Category Archives: Claire Bonham

43 days to go and desperation is appearing in election leaflets

After all the calamities inflicted on Croydon by Tory Mayor Jason Perry, from his 33% Council Tax hikes to his unlawful LTN fines, has Labour fallen into their old trap of over-promising before under-delivering? WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jeet Bains, London-wide issues, New Addington, New Addington North, Old Coulsdon, Paul Scott, Ria Patel, Richard Howard, Shirley North, Shirley South, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

‘Red v Blue’ at Town Hall elections could suffer a Green-wash

Polling day in Croydon’s local elections, including its second mayoral vote, is on May 7. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through recent opinion polls and by-election results, but has a warning from history of how ‘challenger parties’ can be swept … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Croydon West, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jeet Bains, London-wide issues, New Addington, New Addington North, Old Coulsdon, Paul Scott, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley North, Shirley South, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Labour refuse to respond to Cummings’s budget challenge

WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, on a sham challenge issued to rival political parties by a borrowing-dependent Conservative administration that is trying to con the public that they have ‘fixed the finances’ As Tory Mayor Jason Perry prepares to deliver what … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Claire Bonham, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Ria Patel, Section 114 notice, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Slot machine operators seek 24-hour licence in Crystal Palace

The operators of a gaming centre in Crystal Palace have submitted an application to the council which would enable them to stay open 24 hours a day. Admiral, who run the slot machine shop on Westow Hill, has requested to … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Perry’s landlord licensing scheme will create a postcode lottery

Mayor Jason Perry’s proposals for a landlord licensing scheme to be introduced by Croydon Council later this year are discriminatory against half the borough, creating a postcode lottery for private renters. That’s according to Councillor Claire Bonham and residents in … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Landlord licensing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Only 70% of first-class post gets delivered on time in Croydon

Royal Mail is breaking the law with 3-in-10 of first-class items in Croydon failing to reach their destination on time, as local councillor launches a campaign calling for urgent improvement If you are wondering where the usual Christmas card from … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Claire Bonham, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Factory Lane, Royal Mail | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mayor gets his mumbler to suggest a ‘review’ of lollipop cuts

Has Mayor Perry’s council backed down from ending lollipop road safety patrols at six of the borough’s primary schools? That’s what it sounded like at this week’s Town Hall meeting, as KEN LEE reports Did one of Croydon Mayor Jason … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Services, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Schools, Scott Roche, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Parents stop traffic in Upper Norwood to save lollipop patrol

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Perry’s council tried to block protest petition over proposals to axe school safety patrols from being presented at next week’s Town Hall meeting. By STEVEN DOWNES Parents and children from Cypress Primary School in Upper Norwood … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Services, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Schools, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Jewitt tops councillor charts for a second successive year

After the brickbats for the work-shy do-littles who populate our Town Hall Chamber, today we celebrate those elected representatives who keep busy by keeping council officials busy They will be dancing down Sauchiehall Street tonight, as proud Scot Karen Jewitt … Continue reading

Posted in Amy Foster, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Gayle Gander, Karen Jewitt, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Robert Ward, Rowenna Davis, Samir Dwesar, Simon Fox, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Labour deputy leaders Young and Collins to stand down in 2026

At least 15% of Croydon’s sitting councillors won’t be seeking election in 2026, while some are doing the ‘chicken run’ to stay on the council gravy train. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Nearly a dozen of Croydon’s current 70 … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe West, Brigitte Graham, Broad Green, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Clive Fraser, Coulsdon Town, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Louis Carserides, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Old Coulsdon, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Ainscough, Purley, Ria Patel, Richard Chatterjee, Rowenna Davis, Shirley North, Simon Brew, Simon Fox, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Sue Bennett, Thornton Heath, Waddon, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Council failed to tell affected schools about their lollipop cuts

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Mayor Perry must really hate Croydon’s children’ says one local politician who criticises recent Town Hall pay hikes while the council was planning to axe school road safety patrols to save just £58,000 per year. By our … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Services, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Schools, Scott Roche, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Now Perry wants to axe school safety patrols to save £58,000

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Without any debate or discussion at the Town Hall, the Tory Mayor is trying to sneak through cuts which some fear will put thousands of children’s safety at risk on a daily basis. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Mayor Jason Perry, Norbury Manor, Orchard Park High, Rowenna Davis, Ryelands Primary and Nursery, Schools, Selsdon and Addington Village, Waddon, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

