Tag Archives: Chris Buss

Council appoints finance director with links to ex-CEO Elvery

Posted on August 17, 2021 by insidecroydon

Croydon councillors, including the leader of the Conservative opposition, have agreed to appoint as the council’s finance director someone who previously worked amid a “bullying culture” at another failing local authority. Richard Ennis’s appointment, to one of the most critical … Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Nathan Elvery, Richard Ennis | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bankrupt borough could overspend by millions again this year

Posted on July 28, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Cash-strapped council is facing another busted budget, according to latest estimates. By STEVEN DOWNES Less than six months since Croydon was handed the biggest bail-out in history, following the authority declaring itself effectively bankrupt, and the council … Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Complaints to regulator over council’s £100m pensions deal

Posted on July 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The scandals at Fisher’s Folly surrounding questionable property transactions keep emerging. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s £1.5billion pension fund has been the subject of two complaints to the statutory watchdog, the Pensions Regulator, Inside Croydon has … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Richard Simpson, Simon Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Reports on Fairfield Halls and BxB missing from audit meeting

Posted on July 8, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tonight’s meeting of the council’s GPAC – General Purposes and Audit Committee – will mark the end of a error, as Labour councillors risk handing even more control to council executives. By STEVEN DOWNES Karen Jewitt, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Karen Jewitt, Katherine Kerswell, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Council abandons its £100m discount sale of Brick by Brick

Posted on July 1, 2021 by insidecroydon

A deal to off-load the loss-making housing firm at a massive loss to tax-payers has been dropped. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council has been forced to abandon plans to flog-off loss-making builders Brick by Brick. The council’s interim head of … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Hamida Ali, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Homes England called in to check Brick by Brick sale value

Posted on June 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: There’s mounting concern over possible poor value for tax-payers in the ‘sweetheart’ deal arranged with Manchester developers. By STEVEN DOWNES Growing suspicions surrounding the too-good-to-be-true deal over the sale of loss-making house-builders Brick by Brick has seen … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Government inspector’s concerns over BxB sweetheart deal

Posted on June 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Jenrick’s improvement board raises serious questions over whether the quick sale of the council’s failed development company could end up costing tax-payers many millions of pounds, while its latest report criticises borough officials’ ‘lack of self-awareness’. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Brick by Brick and the 18 documents officers want kept secret

Posted on May 24, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Not for the first time, elected councillors have been denied vital information about Town Hall deals. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Conservatives have “called in” for extra scrutiny three multi-million-pound deals intended to off-load the council’s loss-making … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Katherine Kerswell, Mott MacDonald, Robert Ward, Urban Splash | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Bricking it: Buss pushes for £30m deal to buy 104 flats

Posted on May 14, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Making Brick by Brick an attractive proposition to a corporate buyer is a Mission Impossible which would defeat Tom Cruise. Croydon’s solution? A package of deals that could cost another £110m. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Chris Buss, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Urban Splash | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Brick by Brick to get second £10m loan to avoid going bust

Posted on May 13, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council Tax-payers haven’t finished coughing up for the borough’s failed housing developers. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The cashflow crisis continues at Brick by Brick, as its sales of new-built homes has failed to cover its operating costs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Paul Scott | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Council to pick up £69.2m costs of failed Fairfield Halls refurb

Posted on May 11, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall correspondent, KEN LEE, on the latest council bail-out for Brick by Brick over the bungled and unfinished refurbishment of the borough’s major arts centre Croydon’s cash-strapped council is to step in and pick up another … Continue reading →

Posted in Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, The Wreck, Urban Splash | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Tribunal ruling gives green light for council’s road fines policy

Posted on April 19, 2021 by insidecroydon

The decision of a traffic adjudicator last week, upholding fines against a motorist for driving into a Low Traffic Neighbourhood, could clear the way for cameras that might generate £3m per year for the cash-strapped council. STEVEN DOWNES reports A … Continue reading →

Posted in Broad Green, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, West Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ali and Kerswell are summoned to Parliamentary inquiry

Posted on March 19, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘There is much that the council needs to do to become a properly functioning local authority’ says panel’s report to government, as it recommends more cuts to Croydon’s Adult Social Care and Children’s Services. By STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Council Tax-payers pay for politicians’ game of cat-and-mouse

Posted on February 27, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The bankrupt borough is kept waiting for its bail-out, as cabinet reports reveal that council overspending has continued to soar. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Just when you thought things could not get any worse, Croydon Council’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Section 114 notice, TfL, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Leader says she has no idea who approved BxB loans

Posted on February 21, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The £224m in loans and unpaid interest owed to the council by Brick by Brick may have broken EU and British state aid and competition laws. But after nearly six months in her job, Hamida Ali claims … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Report in the Public Interest, Robert Ward, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Brick by Brick needs £10m loan to avoid going bankrupt

Posted on February 19, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Consultants’ salvage plan for failed house-builder is accepted, including the council paying a second time for 190 flats which will be used as social housing. But the full extent of potential losses is kept under wraps. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Homes, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Property | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Council set to take £100m hit as it winds down Brick by Brick

Posted on February 5, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The borough is looking for a buyer for its failed development company, as a secret report to next week’s scrutiny committee balances the costs of selling off sites currently under development against the price of persisting with … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, College Green, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Homes, Hamida Ali, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Property, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Hold very tight: will Buss give Brick by Brick a rough ride?

Posted on October 7, 2020 by insidecroydon

Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on how the local council troubleshooter who was brought in to deal with Kensington and Chelsea’s finances in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire has now been hired by Croydon In the final … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paul Scott, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments