Category Archives: Southwark Council

Croydon’s rewards for failure laid bare in Town Hall Rich List

Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s chief executive who issued three Section 114 notices of effective bankruptcy during her time in charge at the council, was taking home salary and pensions totalling £223,838 in the year before she left Fisher’s Folly. Yet Kerswell … Continue reading

Posted in Annette McPartland, Bromley Council, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dean Shoesmith, Elaine Jackson, Helen Bailey, Jenny Rowlands, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth Council, Outside Croydon, Richard Simpson, Southwark Council, Susmita Sen, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Councillors make call to divest from Israeli-linked companies

More than 150 councillors from across London’s boroughs and London Assembly members have signed a letter demanding divestment of council pension funds from corporations which fund or support Israeli abuses against Palestinians. Yet only one of Croydon’s 70 councillors has … Continue reading

Posted in Bexley, Bromley Council, Dave Tchil, Kingston, Lambeth Council, Ria Patel, Sheldon Vestey, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Labour’s new ‘Lord Len’ might yet play role in 445-flat scheme

Political Editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the revolving door between City Hall, south London councils and lobbying firms, and how that might play a part in this week’s big residential scheme at Croydon’s planning committee Len Duvall, the longest-serving London Assembly … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Fairfield, Housing, Lewisham, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Lord Len Duvall, Planning, Property, Southwark Council, Woburn Court and Bedford Court | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croydon’s 6.6% unemployment rate is among worst in capital

Croydon has one of the worst unemployment rates in London, according to the latest figures. There are 1.8million unemployed across the country, which the Office for National Statistics said, outside the covid pandemic, is the highest level nationally since August … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Business, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Merton, Southwark Council, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Free travel for a week – on TfL’s new electric Bakerloop buses

Transport for London is offering a week’s worth of free bus travel on the Bakerloop, a new express service connecting Waterloo to Lewisham. From Saturday September 27 until Saturday October 4, you can travel the Bakerloop for free and see … Continue reading

Posted in Commuting, Lewisham, London-wide issues, Sadiq Khan, Southwark Council, TfL, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TfL unveils its ‘Bakerloop’ bus while hoping for Tube extension

Transport for London has today confirmed the introduction from the autumn of a new “Bakerloop” express bus route between Waterloo and Lewisham, via the Elephant and Castle and the Old Kent Road, as the latest addition to the Superloop routes … Continue reading

Posted in Commuting, Lewisham, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Southwark Council, TfL, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Complaints against Perry’s council on rise, Ombudsman says

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on another year where our council is close to the top of a league table – for most upheld complaints Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s £204,000 per year chief executive, if she bothered … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Bromley Council, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth Council, Planning, Southwark Council, Surrey, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ombudsman creates league table of London’s failing councils

The Housing Ombudsman has launched a special investigation into Lewisham Council, which is guilty of “repeated failings”. The watchdog said it would carry out the probe into the south London council after issuing it with 16 “severe maladministration” findings in … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Bexley, Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Housing, Lambeth Council, Lewisham, London-wide issues, Merton, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Poor councils make bad situations worse says Ombudsman

People who have been treated poorly by their local council are all too often having their situations made worse when their council delays putting things right. That’s the view of the Local Government Ombudsman in her annual review of all … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Bromley Council, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Lambeth Council, Merton, SEND, Southwark Council, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Racing against the great Spitz at a Games scarred by violence

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: Chariots of Fire is on the telly, the Paris Games are just five days away, and DAVID MORGAN speaks to the South Croydon-based swim coach about how he raced against one of the greatest Olympians of all time … Continue reading

Posted in David Morgan, History, South Croydon, Southwark Council, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘This is a once-in-a-generation chance. We have to get it right’

A public meeting tomorrow at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre aims to outline the plans for a £200m refurbishment – and work is already underway. By STEVEN DOWNES Early arrivers for a presentation tomorrow about the future of the Crystal … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Bromley Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Southwark Council, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tandridge among 14 landlords rebuked by Gove over housing

Social housing is being badly managed by councils and housing associations across the country, and all the Tory government is doing is sending a few ‘stern’ letters to officials. By our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES Tandridge District Council in Surrey … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Outside Croydon, Southwark Council, Tandridge District Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

£108,000 Lottery grant helps to ‘reunite’ Great North Wood

Two of the last surviving fragments of the ancient Great North Wood are to be “reunited” in an exciting and innovative project led by the London Wildlife Trust, funded by cash from the National Lottery, which aims to preserve and … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Education, Environment, Southwark Council, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1,606: Croydon among worst in London for empty homes

London has £20billion-worth of homes sitting vacant, according to official figures, a situation which has been described as a “scandal”. And Croydon is among the boroughs with the most vacant properties, according to analysis conducted by City Hall on data … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Housing, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Property, Sadiq Khan, Southwark Council, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

DWP’s £6m ‘poor relief’ highlights deprivation in Croydon

Jason Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor and  part-time business director, who wants to increase everyone’s Council Tax in the borough by a whopping 15per cent, has said today, “I know many families in Croydon are struggling to make ends meet in … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Lambeth Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Southwark Council, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Trinity School goes to top of the class in post-pandemic exams

Single-sex selective schools shine in the annual Sunday Times schools rankings, in which the highest Croydon state school is rated only 186th Trinity, the £20,000 per year boys’ school at Shirley Park, has been rated the top school in Croydon, … Continue reading

Posted in Coloma, Education, Kingston, London-wide issues, Old Palace, Schools, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Trinity School, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bin workers face sack if they don’t work on Queen’s Funeral

While most council services have shut down for the bank holiday weekend ahead of Monday’s solemn royal ceremonials, Veolia staff have been told that if they don’t show up for work, they could be fired. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Business, Croydon Council, Kingston, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Merton, Refuse collection, Southwark Council, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

All Croydon parks ‘under threat’ says environmental campaign

A shocking report from charity CPRE London highlights how the council’s Local Plan has put every open space in the borough at risk from development, writes PAUL LUSHION, our environment correspondent Croydon, and its planning protection-lite revised Local Plan, has … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Addiscombe Railway Park, Friends of Ashburton Park, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Friends of Crystal Palace Park, Friends of Farthing Downs, Friends of Grange Park, Friends of Grangewood Park, Friends of Haling Grove, Friends of Heavers Meadow, Friends of Lloyd Park, Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green, Friends of Millers Ponds, Friends of Norbury Hall Park, Friends of Selsdon Woods, Friends of Shirley Windmill, Friends of South Croydon Rec, Friends of South Norwood Country Park, Friends of Spa Wood, Friends of Stambourne Woods, Friends of Wandle Park, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Merton, Sadiq Khan, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Help to Buy fuels London’s house price inflation say Lords

A parliamentary report out today underlines that £29bn-worth of housing subsidies have simply helped to boost several Tory donors’ profits, reports our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES The cost of an average home in Croydon increased by 4 per cent in … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Housing, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Merton, Planning, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tenants’ despair and politicians’ disdain: Britain’s slum crisis

STEVEN DOWNES on the television documentary being broadcast on Sunday night which seems certain to shock the nation and pour shame on Croydon Council all over again You might think you couldn’t be shocked any more. But you’d be wrong. … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Merton, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, South Norwood, Southwark Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fix! Internal Labour inquiry confirms selection stitch-up

EXCLUSIVE: After the local Labour Party tried to cover-up the scandal of their botched handling of the Fairfield ward by-election last year, the resulting inquiry criticises the ‘questionable integrity and competence of paid party officers’. By STEVEN DOWNES An internal … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Fairfield, Jack Buck, Jose Joseph, Niro Sirisena, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Appeals to Sutton and Croydon to join Rashford campaign

The leaders of LibDem-run Sutton and Labour-controlled Croydon have been urged to join a growing number of councils in issuing food vouchers over half term as the row over free school meals provision during holidays continues. London boroughs Southwark, Lambeth, … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Elliot Colburn, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Paul Scully MP, Ruth Dombey, Schools, Southwark Council, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Official figures show Croydon is capital’s worst for complaints

Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, crunches some numbers and finds that according to the annual report from the Local Government Ombudsman, our council does not compare well, however you dress it up Official figures from the Local Government Ombudsman … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Bromley Council, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Jo Negrini, Lambeth Council, Merton, Planning, SEND, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, TfL, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Freedom! Are Crystal Palace residents ready for breakaway?

The week-long Crystal Palace Festival gets underway tomorrow with a weekend of music and dance in the park. But because of the local borough geography, the organisers and other groups have to deal with five, even six, local authorities, which … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Art, Bromley Council, Comedy, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Dance, Lambeth Council, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Music, Poetry, Southwark Council, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

44 care homes in Croydon fail post-Grenfell fire safety tests

Figures from the Mayor of London show that 44 care homes in Croydon were failing to meet fire safety standards through London Fire Brigade audits carried out following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The figures put Croydon as second worst in … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Andrew Dismore, Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Kingston, Lambeth Council, London Assembly, London Fire Brigade, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Merton, Outside Croydon, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Tom Copley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment