Organisers cancel South Norwood ‘Reclaim These Streets’ vigil

Posted on March 13, 2021 by insidecroydon

Organisers of a vigil this evening at Norwood Junction say they have abandoned their plans “with a heavy heart”, following yesterday’s High Court ruling that banned an event being held at Clapham Common to protest against violence, following the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard.

Vigil organisers in south London have complained about lack of co-operation from the Met Police

They said they made the decision to avoid having to pay the police large fines. Yesterday, Wayne Couzens, a serving Metropolitan Police officer, was charged with the kidnap and murder of Everard.

Reclaim These Streets wanted to hold a demonstration on Clapham Common, near to where the 33-year-old went missing. But organisers said despite their attempts to work with police to make sure the vigil could go ahead safely under covid lockdown restrictions, they now felt it could not. Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Crime, Policing, South Norwood Community Kitchen, South Norwood Tourist Board | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council’s libraries consultation accused of being unlawful

Posted on March 13, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s penny-wise and pound-foolish proposals for library closures could end up costing it more money after a badly-organised consultation, according to a national campaign group.
By STEVEN DOWNES

Libraries should not pay the cost for the bungling of Brick by Brick say campaigners

The council’s latest consultation, over the proposed closure of up to five of the borough’s public libraries, may be unlawful, according to a national campaign group.

The public consultation is set to close tomorrow night, having sought residents’ input on the fate of libraries in Broad Green, South Norwood, Shirley, Sanderstead and at Bradmore Green, in Old Coulsdon.

But The Library Campaign, in its submission to the consultation, has warned Croydon that it may be in breach of established legal precedent for the conduct of such consultations and determining the future of public libraries, which local authorities have a statutory duty to provide. Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Broad Green, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Shirley North, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Town Hall protest over climate commission’s wasted time

Posted on March 12, 2021 by insidecroydon

XR Croydon protestors on the steps of the Town Hall this morning

Time is running out to tackle the climate emergency.

That was the message of a demonstration on the Town Hall steps this morning by environmental activists Croydon Extinction Rebellion, who were protesting against the inaction of Croydon Council and its Climate Change Commission. Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Crisis Commission, Croydon Council, Environment, Extinction Rebellion, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Reclaim these streets vigil, Norwood Junction, Mar 13

Posted on March 12, 2021 by insidecroydon

NOTE: This vigil has now been cancelled.

Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Community associations, South Norwood, South Norwood Community Kitchen, South Norwood Tourist Board | Tagged | Leave a comment

Future of the high street: young filmmakers offer bleak take

Posted on March 11, 2021 by insidecroydon

A project by Historic England – The Future of the High Street – has released a short film made in Croydon.

If anyone needed any further reinforcement of the notion that Croydon town centre had become run-down and neglected after a decade of development blight, then About Us/Without Us, which has been shot in the middle of a covid-19 lockdown, provides four minutes and 24 seconds of bleak confirmation. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Art, Business, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Month-long music festival aims to ‘reboot the Rusty Laptop’

Posted on March 11, 2021 by insidecroydon

The Crystal Palace Bowl could soon be staging major concerts once again. Pic: Gareth Gray

A month-long festival of music, featuring acts from Dizzee Rascal to Supergrass to the English National Opera performing Tosca, and all taking place on a floating stage, has been announced today as the Crystal Palace Bowl seeks to re-establish itself as one of the capital’s, if not the country’s, best-loved outdoor performance venues.

Called South Facing, the festival planned for August has an ambitious line-up of acts and intention: while the covid-19 roadmap allows for mass gatherings again from the end of June, and the vaccination programme is progressing at pace, any new lockdown in the summer could scupper the plans.

A crowdfunder started last month has already raised more than £35,000 to help repair and restore the stage area at the Crystal Palace Bowl, which was famous in the 1960s,’70s and into the ’80s for hosting big music events featuring some of the biggest rock and pop acts of all time, including Bob Marley, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix Lou Reed and Pink Floyd.

Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Charity, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Bowl, Crystal Palace Park, Crystal Palace Park Trust, Music, South Facing Festival | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Assembly election count to take extra day because of covid

Posted on March 11, 2021 by insidecroydon

It has been confirmed that the count for the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections being held on May 6 will be spread over two days.

After being postponed for a year, the London elections in May will take longer before results are ready

The London election results have tended to be tortuous events, even in normal times, with no through-the-night counts, but with the vote-telling beginning in office hours on the Friday after polling day.

This year the elections, postponed from 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, will take even longer. Continue reading →

Posted in 2021 London elections, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Shameless’: public react angrily to councillors’ resignations

Posted on March 11, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: If former councillors Newman and Hall thought they would win over sympathy with their resignation statements, then they made another significant misjudgement. By STEVEN DOWNES

Tony Newman and Simon Hall’s efforts to claim victimhood when they announced their resignations as councillors last night failed to win them much sympathy from Council Tax-payers and council employees, or former employees who have lost their jobs in the Town Hall’s financial collapse and its aftermath.

For once, it didn’t take the council very long to update its website

And it was not long before all traces of the former council leader and cabinet member for finance were being erased from Croydon’s interweb, too.

“Well that went down like a cup of cold sick,” tweeted one former council employee who had lost her job and seen her entire department axed as a consequence of Newman and Hall’s part in the borough’s mismanagement.

Someone else, who had clearly been following closely how the Labour group leader had allowed councillor candidate selection to be fixed, wrote, “Newman came out with the same tosh about factually inaccurate and baseless allegations over a selection stitch-up – until it was found to be true.” Continue reading →

Posted in Fieldway, Hamida Ali, New Addington, New Addington North, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Newman and Hall resign as councillors claiming a ‘witchhunt’

Posted on March 10, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Two key figures in the council’s financial collapse claim to be victims of an inaccurate report into their conduct. They might also escape facing any disciplinary action by quitting now.
By STEVEN DOWNES

Tony Newman: ‘shambles’

Tony Newman, until last October the leader of the council, and one of his closest colleagues in the local Labour Party, Simon Hall, tonight both announced that they had resigned as councillors.

Hall quit his position as the council’s cabinet member for finance last October. A couple of days later, Newman stood down as leader, a position he had held since 2014.

A similar pattern emerged today. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Fieldway, Hamida Ali, Katherine Kerswell, New Addington North, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Nearly 1,000 catalytic converter thefts in borough in 2020

Posted on March 10, 2021 by insidecroydon

Official police figures published today show that Croydon is the second worst-hit borough in London for catalytic converter thefts, while the number of arrests for the crime remain “pitifully low”, according to a London Assembly Member.

Precious metals in catalytic converters make them valuable to thieves

Crime stats show that in 2017 there were just four thefts of catalytic converters in Croydon. The next year, 2018, saw 49 such thefts, with 510 reported in 2019. In 2020, the number of catalytic converter thefts reported in Croydon almost doubled, to 951.

Among other London boroughs, only Barnet, which had 1,114, had more thefts.

Precious metals are used in catalytic converters. The price of some of these metals has risen sharply lately and led to an increase in the theft of catalytic convertors. Catalytic converters on some cars can cost up to £1,000 to replace. Continue reading →

Posted in Caroline Pidgeon, Crime, London-wide issues | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Police claim zero robberies in West Croydon during special op

Posted on March 10, 2021 by insidecroydon

The Metropolitan Police have today claimed that there were no robberies in West Croydon for a whole month while Operation Cleveland was being conducted.

Sniffing out crime: the Met’s specialist teams deployed in West Croydon included dogs …

The operation, with increased officers on the streets and more stop-and-search, began on Monday, February 8, and followed a weekend of violence in which there were 10 stabbings in the area, including a murder in Selhurst.

The police say that during Operation Cleveland, they arrested 171 individuals and recovered 43 weapons. The arrests were mainly for drug or weapon-related offences and “led to an overall crime reduction – and zero robberies in West Croydon”, the police said. Typically, at least five robberies are reported every week in West Croydon.

As well as locally-based officers, Operation Cleveland saw the Met’s Violence Suppression Unit was deployed, as well as specially-trained sniffer dog units to help with drug searches, and even the Metropolitan Police’s Mounted Branch took part in the extensive operation. Continue reading →

Posted in Andy Brittain, Community associations, Crime, CVA, Knife crime, Policing, West Croydon | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Indulge your mum this weekend – and help feed the homeless

Posted on March 10, 2021 by insidecroydon

A Caribbean restaurant based in East Croydon is offering to provide a free meal for homeless charity Croydon Nightwatch with every three-course meal for two ordered for collection or delivery over this coming Mother’s Day weekend.

Treat your mum like a queen with Big Mike’s indulgence menu this weekend

Big Mike’s Calypso Kitchen opened in Boxpark last July, and since September has been working every fortnight with Croydon Nightwatch, during that time serving up 1,000 meals.

Now, Big Mike has pulled out all the stops to create an indulgent and truly memorable menu fit for celebrating Mother’s Day in the only way he knows how – with a range of dishes that give a true taste of Barbados and the Caribbean.

Starters like Bajan Fish Cakes – an award-winning recipe of salted cod, Scotch bonnet chilli and herbs, encased in a light tempura batter and fried until golden brown and served with house-made Jerk and Twerk hot sauce.

Or Golden Wings, marinated and brined for 24 hours, deep-fried and served with rum and Scotch bonnet chilli jam. Continue reading →

Posted in Boxpark, Business, Charity, Croydon Nightwatch | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Brigade sounds alarm over incense sticks after Coulsdon blaze

Posted on March 10, 2021 by insidecroydon

Firefighters are sharing their advice for using incense sticks carefully after a maisonette fire in Coulsdon on Monday.

The LFB is concerned about careless use and disposal of incense sticks

Part of the first floor of a split-level maisonette above a fast-food shop on Brighton Road was damaged by fire. One man left the building before the Brigade arrived. There were no reports of any injuries.

The alarm was raised when smoke alarms sounding inside the maisonette alerted a resident to the fire. On investigation they saw smoke coming from the top of a door. They then alerted other residents and left the property before calling 999. Continue reading →

Posted in Coulsdon, London Fire Brigade | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Budget is approved but Labour council haunted by its past

Posted on March 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

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

New and old: council leader Hamida Ali is struggling to escape the shadow of her former mentor, Tony Newman

With the £120million bail-out cash on its way, Croydon’s Labour-controlled council has been able to balance its books for the coming financial year, passing its budget last night as the borough’s councillors indulged in a bit of role-reversal.

After spending their political lives trying to “shrink the state” and applauding the inherent callousness of “there’s no such thing as society”, Croydon’s Conservatives found themselves arguing against the massive cuts in services that were put forward in the cash-strapped council’s budget for 2021-2022.

Having voted in favour of the Labour Town Hall budgets in the two years immediately before the council’s financial collapse, Jason Cummings and his Conservative cohort weren’t going to be making that mistake again. Oh no. So Croydon’s Tories last night duly voted against the council budget that had been approved by the Conservative government.

This was Punch and Judy politics meets the Theatre of the Absurd, with a bit of Magic Circle rabbits-out-of-a-hat thrown in for good measure.

Council leader Hamida Ali’s Labour group had enough votes for a comfortable majority at the end of a long day of back-to-back meetings, even without the help of the two disembodied voices from what was described at the start of last night’s session as “independent Labour” councillors. 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

MyT: Easy Accounting software from Croydon-based firm

Posted on March 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Continue reading →

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Seven GP practices in Croydon taken over by US health giant

Posted on March 8, 2021 by insidecroydon

An American health insurance giant which has been described by the Daily Mail as “a profit greedy” company is about to take over seven GP surgeries in Croydon.

GP practices in Addiscombe, New Addington and Purley are among those being taken over by a US-based firm

Centene, through Operose Health, its UK subsidiary, has been taking over GP surgeries and practices in London and across the country for many years.

Centene has recently taken over AT Medics, a primary care provider responsible for 49 GP surgeries and more than 370,000 patients in the Greater London area. Seven of those GP practices are in Croydon.

According to campaign group WeOwnIt, “With a total of 70 GP surgeries and practices, Centene is almost certainly the largest single provider of NHS primary care in England.

“This is shocking.” Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon CCG, Health, New Addington, Purley, Purley Hospital | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Questions raised over new £21m rubbish deal with Veolia

Posted on March 8, 2021 by insidecroydon

The council budget, which is set to be approved at a virtual meeting tonight, offers “the worst of both worlds” as far as the borough’s recycling centres are concerned, according to a Tory councillor.

Purley Oaks dump could be sold off to raise money for cash-strapped council

In the middle of the council’s deepening financial crisis last year, Croydon agreed to pay rubbish contractors Veolia an extra £20.7million to “protect” the borough’s three recycling centres. Yet now, as the council scrambles to plug the covid-sized hole in its budgets, it is considering flogging off at least one, possibly two, of the recycling centres.

Helen Redfern is a Conservative councillor for Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown ward, where one of the two under-threat recycling centres is located. The other centres are at Factory Lane (which is thought to be safe from any sell-off) and at Fishers Farm, New Addington.

The Labour-controlled council’s budget can only be approved tonight because the government has agreed to a £120million bail-out over the next two financial years to help plug the overspend last year, which arose largely as a consequence of the covid-19 emergency. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Helen Redfern, Property, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Refuse collection, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Suspended councillor puts New Addington home up for sale

Posted on March 8, 2021 by insidecroydon

The cabinet member for finance who helped set-up the failed Brick by Brick project and oversaw the collapse of the council’s finances has registered a new business – as a ‘change manager’

Simon Hall, one of two Croydon councillors suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation into their part in the council’s financial collapse, has put his New Addington house up for sale.

How the New Addington home appears on property website Zoopla

Until his sudden resignation last October, Hall was the Labour-run council’s cabinet member for finance, presiding over £1.5billion debts, reduced reserves and runaway spending during the covid-19 lockdown.

Last month, Hall and the former leader of the council, Tony Newman, were suspended by their party, it is thought because of the findings of an official investigation into wrong-doing at the council conducted by the Local Government Association’s Richard Penn. Penn’s report has yet to be made public.

Hall is the only one of Labour’s four councillors in New Addington who actually lives in the area. At least he is, for now. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Fieldway, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

The Miller’s tale of Mendelssohn’s visit and a lifetime of music

Posted on March 7, 2021 by insidecroydon

Croydon’s Parish Church in the early 19th century attracted some of the finest musical talents of the time, thanks to the role played by one influential parishioner, writes DAVID MORGAN

On June 17, 1832, Felix Mendelssohn wrote in his diary: “Played the organ at Croydon church.”

Felix Mendelssohn: guest performer at Croydon Parish Church

It is amazing to think of the German composer, here in Croydon. Who could claim that it was down to them that such an internationally acclaimed composer and organist had played in Croydon Parish Church?

The organist at Croydon in 1832 was Thomas Walmisley. He was a young and talented musician from Croydon who went to Cambridge University, studied, played the organ, composed a great deal of music and became a professor there. He certainly had a claim.

Walmisley’s godfather was Thomas Attwood, who was the organist at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. He lived on Beulah Hill and would stay with Attwoodwhen he came to London. He certainly had a claim, too. Continue reading →

Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History, Music | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Coulsdon signs leave a trail of Saxon kings, cricket and plants

Posted on March 7, 2021 by insidecroydon

Visitors to Coulsdon town centre in recent months have been intrigued about the appearance atop street signage of some delicately crafted, colourful figures.

Saxon roots: Cuthraed, sited close to Pizza Express

It has now emerged that these finials are the work of two loyal Inside Croydon readers, Charles King and Lewis White, as part of an art trail through the town centre.

Having been granted permission by Croydon Council for nine finials, King, the chair of the East Coulsdon Residents’ Association, and White, a retired landscape architect, have managed to place the first three in position as part of what they say are their efforts to “make the town centre more interesting and attractive to local residents and visitors alike”. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, East Coulsdon Residents' Association | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Croydon In Crisis: Tory triumphalism over debt disaster

Posted on March 6, 2021 by insidecroydon

Reaction to the news of the £120million bail-out for Croydon’s bankrupt council, exclusively revealed by Inside Croydon, has been the predictable mix of the politically opportunist triumphalism, mixed with some I-told-you-so, as well as expressions of deep concern for the future for the borough’s residents.

‘Pleased’: council leader Hamida Ali

In a statement issued on the council website late on Friday, Hamida Ali, the council leader, said, “I’m pleased that today we have received government approval of a capitalisation direction that will help to balance this year’s budget and support Croydon’s plan to put its finances back on track.

“Communities Minister Luke Hall has written to us to confirm that it will allow borrowing of £120million – £70million for the financial year 2020-2021 and £50million for 2021-2022.

“The government’s offer, which will help Croydon over the next two years, is conditional on us delivering our renewal plans at pace and providing regular progress updates to the government-appointed Improvement and Assurance Panel.

“Croydon’s Renewal Plan is a major programme mapping out proposed savings, strengthening governance and financial practices, and new ways of working to put the borough on a more sustainable financial footing. Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Croydon In Crisis: Council handed biggest bail-out ever

Posted on March 5, 2021 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: Councillors were being briefed tonight that the government has agreed to a £120m loan arrangement for the bankrupt borough – but it will take at least 20 years for the council to pay down its mountain of debt.
By STEVEN DOWNES

Croydon Council has been granted a couple of years’ breathing space

Croydon should be able to go ahead and set its budget on Monday, after the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government today issued an 11th-hour agreement to allow the bankrupt council to borrow £70million this financial year and another £50million in 2021-2022 to fix its financial mess.

At £120million, Croydon’s bail-out is the largest settlement for a local authority in British history.

In December, Croydon submitted a request to MHCLG for a £150million capitalisation direction over three years. The government’s decision reduces that amount, and is over just two years. It also comes with a series of strings attached and warnings of dire consequences if the council does not improve its financial management and governance.

It will also see Croydon residents paying off the new borrowing for the next 20 years, at least.

Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Week-long manhunt traces covid Brazil variant to Croydon

Posted on March 5, 2021 by insidecroydon

After a week-long, nationwide manhunt, health officials have traced a mystery person with the Brazilian variant of covid-19 to Croydon.

Additional coronavirus testing resources are being deployed to the borough as a consequence, with an expectation that “surge testing” may be carried out in the immediate neighbourhood of the individual, in a similar manner to that which was used in New Addington, Streatham and Pollards Hill to locate cases of the South African variant.

The person found to have the Brazil variant is in South Norwood, according to the borough’s director of public health, Rachel Flowers.

Tonight, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said that he was “really, really delighted” that the test and trace team had successfully identified the patient. The government has just allocated an additional £15billion to the funding for test and trace, bringing the total spend on the much-criticised system to £37billion. Continue reading →

Posted in Health | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Broad Green driver has 12 penalty notices dropped by council

Posted on March 5, 2021 by insidecroydon

A traffic adjudicator has ruled that some council signs for restricted-access streets are ‘inadequate’

Shakeel Yousaf’s sign was a lot clearer than those used by Croydon Council

A motorist who accumulated more than £845 in fines for driving into a Low Traffic Neighbourhood in Broad Green has had 12 of his 13 PCNs – penalty charge notices – withdrawn by Croydon Council.

The council may have to issue many more refunds to angry drivers, too, after the traffic adjudicator, in a separate case, upheld another motorist’s appeal that claimed that road signs around a school street in South Croydon are “inadequate”.

The criticisms of the council’s poor signage for LTNs and school streets are another serious set-back for Steve Iles, the council director of public realm, who recently had to remove all planters from LTNs in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, where ANPR cameras – automatic number-plate recognition – are due to be installed in a significantly altered scheme. Continue reading →

Posted in Broad Green, Croydon Council, Parking, South Croydon, Steve Iles | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Coulsdon West residents in move to kick out plotter Morgan

Posted on March 5, 2021 by insidecroydon

The takeover of a residents’ association in Coulsdon by a rabid right-winger has turned very nasty over the past fortnight, as Peter Morgan has made a desperate attempt to cling-on to control of the Coulsdon West RA’s membership list and its £15,000 in the bank.

Notorious: Peter Morgan

Motoring lobbyist Morgan is a notorious figure in Croydon, not least because of his possibly unique achievement of getting himself kicked out of both UKIP and the Conservative Party.

Morgan does not even live in the area covered by CWRA, but after being invited on to its governing committee last year and handed the passwords to its Twitter account, in December he staged a “Christmas Day coup” to oust duly elected committee members and volunteers.

That move is now being challenged by concerned residents, who want to stage a properly constituted annual meeting via Zoom next Tuesday, when it is expected that Morgan will be formally booted out of the organisation once and for all. Morgan has refused all calls to convene a public meeting – using covid-safe online technology. Next week’s meeting – which will be CWRA’s first since 2019 – has the backing of the area’s Conservative councillors. Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Mario Creatura | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments