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Category Archives: David Callam
Shock and sadness at the death of contributor David Callam
STEVEN DOWNES on the tragic news of a stalwart of the local press, the borough, and of Inside Croydon We were going to run a self-indulgent feature at the weekend about the fifth anniversary of Inside Croydon. But then we … Continue reading
It’s long overdue that we move on from the local High Street
CROYDON COMMENTARY: £148,000 on tonight’s bike race, a few more thousand on the South Croydon Food Festival, and millions of Riot Recovery money on some paving and saplings, all to replace paving and saplings. DAVID CALLAM responds to our report … Continue reading
Time to make housing a voting issue, one brick at a time
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The council’s “MasterPlan” for housing is a political joke, says DAVID CALLAM The housing MasterPlan would be funny if it wasn’t so serious for so many families who can never afford the fairytale prices being demanded by property … Continue reading
Developers’ ‘affordable’ homes do little for housing crisis
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The housing crisis shows no sign of easing, as home sale prices and rents in London, and Croydon, continue to rise. DAVID CALLAM identifies a worrying possibility over the council’s action on the Menta development of more yuppie … Continue reading
BID’s report suggests the impact of loss of Allders and Nestle
CROYDON COMMENTARY: DAVID CALLAM is a fan of business improvement district schemes but reminds the town centre’s elite firms that self-praise is no recommendation All Change! Croydon is the title of the recently published 32-page annual report from Croydon Business … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, David Callam, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Westfield
1 Comment
Town centre is a monument to municipal mismanagement
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The honeymoon is over for Tony Newman’s Labour council which was elected in May, says DAVID CALLAM Labour has settled back into power in Croydon Town Hall and many of the same old problems are as intractable as … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Council Tax, Croydon Council, David Callam, Housing, Jo Negrini, London Assembly, Mayor of London, Planning, RIF, Tony Newman, URV, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Boris Johnson, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jo Negrini, Labour, Tony Newman, Tory, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
1 Comment
Long overdue that we found proper future for Segas House
CROYDON COMMENTARY: According to senior sources at the Town Hall, the scheme to convert the Grade II-listed Segas House into a primary school, the brainchild during the previous Tory council of Tim Pollard, has been abandoned because the building would … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Croydon Council, David Callam, Education, Planning, Schools, Segas House
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Education, Roehampton University, schools, Segas House, Tim Pollard, Tory, Wellesley Road
15 Comments
Going live and going Dutch offering encouraging early signs
THE FIRST 100 DAYS: Following a fortnight’s post-election hiatus at Fisher’s Folly (the council shredding machines were glowing red-hot, allegedly), Tony Newman’s Labour group finally got the keys to Croydon Town Hall for the first time in eight years. This … Continue reading
Farage offers refuge to people frightened of the future
CROYDON COMMENTARY: This borough, like most of London, generally rejected the “appeal” of Nigel Farage’s UKIP in both the local and the European elections. But DAVID CALLAM thinks not enough is being done by Labour or the Tories to counter … Continue reading
Posted in 2014 council elections, David Callam, South Croydon
12 Comments
We need to find better ways to get our railways back on track
CROYDON COMMENTARY: High fares and poor service are the bane of every local commuters’ daily grind. DAVID CALLAM suggests it is time for change Trains play a crucial role in the lives of many people in Croydon. I haven’t been … Continue reading
Time to try something new with Purley’s £11m hospital
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Barely a year since major works were completed and it re-opened, Purley Hospital has switched to reduced hours because of… lack of use. DAVID CALLAM sees this as a missed opportunity for the over-stretched NHS Croydon NHS must … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon South, David Callam, Health, Mayday Hospital, Purley, Purley Hospital
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon University Hospital, David Callam, Jeremy Hunt, Mayday Hospital, NHS, Purley, Tory
3 Comments
Same old same old that adds up to good business for someone
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Industry awards have a reputation for self-congratulatory bun-fights. At £120 a ticket at this year’s Croydon event, DAVID CALLAM’s happy to give it a miss. He’s seen it all before, anyway It’s that time again. The Croydon Business … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon FSB, David Callam, Fairfield Halls
Tagged Business, Croydon, Fairfield Halls
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£1bn Westfield and Hammerson scheme is Croydon’s last hope
CROYDON COMMENTARY: DAVID CALLAM welcomes the Hammersfield redevelopment of the centre of town. After all, there is no alternative The Whitgift Shopping City proposals are a way for the Whitgift Foundation to secure its financial future for decades to come. … Continue reading
Don’t let Coulsdon Cane Boris’s latest housing scheme
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Croydon, and London, has a housing crisis, and Cane Hill offers an excellent site for many new homes. We should not let Coulsdon’s residents get in the way, writes DAVID CALLAM Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Boris Johnson, Business, Cane Hill, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon West, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, David Callam, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Environment, Housing, Mayor of London, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Planning
Tagged Boris Johnson, Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon, County Borough of Croydon, Croydon, Farthing Downs, London, Metropolitan Open Land
2 Comments
CQC report tells us nothing we did not know about Mayday
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The hospital inspectors have been and gone. Now, says DAVID CALLAM, time is overdue for re-modelling the A&E department of our local hospital As a volunteer of more than 20 years at Mayday and an in- and out-patient … Continue reading
Posted in David Callam, Health, Mayday Hospital
Tagged Bus, Croydon, Croydon University Hospital, England, London, Mayday Hospital, Salford Royal
1 Comment
Croham promises that arrive full of sleight of fact
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Noticed any leaflets pushed through your letterbox lately that are offering you much, much more that free delivery on pizza? There must be an election coming, writes DAVID CALLAM They say truth is the first casualty of war. … Continue reading
Gatwick plan should have Croydon ready for take-off
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Opportunities for prosperity for our borough should increase if the Sussex airport’s expansion scheme goes ahead, writes DAVID CALLAM Croydon should be jumping for joy at the prospect of a £9 billion investment in Gatwick that would add … Continue reading
Mayday Hospital’s care record warrants closer inspections
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Are we, as patients, safe in the hands of the NHS? DAVID CALLAM welcomes moves for more stringent, and transparent, scrutiny Is Croydon’s Mayday Hospital a completely safe place in which to be treated? Or is it badly … Continue reading
Posted in David Callam, Health, Mayday Hospital
Tagged Care Quality Commission, CQC, Croydon, England, National Health Service, NHS, Patient
1 Comment
Purley’s £11m hospital scheme sweeps value under the carpet
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The much-needed redevelopment work at Purley Hospital may not be money well-spent. And DAVID CALLAM is not surprised Work continues on the £11 million refurbishment of Purley Hospital. The new-look NHS facility will re-open later this year in … Continue reading
Posted in David Callam, Health, Purley, Purley Hospital
Tagged Brighton Road, Croydon, Croydon University Hospital, Hospital, London, National Health Service, NHS, South London
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Busy Boris means business with £5.7m streets scheme
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The Mayor of London has stepped in again to clear a path – and several roads – for the £1.5 billion Hammersfield development, or “Croydon Partnership” as Westfield and Hammerson call it. DAVID CALLAM advises existing businesses on … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Community associations, Croydon Council, David Callam, Mayor of London, Planning, Surrey Street, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Boris Johnson, Croydon, Greater London, London, London Road, Stratford City, Trafford Centre, Whitgift Centre
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Cultivating culture is year-round project, not just three weeks
CROYDON COMMENTARY: In a previous column, DAVID CALLAM argued for a festival celebrating the borough’s heritage. But next month’s Croydon Heritage Festival misses the target in a number of important respects E viva la fiesta! Time to party in Croydon, … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Care Homes, Cinema, Comedy, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Heritage Festival, David Callam, David Lean Cinema Campaign, Education, Environment, Fairfield Halls, History, Libraries, London Mozart Players, Music, Old Palace, Schools, Theatre, Trinity School, Walks, Warehouse Theatre, Whitgift Foundation
Tagged Croydon, David Lean Cinema, England, Lake District, London, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School
8 Comments
Portas starts to opens doors – for £1bn “Hammersfield”
LAST NIGHT’S TELLY: DAVID CALLAM, the former local newspaper business editor, reviews the opening episode of Mary Queen of the High Street, the Channel 4 series that spawned £2.7 million-worth of public grants, and poses an important question about her … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Activities, Business, David Callam, Surrey Street, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Croydon, Hammerson, High Street, London, Mary Portas, Roman Road, South Croydon, Tesco
10 Comments
Attention-seeking mayor deserves the Advertiser’s criticism
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Eddy Arram, presiding over a full council meeting for the last time, this week managed to do something which many believed was impossible: getting the editors of Inside Croydon and the Croydon Sadvertiser to agree, at least on … Continue reading
Posted in David Callam, Eddy Arram, Local media
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Eric Pickles, Local government, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Twitter
3 Comments
