Category Archives: Maria Gatland

Council returns £250,000 pupil premium and doesn’t know why

Posted on August 1, 2016 by insidecroydon

Cash-strapped Croydon Council sent back nearly £250,000 of education funding unspent to Government last year. The cash represents almost one-quarter of Croydon’s pupil premium, intended for some of the borough’s most in-need children. And probably most worrying of all, when … Continue reading →

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Education, Maria Gatland, Schools, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Purley Tory Speakman’s Labour past emerges 50 years on

Posted on March 28, 2016 by insidecroydon

March 31 this year will be the 50th anniversary of the 1966 General Election, when Harold Wilson’s Labour enjoyed a landslide victory over the Conservatives. The BBC has been marking the occasion with a day-long transmission of their election night … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Speakman, Maria Gatland, Purley | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Borough’s North-South divide and riddle of the 39 pitches

Posted on December 16, 2015 by insidecroydon

WALTER CRONXITE finally gets his hands on a hard copy of the council’s Local Plan and finds that its sub-title is “How to hand a political advantage to the opposition” Spite and pettiness by local politicians has seen another own … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Broad Green, Business, Coulsdon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Environment, Gardening, Gavin Barwell, Heathfield, Housing, Jason Perry, Lloyd Park, Maria Gatland, Planning, Sarah Jones MP, South Croydon, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

96 days to go and councillors’ self-interest is showing

Posted on January 31, 2015 by insidecroydon

Have you had someone with a rosette knock at your door yet? You will, says WALTER CRONXITE, you will. Though how the tax-payers of Croydon will benefit from one of the longest election campaigns in history is questionable Fed up … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015 General Election, Addiscombe West, Chris Wright, Croydon Central, Dudley Mead, Eddy Arram, Gavin Barwell, Helen Pollard, Jan Buttinger, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Louisa Woodley, Maggie Mansell, Malcolm Wicks MP, Margaret Mead, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Mark Watson, Patricia Hay-Justice, Robert Canning, Sara Bashford, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Hollands, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman, Wayne Lawlor, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council backs developers to allow Croham flat conversions

Posted on December 24, 2014 by insidecroydon

Inside Croydon Towers received the following letter in its bulging sack of mail this week. It is a damning account of how Croydon Council’s attitude to planning protection is affecting residents’ lives adversely I moved from Wallington to Croydon in … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Jason Perry, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal, Planning, Richard Ottaway MP, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Own goals galore scored on Croydon’s school playing fields

Posted on December 4, 2014 by insidecroydon

WALTER CRONXITE recounts the unedifying clusterfuck that has engulfed the Labour-run council over its development plans. Which they say that they don’t have Croydon’s Conservative councillors are predicting that Simon Hall’s days as a member of Labour’s front-bench team are … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Environment, Heathfield, Jason Cummings, Julie Belvir, Maria Gatland, Nathan Elvery, Phil Thomas, Planning, Sara Bashford, Schools, Shasha Khan, Simon Hall, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman, Waste incinerator, Whitgift Foundation, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Friends environmental group to receive Queen’s award

Posted on October 28, 2014 by insidecroydon

The Friends of Croham Hurst Woods will be celebrating a prize-winning year at their annual meeting next month, when they will be presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The doughty band of residents who each month spend at … Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Environment, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Maria Gatland, South Croydon, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three children go missing while in Croydon Council care

Posted on October 14, 2014 by insidecroydon

Three children have gone missing in the past month while in the care of Croydon Council. The news of the children’s disappearances came in a written answer from Alisa Flemming, the council cabinet member for children, families and learning, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Crime, Croydon Council, Maria Gatland | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Exclusive: John Loony wins Tory election (sort of). At last

Posted on September 11, 2014 by insidecroydon

After a political career that started in failure (to misquote Enoch Powell), John Cartwright has at last won a public vote. Cartwright, after spending 20 years contesting every possible election in Croydon as John Loony, the Official Monster Raving Loony … Continue reading →

Posted in Dudley Mead, Fairfield, Gavin Barwell, Heathfield, Helen Pollard, Maria Gatland, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Riesco Collection, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

And they’re off! Betting hots up on Croydon’s Tory leadership

Posted on September 2, 2014 by insidecroydon

Sources on Katharine Street have told Inside Croydon that bets are already being laid as to who will be the next leader of the Conservative group on Croydon Council. It seems odds-on that Mike Fisher will stand down as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Sara Bashford, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Farage is right” says Croydon Conservative MP’s hired gofer

Posted on August 22, 2014 by insidecroydon

A leading member of the Conservative party in Croydon, and the Westminster assistant to a Tory MP in a marginal seat with a significant Muslim population, has backed UKIP’s Nigel Farage. Mario Creatura, who is paid up to £33,000 per … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015 General Election, Coulsdon, Coulsdon West, Croydon Central, Gavin Barwell, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

How Croydon Tories were trumped by more ideas and activists

Posted on June 2, 2014 by insidecroydon

COUNCILLOR ANDREW PELLING looks ahead to tomorrow evening’s formal Town Hall occasion which will herald the beginning of a new municipal year, and a new council administration I am looking forward to tomorrow’s annual meeting of the council. It’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Addiscombe West, Andrew Pelling, Clare Hilley, Croydon 8/8, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Croydon South, Fairfield, Gavin Barwell, Heathfield, Margaret Mead, Maria Gatland, Mike Fisher, Simon Hoar, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Scouring Croham’s campaign for anything that might inspire

Posted on May 4, 2014 by insidecroydon

VOTE 2014: Over the next couple of weeks, we will preview the local elections with a look at key wards and the key issues. With 15 candidates from seven parties or groups standing in Croham, with the Greens, UKIP and … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Gordon Ross, Jason Perry, Jon Bigger, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal, Parking, Property, Pubs, Shasha Khan, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croham NF candidate dropped from election broadcast

Posted on April 3, 2014 by insidecroydon

Croydon Radio was forced into an embarrassing U-turn yesterday, as it withdrew its invitation to Tony Martin, Croydon’s representative of the fascist far-right, to appear on its endurance test of a four-hour “election special” planned for Sunday. Tony Martin – … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, Croydon Council, Croydon Radio, Local media, Maria Gatland, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

De-selected Pollard quickly finds Fairfield ward an easy Fitze

Posted on March 11, 2014 by insidecroydon

Congratulations to the Pollard family, who had to go barely 24 hours facing the horrible prospect of living like ordinary, hard-working Croydon residents and no longer receiving their annual “allowances” total of £67,354 for their part-time roles as Croydon councillors. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, Andrew Stranack, Boris Johnson, David Fitze, Fairfield, Heathfield, Helen Pollard, Jan Buttinger, Jason Perry, Kenley, Maria Gatland, Mayor of London, Michael Neal, South Croydon, Steve Hollands, Steve O'Connell, Sue Winborn, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Labour select councillor from Kent to stand in Croham

Posted on November 25, 2013 by insidecroydon

Croydon Labour’s selection process for candidates to stand in next May’s local elections has stumbled into another potential controversy, after Chris Clark was chosen to stand in Croham ward in 2014. Clark is currently a councillor in Ashford in Kent, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 council elections, Jason Perry, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What a load of rubbish: council fails residents (part 94)

Posted on July 23, 2013 by insidecroydon

Chaos on Mayfield Road yesterday morning, when just before dawn a fly-tipper dumped a load of assorted builder’s waste in the middle of the suburban Sanderstead street. This is just the latest instance of a rapidly growing problem in Croydon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Commuting, Croydon Council, Environment, London-wide issues, Maria Gatland, Mike Fisher, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Transport, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Red Deer locals look north for help to rebuff Morrisons

Posted on April 30, 2013 by insidecroydon

Another landmark Croydon pub is under threat of takeover from a supermarket chain. And our local councillors’ response – where they have bothered to respond – is effectively to shrug their shoulders and say there’s nothing that they can, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Community associations, Maria Gatland, Planning, Property, Pubs, Sanderstead, South Croydon, South Croydon Community Association, Steve O'Connell, Tim Pollard, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Send ’em back! Councillor’s rant against traveller groups

Posted on October 16, 2012 by insidecroydon

Sexism, rants against the local press for failing to be sufficiently subservient, and racism – last night’s full meeting of the council at the Town Hall had it all. It was as if, for Croydon’s ruling Conservative group, the 1930s … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Speakman, Maria Gatland, Purley, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon rejects planning proposal as a “recipe for disaster”

Posted on October 3, 2012 by insidecroydon

Croydon’s Conservative-run council has set itself on collision course with Tory local government chief Eric Pickles after deciding to reject as “a recipe for disaster” Whitehall proposals on planning that would make it easier for developers and homeowners to build … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Gardening, Housing, Jason Perry, Maria Gatland, Planning, Property, South Croydon, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council helps Lidl defeat batman over pub demolition

Posted on September 1, 2012 by insidecroydon

Croydon Council has given the all-clear to Lidl to demolish the Good Companions pub at Hamsey Green, leaving local residents and some Sanderstead councillors to pin their hopes on objections to the planned supermarket because it is unsuitable for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Environment, Fairfield, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Planning, Property, Pubs, Richard Ottaway MP, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Tim Pollard, Whitgift Foundation, Wildlife, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Meeting urges locals to boycott Swan & Sugarloaf Tesco

Posted on June 12, 2012 by insidecroydon

A new residents’ association drew the attention and attendance of four Croydon councillors and an MP. It was a learning experience for them, as DIAMOND GEEZER reports How things change: after a first meeting to which none of the nine … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Clare Hilley, Fairfield, Jason Perry, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal, Property, Pubs, Restaurants, Simon Hoar, South Croydon, South Croydon Community Association, Tony Harris, Vidhi Mohan, Waddon, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tesco Town: South End community to meet this Friday

Posted on May 22, 2012 by insidecroydon

The first meeting of the South End Community Forum takes place this Friday, May 25, when sure to be close to the top of the agenda is the dire threat to local businesses of the decision of the Whitgift Foundation, … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Business, History, Maria Gatland, Planning, Pubs, South Croydon, Steve O'Connell | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon Council snubs the Irish as it cancels St Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 1, 2012 by insidecroydon

ANDREW PELLING reports on the latest cut-back in Croydon St Patrick’s Day has been cancelled by Croydon Council. The council chose another day of Celtic celebration, St David’s Day, to announce it was to put a stop to any Irish … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Boris Johnson, Business, Croydon Council, Gerry Ryan, Graham Bass, History, Maria Gatland, Mike Fisher, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pearson turns pantomime villain over council’s attempted ban

Posted on December 16, 2011 by insidecroydon

BELLA BARTOCK went to review a community pantomime in New Addington, and was surprised to find the council trying to stop local people’s innocent fun Matt Spencer of the New Addington Salvation Army Community Church says that their production of … Continue reading →

Posted in Maria Gatland, New Addington, Tony Pearson | 1 Comment