Category Archives: RIPI II: Fairfield Halls

Brazen Butler at centre of new storm over Fairfield Halls fiasco

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A leading figure among those who failed ‘to do their jobs responsibly, honestly and legally’ voted against calling in the police to investigate possible fraud in the £67.5m arts centre refurb. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The decision … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, John Jones, Paul Scott, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

£67m fraud at Fairfield: Town Hall row over calling in police

CRISIS SPECIAL: The council’s most senior legal official wants to check the £70m Fairfield fiasco for fraud, but the borough’s Labour councillors don’t want to call in the police, yet their leader says she has already reported it to the … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, College Green, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Felicity Flynn, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, John Jones, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Mott MacDonald, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

What a waste! Tory billions could pay to freeze your Council Tax

The Conservative government is punishing the people of Croydon by refusing to write off any of the council’s debts – but they are happy to write off £13billion from their own cock-ups in Whitehall. By ANDREW FISHER Croydon Council has … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lewis is given another £1.3m to spend on Fairfield Halls

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Somehow, our cash-strapped council has managed to find a spare million to hand to the under-performing operators of the town centre’s arts venue, thanks to the recommendation of a new employee of The Campaign Company. EXCLUSIVE By … Continue reading

Posted in BH Live, Croydon Council, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, New Addington South, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Scots on the rocks over £13m short-term loan to Croydon

As if being subject to two Reports In The Public Interest from clearly unimpressed accountants is not bad enough, Croydon Council’s casino-like borrowing has also been investigated by local authority auditors in Scotland. Midlothian Council called in Ernst and Young, … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sorry saga when asking questions was called ‘troublemaking’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Those found responsible for the £67.5m shambles of a refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls should not be allowed to get away ‘scot-free’, says ANDREW PELLING Once they are elected on May 5, Croydon’s new executive Mayor needs … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Tories miss chance to call for police action over Fairfield fiasco

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the latest fall-out from the £37m overspend on the arts venue as the borough’s councillors – Tory as well as Labour – appear reluctant to turn their old mates over to the police The council … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, College Green, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Planning, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My six-point plan to restore some pride in the Fairfield Halls

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The auditors’ Report In The Public Interest published this week reflects very badly on the way our council is run, says the Green Party’s mayoral candidate, PETER UNDERWOOD Fairfield Halls should be one of the crown jewels … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Peter Underwood, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Council got £70m Fairfield Halls refurb wrong from the start

CROYDON IN CRISIS: It was ‘insane’ to grant a licence to Brick by Brick for the refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls, and that led to the £70m ‘shitshow’. Mayoral candidate VAL SHAWCROSS responds to the auditors’ Report In The Public … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Negrini and execs ‘failed to ensure council was acting lawfully’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: An auditors’ report into the ‘shoddy’ deal that handed the Fairfield Halls refurbishment to loss-making builders Brick by Brick hints at potential fraud and accuses senior officials of large-scale negligence. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Some … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, College Green, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Planning, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Brick by Brick calls in ex-Royal Navy officer to sort out the flak

Brick by Brick has announced the appointment of two directors to manage the wind-down of the loss-making council-owned house-builders. With the publication expected tomorrow of the long-anticipated Report In The Public Interest into the multi-million-pound disaster that was Brick by … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Auditors investigated four unlawful actions over Fairfield Halls

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Twelve months after Grant Thornton was asked to conduct an audit of the botched and budget-busting refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls, their report has yet to be published. The delay seems likely to be because the auditors … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Labour councillor’s 20-point plan to reduce service cuts

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Unions are tonight staging a protest outside the Town Hall against the council’s plan for another £38million-worth of cuts. Here, Labour councillor ANDREW PELLING, pictured left, outlines the ways he believes that the council can avoid causing harm … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Refuse collection, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Veolia, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Sound of Silence is not the song we need from Town Hall

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Since audit regulations were amended in 2015, only five other local councils have been the subject of Reports in the Public Interest, with findings from their auditors of mismanagement or wrong-doing*. Croydon joined that list last year and … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council to be rocked by second Report In The Public Interest

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The £70m ‘Fairfield fiasco’ has provoked serious concerns with auditors over the potential misuse of public money, with bungling developers Brick by Brick under scrutiny. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES External auditors are to issue a Report In … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paula Murray, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Ennis, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sean Fitzsimons, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments