Tag Archives: Maria Gatland

Conservative councillor’s secret past as an IRA gun-runner

After 24 years on Croydon Council, Maria Gatland will be standing down at the elections in May, her explosive past still unknown by many of the residents she represents. PETER GILLMAN provides the inside story When Tory councillor Maria Gatland … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, Community associations, Croham Hurst, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Maria Gatland, Peter Gillman, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

How chief Nimby Philp built in Tories’ own Purley backyard

BARRATT HOLMES, housing correspondent, on what is undoubtedly, even by Croydon’s low standards, the most egregious example of ‘do as we say, not as we do’ from our politicians Croydon residents living south of the Flyover, whether they are in … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Clark, Chris Philp MP, Croydon South, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, Purley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Labour deputy leaders Young and Collins to stand down in 2026

At least 15% of Croydon’s sitting councillors won’t be seeking election in 2026, while some are doing the ‘chicken run’ to stay on the council gravy train. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Nearly a dozen of Croydon’s current 70 … Continue reading

Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Addiscombe West, Brigitte Graham, Broad Green, Callton Young, Chris Clark, Claire Bonham, Clive Fraser, Coulsdon Town, Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Fairfield, Louis Carserides, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Old Coulsdon, Patricia Hay-Justice, Paul Ainscough, Purley, Ria Patel, Richard Chatterjee, Rowenna Davis, Shirley North, Simon Brew, Simon Fox, South Croydon, South Norwood, Stuart Collins, Sue Bennett, Thornton Heath, Waddon, Woodside | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Union official who exposed IRA past of Tory councillor has died

DAVID WHITE offers his appreciation of the life and work of Dr Peter Latham, who has died, aged 83 I was sorry to hear of the death last month of Dr Peter Latham, the prominent sociologist, author, political activist and … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon TUC, David White | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Children’s services passes Ofsted inspection despite 5 deaths

The sigh of relief from the Town Hall could be heard all the way to Purley, as inspectors passed the council’s under-pressure children’s care department as overall ‘Good’. But with only 80% staff and a series of deaths of youngsters … Continue reading

Posted in Children's Services, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Stuart Collins | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

RAAC and ruins: Link school discovers dangerous concrete

Another local special school is shut down over concerns about ‘crumbling’ concrete used in its buildings. By GENE BRODIE, education correspondent The Link Secondary School on Croydon Road is the latest to be affected by concerns over RAAC, the lightweight … Continue reading

Posted in Beckmead Park, Croydon Council, Education, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Two Croydon schools forced to close over crumbling concrete

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council’s Tory leadership accused of ‘deceiving’ parents with statement issued last week on the state of the borough’s schools. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Despite assurances issued by the council, at least two Croydon schools will not be … Continue reading

Posted in Beckmead Park, Croydon Council, Education, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Perry’s back-pedalling furiously on Boris-backed bike scheme

Croydon Mayor’s long-term opposition to safe cycling infrastructure could yet lead to a scheme along Brighton Road causing someone serious injury, maybe worse, as the council fails to act on a potential death trap. By JEREMY CLACKSON, transport correspondent The … Continue reading

Posted in Boris Johnson, Crime, Croydon Council, Croydon Cycling Campaign, Environment, Health, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Purley, Ria Patel, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 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

Tories accused of ‘pandering to prejudice’ over cycle lanes

The Conservatives’ Mayoral candidate is contradicting his own party leader over a roads improvement scheme in South Croydon Jason Perry, the Conservative candidate to become the first executive Mayor of Croydon, has launched a petition which warns against “traffic chaos” … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Boris Johnson, Cycling, Environment, Jason Perry, London-wide issues, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal, Parking, South Croydon, TfL, Transport, Val Shawcross | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tories in reshuffle as Redfern and Streeter quit cabinet jobs

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, reports on the latest departures from the Conservatives’ front bench at the Town Hall Less than 10 months out from the borough-wide local elections, and with Labour in Croydon on the ropes after the scandals … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Gareth Streeter, Helen Redfern, Jason Perry, Jeet Bains | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Friends group opposes works to restore Croham Hurst after fire

Those not working this Bank Holiday Monday in the fine weather forecasted might want to take their recreation on the top of Croham Hurst, especially with the cooling tree cover on the route from the Croham valley. After the hard … Continue reading

Posted in Croham Hurst, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Friends of Croham Hurst Woods, Maria Gatland, South Croydon, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fire brigade on stand-by for fire risk at Croydon beauty spot

There’s growing concerns, ahead of another hot and dry weekend, for the safety of a Croydon beauty spot from fires, coupled with mounting anger at the carelessness and “eco-vandalism” of some who might be planning to hold barbecues at Croham … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon parks, Environment, London Fire Brigade, Maria Gatland, South Croydon, Wildlife | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Large sections of Croham Hurst left scarred after day-long fires

Firefighters are on standby today to dampen down the embers after fire left a large part of Croham Hurst charred and blackened. Three fire engines attended the Site of Special Scientific Interest for most of yesterday, as a bush fire … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon parks, London Fire Brigade, Maria Gatland, South Croydon, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Councillor appeals to public to avoid fire risk at Croham Hurst

With the London Weather Centre already declaring this month the driest June since records began, a councillor in South Croydon has appealed to the public not to light fires or barbecues in one of the area’s most sensitive natural open … Continue reading

Posted in Croham Hurst, Croydon parks, Environment, Maria Gatland, South Croydon, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Council failure over children’s services becomes election issue

ELECTION COUNTDOWN: The local Tories are suspicious over the sudden banning of a senior councillor from a key social services improvement board meeting. WALTER CRONXITE reports For Labour in Croydon, it has been the issue that they dare not mention … Continue reading

Posted in Barbara Peacock, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Maria Gatland, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Croydon’s Ofsted crisis: This is too important for politics

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The children’s services report is the greatest crisis to confront the council since the riots six years ago. Except, says STEVEN DOWNES, it is just the local reflection of a national collapse of social work “This is too … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Barbara Peacock, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Maria Gatland, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council returns £250,000 pupil premium and doesn’t know why

Cash-strapped Croydon Council sent back nearly £250,000 of education funding unspent to Government last year. The cash represents almost one-quarter of Croydon’s pupil premium, intended for some of the borough’s most in-need children. And probably most worrying of all, when … Continue reading

Posted in Alisa Flemming, Croydon Council, Education, Maria Gatland, Schools, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Purley Tory Speakman’s Labour past emerges 50 years on

March 31 this year will be the 50th anniversary of the 1966 General Election, when Harold Wilson’s Labour enjoyed a landslide victory over the Conservatives. The BBC has been marking the occasion with a day-long transmission of their election night … Continue reading

Posted in Donald Speakman, Maria Gatland, Purley | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

And they’re off! Betting hots up on Croydon’s Tory leadership

Sources on Katharine Street have told Inside Croydon that bets are already being laid as to who will be the next leader of the Conservative group on Croydon Council. It seems odds-on that Mike Fisher will stand down as the … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Sara Bashford, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“Farage is right” says Croydon Conservative MP’s hired gofer

A leading member of the Conservative party in Croydon, and the Westminster assistant to a Tory MP in a marginal seat with a significant Muslim population, has backed UKIP’s Nigel Farage. Mario Creatura, who is paid up to £33,000 per … Continue reading

Posted in 2015 General Election, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Town, Croydon Central, Gavin Barwell, Maria Gatland, Mario Creatura, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Scouring Croham’s campaign for anything that might inspire

VOTE 2014: Over the next couple of weeks, we will preview the local elections with a look at key wards and the key issues. With 15 candidates from seven parties or groups standing in Croham, with the Greens, UKIP and … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Croydon Greens, Croydon South, Gordon Ross, Jason Perry, Jon Bigger, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal, Parking, Property, Pubs, Shasha Khan, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

De-selected Pollard quickly finds Fairfield ward an easy Fitze

Congratulations to the Pollard family, who had to go barely 24 hours facing the horrible prospect of living like ordinary, hard-working Croydon residents and no longer receiving their annual “allowances” total of £67,354 for their part-time roles as Croydon councillors. … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Andrew Stranack, Boris Johnson, David Fitze, Fairfield, Heathfield, Helen Pollard, Jan Buttinger, Jason Perry, Kenley, Maria Gatland, Mayor of London, Michael Neal, South Croydon, Steve Hollands, Steve O'Connell, Sue Winborn, Vidhi Mohan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Labour select councillor from Kent to stand in Croham

Croydon Labour’s selection process for candidates to stand in next May’s local elections has stumbled into another potential controversy, after Chris Clark was chosen to stand in Croham ward in 2014. Clark is currently a councillor in Ashford in Kent, … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Jason Perry, Maria Gatland, Michael Neal, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments