CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council does not have enough homes to house the homeless. But the Labour government created a ‘gold-rush’ torrent of applications for Right to Buy that may have forced the transfer into private ownership of every council flat ever built by Brick by Brick
There’s a reason there is a housing crisis: Thatcherism and the Right to Buy. And according to one report this week, Keir Starmer and his Chancellor, Rachel Reeves – you know, the “former Bank of England economist” – appear to have just made an already bad situation worse. Much worse.
Selling out: Margaret Thatcher, accompanied by Tory GLC leader Horace Cutler, handing over keys to a council house in 1980
Shouldering the brunt of yet another significant financial hit will be the country’s hard-pressed local authorities, again. Including cash-strapped Croydon Council.
Research published in The Guardian shows that so far this financial year councils in London have already received 3.5 times more Right to Buy applications than they received in the whole of last year, as people scrambled to grab a last, juicy slice of what has been described as Thatcher’s “single biggest privatisation”.
Right to Buy was the flagship policy of Thatcherism. Images from almost half a century ago of Prime Minister Thatcher sitting having a cup of tea in the kitchen of what had overnight become an ex-council flat, or handing over the keys to a family “taking the first step on the housing ladder”, have by today acquired an almost sepia tint to them.
But those images represent something that has proved to be the most powerful political vote-winner for decades, images so strong that neither Tony Blair nor Gordon Brown would take action to sweep away Right to Buy. Continue reading
Cash-strapped Croydon Council is increasing its repairs budget to £10.5million this year “to address backlogs” in its works programme.
The increased spending will also be used, the council says, to “tackle damp and mould and improve living conditions”.
The increased spend for the Housing Revenue Account – which is managed separately from the council’s general fund – was approved at a council cabinet meeting this week.
“Over the past year, Croydon has been transforming its housing service,” the council said, “by improving stock condition data and carrying out proactive repairs.” Yes… “proactive repairs“, which suggests repairs carried out before damage is noticeable. Or what most people would call “maintenance”. Continue reading
Pupils at Christ Church Primary in Purley, who yesterday broke up for half-term, could be getting more time off school next month after their teachers voted overwhelmingly for strike action.
Teachers, members of the National Education Union, voted by a 93% majority to take strike action against proposed staffing changes that will take place from September, which a union official says, “will have a catastrophic effect on the education of all current and future pupils”.
The school’s management has proposed a drastic and devastating restructure, including “significant” cuts to staff levels, to deal with an unprecedented budget overspend, considerably worse than other schools in the area.
“The school’s staff believe such ill-advised cuts present serious safeguarding risks,” a NEU official said. Continue reading
EXCLUSIVE: It’s not just Chancellor Rachel Reeves who struggles to get her CV right, as SANDRA STEAD, our in-house number-cruncher, uncovers a fifth case of an elected representative in Croydon failing to keep proper records in their register of interest
Sidetracked: Waddon councillor Simon Fox continues to declare to the public that he is a shop assistant, and not working for a Tory MP
This website has uncovered a fifth instance of undeclared business interests or income by elected councillors or Mayor Jason Perry.
This latest case is potentially the most serious, since it involves a councillor who has submitted a false declaration.
Two years after he joined the staff of Croydon South MP Chris Philp, Waddon’s Tory councillor Simon Fox still lists his employer as the House of Fraser. Working for Philp might be embarrassing (every time the MP appears on television, for instance), but it can’t be that bad that Fox feels compelled to break the law and the council code of conduct, can it?
Perhaps worse, Fox is the Town Hall Conservative group’s deputy whip. It is actually his job to ensure that his Tory colleagues maintain proper and accurate records. Yet he appears incapable of filling in a pretty basic form properly, and honestly, himself. Continue reading
More than a decade after the German supermarket chain paid £2million for the Good Companions pub at Hamsey Green, Lidl are primed to submit a revised planning application for the long-derelict site at the outermost edge of Croydon.
Derelict site: the Good Companions was bought for £2m and demolished more than a decade ago. The hoardings have been up ever since…
Having thwarted the bats and newts lobby – mainly by removing from the site all the trees in which any bats might have been roosting – the bargain-priced superstore business will still have to overcome the many objections raised to their previous attempts to develop the site, which focused on anticipated traffic congestion and the dangers to children attending the two schools along Tithepit Shaw Lane.
Other proposed developments in the neighbourhood, the building of housing on playing fields further south on Limpsfield Road (in Tandridge’s local authority area), may also need to be a factor in planners’ future considerations. Continue reading
Croydon is to get a new police borough commander, as Andy Brittain is leaving the role he has held since 2019.
Community policing: now former Borough Commander Ch Supt Andy Brittain
The Cambridge-educated copper, the most senior officer across Croydon, Sutton and Bromley, has been promoted to Commander, for future duties Scotland Yard has so far failed to specify.
The Metropolitan Police was asked for a comment on Brittain’s promotion from Chief Superintendent, but none has been forthcoming.
The now-Commander Brittain started his working career as a store security officer in Croydon’s Allders department store, joining the force as a constable in 1994, initially patrolling the streets of Sutton, then Lambeth.
With the role of “borough commander” merged into units across three boroughs, with Borough Command Units, Brittain took command of the “South BCU” in late 2019. His term in the job, which included a previous promotion, has been often fraught. Continue reading
There’s a new dining experience coming to central Croydon next month, when Tokia Square opens for business.
Tokia Square is described as “a dynamic food court offering an extraordinary selection of Asian cuisines, from sushi and hotpot to BBQ, Thai food, Indian dishes, and more”.
Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Singaporean food, plus bubble tea, are all expected to be on offer when Tokia Square opens in Grants on March 2. Continue reading
That old expression, “like a rat down a drainpipe”? Well, dogs manage to disappear down drainpipes, too, especially dogs who look very much like dachshunds, a type of dog whose entire USP is its ability to dive down holes in the ground…
Must be barking: two firefighters helping to break the pipe where dog Woodey was stuck
So thank goodness for a resourceful crew of the London Fire Brigade, who came to the rescue of a dog, and dog owner, when they were out for a walk in the Addington Hills when one of their hounds, Woodey, dived into a hole in the ground and couldn’t get out.
The owners were walking eight-year-old Woodey and his pal, Quincey, when they disappeared down a pipe on a wooded hillside.
Quincey managed to get free and, being the good buddy that he is, started barking to alert his owners that Woodey was stuck. Continue reading
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Carers’ Centre on George Street becomes the latest casualty of Mayor Perry’s cuts, as consultants hired by the council for £1m are thought to be behind the cost-trimming changes
Forced to close: carers dispute the council’s claims that it has made its decision based on ‘consultation’
Hard-pressed residents who use the Croydon Carers’ Centre on George Street have accused the council of “gas-lighting” them over a contracts deal which will see what they have called their “sanctuary” forced to close next month.
It has also been suggested that the cash-strapped council has opted for cheaper service providers, forcing the Whitgift Foundation, the operators of the Carers’ Centre, to take the decision to end its operation.
Within hours, the council’s propaganda bunker was forced to issue a press statement which tried to claim that new contracts will somehow “deliver enhanced support for Croydon’s carers”. Continue reading
A case review released yesterday shows failures in the Prevent anti-terror programme allowed a radicalised young Briton left free to murder Conservative MP Sir David Amess
The killer of Sir David Amess MP had been referred to the anti-terrorism Prevent programme by his school in South Croydon, but his case was closed two years later.
Murderer: Ali Harbi Ali, from Croydon, was ‘assessed’ by Prevent in a single meeting held at McDonald’s
An official review was published yesterday that showed Riddlesdown Collegiate, where Ali Harbi Ali had gone to secondary school, had acted properly in making the referral to security authorities over concerns that he could have an interest in violent Islamism.
Prevent is a voluntary scheme intended to deflect people away from being radicalised before they commit terrorist acts.
The review found that the decision to close Ali’s case had been taken too soon, and was one of “a series of errors” by the Prevent team, which involved officers of the Metropolitan Police in this case working together with Croydon Council.
Ali Harbi Ali was convicted of Amess’s murder in 2022 when he was 26. He had been referred to Prevent in 2014. His case was closed in 2016, after Prevent held a single meeting with him – over a coffee at McDonald’s.
Thousands of homes and businesses, including 11 care homes and 29 schools, in the Streatham, Penge and Sydenham areas are without water or enduring low water pressure for a third day today, following a burst water main in Crystal Palace on Tuesday.
Hole mess: Thames Water’s burst water main has caused widespread loss of supply around Crystal Palace
Thames Water has issued a statement saying that as it resumes supplies, householders who experience some cloudy water or water with bubbles in, this “is still safe to drink”.
And arrangements for emergency supplies of bottled water in a supermarket car park were disrupted yesterday, Thames Water says, due to “a security incident”.
Thames Water, apologetic as ever, says that the affected postcodes are SE19, SE20, SE23, SE26, SE27 and SW16.
In the water monopoly’s latest statement this morning, they say: “Our engineers are working to fix the damaged pipe, and in the interim, are re-routing water to those in the affected area, so most people should see their water supply returning, though pressure may be lower than normal, especially in taller buildings. Continue reading
Banned: Anwar Ansari faced six charges relating to the Kangals being out-of-control
Anwar Ansari, the controversial property developer based at Coombe Farm in the Addington Hills, has been ordered to pay more than £65,000 in compensation and costs after being found guilty on six charges related to attacks in Lloyd Park by his three large Turkish Kangal guard dogs in July 2023.
Ansari, 67, the owner of the AA Homes residential property business, including the listed Leslie Arms in Addiscombe, is now banned from owning dogs for 10 years.
The much-delayed trial was held at Willesden Magistrates’ Court in December, with sentencing taking place this week. Continue reading
Partnership over: the Croydon Carers Centre on George Street today, a joint partnership between the council and Whitgift Foundation since 2013
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The hollowing out of the borough continues with the announcement to staff this morning that the Carers’ Centre is to close next month, after the council handed a service contract to another provider.
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES
Doesn’t care about carers: Mayor Jason Perry failed to respond today when invited to comment about the closure of the Carers’ Centre
The Croydon Carers Centre on George Street, which has been helping hard-pressed families in the borough for more than a decade, is to close on March 14.
Staff were told this morning and were clearly shocked by the news.
Inside Croydon understands that the Whitgift Foundation, who run the centre, took the decision after its bid to continue operating carers’ services for Croydon Council was rejected.
Following a procurement process, the council has moved on to another service supplier, but potentially at the expense of the continuing presence of the Centre and the other services it was able to offer, or at least by making those services more difficult to access. Continue reading
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Releasing the council from the shackles of its toxic debt could be the only lasting solution – and talks with Whitehall on the suggestion are continuing, according to a report in a trade magazine
Katherine Kerswell, Croydon Council’s chief executive, believes that there has been “some progress” with government over a possible multi-million debt write-off for the bankrupt borough.
According to official budget reports going forward to a council meeting this week, Croydon has toxic debts of £1.4billion, and expects to spend £71million in the next financial year just to meet loan repayments and interest. The government has agreed £38million annually over three years to assist managing the toxic debt.
A debt write-off for a local authority has never happened in England before, but with the number of councils shackled by their historic borrowing steadily increasing, it is becoming widely viewed as the only feasible, long-term solution to the mounting crisis in local council finances.
The alternative is for heavily indebted councils such as Croydon to keep returning to HM Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with a begging bowl for help. Last week, Croydon announced that it is seeking £136million in a capitalisation direction from government in order to “balance” its precarious 2025-2026 budget. Continue reading
Herd instinct: the City Commons herd of Sussex cattle have some new arrivals
The rangers at City Commons, the precious open spaces around Coulsdon, Kenley and Riddlesdown, are celebrating the arrivals of the first new-borns in their herd of Sussex cattle.
The rangers have been closely monitoring the cows and calves throughout the day and at night, often at some very unsociable hours, ensuring their safety and well-being while in the barn.
“Sussex cattle are a very docile rare breed that would historically have roamed the downs of Surrey and Sussex,” City Commons say. Continue reading
A previous guest on Inside Croydon’s regular round-table news panel podcast thingy has been awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary International.
It is probably worth pointing out that nine-year-old Naomi Townsend’s success had absolutely nothing to do with her Croydon Insider interview last year about the amazing achievements of the South Croydon schoolgirl’s charity work.
Late night call: nine-year-old Naomi Townsend has had her charity efforts recognised by Rotary International
Townsend’s award is the result of a recommendation from the Rotary Club of Mandeville in Jamaica. Last summer, the then eight-year-old took on an eight-kilometre sponsored run in Ashburton Park to raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Beryl in Jamaica, raising £2,512.
The funds were donated to the Rotary Club of Mandeville, which supported hurricane-affected communities in Manchester and St Elizabeth.
Townsend’s efforts saw her receive a congratulatory message from the Jamaican High Commissioner, Alexander Williams: “Congratulations on your incredible achievement! Running eight kilometres and raising £2,512 is no small feat. Your dedication to supporting the Rotary Club of Mandeville’s efforts in aiding communities affected by Hurricane Beryl in Central Jamaica is truly inspiring. Continue reading
Chestnut Park Primary School, in one of the most built-up and deprived areas of Croydon, has won a £1,000 cash prize in a national comepetition to boost nature projects on their site.
Chestnut Park in Broad Green is one of 10 winners announced of The Nature Prize, run by Let’s Go Zero and funder the OVO Foundation. The scheme provides grants to schools that are engaging pupils with nature and supporting communities to get involved in climate action. Let’s Go Zero is a national campaign for all schools, colleges and nurseries to be zero carbon by 2030, led by climate solutions charity Ashden.
Cash prizes of up to £1,000 each have been awarded to projects involving food growing, community collaboration and outdoor learning. The projects help schools create biodiverse-rich environments for their pupils to learn from nature, the award organisers say. Continue reading
CROYDON COMMENTARY: This website’s editor, STEVEN DOWNES, on why a Mayor who keeps getting caught out in untruths really needs to start being more honest with the borough’s residents
Cause for concern: the council-owned (for now) Fairfield Halls arts venue
If ever there was an example of Mayor Jason Perry “being in office but not in power”, it was played out in the panicked and entirely disingenuous reaction on Friday to this website’s exclusive report that the government-appointed improvement panel has suggested that the council should sell the Fairfield Halls.
The response also demonstrated how Mayor Perry and the council’s propaganda department really do think that the Croydon public are all idiots.
Before we published our exclusive last week, we had sought comments from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government – who engaged the improvement panel that has been esconced in Croydon since 2021 – as well as Mayor Perry, the council press office and the 20th Century Society.
Perry and the council press office never answered our questions. They still have not.
But they dropped their chips when Inside Croydon went public with the latest potential catastrophe that the council has managed to inflict on the borough and its residents. Continue reading
Crime scene: Park Street and part of Croydon High Street through to George Street remained cordoned off following last night’s shooting
The victim of the shooting in Croydon town centre last night was a 17-year-old who suffered “a potentially life-changing injury”.
This afternoon, Park Street and parts of Croydon High Street remained cordoned off as a crime scene, while the Metropolitan Police investigation is on-going with an appeal for witnesses to come forward.
Officers have been seen at the scene gathering evidence, while CCTV footage in the area is also being checked.
The Metropolitan Police say that at 7.37pm, they responded to reports “of firearms discharge at Park Street, Croydon, and a male having been shot”. Continue reading
A crime scene remains in place on Park Street in central Croydon following a shooting there last night.
On patrol: there’s increased police presence in Croydon town centre following the shooting last night
The Metropolitan Police say that at 7.37pm, they responded to reports “of firearms discharge at Park Street, Croydon, and a male having been shot”.
Police and London Ambulance attended and provided first aid to the victim, before he was taken to hospital.
The police say that they “await an update on their condition”. Continue reading
The £317million three-year major roads project to improve traffic flows at the M25’s junction with the A3 is now going to be a four-year project, drifting into 2026, and with more motorway closures planned for next month.
No through road: more closures of the M25 are planned for two weekends in March
National Highways says that the project has been hampered by “periods of extreme weather”.
The Cobham junction is the busiest section of the M25, with more than 300,000 vehicles using it every day.
Since 2022, National Highways has been working to build a new bridge and add extra lanes around Junction 10 at Cobham, with days when the entire motorway has been closed, affecting traffic back to Leatherhead and the A243, and tailbacks that have affected traffic across south-west London. Continue reading
 | insidecroydon on Corbyn’s party has 1 can… |
 | Alan Malarkey on Corbyn’s party has 1 can… |
 | David Tanner on Green wins at local elections… |
 | Frida Gomaam on Green wins at local elections… |
 | Peter kudelka on Green wins at local elections… |
| insidecroydon on Croydon sites among best place… |
