Tag Archives: Environment Agency

Podcast: From toxic air to the soured atmosphere at Selhurst

Our first Croydon Insider podcast of 2026 is here – with a panel of readers and contributors delving behind the headlines on the stories that matter to you. Discussing how the highs of Wembley in May last year could have … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Sinclair, Croydon Insider, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace FC, Health, Inside Croydon, London Fire Brigade, Nadia Azizuddin, Oliver Glasner, Steve Parish, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Campaign petition is challenge to south London councillors

Environmental campaigners in Sutton have launched a petition in an 11th-hour effort to persuade the Environment Agency to refuse Viridor’s request to be allowed to burn hundreds of thousands of tonnes more waste at their incinerator at Beddington Lane. Inside … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Business, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

EA set to allow Viridor to burn more toxic waste at Beddington

Sutton Council is accused of ‘hoisting the white flag’ after latest acidic air emissions, as a multi-billion American-owned business seems set to be allowed to pump even more pollution into the south London atmosphere. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES  Local councillors … Continue reading

Posted in Barry Lewis, Bobby Dean, Broad Green, Business, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Steve Reed MP, Sutton Council, Tim Foster, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Now Thames Water blamed for blocking River Wandle for fish

Thames Water have been accused of another botched job, this time on the River Wandle near Beddington, where their works have made it impossibly difficult for fish to swim upstream. A local environment campaigner has an email from the Environment … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Sutton Council, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Polluting Thames Water is rated officially as England’s worst

England’s water companies got their worst combined ratings for environmental performance in 2024, with Thames Water – the private monopoly utility company that serves most of Croydon – being given the lowest rating of one star for “poor” performance. Thames … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Thames Water | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Polluting Viridor exposed over nearly 1,000 licence breaches

There must be an election coming, as the LibDems in Sutton finally wake up to the ‘environmental disaster’ that they have inflicted on Beddington, and Croydon, as our investigations editor, CARL SHILTON, reports Twelve years too late, Sutton’s FibDems have … Continue reading

Posted in Barry Lewis, Business, Christopher Woolmer, Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, Merton, Nick Mattey, Spencer Palmer, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Now Streatham MP Reed faces court action over water torture

Rivers charity begins a Judicial Review, accusing the environment secretary of having ‘no policy at all’ for solving the crisis around Thames Water  Environment secretary Steve Reed, the MP for Streatham (and Croydon North, if he can ever be bothered) … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Environment, Leonie Cooper, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Thames Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Assembly Member calls on Reed to nationalise Thames Water

With backing of London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, Labour’s Leonie Cooper calls for water utilities ‘that put the needs of the public and the environment ahead of private profit’ Senior figures in the Labour Party in London have joined calls … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Environment, Leonie Cooper, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Thames Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Reed slammed for ‘laughable’ claims on private water industry

Environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey on live TV this morning called for the immediate resignation of the environment secretary, as the government’s Cunliffe Review is derided as a ‘joke’ Today’s announcement from environment secretary Steve Reed promising the “biggest overhaul of … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Environment, South West Water, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Thames Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

‘Quality rivers for all’ – London Rivers Week seeks solutions

London Rivers Week returns from Friday May 30 to Sunday June 8, with a theme for 2025 being “quality rivers for all” – emphasising access to nature and good quality blue and green spaces. “From river restoration to litter-pick sessions, … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Charity, Croydon parks, Environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reports of another fuel spill into River Wandle chalk stream

Further concerns are being raised about an ‘environmental disaster’, with criticisms of the government agency’s failed clean-up of spill from February being compounded by more pollution on the river this week For the second time in just a few weeks, … Continue reading

Posted in Bobby Dean, Carshalton and Wallington, Environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Groups join MP’s call for big fines for River Wandle polluters

An MP has been joined by an organisation representing 150 voluntary groups and a rivers charity in calling for punitive “polluter pays” fines for whoever was responsible for this week’s massively damaging diesel spillage into the River Wandle. Bobby Dean, … Continue reading

Posted in Bobby Dean, Carshalton and Wallington, Environment, Thames Water, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

‘Environmental disaster’ on Wandle after diesel spills into river

A Sutton MP has called the latest pollution spill into the River Wandle an “environmental disaster”, after an estimated 4,000 litres of diesel was released into the rare chalk stream yesterday. Officials from Merton Council, crews from the London Fire … Continue reading

Posted in Bobby Dean, Carshalton and Wallington, Environment, Siobhain McDonagh MP, Steve Reed MP, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Minister Reed attended unminuted meetings with water bosses

Our environment correspondent, PAUL LUSHION, reports on how the tide of support for one local MP in government is going out very quickly Steve Reed, the Croydon MP promoted to environment secretary in Keir Starmer’s government, is rapidly finding himself … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Now ‘Basher’ Lewis knocks out debate on polluting incinerator

The Viridor waste incinerator at Beddington Lane has broken the terms of its operating licence 60 times. But Sutton’s LibDems refuse to discuss the matter, as BERTIE WOOSTER-PARK reports Barry “Basher” Lewis, the leader of Liberal Democrat-run Sutton, this week … Continue reading

Posted in Barry Lewis, Bobby Dean, Carshalton and Wallington, Environment, Helen Bailey, Luke Taylor MP, Nick Mattey, Sheldon Vestey, Sutton and Cheam, Sutton Council, Tom Drummond, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Health agencies ignored public’s concerns on incinerator

As BBC television news finally catches up with the notion that what’s coming out of the chimneys of incinerators like the one at Beddington Lane might not be entirely wholesome or healthy, we take another look at the infant death … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Floods on the Wandle as Environment Agency issues warning

The impact of Sunday night’s heavy rain, when a month’s average rainfall was deposited over parts of London and the south-east in little more than a couple of hours, is still being felt across the area, with a forecast of … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, London-wide issues, Merton, Purley, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Rivers Week organisers call for urgent action on London floods

London urgently needs to become a “sponge city” – better designed to absorb and hold rainwater – in order to deal with the potentially catastrophic impact of the climate emergency. That’s according to the organisers of London Rivers Week, which … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Charity, Community associations, Environment, Wandle Park, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bourne again: how Carshalton Park is providing an overflow

Where does all that rainwater go from one of the wettest years on record? Well, in the catchment area of the River Wandle, as ANDREW FORD, left, has discovered, it has been taking up quite a bit of Carshalton Park … Continue reading

Posted in Coulsdon, Environment, History, Kenley, Purley, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Woldingham and Purley are placed on official flood alerts

After one of the wettest Februarys on record, the Government has tonight issued a flood warning for low-lying areas across the whole of south-east London, from the M25 at Caterham, through Kenley, Purley, South Croydon, Carshalton Beeches, all the way … Continue reading

Posted in Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Environment, Kenley, Purley, South Croydon, Surrey, Tandridge District Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Licensed to print money: incinerator’s five latest breaches

Viridor’s polluting incinerator at Beddington Lane broke the strict terms of its operating licence five times during December, according to data released by the operator. Viridor failed to issue its usual two-weekly update during December – at a time when … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, Merton, Paul Scully MP, Refuse collection, Scott Roche, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Incinerator protestors accuse Viridor of lies over toxic pollution

With just days to go before the Environment Agency closes its latest consultation over whether to allow Viridor to increase their profits by upping the amount of toxic pollution that they pump into the atmosphere of south London, a large … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Peter Underwood, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Infant death rates were up by 233% after incinerator fired up

Official figures from the ONS for the year after Viridor began its operations at Beddington showed a sharp increase in infant deaths in Selhurst, Broad Green and Waddon wards. STEVEN DOWNES reports Infant mortality rates in one part of Croydon, … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Planning, Refuse collection, Sadiq Khan, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A decade too late, even Sutton’s LibDems now turn on Viridor

No one wants the polluting Beddington incinerator to be allowed to increase its capacity for burning rubbish. So why is the Environment Agency ‘minded’ to approve the application? STEVEN DOWNES reports Tomorrow is the final day for submissions in a … Continue reading

Posted in Barry Lewis, Business, Croydon Council, Elliot Colburn, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Planning, Refuse collection, Ruth Dombey, Sadiq Khan, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Incinerator operators Viridor cash-in on pollution tax loophole

Allowing climate-damaging emissions from incinerators to go untaxed is ‘shameful’ according to environmental campaigner Companies running waste incinerators, including Viridor, the operators of the polluting Beddington Lane incinerator, dodged more than £500million of pollution charges for burning plastic last year … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Merton, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments