Category Archives: New Addington

Choir demands compensation over BHLive’s Fairfield shambles

CROYDON IN CRISIS: BHLive, the under-fire operators of the council-owned arts complex, have been accused of costing one of the borough’s top arts groups thousands of pounds because of their poor management of the prestige venue. By our arts correspondent, … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon Philharmonic Choir, Fairfield Halls, Music, Oliver Lewis, Theatre, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Take your pick: our ward-by-ward guide to council elections

With a complete listing of all the candidates in Croydon’s May 5 councillor vote, political editor WALTER CRONXITE provides a guide to where the contest for the Town Hall might be won or lost The introduction of Croydon’s first democratically-elected, … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Andrew Pelling, Badsha Quadir, Bensham Manor, Broad Green, Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Felicity Flynn, Gareth Streeter, Hamida Ali, Helen Redfern, Jade Appleton, Jan Buttinger, Janet Campbell, Jason Perry, Jose Joseph, Kenley, Leila Ben-Hassel, Mike Bonello, New Addington North, Norbury, Norbury Park, Ola Kolade, Old Coulsdon, Oliver Lewis, Oni Oviri, Park Hill and Whitgift, Paul Scott, Peter Underwood, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Sanderstead, Scott Roche, Selhurst, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Shirley North, Shirley South, Simon Hall, Simon Hoar, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stella Nabukeera, Steve Hollands, Stuart King, Thornton Heath, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Tony Pearson, Waddon, West Thornton, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

£67m arts centre – with no art gallery and few performances

EXCLUSIVE: The Fairfield Halls fiasco gets worse by the day, with Bournemouth-based venue operators BHLive staging shows on just 24% of available dates. Croydon is supposed to be London’s ‘Borough of Culture’ in 2023… By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon is London’s … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Arnhem Gallery, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Mayor of London, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sadiq Khan, Talawa Theatre Company, The Wreck, Theatre, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mystery surrounds new candidate Herman’s deleted tweets

CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: Some fear it is a case of out of the frying pan into the fire with the imposed election candidate in South Norwood. By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE The Local Campaign Forum, the committee at … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Broad Green, Croydon North, Elliott-Jay Munroop, Oliver Lewis, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP | 6 Comments

Two-days-a-week libraries latest step in ‘lingering demise’

Staff and residents’ associations warn that reduced opening hours to be introduced from April 4 are just ‘library closures by stealth’ The borough’s public libraries will go on to a new, reduced hours timetable next month, the last part of … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Oliver Lewis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

From pavement to skyline, Croydon holds a concrete grip

A Croydon author has a new book out this week, but he could not resist revisiting his old stomping grounds. Here, in an exclusive column for iC, JOHN GRINDROD explains why his hometown has been a lifelong inspiration Croydon was … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Environment, Housing, London-wide issues, New Addington, Planning, Property | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Countryside charity slams Local Plan threat to green spaces

One of England’s biggest conservation and countryside charities has accused Croydon Council’s revised Local Plan of “lacking ambition” and once again putting the borough’s green spaces under threat of development. What the council is calling a “review” of the Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Lloyd Park, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, Shirley North, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

£67m fraud at Fairfield: Town Hall row over calling in police

CRISIS SPECIAL: The council’s most senior legal official wants to check the £70m Fairfield fiasco for fraud, but the borough’s Labour councillors don’t want to call in the police, yet their leader says she has already reported it to the … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, College Green, Crime, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Felicity Flynn, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, John Jones, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Mott MacDonald, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Lewis is given another £1.3m to spend on Fairfield Halls

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Somehow, our cash-strapped council has managed to find a spare million to hand to the under-performing operators of the town centre’s arts venue, thanks to the recommendation of a new employee of The Campaign Company. EXCLUSIVE By … Continue reading

Posted in BH Live, Croydon Council, David Evans, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Appeal for volunteers to help run charity café in New Addington

The Royal Voluntary Service has made an urgent call for more volunteers in Croydon to support in a fundamental role. Volunteers are needed to take on the operation of newly opened cafés at the New Addington Leisure Centre and Crystal … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Charity, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, New Addington | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Council’s misleading Open+ and shut case for public libraries

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The bankrupt council is spending £1.6m on an untried system that will allow it to reduce staffing hours at our libraries, a decision passed without debate at a Town Hall meeting. Our libraries correspondent, GENE BRODIE, investigates … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Heather Cheesbrough, Libraries, Manju Shahul Hameed, New Addington, Norbury, Old Coulsdon, Planning, Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon and Addington Village, Shirley North, South Norwood, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Lewis gets another chance as selection process grinds to halt

CROYDON LABOUR IN CRISIS: The party’s membership has dropped by 50% in some wards since 2020, and officials didn’t have enough women applicants to complete their selection process in what was supposed to be a target ward. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe East, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Jamie Audsley, London-wide issues, New Addington, Norbury, Norbury Park, Oliver Lewis, Sarah Jones MP, Sherwan Chowdhury, South Croydon, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

New Addington SEND Family Club, Dec 21, 23, 29

Posted in Activities, New Addington | Tagged | Leave a comment

New Addington Boxercise Club, Dec 20, 23 and 29

Posted in Activities, Boxing, New Addington, New Addington ABC, Sport | Tagged , | Leave a comment

£13m special school in New Addington has now opened

Addington Valley “Academy” (it’s really what used to be called a school) in Fieldway has celebrated its launch, the £13million building being officially opened 16 months after the school held its first lessons in temporary accommodation. Operated in partnership between … Continue reading

Posted in Addington Valley Academy, Croydon Council, Education, New Addington, Schools | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Hub, New Addington, open Mondays in term time

Posted in Activities, New Addington, New Addington North | Tagged | 5 Comments

Cabinet member Lewis is cut adrift by New Addington selection

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A leading Newman Numpty was effectively deselected last night, as he and ceremonial deputy mayor failed even to make it on to his ward’s candidates shortlist; meanwhile, chaos in Norbury Park when Labour organisers book too small … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe West, Alisa Flemming, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon North, Fairfield, Felicity Flynn, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Jose Joseph, Kola Agboola, Louisa Woodley, Mary Croos, New Addington, New Addington North, Norbury Park, Oliver Lewis, Patricia Hay-Justice, Sean Fitzsimons, Steve Reed MP, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Veteran councillor Ryan is deselected while in hospital bed

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the latest casualties of the council’s financial collapse Pat Ryan, a Croydon councillor for nearly 30 years, was last night deselected by members at a Labour Party meeting in his home ward of Crystal Palace … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Amy Foster, Bensham Manor, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Felicity Flynn, Hamida Ali, Humayun Kabir, Jerry Fitzpatrick, John Wentworth, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, Mike Bonello, New Addington, New Addington North, Nina Degrads, Norbury, Pat Ryan, Patsy Cummings, Shafi Khan, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Five years on from tragedy: tram crash memorial service, Nov 9

The official civic memorial service to mark the fifth anniversary of the Croydon tram disaster will be held in New Addington next Tuesday, November 9. More than 60 people were injured in the crash. Dane Chinnery, Donald Collett, Robert Huxley, … Continue reading

Posted in New Addington, New Addington North, Sandilands derailment, Tramlink | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Boycotts and resignations in rows over Labour selections

‘The conduct of Labour Party affairs locally does seem to be almost tailored to create continuing unease and disaffection’. WALTER CRONXITE,  political editor, with the latest round-up of shenanigans “Croydon North’s in meltdown” was how one angry Labour member put … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe West, Callton Young, Catherine Wilson, Clive Fraser, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Elliott-Jay Munroop, Felicity Flynn, John Wentworth, Karen Jewitt, Louis Carserides, Mohammed Islam, New Addington, New Addington North, Nina Degrads, Norbury, Norbury Park, Pat Ryan, Patsy Cummings, Selhurst, South Norwood, Stella Nabukeera, Stephen Mann, Steve Reed MP, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor), Thornton Heath, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayoral referendum: how Croydon voted, ward-by-ward

The council last night released the figures by ward of how Croydon residents voted in October 7’s Mayoral referendum. We already knew that the thumping 80% majority across the whole borough, and defeats in all 28 wards, was very bad … Continue reading

Posted in 2021 Mayor Referendum, 2022 council elections, Croydon Council, New Addington, New Addington North, Sanderstead, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Cummings and Lewis start the ‘chicken run’ for safe wards

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the unedifying scramble among some Labour councillors to find a safe ward to stand in at next May’s local elections The chicken run is underway among the borough’s Labour councillors, with at least one  current … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe East, Alison Butler, Bensham Manor, Hamida Ali, Humayun Kabir, Jamie Audsley, Jeet Bains, Louisa Woodley, Maddie Henson, Mike Bonello, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Raj Rajendran, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Goats settle in for their winter’s work at Riddlesdown Quarry

There are goats in Croydon. No kidding. That was the announcement made by City Commons yesterday, as goats were turned out to graze at Riddlesdown Quarry. City Commons is the part of the City of London Corporation which manages large … Continue reading

Posted in City Commons, Coulsdon, Croydon parks, Environment, Kenley, Nature Notes, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Purley, Sanderstead, South London Downs NNR, Whitgift Foundation, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Leisure centre is an asset of community value. Treat it like one

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The time has long passed for polite petitions seeking to save the council-owned Purley Pool. It’s time for the community to take the initiative. By STEVEN DOWNES, Editor of Inside Croydon While Save Purley Pool petitions and banners … Continue reading

Posted in Inside Croydon, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Purley Pool closure planned to help GLL repay £279,000 loan

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Cash-strapped council’s case for closing down leisure centre depends entirely on made up figures and abandoning terms of a 20-year management agreement. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES Inside Croydon’s exclusive report two weeks ago about proposals to cut … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Oliver Lewis, Purley, Purley Pool, Sarah Hayward, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment