Borough’s oldest charity in £4m South Croydon property sale

Posted on March 20, 2026 by insidecroydon

The borough’s oldest charity is selling 11 of the 12 houses it owns on one street in South Croydon in a £4million property disposal.

For sale: one of the Helder Street cottages that are being sold off by the almshouses charity

The housing being sold off represents the bulk of Croydon Almshouses’ property portfolio, which comprises 16 residential and eight commercial properties.

Croydon Almshouses, which traces its history back to 1447 and local merchant Elis David, has begun the process of off-loading all-but-one of its  terraced houses on Helder Street, the start of what is intended to be a two-year process to try to avoid crashing the local housing market (at a time when Donald Trump is managing to do that all on his own…).

“Rising demand, combined with a decline in available public resources, means charities such as Croydon Almshouses are under increasing pressure to ensure their assets are used as effectively as possible,” the charity said in announcing the disposals. Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Housing, Property, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

CBA election debate, Smile Hub, Broad Green, Thu Mar 26

Posted on March 20, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Broad Green, Business, Community associations, Croydon Business Association, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A40 to close for 6 weeks as engineers check Croydon Flyover

Posted on March 19, 2026 by insidecroydon

Waiting for repairs: TfL says that it is considering engineering reports about the Croydon Flyover

The six-week closure of the 1960s-built concrete flyovers of the A40 Westway in west London, which begins tomorrow, raises the prospect that the Croydon Flyover could soon be undergoing similar, full-scale remedial engineering works.

Transport for London describes the A40 closure as being for “essential safety-critical renewal work”. The A40 will be closed from 10pm tomorrow night, Friday March 20, until “late April”, which means that the surrounding area around Ladbroke Grove and White City will be worth giving a wide berth if travelling by road. Although, to be fair, when isn’t that the case? Continue reading →

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Bookies make Labour’s Davis favourite to win Mayor election

Posted on March 19, 2026 by insidecroydon

Bookmakers are taking bets on the outcome of the 2026 Croydon mayoral election, and they make Labour’s Rowenna Davis a short-priced 6-5 favourite to win at the local elections on May 7.

Reform UK don’t yet even have a candidate – unless you include the dead Yorkshirewoman, Sharon Carby, whose Nigel Farage’s party of grifters imposed on their Croydon branch last year.

But according to Ladbrokes, Reform are 7-4 second favourites, with the Tories’ failed Mayor, Jason Perry, offered as a 4-1 shot to retain his job. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Greens, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Richard Howard, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Police seek Fiat driver after Old Town suspected hit and run

Posted on March 19, 2026 by insidecroydon

No through road: Church Road, often an exit route for cars parking in the Surrey Street Q car park, remained closed to traffic this morning, more than 24 hours after the suspected hit and run incident. Pic: Austen Cooper

A stretch of Church Road in Croydon’s Old Town remained closed to traffic this morning, more than 24 hours after what the police are treating as a “serious” hit and run which has left a 51-year-old man in a critical condition in hospital.

“An investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances of the incident,” a Scotland Yard spokesperson told Inside Croydon, without specifying when Church Road would re-open to traffic and pedestrians. Continue reading →

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Croydon’s teams looking ready for end-of-season take-offs

Posted on March 19, 2026 by insidecroydon

On the march: Rams fans at the Mayfield Stadium have been treated to some commanding performances over the past few weeks. Pic: Keira Godwin-Ryan

NON-LEAGUE NEWS: Oliver Glasner’s reign at Selhurst Park isn’t over just yet, but while he and the Eagles have flown out to Cyprus, the borough’s non-league sides have been enjoying winning streaks and record scorelines, reports ANDREW SINCLAIR

Ready for take-off: the SunExpress aircraft in its new Eagles livery – chosen by fans

Crystal Palace are embarking on their sixth UEFA Conference League awayday. After previous trips to Norway, Poland, France, Ireland and Bosnia-Herzegovina, today they are due to play AEK Larnaca, despite the missiles and drones buzzing around Cyprus during Trump and Israel’s war on Iran.

Oliver Glasner’s men need to improve on last week’s disappointing home draw, a result that came a day after they joined SunExpress to unveil their bespoke liveried “Eagle” aircraft at Gatwick Airport.

The partnership was described by SunExpress commercial director Helmut Wölfel as the “English football footprint” to help cement the German-Turkish airline’s expansion in Britain. Continue reading →

Posted in AFC Croydon Athletic, Andrew Sinclair, Croydon FC, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Oliver Glasner, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Enjoy Oscar winners and more at David Lean Cinema in April

Posted on March 19, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Red coats march on Delta Point to protest against evictions

Posted on March 18, 2026 by insidecroydon

On a visit to Croydon, the former housing secretary describes companies run by a billionaire Labour Party donor as ‘disgusting and disgraceful’, as hundreds of their tenants are served Section 21 eviction orders

The red coats are coming: MP Angela Rayne and Labour mayoral candidate Rowenna Davis (right) at Delta Point yesterday.

Angela Rayner, tipped as the next leader of the Labour Party, was in Croydon yesterday to raise further complaints against multi-billionaire landlord Asif Aziz and his various Criterion companies over mass evictions of tenants across his south London property portfolio – including massive blocks of flats in former office buildings, such as Delta Point.

Aziz has been described by The Times as “Britain’s meanest landlord”. Yesterday Rayner, the former housing secretary, described his landlord companies as “disgusting and disgraceful”.

Located near West Croydon Station, Delta Point is a 14-storey former BT office building which was used as a location for Gotham City Hospital in the 2012 Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises. Aziz’s companies acquired the block for conversion into more than 350 flats, the properties marketed for rent under Criterion Hospitality’s “Dstrkt” brand. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Business, Criterion Capital, Croydon West, Housing, London-wide issues, Property, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

BRIT School dance star ready to face his Hollywood challenge

Posted on March 18, 2026 by insidecroydon

Next big step: Brett Sewell was always convinced he would be a star. Pic: Gabriel MacArthur

With half-a-million followers on TikTok, a former pupil at Selhurst’s world-famous performing arts school is preparing for a career-defining move. And Brett Sewell tells GABRIEL MacARTHUR there’s no ‘Plan B’

BRIT product: winning a place at the BRIT School changed Brett Sewell’s life

There is something cinematic about the image Brett Sewell paints of the morning that changed his life. A 14-year-old, shivering, giraffe-print onesie-wearing Brett Sewell. perched on his patio wall in the half-dark, waiting for the arrival of the postman. He had been up since before 5am. He had given the postman one instruction: a light envelope meant bad news, a heavy one meant everything.

The envelope was heavy.

That fateful envelope contained the news that Brett Sewell had been accepted to the BRIT School in Croydon.

His life would never be the same. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, BRIT School, Dance, Gabriel MacArthur, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Diz and the Doormen, free entry, The Oval Tavern this Sunday

Posted on March 18, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Posted in Addiscombe West, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Business, Music, The Oval Tavern | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Roll-up! Roll-up! Get your council cock-up pay-outs here!

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

Psst! Pass it on! Jason Perry’s council is hoping people don’t bother claiming any refunds for the fines they paid for driving in the Croydon Mayor’s ‘unlawful’ Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. By STEVEN DOWNES

Red faced: the Tory Mayor has used his own social media accounts to publicise his LTN fine refund scheme

Finally, nearly two weeks after a High Court judge ruled that six Croydon Low Traffic Neighbourhoods have been raking in millions of pounds in road fines while being “unlawful”, Mayor Jason Perry has at last announced a system to pay compensation to those who were caught in the camera traps that he ordered to be set up.

The announcement comes from Perry, Croydon’s nightmare mayor, just as householders are receiving annual Council Tax notices.

These council letters show that almost every property in Croydon will have to pay more than £2,000 in the year from April, after Tory Perry managed to hike their local taxation by 33% since 2023.

It’s these same, long-suffering Council Tax-payers who will be paying for the latest costly mistake by piss-poor Perry and his incompetent council – to the tune of at least £5million. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Voting opens in RSPCA’s young photographer competition

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

You have just a week to vote in the 2026 RSPCA Young Photographer People’s Choice Award.

Making a splash: this spaniel was captured in full flow by Zoe Beales from West Sussex

Voting has opened today, with 15 funny and fascinating images vying for the top prize.

Voting opens from 12.30pm – and the winning photo, from a selection from young photographers all under-18, will be decided by the public.

The People’s Choice Award is part of the prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards.

In December last year, the winners of the Young Photographer Awards were announced at the Tower of London after being judged by a panel of photographic experts – with 17-year-old Thomas Durrant taking the top spot thanks to his ethereal image of a stag lit up in the darkness in Richmond Park.

The People’s Choice entries come from the judges’ picks of a selection of images entered in the Mobile Phone and Devices, Pet Personalities and Pet Portraits categories – and some of the entrants were also winners in last year’s awards, too. Continue reading →

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In off the post! Make sure you have registered for postal voting

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

The system for voting by post has changed, and anyone who wants to use a postal vote for the local elections and mayoral elections on May 7 needs to ensure that they are registered to do so.

The deadline to register for a postal vote ahead of the local elections on May 7 is Tuesday April 21.

Recent changes in the law now require anyone using a postal vote to apply every three years for renewal.

Late delivery: given Royal Mail’s lack of reliability of late, voting by post might not be such an attractive option

Postal votes became very popular with electors in 2020 and 2021, when the idea of strolling down to the polling station and casually picking up a potentially life-changing, or life-threatening, virus became anathema.

Following the Elections Act 2022, everyone is required to apply every three years for renewal. Electors who applied for a postal vote before October 31, 2023, will only be able hold their postal vote until January 2026. They needed to re-apply by January 31 for a postal vote that would then last for another three-year period.

Everyone in Croydon who had a postal vote should have received a reminder to re-register from the council’s Electoral Services at the start of this year. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Election debate: Davis v Underwood, Ruskin House, Mar 19

Posted on March 17, 2026 by insidecroydon

C O M M U N I T Y
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Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Activities, Advertisement, Advertisement features, Community associations, Croydon TUC, Peter Underwood, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Labour’s Town Hall leader files complaint over Perry’s spending

Posted on March 16, 2026 by insidecroydon

Council’s top lawyer questioned over the public funds used to distribute a propaganda freesheet worthy of something from the regime of dictator Kim Jong-un. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports

Enough to make Korean dictator blush: Jason Perry has been misusing the council’s public funds to produce his propaganda freesheets

Jason Perry has been accused of abusing his position as Croydon Mayor and spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money on his own political propaganda, just weeks ahead of the local elections.

Perry, the £86,000 per year Mayor who has hiked Council Tax by 33% since 2023, has shamelessly included a two-page A4 letter with the annual Council Tax mail-outs sent to all property owners in the borough to try to suggest he’s been doing a bang-up job.

And on top of that, a fifth edition of Our Croydon, the council-funded freesheet, is also being thrust through residents’ letter boxes, whether they want it or not.

Whether they want it or not, residents are also paying for this barely disguised piece of Tory Party propaganda. Perry has authorised the cash-strapped council to spend more than £150,000 in the past year having this propaganda rag printed and distributed around the borough. Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Tribunal rules Perry’s yellow box at East Croydon is ‘wrong’

Posted on March 16, 2026 by insidecroydon

‘Disproportionately large’: the hatched yellow box outside the access road for No1 Croydon has been imposed by Croydon Council but does not meet legal requirements

Jason Perry, Croydon’s failed Mayor who is already having to find up to £10million in refunds for fines levied on motorists driving in his unlawful LTNs, could now have to repay another £2million for drivers caught in a yellow box trap outside East Croydon Station.

“Yellow Box Guru” Sam Wright has helped motorists successfully appeal against £160 traffic fines imposed by Croydon Council after they have driven into a yellow box exiting Billinton Hill to turn into Addiscombe Road by the landmark No1 Croydon building. Continue reading →

Posted in East Croydon, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Households facing £1,500 in extra bills thanks to Trump’s war

Posted on March 16, 2026 by insidecroydon

Bomb alley: Iran is blockading the Starit of Hormuz, bombing any ships which try to pass through the bottleneck for world trade

Donald Trump’s war on Iran could cost British households £1,500 each this year if it is allowed to continue, according to reports today.

Fuel gouging: petrol has risen by at least 8p a litre, despite warnings against price gouging

With petrol prices at the pumps rising by at least 8p per litre by the weekend, despite government warnings against price gouging by energy firms, there are well-founded fears that as energy prices feed into the economy generally, prices of all products will increase, and there’s a real risk of Britain slipping into recession.

This morning, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced £53million in support for heating oil customers, while warning that energy suppliers engaged in price gouging will face legal action. Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Music Hall performer whose potato song helped the war effort

Posted on March 15, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON CHRONICLES: Musical director of the Croydon Empire theatre enjoyed a colourful career and played a part in the community, writes DAVID MORGAN

A century ago, long before we had mass media in our living rooms and at our finger tips, Croydon locals would seek their entertainment at the cinema or the theatre, where variety and music hall were hugely popular, with a constantly changing cast of musicians, singers and comics.

And among the several theatres operating in Croydon town centre in the mid-20th Century was the Croydon Empire, at 94 North End, roughly where the entrance to the Whitgift Centre stands today.

In 1941, during the darkest days of the Second World War, the Croydon Empire appointed a new musical director who was to become a popular figure both in the orchestra pit and in the wider community.

Music man: Jack Morgan had a long career managing musicians across the country

Jack Morgan (no relation) arrived in Croydon after a career touring the country’s music halls.

Born in Swansea, Morgan was a talented musician and conductor with 20 years’ experience – when just 21, he had been leader of the orchestra at The Hippodrome, Manchester.

Morgan could play most musical instruments, specialising in the violin and trumpet. Despite being in constant demand as he toured the country, he struggled to make ends meet.

He put this down to his name being just too mundane. “I just had to change my name to get a decent living,” he told a reporter. “There was fierce competition from foreign artistes and a fellow with an everyday name like Morgan didn’t stand a chance.”

The change worked and by the mid-1930s, El Romano and his Accordion Band was topping the bill wherever they went. Marvellous reviews exist of their appearances in Mexborough and Swindon. They even appeared on stage in Croydon at the Empire. Continue reading →

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Festival of Choral Classics, St John’s, Old Coulsdon, Mar 28

Posted on March 15, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Posted in Advertisement, Advertisement features, Art, Church and religions, Coulsdon, Music, Old Coulsdon | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Historic Commercial Vehicle Brighton run, A23, May 3

Posted on March 15, 2026 by insidecroydon

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No cover-up over £12m SEND overspend, claims council chief

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall bosses have been forced to accept 23 recommendations from external accountants after IT problems saw them lose track of thousands of payments, in the latest council cock-up that was described by a veteran Tory councillor as ‘quite frightening’.
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES

Croydon’s failed Mayor suppressed discussion of a £12million “IT error” ahead of last month’s budget-setting council meeting.

A veteran Conservative councillor this week described the multi-million-pound “mis-statement” in the council’s draft accounts as “quite frightening”.

Having a ‘mare: failed property deals, High Court rulings and £12m ‘lost’ from the SEND budget have piled up problems for failed Mayor Jason Perry

This latest financial omnishambles comes soon after Tory Mayor Jason Perry needed a £119million government bail-out to balance his council budget while claiming he has Croydon’s finances “back on track”.

It is more like Ground Hog Day at Croydon Town Hall, with outside experts called in to try to unravel the latest mess of the council’s own making, much like the dark days of 2020 after Croydon issued its first Section 114 notice of effective bankruptcy.

Prior to Perry’s budget meeting in the Town Hall Chamber at the end of February, opposition councillors were blocked from asking about the massive overspend on SEND children – those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Belatedly, senior staff have admitted that the cash-strapped council bust its SEND budget in 2024-2025 by at least £12million. But it wasn’t until this Thursday – three weeks after the Tory Mayor’s budget was voted through – that a specialist report into the multi-million-pound disparity finally got to be discussed publicly at the Town Hall. Continue reading →

Posted in Amy Foster, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, Education, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Ian Parker, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, SEND | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Man treated after fire in derelict office closes Barclay Road

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

A homeless man needed treatment for smoke inhalation at the scene of a fire on Barclay Road, near the Law Courts in central Croydon on Thursday morning.

There were no other casualties reported from the fire, which seems to have been caused by bedding being too close to a heater. “The fire is believed to have been caused by combustible material placed too close to a heat source,” the London Fire Brigade said.

Five fire engines and around 35 firefighters were called to the fire, which was on the ground floor of the six-storey, long-derelict office building. Continue reading →

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Spruce Up Sunday at Trumble Gardens, Thornton Heath, Mar 22

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

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The 7 questions to ask before booking a boiler installation

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

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Replacing a home heating system is a significant investment that requires careful thought.

Many homeowners feel overwhelmed by the technical jargon and the sheer variety of options available on the market. Selecting the right professional ensures the job is done safely and efficiently, providing peace of mind for years to come.

Taking the time to vet a provider helps you avoid unexpected costs or poor workmanship. It’s about finding a balance between a fair price and high-quality service. By asking specific questions, you can identify which companies prioritise your comfort and safety. Here are the most important things to consider before you make a final decision. Continue reading →

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‘Modern-Day Art’ Exhibition at Croydon Art Space, to Apr 30

Posted on March 14, 2026 by insidecroydon

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