Tag Archives: London Borough of Croydon

Residents’ groups reject Purley ‘pool’ plan backed by Perry

Our shadowy multi-millionaire developers based in off-shore tax havens correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, on an outbreak of common sense, and serious reservations, over proposals for a massive retirement home complex  Seven of the borough’s largest and most influential residents’ associations have … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Community associations, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, HADRA, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Parking, Place Review Panel, Planning, Polaska, Polaska Assets Ltd, Property, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Purley Pool, Selsdon Residents' Association | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

I’ve been told the car park cleansing team do great work!

Have you ever wondered quite what Katherine Kerswell does for her £192,474 per year salary as the council chief executive? It’s something that often perplexes what remains of the borough’s front-line staff… KK’s ‘duties’, such as they are, include signing … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Philp bottles it and exits ‘cesspit’ Facebook group in a hurry

Croydon Mayor Jason Perry and policing minister Chris Philp were in full-scale retreat after the London elections, hurriedly trying to distance themselves from the ‘absolute cesspit of vile racism and hate speech’ that they had helped to foster on social … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon South, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Transport, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Borough’s director of public health quits her council job

Rachel Flowers, the director of public health at the cash-strapped council who helped guide the borough through the covid pandemic, is leaving her job. Her boss, Katherine Kerswell, the council chief executive, made the announcement almost as an after-thought in … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Health, Katherine Kerswell, Rachel Flowers | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

In Croydon, Labour’s toxic track record makes it ‘no Khan-do’

After another two-day election count and too many coffees, political editor WALTER CRONXITE sifts through the detritus of Croydon and Sutton’s part in the 2024 London elections Not for the first time, Croydon kept London waiting. It was getting on … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Elly Baker, Hina Bokhari, Katherine Kerswell, Ken Livingstone, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Maddie Henson, Mayor of London, Neil Garratt, Sadiq Khan, Susan Hall, Sutton Council, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion, Zoe Garbett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

With 48% turn out in outer London, Khan’s team gets the jitters

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on Labour’s post-polling nervousness and confirmation that in Croydon council by-elections, things are never done as quickly as you might hope Have you ever met a poor bookmaker? No, me neither, which is why when … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Andrew Price, Jess Hammersley-Rich, Katherine Kerswell, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Park Hill and Whitgift, Sadiq Khan, Susan Hall, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Builders brand Gove’s latest CPO reforms as ‘desperation’

Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, on how a ‘very un-Conservative’ policy shift has probably come too late to save Croydon town centre New powers handed to local authorities by the Conservative Government could, just, open the way for Croydon Council … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, CPO, Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Planning, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sadiq Khan’s last-gasp appeal for donations: ‘I’m really worried’

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE has obtained internal Labour correspondence that suggests some pre-election panic for the party With the London elections just days away, Labour has sent begging letters to members appealling for tens of thousands of pounds in last-minute … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Croydon Central, Croydon East, Croydon Greens, Croydon West, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Maddie Henson, Mayor of London, Peter Underwood, Sadiq Khan, Sarah Jones MP, Susan Hall, Zoe Garbett | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 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

Auckland Rise residents suffer the ‘curse’ of Brick by Brick

Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, reports on how some of the warnings about the council house-builders’ ‘affordable’ homes are becoming an costly reality in Crystal Palace Residents in supposedly “affordable” shared ownership homes built in Crystal Palace by the council-owned … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Claire Bonham, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This time we’ve got it right, council says on postal ballot forms

Croydon Council has confirmed that there has been no error in the printing of the postal vote envelopes for the London elections next month. As postal ballot papers began to arrive at voters’ homes in Croydon this week, some questioned … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Park Hill and Whitgift, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 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

Council chief Kerswell has doubled up on £140,000+ executives

CROYDON IN CRISIS: While more than 400 frontline jobs have been axed since 2020, the executive suite in Fisher’s Folly has barely been touched. But the council CEO is spending even more on ‘cost-cutting’ consultants. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Katherine … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Labour in Town Hall row over who gets to wear fancy dress

More squabbles among Croydon’s Labour councillors, but not over the cash-strapped council’s finances, library closures or the axing of other services to residents. The latest row was over who gets to wear the ridiculous robes and chain of the borough’s … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 General Election, 2026 council elections, Appu Srinivasan, Kola Agboola, New Addington, New Addington North, Norbury Park, Stella Nabukeera, Tony Pearson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

More than 2,500 sign petition to save Sanderstead Library

A petition to keep Sanderstead Library open has attracted more than 2,500 signatures. Sanderstead is one of four libraries earmarked for closure as part of Mayor Jason Perry’s plans to “reorganise” Croydon’s library service. The petition demands that Croydon Council … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Libraries, Old Coulsdon, Sanderstead, Sanderstead Residents Association, Shirley North, Shirley South | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council’s PCN fiasco: ex-official is still ‘signing’ official letters

Mayor Jason Perry’s Croydon, the London council that fined hundreds of drivers without sending them the proper Penalty Charge Notice in the first instance, is sending out PCNs and other legal notifications carrying the signature of a senior official who … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Karen Agbabiaka, Katherine Kerswell, Parking, Steve Iles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Five years on, climate protesters ask: What has been achieved?

It is now five years since Croydon Council grandiosely issued its Climate and Ecological Emergency statement – and a group of environmental organisations are planning to protest on the steps of the Town Hall ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of full … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Crisis Commission, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon Friends of the Earth, Croydon Greens, Environment, Extinction Rebellion, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Perry’s porkie pies: Mayor finally admits to his golfing links

After a private golf club held ‘consultation’ meetings with SIX residents’ associations, Jason Perry has been forced to make a U-turn and contradict his previous statements while giving an undertaking not to allow any development on Shirley Heath and Addington … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Addington Hills, Addington Residents' Association, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Golf, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, Shirley Heath, Shirley South, Sport, The Addington GC, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Farewell but no thanks: troubleshooters leave BxB’s board

Step by tiny step, the winding up of failed developer Brick by Brick is coming to an end, reports BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent The deckchairs are being re-arranged on the deck of Brick by Brick, seemingly for one final time. … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, David Courcoux, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

TfL expresses serious safety concerns for Kenley bus route

Transport correspondent JEREMY CLACKSON reports that passengers hoping to catch a bus along Wattendon Road might have a very long wait A new bus route promised by Kenley’s Conservative councillors now seems unlikely to be implemented, according to an internal … Continue reading

Posted in Gayle Gander, Kenley, Ola Kolade, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor Perry is caught in a ‘bad lie’ over Addington golf talks

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council’s Bertie Wooster-like leader has got himself into a tangle over talks with an exclusive private members’ club over plans to develop a tract of protected public land. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Mayor Jason Perry’s Conservative-run council … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Addington Hills, Addington Residents' Association, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Golf, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, Shirley Heath, Shirley South, Sport, Stuart King, The Addington GC, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Hellraiser on the ballot paper for Woodside ward by-election

The Greens are bringing a Hellraiser to the council by-elections being held next month. Nicholas Burman-Vince, the actor who played Chatterer Cenobite in Clive Barker’s cult Hellraiser movies, is the Green Party’s candidate for Woodside in the by-election being held … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Andrew Pelling, Andrew Price, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Jess Hammersley-Rich, Mike Bonello, Park Hill and Whitgift, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tory councillor signs petition opposing Shirley Heath land grab

Conservative councillor Jason Cummings last night joined more than 4,400 others in signing the petition that calls on the Mayor of Croydon to refuse to allow public open space at Shirley Heath and Addington Hills to be developed by The … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Addington Hills, Addington Residents' Association, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Golf, Jason Cummings, Peter Underwood, Planning, Property, Shirley Heath, Shirley South, Sport, Stuart Collins, The Addington GC, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Time is running out to help save our threatened public libraries

CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the deadline approaches for the consultation on Tory plans to close or downgrade half the borough’s libraries, ELAINE GARROD seeks your support in responding to the council consultation I have always believed that having a local library … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon South, Elaine Garrod, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Muslim charity founder to stand in Woodside for the LibDems

The Liberal Democrats’ hopes of doubling their number of councillors in Croydon rest on the shoulders of Jahir Hussain, who has been named as their party’s candidate for the Woodside by-election being held on May 2. Hussain is the chief … Continue reading

Posted in Mike Bonello, Paul Scott, Tony Newman, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments