Category Archives: Fairfield

‘Let us be free from this hellhole’: Fold tenants issue demands

EXCLUSIVE: Residents in one of Croydon’s tallest buildings are becoming increasingly angry and militant over their treatment by their multi-billion-pound landlords. By STEVEN DOWNES The owners of The Fold, the 35-storey residential tower in Queen’s Gardens, have been given a … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Property, Queens Gardens, Rowenna Davis, Taberner House, The Fold | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

UnFolding story: residents’ meeting is moved as concerns rise

EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Fire safety inspectors from the London Fire Brigade were on site this morning at The Fold, the 35-storey tower block close to Croydon Town Hall, where residents fear for their well-being because of poor-quality finishes to … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Housing, Mayor of London, Property, Queens Gardens, Taberner House, The Fold | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Fold folds: Hundreds of tenants given six months to leave

EXCLUSIVE: Croydon faces another housing crisis as poor build quality on four blocks built alongside the Town Hall is forcing the owners to carry out extensive works. By STEVEN DOWNES Residents living in Croydon’s fourth-tallest building, 35-storey The Fold, on … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Housing, Mayor of London, Property, Queens Gardens, Taberner House | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

‘War starts here on our doorsteps’: Greens picket weapons fair

Ria Patel, one of Croydon’s Green Party councillors, was part of a sit-down protest in Docklands yesterday at the start of a two-week picket of DSEI – Defence and Security Equipment International – one of the world’s largest arms fairs. … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Greens, Fairfield, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Labour makes last-gasp appeal for council election candidates

With 13 of Labour’s 34 current councillors either deselected or standing down, the party has run out of volunteers for a thankless task. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports Croydon Labour has run out of candidates willing to stand for the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Fairfield, Rowenna Davis, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Labour councillor Clark is forced to seek re-election in Fairfield

With Tamar Barrett’s deselection in Thornton Heath earlier this week, 13 of Labour’s 34 councillors won’t be up for re-election next May. And one shadow cabinet member fears he will lose his Town Hall seat come polling day. By WALTER … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Addiscombe West, Brigitte Graham, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Nick Beall, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Ainscough, Ria Patel, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon, Steve Reed MP, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor), Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Labour tweaks the rules to make sure members have no say

There might actually be something resembling a council candidate selection meeting for Labour members in Broad Green ward tonight – though most reasonable people will see through it as a thinly disguised foregone conclusion By STEVEN DOWNES Some Labour members … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Taylor, Broad Green, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Fairfield, Manju Shahul Hameed, Rowenna Davis, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Police rule out using Live Facial Recognition on Surrey Street

The Metropolitan Police has ruled out the possibility of deploying Live Facial Recognition cameras to deter crime and anti-social behaviour on Surrey Street, Croydon’s ancient street market in the town centre. Some traders say that they were told last week … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Crime, Croydon Business Association, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Knife crime, Live Facial Recognition cameras, London-wide issues, Policing, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Local Labour members angry at ‘travesty’ of selection process

Uncharacteristic ‘openness’ from the Labour Party exposes their latest sham selection process, with candidates for next year’s local elections being named without grassroots members in most wards getting any say at all. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The fix is in. … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Appu Srinivasan, Bensham Manor, Brigitte Graham, Catherine Wilson, Chrishni Reshekaron, Christopher Herman, Croydon East, Croydon West, Enid Mollyneaux, Eunice O'Dame, Fairfield, Janet Campbell, Jeet Bains, Jess Hammersley-Rich, John Wentworth, Karen Jewitt, Leila Ben-Hassel, Louis Carserides, Maddie Henson, Matt Griffiths, Mohammed Islam, Natasha Irons, Norbury, Norbury Park, Patsy Cummings, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Selhurst, South Norwood, Stella Nabukeera, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

From ‘last orders’ to holy orders: pub in change of use scheme

Our south of the borough correspondent, SANDRA STEAD, looks into one of the more bizarre planning application received by the council, even by Croydon standards “Sins downstairs, forgiveness upstairs.” That was the shrewd assessment of one local when they heard … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Clark, Church and religions, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Parking, Planning, Property, Pubs, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Eight Brick by Brick-built flats issued with fire safety order

EXCLUSIVE: More problems for residents who have shared-ownership in homes built by the council’s omnishambles of a development company. By housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES Eight flats built by Brick by Brick, Croydon Council’s useless housing company that helped to bankrupt … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Housing, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Croydon’s rubbish High Street: what they say versus the reality

Croydon Council’s propaganda department was busy this week. On Monday, they pumped out this cheery piece of social media, to big-up the great work they claim is being done on Croydon High Street and North End.

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fly tipping, Mayor Jason Perry, North End Quarter, Refuse collection, Surrey Street, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Veolia, Whitgift Centre | 11 Comments

How chief Nimby Philp built in Tories’ own Purley backyard

BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, on what is undoubtedly, even by Croydon’s low standards, the most egregious example of ‘do as we say, not as we do’ from our politicians Croydon residents living south of the Flyover, whether they are in … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, Purley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Only 20% ‘affordable’ in 676 flats proposed for College Green

Housing correspondent BARRATT HOLMES on the latest proposals for huge towers providing expensive flats and situated close to East Croydon Station The site next to the Fairfield Halls and Croydon College, once owned by Croydon Council through its failed house-building … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, College Green, Croydon Council, Delta Properties, Delta Properties Ltd, Fairfield, Housing, Planning, Property, Tapestry Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Heritage group brings Surrey Street water fountain back to life

The monumental drinking fountain at the top of Surrey Street market has been restored to full working order, thanks to work by the Heritage of London Trust. Reconnected to the water supply, a new push-button system has been inserted to … Continue reading

Posted in Fairfield, History, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Met to target town centre as one of London’s crime ‘hot spots’

Croydon town centre has been named in a list of crime “hot spots” issued today by the Metropolitan Police, among the places in London most likely to attract anti-social behaviour, theft and street crime. Increased police patrols will be at … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Historic England prospectus offers hope for Pumping Station

Finally, after decades of decay and disuse, might there be some glimmer of hope for the Croydon Pumping Station building in Waterworks Yard, off Surrey Street? The 174-year-old Grade II-listed building has long been abandoned, and is now in the … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon West, Fairfield, History, Property, Sarah Jones MP, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Town centre PSPO is another Perry failure. It’s time to scrap it

CROYDON COMMENTARY: It was Einstein who was supposed to have said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Here, PETER UNDERWOOD, right, questions the council’s thinking behind the … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Policing, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 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

Fears Croydon residents may have died in Air India tragedy

Unconfirmed reports suggest that as many as three people with Croydon connections may have been among those killed when an Air India flight bound for Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on Thursday. There were 242 passengers and crew … Continue reading

Posted in Jose Joseph | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fear on the streets – our latest podcast looks at crime and ASB

The Croydon Insider is the only news podcast for London’s most populous borough, and in our latest episode our panel discusses a range of news stories and the issues that matter to them – including difficulties encountered in reducing the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Boxpark, Business, Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Croydon Insider, CYTO, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Inside Croydon, Local media, London-wide issues, Theatre, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Hypocrite’ Tory voted for proposal to destroy heritage home

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on a planning committee meeting where Conservative councillors backed a private developer’s bid to drastically alter a listed family home in a conservation area So much for Tory Mayor Jason Perry protecting family homes in … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Ian Parker, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Surrey Street trader wins civic award for his community work

Jose Joseph, the Surrey Street stall-holder who provides hot meals for the homeless in Croydon town centre every week, has been recognised for his efforts in the community with a special certificate at this week’s Civic Mayor Awards ceremony at … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Business Association, Croydon Council, Jose Joseph, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Oval Tavern’s Sutton to take on little pub under the Flyover

Esther Sutton, one of Croydon’s most respected business-owners, will next week be taking the keys to The Royal Standard pub, one of Croydon’s hidden gems and which boasts the “most Croydon of beer gardens”. “The Standard will still be The … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments