DfE sends in Camden officials to assist with children’s services

Posted on January 3, 2018 by insidecroydon

Deceit by omission: Tony Newman

The press release issued by council leader Tony Newman just before Christmas proclaiming success in turning around Croydon’s failing children’s services department turns out to have been the epitome of “fake news”. Others might be less charitable, and more accurate, in their description, and call it deceit by omission.

Sources inside the council offices at Fisher’s Folly confirm that  Eleanor Brazil, the government commissioner appointed in September because Croydon could not be trusted to run a satisfactory or safe children’s services department, has had her term of engagement extended by three months.

They also confirm that officers from another London council have been brought in to supervise the operation of  Croydon’s children’s services. These council officials are from Camden.

The imposition of help from another local authority, as recommended in Brazil’s report, was a strict condition of the Department for Education not taking further intervention action. Continue reading →

Posted in Barbara Peacock, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Maria Gatland, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Planning chair failed to make public declaration over Westfield

Posted on January 2, 2018 by insidecroydon

STEVEN DOWNES reports on a business connection between one of the Labour council’s leading figures and developers with a £1.4bn scheme in the town centre

Architect: Paul Scott

Paul Scott, the chair of the council’s planning committee, today admitted that the firm of architects where he is a director had been hired to work on a significant project for shopping mall developers Westfield.

Yet in November, Scott failed to make any public declaration about this connection nor did he excuse himself from the key planning decision where permission was granted for the £1.4billion redevelopment of Croydon town centre by Westfield and their “partners”, Hammerson. Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Croydon Council, John Burton, Paul Scott, Planning, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

In south London, birds of a feather are flocking together

Posted on January 2, 2018 by insidecroydon

NATURE NOTES: The darker months at the end of the year have been brightened up by huge flocks of non-native birds, and a couple of surprise visitors to the area, as PETER ALFREY, the ‘Birdman of Beddington’, reports

A yellow-coloured ring-necked parakeet, an unusual colour for the increasingly common bird

In November and December, probably the highlight sighting of a visiting bird was a twite, recorded at Beddington Farmlands.

The twite is a small, brown finch closely related to the linnet, but with a longer tail and stubbier bill. The bird is normally found in Scotland, North Wales and the north of England, and sometimes winters around the coast of eastern England or Kent. So a record of one in suburban London is a real surprise.

This one had been ringed in the Pennines as part of a study to track the bird’s movements. In previous years the bird has been seen on the Norfolk coast; its arrival at Beddington Farmlands was the first record of this species at this site in 13 years – so a real local rarity.

Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon parks, Environment, Gardening, Nature Notes, Peter Alfrey, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Palace For Life charity is on the march again in 2018

Posted on January 1, 2018 by insidecroydon

Palace for Life Foundation, the official charity of Crystal Palace football club, has confirmed that it will again be staging its Marathon March this year.

Palace For Life trustee Kevin Day, the TV comedian, during the Palace For Life Marathon March in October

The inaugural sponsored walk, staged last October, saw more than 100 people take part over the full distance of the marathon – 26 miles 385 yards – with Palace ex-players Andrew Johnson and Andy Gray among them. The event raised £67,280 to support the Foundation’s work with young south Londoners.

In 2018, the event will be held on Saturday October 13, and Johnson has confirmed that he will be taking part. “From start to finish, the 2017 Marathon March was a truly special day, and one that made me incredibly proud to be involved with Crystal Palace FC,” Johnson said. Continue reading →

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Chair of Croydon Foster Carers gets New Year’s Honour

Posted on January 1, 2018 by insidecroydon

Amid the rows over the benighted Nick Clegg getting a knighthood (for services to austerity and student debt?) and Theresa May desperately doling out baubles to the Tory 1922 Committee for keeping her in power, there were some gongs announced in the New Year’s Honours List which represented recognition of real public service and good works.

Or, “This is what awards are for”, as Jonathan Clark, the Bishop of Croydon, put it when he tweeted congratulations to Martin Williams, the chair of Croydon Foster Carers, for his MBE.

It is probably an overdue award for Williams and his work in what is, without doubt, a challenging and important area of public service. Continue reading →

Posted in Bishop of Croydon, Charity, Children's Services, London Fire Brigade, Purley, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Author event with Christopher Bowden, Selsdon Library, Jan 27

Posted on January 1, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Author talk with Monica Bose, Selsdon Library, Mar 8

Posted on January 1, 2018 by insidecroydon

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Disability groups never consulted over latest Watson whim

Posted on December 31, 2017 by insidecroydon

Members of two bodies which seek to represent the interests and needs of Croydon’s disabled and elderly – one of which is organised by the council itself – have confirmed that there was no consultation held with them before Croydon Council imposed the closure of a section of the High Street on the town centre in October.

On the street: Mark Watson, the councillor behind the closure of Croydon High Street

Inside Croydon reported last week that the council held a site visit with Transport for London over the road closure just a few weeks before several bus diversions had to be implemented. One member of the Croydon Mobility Forum, a body established by the council to assist with public transport and related issues around the borough, has described the road closure as “another Mark Watson vanity project”.

Watson is the council cabinet member responsible for the road closure; his previous “prestige” project was a £1.2million spend on Surrey Street which had an immediate impact, causing businesses to lose significant amounts of trade while driving away around half the stalls from the ancient street market.

Adrian Dennis, a former Labour councillor and member of the Croydon Disability Forum, on seeing the latest “installation” seating, placed by the council in the road space on the High Street, commented, “Is Mark Watson taking the piss?”

Another mobility forum member told Inside Croydon, “We were unaware of any plans to close the High Street to traffic until the council announced that they were going to do it.” Continue reading →

Posted in Fairfield, Mark Watson, Planning, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Elderly and disabled avoid town centre as it is too dangerous’

Posted on December 31, 2017 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Former Labour councillor ADRIAN DENNIS, pictured left, accuses the current Town Hall administration of failing to fulfil its legal responsibilities over the closure to traffic of a short stretch of the High Street

While there were very good safety reasons for making the North End shopping area totally pedestrianised – as many may have forgotten that our experience was that buses and partial pedestrianisation definitely did not mix – this is not the case with the closure of Croydon High Street, which was closed to traffic in October between Park Street and Katharine Street.

Not only did Croydon Council fail to consult properly affected businesses and Transport for London, the bus operator, they did not carry out their statutory duty to do an Equality Impact Assessment (under the Equality Act 2010). Had they done so, they will have realised that the closure plans discriminate against the elderly and disabled, yet again. Continue reading →

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Free cocktails for Turtle Bay’s early diners through January

Posted on December 31, 2017 by insidecroydon

Diners at one town centre restaurant can enjoy two free cocktails with their meal during January.

Turtle Bay in Croydon is offering free cocktails to diners in January

Turtle Bay, the Caribbean food restaurant on Croydon High Street, is running the offer for table bookings for two people before 7pm from tomorrow, New Year’s Day, until February 8.

Diners need to order any two courses each from the menu to be treated to two free cocktails or Caribbean Softs.

The Turtle Bay beach shack bar features more than 40 hand-picked Caribbean rums, used to create classic tropical cocktails with a Turtle Bay twist, as well as a magnificent mix of signature cocktails too. Continue reading →

Posted in Restaurants, Turtle Bay | Tagged | 1 Comment

More changes on the buses thanks to Watson’s whim

Posted on December 30, 2017 by insidecroydon

Transport for London has been forced to make more changes to bus routes in the town centre as a consequence of the “Watson whim” closure to vehicles of the High Street between Park Street and Katharine Street.

All change: TfL’s altering the 109’s bus route in central Croydon from Monday

From Monday, January 1, routes 109 and N109 will no longer stop opposite Croydon Town Hall.

TfL announced the changes with less than seven days’ notice, on Wednesday last week.

TfL’s notification states, “On the northbound route towards Brixton and Oxford Circus, routes 109 and N109 will no longer serve stop KL in Katharine Street opposite the town hall.

“This means that the first stop for both routes will be stop KB, on the south side of Katharine Street next to the Queen’s Gardens. Buses will then call at all stops on their normal route. Continue reading →

Posted in Mark Watson, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Water Lily Dementia Cafe at Upper Norwood Library, Jan 9

Posted on December 30, 2017 by insidecroydon

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City Commons Winter Tree ID, Coulsdon, Jan 20

Posted on December 30, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Posted in Coulsdon, Croydon parks, Environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

More food outlets quit Boxpark as the £33 ticket raves go on

Posted on December 29, 2017 by insidecroydon

Only in Croydon could there be a council-subsidised venue which tries to charge potential customers an entry fee so that they can get in and buy a £10 burger. Town Hall correspondent KEN LEE reports

While other bars, pubs and restaurants in the town centre come to terms with the council’s whimsical closure of the High Street, over at East Croydon Station, there’s news of more traders quitting council-subsidised Boxpark.

Boxpark got a £3m loan from Croydon Council to open as a fashion and retail outlet. Now its food vendors are complaining that it is being used as a music venue

From an initial 40+ bars and street food outlets in October 2016, there’s now just 34 listed by the operators, as Chango Empanadas and Sweetbean have joined the exodus of businesses from the venue.

As Inside Croydon reported earlier this month, they follow MUD, an Australian brunch and coffee bar, Donde tapas bar, The Potato Project, Department of Coffee and Knot to depart the jazzed-up disused shipping containers. Continue reading →

Posted in Boxpark, Business, East Croydon, Jo Negrini, Planning, Property, Pubs, Restaurants, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Latest ‘Watson whim’ generates ridicule and confusion

Posted on December 29, 2017 by insidecroydon

As well as little proper consultation over the closure of a stretch of Croydon High Street, there doesn’t appear to have been much thought gone into what Mark Watson, the soon-to-be-ex councillor behind the scheme, and the council intend to do with this suddenly traffic-free stretch of the town centre.

Watson’s whim: this has been designed by ‘a multidisciplinary design collective whose projects aim to reconnect the physical elements of a place with its social dimension’, apparently

The latest “Watson whim” has generated ridicule and bemusement in equal measure since it appeared on Croydon High Street.

The small construction appeared at the Katharine Street end of the closed road just before Christmas. Not big enough for a usefully sized stage, it seems too forbidding to be public seating.

It looks like something knocked together from a clearance sale of off-cuts from Ikea. Continue reading →

Posted in Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Mark Watson, Planning, TfL | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Town centre landlord sells up – to become a bus driver

Posted on December 29, 2017 by insidecroydon

Another week, and another Croydon pub landlord has decided he’s had enough and is selling up.

The Bull’s Head, just off Croydon High Street. Soon to be under new management

John McFarlane has been the landlord of The Bull’s Head, in the town centre on the corner of Wandle Road and Laud Street, for 16 years.

The pub is an old-fashioned boozer, with a single bar area, and no room for any poncy gastro grub or other such nonsense. It does possess possibly one of the biggest white light Christmas trees stuck on its roof of any pub in Croydon.

McFarlane attracted the attention of the national media in 2013 after he had his pub painted red and blue, the colours of Crystal Palace, when he lost a bet to an Eagles fan and pub regular over the club winning promotion. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Fairfield, Pubs | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

City Commons Deer Talk, Coulsdon, Jan 19

Posted on December 29, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Tories back landlord licences that Barwell called a Tenants’ Tax

Posted on December 28, 2017 by insidecroydon

The Conservative government is about to embrace a Labour manifesto policy on landlord licensing that, only a few months ago, was being dismissed by the then Tory housing minister as “nonsensical”.

‘What was that you said about the Tenants’ Tax, Gavin?’ Theresa May’s chief of staff is found to have gaffed again

It will come as no surprise to Inside Croydon’s loyal reader that the aforementioned housing minister who was so opposed to a seemingly sensible policy of ensuring that private landlords provide decent accommodation for their tenants is none other than gaffe-prone Gavin Barwell.

Until June this year, Barwell was MP for Croydon Central. Barwell lost his seat at the June General Election to Labour’s Sarah Jones, who stood on a manifesto commitment to introduce landlord licensing nationally.

Barwell’s dismissals of landlord licensing before his election demise sounded very similar to the criticisms of the landlord licensing scheme when it was introduced in Croydon by the Labour-run council in 2014.

Then, Tory councillors – several of whom happen to be property-owning landlords – decried the landlord licences as a “Tenants’ Tax”. It was a line which Barwell used again this year, when he claimed that landlord licensing would “hit every tenant in the pocket with higher rents” and swamp the market with “municipal red tape that will force up costs and reduce supply”. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Landlord licensing, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

High Street closure to be permanent, says council consultant

Posted on December 28, 2017 by insidecroydon

The council decided that the High Street in the town centre should close to traffic in October

The closure of Croydon High Street, between Park Street and Katharine Street, imposed on the town centre in October after only the briefest of “consultations”, is intended to be permanent, according to correspondence obtained by Inside Croydon.

When it was announced in the summer by Mark Watson, the council cabinet member supposedly responsible for business, the public was told that the closure would only be for a trial period.

And since the road closure, business managers report that there has been a downturn in trade for the bars, restaurants and shops along this stretch of Croydon High Street. Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Fairfield, Jo Negrini, Mark Watson, Planning, Pubs, Restaurants, TfL, Tony Newman, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

City Commons Making Bird Boxes, Ashtead Common, Jan 14

Posted on December 28, 2017 by insidecroydon

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City Commons New Year Ramble, Ashtead Common, Jan 6

Posted on December 28, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Circuses, Churchill and Clapton: busy times at the David Lean

Posted on December 27, 2017 by insidecroydon

Now this may be apocryphal, but when the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood heard that Showtime was to make a documentary about his old friend Eric Clapton entitled A Life In 12 Bars, he’s supposed to have said, “That can’t be right. Eric’s been in loads more bars than that. I should know, I was with him.”

That alcohol- and drugs-dimmed past of the 1960s and 1970s are fondly recalled in the lengthy documentary, one of the highlight offerings in the David Lean Cinema’s programme for February, tickets for which are on sale now. Continue reading →

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Get your teeth into a panto classic with Sanderstead club

Posted on December 27, 2017 by insidecroydon

The Sanderstead Dramatic Club celebrates its 110th year by staging a panto classic that offers tales of witches, wolves and dark, dark woods.

The cast hard at work in rehearsals for Sanderstead’s panto, Red Riding Hood, which opens in the New Year

Running from January 6 to 13 at the All Saints Parish Hall in Sanderstead, audiences will be transfixed by Red Riding Hood as she tries to escape the evil clutches and curse of Morgana, the Witch of the Woods.

With an original script by John Desbottes, SDC’s chairman and director, the fun-filled adventure features a live band of talented local musicians, choreography from local dance school Dance with Grace, and scenery designed by local artist Di Ralston and her team.

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Posted in Comedy, Dance, Music, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Dramatic Club, Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fishers has the chemistry right for business in Woodside

Posted on December 27, 2017 by insidecroydon

A chemists’ shop with a poetic tendency

The nice people at the South Norwood Tourist Board have flagged up this festive offering at the independent chemists’ shop, Fishers on Enmore Road.

They write: “Serving the community for over 100 years, this place is more an institution and catch up with yer neighbours than a regular pharmacy. You don’t get Boots, Superdrug or Lloyds giving such a personalised service, with customers each year getting a Christmas card with one of Mr Kurtz’s poems. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, South Norwood, South Norwood Tourist Board, Woodside | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful New Year

Posted on December 24, 2017 by insidecroydon

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Posted in Inside Croydon | Tagged | 1 Comment