Category Archives: London Councils

Labour councils pledge to uphold Londoners’ Freedom Pass

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE smells a bit of media manipulation over the handling of news about the capital’s travel concessions London’s Labour-run borough councils, with the “full support” of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, will block any changes to the … Continue reading

Posted in Age UK Croydon, Charity, Claire Holland, Lambeth Council, London Councils, London-wide issues, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Charity to campaign against cuts to Londoners’ Freedom Pass

Age UK, the charity that represents the interests of Britain’s older generations, has expressed its firm opposition to any suggestion that Londoners should lose their Freedom Pass concessionary travel. The Freedom Pass provides free travel on all Transport for London … Continue reading

Posted in Age UK Croydon, Charity, London Councils, London-wide issues, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

£372m Freedom Pass is ‘more than boroughs can afford’

London’s local councils are to carry out a review of the capital’s Freedom Pass, because of the strain that the cost of providing free travel to over-60s is placing on budgets. The Freedom Pass is paid for by Croydon and … Continue reading

Posted in London Councils, London-wide issues, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Croydon and 99 other councils may seek government bail-outs

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Latest indications across local government finances are that minister Steve Reed is going to have to provide so much exceptional financial support in 2026 that it won’t be ‘exceptional’ any longer. By STEVEN DOWNES There was a … Continue reading

Posted in Abi Brown, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Jackie Belton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon short-changed with £600,000 from homelessness fund

On World Homeless Day, the government has announced a £84million cash injection to help councils support rough sleepers and children and families experiencing homelessness this winter. And while London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London are set to receive … Continue reading

Posted in Crisis Skylight Centre, Croydon Council, Croydon Nightwatch, Housing, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Devolution Bill tries to fix Pickles Tories made of local councils

Among the multi-layered answers to “how did we get in this mess?” over Croydon’s, and other local authorities’, financial crises, Big Eric Pickles and his 2011 Localism Act goes a long way to explaining how Town Halls across England and … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Holland, Croydon Council, London Councils, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mayor Perry and Negrini together again at Growth Plan launch

WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, on another missed opportunity for the benighted borough A strange thing happened on Thursday morning in a lecture theatre at Imperial College in central London. There, in the audience for the launch of London Mayor Sir … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Holland, Jo Negrini, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Motoring penalty charges to increase to £160 in Croydon

Conservative councils in London – which potentially incudes Croydon’s Tory Mayor Jason Perry – wanted to hike the cost of parking tickets to £180 a pop. That’s according to a report by the London Standard, as the capital seeks to … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Parking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Councillor’s workplace issue: House of Fraser or Commons?

EXCLUSIVE: It’s not just Chancellor Rachel Reeves who struggles to get her CV right, as SANDRA STEAD, our in-house number-cruncher, uncovers a fifth case of an elected representative in Croydon failing to keep proper records in their register of interest … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Holland, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, London Councils, London-wide issues, Louis Carserides, Mayor Jason Perry, Scott Roche, Shirley South, Simon Fox, South Norwood, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Streatham and Croydon North, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Perry’s ‘nice little earner’ – Tory Mayor’s undeclared £10,000

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Elected figures across the capital are pocketing generous ‘bonuses’ – all paid for by Council Tax-payers, just for attending a few committee meetings for the London Councils organisation. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Croydon’s Tory Mayor … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Holland, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, London Councils, London-wide issues, Louis Carserides, Mayor Jason Perry, Scott Roche, Shirley South, South Norwood, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Backlash against Hunt as Tory-run councils feel the squeeze

Malign neglect of local government after 13 years of savage spending cuts has created an ‘existential threat’ to council services. ‘Things are starting to fall apart at the seams,’ warns a Tory source “Flagship” Conservative-run county councils could suffer financial … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Gove’s funding increases have come too late to save Croydon

London’s precept to add nearly £40 to average bills, as Mayor Perry asks government permission for increase of at least 10% for Croydon’s Council Tax, reports WALTER CRONXITE, political editor After 12 years of Tory austerity, the government has taken … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jason Cummings, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Funding outlook for all London’s boroughs is ‘beyond bleak’

Croydon is not the only cash-strapped council in the capital, as the body which represents all 32 boroughs and the City of London has predicted that there could be a £1.1billion black hole in Town Hall budgets over the next … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, CVA, Georgia Gould, Libraries, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Refuse collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tory government cuts councils’ homelessness fund by £40m

A near-30percent cut to a government fund supposed to help councils, such as Croydon, to reduce homelessness, coming at a time of rising cost-of-living, risks “tens of thousands of people falling into arrears and facing eviction as people struggle to … Continue reading

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

Rent reforms essential to reduce housing crisis, says report

Ending unfair evictions could reduce homelessness by 9 per cent and save local councils across the country £161million per year, according to a report published today by Generation Rent. And the problems of homelessness are worst in the capital. Cross-party … Continue reading

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

Covid pressures could see homelessness soar, warn boroughs

London faces the most severe homelessness crisis in the country, according to the capitals borough councils, as they face a “triple whammy” of upcoming risks over the summer, as lockdown restrictions and special covid-19 emergency aid for the homeless are … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Evolve, Housing, London Councils, Patricia Hay-Justice | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tories include a proven liar among by-election candidates

The Conservative Party candidates in the council by-elections next month include one man who, the last time he stood for election to Croydon Council, was accused of telling falsehoods by no less than three bishops, and a woman who allowed … Continue reading

Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Croydon Council, Kenley, London Councils, Lynne Hale, New Addington North, Ola Kolade, Park Hill and Whitgift, South Norwood, Steve O'Connell, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

London’s boroughs make eve of Budget appeal for covid help

CROYDON IN CRISIS: According to London-wide figures published today, unemployment in the city is approaching half a million people while covid-19 has cost every borough in the capital £66m. In Croydon, the latest estimate of the budget overspend has now … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Georgia Gould, Health, London Councils, London-wide issues, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments