Tag Archives: Fisher’s Folly

Fisher’s “black hole” of debt could see 500 job cuts at council

One hundred days in, and the honeymoon could be over for Croydon’s Labour council, as confronted with a £92.8 million “funding gap” over the next four years, they face having to cut up to 500 jobs at the local authority. … Continue reading

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Nathan Elvery, Sean Fitzsimons, Simon Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

And they’re off! Betting hots up on Croydon’s Tory leadership

Sources on Katharine Street have told Inside Croydon that bets are already being laid as to who will be the next leader of the Conservative group on Croydon Council. It seems odds-on that Mike Fisher will stand down as the … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Sara Bashford, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Get the keys to Fisher’s Folly and No 10 with Open House

Croydon, quite rightly, is taking its place alongside the majority of the capital’s boroughs, throwing open the doors of a number of public buildings for Open House London weekend on September 20-21, a free event which enables people to take … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Art, Bernard Weatherill House, Connected Croydon, Croydon Airport, Croydon Council, Education, Environment, Fairfield Halls, History, Libraries, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“I vas only obeying orders” is CEO Elvery’s latest excuse

In the best traditions of a Gestapo movie villain when finally caught out, Nathan Elvery, who was recently appointed as the borough’s chief executive – a £180,000 post which was never advertised – has claimed that, “I vas only obeying … Continue reading

Posted in 2015 General Election, Croydon Council, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

15 Croydon Council employees receive total salaries of £1.8m

Croydon Council spent £1,833,846 on the salaries and pension contributions of just 15 executive staff members in 2012-2013, according to figures published by the TaxPayers’ Alliance. Averaged out – and one or two individuals were trousering considerably more than the … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Hannah Miller, Jon Rouse, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Paul Spooner, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Council claims that conduct of elections is a ‘private matter’

Croydon Council has been breaking the law to keep some details of its senior appointments secret, and it is refusing to reveal details of the new chief executive’s work in his role as the returning officer for the recent local … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Capita, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Jon Rouse, Julie Belvir, Nathan Elvery, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fisher’s Folly shows problems addressing council services

Our loyal reader’s been in touch again. They’ve just received a letter from one of the council departments working in Fisher’s Folly, the country’s most costly borough offices, the £220 million glass palace on Cost A Mint Walk from which … Continue reading

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Parade-ground generals fail to lead on council’s Front Line

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The lack of true, front-line service experience among some of our council’s executive officials creates fundamental problems in the management culture at the Town Hall, writes ROD DAVIES  If we are to change the nature of the council, then … Continue reading

Posted in Capita, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Nathan Elvery, Refuse collection, Street lighting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council website down for 10 days since Capita handover

Croydon residents attempting to use their council’s online services this morning found that the local authority’s website was “unavailable” for a 10th successive day, a “down time” that is potentially costing the council millions of pounds and creating widespread inconvenience … Continue reading

Posted in Capita, Croydon Council, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Croydon’s political weather signals Town Hall climate change

VOTE 2014: Newly elected Waddon councillor ANDREW PELLING provides his analysis of how the council elections were won, and lost Political pundits sometimes belittle council elections as being just barometers for the national standings of political parties. They see Town … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2014 council elections, Addiscombe West, Andrew Pelling, Andrew Rendle, Ashburton, Bernard Weatherill House, Boris Johnson, Clare Hilley, Croydon Central, Gavin Barwell, Joy Prince, Maddie Henson, Mayor of London, Robert Canning, Sarah Jones MP, Stephen Mann, URV, Waddon, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Newman offers ambition for a fairer future for Croydon

VOTE 2014: The leader of Croydon’s Labour group, TONY NEWMAN, says that the time has come for a new council that no longer takes the borough’s people for granted Croydon goes to the polls tomorrow. As the leader of the … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Housing, Planning, Refuse collection, Taberner House, Tony Newman, URV, Waste incinerator, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tory council votes to increase payments to its leadership

Mike Fisher, the florid-faced leader of the Conservatives who have been running Croydon Council since 2006, is keen to see next Thursday’s election contested on his record in office. Unsurprisingly, the £1 billion debt that Croydon Council has built up … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Kenley, Margaret Mead, Mike Fisher, Steve O'Connell, Surrey, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council pays public money to private school for election count

Croydon’s Tory-run council is to pay thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money to a wealthy private school to use its halls for the election count later this month, instead of using its own buildings, like the £140 million “Fisher’s Folly” … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Nathan Elvery, Trinity School, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

What Barwell fails to tell you and the myths of Council Tax

This is the level of political “frankness” we can expect in the coming weeks. Tim Donovan, BBC London’s political editor, asked his studio guest on Sunday whether he was “worried” by UKIP in Croydon. “Yes and no,” came the reply … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Council Tax, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bashford blames council official for £20,000 taps fiasco

So, who is responsible for decisions taken by Croydon’s Conservative-run council? Not senior councillors, if a recent “Nuffink to do wiv me, guv” email from Sara “Book Token” Bashford, the £43,339 per year part-time Tory cabinet member, is anything to … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Gavin Barwell, Julie Belvir, Libraries, Sara Bashford, Selsdon & Ballards, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Budget-busting 25 quid bribe ignores Croydon’s £1bn debt

Have you received your Council Tax bill this week? Wonder how Croydon Council can afford to pay out £25 to residents? With the Town Hall having accumulated £1 billion debt in the last eight years, SIMON HALL, pictured, says that, … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Fieldway, Fly tipping, Housing, Mike Fisher, Refuse collection, Simon Hall, Steve O'Connell, Street lighting, URV, Youth Services | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Tax-payers get a soaking as council taps run up £20,000 bill

Taking photographs inside gentlemen’s lavatories can lead to some unwanted outcomes, so in the past week Inside Croydon has gone to great, and most discreet, lengths to bring to you the first picture from inside the toilets of the council’s … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Nathan Elvery, Planning, Sara Bashford, URV | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Croydon Council spends £272 on one tap in £140m new HQ

Croydon Council, which has managed to rack up debts of more than £1 billion, has paid £272.69 to fit a replacement tap in its new headquarters office building which opened just four months ago. And the cost of furnishing Fisher’s … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Mike Fisher, Sara Bashford, Selsdon & Ballards, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dale Road flood victims evacuated to stay at council HQ

Finally, Croydon Council has found a suitable purpose for Fisher’s Folly: it is being used as emergency accommodation for people displaced from their homes in Purley by the floods. And according to one local resident on Dale Road, this afternoon … Continue reading

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Kenley, Purley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Labour promises proper choices and people’s priorities

Inside the 100-day countdown to the Town Hall elections on May 22, TONY NEWMAN, pictured left, the leader of Croydon’s Labour group, outlines his party’s fresh approach All elections are important, of course. But the council elections on May 22 … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Business, Community associations, Croydon Central, Environment, Fly tipping, Refuse collection, Tony Newman, Waste incinerator, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council-funded ‘community group’ gets closer to the council

More questions have arisen about the independence from Croydon Council of the council-funded “Croydon Communities Consortium”, after Inside Croydon had sight of an email to the CCC’s chairwoman, Elizabeth Ash, from David Freeman. Freeman works in the office of Nathan … Continue reading

Posted in Anthony Brooks, Community associations, Crime, Croydon Council, CVA, Fly tipping, Libraries, Refuse collection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Road outside £140m council offices relaid twice in four months

DANIE LEIBOVITZ, our resident photo-journalist, with an exclusive report on less than vital roadworks conducted by Croydon Council There’s no expense spared for florid-faced Mike Fisher and his group of Conservatives who “run” (used in the broadest sense of the … Continue reading

Posted in Bernard Weatherill House, Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Mike Fisher, Parking, Planning, Property, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Carillion cuts jobs just weeks after taking over libraries

Up to eight professionals working across Croydon’s network of 13 branch libraries face redundancy, just a few weeks after a firm of builders which had never pitched for the job took over the running of the borough’s libraries. Four of … Continue reading

Posted in Carillion, Croydon Council, John Laing Integrated Services, Libraries, Tim Pollard, Timothy Godfrey | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tory leader Fisher goes missing as splits begin to appear

Councillors and council officers have been playing a Croydon version of “Where’s Wally” at the Town Hall since before Christmas. This game’s called: Where’s Mike Fisher? The florid-faced leader of the council, and supposedly the leader of the Tory group which runs … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Addiscombe West, Bernard Weatherill House, Chris Philp MP, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, Mark Watson, Mike Fisher, Patricia Hay-Justice, Phil Thomas, Richard Ottaway MP, Sean Fitzsimons, Shirley North, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council keeps its war centenary plans firmly under wraps

We will remember them. It is just that as far as Croydon Council is concerned, they don’t yet know how. According to one senior staffer in Fisher’s Folly, “The council does indeed have plans to restore and refurbish war memorials … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Church and religions, Community associations, Croydon Council, Education, History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments