CROYDON IN CRISIS: Last night’s council-run webinar about the Town Hall’s ‘promises’ to its ‘customers’ saw several residents successfully book tickets, only later to get a rejection email. KEN LEE, Town Hall reporter, on the latest omnishambles at Fisher’s Folly
Broken promises: the council’s little-publicised EventBrite sign-up page
Croydon Council today refused to answer questions about its latest shambles of a public engagement exercise, after several residents had their bookings for a “Croydon Council’s Customer Promise online event” accepted, only to receive an email from Fisher’s Folly later to cancel their booking.
The online meeting was supposed to take place yesterday evening.
The under-publicised event – there was never any council press release or posting to the council’s own website – was supposed to allow residents to “have your say in helping us shape our Council’s Customer Promise”, according to some flunkey at Fisher’s Folly.
“They are our commitments to you, to serve you better.”
Except it all turned out to be yet another example of the people that the council is supposed to serve – the residents – being messed about and let down. “Bonkers!” said one. “A farce,” said another. One described it as, “Hysterically strange.” Continue reading
What is wrong with the country’s social housing is obvious. Whether any politicians have the will to fix it seems unlikely, as highlighted by a new book from a young, south London activist. Review by STEVEN DOWNES
A kid with a camera phone from a south London estate: Kwajo Tweneboa has been naming and shaming rogue landlords since 2021
When a kid with a camera phone from a council estate in south London can do more to raise awareness, foment justifiable anger and create a campaign opposing the Dickensian conditions endured by tens of thousands of tenants living in social housing, then it should be clear that it is not only our wretched housing system that is broken, but our political system, too.
Where was the Labour Party, or other opposition parties at Westminster, over the multiple scandals that led to the Grenfell Tower fire, the massive levels of homelessness across the country, the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak because of the mould infestation in his Rochdale bedroom, or the Made-in-Croydon travesties in Regina Road?
The appalling, “slum-like” conditions of flats in the blocks on Regina Road were, of course, a scandal allowed to fester under a Labour council administration. So when apportioning blame – and there’s plenty to go round – over housing, and the lack of decent quality homes, it becomes clear that it lies at the door of politicians of all parties going back more than 40 years. Continue reading
The Met Police is claiming 40 arrests today from actioning 32 warrants in early morning raids across Mitcham “to disrupt serious and organised criminality”.
Nicked: the Metropolitan Police made 40 arrests around Mitcham this morning
The daybreak raids – dubbed Operation Hessian by someone at Scotland Yard who’s probably watched too many episodes of Line Of Duty – involved 270 officers, and came in response to growing levels of violence in the area.
“Over six months, the intelligence-led operation has targeted the most prolific and dangerous offenders to remove weapons, firearms and drugs off the streets,” the Met said in a statement issued this afternoon.
The raids seized 12 firearms along with ammunition, 40 “bladed and offensive weapons” and £340,000-worth of drugs, as well as £85,000 in cash, “suspected to be the proceeds of crime”. Continue reading
Fanning the flames of division: misinformation, misdirection and years of disaffection led to this month’s riots
CROYDON COMMENTARY: What lay behind the series of riots and civil disorder which erupted across the country this month, and saw the town centre on high alert? Disability rights campaigner PAULA PETERS offers her perspective
At last month’s General Election, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party took votes because people were fed up of two-party politics. They felt that they were being abandoned in their areas.
If you look where Reform got their MPs – South Basildon and East Thurrock, Great Yarmouth, Clacton, Boston and Skegness (coastal) and Ashfield (mining) – these are areas of high poverty, towns left for decades with high unemployment. The 14 years of Conservative austerity have driven many areas into the ground. Continue reading
‘Keep out of the water – it might be toxic’. That’s the official advice about two south London rivers this week, while utility companies continue to pollute our waterways, reports PAUL LUSHION, environment correspondent
Toxic waters: Carshalton Ponds this week, suffering from algae blooms or Beddington discharge
Steve Reed OBE, in his new role as Environment Secretary, has a tough task ahead of him in sorting out polluting water companies, with two serious episodes of pollution on his own constituency doorstep this week affecting the River Wandle and Beverley Brook.
The Wandle is a globally rare chalk stream, but concerned locals have this week reported how the water in Carshalton Ponds has turned a cloudy green colour.
It is possible that this is due to the warm weather and algal bloom, which the Environment Agency warns, “Contact with blue-green algal blooms should be avoided as they can be toxic and can lead to a variety of symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea.” Nice.
More likely, it is another episode of Thames Water choosing for the cheap option and dumping sewage into the Wandle from its Beddington sewage treatment works. Continue reading
Our latest news podcast certainly covers some ground – though maybe not as much as our youngest ever contributor, eight-year-old Naomi Townsend, who this weekend is running to raise money for the victims of the Jamaican hurricane.
The Croydon Insider is free, premium content for Inside Croydon’s paying subscribers.
And in this episode, you’ll hear about young Naomi’s latest fund run, plus guest Annabelle Smith delves into the history of listed building Coombe House and Lloyd Park, Ross White explains the connections to the Garwood Foundation charity, and columnist Andrew Fisher takes a look at the first month of the Keir Starmer’s new government. Continue reading
Tight fit: HGVs won’t be using Stites Hill Road as a cut-through for the next couple of weeks
Road works have begun today on Coulsdon Road for essential drainage improvements and repairs to the soakaways.
Following a previous abortive attempt to fix the drainage on the road, and postponed closure following residents’ lobbying over Stites Hill Road, an amended scheme of closures and diversions has been introduced, beginning today.
The roadworks, closures and diversions to traffic, including buses, are expected to last until September 2.
The works are due to be finished before schools reopen after the summer holidays. Continue reading
In his latest column, ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, looks for the real reasons behind closure plans and suggests that the Labour Government should be doing more to help struggling local authorities
One of my favourite songs from the 1990s begins with the lyric, “Libraries gave us power”. It resonated with me, because I was an avid reader and libraries gave working-class kids like me access to a wealth of information, ideas and entertainment – and did so for free.
‘Knowledge is power’: Pillgwenlly public library, an inspiration for more than a song
As a young boy I visited my local library as well as the town centre library – all in the pre-internet age – and that state-subsidised access to books broadened my horizons. Today, as a parent, my children have spent hours looking for new books – fact and fiction – to broaden their horizons, too.
The opening line of the Manic Street Preachers’ hit “A Design for Life” was inspired by the inscription above the entrance to the Pillgwenlly library in Newport: “Knowledge is Power”. Power and knowledge are not evenly distributed in our society, but libraries have always been a great equaliser. Continue reading
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tomorrow evening staff at Fisher’s Folly are staging an under-publicised online engagement event where they ask you to ‘Come and have your say!’ It might be an invitation that they regret making.
By KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter
Graphic appeal: Croydon Council has raided the ‘generic diversity design archive’, not altogether successfully
Yes, you can have your say about how Croydon Council shapes its “Customer Promise”.
What do you mean, you’ve never heard of the council’s “Customer Promise”? Or never knew that there was some means by which you might be able to shape it?
Don’t beat yourself up about it… for while the council goes out of its way to publicise the self-promoting Mayor’s Question Time events, there’s an online public meeting tomorrow over which it has barely made a peep. Continue reading
Veolia, who operate the street cleaning and bin emptying contracts in Croydon, have been forced to back down over a decision to ban one of their employees in neighbouring Bromley from taking a £3,000 trip of a lifetime to Portugal, after a holiday firm stepped in to award him the getaway as a competition prize.
Happy holidays: Veolia road sweeper Paul Spiers will now get to enjoy his dream holiday
Paul Spiers has been keeping the streets of Beckenham clean since 2017, and has become a recognisable local figure.
He has attached speakers to his dustcart, from which he plays Elvis Presley tracks while on his round.
He’s so popular locals set up an online fundraiser to raise money to send him on a trip abroad for his birthday. Hundreds of people chipped in to send 63-year-old Spiers on a £3,000 summer break in Portugal. Continue reading
A group representing London’s largest housing associations reckons that social homes in the capital contribute nearly £6.9billion per year to the national economy.
Slow down: housing associations are building one-quarter of the affordable homes in London that they built last year
The G15 group said that the failure to address the capital’s housing crisis, “exacerbated by political uncertainty and financial instability”, is “starving Londoners and the UK of at least an additional £7.7bn annually”. Continue reading
Families embarking on rail excursions from East Croydon this summer can take advantage of an offer from the train operators to hand their children a copy of i-SPY On A Train Journey.
Govia Thameslink, who operate Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink services, have teamed up with publishers Harper Collins to help keep kids entertained on the train with a free activity book, which can be collected at participating stations when parents purchase a Kids for £2 ticket. Continue reading
One of the country’s leading development and building companies is working with Croydon College, local charities and not-for-profits to offer apprenticeships and work experience opportunities that are life-changing
Roll out the barrow: Louis Bienaime hard at work in the community as part of his role with Wates
The life of Louis Bienaime is an example of how to start creating a successful career and help others, despite the odds against.
An appearance before the court, uncertainty over employment and limited outlook nearly took Bienaime, who is 23 and from East Croydon, down a very dark path. But Bienaime has turned his life around and is now helping others improve their lives as part of his role as a customer services apprentice at Wates, on the housing maintenance contract for Croydon Council.
After his brush with the courts two years ago, Bienaime’s family pointed him towards taking the Construkt course run by Serious About Youth.
Construkt focuses on those aged 16 to 25 years old from black, asian and minority backgrounds, particularly those not in education, employment or training. It provides individuals like Bienaime with pathways into the construction industry and engineering careers, builds confidence, teaches team working, and in the case of those choosing a career in building, CSCS card training – a CSCS card is necessary to be able to work on a construction site. Continue reading
The likely closure of Shirley Library would be “a devastating blow” for local residents, according to comic and television presenter Nish Kumar.
Shirley saviour: comic Nish Kumar has intervened over the fate of his childhood public library
Kumar grew up in Shirley and used its public library, where borrowing books “fostered a lifelong love of reading in both myself and my brother”.
Kumar has written to Croydon’s part-time Mayor, Jason Perry, and Shirley’s full-time politician, Councillor Jason Cummings, appealing to them to reconsider any plans to close Shirley Library.
Following a public consultation, the foregone conclusion from the Tories in charge of Croydon’s cash-strapped council is expected to be announced next month.
The results from the (probably rigged) libraries consultation had been expected earlier in the summer, but were delayed – campaigners suggesting that piss-poor Perry didn’t want the anticipated bad news to adversely affect Conservative candidates in the General Election. Continue reading
Croydon’s JB Gill, the JLS-star-turned-turkey-farmer, is rated as the 6-1 fourth favourite to win this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Glitterballs: former JLS singer (and dancer) Jonathan Gill is among the contestants in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing
Jonathan Gill, 37, was brought up in Croydon, went to Whitgift School and played for Warlingham rugby club before fame and fortune came along with the boy band.
On Strictly, he’ll be hoping to better the results of former bandmates, as well as using his rugby skills to side-step the scandals and controversy that have dogged BBC One’s biggest audience-pulling show.
He also has a bit of form that suggests he could go far: in December 2012, he won the special Christmas edition of Strictly, dancing with Ola Gordon. But according to the Grauniad’s preview: “They are recycling so many Christmas leftovers, it’s a turkey curry of a lineup.”
That might just suit Gill. Continue reading
To mark India Independence Day this Thursday, August 15, Vue Croydon Grants is screening a selection of South Asian titles – with a total of three titles are being released specifically for the occasion.
Indian films: there’s a wide choice of movies being screened at Grants Vue on Thursday
Fans of comedy will enjoy Khel Khel Mein, a Hindi remake of the Italian comedy thriller Perfect Strangers. It follows a group of friends at a dinner party who end up revealing secrets about each other that could change the friendship group forever…
Horror lovers will be able to watch Stree 2, a horror-comedy and follow-up to the sleeper hit of 2018.
Fans of action and adventure can enjoy the Tamil-language movie Thangalaan. The title is based on the true events of mine workers in Kolar Gold Fields, Karnataka. Continue reading
At least one-third of voters who were turned away from polling stations at the London elections in May did not bother returning to cast a vote, according to figures released by a London Assembly Member.
The fix is in: Tory voting rules affected the disabled and unemployed worst, the Electoral Commission found
From a Tory perspective, the voter ID requirements probably had the desired effect then, as 5,065 Londoners were refused a vote when first attending polling stations around the capital, and 1,426 never bothered coming back – some 28.2%.
In Croydon, 291 people were refused a vote because of a lack of photo ID, with 108 not returning – a rate of 37%. Figures for other south London boroughs show that 29.3% of Lambeth voters were refused a vote and did not return with valid ID; in Sutton, that figure was 22.7%; Bromley 25.2%; and Merton 19.7%.
Only Camden (38.6%) and Redbridge (40%) had higher “non-return” rates than Croydon. Continue reading
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Contractors working for the cash-strapped local authority have used ‘recycled waste’ instead of hardcore for a path, leaving shards of glass, pieces of computer motherboard and broken plastic across a cherished local nature reserve
Abandoned: the visitor centre at the local nature reserve has been out of use for four years
Regular users of South Norwood Country Park are already aggrieved with their local council, which has done little or nothing to repair, rebuild and bring back into use the visitor centre in the park.
The visitor centre has stood empty and unused for almost four years, since it was victim of fire during the covid lockdown.
But now the park users feel that they have been victims of what one calls “a special level of incompetence” by the cash-strapped council.
SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT: It might be time for another world record attempt to be staged in the town centre, writes DAVID MORGAN
Shampoo’d and all set: ‘Prof’ Albert Kemp at his keyboard for the world record attempt, looked after by Mrs Forbes
“Roll up! Roll up! Come and see the world record attempt! Get your tickets here!”
There was a significant world record attempt staged in Croydon back in 1920. Not in an Olympic event. Not an eating contest. Not even a test of strength. This was the piano-playing endurance trial and was staged in one of the many cinemas in the town a century ago.
The Standard Cinema in Surrey Street was a popular venue run by Arthur Brook. Brook claimed to run the best picture entertainment in Croydon. It showed two features, a serial and a comedy, which were changed Mondays and Thursdays. They had continuous shows from 1.45pm until 10.45pm and were open six days a week. Admission prices were at 3d (about 1.5p in “new” money), 5d, 6d, 9d with the best seats priced at 1s 3d – less than 7p. Continue reading
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