Category Archives: Andrew Stranack

Perry’s libraries legacy of unsigned leases and works not done

Pay more, get less. Under Jason Perry, the council has become increasingly reliant on volunteers to deliver services paid for by our Council Tax – from litter-picking in Croydon parks, to voluntary groups running the four public libraries closed by … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Asian Resource Centre of Croydon, Broad Green, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Kristian Aspinall, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Property, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents Association, Shirley North, Shirley South | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tories forced to amend forgetful Barwell’s dodgy election bio

Inside Croydon will be sending the invoice for our proof-reading services to the incompetents at Croydon Conservatives’ HQ, after they made a late amendment when caught out with an untruth. But how many more lies might be found on the … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Stranack, Jack Barwell, Mayor Jason Perry, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lord Barwell’s son has a second go at getting himself elected

WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, sifts through the much-delayed council candidate selections of the local Conservatives, who could lose one-third of their Town Hall seats come the elections in May After an absence of 16 years, there just might be a … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Andrew Stranack, Jack Barwell, Jeet Bains, Margaret Bird, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, New Addington North, Old Coulsdon, Rowenna Davis, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Simon Fox, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Ashen Grove is up for auction again – as site for 27 houses

Alarm bells are sounding among concerned residents in Selsdon, after a patch of public open space that sold at auction last month for more than five times its guide price has now been put straight back on the market – … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Community associations, Croydon parks, Environment, Housing, Planning, Property, Selsdon Residents' Association, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Selsdon woodland open space offered for sale at just £20,000

A small patch of woodland in Selsdon, used as a public open space for decades, has been put up for sale for just £20,000 – and the local Tory councillor says that there is nothing Mayor Jason Perry or his … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Community associations, Croydon parks, Environment, Planning, Property, Selsdon Residents' Association, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Perry’s ‘cruel closures’ of one-quarter of borough’s libraries

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Residents’ groups in the south of the borough accuse the Mayor, and the council, of not listening, and raise serious doubts about proposals to transfer maintenance funds to other areas. By our libraries correspondent, GENE BRODIE Four … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Legal battle expected as Perry to order four libraries to close

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tory Mayor is about to rubber-stamp decision which was ridiculed by local Conservative MP as providing savings that represent ‘a drop in the ocean of the council’s debt’. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Mayor Jason Perry will … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South, Stuart Collins | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The cost of Croydon’s Music Heritage Trail: £750 per download!

BOROUGH OF VULTURES: Fewer than 500 people have bothered to use the special app intended to guide them around the town centre’s historic music locations. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES “Have we already fucked it up?” According to official meeting minutes … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Boxpark, Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Ken Towl, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Music, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Supporters campaign to save under-threat Selsdon Centre

The trustees of an old people’s charity in Selsdon that is under threat of closure after Mayor Jason Perry axed their annual council grant have launched a petition appealing for public support. As Inside Croydon revealed last week, the Selsdon … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Charity, Fatima Zaman, Joseph Lee, Mayor Jason Perry, Robert Ward, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Centre for the Retired, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

Crisis for Selsdon charity hard hit by council’s double-whammy

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Perry’s cuts are beginning to bite in his Tory heartlands, with the long-established Selsdon Centre for the Retired facing the prospect of closure next year. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES A respected and admired charity that supports … Continue reading

Posted in Age UK Croydon, Andrew Stranack, Charity, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, CVA, Fatima Zaman, Joseph Lee, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Robert Ward, Selsdon and Addington Village, Selsdon Centre for the Retired, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

There’s something for everyone to enjoy in our year of Culture

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The council’s cabinet member responsible for the arts, Councillor ANDY STRANACK, pictured above (he’s the one not wearing a tracksuit) outlines his plans for the Borough of Culture Last weekend saw the launch of This is Croydon, a … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Fairfield Halls, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Year of Culture set to begin with an Oratorio of Hopelessness

CROYDON IN CRISIS: If, like us, you have been scouring the listings pages to find what’s planned for Croydon’s year as London’s Borough of Culture, you’re likely to be disappointed. But some of the PR deals surrounding the event have … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Community associations, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Music, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, Theatre, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Here’s the Mayor and 33 Croydon Tory councillors who THREE times voted in favour of hitting you with a 15% Council Tax hike

JASON PERRY. Mayor of Croydon Elected in May 2022 with a margin of fewer than 600 votes. Is paid £82,000 per year by the council. His office answers the phone just 20 hours per week. Stood on a election promise … Continue reading

Posted in Adele Benson, Andrew Stranack, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fatima Zaman, Helen Redfern, Ian Parker, Jade Appleton, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Joseph Lee, Lynne Hale, Margaret Bird, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Ola Kolade, Richard Chatterjee, Robert Ward, Scott Roche, Simon Brew, Simon Fox, Sue Bennett, Tony Pearson, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

37-34: Mayor’s 15% Council Tax hike rejected in budget vote

ANDREW FISHER sat through the three-and-a-half hours of last night’s budget non-setting meeting, so that you didn’t have to Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat councillors voted together last night to reject the budget proposal from the borough’s Conservative Mayor, Jason … Continue reading

Posted in Adele Benson, Andrew Fisher, Andrew Stranack, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, New Addington North, Rowenna Davis, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Voluntary groups face ‘wipe out’ in Tory Mayor’s budget cuts

EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s charities and voluntary sector face an existential threat, as the Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, prepares to axe the council’s Community Fund next year. More than 40 groups could be affected, from larger organisations such … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Charity, Community associations, Croydon CAB, Croydon Council, Croydon Nightwatch, CVA, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley Food Hub | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

33% Labour lead puts Tories on alert for Forestdale by-election

There is to be a council ward poll on November 3 – which will test voters’ devotion to Thick Lizzy and Croydon’s part-time Mayor Perry. By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE Croydon, or at least a small bit of its … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Badsha Quadir, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon South, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Sarah Jones MP, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Closed doors in Croydon for London’s Open House festival

If the 2022 Open House Festival is anything to go by, then when Croydon is London’s Borough of Culture next year, the capital could be looking at a cultural desert. There are only nine venues in the whole of the … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Croydon Council, Croydon Minster, Fairfield Halls, History, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Outside Croydon, Property, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale, South Norwood, Waddon, Walks, Whitgift Foundation, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Voluntary groups to present their ‘manifesto’ to the Mayor

The borough’s voluntary sector meets next week and is laying down a challenge to newly-elected Mayor Jason Perry to provide a proper framework that will allow the borough’s volunteers and carers to meet the growing demands for their help. The … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Charity, Community associations, Croydon Council, CVA, Mayor Jason Perry, Steve Phaure | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

MPs’ gofers and failed businesses: new cabinet’s back-stories

Top team, or top chumps? Town Hall reporter KEN LEE runs the rule over the backgrounds of the new Mayor and his Tory colleagues in charge of delivering £68m-worth of budget cuts over the next two financial years We know … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Andrew Stranack, Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Ola Kolade, Scott Roche, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

£100,000 Mayor Perry unveils his old team as the new team

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the completely predictable make-up of the borough’s executive Mayor’s first cabinet, and the wheeling and dealing over who will chair the Town Hall’s most influential committees Given that it took nearly five days to count … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Scott Roche, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Society needs to benefit from disabled people’s unique talents

CROYDON COMMENTARY: It took a meeting with a disabled councillor to point out to the ‘equalities manager’ that the council has a legal duty to provide accessible facilities. ANDY STRANACK, pictured left, explains how the council and others are missing … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Selsdon Vale and Forestdale | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tories try to make crime pay by misleading over figures

Croydon’s Conservatives have shifted up a gear in their campaign efforts ahead of next May’s local elections, but WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, has been fact-checking their latest video nasty Inside Croydon’s loyal reader has probably already twigged that there … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Stranack, Boris Johnson, Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon 8/8, Croydon South, Knife crime, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tories go for more of the same as Perry wins by three votes

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Any delusions that having a directly elected mayor might be anything other than #ABitLessShit were quickly dispelled yesterday as the local Tories reverted to type. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s Conservatives have selected Jason Perry, the South … Continue reading

Posted in 2021 Mayor Referendum, 2022 council elections, Andrew Stranack, Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Perry stakes Town Hall leadership on Tory mayoral selection

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The borough’s Conservatives will choose from two current councillors and an outsider whose selection campaign tagline is ‘I’m different’. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, political editor The Croydon Conservative Federation will meet on Sunday to select its candidate … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Andrew Stranack, Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Budget is approved but Labour council haunted by its past

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Back-to-back meetings yesterday pushed through the paperwork to balance the books and increase Council Tax. But Hamida Ali’s administration cannot shake off its part in the borough’s financial calamity. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor With the £120million … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Andrew Stranack, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Sean Fitzsimons, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Stuart King, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment