Category Archives: Housing

Council asks tenants: what do you want from repairs service?

Council tenants and leaseholders, together with members of the housing improvement board, have cautiously welcomed the latest Town Hall engagement exercise, intended to improve the pace and standards of the repairs service provided for the borough’s properties. The housing improvement … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Housing, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, South Norwood, Susmita Sen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Earnings struggling to keep up with property price growth

House prices have continued to soar, and even outstripped people’s wage packets in some parts of the country, making it ever more difficult for first-time buyers People’s homes in one-third of Britain have “earned” more per hour in the past … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, London-wide issues | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Part-time Perry and Labour in playground squabble over park

After a decade of Town Hall squabbles, the legacy of Newman and Butler’s years in charge of the council is a playground for the children of tower block half-millionaires. WALTER CRONXITE on another late, costly and incomplete town centre project … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Queens Gardens, Taberner House, Tony Newman, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

England’s Tories remain enthusiastic only about ground rent

As ANDREW FISHER explains, the cost of living crisis begins with too many people being unable to afford somewhere decent to live, as private rents increase by 15.8% this year “Been spending most our lives living in a landlords’ paradise”. … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Landlord licensing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Abrasive’ lobbyist smoothing the way for Selhurst’s new stand

Crystal Palace’s £100m new stand at Selhurst Park has the backing of fans (natch), support from councillors and approval from the planning department. Yet the club has gone out and hired a planning lobbyist. STEVEN DOWNES profiles Terrapin’s man hoping … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Christopher Herman, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Kingston, Louis Carserides, Paul Scully MP, Planning, Property, South Norwood, Sport, Stella Nabukeera, Steve Parish, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hotter than Cairo – but 100 Croydon residents left without water

Around 100 residents, including families with young children, living in a new tower block in Croydon Old Town have been left without any water supply since just after 8pm last night – on one of the hottest days, and night, … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Environment, Health, Housing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lobbyist to meet councillors over Selhurst stadium proposals

South Norwood councillors will next week be meeting with a representative of a lobbying firm working for Crystal Palace Football Club to discuss issues around the stalled development of a new £100million stand at Selhurst Park. According to a spokesperson … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Louis Carserides, Planning, South Norwood, Sport, Stella Nabukeera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This is £12m Fairfield ‘plaza’ that Mayor Perry wants to create

Existing designs for a public open space between the town’s major arts centre and Croydon College have been derided as ‘jokey’, ‘crass’ and ‘one gigantic hardscape of pink and grey candy stripe concrete’. By STEVEN DOWNES Mayor Jason Perry’s announcement … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Place Review Panel, Planning, Queens Gardens | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Planning permission lapsed for £100m new stand at Selhurst

The planning permission for Crystal Palace to redevelop their main stand in a £100million project at Selhurst Park has lapsed – leaving the club to go through a costly re-application process, or to continue to play their games in one … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Property, Selhurst, Sport, Steve Parish | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ombudsman orders review of Croydon’s temporary housing

A cancer patient and her four children were ‘cooped up’ in a single room throughout the covid pandemic because council officials failed to check their own temporary accommodation policy Croydon Council has been forced to pay nearly £5,000 in compensation … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Housing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Planning chief’s position untenable as developers’ charter axed

Town Hall correspondent PEARL LEE on the seismic shift going on in the council’s planning department Croydon’s part-time Mayor, Jason Perry, will deliver on one of his key promises tonight when, at his first council cabinet meeting since his election … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Kenley, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Sanderstead, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Research finds increasing amount of available brownfield sites

The number of brownfield sites available for development around the country increased by 10per cent in the last year, research shows, with the amount of brownfield land available in London providing enough space for 355,000 new homes. Using brownfield – … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, London-wide issues | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Perry opts to keep poor performing Axis for another year

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Despite reports of ‘shocking rudeness and inhumanity’, repairs contractors implicated in a national housing scandal have been given £20m worth of work by the borough’s part-time Mayor. By STEVEN DOWNES Jason Perry, the £81,000 per year part-time … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Property, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Residents’ Charter sets standards for council’s housing

This Wednesday, the council cabinet will be asked to rubber-stamp a proposal that the Town Hall adopts the Croydon Residents’ Charter, drawn up by Yaw John Boateng, Les Parry and Kim Wakeley of the Croydon Council tenants and leaseholders panel. … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘We are enraged at government whose sole focus is profit’

Grenfell United, the group representing the bereaved and survivors, this morning issued the following statement, on the fifth anniversary of the tower block fire in London that claimed the lives of 72 people Today, we remember the 72 beautiful souls … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Housing, London-wide issues | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Time’s running out for Axis as new Mayor comes under scrutiny

The honeymoon period is over for Jason Perry, as the first reports of his administration are due to be published this week, reports KEN LEE, our Town Hall correspondent Jason Perry this week faces his first real tests as Croydon’s … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Brick by Brick abandons its planning consents and 23 sites

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council this week set light to a ‘bonfire of the vanities’, abandoning planning applications on 477 homes around the borough in development proposals by their failed house builders. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council has dumped … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Jo Negrini, London-wide issues, New Addington, Norbury, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman, Waddon, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

‘Disgrace’ as £110m of Brick by Brick homes stand empty

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Research conducted by a residents’ group has confirmed that more than 200 new homes, built with public cash by the council-owned company, remain vacant, in some cases for more than a year. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES and … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Chris Philp MP, Colm Lacey, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Housing, Old Coulsdon, Planning, Property, South Croydon, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

A first-time buyer’s guide to buying your first home

“Getting a first step on the housing ladder…” is among one of the most hackneyed clichés in modern Britain. Held up as some kind of “aspiration”, harking back to Thatcherism, the reality is that, often as not, buying a home … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Housing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Westfield wants to revive plans for Croydon’s blighted centre

More than three years after shelving their £1.4bn scheme for the town centre, the developers’ monster mall is back on the drawing board – but with significant differences. By STEVEN DOWNES Like a Frankenstein monster after being given a shot … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Growth Zone, House of Fraser, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Great North Wood under threat from holy order’s £3.5m scheme

A holy order of Catholic nuns wants to hack down mature and healthy trees in a specially protected site, part of the ancient Great North Wood, and then use the timber to build a “visitor attraction” to commemorate… the Great … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Church and religions, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Housing, Pat Ryan, Planning, Schools, Stephen Mann, Steve Reed MP, Virgo Fidelis, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Analysts predict London rent costs to soar more than £1,000

As official government figures show the inflation rate hitting a 40-year high of 9per cent, analysis of the homes rental sector forecast costs there will climb by as much as £1,500 in the next year. In just 12 months, the … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Housing, London-wide issues | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Council slips through £5m deal to buy Brick by Brick houses

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Already hugely subsidised housing built by Brick by Brick was bought back by Croydon Council in the days before the local elections. EXCLUSIVE by BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent Serious questions are being raised over the suspiciously generous … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Housing, Old Coulsdon, Paul Scott, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Select committee MPs promise swift action at Regina Road

CROYDON IN CRISIS: More than a year since the ‘appalling’ state of flats in Regina Road caused a national scandal, MPs from a Commons select committee visited South Norwood and Upper Norwood this week. They were shocked at what they … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Florence Eshalomi, Housing, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Councillors slam Bellway’s ‘sham’ consultation over Lido site

Councillors in Waddon have written to a development company that wants to build a 10-storey residential tower block next to the Purley Way playing fields and accused them of running a “sham” public consultation and treating residents with “utter contempt”. … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Joy Prince, Parking, Planning, Property, Purley Way, Purley Way Lido, Robert Canning, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments