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Category Archives: Timothy Godfrey
‘Residents will be thrilled’ after Fairfield Halls’ £30m refit
A year since its closure, and there’s no perceptible signs outside the Fairfield Halls of much in the way of progress in its £30million redevelopment project. But Timothy Godfrey, the council’s cabinet member for arts and culture, says that, with … Continue reading
Old Ashburton library to be handed over to private companies
That “ambition” thing we were told so much about in 2013 and 2014, before the last Town Hall elections? It seems that if you want to turn it into the “delivery” thing, it can take a long time and a … Continue reading
Council confirms Fairfield Halls will not open before Nov 2018
Jo Negrini, the council’s chief executive, may like to pretend to her property speculator mates that refurbishment work on the Fairfield Halls is “on track”, but even her own officials are now admitting that Croydon’s major performing arts centre will … Continue reading
Posted in 2018 council elections, Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, College Green, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Housing, Jo Negrini, Planning, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, London Borough of Croydon, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman
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Council gets chain reaction to Grangewood Park’s broken gate
Croydon Council has received something that is far removed from a love letter for Valentine’s Day, as residents are demanding urgent action to help protect Grangewood Park. The much-loved public open space, which includes ancient woodland on a hillside between … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Friends of Grangewood Park, Quadron, Thornton Heath, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Friends of Grangewood Park, Grangewood Park, Thornton Heath, Timothy Godfrey
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We all need to act to help to save our under-funded parks
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Landscape architect LEWIS WHITE says that our parks, public gardens and open spaces are too precious to allow to be allowed to rot for lack of money, and says that now is a time for action Parks give … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Duppas Hill Park, Environment, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Croydon parks, Labour, Quadron, Timothy Godfrey
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Friends groups wary of cash-strapped council’s park plans
Another resident closely involved with a parks group has aired reservations about Croydon Council’s “Premier League” of the borough’s parks, questioning the lack of consultation regarding a public survey conducted last year, and the failure to discuss proposals with friends … Continue reading
Dozens of open spaces excluded from ‘premier league’ of parks
WALTER CRONXITE reports on how the council is laying the groundwork for a privatisation-by-stealth of some of the borough’s open spaces If any more proof were required that Croydon’s worthless consultations are used to justify the council going ahead and … Continue reading
Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Grangewood Park, Jamie Audsley, Jo Negrini, Lloyd Park, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Ashburton Park, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Friends of Grangewood Park, Grangewood Park, Jamie Audsley, Jo Negrini, Labour, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Timothy Godfrey, Tory
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Work to refurbish Fairfield Halls already behind schedule
Just five months into the £30 million refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls, and Croydon Council is already admitting that it will take longer than the promised two-year closure to complete the works. With the main refurbishment contractor not due to … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Paula Murray, Property, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman
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Crescent trust submits application for free school in Selhurst
An educational trust formed in Croydon and successfully operating a primary has applied to the Department for Education to open a free school to serve Selhurst and Thornton Heath. Sir Nick Williams, the former principal of The BRIT School, is … Continue reading
Newman breaks manifesto promise over Boxpark festival
Tony Newman’s Labour council has broken one of its 2014 manifesto commitments, after diverting £160,000 of public money from its intended free annual music festival to pay towards private business Boozepark’s opening shindig next month. The council-run Ambition Festival was … Continue reading
Posted in 2014 council elections, 2018 council elections, Ambition Festival, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, David Lean Cinema Campaign, Fairfield Halls, Music, Riesco Collection, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman, Warehouse Theatre
Tagged Boozepark, Boxpark, Conservative, East Croydon station, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Mayor, Sadiq Khan, Tony Newman, Tory
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Town Hall’s theatre of the absurd to stage some real drama
Having closed down its original venue and with its alternative venue temporarily shut for refurbishment, Croydon Council has had to turn over the Town Hall chamber this weekend to the Warehouse Theatre for it to be able to stage its … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey, Warehouse Theatre
Tagged Croydon Council, Timothy Godfrey, Warehouse Theatre
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Boxpark opening airbrushes all mention of Ambition Festival
Boxpark Croydon has finally announced its opening dates. Boozepark, which was lured to the site alongside East Croydon Station with a £3 million loan from the Labour-run council, is to stage a two-day “Opening Festival” on October 29 and 30 … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Ambition Festival, Boxpark, Business, Dance, East Croydon, Jo Negrini, Music, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Boozepark, Boxpark, Croydon Council, East Croydon station, Jo Negrini, Labour, Roger Wade, Timothy Godfrey
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Croydon pulls plug on Wandle Regional Park funding
Croydon Council has pulled the plug on its annual grant to a quango which was set up with other local authorities to create a regional park in the Wandle Valley, stretching through Merton and Wandsworth to the Thames. Senior council … Continue reading
Labour members get chance to ask Reed about Corbyn coup
Labour members in Croydon North, who Steve Reed OBE, the constituency MP, refused to answer with a frank explanation of his position over the party’s leadership, have the chance to get up close and personal with Progress vice-chair this Saturday … Continue reading
Council’s shock non-announcement: Murray handed culture job
The sheer predictability of Croydon Council over its internal stitch-ups on senior jobs is so crass that sometimes even they appear embarrassed by it. Paula Murray has been confirmed as Croydon’s culture director in a permanent capacity. Hitherto the deputy … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Ambition Festival, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Boxpark, Business, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Music, Paul Scott, Paula Murray, Stanley Halls, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Croydon Council, East Croydon station, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, Paula Murray, Timothy Godfrey
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Murray being lined up for full-time £80,000 director job
Cash-strapped Croydon Council is ploughing on with plans to recruit a full-time “culture czar” on a salary of around £80,000 a year, despite having had a recruitment freeze on more mundane council jobs for the past six months. Oddly, no … Continue reading
Croydon needs to race for a Superhighway for a real legacy
CROYDON COMMENTARY: After three deadly accidents involving cyclists in Croydon in the past month, AUSTEN COOPER says that our borough’s roads are overdue a modern transport infrastructure Tomorrow evening sees the return of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series that last … Continue reading
Posted in Commuting, Croydon Council, Croydon Cycling Campaign, Cycling, Cycling, Selhurst, Sport, TfL, Timothy Godfrey, Transport
Tagged Austen Cooper, Croydon, Croydon Cycling Campaign, Selhurst, Timothy Godfrey
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Cyclists set to snub £150 entry fee for charity bike race
Croydon’s cyclists seem likely to snub the £150 entry fee being demanded by the organisers of a charity event being staged as part of the town centre bike race next month. It is the second year that Croydon has staged … Continue reading
Godfrey has towering ambitions for Croydon Water Tower
A senior Croydon councillor has undertaken to ensure that the 150-year-old Water Tower will be maintained and says that the council is working “to secure the long-term future” of the Grade II-listed building. A local parks group last week reported … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Fairfield, History, Museum of Croydon, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Croydon Council, Fairfield, Park Hill Park, Timothy Godfrey
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Only 700 respond to survey that excludes library users
GENE BRODIE, our libraries and bookish gyms correspondent, on the council’s latest crass move over another bogus-looking consultation Croydon’s Labour-run council is being accused of trying to “fix” the borough’s latest consultation on the running of its public libraries, by … Continue reading
Posted in Carillion, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Libraries, Timothy Godfrey, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Upper Norwood Library Trust
Tagged Conservative, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Labour, Timothy Godfrey, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Tory
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Mass protest planned over Upper Norwood Library cuts
Library campaigners are planning a demonstration at Upper Norwood Library next Saturday, April 30, to protest against the withdrawal of professional staff and turning the century-old amenity into a “self-service” facility. Upper Norwood, which is operated jointly by Croydon and … Continue reading
