Tag Archives: London Borough of Croydon

Information Commissioner says council is ‘failing residents’

National regulator says it is ‘deeply disappointed’ with Croydon, which has broken the Freedom of Information laws at least 227 times in the past year and now faces possible High Court action. By STEVEN DOWNES Cash-strapped Croydon Council could face … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Our latest podcast on giraffes, Marks & Sparks and murder

In our latest Croydon Insider podcast, our guests catch up on what’s happening in Croydon, discussing the spate of murders in and around the borough, plus what’s caught their eye on the pages of our website over the past couple … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Insider, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Neil Chandler, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Important’ council flood survey that suffers from missing links

Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, tries to navigate an error-strewn strategy document that has taken 10 years to draft Another day, another facile survey issued by Croydon Council, this time asking residents for their views on its “strategy” for … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Mayor Jason Perry, Steve Iles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Perry’s cost-cutting puts five nursery schools under threat

KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter, on the Mayor’s latest ‘short-sighted short-termism’ that will yet again see residents paying more to get less Jason Perry, the Conservative Mayor of Croydon who put up the borough’s Council Tax by 15per cent … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Education, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley, Schools, Selhurst, South Norwood, Thornton Heath | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

‘Grand National’-sized field in the running for Croydon East

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the short memories and absence of shame among Newman’s numpties seeking selection for ‘higher’ office Boris Johnson is not the only politician with no shame. One of the numptiest of Newman’s numpties, Manju Shahul-Hameed, continues … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Amy Foster, Chrishni Reshekaron, Croydon Central, Croydon East, David Evans, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Olga Fitzroy, Patsy Cummings, Paul Scott, Sarah Jones MP, Sherwan Chowdhury, Stella Nabukeera, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council’s rubbish director is set to take early retirement

KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter, on an announcement which has been greeted warmly by many of the council’s frontline staff Steve Iles, one of the most controversial senior figures working for Croydon Council, is taking early retirement and leaving … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Refuse collection, Steve Iles, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Perry abandons Tory election promise to reopen Purley Pool

Our swimming correspondent, ANITA LOSTBOROUGH, on how a detail-lite announcement for lots more flats has been dressed up by the prospect of a new leisure centre… if we’re lucky, ready before 2028 Ever felt you’ve been conned? Jason Perry, the … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Leisure services, Mayor Jason Perry, Property, Purley, Purley Pool, Swimming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Perry enters new plea to government to write-off council debts

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘This is not something we will be able to fix alone,’ the borough’s Mayor conceded in a recent letter to the Tory government – who haven’t bothered replying to his request. By our Town Hall correspondent, KEN … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Podcast: The Croydon Insider discusses issues of the week

Hear about the plans to get Croydon’s biggest organ throbbing once more. Listen as our guests discuss the arrogance of local authority chief executives who have described a £6,000 per year pay rise as ‘pettiness’. Talk about Croydon’s speeding drivers. … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Croydon Insider, Inside Croydon, Ken Towl, Under The Flyover | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council ordered to give £15,000 back-pay to ex-boss Simmonds

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council has incurred another costly legal defeat, after one of those execs axed in the ‘Kerswell kull’ two years ago wins her Employment Tribunal case Croydon Council and its chief executive, Katherine Kerswell, have been dealt … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

From part-time to powerless: Perry’s first year under scrutiny

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on how the public are already seeing through Croydon’s failing Tory Mayor Jason Perry, Croydon’s £82,000 per year elected Mayor, is likely to be given a “Must Do Better” rating when he presents his report on … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Rowenna Davis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

‘Red alert’ over increased costs with outsourced rubbish deal

‘Things are going to get worse’ said Mayor Jason Perry earlier this year. And looking at the outsourced deal he’s lining up to replace rubbish contractors Veolia, in that respect he is as good as his word, reports KEN LEE … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Mayor Jason Perry, Refuse collection, Veolia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

‘Regressive’, ‘unfair’ and ‘nonsensical’: Council Tax must go

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was 11 when England’s Council Tax bands were set. At the time, the average house price in Britain was £56,853. There are growing calls not only for a reform of the way local authorities, like cash-strapped … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

£5m cuts to disability services lack proper legal assessment

Having imposed his 15per cent Council Tax hike on the borough – without securing the refinancing deal he said was essential to deal with Croydon’s “unsustainable” debt – Tory Mayor Jason Perry is now cutting services. But some say that … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

88% Regina Road residents vote in favour of demolition

In a poll result that will surprise no one, the long-suffering residents of Regina Road in South Norwood, who have endured some of the worst housing conditions ever seen in 21st Century Britain, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council’s healthy school streets have no ANPR protections

CROYDON IN CRISIS: More than 20 ‘Healthy School Streets’ introduced in 2023 have never had any enforcement CCTV cameras installed because the council purchased equipment that does not work in Britain. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Another omnishambles of procurement at … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Mayor Jason Perry, Schools, Steve Iles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Measure the effectiveness of councillors, not just the casework

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Our report on councillors’ casework and the volume of residents’ enquiries they handle is only a very limited way of measuring their effectiveness, according to ROBERT CANNING (pictured left). He’s even done an equation to prove it… Your … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Robert Canning | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Perry splashes the cash on publicity and mowing grass in May

Croydon’s pro-pollution Mayor has now declared war on wildlife, as he has ignored the #NoMowMay advice of none other than Sir David Attenborough. By PERCY FLAMETHROWER, our municipal horticultural correspondent So much for the sonnet’s “Darling buds of May”. Jason … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Mayor Jason Perry, Scott Roche, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Demolition shows how council’s planners have no ‘red lines’

STEVE WHITESIDE on the developing (geddit?) saga of a house-builder who manages to ignore planning conditions laid down by elected councillors, thanks to some considerable assistance being provided by council staff The sad saga of 158 Purley Downs Road, where … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Leila Ben-Hassel, Lynne Hale, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Westfield seals deal to buy Hammerson out of town centre

Westfield’s parent company has this afternoon confirmed that they have bought out Hammerson, the owners of the Centrale shopping centre, from their half-share of the Croydon Partnership, the joint venture which has inflicted a decade’s worth of development blight on … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, CPO, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Three former exec directors are back on councils’ gravy train

Having avoided any disciplinary difficulties over the bankrupting of the borough, some of those with key roles in Croydon’s financial collapse are doing rather well for themselves, reports KEN LEE Richard Simpson, once in charge of Croydon Council’s finances, as … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council bureaucrat gives red light to Love Lane Green’s future

CROYDON COMMENTARY: A children’s play area, reclaimed from wasteland by volunteers over the last eight years, has had its important status erased with the stroke of a pen by a senior council official. EMMA HOPE-FITCH and the other Friends of … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Gardening, Property, South Norwood, Wildlife, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Labour attack ads score yet another embarrassing own goal

‘Smear campaign’ which started with ad backed by Croydon North’s MP has managed to draw even more attention to how his mates bankrupted the borough. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Labour’s controversial attack ads, which started with a racist dog … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Chris Philp MP, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, David Evans, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Perry has no plan to improve our borough’s toxic air pollution

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The borough’s Conservative Mayor, Jason Perry, is failing to protect the health of Croydon residents, says Councillor RIA PATEL (pictured left) We all know that Mayor Jason Perry has been very vocal about opposing ULEZ, the Ultra-Low Emission … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Fairfield, Health, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Ria Patel, ULEZ expansion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

‘Anarchy in Croydon’ fears as Mayor axes 22 safety officer jobs

Neighbourhood Safety Officers work to reduce fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour, and one worker facing redundancy warns that erasing his department is ‘a complete invitation to stabbings’. By STEVEN DOWNES A council workers’ union is claiming that cash-strapped Croydon’s decision to … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Crime, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Katherine Kerswell, Knife crime, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments