Tag Archives: Croydon

Brick by Brick CEO says company has sold 6 houses. Or is it 5?

Our overdevelopment correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, reports on the latest admission of incompetence from Croydon Council’s loss-making house-builders Five. Or it might be six. Colm Lacey, the former council employee who has been promoted way beyond his skills and abilities to … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Housing, Jo Negrini, Leila Ben-Hassel, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Powers to be delegated as council cancels planning meetings

Croydon Council has finally caught up with the advice from the government and public health organisations over the coronavirus pandemic and cancelled all Town Hall public meetings “until further notice”. Even at the start of this week, Jo “We’re Not … Continue reading

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

The latest Croydon carbuncle: Riddlesdown’s own glasshouse

Another day, another Croydon carbuncle. This time it is a block of 18 flats in a gargantuan five-storey block plonked between the suburban detached houses of Mitchley Avenue, Riddlesdown, as proposed by Vita Homes.

Posted in Housing, Planning, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Delays, postponements and cancellations become a new art

Croydon’s turn to be London’s Borough of Culture in 2023 remains unchanged. For now. But if they can postpone the Olympic Games, as the Prime Minister of Japan requested today, then anything can fall victim to the effects of the … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council finally decides to cancel cabinet and Town Hall meeting

Croydon Council has cancelled tonight’s planned cabinet meeting at the Town Hall and has scrapped the full meeting of the borough’s 70 councillors that was due to be held in the chamber next Monday, as council execs slowly get round … Continue reading

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Cycling, Jo Negrini, Planning, Transport | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Business as usual’ at Town Hall as four councillors self-isolate

KEN LEE reports – from a safe distance – on the mixed messages put out by Newman and Negrini over the covid-19 pandemic At least four of Croydon’s elected councillors have quarantined themselves after displaying symptoms or being in contact … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Health, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Planning, Toni Letts, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Institute member Townsend promoted as new chief planner

Nicola Townsend is the council’s new chief planner. Except she’s not. She’s been appointed as something which is described in council papers as Croydon’s “director of homes and social investment”. The council opted for an internal promotion to replace the … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Nicola Townsend, Pete Smith, Planning, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council goes into covid-19 lockdown as it closes its offices

Council buildings across the borough were shut at close to no-notice yesterday, as Croydon went on a coronavirus lockdown. The council propaganda department made the announcement hours after Inside Croydon had revealed plans to close the borough’s 12 public libraries. … Continue reading

Posted in CALAT, Croydon Council, Health, Libraries | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

TV expert slams ‘tricky art dealer’ and ‘gullible’ council leader

Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on some withering criticism of the borough’s street art from a leading social commentator Jonathan Meades, the widely respected commentator, has called Croydon Council leader Tony Newman “laughably gullible” and described the street art which … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Business, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Rise Gallery, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council in appeal to private landlords to offer rent holidays

Days after other councils in London stepped in to demand that private landlords offer rent breaks and financial help to their tenants affected by the covid-19 pandemic, Croydon has stepped in to do the same. Yesterday, the council issued a … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Business, Croydon Council, Health, Housing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon to close public libraries during coronavirus outbreak

EXCLUSIVE: KEN LEE, our Town Hall correspondent, reports on a move which some of the borough’s librarians called for a fortnight ago The 12 libraries run by Croydon Council will close their doors for a final time tonight, with no … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Libraries | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Labour MPs step in to help co-ordinate emergency volunteering

Croydon’s Labour MPs are working with council agency Croydon Voluntary Action to help recruit volunteers, collect donations for food banks and offer support to those that need it during the coronavirus emergency. With the sudden emergence of a wide range … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, CVA, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Estate agents’ report highlights the crisis in Croydon housing

BARRATT HOLMES, our overdevelopment correspondent, on  a report from housing experts which shows how the council has been ignoring its own planning policies, to the detriment of neighbourhoods around the borough As the borough’s residents’ associations go to battle with … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Paul Scott, Planning, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Way | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Labour MP questions conflicts over Brick by Brick planning

Our overdevelopment correspondent BARRATT HOLMES on how the council’s loss-making home-builders are receiving criticism from an unlikely source Steve Reed, the Labour MP for Croydon North, has joined the growing number of voices critical of the council-owned, loss-making developer Brick … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Paul Scott, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Negrini orders staff to work at council offices despite pandemic

Questions are being asked among council staff about the authority’s preparedness to operate in the Covid-19 emergency after their chief executive ordered them to work in the office, as KEN LEE reports Jo Negrini, Croydon Council’s £220,000 per year chief … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Neil Williams | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Neighbours rally round to help in coronavirus emergency

As supermarkets decide to ration some products in their stores after panic-buying over the weekend, and the first Croydon school announces a partial closure, meanwhile hundreds of good neighbours have been mobilising to help others through the pandemic crisis, as … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Business, Community associations, Coombe Wood School, Fairfield Halls, Health, Mayday Hospital, Schools, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Newman feels pressure as Fairfield selection referred for review

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on how an internal party scandal is about to cause more discomfort for the Croydon council leader As council leader Tony Newman comes under increasing pressure over a range of policy failures, while the Democratically Elected … Continue reading

Posted in Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, David White, Fairfield, Jose Joseph, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Newman appears increasingly desperate as referendum nears

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the far-reaching consequences for Croydon’s Town Hall leadership of yesterday’s deferral of May’s local elections According to some Town Hall sources, several of the borough’s elected councillors were in a state of shock this morning … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Patsy Cummings, Stuart King, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Chancellor is taking an axe to councils’ magic money tree

Croydon Council has more than £1bn of borrowings – half of which has gone on Brick by Brick and the purchase of some commercial properties. Proposals contained in the Budget this week could put an end to that, as KEN … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Bernard Weatherill House, Brick by Brick, Business, Centrale, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Croydon parks, Jo Negrini, New Addington, Planning, Property, Queens Gardens, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘A time to prepare, not panic’ MP Jones says over coronavirus

Croydon, London and much of the country was going into a self-imposed lockdown today, as sports events, concerts and other public gatherings, large and small, were being postponed or called off to try to avoid the spread of coronavirus. In … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Central, Croydon Minster, Croydon NHS Trust, Crystal Palace FC, Health, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayday Hospital, Mayor of London, Sarah Jones MP, Sport, St Helier Hospital | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Croydon’s planners have been giving a lift to developers

Planning policy requires that, apart from in ‘exceptional circumstances’, all new housing should have ‘step-free’ access. STEVE WHITESIDE has been looking at whether the council is always meeting those requirements when it grants planning permission to blocks of flats Croydon’s … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, Paul Scott, Pete Smith, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Brick by Brick plan sees high-rise objections in Upper Norwood

Public opposition to Brick by Brick schemes is mounting in Upper Norwood, where the council’s loss-making house-builder is looking at a gaggle of small sites in the ward, mostly involving garages at the end of the gardens of existing homes … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Starmer, Long-Bailey or Nandy: could they win an election?

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The ballot emails have gone out (or at least most of them seem to have done), and now Labour Party members have a choice to make. For RORY KELLY, a ‘millennial leftie’, the only trouble is that it … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Minster’s priest who served colleges, court and archbishops

The Archbishop’s Palace in Croydon helped to place the town at the centre of church and state affairs throughout some turbulent periods of history, as DAVID MORGAN discovers through the life and work of one medieval figure who was buried … Continue reading

Posted in Church and religions, Croydon Minster, David Morgan, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Frank Turner’s Fairfield convention has the crowd on their feet

Frank Turner’s cult following got a chance to see him play in Croydon for the first time on Friday as he delivered the Wreck’s first sold-out live gig, and GRAY DORIAN was there to witness it “SOLD OUT”. Outside the … Continue reading

Posted in Fairfield Halls, Music, Scream Lounge, The Wreck | Tagged , , | 1 Comment