Category Archives: John Wentworth

Job losses and volunteer libraries leaves us feeling let down

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Public library provision is a statutory requirement for local authorities such as Croydon. But they also represent a soft target when councils want to make cuts. ROBERT GIBSON says that the funding announcement for Crystal Palace’s library is … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Greenwich Leisure, John Wentworth, Lambeth Council, Libraries, Pat Ryan, Steve Reed MP, Timothy Godfrey, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council accused of ‘shoddy’ deal on Crystal Palace library

Our libraries and bookish gyms correspondent, GENE BRODIE, reports that there’s a sense of “glass half-empty” over Croydon’s grant for Upper Norwood Library A row has broken out between trustees and library campaigners over Croydon Council’s £85,000 per year, two-year … Continue reading

Posted in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Libraries, Pat Ryan, Timothy Godfrey, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Having a ‘mare: Newman could use chance for a reshuffle

Punch and Judy’s back on at the Town Hall tomorrow night, with the latest full meeting of the council. Nothing of note is likely to be decided. Little of real interest will be announced. That’s transparent and accountable democracy in … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Bernadette Khan, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, John Wentworth, Louisa Woodley, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mike Selva, New Addington South, Patricia Hay-Justice, Simon Hall, Stuart Collins, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Wayne Lawlor, West Thornton | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The year in review, as it really happened inside Croydon

2015 marked the fifth year of publication of Inside Croydon, and we’re proud to continue to offer truly independent coverage of what is really happening in the borough, the unvarnished truth, without influence or favours from the speculators or politicians, … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Bernard Weatherill House, Boris Johnson, Boxpark, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, CPO, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Education, Emily Benn, Environment, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Inside Croydon, Jo Negrini, John Wentworth, Julie Belvir, Mario Creatura, Pat Ryan, Peter Underwood, Planning, Schools, Steve Reed MP, Stiles Harold Williams, Sutton Council, Tom Brake MP, Tony Newman, Waste incinerator, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Newman’s failures to act widen his credibility deficit

CROYDON COMMENTARY: If our council really wants to improve the borough’s reputation, then they need to consider carefully their own behaviour, writes STEVEN DOWNES Council leader Tony Newman is suffering a credibility deficit, as fewer than 1 in 5 of … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Pat Ryan, Tony Newman | 1 Comment

Ryan and Wentworth ‘apologise’, but public know the score

When is an apology not an apology? When it’s based on an arse-covering, self-justifying lie. That seems to be case with the pair of Palace fans who wandered into a Croydon Council meeting on Monday night, Upper Norwood “councillors” Pat … Continue reading

Posted in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Pat Ryan, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Croydon in crisis. Councillors watch football on the telly

Inside Croydon’s Editor, STEVEN DOWNES, on the latest shabby episode in the Town Hall chamber This was the scene in Croydon Town Hall during a full meeting of the council last night. Two well-paid local councillors engrossed in the Crystal … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Nathan Elvery, Pat Ryan, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

MP Reed ‘committed’ to funding for Upper Norwood Library

Steve Reed OBE, the MP for Croydon North, has sent the Save the Upper Norwood Library campaign a supportive message as the campaigners try to stop the “decommissioning” of their library services as part of Lambeth Council’s scheme to close … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Lambeth Council, Libraries, Matthew Bennett, Pat Ryan, Steve Reed MP, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Norwood Society calls for protest against library closure

Anticipating a larger than usual turnout, Lambeth Council has switched Monday’s meeting to Dunraven School in Streatham, where it will discuss, and doubtless then rubber-stamp in its usual “co-operative” manner, its proposals to close half of the borough’s libraries – … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Education, History, John Wentworth, Lambeth Council, Libraries, Norwood Society, Pat Ryan, South Norwood, Steve Reed MP, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Khan-do attitude sees off challenge from Blairite baroness

Sadiq Khan, the south London MP who had financial backing for his campaign from a Croydon property developer, has been selected to be Labour’s candidate to run for London Mayor next year. The announcement, made at the Festival Hall at … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Christian Wolmar, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, John Wentworth, Ken Livingstone, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sutton Council, Tessa Jowell, Tony Newman, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Community leader asks if council is ‘complicit’ with developer

Residents in and around Norwood and Crystal Palace, and pub-lovers from across the country, have reacted with disgust at the pusillanimous manner in which Croydon Council officials have failed to enforce the decisions of elected councillors on the planning committee … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Jane Avis, John Wentworth, Kathy Bee, Pat Ryan, Pubs, South Norwood, Tony Newman, Wayne Lawlor | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Reed calls for proper funding for Upper Norwood Library

The chairman of the Upper Norwood Library Trust yesterday told how he wept when the doors to the library were closed for the first time as a result of funding cuts imposed by Croydon Council. Robert Gibson was speaking to … Continue reading

Posted in 2015 General Election, Alisa Flemming, Carillion, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Community Association, John Laing Integrated Services, John Wentworth, Lambeth Council, Libraries, Matthew Bennett, Pat Ryan, Steve Reed MP, Transition Town, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Library campaigners: ‘Broken promises will be on our minds’

CROYDON COMMENTARY: ALUN and BARBARA THOMAS have sent an open letter to their local councillors, decrying the decision of Lambeth and Croydon councils to cut funding for Upper Norwood Library We are concerned at the latest developments concerning the funding … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Libraries, Pat Ryan, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Library closure would be ‘disaster’ warns Society chairman

The chairman of the Norwood Society has sent an open letter to the Croydon councillors who represent Upper Norwood, and to the MP for Lambeth South, Steve Reed OBE, to appeal for help in raising more funds for Upper Norwood … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Lambeth Council, Libraries, Pat Ryan, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

MP Reed ‘guaranteed’ library’s ‘future’ for just nine months

How long is the “future”? How reliable is a “guarantee”? We only ask because it is barely a year since Steve Reed OBE, the MP for Lambeth South, got together with Tony Newman, the leader of the Labour group on … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Lambeth Council, Libraries, Matthew Bennett, Pat Ryan, Tony Newman, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Godfrey ensures council sticks to funding pledge for library

Croydon Council’s new leadership has honoured a promise to increase funding to Upper Norwood Library, matching that provided by Lambeth. Labour’s arts and culture spokesman, Timothy Godfrey, has pledged an additional £47,500 this year, reinstating funding cut two years ago … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Libraries, Norwood Society, Pat Ryan, South Norwood, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman, Upper Norwood Library Trust | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman goes missing at the making of piece of black history

WALTER CRONXITE, our man in the Town Hall chamber with a Yorkie bar and half-finished crossword from that day’s Metro sticking out of his jacket pocket, reports on Monday’s council meeting, where all promises of doing civic business in a … Continue reading

Posted in 2015 General Election, Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, David Osland, Dudley Mead, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Gavin Barwell, Hamida Ali, John Wentworth, Lynne Hale, Mike Fisher, Pat Ryan, Planning, Taberner House, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council stubs out tobacco investments to fund housing

Croydon Council this week moved to cancel all its investments in tobacco, pay-day loan firms and the arms industry, as Labour’s new administration at the Town Hall seeks to ensure a more ethical approach to the way the borough’s affairs … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Health, Housing, John Wentworth, Property, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

No head, no leader, no planning: doubts over Free School

Plans for a three-form entry primary Free School on Highbury Avenue appear to be in some disarray, with no head teacher yet appointed just seven months before the school is supposed to open, no planning approval granted to build on … Continue reading

Posted in Advance School, Alisa Flemming, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Dudley Mead, Education, John Wentworth, Maggie Mansell, Norbury, Schools, Tim Pollard, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Hollands’ contempt for public is Croydon’s “pleb” moment

Our man in the public gallery, WALTER CONXITE, found little evidence of Croydon’s “Proud to Serve” slogan being put into practice at a Town Hall meeting last week The truly depressing thing about the way in which our council is … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, John Wentworth, Libraries, Mike Fisher, Pat Ryan, Steve Hollands | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments