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Category Archives: Oliver Lewis
Lewis launches reading challenge – when 11 libraries are shut
CROYDON IN CRISIS: As the council’s second consultation in a year to shut down a statutory service comes to an end, eight of the borough’s libraries remain closed for the majority of the week. By STEVEN DOWNES With all the … Continue reading
Fairfield Halls’ £70m fiasco: ‘BxB didn’t know what it was doing’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Trade newspaper The Stage has described the five-year saga of the Fairfield Halls refurbishment as a ‘catastrophic mess’ and a ‘£70m fiasco’. Now, the centre’s former artistic director has broken his silence over the bungling of Brick … Continue reading
Posted in Arnhem Gallery, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman
Tagged BHLive, Croydon, Croydon Council, Dame Judi Dench, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, The Stage, Tony Newman
17 Comments
‘Apologetic Ali’ fails once again as BxB sends in the builders
Council leader tells community meeting she is powerless to act against the council-owned development company, as New Addington residents’ five-year campaign to save a communal space comes to a sad end. By STEVEN DOWNES Not for the first time, Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Planning, Sarah Jones MP, Scott Ainsworth-Payne
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Warbank Crescent
6 Comments
Council forced to back down over plan to close five libraries
Having created a threat to close five of the borough’s public libraries, the witless Labour administration is now trying to claim the credit for ‘saving’ them. By STEVEN DOWNES For the second time in just two years, hapless Ollie Lewis, … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Shirley, South Norwood
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green, Broad Green Library, Coulsdon, Croydon Public Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Library, Shirley, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library
2 Comments
Seconds out: Round 3! Boxing club gets temporary reprieve
New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, which faced immediate closure at the end of March, has been given a temporary reprieve. Another one. As with most things involving Croydon Council, the outcome is less than satisfactory. One source said today, “If … Continue reading
Posted in Boxing, Community associations, Duke McKenzie, Felicity Flynn, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, New Addington ABC, New Addington North, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall, Sport
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Duke McKenzie, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, New Addington, New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, New Addington Leisure Centre, New Addington North, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall
1 Comment
Fitzsimons stays on to scrutinise his scrutiny committee
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Town Hall’s theatre of the absurd continues tonight with a meeting chaired by a councillor criticised by auditors and government inspectors for failing to raise the alarm over finances and poor governance. STEVEN DOWNES reports Sean … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, David Wood, Hamida Ali, Jane Avis, Nina Degrads, Oliver Lewis, Report in the Public Interest, Stephen Mann, Tony Newman
Tagged Clive Fraser, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Patricia Hay-Justice, Rapid Review, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman
4 Comments
McKenzie gives his backing for New Addington’s boxers
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Former world champion says that council failing to provide a base for boxing club will cause a massive ‘backlash’. By STEVEN DOWNES Seconds out! A community boxing club is facing a fight for survival, set to be … Continue reading
Posted in Boxing, Community associations, Croydon Council, Duke McKenzie, Fieldway, New Addington, New Addington ABC, New Addington Residents' Association, Oliver Lewis, Scott Ainsworth-Payne, Simon Hall, Sport
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Duke McKenzie, New Addington, New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, New Addington Leisure Centre, New Addington Residents' Association, Oliver Lewis
1 Comment
Latest council failure could be knock-out blow for sports club
A successful and popular community sports club in New Addington has been given until the end of this month to pack up its punchbags and other equipment and move out of council-owned premises. The New Addington Amateur Boxing Club has … Continue reading
Posted in Boxing, Felicity Flynn, New Addington, New Addington ABC, New Addington North, New Addington Residents' Association, Oliver Lewis, Sport
Tagged Croydon Council, Labour, New Addington, New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, New Addington Leisure Centre, New Addington North, New Addington South, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall, Timebridge Centre
4 Comments
Lip-service webinars fail to consider libraries’ community future
CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the council pays lip-service to a legally required consultation process, there’s a sense of inevitability about proposed closures for up to five of the borough’s public libraries. After sitting in on one of the council’s virtual Q&A … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Sarah Hayward, Section 114 notice
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Old Coulsdon, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library
4 Comments
Purley campaign demands answers over pool’s lack of funding
CROYDON IN CRISIS: With Greenwich Leisure, who operate the borough’s leisure facilities, under intense covid-19 financial pressures of their own, local mum RACHEL GARNETT (pictured left) explains the vital importance of the continuing campaign to save Purley Pool from closure … Continue reading
Council paid £1m compensation for unfinished Fairfield Halls
EXCLUSIVE: A year-long investigation has uncovered multi-million-pound payments by the council on its arts centre, largely because of the bungled refurbishment managed by Brick by Brick. And it is now suggested some payments may have been unlawful. By STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading
BxB-built library which has never opened is now to be closed
The story of South Norwood Library is just the latest example of how thoroughly screwed-up and costly the council’s relationship with its loss-making house-builders has become. GENE BRODIE, our bookish gyms correspondent, reports This could only happen in Croydon. The … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Education, Jane Avis, Libraries, Lisa Taylor, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Brick by Brick, Broad Green Library, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Jane Avis, London Borough of Croydon, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Sanderstead Library, Sarah Jones MP, Shirley Library, South Norwood, South Norwood Library, Tony Newman
8 Comments
Personal trainers ignore council’s parks licensing scheme
The council’s misfiring attempts to help businesses in the borough through the coronavirus pandemic reached a nadir in the summer when the Fisher’s Folly propaganda department announced that Croydon was “waiving” personal trainer licence fees – without mentioning that they … Continue reading
Libraries Week, but not in Coulsdon, Purley, South Norwood…
“It’s Libraries Week!” declared a council-run Twitter account yesterday. The exciting range of services on offer included using something they called “eaudiobooks”, perhaps to listen to while in the bath? But it is not libraries week if you would usually … Continue reading
BHLive starts redundancy process for staff at Fairfield Halls
There have been unconfirmed reports that BHLive, the Bournemouth-based operators in charge of running the council-owned Fairfield Halls, have this week begun making their full-time employees in Croydon redundant. According to BHLive insiders, the move could see the Fairfield Halls … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Oliver Lewis
Tagged BHLive, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Oliver Lewis
5 Comments
Councillor claims: We can’t afford to reopen Arena stadium
Track where Olympic stars Donna Fraser, Martyn Rooney and Lawrence Okoye began their track and field careers is under threat after covid-19, as senior council figure claims it could cost £200,000 to reopen Oliver Lewis, the council cabinet member, last … Continue reading
Posted in Athletics, Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, Cycling, Football, Lawrence Okoye, Martyn Rooney, Oliver Lewis, Sport, Tony Newman, Uncategorized, Woodside
Tagged Croydon Arena, Croydon Council, Croydon Harriers, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Oliver Lewis, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Woodside
3 Comments
Virus sees council turn Fairfield into a £43m rehearsal space
Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, reports on how the council has belatedly come up with a handful of measures to see the Fairfield Halls at least partially come out of its covid-induced ‘hibernation’ A month after the venue management laid … Continue reading
Newman’s claims over diversity miss the real ‘need for change’
Black Lives Matter. But in Orwellian Croydon, some matter more than others, as our political editor WALTER CRONXITE reports While many in England will be rushing off to the pub tomorrow, Tony Newman will be using a Croydon Labour councillors’ … Continue reading
Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, David Wood, Jane Avis, Janet Campbell, Louisa Woodley, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Callton Young, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, David Wood, Jane Avis, Labour, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
7 Comments
Fears grow at Fairfield Halls over operator’s unsigned lease
The Fairfield Halls may be in “hibernation” until next year because of coronavirus, but Croydon Council is now facing another crisis over its ill-fated £43million refurbishment project, with growing fears that the company appointed to manage the arts complex could … Continue reading
Residents quick to see through councillor’s skatepark offer
The mounting anger among New Addington residents over Brick by Brick’s plans for “slumification” of their area has created a sense of panic among the cabal that controls the Labour group at Croydon Town Hall. With four council seats at … Continue reading
Posted in Boxing, Felicity Flynn, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, New Addington ABC, New Addington North, New Addington Residents' Association, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall, Sport
Tagged Croydon Council, Felicity Flynn, Labour, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, New Addington Amateur Boxing Club, New Addington North, New Addington South, Oliver Lewis, Simon Hall, Timebridge Centre
1 Comment
Newman bans Labour councillors from ‘liking’ Inside Croydon
WALTER CRONXITE reports on the ludicrous lengths that the council leadership is going to in order to avoid scrutiny of their failing administration Tony Newman, the increasingly absurd leader of Croydon Council, has ordered his fellow Labour councillors not to … Continue reading
Is Brick by Brick’s Theobald Road ‘Stasi prison’ now kaput?
Pressure is growing on the council’s house-builders to drop their ugly plans for a site in Waddon, after a second tree quality survey completely contradicted an earlier report. By BELLE MARSH, our prisons correspondent Brick by Brick, the council’s wholly-owned, … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Environment, Felicity Flynn, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, New Addington North, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, Robert Canning, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Waddon
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Felicity Flynn, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Louisa Woodley, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Robert Canning, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Waddon
7 Comments
Facing uncertain future, Fairfield Halls returns all its pianos
The Fairfield Halls had the removal men in yesterday – taking away the arts venue’s pianos. Inside Croydon understands that the pianos – nine in total, including two grand pianos – have been returned to their makers after the venue … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Music, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Theatre
Tagged BHLive, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Neil Chandler, Phoenix Pianos
7 Comments
TfL’s cashflow crisis could make Croydon traffic jams worse
Our transport correspondent, JEREMY CLACKSON, on finance problems for Transport for London that could have a profound impact on south London Transport for London’s appeal to the government for £3.2billion to allow it to keep operating in the covid-19 crisis … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe East, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Commuting, Croydon Council, Environment, Joy Prince, London-wide issues, Louisa Woodley, Maddie Henson, Mayor of London, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Robert Canning, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Tony Newman, Tramlink, Transport, Waddon
Tagged Addiscombe East, Andrew Pelling, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fiveways, Joy Prince, London, London Borough of Croydon, Louisa Woodley, Maddie Henson, Mayor, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Purley Way, Robert Canning, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Tony Newman, Tory, Transport for London, Waddon
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Labour council backs scheme to encourage library volunteers
The council is “making it easier than ever before” – their own words – for people to volunteer to work in the borough’s libraries. A missive from Fisher’s Folly last week announced, “a new online system” that allows people to … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Libraries, Oliver Lewis
Tagged Central Library, Croydon Libraries, Oliver Lewis
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