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Tag Archives: Fairfield Halls
Conflicts of interest, incomplete contracts, unlawful payments – how the Fairfield Halls refurbishment cost Croydon £50m-plus
EXCLUSIVE: Council was warned in 2017 of problems with the management of works at the borough’s flagship arts centre. By STEVEN DOWNES A report by the council’s internal auditors has raised very serious concerns over the mismanagement of the multi-million-pound … Continue reading
Council paid £1m compensation for unfinished Fairfield Halls
EXCLUSIVE: A year-long investigation has uncovered multi-million-pound payments by the council on its arts centre, largely because of the bungled refurbishment managed by Brick by Brick. And it is now suggested some payments may have been unlawful. By STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading
£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
Directors Murray and Cheesbrough start exodus from council
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The director of planning and the borough’s culture chief are to leave Fisher’s Folly – the first top-level departures since the council issued its Section 114 notice. By STEVEN DOWNES Heather Cheesbrough, Croydon’s director of planning, and … Continue reading
Posted in Art, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paula Murray, Planning, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Paula Murray, Planning
16 Comments
Arts Council refuses to investigate job losses at Fairfield Halls
Arts correspondent BELLA BARTOCK on the mounting scandal at the council-owned arts venue, where fears grow that it might never reopen The Arts Council has told Inside Croydon that they are powerless to intervene after BHLive, the social enterprise appointed … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Theatre
Tagged Arts Council, BHLive, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour
7 Comments
BHLive laid off Halls staff just days after receiving £2.5m grant
EXCLUSIVE: Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on the mounting scandal surrounding the operating company in charge of the Fairfield Halls Within days of being awarded a £2.5million government grant intended to help the arts venues that they operate through the … Continue reading
Posted in Art, BH Live, Fairfield Halls
Tagged BHLive, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls
4 Comments
Coroner postpones tram crash inquest until Spring next year
The South London Coroner has postponed the inquest into the Croydon tram crash again, this time until next year. Expected to last for 12 weeks, the inquest was due to have begun at Croydon Town Hall last month. It was … Continue reading
Fairfield Halls operators get £2.5m Arts Council covid grant
BELLA BARTOCK, our socially distanced arts correspondent, on a mystery surrounding a massive government recovery grant BHLive, the operator who runs the Fairfield Halls on behalf of Croydon Council, has received a £2.5million grant under the government’s Culture Recovery Fund … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Theatre
Tagged BHLive, Chris Symons, Fairfield Halls
1 Comment
5 Croydon arts groups win covid grants, but not Fairfield Halls
The government and Arts Council England yesterday handed out £257million to 1,385 arts and cultural venues and companies around the country. Five of the recipients are based in Croydon. But not a penny of the Cultural Recovery Fund has been … Continue reading
Culture is worth £5.5bn to London economy, says Arts Council
The impact on the local economy of the continuing closure of the Fairfield Halls is hinted at in a report published today by Arts Council England which reckons that arts and culture contributed £5.5billion to London in 2018, supporting 67,075 … Continue reading
Newman bypassed cabinet and colleagues on CEO decisions
Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the latest decision by decree from the council leader, and with a profile of the interim CEO who had a chequered career before joining Croydon Before she was announced yesterday as the interim replacement … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, CPO, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
12 Comments
Savvy seeks new performers as the show must go on
In the true spirit of “The Show Must Go On”, the Savvy Theatre Company, newly installed at the Fairfield Halls, has been continuing to work with youngsters on new productions, despite the difficulties presented by the pandemic, the lockdown and, … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Art, Fairfield Halls, Savvy Theatre, Theatre
Tagged Fairfield Halls, Savvy Theatre Company
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BHLive starts redundancy process for staff at Fairfield Halls
There have been unconfirmed reports that BHLive, the Bournemouth-based operators in charge of running the council-owned Fairfield Halls, have this week begun making their full-time employees in Croydon redundant. According to BHLive insiders, the move could see the Fairfield Halls … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Oliver Lewis
Tagged BHLive, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Oliver Lewis
5 Comments
Virus sees council turn Fairfield into a £43m rehearsal space
Our arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, reports on how the council has belatedly come up with a handful of measures to see the Fairfield Halls at least partially come out of its covid-induced ‘hibernation’ A month after the venue management laid … Continue reading
Fears grow at Fairfield Halls over operator’s unsigned lease
The Fairfield Halls may be in “hibernation” until next year because of coronavirus, but Croydon Council is now facing another crisis over its ill-fated £43million refurbishment project, with growing fears that the company appointed to manage the arts complex could … Continue reading
Croydon in crisis: Contractors in £9m row over Fairfield Halls
EXCLUSIVE: The council’s blundering house-builders Brick by Brick face the threat of a multi-million-pound legal action in a payments dispute over the refurbishment of the town centre’s arts venue. By STEVEN DOWNES The building contractors who carried out the refurbishment … Continue reading
80 casual staff laid off as Fairfield Halls goes ‘into hibernation’
EXCLUSIVE: Our unfurloughed arts correspondent, BELLA BARTOCK, on dark times for Croydon’s major arts venue Fairfield Halls’ casual staff, who have been furloughed since the arts venue closed its doors for the coronavirus lockdown in March, have been told that … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler, Theatre, Timothy Godfrey
Tagged Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls
4 Comments
Facing uncertain future, Fairfield Halls returns all its pianos
The Fairfield Halls had the removal men in yesterday – taking away the arts venue’s pianos. Inside Croydon understands that the pianos – nine in total, including two grand pianos – have been returned to their makers after the venue … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Ashcroft Theatre, BH Live, Borough of Culture 2023, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Music, Neil Chandler, Oliver Lewis, Theatre
Tagged BHLive, Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Labour, Neil Chandler, Phoenix Pianos
7 Comments
FAT chance of there being any inspired designs for Fair Field
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The council might be broke, but that hasn’t stopped them spaffing another million pounds, maybe more, on a set of architects’ designs which are certain to turn the borough into a laughing stock once more, says SEBASTIAN TILLINGER … Continue reading
Posted in Art, College Green, College Tower, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Fairfield Halls, Fairfield Homes, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Place Review Panel, Planning
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, East Croydon station, Fair Field, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon
5 Comments
Army goes on attack at the Fairfield Halls against coronavirus
Croydon is to get a covid-19 testing centre – for three days, anyway. The government announced this morning that a temporary, drive-in testing centre, staffed by the Army, is being set up in the car park behind the Fairfield Halls. … Continue reading
Where’s the step-free access to East Croydon? Or aesthetics?
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The buildings granted planning permission on Thursday night, between the Fairfield Halls and the railway line, are architecturally disappointing and the scheme fails to deliver on one of the requirements in the local plan, says SEBASTIAN TILLINGER Having … Continue reading
Putting Mr Blobby in charge is Newman’s latest blunder
TOWN HALL SKETCH: If a council’s planning deliberations have to be seen and heard to meet the requirements for democracy laid down by law, then Croydon could be in a spot of trouble, writes WALTER CRONXITE Well, that was a … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, College Green, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Fairfield, Fairfield Homes, Housing, Mayor of London, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Toni Letts
Tagged Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Fairfield Homes, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Toni Letts, Tory
5 Comments
Might Brick by Brick ‘cash in their chips’ over Fairfield site?
BARRATT HOLMES, our housing correspondent, reports on how the council’s casino economics may have forced Brick by Brick to consider some sharp practice Sources within the property business in south London suggest that the Fairfield Homes proposals being rushed through … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Homes, Jo Negrini, Paul Scott, Planning, Property
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Labour, Paul Scott
7 Comments
Newman switches planning chair before remote meeting
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the latest behind-the-scenes shenanigans going on at the Town Hall The fix is in. Two days before the Croydon planning committee is due to meet for the foregone conclusion of approving a Brick by Brick … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fairfield Homes, Housing, Niro Sirisena, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Toni Letts, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Caragh Skipper, Chris Clark, Croydon, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Fairfield Homes, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Niro Sirisena, Paul Scott, Toni Letts, Tony Newman
2 Comments
Only 16% of council’s Fairfield flats project will be affordable
Our housing correspondent BARRATT HOLMES on the latest signs of desperation to fix Brick by Brick’s failing finances The planning application being considered by the charade that will pass for a planning committee meeting next Thursday is for a scheme … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, College Green, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Fairfield Homes, Housing, Jo Negrini, Planning, Property
Tagged Brick by Brick, BxB, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, East Croydon station, Fair Field, Fairfield Halls, Fairfield Homes, Jo Negrini, Labour
3 Comments
