Tag Archives: London Borough of Croydon

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

Sign the petition today to save Shirley Heath for the public

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Our exclusive news report yesterday of a bid by one of the country’s best-known golf clubs to take over public land from the council has been greeted with widespread disgust. Here, PETER UNDERWOOD, local conservationist and Green Party … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Addington Hills, Addington Residents' Association, Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Golf, Peter Underwood, Property, Selsdon and Addington Village, Shirley Heath, Sport, The Addington GC, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Government blocks public inquiry into collapse of councils

Any suspicion that the Establishment that controls local and national government doesn’t want the public to find out about the shady deals that go on in Town Halls up and down the land will have been confirmed with the news … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Outside Croydon, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Check your photo ID and registration now for voting on May 2

The introduction of the requirement on the public to produce photo ID when they go to vote is a deliberate effort by the beleaguered and failed Conservative Government to stop younger and marginalised citizens from exercising their democratic rights. That’s … Continue reading

Posted in 2024 London elections, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Slow-go Mayor Perry has yet to start tenders for bus shelters

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Three years since the borough’s bus shelters were unceremoniously uprooted after council staff signed the borough up to a dodgy get-rich-quick scheme, and the tendering process to replace the 185 shelters has not yet begun. EXCLUSIVE by … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Commuting, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

‘Tough on causes of crime’ needs more than a glib throwaway

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Retired barrister and former councillor, JERRY FITZPATRICK, pictured right, offers his insights into an important piece of work conducted on youth crime and safeguarding Speaking as Shadow Home Secretary in 1993, Tony Blair famously promised to be tough … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Education, Health, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Knife crime, London-wide issues, Policing, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Perry plans £100m more cuts in country’s first AI-driven council

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Transformation’ project is set to be rubber-stamped at this week’s cabinet meeting (it will be approved without anything resembling a debate). But according to council insiders, it is ‘rushed’, ‘full of risks’ and just a ‘Trojan horse’ … Continue reading

Posted in 'Future Croydon', Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Peter Underwood, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

How Croydon’s ‘Culture Club’ was turned into a business clique

CROYDON IN CRISIS: As the borough’s £1.5m year of culture is staggering to its conclusion, we reveal how the owners of a Surrey Street pub were handed £28,000 for… nothing. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES As Croydon’s year as London’s Borough … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Borough of Culture 2023, Business, Croydon BID, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Pubs, Restaurants, Surrey Street | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

£51,000pa saved on library won’t touch council’s £1.6bn debt

Three years ago, RICHARD PACITTI, pictured left, explained how to save the borough’s libraries. With half of Croydon’s public libraries once again under threat of closure or being down-graded, he’s back to make the case for a properly funded, essential … Continue reading

Posted in Broad Green, Broad Green Residents' Association, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Education, Libraries, New Addington, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Sanderstead, Shirley North, Shirley South, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Mayor Perry accused of ‘fibbing’ over Croydon Arena repairs

Confusion surrounds the operational status of Croydon Arena, the council-owned sports stadium, after Tory Mayor Jason Perry announced yesterday that, thanks to his personal intervention, the venue had reopened. Users of the multi-sport venue accused piss-poor Perry of “fibbing” – … Continue reading

Posted in Athletics, Croydon Council, Croydon FC, Croydon Harriers, Football, GLL - Better, Leisure services, Mayor Jason Perry, Sport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments