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Tag Archives: Merton
Ombudsman creates league table of London’s failing councils
The Housing Ombudsman has launched a special investigation into Lewisham Council, which is guilty of “repeated failings”. The watchdog said it would carry out the probe into the south London council after issuing it with 16 “severe maladministration” findings in … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Bexley, Bromley Council, Croydon Council, Housing, Lambeth Council, Lewisham, London-wide issues, Merton, Southwark Council, Sutton Council, Wandsworth Council
Tagged Alison Butler, Bexley, Brick by Brick, Bromley, Croydon, Croydon Council, Housing Ombudsman, Labour, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richard Blakeway, Southwark, Sutton
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Poor councils make bad situations worse says Ombudsman
People who have been treated poorly by their local council are all too often having their situations made worse when their council delays putting things right. That’s the view of the Local Government Ombudsman in her annual review of all … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Bromley Council, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Lambeth Council, Merton, SEND, Southwark Council, Sutton Council
Tagged Bromley, Croydon, Croydon Council, Housing, Lambeth, Local Government Ombudsman, London, London Borough of Croydon, Merton, Ombudsman, SEND, Southwark, Sutton
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Licensed to print money: incinerator’s five latest breaches
Viridor’s polluting incinerator at Beddington Lane broke the strict terms of its operating licence five times during December, according to data released by the operator. Viridor failed to issue its usual two-weekly update during December – at a time when … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, Merton, Paul Scully MP, Refuse collection, Scott Roche, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator
Tagged Beddington, Beddington incinerator, Beddington Lane, Croydon, Environment Agency, Infant mortality, Kingston, Manuel Abellan, Merton, Pollution, radioactive waste, Scott Roche, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sulphur dioxide, Sutton, Viridor, Volatile Organic Compounds
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Newman Numpty Henson allowed to run for Assembly selection
WALTER CRONXITE, political editor, on the deeply underwhelming line-up being presented belatedly for Labour members in Croydon and Sutton from which to choose their candidate in next May’s London elections The Blairite apparatchiks in charge of the Labour Party in … Continue reading
Posted in 2024 London elections, Addiscombe East, London Assembly, London-wide issues, Maddie Henson, Mayor of London, Merton, Neil Garratt, Sutton Council
Tagged Addiscombe, Addiscombe East, Anonyvoter, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon and Sutton, Croydon and Sutton (London Assembly constituency), David Evans, Labour, London, Maddie Henson, Mark Henson, Martin Whelton, Merton, Sutton, Tory
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Hold the line, please: BT digital phone service comes to London
BT has announced plans to roll out its controversial replacement phone service, called Digital Voice, across Greater London during November and December, with a series of public information events planned for Croydon, Sutton, Bromley and Merton. The events are intended … Continue reading
Posted in Business
Tagged Bromley, BT, Croydon, Digital Voice, Epsom, Merton, Reigate, Sutton
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Halloween horrors as bin and parks workers strike in Sutton
Bin workers and parks staff across three south London boroughs are set to strike, the action likely to affect Halloween and Bonfire Night celebrations according to the GMB union. The two-week industrial action by refuse workers in Sutton and Kingston … Continue reading
Incinerator protestors accuse Viridor of lies over toxic pollution
With just days to go before the Environment Agency closes its latest consultation over whether to allow Viridor to increase their profits by upping the amount of toxic pollution that they pump into the atmosphere of south London, a large … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Peter Underwood, Waste incinerator
Tagged Air pollution, Beddington Lane incinerator, Croydon, Dave Tchil, Elliot Colburn MP, Environment Agency, Jim Duffy, Kingston, Merton, Peter Underwood, Sutton, Verity Thompson, Viridor
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Incinerator operators Viridor cash-in on pollution tax loophole
Allowing climate-damaging emissions from incinerators to go untaxed is ‘shameful’ according to environmental campaigner Companies running waste incinerators, including Viridor, the operators of the polluting Beddington Lane incinerator, dodged more than £500million of pollution charges for burning plastic last year … Continue reading
Macmillan spends half-a-million to extend link to Croydon
An innovative cancer support service, which has already successfully helped hundreds of people in Wandsworth, is now available to cancer patients in Croydon and Merton. