Tag Archives: Lynne Hale

Planners’ unconditional love for developers is unchanged

One of the arguments put forward for a change to a directly elected mayor was that they would be able to end the questionable practices of the council planning department. But as STEVE WHITESIDE explains, strategic ignorance and intellectual dishonesty … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Lynne Hale, Pete Smith, Planning, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 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

Council’s planners lose multiple cases at appeal and in court

Independent inspectors and judges at the High Court continue to rule against decisions made by Croydon’s planning department. Yet those making these dubious, developer-friendly decisions remain in place Research for Inside Croydon has found at least another 11 planning cases … Continue reading

Posted in Aventier, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Nicola Townsend, Paul Scott, Planning, Sanderstead, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Council planners ignore court order over flats in Sanderstead

Those who hoped new Mayor Jason Perry would sweep away the bad practices of the council’s planning department are in for a bit of a disappointment. STEVE WHITESIDE with the latest in a long-running saga Even the decision of a … Continue reading

Posted in Aventier, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

‘Listening’ council gives two hours notice of housing workshop

Part-time Mayor Jason Perry’s half-arsed commitment to “listening” to locals was exposed yet again today when the council’s propaganda unit got round to issuing a press release about housing workshops less than two hours before the first session was due … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Croydon Council, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, New Addington, Norbury, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, Shirley North, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council asks tenants: what do you want from repairs service?

Council tenants and leaseholders, together with members of the housing improvement board, have cautiously welcomed the latest Town Hall engagement exercise, intended to improve the pace and standards of the repairs service provided for the borough’s properties. The housing improvement … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Housing, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, South Norwood, Susmita Sen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Part-time Perry and Labour in playground squabble over park

After a decade of Town Hall squabbles, the legacy of Newman and Butler’s years in charge of the council is a playground for the children of tower block half-millionaires. WALTER CRONXITE on another late, costly and incomplete town centre project … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Queens Gardens, Taberner House, Tony Newman, URV | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

MPs’ gofers and failed businesses: new cabinet’s back-stories

Top team, or top chumps? Town Hall reporter KEN LEE runs the rule over the backgrounds of the new Mayor and his Tory colleagues in charge of delivering £68m-worth of budget cuts over the next two financial years We know … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe East, Andrew Stranack, Business, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Ola Kolade, Scott Roche, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

£100,000 Mayor Perry unveils his old team as the new team

WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the completely predictable make-up of the borough’s executive Mayor’s first cabinet, and the wheeling and dealing over who will chair the Town Hall’s most influential committees Given that it took nearly five days to count … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Stranack, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jeet Bains, Katherine Kerswell, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Scott Roche, Sean Fitzsimons, South Croydon, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Secret report into wrong-doing at council still kept under wraps

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Eighteen months after an investigation into how the council’s finances collapsed, the report into the affair – which prompted the resignation of the council leader and four execs – remains unpublished. And the council CEO intends keeping … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Joy Prince, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Signs of the times, as Sanderstead look to celebrate jubilee

Next year’s 70th anniversary of Queen acceding to the throne in 1952 will see celebrations across the realm,  and even in some parts of Croydon. Though in Sanderstead, one landmark tribute that is seen by thousands every day is beginning … Continue reading

Posted in Lynne Hale, Sanderstead | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Newman wins vote but consigns Labour to election misery

TOWN HALL SKETCH: The borough is in the middle of two crises – the coronavirus pandemic and its own financial mess. Yet last night saw the first full meeting of Croydon Council in almost three months, an ’emergency’ meeting only … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, Addiscombe East, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Jeet Bains, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Lisa Taylor, Lynne Hale, Maddie Henson, Mario Creatura, New Addington, New Addington Residents' Association, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tories pick Perry as new leader in run-up to local elections

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports as the Town Hall’s opposition Conservatives stage their leadership reshuffle Jason Perry is Croydon’s Conservative opposition’s new leader, elected at a meeting of the borough’s Tory councillors last night. Croydon’s Tories have been enthusiastic … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Central, Croydon South, Jason Cummings, Jason Perry, Lynne Hale, Mario Creatura, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Objections? What objections? Opposition? What opposition?

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Has the council granted planning permission to a slew of sub-standard developments because the local Tories have allowed them to do so? STEVE WHITESIDE on the questions that Croydon Conservatives refuse to answer Have you ever wondered how … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Dudley Mead, Jason Perry, Lynne Hale, Paul Scott, Pete Smith, Planning, Purley, Sanderstead, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Creatura fails to declare his council position to Parliament

Admin is clearly beneath Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell and his very well-staffed office (whose salaries are paid for by you, the tax-payer). Well over a year since Mario Creatura, Barwell’s Westminster bag carrier, got himself a second publicly funded … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon West, Croydon South, Gavin Barwell, Lynne Hale, Mario Creatura | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments