Tag Archives: London Borough of Croydon

How the council’s planners help developers dodge conditions

The case of 158 Purley Downs Road is an object lesson in what lengths some senior council staff will go to in order to help property developers circumvent building regulations and bamboozle councillors on the planning committee. By STEVE WHITESIDE … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Humayun Kabir, Leila Ben-Hassel, Lynne Hale, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Perry passes knife crime responsibility to community groups

Another announcement from the council appears to confirm the abandonment of the authority’s attempt to establish a violence reduction unit, and showed Mayor Jason Perry  abrogating responsibility for dealing with one of the most pressing issues in the borough today. … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Crime, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Knife crime, Lives Not Knives, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Policing, Sarah Hayward | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Council’s £150,000 for digital zone with 12 libraries part-closed

The council has been given a £150,000 Government grant to create what its propaganda department calls “an energy-efficient, accessible digital discovery zone” at Croydon Central Library. Croydon Council currently has responsibility for 13 public libraries around the borough (Upper Norwood … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council’s ‘new’ cycle corridor to Purley doesn’t go far enough

After much wailing and gnashing of teeth, South Croydon is about to get a proper cycle route which almost reaches the town centre. JEREMY CLACKSON, transport correspondent, reports Croydon Council’s reputation for being unenthusiastic about championing or encouraging sustainable modes … Continue reading

Posted in Clive Fraser, Commuting, Croydon Council, Croydon Cycling Campaign, Cycling, Environment, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Parking, Purley, South Croydon, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Auditors and Government both losing patience with Kerswell

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Judged by the ill-considered political posturing going forward into tonight’s full council meeting, the borough’s Labour councillors haven’t yet worked out who it was that bankrupted the borough. By WALTER CRONXITE, political editor The conman is back. … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Kola Agboola, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington North, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Councillors line up Stormzy for the Freedom of the Borough

More dither and delay by our cash-strapped council, after they are forced to  check whether the global superstar rapper will accept a civic honour. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s Labour councillors want to give Stormzy the Freedom of the Borough. … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Alison Butler, Andrew Pelling, Badsha Quadir, Bernadette Khan, Croydon Council, Gerry Ryan, Helen Pollard, Jane Avis, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Louisa Woodley, Maggie Mansell, Mayor Jason Perry, Pat Clouder, Paul Scott, Shafi Khan, Simon Hall, Simon Hoar, Steve Hollands, Steve O'Connell, Tim Pollard, Toni Letts, Tony Newman, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ex-councillor Hall says: ‘Sorry to be direct, but this is a lie’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Only two elected councillors have so far had their roles in the council’s financial collapse questioned, and Tony Newman and Simon Hall are still not saying sorry. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Tony Newman and Simon Hall, two … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Councillors agree to chase Negrini for golden handshake cash

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The same committee which met in August 2020 to agree the £437,000 payment to the departing CEO today decided to ignore the advice of senior lawyers and spend more council cash in trying to recover the pay-off. … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Callton Young, Croydon Council, Enid Mollyneaux, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Patricia Hay-Justice, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

MP calls for misconduct charges against ex-councillor Hall

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Home Office junior minister Chris Philp says that some of the council’s former leaders ‘committed such egregious breaches of public trust that they should be formally investigated by the police for the criminal offence of misconduct in … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

All you ever need to know about ‘misconduct in public office’…

… but couldn’t be bothered to ask. Here’s a potted summary taken from the Law Commission, Crown Prosecution Service and independent legal advisors on the prospects of a successful prosecution being brought against Croydon’s borough bankrupters using this arcane offence … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Philp MP, Crime, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tory Perry tries to appoint £123,000 ‘transformation director’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Spend, spend, spend… the bad old habits of the dark days of the Negreedy era don’t seem to have been eradicated altogether, as CEO Kerswell looks to hire a new director to do her dirty work for … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Neil Williams, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Council facing strike in payroll over discrimination claims

One-quarter of staff in one council section are facing losing their jobs – and all those being made redundant are BAME women Union members in Croydon Council’s payroll department at Fisher’s Folly are being balloted over strike action in response … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon TUC, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council Tax fightback begins with community action meeting

The Croydon Assembly is to stage a “community strategy meeting” this Thursday, two weeks after Mayor Jason Perry was allowed to impose his 15per cent Council Tax hike on the borough’s residents when every single Labour councillor abstained on Town … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon TUC, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Croydon’s Council Tax scheme to face High Court challenge

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Errors in applying Council Tax exemptions for the elderly and disabled, as well as carers and students, has led to a Judicial Review to be heard tomorrow A judge in the High Court will hear a case … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Council’s once-prized listed building Heathfield House left to rot

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The borough’s built heritage is crumbling into a worrying state of disrepair, with no one at the council seemingly aware of the seriousness of the situation. By PEARL LEE, our south of the borough correspondent Any Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in Addington, Art, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Gardening, Heathfield House, History, Property, Riesco Collection, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Croydon put in special measures: ‘Worst of all possible worlds’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Announcements from Westminster and Whitehall today put the borough under the control of unelected bureaucrats who are answerable only to a Tory Government minister – in a scheme that the Mayor has helped plot for months. By … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

‘Precautionary measure given the historic issues uncovered’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: At 12.15pm this afternoon, the council’s internal communications department issued the following statement to all staff, under the title, “Message from Executive Mayor Jason Perry and Chief Executive, Katherine Kerswell”. This is that statement in full: Dear … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Two years too late, Tory Government intervenes over council

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A Parliamentary written statement today effectively admitted defeat over the council’s bail-outs and ordered a Whitehall takeover of the council ahead of a possible £540m debt write-off Lee Rowley, the Tories’ local government minister, announced today an … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Restructuring’ has housing workers facing £3,000 pay cut

Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on the latest shocking cost-cutting measures being imposed on council staff Croydon Council could be heading for a series of strikes later this year, after senior managers at Fisher’s Folly moved to cut some … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Susmita Sen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Allowing 15% hike is ‘protecting Council Tax payers’ says Gove

Inside Croydon’s petition to Parliament against the decision to allow councils, including Croydon, to increase Council Tax above the 5per cent cap without first conducting a referendum – as is usually required by law – achieved the 10,000-signature threshold on … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

You can depend on Croydon Labour: they always let you down

By STEVEN DOWNES, Editor, Inside Croydon In the end, it was all so sadly predictable. Yet even old cynics didn’t believe it was really going to happen in such a swift and shabby manner until they actually saw it all … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Esther Sutton, Jane West, Janet Campbell, Karen Jewitt, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Patricia Hay-Justice, Ria Patel, Stuart King, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

And here are the Labour councillors who broke their word over the 15% tax hike and abandoned the people of Croydon

STUART KING. Leader of the opposition Councillor King took over as Labour group leader in May 2022. Had spent previous eight years mostly holding senior positions, including cabinet posts, in the Labour council administration of Tony Newman, Alison Butler and … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Amy Foster, Brigitte Graham, Callton Young, Catherine Wilson, Chris Clark, Chrishni Reshekaron, Christopher Herman, Clive Fraser, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Enid Mollyneaux, Humayun Kabir, Humayun Kabir, Janet Campbell, Karen Jewitt, Kola Agboola, Leila Ben-Hassel, Louis Carserides, Maddie Henson, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Bonello, Mohammed Islam, Nina Degrads, Patricia Hay-Justice, Patsy Cummings, Sean Fitzsimons, Sherwan Chowdhury, Stella Nabukeera, Stuart Collins, Stuart King, Tamar Barrett (was Nwafor), Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Only three councillors were as good as their word and stood up for the people against Tory Mayor Perry’s 15% Council Tax hike

In the end, after hours of bluster and posturing, just three of the borough’s 70 councillors stood up for the residents that they represent and were as good as their word, voting against the Conservative Mayor’s budget and his 15per … Continue reading

Posted in Claire Bonham, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Esther Sutton, Ria Patel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

‘Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay’ to start if 15% tax hike goes through

WALTER CRONXITE, our political editor, on what could happen next if Mayor Perry gets his way over his unbalanced budget A senior source connected to the local trades union movement is predicting that if – or when – the 15per … Continue reading

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon TUC, Improvement Board, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Gove holds back panel’s key report until after budget deadline

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The government appointed a panel of experts in early 2021 to oversee the operation of the ‘dysfunctional’ council. But after a delay of more than a year, they won’t publish their ‘assurance’ report until after the Tory … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment