Tag Archives: Kristian Aspinall

Perry’s libraries legacy of unsigned leases and works not done

Pay more, get less. Under Jason Perry, the council has become increasingly reliant on volunteers to deliver services paid for by our Council Tax – from litter-picking in Croydon parks, to voluntary groups running the four public libraries closed by … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Asian Resource Centre of Croydon, Broad Green, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Kristian Aspinall, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Property, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents Association, Shirley North, Shirley South | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Finance chief leaves council three months sooner than planned

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Weeks after the abrupt departure of CEO Katherine Kerswell with a £50,000 ‘farewell present’, the early exit of head of finance Jane West prompts speculation that she has become the latest council boss to receive a generous … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Ian Golland, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Kristian Aspinall, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Directors leave scrutiny short of answers over council job cuts

KEN LEE reports from the frontline of budget discussions at the cash-strapped council, after a meeting where everyone is working very, very hard, but no one in charge bothered to turn up equipped to provide any answers  Councillors from both … Continue reading

Posted in Alasdair Stewart, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Karen Agbabiaka, Kristian Aspinall, Libraries, Louis Carserides, Scott Roche, Stella Nabukeera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

No money, no plan, no honesty: Mayor still closing 4 libraries

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Residents, library campaigners and members of the council’s scrutiny committee have all seen through the council’s dodgy recommendations for reducing the borough’s library service. And with the council running at £42m over-budget for this year, further closures … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Croydon Council, Education, Kristian Aspinall, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Property, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

How businesses profited at expense of the Borough of Culture

BOROUGH OF VULTURES: £1.3m of arts funding provided by the Mayor of London was misused by Croydon’s Tory council to boost local businesses, but delivered a year-long flop, judging by official audience figures. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s year as … Continue reading

Posted in Activities, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, CODA, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Croydonites Festival, Dance, Fairfield Halls, Kristian Aspinall, London Mozart Players, Mayor Jason Perry, Music, Stanley Halls, Theatre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Short-notice Old Coulsdon library webinar betrays council plan

Plans to close or downgrade half the borough’s public libraries are being rushed through, as just three days’ notice of an event for Old Coulsdon residents demonstrates Croydon Council gave Old Coulsdon residents just three weekdays’ notice of a “webinar” … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

£1.3m in Culture grants, but not a penny for Croydon Writers

CROYDON COMMENTARY: As a herd of fibre-glass giraffes are distributed around the borough – paid for at least in part by a £50,000 grant from the Borough of Culture – ETHEL CORDUFF outlines how one of the borough’s oldest arts … Continue reading

Posted in Borough of Culture 2023, Cicely Mary Barker, Croydon Writers, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Year of Culture set to begin with an Oratorio of Hopelessness

CROYDON IN CRISIS: If, like us, you have been scouring the listings pages to find what’s planned for Croydon’s year as London’s Borough of Culture, you’re likely to be disappointed. But some of the PR deals surrounding the event have … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Community associations, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Music, Oliver Lewis, Sadiq Khan, Theatre, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Two years late and council safety ‘strategy’ is barely changed

After a week when the borough’s streets were smeared in blood once again, after stabbings on Church Street in the town centre and on Central Parade in New Addington, Croydon’s dysfunctional council is finally getting around to publishing an updated … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Knife crime, Sarah Hayward | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments