Tag Archives: GLA

Build, baby! Build! 626 flats in Mitcham and none ‘affordable’

Housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, on a developer-friendly decision which might yet set the trend for all of London This is what you get when you “Build, baby! Build!” Merton Council has granted planning approval for 626 homes on the Mitcham … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Housing, London-wide issues, Merton, Mitcham, Property, Steve Reed MP, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

London Mayor Khan is 12,000 homes short of his own target

According to figures from City Hall, just 347 new affordable homes have been started in London in three months since April. Inside Housing reports the figures from the Greater London Authority which also show that 312 of the homes were … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘It has to be’: Westfield scheme needs millions of public money

UNDER THE FLYOVER: In our latest podcast interview, housing specialist Fiona Fletcher-Smith, now the volunteer chair of the Whitgift Foundation’s governors, discusses the housing crisis, the closure of Old Palace School, what’s happening with the long-promised ‘kiosks’ in the Allders … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Boris Johnson, Business, Charity, Croydon Council, Fiona Fletcher Smith, Housing, Inside Croydon, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, North End Quarter, Planning, Property, Sadiq Khan, Under The Flyover, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Council Tax proposal to hit Sutton’s disabled and unemployed

Sutton Council is set to introduce measures which will force some of the poorest in the borough, including the disabled and unemployed, to pay Council Tax for the first time. It is an effort by the Liberal Democrat-controlled council under … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Barry Lewis, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, London Fire Brigade, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Outside Croydon, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

London activates emergency protocol to help homeless people

With freezing temperatures forecast through to the weekend, Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and councils across the capital, including Croydon, have activated the pan-London SWEP – the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol – to protect homeless people. SWEP has … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ghost of Brick by Brick comes to haunt London Mayor Khan

BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, identifies some troubling similarities between the collapse of Croydon’s failed housing company and recent auditors’ warnings over a GLA-owned development firm A housing company established by the Greater London Authority which has received £300million in loans … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Tom Copley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Purley Pool revised plan to be revealed next month, Mayor says

A new planning application for the controversial development of the site of Purley Pool is to be submitted in January. That’s according to an email to some residents’ associations from Mayor Jason Perry, who appears to be taking more than … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, HADRA, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Parking, Planning, Polaska, Polaska Assets Ltd, Property, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Pool, Selsdon Residents' Association | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Staff ‘disgusted’ at council’s response to homeless emergency

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Unanswered phones, lack of proper staff briefings and information on the website that was a year out of date – council’s response to last week’s Severe Weather Emergency was a ‘shit show’ according to insiders. EXCLUSIVE by … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, CVA, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

GLA rejects Polaska Purley Pool plan as ‘wholly unacceptable’

London’s deputy mayor Jules Pipe has stepped in over a project with 220 retirement flats worth an estimated £70m and not a single affordable new home. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES City Hall has rejected proposals from shady developers Polaska to … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, HADRA, Housing, Jules Pipe, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Parking, Planning, Polaska, Polaska Assets Ltd, Property, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Pool, Selsdon Residents' Association | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Councillor accuses Perry of broken pledge on affordable homes

Mayor Jason Perry’s council has been accused of yet another broken promise, and of wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax-payers’ money, this time after rejecting a planning application for seven affordable homes in Upper Norwood, in a scheme … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Community associations, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Nicola Townsend, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Planning battle over The Lawns after council official’s threats

Five years’ work has been wasted after Croydon Council planners rejected a planning application from a community group in Upper Norwood to build seven not-for-profit flats in a scheme instigated by… Croydon Council. BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, reports An enterprising … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Tom Copley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

All Hale the chief: £125,000 job ad raises laughs at Town Hall

EXCLUSIVE: Council is recruiting for director-level official to oversee the redevelopment of notorious Regina Road council flats. By our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES Cash-strapped Croydon Council is recruiting again for another six-figure-salaried director, although whoever wrote the job ad for … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Lynne Hale, Planning, Property, Regina Road redevelopment, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, Susmita Sen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Regina Road demolition set to begin, thanks to £54m GLA grant

The next stage of the demolition and replacement of the notorious council blocks on Regina Road will be discussed at a Town Hall meeting on Monday night – with Croydon’s Tory Mayor about to deliver around 200 council homes which … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Planning, Regina Road redevelopment, Sadiq Khan, South Norwood, Susmita Sen, Wates | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Perry’s Facebook group hosted video by Islamophobic ‘comic’

EXCLUSIVE: A secretive Facebook group which has policing minister Chris Philp among its members and where the Mayor of Croydon is an administrator has been sharing content from a far-right mate of the EDL’s Tommy Robinson. By STEVEN DOWNES The … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Chris Philp MP, Crime, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, TfL, Transport, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council hired ‘Real’ builders and dodged Grenfell grants ban

SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Figures associated with a company that is banned from getting government contracts and grants because of its part in works carried out to Grenfell Tower have emerged on the board of another firm working on a housing scheme … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Property, Sadiq Khan, Sutton Council, Tim Crowley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Perry should apologise for anti-ULEZ Facebook group says MP

EXCLUSIVE: Tory Mayor’s Facebook group that encourages criminal damage only had a rule forbidding illegal behaviour added after he was approached by the media. By STEVEN DOWNES A Labour MP has called on Croydon Mayor Jason Perry to close down … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, TfL, Transport, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tory minister is member of online group that salutes vandals

EXCLUSIVE: A secret Facebook group where members celebrate criminal vandalism carried out against ULEZ cameras is being run by the Tory Mayor of Croydon. By STEVEN DOWNES The Tory Government’s policing minister, Chris Philp, the MP for Croydon South, is … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Coulsdon, Crime, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, TfL, Transport, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Police investigating 300+ cases of ULEZ camera vandalism

Criminal damage to public property in Greater London could cost taxpayers tens of millions. The Metropolitan Police is investigating more than 300 cases of vandalism and theft of CCTV cameras, which have been installed as part of the expansion of … Continue reading

Posted in Bromley Council, Crime, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Selsdon and Addington Village, TfL, Transport, ULEZ | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 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

Khan set to splash the cash to re-open Crystal Palace pools

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has approved the immediate spending of up to £10million to bring key parts of the National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace back into use, providing for urgent repairs to the Olympic-sized swimming pool and for the … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Boris Johnson, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Sport, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Standard sides with Mayor Khan and backs ULEZ extension

The Evening Standard, not a newspaper which regularly supports London’s Labour Mayor, nor is it known for its fervent support of environmental issues, has come out on the side of Sadiq Khan and plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission … Continue reading

Posted in Commuting, Environment, Evening Boris, Local media, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Transport, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Gove’s funding increases have come too late to save Croydon

London’s precept to add nearly £40 to average bills, as Mayor Perry asks government permission for increase of at least 10% for Croydon’s Council Tax, reports WALTER CRONXITE, political editor After 12 years of Tory austerity, the government has taken … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Jason Cummings, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Policing, Sadiq Khan, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Customers at Crystal Palace stadium could be left in the dark

One week on from an emergency closure of the National Sports Centre and parts of Crystal Palace Park, the venue is being “partially” re-opened today. But the thousands of runners, jumpers and throwers who train on the track at what … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Boris Johnson, Bromley Council, Caroline Russell, Croydon parks, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Exclusion zones’ set up for public safety in Crystal Palace Park

Some parts of Crystal Palace Park remain in an “exclusion zone” three days after the park was subject to an emergency shutdown because concrete pillars that support the floodlights around the athletics stadium at the National Sports Centre were deemed … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Bromley Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, London-wide issues, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Concern over Crystal Palace sports centre’s emergency closure

Crystal Palace Stadium, for 50 years the home of British athletics, was last night subject to an emergency closure for safety reasons. The whole of the National Sports Centre, including the sports hall and gyms, is closed this weekend. There … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 Olympics, Athletics, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace Park, Football, History, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments