Category Archives: Planning

Coulsdon’s Red Clover Gardens gets a new coat of whitewash

A housing scheme in Coulsdon has won the country’s top architecture award. Yet there’s not been a peep from the council’s propaganda department, usually desperate to spin anything as ‘good’ news in Croydon. STEVEN DOWNES on the desperate efforts of … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Westfield now want a data centre plus 4,000 flats in town centre

After more than 15 years of non-development, Paris-based developers are seriously considering building a data centre close to the town centre’s conservation area, as they crank up plans for 45-storey tower blocks. By STEVEN DOWNES Fifteen years after Westfield first … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, North End Quarter, Planning, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

First phase of Altyre Road ‘aparthotel’ set to open by Christmas

The first phase of “The Canopy”, the aparthotel on Altyre Road, could be complete before Christmas. That’s according to Addiscombe West’s Labour councillors, who recently took a tour of the building site, as the former Croydon Park Hotel is being … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Housing, Planning, Property, The Canopy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Parish admits Palace don’t have funding for £200m new stand

Plans could be altered to reduce costs on the long-delayed project, and that could even require another renewal of planning permission from Croydon Council, according to club chairman Crystal Palace has yet to secure the funding necessary for its £200million-plus … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, John Textor, Planning, Property, Selhurst, Steve Parish, Woody Johnson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mystery after Grade II-listed Leslie Arms is pulled from auction

Auctioneer Swindells claims the landmark pub was never in his company’s catalogue, as Ansari-linked property fails to sell for third time in as many months. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Leslie Arms, the Grade II-listed Victorian landmark building in Addiscombe … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Leslie Arms, Planning, Property, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Councillors in plea to Wetherspoons: Dear Tim, buy our pub!

For sale: one long-neglected, heritage-listed Victorian boozer, likely to require millions of pounds to put right. For the third time in four months, the Leslie Arms is up for auction. And Labour councillors have appealed to pub chains to show … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Leslie Arms, Nick Beall, Patricia Hay-Justice, Planning, Property, Pubs, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Addiscombe locals suspicious as fire destroys heritage house

“Owners and developers should be held responsible when something like this happens.” That was the quick take of one concerned resident yesterday, which was typical of the angry and saddened reactions of many, as firefighters continued to damp down the … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe and Shirley Park RA, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Community associations, Croydon Council, Housing, London Fire Brigade, Planning | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Firm behind £60m Purley Pool project goes into administration

In the latest embarrassment for Croydon’s failed Mayor, the offshore-registered parent company behind the £60m redevelopment of the Purley Pool has gone into administration. There are other problems with the long overdue project, too. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Polaska Assets … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Parking, Planning, Polaska, Polaska Assets Ltd, Property, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Pool | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Shaping Croydon’s light-touch exhibit offers clues to the future

An exhibition, “Shaping Croydon – Architecture and Ambition”, has opened this week at the Museum of Croydon, just in time for this weekend’s celebration of the capital’s architecture with the Open House festival. The exhibition is attractively bright and light-touch. … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Activities, Art, Croydon Council, Environment, History, Museum of Croydon, Planning, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MP Philp’s Green Belt petition slammed as ‘scaremongering’

‘Croydon’s Green Belt under threat!’ was the deliberately alarmist headline on a mass email from the Croydon South MP last week. Some have described it as ‘reckless scaremongering’. Others have called it ‘outright lies’. BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, puts down … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Addington Hills, Addiscombe West, Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Croydon South, East Croydon, Environment, Housing, Lloyd Park, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, New Addington North, New Addington South, Park Hill and Whitgift, Park Hill Recreation Ground, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon and Addington Village, South Croydon, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Perry’s ‘comedy’ video claims are leaving the joke on Croydon

The borough’s Conservative Mayor, rendered impotent by the presence of government Commissioners, has spent much of the summer conducting some personal political campaigning, all paid for by tax-payers, that is often deliberately misleading, that sometimes gaslights residents and, very often, … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Andrew Fisher, BH Group, Business, Commissioners, Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Fly tipping, Live Facial Recognition cameras, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Planning, Policing, Refuse collection, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon Park Hotel, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Perry admits he has no idea when work will start on Purley Pool

Not for the first time, Croydon’s Mayor is out of his depth when facing the most straightforward of questions, reports PEARL LEE Five years after promising to reopen Purley Pool “immediately” as part of his original election campaign, and Croydon … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Neil Garratt, Planning, Polaska, Polaska Assets Ltd, Property, Purley, Purley Pool | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

‘Crap’ council is caught taping over the cracks of listed building

Croydon Council has been accused of failing to protect and preserve one of the town centre’s heritage buildings, the Grade II-listed Segas House, on the corner of Katharine Street and Wellesley Road. The office building was given listed status in … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon School of Art, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Nestle Tower, Planning, Ria Patel, Segas House, St George's Walk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Complaints against Perry’s council soar by 51% in two years

Croydon, under its Tory Mayor, is getting worse, not better, judging by the number of complaints upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman in the last year. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon continues to be among the country’s most rotten boroughs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Bromley Council, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, SEND, Surrey, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ansari’s £90m property empire in collapse as receivers move in

In the latest sign of difficulties for businesses in Croydon, one of the borough’s biggest developers and landlords – a political donor to Sadiq Khan and Yvette Cooper in the past – is being forced to sell several properties. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Leslie Arms, Planning, Property, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

£130m Crystal Palace sports centre scheme is given go-ahead

Bromley Council last night granted planning permission for a £130million refurbishment of the long-neglected sports centre at Crystal Palace, with plans backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan that are to be funded by the Greater London Authority. Councillors on Bromley’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Athletics, Basketball, Bromley Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Crystal Palace Park Trust, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming, Tennis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Perry challenge to Khan: ‘Croydon’s Green Belt is sacrosanct’

Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor, has put himself on a collision course with Lord Sadiq Khan and City Hall over proposals in the draft London Plan to build hundreds of homes on the borough’s Green Belt. “Whilst I am Mayor, … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Addington Hills, Addiscombe West, Andrew Pelling, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, East Croydon, Environment, Housing, Lloyd Park, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, New Addington North, New Addington South, Park Hill and Whitgift, Park Hill Recreation Ground, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon and Addington Village, South Croydon, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

London’s ‘Lord Mayor’ puts Croydon Green Belt in his plan

Any green space within one mile of a tram stop or railway station might be available for housing development according to Mayor Khan’s draft London Plan. ANDREW PELLING takes a look at the new proposals London Mayor Sadiq Khan wants … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Addington Hills, Addiscombe West, Andrew Pelling, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, East Croydon, Environment, Housing, Lloyd Park, London Councils, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, New Addington North, New Addington South, Park Hill and Whitgift, Park Hill Recreation Ground, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon and Addington Village, South Croydon, Tramlink, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Perry’s council to face Judicial Review over Access Croydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Failed Mayor Jason Perry probably ought to get a season ticket for the High Court, as his council is facing yet another legal challenge over his decision to close the public access service inside Fisher’s Folly. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

NHS London aiming to provide 1million extra GP appointments

Health trusts to get into the property business to try to provide cheaper homes for health workers closer to their places of work Patient satisfaction with GPs in London is improving, with NHS London hopeful that the government’s 10-year capital … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon NHS Trust, Health, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayday Hospital, New Addington Community Diagnostics Centre, Planning, Purley Hospital, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

‘The saddest news about Croydon town centre since the riots’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Local MP and Fairfield ward councillors urge developers to make good on their long-standing promises to regenerate the town centre. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES MP Sarah Jones today called on Westfield “to work at pace to deliver … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Croydon West, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Sarah Jones MP, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The 15-year takeover of Croydon town centre by Westfield

The £1billion regeneration of Croydon town centre has been plagued by a decade and a half of developer delays, economic turmoil, a global pandemic and a complete reshaping of the original retail-led proposal into what, in its latest iteration of … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

SOLD! Westfield in £31.5m deal to buy Whitgift Centre freehold

After 15 years, two large-scale planning applications, a planning inquiry and a CPO,  Croydon’s biggest landowners have today announced that they have sold off a large chunk of their property in the benighted town centre in the hope that it … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Perry tries to hide homelessness service with South End move

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Just hours before his council was due at the High Court to face a possible Judicial Review over its closure of Access Croydon, the Mayor announced that he was moving the housing service. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Perry’s council facing High Court threat over Access Croydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council is being dragged into the High Court next week to face claims that it is failing to meet its statutory responsibilities on housing as a consequence of making its offices open only on an appointment … Continue reading →

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments