Tag Archives: CIPFA

We are witnessing the long, slow death of local government

Posted on August 17, 2023 by insidecroydon

‘We are staring into an abyss here, and it’s time we faced up to it’. Those were the words of a Conservative councillor in Croydon – in 2013. Here, ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, says that faced with austerity on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Andrew Fisher, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, SEND | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Three former exec directors are back on councils’ gravy train

Posted on April 24, 2023 by insidecroydon

Having avoided any disciplinary difficulties over the bankrupting of the borough, some of those with key roles in Croydon’s financial collapse are doing rather well for themselves, reports KEN LEE Richard Simpson, once in charge of Croydon Council’s finances, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Councillors agree to chase Negrini for golden handshake cash

Posted on March 23, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The same committee which met in August 2020 to agree the £437,000 payment to the departing CEO today decided to ignore the advice of senior lawyers and spend more council cash in trying to recover the pay-off. … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Croydon Council, Enid Mollyneaux, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Patricia Hay-Justice, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Kerswell still holds out over Penn Report’s recommendations

Posted on February 24, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Those with the biggest responsibilities and with statutory duties let the organisation down’ according to the investigation into the council’s financial collapse. The two-year delay in publication appears to have let down the borough’s residents and council … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

#PennReport: No referrals sent to staff’s professional bodies

Posted on November 9, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Recommendations for action made by auditors, a Local Government Association report and two sets of legal experts have not been acted on by the current CEO. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Confidential legal advice provided to Croydon Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Stuart King, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Kerswell gets her fourth council finance chief in 12 months

Posted on January 23, 2022 by insidecroydon

Council correspondent KEN LEE reports on the latest bit of empire-building going on at Fisher’s Folly Croydon’s cash-strapped council, which over the past 18 months has been handing out P45s willy-nilly to hundreds of the low-paid front-line workers who grafted … Continue reading →

Posted in Annette McPartland, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Richard Ennis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Man behind failing SDEN’s plan is re-hired on £800 per day

Posted on November 22, 2021 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: LibDem-controlled council accused of ‘double dipping’ after it reveals it ‘won’ £310,000 grant to fund work on extending its misfiring heating network… even though that work has already been completed. CARL SHILTON, investigations editor, reports Last week, Sutton Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Jayne McCoy, Neil Garratt, Niall Bolger, Sutton Council, Tim Crowley, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Councillor demands ‘proper’ probe into failing heat network

Posted on September 16, 2021 by insidecroydon

A veteran councillor in Sutton is demanding a “proper investigation” into the dodgy-looking business affairs of the council-owned heating network, SDEN. In a matter of a few weeks, a council meeting was told how the business plan of Sutton Decentralised … Continue reading →

Posted in Helen Bailey, Nick Mattey, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Audit Report: Council ignored five warnings on reserves

Posted on October 28, 2020 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Complacency and ‘corporate blindness’ to the problems at the council contributed to the collapse of the borough’s finances. But Grant Thornton’s report also managed to have a dig at Jo Negrini. WALTER CRONXITE reports Grant Thornton’s Report … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, Robert Ward, Sean Fitzsimons, Selsdon and Addington Village, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Whitehall has waived finance rules to save councils from S114

Posted on July 20, 2020 by insidecroydon

Only now is it beginning to emerge how Croydon escaped the ignominy of becoming the first London borough this century to issue a Section 114 notice and admit that they were broke: there was a deal done quietly with Whitehall … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments