Tag Archives: Croydon BID

Perry is director of company handed £50,000 culture grant

EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES One of the biggest single grants handed out by Croydon Council for Borough of Culture projects has gone to a company where Mayor Jason Perry is a director. While several long-established, recognised community arts groups had … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A town centre amble that goes from the sublime to ridiculous

KEN TOWL took a stroll down Surrey Street and Church Street and encountered two different takes on what passes for ‘culture’ in Croydon The Croydon Clocktower has an exhibition of the works of Evacustes Phipson. “Evacustes who?” you may ask … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society, Ken Towl, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

GLA has few checks on how £1.3m Culture grant is being spent

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The cash-strapped council received £1.35m from City Hall towards the staging of the Borough of Culture, but it is subject to next-to-no external scrutiny over how that public money is being used. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Community associations, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council hits duff note as it helps pals set up digital studio

The council is claiming a role in spending £500,000 to establish a new “creative digital lab” off the Purley Way “to help support local businesses and enable residents to upskill” – despite there being existing facilities in the town centre … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley Way, Sussex Innovation Centre | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Having a giraffe! Business group spends thousands on statues

Town centre business group Croydon BID is spending thousands of pounds on a collection of oddly-decorated, mostly eight-foot-tall fibre glass statues of giraffes, which are due to be distributed among shops and on street corners later this summer, in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon BID | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Perry’s new PSPO zone is ‘just window-dressing’ say critics

Surrey Street traders to establish group to represent their interests after council ignored their pleas for help over thefts and violence on Croydon’s historic street market Mayor Jason Perry is axing more than 20 Neighbourhood Safety Officers, but he has … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Community associations, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

£81,000 part-time Mayor takes on yet another directorship

Almost three months since he was appointed to the board of the town centre’s Business Improvement District, creating ‘clear conflicts of interests’, Jason Perry’s declarations have yet to be updated by the council. By KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter … Continue reading →

Posted in Allders, Business, CPO, Croydon BID, Mayor Jason Perry, Property, Stiles Harold Williams, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Whitgift Centre is on a roll in the build-up to Christmas

Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres have announced that they will be opening a free roller rink in Whitgift Square on Saturday November 25, to be a feature of festive activities in the town centre right through until Christmas Eve. It … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Activities, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You’re having a giraffe! BID’s art-washing effort for Culture year

Croydon BID, the business improvement district which represents some of the biggest employers in the town centre, is planning to unleash more than 30 eight-foot-tall statues of giraffes around their area next autumn. It was Croydon BID that was behind … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon BID | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

BID rangers called ‘bullies in high-viz’ after High Street incident

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Serious questions have been raised about the behaviour of the Mayor-backed security staff drafted into the town centre supposedly to deter anti-social behaviour. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES An investigation is being conducted into the behaviour of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Centrale, Crime, Croydon BID, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Revealed – the real reason for PSPO: Perry’s Power Rangers

Not content with having an extra 24 Met officers patrolling Croydon town centre, the borough’s new Mayor is clearing the way for a private police force, armed with the threat of £80 fines. By STEVEN DOWNES Anyone seeking the hidden … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

BID splashes out on town centre street art for a wacky week

A multi-coloured octopus on an office roof in South Croydon. Fairfield Halls being daubed by a giant paintbrush. A beanstalk growing up alongside the Town Hall… These are just some of the inflatable 3D street art that has appeared overnight … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Boxpark, Business, Croydon BID | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Perry’s PSPO will just move ‘problems’ out of town centre

Dressed up as a ‘war on anti-social behaviour’ and used as an excuse for clearing the streets of drinkers, the latest proposals will allow the cash-strapped council to issue money-making fines for often trivial offences. By our Town Hall reporter, … Continue reading →

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Crime, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Dave Stringer, East Croydon, Fairfield, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Pubs, Surrey Street, Waddon, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Tories’ record on policing numbers does not add up

Crime is an important issue in Croydon’s council and Mayoral elections. Or at least it should be. ANDREW FISHER polices the claims of the competing camps, and adds some essential context Policing matters. The amount of violent crime is higher … Continue reading →

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Broad Green, Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon BID, Dave Stringer, Fairfield, Jason Perry, Knife crime, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, New Addington North, New Addington South, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Business leader issues plea to government for financial help

The government needs to provide greater support for those firms worst-hit by the extension of the covid-19 lockdown or risk losing Croydon’s “beating heart”, according to the head of the largest business group in the borough. Matthew Sims is the … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Croydon BID, Health, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Business body asks town centre traders: do we have a future?

Croydon BID, the town centre’s Business Improvement District, is conducting a survey of companies and traders in the area in preparation for next year, when it is required to submit a renewal plan for its next five years. “Help us … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon BID | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon BID’s new chair says town centre to reopen on June 1

Croydon BID, the town centre business “improvement” organisation, has appointed a former personnel manager for Gatwick Airport as its latest chair. In his first statement as chair of Croydon BID, Darren Hockaday announced that his organisation and Croydon Council want … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon BID, Darren Hockaday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Two-thirds of businesses yet to receive emergency grants

£40million in grants from a government-funded scheme to help businesses through the covid-19 emergency remain to be distributed by Croydon Council, as our business correspondent, MT WALLETTE, reports Croydon Council has managed to distribute just one-third of the £60million it … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Manju Shahul Hameed, Purley BID | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Free money! But Croydon Council can’t even give it away

Our business correspondent, MT WALLETTE, reports on how Croydon Council can’t even manage to hand-out millions of pounds of free money from the government A Croydon Council Labour cabinet member last night pretty much admitted that her strategy for helping … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Manju Shahul Hameed, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Three months late, BID hires headhunters to recruit chair

Croydon BID, the organisation made up of some of the town centre’s biggest businesses, has gone into the covid-19 crisis while looking for someone to chair the organisation. As predicted by Inside Croydon, the departure from the Fairfield Halls of … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Croydon BID, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council promises to pay business virus grants in seven days

Stung into action following Inside Croydon’s report on its detail-lite, vacuous announcement intended to “help” the borough’s businesses, the council last night issued a new press statement about the business aid available in the coronavirus emergency. And this time they … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon BID, Croydon FSB, Manju Shahul Hameed, Pubs, Purley BID, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fairfield Halls director quits less than six months after opening

EXCLUSIVE: A £42.6m white elephant without its mahout? Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, reports on the most dramatic of exits from the Fairfield Halls Neil Chandler has left the building. The Fairfield Halls’ venue and artistic director has left his … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon BID, Fairfield Halls, London Mozart Players, Neil Chandler, Talawa Theatre Company, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Council assisted £80,000 sponsorship for bankrupted art dealer

Having traded for years on his association with street artist Banksy, a gallery owner landed tens of thousands of pounds in public money for an arts festival promoting his business – even as he was being declared bankrupt by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Paula Murray, Rise Gallery, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Croydon BID pays for extra cleaning in ‘neglected’ town centre

Some parts of Croydon are being given a deep-clean – at least, those parts of the borough where traders pay extra for special treatment, as an influential business group has described parts of the town centre as having been “seriously … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Veolia | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Big Sleep Out, Croydon town centre, Mar 24

Posted in Boxpark, Charity, Croydon BID, Evolve, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment