Category Archives: Selsdon & Ballards

Buyers beware: High Court judge puts planners in the dock

A High Court judge has ruled against Croydon’s planning department, quashing the decision of a senior council official to grant permission for a block of flats in Sanderstead. Here, former council planner STEVE WHITESIDE explains how the court ruling could … Continue reading

Posted in Aventier, Business, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Sanderstead, Selsdon & Ballards, Selsdon and Addington Village | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Croydon Labour to return to the Three-Day Week for libraries

Oliver “Shit Show” Lewis, the councillor with responsibility for the borough’s culture, has had a second set of money-saving proposals for Croydon libraries mostly rejected, and so will preside over the council’s statutory service now being provided on just three … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Libraries, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead, Selsdon & Ballards, Shirley North, South Norwood, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Farleigh’s volunteers and course praised after pro tournament

A sports venue in Selsdon has been praised for the way it has been maintained to the highest competition standard, after Farleigh Golf Club staged the PGA Assistants’ Championship over the weekend. Michael Farrier-Twist, from Sussex, with a final round … Continue reading

Posted in Golf, Selsdon & Ballards, Selsdon and Addington Village, Sport | Tagged | Leave a comment

Public outcry as council off-loads historic Heathfield House

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The future of a long-established ecology charity has been placed under threat, as well as hundreds of school visits conducted annually, by a council plan to lease out a publicly-owned listed building. By our environment correspondent, PAUL … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Charity, Croydon Council, Croydon Friends of the Earth, Croydon parks, Environment, Heathfield, Heathfield House, History, Property, Riesco Collection, Sarah Hayward, Schools, Selsdon & Ballards, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Eight walks to encompass Croydon’s boundaries and history

Over the course of lockdown, one intrepid geographer has managed to complete the ‘beating of the bounds’ and discover the fascinating history of our parish and civic boundaries, stretching back to Saxon times. Words, pictures and mapping by Dr BEN … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Church and religions, City Commons, Coulsdon, Croydon parks, Environment, History, New Addington, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Sanderstead, Selsdon & Ballards, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Surrey, Tandridge District Council, Walks | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Council applies emergency brake on New Year parking hike

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Transport correspondent JEREMY CLACKSON reports on how Fisher’s Folly officials have been forced into a sudden U-turn over their money-spinning ’emissions-based’ parking charges New car parking charges, due to come into force at council-run car parks and … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Joy Prince, Muhammad Ali, New Addington, Parking, Pubs, Purley, Restaurants, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Selsdon & Ballards, Shifa Mustafa, Shirley North, Thornton Heath, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Selsdon locals celebrate as Brick by Brick scheme refused

Labour’s Town Hall whip voted down the council-owned developers’ housing proposal, the first application from them to be rejected in four years. BARRATT HOLMES, our housing correspondent, reports Residents from Selsdon were celebrating today after their concerted objections saw an … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Brick by Brick, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Housing, Paul Scott, Planning, Selsdon & Ballards, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Hawthorn Crescent green is rejected for ACV status by council

Eighty years on from the Battle of Britain, and now Brick by Brick wants to demolish a WWII air-raid shelter as it concretes over Croydon Brick by Brick is pressing on with its self-imposed mission to concrete over as much … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Brick by Brick, Community associations, Croydon Council, Environment, History, Planning, Selsdon & Ballards, Selsdon Residents' Association | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Croydon’s biggest slave owner was ancestor of the Queen

It’s not just in Bristol that there are memorials to slave-owners. Even in a Sanderstead churchyard, there can be found links to the slave trade, and to the modern royal family, as STEPHANIE OFFER discovered The hauling down and dunking … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Addington Palace, Business, History, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Objections? What objections? Opposition? What opposition?

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Has the council granted planning permission to a slew of sub-standard developments because the local Tories have allowed them to do so? STEVE WHITESIDE on the questions that Croydon Conservatives refuse to answer Have you ever wondered how … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Dudley Mead, Jason Perry, Lynne Hale, Paul Scott, Pete Smith, Planning, Purley, Sanderstead, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Selsdon Food Hub forced to find new kitchen for ready meals

The partial return to work and schools from the coronavirus lockdown has created a crisis for the covid-19 mutual aid group operating in Selsdon: they are about to lose the use of the kitchen where they have prepared nearly 6,000 … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Community associations, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wednesday night is Quiz Night for Selsdon’s band of volunteers

Wednesday nights have become Quiz Nights, at least virtually for the volunteers working through the coronavirus emergency at the Selsdon Food Hub. The area’s churches, businesses and voluntary sector groups who have come together to help lonely and isolated residents, … Continue reading

Posted in Church and religions, Community associations, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Volunteers in Selsdon deliver 280 food parcels in two weeks

Charity and church workers in the south of the borough have been brought close to tears by the daily acts of generosity from the community in the midst of the coronavirus crisis In Selsdon, a group of local charities, churches, … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Charity, Church and religions, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sainsbury’s joins with charities to help Selsdon Food Hub

Charities, community groups and businesses in Selsdon and Monks Hill have teamed up during the coronavirus emergency to provide shopping to the most vulnerable residents living in the area. The groups include Selsdon Contact, a registered charity which has been … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Business, Charity, Church and religions, Community associations, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Book Buddies sessions, every Friday, Selsdon Library

Posted in Libraries, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Christmas Crafts, St Francis, Monks Hill, Dec 8

Posted in Church and religions, Community associations, Monks Hill Community Association, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Rotary Club of Sanderstead and Selsdon Craft Fair, Oct 26

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‘Absolute madness’: council eyes Green Belt for 6,000 homes

Remember all those solemn assurances from Alison Butler and Paul Scott that the Labour-run council will protect the borough’s precious green spaces? Guess what… Town Hall papers ahead of next Monday’s cabinet meeting show that the council is seriously considering … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Mayor of London, New Addington, Planning, Purley Way, Sanderstead, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Croydon High PTA Winter Fair, Selsdon, Nov 23

Posted in Croydon High, Schools, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Friends of Selsdon Woods autumn walk and fungus hunt, Nov 2

Posted in Croydon parks, Friends of Selsdon Woods, Selsdon & Ballards, Wildlife | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Jubilee Church Kids Christmas Fair, Selsdon Hall, Dec 14

Posted in Activities, Church and religions, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Charity Zumbathon, Croydon High Sports Club, Oct 5

Posted in Anna Kennedy Online, Charity, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Croydon Beekeepers’ Honey Show, Selsdon Centre, Sep 28

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Happy’s Circus, Greenvale Primary, Selsdon, Oct 12

Posted in Music, Schools, Selsdon & Ballards, Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Shock! Council discovers trees on site it gave to Brick by Brick

Brick by Brick, the council’s loss-making in-house house-builder, has suffered yet more setbacks after the council “discovered” that two sites it wanted to concrete over were either too close to high-voltage electricity pylons, or had real live trees growing there. … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Helen Pollard, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments