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Tag Archives: Colm Lacey
Croydon v Croydon: Brick by Brick building declared a ‘danger’
The council’s failed development company has been criticised for its late-running, incomplete and vastly over-budget projects. Now one of its most prestigious schemes has been officially ruled to be a danger to the public. EXCLUSIVE by BARRATT HOLMES One of … Continue reading
Bafta-winner Scanlan joins calls for new bosses at arts centre
‘Things are far from perfick at the Fairfield ‘Alls’ says the award-winning actress who plays Ma Larkin, as the campaign to sack BHLive gathers momentum. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Joanna Scanlan, the BAFTA award-winning actress, has called on Croydon Council … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Fairfield Halls, Music, The Wreck, Theatre
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Ashcroft Theatre, BAFTA, Borough of Culture, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Democratically Elected Mayor of Croydon, Fairfield Halls, Joanna Scanlan, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Oliver Lewis, The Larkins
3 Comments
Brick by Brick boss got paid while setting up own business
CROYDON IN CRISIS: An investigation by this website has discovered that Colm Lacey set up his own personal consultancy company while he was still a paid employee of the council-owned housing developer. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Colm Lacey registered his … Continue reading
CEO of loss-making Brick by Brick gets cosy job with architects
Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, on the latest turn of the revolving door between the council and commercial firms it hires Colm Lacey, the man who single-handedly probably did more to bankrupt Croydon Council than anyone, has landed himself a … Continue reading
Brick by Brick calls in ex-Royal Navy officer to sort out the flak
Brick by Brick has announced the appointment of two directors to manage the wind-down of the loss-making council-owned house-builders. With the publication expected tomorrow of the long-anticipated Report In The Public Interest into the multi-million-pound disaster that was Brick by … Continue reading
Monument planned for man behind monumental disaster
Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, has found proposals for a piece of public art which proves that some involved in the Brick by Brick scandal and Fairfield Halls fiasco really have no shame A firm of developers wants to place … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Jo Negrini, Martyn Evans
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Greenwich, Jo Negrini, Landsec, London, Martyn Evans, Morden Wharf, Richard Upton, U+I
9 Comments
£110,000 director job advertised to flog off Brick by Brick
CROYDON IN CRISIS: While the council CEO lays off dozens more frontline workers just in time for Christmas, she’s still recruiting for six-figure salaried commercial director. By STEVEN DOWNES Undaunted by the realisation that dabbling in the casino economics of … Continue reading
The Sound of Silence is not the song we need from Town Hall
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Since audit regulations were amended in 2015, only five other local councils have been the subject of Reports in the Public Interest, with findings from their auditors of mismanagement or wrong-doing*. Croydon joined that list last year and … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Ian Kierans, Jo Negrini, Labour, Nolan Principles, Report in the Public Interest, Tony Newman
1 Comment
Council to be rocked by second Report In The Public Interest
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The £70m ‘Fairfield fiasco’ has provoked serious concerns with auditors over the potential misuse of public money, with bungling developers Brick by Brick under scrutiny. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES External auditors are to issue a Report In … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paula Murray, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Ennis, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Sean Fitzsimons, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Grant Thornton, Jo Negrini, London, Oliver Lewis, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Ennis, RIPI, Tony Newman
5 Comments
Brick by Brick ‘sweetheart’ sale could have cost another £45m
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The latest report from government-appointed inspectors assigned to check on the council finances reveals that a sweetheart deal to sell failed house-builders Brick by Brick to a Manchester developer could have cost the bankrupt borough another £45m. … Continue reading
CEO Lacey quits Brick by Brick; deputy to leave company, too
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The incompetent chief executive and self-proclaimed ‘founder’ of the council-owned building company which bankrupted the borough has announced his departure – but councillors have been kept in the dark. By STEVEN DOWNES Colm Lacey is to leave … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Planning
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon
9 Comments
Government-appointed advisers pulled plug on BxB sale
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Improvement Panel’ ordered council to abandon its poor-value deal to sell Brick by Brick, and instead to pay Wates Construction £1.12m to oversee the loss-making builders’ work on 23 sites. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Tony McArdle
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Phil Brookes, Tony McArdle
11 Comments
Mystery of £200k council exec points towards BxB’s Lacey
CROYDON IN CRISIS: While the average salary of council employees is a modest £23,000, those at the top of the organisation, even when it was heading for financial collapse, still made sure they awarded themselves cushty pay hikes. By STEVEN … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Nathan Elvery
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Nathan Elvery
7 Comments
Council puts hotel and College Green up for sale for just £40m
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Two prime sites, owned by the council, are the latest public assets to be off-loaded on the cheap. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The cash-strapped council’s fire-sale of public assets continues, with the Croydon Park Hotel and College … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, East Croydon, Housing, Jo Negrini, Property, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, College Green, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, East Croydon station, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, Tony Newman
9 Comments
Making a Splash: big bailouts behind Brick by Brick’s buyers
STEVEN DOWNES reports on the colourful character behind the business which is set to buy up Croydon’s loss-making house-building company The company tipped to take failed housing company Brick by Brick off Croydon Council’s hands has broken loan covenants and … Continue reading
Going to the lowest, only bidder: council finds buyer for BxB
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council could have to pay at least another £40million in order to sell off Brick by Brick, the Labour-controlled local authority’s failed housing developer which bankrupted the Town Hall. And the multi-million-pound spending on the … Continue reading
BxB’s collapse was predictable. Why did no one else notice?
CROYDON IN CRISIS: It did not take a couple of £800-a-day consultants to spot that Brick by Brick was dragging the council into financial ruin. Reader NICHOLAS PANES’s first piece for this website, the presciently headlined “Building towards the council’s … Continue reading
Brick by Brick’s delayed accounts show another £0.8m loss
Report states ‘material uncertainty in respect of going concern’ Fairfield Halls project costs soar to £76.4m New directors find many BxB properties over-valued Auditors ‘unable to determine whether adequate accounting records have been kept’ With just a few hours to … Continue reading
Brick by Brick needs £10m loan to avoid going bankrupt
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
Council set to take £100m hit as it winds down Brick by Brick
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 Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon
10 Comments
£30m Fairfield Halls project never went to competitive tender
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Brick by Brick’s management of the refurbishment of the Halls has been subject to disputes with at least two leading contractors £3m grant to build an art gallery was diverted to pay for other work – … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mott MacDonald, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Vinci Construction UK Ltd
22 Comments
£29m deal on flats buys Brick by Brick some breathing space
Yet more public money is being used to bail-out the council’s failed house-building company, as it flogs off 85 flats intended for shared ownership. Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, reports In the latest admission of the abject failure of Brick … Continue reading
Now Scott tries to play the blame game over Brick by Brick
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on how the chief architect of the council’s disastrous housing policy is trying to salvage his reputation Paul Scott, part of the clique which led Croydon Council to bankruptcy, broke cover at a virtual Town … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Housing, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Martyn Evans, Paul Scott, Planning, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Labour, Lisa Taylor, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, S114, Section 114, Tony Newman
9 Comments
Lacey still spinning as he hangs on to his job at Brick by Brick
It is not only the former council chief exec who has shown unconcealed contempt for the borough’s residents. Now, as our housing correspondent BARRATT HOLMES reports, the discredited head of the council-owned builders is pushing his luck, too Colm Lacey … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Jane Avis, Leila Ben-Hassel, Section 114 notice, Stuart King
Tagged Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, Leila Ben-Hassel, London Borough of Croydon, S114, Section 114, STUART KING, Tory
17 Comments
Brick by Brick part of a perfect storm that bankrupted Croydon
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The Price Waterhouse Coopers report confirms that the council-owned house-builders have been badly mismanaged, putting at risk millions of pounds of public funds. As one reader asks – why wasn’t something done much sooner? This is a thoroughly … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Section 114 notice
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, S114, Section 114
5 Comments
