Category Archives: Fiona Fletcher Smith

‘We need to pull every lever available to end the housing crisis’

This month, Inside Croydon columnist Andrew Fisher interviews Fiona Fletcher-Smith, the chief executive of one of the country’s largest housing associations, L&Q, and hears what policy changes she believes new Prime Minister Andy Burnham needs to implement if the government … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Housing, Inside Croydon, London-wide issues, Property, Sadiq Khan, The Andrew Fisher Interview, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘The saddest news about Croydon town centre since the riots’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Local MP and Fairfield ward councillors urge developers to make good on their long-standing promises to regenerate the town centre. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES MP Sarah Jones today called on Westfield “to work at pace to deliver … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Croydon West, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Ainscough, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Sarah Jones MP, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The 15-year takeover of Croydon town centre by Westfield

The £1billion regeneration of Croydon town centre has been plagued by a decade and a half of developer delays, economic turmoil, a global pandemic and a complete reshaping of the original retail-led proposal into what, in its latest iteration of … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

SOLD! Westfield in £31.5m deal to buy Whitgift Centre freehold

After 15 years, two large-scale planning applications, a planning inquiry and a CPO,  Croydon’s biggest landowners have today announced that they have sold off a large chunk of their property in the benighted town centre in the hope that it … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Adam Smith, Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Growth Zone, Planning, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Charity lost £2m last year over closure of Old Palace School

The Whitgift Foundation’s ‘Impact Report’ for last year shows its two boys’ fee-paying schools among the country’s top 10% of independents, as the costs of closing its girls’ school will continue until 2028. By STEVEN DOWNES The closure of Old … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, CPO, Education, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Old Palace, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Serenity special school, Trinity School, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Nursing home residents hammer home victory at annual match

They play a mean game of croquet down at Whitgift House in South Croydon. This week the residents of the nursing home, which nestles in the grounds of the large private school, handed out a bit of a drubbing to … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Care Homes, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Health, Michael Walcott, Roisha Hughes, Schools, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seth begins new term as Whitgift School’s 30th headmaster

Toby Seth this week became the 30th headmaster in Whitgift School’s 421-year history. But Seth is the fourth head at Whitgift in just eight years, a period of relative turmoil and controversy which saw his predecessor-but-one, Christopher Ramsey, depart somewhat … Continue reading

Posted in Christopher Ramsey, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Toby Seth, Whitgift Foundation, Whitgift School | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘It has to be’: Westfield scheme needs millions of public money

UNDER THE FLYOVER: In our latest podcast interview, housing specialist Fiona Fletcher-Smith, now the volunteer chair of the Whitgift Foundation’s governors, discusses the housing crisis, the closure of Old Palace School, what’s happening with the long-promised ‘kiosks’ in the Allders … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Boris Johnson, Business, Charity, Croydon Council, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Housing, Inside Croydon, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, North End Quarter, Planning, Property, Sadiq Khan, Under The Flyover, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Housing association CEO takes lead role at Whitgift Foundation

For the first time in more than 400 years, the Whitgift Foundation is to be led by a woman. “That’s if you don’t count Queen Elizabeth I,” confided a wag at the Whitgift Almshouses, where the charity and multi-million-pound property … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Charity, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Roisha Hughes, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments