Tag Archives: Ian Parker

No cover-up over £12m SEND overspend, claims council chief

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall bosses have been forced to accept 23 recommendations from external accountants after IT problems saw them lose track of thousands of payments, in the latest council cock-up that was described by a veteran Tory councillor … Continue reading

Posted in Amy Foster, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, Education, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Ian Parker, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, SEND | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

It was a bad deal for Croydon. Why did they allow it to happen?

CROYDON COMMENTARY: With Tory Mayor Jason Perry using £½million of public money as a hush fund, RICHARD HOWARD, pictured right, the LibDem mayoral candidate, lays out all the obvious flaws with the council’s Red Clover Gardens scheme Two years ago, … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Brick by Brick, Business, Commissioners, Conrad Hall, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Housing, Ian Parker, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Howard, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, The Penn Report, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Coulsdon sports bar snookered by landlord over its lease

Frames, the large snooker hall on Brighton Road, Coulsdon, is to close its doors for a final time on September 1. The management published a statement on social media yesterday after failing to come to agreed terms with their landlord. … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Ian Parker | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Hypocrite’ Tory voted for proposal to destroy heritage home

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on a planning committee meeting where Conservative councillors backed a private developer’s bid to drastically alter a listed family home in a conservation area So much for Tory Mayor Jason Perry protecting family homes in … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Esther Sutton, Fairfield, Ian Parker, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Agent on a mission overlooks Coulsdon Tories’ dark secret

It is just over a year until Croydon goes to the polls in its second Mayoral election, and the local Tories already seem up for the fight. But leading the way for them is a paid gofer who struggles to … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Council Tax, Croydon South, Ian Parker, Mario Creatura, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis, Tony Newman, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

‘Nosey’ Parker proves to be a costly expense for local Tories

Our Political Editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on a spectacular own-goal by Croydon Tories’ long-standing agent It is said that people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. The aphorism played out at Croydon Conservatives’ HQ at 36 Brighton Road in Purley would … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Croydon South, Ian Parker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Labour candidate refuses to answer questions over spending

According to their election expense returns for one constituency, Croydon Labour were paying a worker at a rate of just £26.89 per day during last year’s General Election campaign. And rival politicians reckon their numbers don’t add up, as WALTER … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, Ben Taylor, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon South, Ian Parker | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council director took ‘delegated’ decision to lease out CALAT

Cash-strapped council admits it leased out the site for a long-promised medical centre in Coulsdon without any reference to councillors, while ‘the NHS is yet to confirm the latest forecast completion date for the project’ Croydon Council has admitted that … Continue reading

Posted in Business, CALAT, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Medical Centre, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Croydon NHS Trust, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Health, Heather Cheesbrough, Ian Parker, Luke Shortland, Mario Creatura, Matthew Kershaw, Old Coulsdon, Parking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Council in secret deal to lease medical centre site as a car park

EXCLUSIVE: Coulsdon residents have been waiting a decade for a promised medical facility in the town centre. In March, the council announced it had sold the site to the NHS. In the summer, local MP Chris Philp promised work on … Continue reading

Posted in Business, CALAT, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Croydon NHS Trust, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Health, Ian Parker, Matthew Kershaw, Old Coulsdon, Parking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mystery in Coulsdon as their ‘Welcome’ sign goes missing

The usually peaceful and slightly quaint demeanour of Coulsdon town centre has been shattered by the mysterious disappearance of the “Welcome to Coulsdon” sign over the course of the weekend. A slightly bewildered note appeared on the social media pages … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Ian Parker | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Perry forced to make U-turn on his overnight parking charges

Less than a month after he introduced overnight car parking charges across most of the borough in changes claimed “to make parking fairer, simpler, and more consistent”, Tory Mayor Jason Perry has been forced into making a hand-brake turn and … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Ian Parker, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington South, Old Coulsdon, Parking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

‘Underhand’ Tories blame residents for medical centre delays

The almighty row in Coulsdon over a long-promised medical centre has seen the local Tories panicked into issuing multiple press releases to stake claim to some kind of “victory”, after the Tory-led council broke its promises to residents by putting … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Medical Centre, Coulsdon Town, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, Croydon NHS Trust, Croydon South, Health, Ian Parker, Luke Shortland, Mario Creatura, Matthew Kershaw | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Two Croydon schools forced to close over crumbling concrete

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council’s Tory leadership accused of ‘deceiving’ parents with statement issued last week on the state of the borough’s schools. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Despite assurances issued by the council, at least two Croydon schools will not be … Continue reading

Posted in Beckmead Park, Croydon Council, Education, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Conservatives recruit social media expert for local elections

Our south of the borough reporter, PEARL LEE, on the latest efforts to win political control of the Town Hall Croydon Tories are gearing up for a battle to win back control of Croydon Town Hall – just in time … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Croydon Council, Ian Parker, Jason Perry, New Addington North, New Addington South, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Former Barwell aide tweets his support for ‘Tommy Robinson’

Shaun Bailey, the very dim Tory candidate for London Mayor, came in for another round of criticism last night after his Twitter account posted praise for the supporters of far-right racist extremist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known to some as “Tommy Robinson”. … Continue reading

Posted in Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Gavin Barwell, Ian Parker, Mario Creatura | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Residents’ association issues apology for ‘Chinese virus’ tweet

Our south of the borough correspondent, PEARL LEE, reports on how a Tory-backed group in Coulsdon has cause to regret handing its social media account over to a far-right agitator The Coulsdon West Residents’ Association, only reformed recently with the … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Ian Parker, Luke Clancy, Mario Creatura | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

4.88% Council Tax increase gets backing from Croydon Tories

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE reports on how the opposition group last night supported tax increases in the ‘last Blairite council in London’ The Conservative “opposition” group on Croydon Council last night voted with the majority Labour councillors to see Council … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Fairfield Halls, Health, Helen Redfern, Ian Parker, Louisa Woodley, New Addington South, Niro Sirisena, Tim Pollard, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tories accused of breaking their own rules over selections

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on complaints of undemocratic interference in the candidate selection process, and too much influence from the local party leader in those allowed to stand in May’s Town Hall elections At least four of Croydon’s longest serving … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Chris Wright, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Fairfield, Helen Pollard, Ian Parker, Mike Fisher, Purley, Shirley North, Steve Hollands, Sue Winborn, Tim Pollard, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pollard’s candidate list ignores five wards in Croydon North

WALTER CRONXITE on another bungled announcement by Croydon Conservatives No matter how hard they try to make it look as if they do give a toss about the north of the borough, Croydon’s Tories really don’t give a shit. And … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Bensham Manor, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Gareth Streeter, Gavin Barwell, Helen Pollard, Jeet Bains, Kenley, Purley, Selhurst, Shirley North, Simon Hoar, South Croydon, South Norwood, Steve Hollands, Sue Winborn, Thornton Heath, Tim Pollard, Vidhi Mohan, Waddon, West Thornton | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croydon Tories still don’t grasp meaning of data protection

Croydon Tories clearly do not understand the meaning of the word “Protection” in the title of the Data Protection Act. Last week Inside Croydon published a report on how the local Conservative Party, and its Town Hall group leader, Tim … Continue reading

Posted in Coulsdon, Helen Pollard, Ian Parker, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Tory MP wants election helpers to work unpaid for six months

Croydon Central’s gaffe-prone MP Gavin Barwell is seeking a couple of slaves, or possibly a pair of recent graduates who are gullible enough or desperate enough, and also have well-heeled parents who don’t mind subsidising the Tory MP’s election campaign for up … Continue reading

Posted in 2015 General Election, Croydon Central, Gavin Barwell, Ian Parker | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Grassroots discontent over selection of deputy leader’s wife

Grassroots Croydon Conservatives are asking whether Councillor Helen Pollard was given preferential treatment by the local party’s leadership after she was nominated earlier this week to stand in Fairfield ward at the local elections in May. Helen Pollard is married … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Fairfield, Gavin Barwell, Heathfield, Helen Pollard, Mike Fisher, New Addington South, Sanderstead, Tim Pollard, Tony Pearson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments