
After his latest failure, Mayor Perry claims he is powerless
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Although he was a member of the committee that handed a £437,000 ‘golden handshake’ to Jo Negrini, the borough’s elected Mayor is now blaming the law for his own broken promises. By STEVEN DOWNES Almost a week … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Misconduct in Public Office, Penn Report, Section 114 Notice, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
6 Comments
After four-year delay, council to submit complaint reports
CROYDON IN CRISIS: There won’t be any further police investigation. The council’s pursuit of Jo ‘Negreedy’ Negrini for her pay-off cash appears to have collapsed. But chief exec Katherine Kerswell might now write a couple of sternly worded letters. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Sutton Council, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Section 114, Section 114 Notice, Sutton Council, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
4 Comments
More bad news for Perry over the Negrini ‘golden handshake’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Another council legal action looks about to collapse – despite having landed the borough unnecessary bills worth tens of thousands of pounds. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Mayor Jason Perry’s forlorn exercise in “throwing good money after … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Golden handshake, Jane Mulcahy KC, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll, Kroll Report, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, The Penn Report, Tory
18 Comments
Police drop all investigations into council’s financial collapse
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It now emerges that the Met decided to take no further action over allegations of possible fraud or false accounting as long ago as June 2023. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES There will be no prosecutions brought against … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Kroll Report, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Penn Report, Section 114, Section 114 Notice, The Penn Report, Tony Newman, Tory
24 Comments
£500m difference in audit figures is looking like a Brum deal
COUNCILS IN CRISIS: A report from forensic auditors has raised questions about one council’s bankruptcy that could persuade others, including cash-strapped Croydon, to ask whether they are getting proper analysis of their struggling finances An academic report into the parlous … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice
Tagged Birmingham, Birmingham City Council, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, Financial Times, Grant Thornton, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Section 114 Notice, Tory, William Wallis
3 Comments
Farewell but no thanks: troubleshooters leave BxB’s board
Step by tiny step, the winding up of failed developer Brick by Brick is coming to an end, reports BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent The deckchairs are being re-arranged on the deck of Brick by Brick, seemingly for one final time. … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, David Courcoux, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman
Tagged affordable housing, Andrew Percival, Brick by Brick, Companies House, Croydon, Croydon Council, David Corcoux, Duncan Whitfield, Griff Marshalsay, Griffith McCallum Marshalsay, Homes for Lambeth, Housing, Ian O'Donnell, Jo Negrini, Labour, Lambeth, London Borough of Croydon, Southwark Council, Stephen Hopkins, Tony Newman
8 Comments
Council loaned Brick by Brick additional £47.3m last year
CROYDON IN CRISIS: In its latest report to Michael Gove, the Government’s improvement panel reveals a £38m hole in cash-strapped council budgets for the next four years – and repeats plea for unprecedented half-a-billion pounds loan write-off Croydon’s cash-strapped council … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, £540m debt write off, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, Department for Levelling UP Housing and Communities, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Gove, Tony McArdle, Tory
5 Comments
Kerswell keeps councillors waiting for her tribunal feedback
CROYDON IN CRISIS: How will the borough’s £192,474 per year chief executive explain the suggestion that she lied under oath when defending herself against allegations of racism? By KEN LEE, Town Hall reporter Almost a month has passed since the … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Richard Simpson, The Penn Report, Tony McArdle
Tagged #PennReport, Appointments and disciplinary committee, Croydon, Croydon Council, Employment Tribunal, Hazel Simmonds, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Penn Report, Richard Penn, Section 114, The Penn Report
12 Comments
Accountancy body launches investigation of ex-finance chief
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Thurrock, in Essex, gave our own council a two-year head start in the bankruptcy stakes, but now they are taking the kind of action which was recommended here long ago. By our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Outside Croydon, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report
Tagged Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Essex, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Liam Kavanagh, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Richard Simpson, Sean Clark, Shifa Mustafa, Thurrock, Thurrock Council, Tory
7 Comments
