Category Archives: Environment

Massive blaze at Bermondsey incinerator under investigation

While the Environment Agency reckons all is safe and sound at the Viridor incinerator in Beddington, a massive blaze broke out close to another waste incineration plant in south London around the evening rush hour yesterday. Fifteen fire engines and … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Environment, London Fire Brigade, Veolia, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We need new election system which makes all votes matter

CROYDON COMMENTARY: One month on from Croydon’s local elections, PETER UNDERWOOD, pictured right, takes another look at our electoral system There is a growing consensus that FPTP, the first-past-the-post system we use for Westminster and local council elections, needs to … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Peter Underwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 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

Perry’s council failed to respond to incinerator consultation

While LibDem leader Ed Davey has called for a review of the Environment Agency’s decision to allow permit-busting polluters Viridor to burn even more rubbish at Beddington, Croydon Labour MPs stay silent. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council under Tory Mayor … Continue reading

Posted in Bobby Dean, Broad Green, Business, Carshalton and Wallington, Croydon Council, Dave Tchil, Environment, Kingston, Luke Taylor MP, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Sadiq Khan, Sutton and Cheam, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 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

Paxton is given a new perspective across the park he designed

Paxton’s head is back! The bust of Sir Joseph Paxton, the designer of the Crystal Palace, has been relocated to its original location on the Italian Terraces in Crystal Palace Park, as part of ongoing regeneration works.

Posted in Art, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Crystal Palace Park Trust, History, Victoria Pinnington | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Viridor is using PR firm with links to Labour Together scandal

When Viridor, operators of the toxic polluting Beddington incinerator, issued their triumphalist press release yesterday announcing that they had been granted an extension on their licence to burn rubbish, it was sent from a public relations firm which is owned … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Sickening’: EA allows even more waste to burn in Beddington

Despite nearly 1,000 breaches of its existing permit in a 15-month period, Viridor has had its licence extension for the Beddington incinerator granted, to the dismay of local councillors and environmentalists. By STEVEN DOWNES The Environment Agency, already known as … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

10 invoices show council is keeping failed heat network afloat

INSIDE SUTTON: Chief exec and company director refuse to explain why £265,000 has been paid in ‘consultancy’ fees to the authority’s own energy company. EXCLUSIVE by DAVE BURTON Sutton Council’s official registers of payments include 10 invoices, paid between February … Continue reading

Posted in Dave Burton, Helen Bailey, Nick Mattey, Richard Simpson, SDEN, Sutton Council, Tim Crowley, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Week of events to re-connect Londoners to our waterways

This year’s London Rivers Week, which flows through the city until Saturday May 31, marks a decade of connecting people with the capital’s waterways. The festival’s theme is “know your local river”, with a wide-ranging programme of free events designed … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Croydon parks, Education, Environment, Wandle Park, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Farm Fest annual fund-raiser, Deen City Farm, Merton, Jun 27

C O M M U N I T Y A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Posted in Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Charity, Environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Carshalton infants’ school digs in with garden centre’s help

Dobbies Garden Centres is supporting 53 local charities and community groups across the country through its Community Gardens initiative. And from hundreds of nominations received, their Woodcote Green store has chosen to support Victor Seymour Infants School in Carshalton. The … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Business, Carshalton and Wallington, Charity, Education, Environment, Gardening, Schools | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Get planting, growing and cooking with Hugh’s latest book

Special reader offer! We have packs of organic veg seeds to GIVEAWAY to Inside Croydon subscribers. See below for details of how to claim your packet  Award-winning broadcaster, writer and food campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has published his latest book, which … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening, Health, Inside Croydon | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Beddington Park river restoration talk, The Grange, May 19

C O M M U N I T Y A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Croydon parks, Environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Earthquake election but Croydon only felt some small tremors

TV and radio politics pundit ANDREW FISHER, right, looks at Croydon’s local election results in the context of the seismic elections that took place across Britain Across England, Wales and Scotland, the 2026 elections delivered a political earthquake that rocked … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Croydon Greens, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Happy Bee Festival, Frylands Wood Scout Centre, Jun 28

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Posted in Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Environment, Scouts and Guides, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mayor Perry’s secret plan to privatise Croydon’s public parks

Buried deep in their uninspiring election manifesto, Croydon Tories have let slip that they want to hand over at least one of the borough’s public open spaces to a private company. SANDRA STEAD reports Jason Perry, the Croydon Mayor who … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Labour’s Davis should be in front when final whistle is blown

ONE DAY TO GO: An unusually subdued local campaign enters the final day with a last-minute visit from the Leader of the Opposition to try to salvage the Tory Mayor’s hopes of re-election. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Pusey, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rick Howard, Rowenna Davis, Steve Reed MP, Zack Polanski | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Langley Vale conservation talk, Honeywood Museum, May 28

C O M M U N I T Y A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Posted in Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Education, Environment, History, Honeywood Museum | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Farm Fest annual fund-raiser, Deen City Farm, Merton, Jun 27

C O M M U N I T Y A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Posted in Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Charity, Environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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

Plant sale, Pampisford Road allotments, South Croydon, May 4

C O M M U N I T Y A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Community associations, Gardening, Purley, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Polls tighten in Town Hall race as Farage’s grifters get closer

SEVEN DAYS TO GO: You probably don’t want to read ‘It’s too close to call’ again, but judging by the latest, London-wide polling figures just published, the race to be Croydon Mayor is tighter than ever. By WALTER CRONXITE, Political … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Flook, Council Tax, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rick Howard, Rowenna Davis, Shirley North, Steve Reed MP, Zack Polanski | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 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