What a load of old rubbish! And that’s just inside the Town Hall

There’s only a handful of opportunities each year for the public to question the way their council is being run, but as ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, discovered when watching last night’s full council meeting, it is increasingly obvious that the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Callton Young, Christopher Herman, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Heathfield House, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Live Facial Recognition cameras, Mayor Jason Perry, Refuse collection, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Simon Fox, Stuart King, Veolia, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

They voted to raise your Council Tax, then to increase their pay

TOWN HALL SKETCH: Things don’t sound too good in the Chamber these days, and it is not just because the council has hired a cheaper contractor for its audio system. As tempers frayed at the most important meeting of the … Continue reading

Posted in 'Future Croydon', Amy Foster, Avril Slipper, Callton Young, Christopher Herman, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Carers, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Kola Agboola, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Councillor reviews Nando’s pitch for Crystal Palace Triangle

Almost exactly a year since McDonald’s abandoned their proposals to bring Big Macs, McFlurries and a whole heap of mopeds and potential trouble to the Crystal Palace Triangle, now another fast food giant is eyeing the area for a new … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Families left waiting seven months for repairs to damaged flats

While Croydon Council pays a private developer £20million to buy a residential block in Broad Green, in the middle of a housing crisis it is failing to maintain its existing housing stock. A council-owned block in Upper Norwood has been … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Housing, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Here’s our wish-list for a better Croydon and Sutton in 2025

What do you want for Croydon, and Sutton, in 2025? We approached a wide range of figures, including loyal readers, religious leaders, educators and business people for their thoughts – and hopes – for the New Year Ken Towl Addiscombe … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Andrew Fisher, Claire Bonham, Climate Crisis Commission, Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Croydon Harriers, Croydon Insider, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace FC, David Morgan, Environment, Housing, Inside Croydon, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Ken Towl, Knife crime, Lloyd Park, Mayor Jason Perry, Nick Mattey, North End Quarter, Peter Underwood, South Bank Poly, Sutton Council, The Andrew Fisher Interview, Under The Flyover, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Crystal Palace councillor raises £100 at charity book sale

Claire Bonham, the councillor for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, was taken aback by the generosity of residents, after she raised more than £100 for homelessness charity Crisis by selling some well-used second-hand books last week. “Crisis do such good … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Claire Bonham, Crisis Skylight Centre, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Ombudsman report shows council getting worse under Perry

Croydon Council was forced to pay out TEN TIMES more in compensation to its tenants last year under Tory Mayor Jason Perry than it had done in the previous 12-month period. That’s the astonishing findings of the official, annual report … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Councillor accuses Perry of broken pledge on affordable homes

Mayor Jason Perry’s council has been accused of yet another broken promise, and of wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money, this time after rejecting a planning application for seven affordable homes in Upper Norwood, in a scheme … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Community associations, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Nicola Townsend, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

It’s looking like Howard’s way for LibDems’ mayoral candidate

WALTER CRONXITE, our veteran political correspondent, reports on an unusual occurance for Croydon: the local Liberal Democrats getting ahead of the game While Councillor Rowenna Davis twiddles her thumbs and waits patiently for the Labour Party “machine” to crank into … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Howard, Rick Howard, Rowenna Davis, Uncategorized, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Upper Norwood’s ‘bake off’ raises £250 for Macmillan cancer

A coffee morning at All Saints Church, Upper Norwood last Friday, boosted by one enterprising local’s own version of Bake Off, raised more than £250 for Macmillan, the cancer charity. The event, organised by ward councillor Claire Bonham, was one … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Claire Bonham, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Brick by Brick residents tell Mayor Perry: ‘We’ve had enough’

As the housing company that did so much to bankrupt Croydon Council is being wound-up, residents in Crystal Palace who bought its new-build homes say their serious complaints are being ignored Residents of three Brick by Brick developments this week … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Claire Bonham, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Younger people have had their futures sold down the river

CROYDON ELECTION QUESTIONS For this General Election, Inside Croydon has been offering a platform to candidates from across the political spectrum, from across the borough’s four constituencies. Much the same questions, their answers published at length. Our first interview is … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Brick by Brick, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Housing, London-wide issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Philp fighting for survival as Tories face capital punishment

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the stark news contained within the latest, most extensive piece of opinion polling, one month before election day With General Election day exactly one calendar month away, the latest and most extension polling done yet … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Claire Bonham, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Elliot Colburn, London-wide issues, Marley King, Paul Scully MP, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Sutton and Cheam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments