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Tag Archives: Heather Cheesbrough
Key document withheld from planning scrutiny for 21 months
STEVE WHITESIDE with an update on how the council’s planners and planning enforcement teams continue to fail the borough’s residents, while turning a blind eye to developers ignoring conditions Last month, I wrote about the sad saga of 158 Purley … Continue reading
Demolition shows how council’s planners have no ‘red lines’
STEVE WHITESIDE on the developing (geddit?) saga of a house-builder who manages to ignore planning conditions laid down by elected councillors, thanks to some considerable assistance being provided by council staff The sad saga of 158 Purley Downs Road, where … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Leila Ben-Hassel, Lynne Hale, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Yvette Hopley
Tagged 158 Purley Downs Road, Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Demetri Prevatt, Heather Cheesbrough, Labour, Leila Ben-Hassel, London Borough of Croydon, Lynne Hale, Nicola Townsend, Richard Freeman, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents' Association, South Croydon, Steve Whiteside, Tory, Yvette Hopley
17 Comments
Council’s planners lose multiple cases at appeal and in court
Independent inspectors and judges at the High Court continue to rule against decisions made by Croydon’s planning department. Yet those making these dubious, developer-friendly decisions remain in place Research for Inside Croydon has found at least another 11 planning cases … Continue reading
Posted in Aventier, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Nicola Townsend, Paul Scott, Planning, Sanderstead, Yvette Hopley
Tagged Aventier, Church Hill Holdings, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, David Sullivan, Heather Cheesbrough, Labour, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, New Place Associates, Nicola Townsend, Paul Scott, Planning, Planning Committee, Planning Inspectorate, Sanderstead, Steve Whiteside, Tory, West Ham United
29 Comments
Planners’ misdeeds continue to pile disgrace on our borough
CROYDON COMMENTARY: After the latest revelations of deceit and delay by the council’s planning department, costing the borough tens of thousands of pounds when supporting a profit-hungry developer, iC reader IAN KIERANS says it is time that the Mayor and … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Park Hill and Whitgift, Planning
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Ian Kierans, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Park Hill, Planning, Tory
5 Comments
Council planning approvals being ‘sold’ for £1,500 per flat
STEVE WHITESIDE, a former council planner, has been carefully monitoring development applications around the borough over several years. In the course of that work, he has observed a systemic move by the council to attach money-spinning legal agreements to approved … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Kenley, Planning, Property, Sanderstead
Tagged 158 Purley Downs Road, Browne Jacobson, Croydon, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Judicial Review, Kenley, London Borough of Croydon, Planning, Sanderstead, Steve Whiteside
7 Comments
Tory Bains is forced to confess: planning is ‘all but broken’
Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest confessions to emerge from the Conservative council’s cabinet The planning department at Croydon Council is “all but broken”, according to a Planning Advisory Service report. The Planning Advisory Service is part of … Continue reading
Cancelled planning committees are ‘shouting incompetence’
There’s growing concerns over the disorganisation of the council planning department, after last night’s scheduled meeting of the planning committee in the Town Hall Chamber had to be cancelled because of “issues with publication of reports”. The cancellation means that … Continue reading
Council delays and lack of enforcement cause residents misery
Council planners have ignored an Order from a High Court judge over the granting of retrospective permission for a block of flats in Sanderstead. But as STEVE WHITESIDE explains, the case of 54 Arkwright Road is far from an isolated … Continue reading
Posted in Aventier, Business, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Planning, Property, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Sanderstead
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Planning Committee, Planning enforcement, Purley, Riddlesdown, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Steve Whiteside
7 Comments
Oversupply of flats in borough is due to ‘profit over need’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Official government data shows that the council’s build-at-all-cost approach that has blighted parts of the borough has created a glut of over-priced ‘executive apartments’. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The proliferation of block after block of expensive flats … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Epsom and Ewell, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Jo Negrini, London-wide issues, Paul Scott, Planning, Surrey, Tandridge District Council
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Epsom and Ewell, GetAgent, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, London Borough of Croydon, Paul Scott, Surrey, Tandridge District Council
27 Comments
‘Abrasive’ lobbyist smoothing the way for Selhurst’s new stand
Crystal Palace’s £100m new stand at Selhurst Park has the backing of fans (natch), support from councillors and approval from the planning department. Yet the club has gone out and hired a planning lobbyist. STEVEN DOWNES profiles Terrapin’s man hoping … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Christopher Herman, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Kingston, Louis Carserides, Paul Scully MP, Planning, Property, South Norwood, Sport, Stella Nabukeera, Steve Parish, Stuart King
Tagged Christopher Herman, Crystal Palace FC, Heather Cheesbrough, Kevin Davis, Kingston Council, Louis Carserides, Peter Bingle, Selhurst Park, South Norwood, Stella Nabukeera, STUART KING, Terrapin Group, Wooderson Close
2 Comments
Lobbyist to meet councillors over Selhurst stadium proposals
South Norwood councillors will next week be meeting with a representative of a lobbying firm working for Crystal Palace Football Club to discuss issues around the stalled development of a new £100million stand at Selhurst Park. According to a spokesperson … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Louis Carserides, Planning, South Norwood, Sport, Stella Nabukeera
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Crystal Palace FC, Heather Cheesbrough, Kevin Davis, Louis Carserides, Peter Bingle, Selhurst Park, South Norwood, Terrapin Group, Wooderson Close
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This is £12m Fairfield ‘plaza’ that Mayor Perry wants to create
Existing designs for a public open space between the town’s major arts centre and Croydon College have been derided as ‘jokey’, ‘crass’ and ‘one gigantic hardscape of pink and grey candy stripe concrete’. By STEVEN DOWNES Mayor Jason Perry’s announcement … Continue reading
Posted in Art, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Place Review Panel, Planning, Queens Gardens
Tagged Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Charles Holland Architects, Colm Lacey, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Mayor, Department for Levelling Up, Fair Field, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Labour, Levelling Up, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of Croydon, Paul Scott, Rick Mather, Tory
12 Comments
Planning chief’s position untenable as developers’ charter axed
Town Hall correspondent PEARL LEE on the seismic shift going on in the council’s planning department Croydon’s part-time Mayor, Jason Perry, will deliver on one of his key promises tonight when, at his first council cabinet meeting since his election … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Kenley, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Sanderstead, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Conservative, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Local Plan, Heather Cheesbrough, Jan Slominski, Kenley, Labour, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Nicola Townsend, Paul Scott, Planning, Sanderstead, SPD2, Tory
13 Comments
Planning director worried about her career? So she should be
CROYDON COMMENTARY: As someone who spent their career working on local authority planning matters, STEVE WHITESIDE has found council director Heather Cheesbrough’s attempt to gag one of the Mayoral election candidates just the latest example of shameless arrogance So Heather … Continue reading
Councillors slam Bellway’s ‘sham’ consultation over Lido site
Councillors in Waddon have written to a development company that wants to build a 10-storey residential tower block next to the Purley Way playing fields and accused them of running a “sham” public consultation and treating residents with “utter contempt”. … Continue reading
Posted in Andrew Pelling, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Joy Prince, Parking, Planning, Property, Purley Way, Purley Way Lido, Robert Canning, Waddon
Tagged Andrew Pelling, Bellway Homes, Heather Cheesbrough, Joy Prince, Purley Way, Purley Way Lido, Robert Canning, Waddon, Waddon Way
2 Comments
Council’s planning chief attempts to gag Mayor candidate
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Heather Cheesbrough has lied about her qualifications and covered up for planning staff with too-close connections with private developers. Now she’s trying to block an election candidate calling for her to be sacked. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged Andrew Hunkin, Andrew Pelling, Croydon, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Planning
23 Comments
Suspicions over secrecy surrounding Slominski’s return
Council directors are withholding information from a local MP on the date that a planning official started a new job. By STEVEN DOWNES The attempts to cover-up the close connections between Croydon Council’s planning department and some commercial developers who … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, Croydon South, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Heather Cheesbrough, Nicola Townsend, Planning
Tagged #Macarnage, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon South, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, ECRA, Heather Cheesbrough, Jan Slominski, Macar Developments, Maureen Levy, NewPlace, Purley, Ross Gentry
13 Comments
London Mayor joins critics of ‘unlawful’ Local Plan review
‘Ludicrous’, ‘grotesque’ and ‘vandalism’ are some of the milder rebukes aimed at the council’s planning department’s latest piece of developer-friendly work. And now Sadiq Khan has joined the critics, while a Tory MP is threatening a Judicial Review. EXCLUSIVE By … Continue reading
Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Sadiq Khan, Val Shawcross, Waddon
Tagged 2022 Mayoral election, Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Local Plan, Croydon Mayoral election 2022, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor, Tory, Val Shawcross, Waddon
3 Comments
Countryside charity slams Local Plan threat to green spaces
One of England’s biggest conservation and countryside charities has accused Croydon Council’s revised Local Plan of “lacking ambition” and once again putting the borough’s green spaces under threat of development. What the council is calling a “review” of the Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Lloyd Park, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, Shirley North, Waddon
Tagged Alison Butler, Coombe Farm, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Local Plan, Heather Cheesbrough, Labour, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Purley, Shirley, Waddon
5 Comments
#Macarnage: Formal complaint over planners’ too-close links
EXCLUSIVE: The council has approved a scheme for another block of flats which is to be built by a firm with close links to a senior member of the planning staff, and where another planner appears to have helped draw … Continue reading
Posted in Coulsdon, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Heather Cheesbrough, Nicola Townsend, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Planning
Tagged #Macarnage, Alex MacDonald, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, London Borough of Croydon, Macar Developments, Natalie Gentry, New Place Associates, Old Coulsdon, Planning, Ross Gentry
10 Comments
#Macarnage: Planner Slominski returns with a promotion
EXCLUSIVE: Distrust of the council’s planning department, and director Heather Cheesbrough, has reached new highs after it was discovered that they have re-employed a developer-friendly official with blatant conflicts of interest. By STEVEN DOWNES Representatives of residents’ associations at a … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Heather Cheesbrough, Kenley, Old Coulsdon, Planning
Tagged #Macarnage, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon South, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Heather Cheesbrough, Jan Slominski, London Borough of Croydon, Macar Developments, Maureen Levy, Natalie Gentry, NewPlace, Old Coulsdon, Ross Gentry
6 Comments
Council’s misleading Open+ and shut case for public libraries
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The bankrupt council is spending £1.6m on an untried system that will allow it to reduce staffing hours at our libraries, a decision passed without debate at a Town Hall meeting. Our libraries correspondent, GENE BRODIE, investigates … Continue reading
Posted in Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Heather Cheesbrough, Libraries, Manju Shahul Hameed, New Addington, Norbury, Old Coulsdon, Planning, Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon and Addington Village, Shirley North, South Norwood, Thornton Heath
Tagged Bradmore Green Library, Broad Green Library, Central Library, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Library, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Public Libraries, Heather Cheesbrough, Manju Shahul Hameed, New Addington, Oliver Lewis, Sanderstead Library, Selsdon Library, South Norwood, Thornton Heath
5 Comments
Planning department judged ‘at fault’ over boundary dispute
Emails from residents unanswered, six-month delays in dealing with a formal complaint, and a planning department that ignored a court order. Just another episode in the regular shambles at Fisher’s Folly Another day, another ruling from the Local Government Ombudsman … Continue reading
