Tag Archives: Local Government Chronicle

Tory councillor’s Commissioner video nasty is another wild rant

Simon Brew, a Conservative councillor in Croydon for the past 11 years, hasn’t had the best of luck with his campaigning on local issues when he has tried to use modern communication techniques – like videos. Remember how he lobbied … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley, Section 114 notice, Simon Brew, Stabilisation Plan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Croydon residents pick up the £1m tab for ‘improvement’ panel

It is residents who will pay the cost of government ‘intervention’ if Commissioners move in at Fisher’s Folly next month, just as they have been paying for a panel of Whitehall-appointed ‘experts’ since 2021. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Official figures … Continue reading

Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Trebles all-round! Kerswell’s nominated herself for an award

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council still has debts of £1.4bn, or more, but that won’t stop a select few execs attending a gala event at a Mayfair hotel next week, where tables cost up to £5,000 and our bureaucrats are … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

£603,000: the soaring costs of Croydon’s ‘improvement’ panel

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Three years since Tony McArdle and his government-appointed team of troubleshooters were parachuted into the council, there are mounting questions about what they have achieved. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Government-appointed chair of Croydon Council’s “improvement and … Continue reading

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Section 114 notice, SEND, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Didn’t I do well?! Kerswell gives herself a pat on the back

CROYDON IN CRISIS: It is three years to the week since the emergency committee meeting, attended by Jason Perry, that decided in secret to give £437,000 to Jo Negrini to leave her job as council CEO. Today, Negreedy’s replacement, Katherine … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Hazel Simmonds, Improvement Board, Jane West, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Councils’ collapse should have been halted by Sunak or Gove

Croydon is far from alone as a cash-strapped local authority. And bit by bit, evidence is emerging from the series of financial crashes of councils that implicates not only Michael Gove but also Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. By STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Negrini’s dodgy pay-off now gets attention from the trade press

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Borough’s most senior lawyer, responding to advice the council received almost nine months ago, says that the meeting that agreed to pay £437,000 to departing chief exec was ‘potentially unlawful’. By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s glacially slow … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Inside Croydon, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Stephen Lawrence-Orumwense, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Off-target: Town Hall chiefs’ concern over net zero dates

More than half of the country’s local council leaders fear that their areas will fail to meet their own net zero targets, according to a survey published over the weekend. The survey was conducted on behalf of renewable energy supplier … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Climate Crisis Commission, Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trebles all round? Croydon return pot-less from awards

Four tables booked at a five-star West End hotel. Around 40 councillors and council staff attending. Something like £28,000 spent on a night’s gala dinner, booze and jollity. And not a single award won. That is the summary of this … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Hayley Lewis, John Laing Integrated Services, Libraries, Nathan Elvery, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council takes four tables at awards – against Pickles’ advice

Around 40 Conservative councillors, senior Croydon Council officials and their chums will be attending the annual binge of champagne-swilling and back-slapping at a five-star West End hotel next month that is the Local Government Chronicle Awards, all at a cost … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Hayley Lewis, John Laing Integrated Services, Libraries, Mike Fisher, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Croydon’s Max Headroom leaves council piss-up pot-less

It must have been pretty gloomy at the Croydon table at the Grosvenor House Hotel last night. Well, as gloomy as it can ever get when you are a public servant out on the piss at the expense of the … Continue reading

Posted in City status, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jon Rouse, Nathan Elvery | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trebles all-round as Elvery’s up for more awards

You might expect that Croydon’s dismal track record on complaints (121 passed to the official ombudsman in the past year, among the worst local authorities in the UK) ought to be of serious concern to Jon Rouse and Nathan Elvery … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Nathan Elvery, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment