Recent Comments
Sarah Bird on Newman’s Numpties join r… Lewis White on Khan set to splash the cash to… Sarah Bird on £5m cuts to disability service… Sarah Gills on ‘Regressive’,… Sarah Gills on ‘Regressive’,… Andrew Pelling on ‘Regressive’,…
Tag Archives: Lewis White
Musical open house brings crowds flocking back to Fairfield
CROYDON COMMENTARY: There’s been widespread praise for the performers and performances at the Fairfield Halls for the Borough of Culture opening event, which LEWIS WHITE thoroughly enjoyed I went to the Sunday session of the Oratorio of Hope at the … Continue reading
Careful what you wish for as we bin rubbish contractor Veolia
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The news that Veolia won’t have their four-borough deal extended once it expires in 2025 has prompted loyal reader LEWIS WHITE, pictured right, to question our councils’ roles in the service decline From the comments made in response … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Kingston, Merton, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Veolia
Tagged #Binmageddon, #MuckyMerton, #SuttonBinShame, Croydon, Croydon Council, Kingston, Kingston Council, Lewis White, Merton, Merton Council, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Sutton Council, Veolia
2 Comments
After decades of clean-ups, we’re still polluting precious rivers
CROYDON COMMENTARY: After a week-long heatwave and record temperatures, LEWIS WHITE makes a case for us to cherish local rivers, such as the Wandle, bringing the water companies back into public ownership, and for an end to the concreting over … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon parks, Environment, Nature Notes, Planning, Wandle Park, Wildlife
Tagged Carshalton, Carshalton Ponds, Lewis White, River Wandle, Wandle Park
2 Comments
The day I saved 7 street trees – with the help of Inside Croydon
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Stirred into action by our report about street trees being in desperate need of some care and attention during the heatwave, loyal reader LEWIS WHITE, right, set off armed with his watering can and a handful of copies … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon parks, Education, Environment, Gardening, Wildlife
Tagged Coulsdon, Lewis White, Street trees
Leave a comment
Pankhurst points the way for a piece of Coulsdon history
Emmeline Pankhurst and Britain’s first public railway are the latest additions to the Coulsdon finial history and art trail, a community project designed and managed by local residents. The first three finials – small, stylised metal models – were positioned … Continue reading
Building in suburban back gardens is not the only answer
CROYDON COMMENTARY: As residents in Old Coulsdon organise themselves to oppose more ‘back-garden’ developments in their village, LEWIS WHITE (right), offers some alternatives to unnecessary intensification It is not unknown for local residents’ associations to be heavily influenced by people … Continue reading
Don’t sacrifice Coulsdon to pay off Brick by Brick’s debt
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The unravelling of inter-connected land deals following the collapse of Brick by Brick’s failed house-building business, as exclusively revealed by Inside Croydon, could have long-term damaging consequences for Coulsdon, says local resident LEWIS WHITE (right) I was unaware … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Coulsdon, Coulsdon West, Croydon Council
Tagged Brick by Brick, CALAT, Coulsdon, Lewis White
7 Comments
By taking away the buses, they’ve cut off shops in town centre
CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the council abandons 10 years of delusion over the retail regeneration of the town centre, regular reader LEWIS WHITE, right, goes on a shopping trip to witness the state of the Whitgift Centre for himself I popped … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Debenhams, Surrey Street, TfL, Transport, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre
Tagged coronavirus, Covid-19, Croydon, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Lewis White, West Croydon, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
19 Comments
Coulsdon signs leave a trail of Saxon kings, cricket and plants
Visitors to Coulsdon town centre in recent months have been intrigued about the appearance atop street signage of some delicately crafted, colourful figures. It has now emerged that these finials are the work of two loyal Inside Croydon readers, Charles … Continue reading
How my bus ride into Croydon unmasked a growing problem
CROYDON COMMENTARY: It is against the law to take a ride on public transport without wearing a face mask. But as reader LEWIS WHITE discovered last week, despite 30 TfL bus drivers having died from coronavirus, those rules are hardly … Continue reading
Posted in Commuting, Health, TfL, Tramlink, Transport
Tagged British Transport Police, coronavirus, Covid-19, Lewis White, London Buses, TfL, Transport for London
27 Comments
Cut the mowing: how to transform your garden for wildlife
CROYDON COMMENTARY: After surveys this summer reported a decline in butterfly and moth populations across the country, LEWIS WHITE, a retired landscape architect with decades of experience, offers his advice on how to make your garden more wildlife-friendly this autumn … Continue reading
Posted in Activities, Environment, Gardening, Wildlife
Tagged Butterfly Conservation, Coulsdon, Lewis White
Leave a comment
There should be no place for nepotism in any local council
CROYDON COMMENTARY: A former local government official who worked for three London councils from the 1970s until 2016, LEWIS WHITE (right) observed others doing their jobs in housing, engineering, maintenance, finance and in the comms team. And he is increasingly … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Lewis White, London Borough of Croydon
2 Comments
Promising signs of the future for Croydon’s historic Old Town
CROYDON COMMENTARY: With more than £17million to spend, the council is rolling out plans to spruce up the neglected corner of the Old Town around Croydon Minster. LEWIS WHITE, pictured left, a retired landscape architect, took a Sunday afternoon stroll … Continue reading
Let’s revive town centre with more trees and youthful vitality
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Retired landscape architect and local resident LEWIS WHITE offers his suggestions for reviving the town centre after nearly a decade of development blight thanks to Westfield, who yesterday announced that they are ‘reviewing’ their £1.4bn flats and shops … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Croydon parks, Environment, Planning, Valley Park, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Hammersfield, Hammerson, Lewis White, Westfield, Whitgift Centre
4 Comments
Penthouse floor for Purley ‘skyscraper’ was a poor design
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Coulsdon resident LEWIS WHITE, pictured right, gave evidence at the planning inspector’s inquiry held earlier this year. Here is his take on this week’s controversial ruling on the Purley ‘skyscraper’ The decision of the Secretary of State for … Continue reading
Posted in Planning, Property, Purley
Tagged Lewis White, Purley, Purley 'skyscraper', Purley Baptist Church
8 Comments
Time for council to listen to Coulsdon on car parking
CROYDON COMMENTARY: There’s been plenty of grumbling since the council’s “strong leader” (their phrase, not ours), Tony Newman, told the people of Coulsdon to “get on yer bike”. LEWIS WHITE welcomes the re-opening of the Lion Green Road car park, … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Coulsdon East, Coulsdon West, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, Croydon South, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Planning, Tony Newman
Tagged Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Labour, Lewis White, Lion Green Road car park, Tony Newman
1 Comment
We need quality homes, not quantity, to avoid ghettoes
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Location. Location. Location. LEWIS WHITE is less concerned about the need to build flats in the redevelopment at College Green, provided they offer enough open spaces and are of the right quality, and not mega-sized tower blocks David … Continue reading
