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Tag Archives: Merton
Charity Nickel Support is providing people with real life skills
CROYDON CHRONICLES: This week, DAVID MORGAN pays a visit to an organisation operating very much in the present, providing a future for dozens of young people It is rare that any of us don’t require some help to learn a … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Charity, David Morgan
Tagged Carshalton, charity, Cheam, Croydon, Croydon Chronicles, David Morgan, Merton, Nickel Support, Sutton, Whitehall Cheam
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GMB to hold strike ballot over weighting pay in Merton schools
Support staff working at schools in Merton are to be balloted for strike action over a long-standing pay discrepancy. Teaching Assistants and school support staff in Merton receive London Weighting at the Outer London rate. Yet their teacher colleagues in … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Merton, Schools
Tagged GMB, GMB Union, Labour, London, London weighting, Merton, Merton Council, Ross Garrod
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Drivers in Bromley and Sutton put on red alert over potholes
Road users in Bromley and Sutton need to exercise extra care to avoid troublesome pot holes. That’s according to a register of poorly-maintained roads issued over the weekend by the Department for Transport, which has both south London boroughs given … Continue reading
Posted in Bromley Council, Cycling, Kingston, Merton, Sutton Council, TfL, Transport
Tagged Bromley, Bromley Council, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Transport, DfT, Edmund King, Heidi Alexander, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Mayor Jason Perry, Merton, Merton Council, Potholes, Sutton, Sutton Council, TfL, The AA, Tory, Transport for London
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Croydon’s 6.6% unemployment rate is among worst in capital
Croydon has one of the worst unemployment rates in London, according to the latest figures. There are 1.8million unemployed across the country, which the Office for National Statistics said, outside the covid pandemic, is the highest level nationally since August … Continue reading
Posted in Bromley Council, Business, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Merton, Southwark Council, Sutton Council
Tagged Bromley, Budget, Budget 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Conservative, Croydon, Department of Work and Pensions, DWP, Jobseekers Allowance, Labour, Lambeth, London, Merton, Office for National Statistics, ONS, Rachel Reeves, Southwark, Sutton, Tory, Underemployment, unemployment
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Croydon put in charge of £18.4m government work scheme
The government’s £338m ‘Connect to Work’ programme has been criticised by business leaders who say it is ‘another band-aid on a fundamentally broken system that expects sick and disabled people to adapt, rather than workplaces to change’ The government has … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon West, Sarah Jones MP
Tagged Connect to Work, Croydon, Croydon West, Department for Work and Pensions, DWP, Kingston, Labour, Liz Kendall, London, Merton, Richmond, Sarah Jones MP, Sutton
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Now Kerswell’s deputy CEO joins the rush for council exits
EXCLUSIVE: To lose one of her trusted inner circle might be unfortunate for Croydon chief exec Katherine Kerswell, but to lose two is beginning to look like an exodus. By STEVEN DOWNES Elaine Jackson, the senior council executive who Croydon … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Elaine Jackson, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jane West, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
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Go West! Cash-strapped council’s finance chief is set to quit
EXCLUSIVE: Councillors were kept in the dark about departure of council’s S151 officer, as her exit is linked to the government’s appointment of Commissioners. By STEVEN DOWNES Jane West, Croydon’s finance director since 2022, is to stand down from her … Continue reading
Posted in Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jane West, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S151 Officer, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
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McArdle’s reward for Croydon failure: £1,200 per day in Brum
Having delivered no appreciable improvement in Croydon after more than four years, the council’s ‘improvement’ panel left south London last week, to be replaced by Commissioners. But the panel members’ ride on the gravy train does not end there. By … Continue reading
Posted in Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Robert Ward, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tony McArdle, Tory, Transformation plan
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Tory improvement panel ‘clearly failed’, says Tory councillor
In the first break with the omerta adopted by Mayor Jason Perry and council CEO Katherine Kerswell over the so-called ‘improvement panel’, a senior Tory councillor says that the appointees of the Conservative government ‘failed’. By WALTER CONXITE, Political Editor … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Robert Ward, Section 114 notice, Selsdon and Addington Village, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
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£642,000: the annual cost of government’s four Commissioners
The government might have decided to send in Commissioners, but it will be Croydon’s Council Tax-payers who will be picking up the bill. Yet again. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s long-suffering residents will be expected to pay the generous daily … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
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‘The government was left with no choice’ over Commissioners
The government “was left with no choice” but to appoint Commissioners to take over the running of Croydon’s omnishambles council, a decision which reflects “serious failings on leadership and culture” at the Town Hall. Two of Croydon’s Labour MPs, Sarah … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Chris Philp MP, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons, Rowenna Davis, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North, Tony Newman
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Croydon South, Croydon West, Ged Curran, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Natasha Irons MP, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 Notice, Steve Reed OBE, Streatham and Croydon North, Tory, Transformation plan
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Minister McMahon orders in Commissioners to run council
STEVEN DOWNES reports on another day of shame for Croydon’s Tory Mayor and his £204,000 chief executive, as government minister orders ‘a short and sharp reset, with fast action… to shift the dial on the council’s recovery’ The government today … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, James Blythe, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
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Meet the Commissioners: council experts sent to save Croydon
Just who are the Commissioners named today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to have been appointed with the task of steering Croydon Council off the rocks of toxic debt and crass mismanagement? Last month, local government … Continue reading
Posted in 'Future Croydon', Abi Brown, Commissioners, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Improvement Board, Jackie Belton, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan
Tagged Abi Brown, Bexley, Commissioner, Conservative, Council Tax, Council transformation, Croydon, Croydon Council, Debbie Warren, Ged Curran, Greenwich, Improvement and Assurance Panel, Improvement Panel, Jackie Belton, Jim McMahon, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Merton, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Section 114 Notice, Tory, Transformation plan
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Addiscombe firm backing director’s long ride for St Raphael’s
A Croydon builders’ merchant is supporting a dedicated colleague as they gear up for an incredible charity challenge, cycling more than 200 miles from London to Paris to raise vital funds for St Raphael’s Hospice. Chris Dack is the IT … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Charity, Health
Tagged Chris Dack, Harris and Bailey, London to Brighton, London to Paris, Merton, St Raphael's Hospice, Sutton, Worcester Park
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Digital booking system adds 24% extra doctors’ appointments
South-west London’s community doctors are providing thousands of additional appointments through using improved technology. There were more than 738,000 GP appointments in south-west London, including Sutton and Croydon, in March 2025 – up nearly 20,000 on the same period a … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Croydon, GP surgeries, Merton, NHS, NHS London, NHS South West London Integrated Care Board, Sutton, Wallington
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Reports of another fuel spill into River Wandle chalk stream
Further concerns are being raised about an ‘environmental disaster’, with criticisms of the government agency’s failed clean-up of spill from February being compounded by more pollution on the river this week For the second time in just a few weeks, … Continue reading
Councillor slams ‘shameful and deceitful’ waste figures
DODGY LEAFLETS: Local elections are still more than a year away, but the colourful flyers with carefully crafted weasel words are already beginning to appear on residents’ doormats. Not all are overtly from political parties, but as BELLE MONT reports, … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, Merton, Nick Mattey, Refuse collection, Suez waste treatment plant, Sutton Council, Veolia, Waste incinerator
Tagged Beddington, Beddington incinerator, Beddington Lane incinerator, Croydon, Croydon Council, Kingston, Kingston Council, Liberal Democrats, Merton, Merton Council, Nick Mattey, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Sutton Council, Tim Martin, Veolia, Viridor, Waste recycling
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Groups join MP’s call for big fines for River Wandle polluters
An MP has been joined by an organisation representing 150 voluntary groups and a rivers charity in calling for punitive “polluter pays” fines for whoever was responsible for this week’s massively damaging diesel spillage into the River Wandle. Bobby Dean, … Continue reading
‘Environmental disaster’ on Wandle after diesel spills into river
A Sutton MP has called the latest pollution spill into the River Wandle an “environmental disaster”, after an estimated 4,000 litres of diesel was released into the rare chalk stream yesterday. Officials from Merton Council, crews from the London Fire … Continue reading
Reed’s government shelves plans to help protect River Wandle
‘Townie’ MP Steve Reed, having angered Jeremy Clarkson and the farming lobby, now seems set for a row with Feargal Sharkey over the fate of England’s under-threat chalk streams Government officials have abandoned proposals to protect and clean up the … Continue reading
It’s a whole load of nothing when new MP Irons appears on TV
It wasn’t just Keir Starmer who was being judged on his first 100 days in office. On Day 101 of her career as an MP, Natasha Irons popped up on our tellyboxes to dazzle us with her brilliance. Or not. … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon East, Natasha Irons
Tagged BBC London, BBC Politics London, Croydon East, Merton, Merton Council, Natasha Irons MP, Samantha Simmonds
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New bins deal sees tenants living above shops get extra service
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Despite being forced to go back to Veolia two years after they sacked the rubbish contractors, the council is claiming that their new contract is a better deal for residents. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council officials, forced … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Environment, Fly tipping, Merton, Nick Hibberd, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Veolia, Waste incinerator
Tagged #Binmageddon, #MuckyMerton, #SuttonBinShame, Croydon, Croydon Council, Kingston, Kingston Council, Labour, Merton, Merton Council, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Sutton Council, Veolia
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Council acts against rogue landlords… just not in Croydon
In a landmark move, Merton Council has taken action against a rogue landlord by seizing 18 private rented flats at locations around the south London borough, after months of tenant complaints were ignored. This move marks what is believed to … Continue reading
40 arrests made in daybreak police operation in Mitcham
The Met Police is claiming 40 arrests today from actioning 32 warrants in early morning raids across Mitcham “to disrupt serious and organised criminality”. The daybreak raids – dubbed Operation Hessian by someone at Scotland Yard who’s probably watched too … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Knife crime, Merton, Mitcham, Policing
Tagged Drugs crime, Drugs gangs, Gun crime, knife crime, Merton, Met Police, Metropolitan Police, Mitcham, Operation Hessian
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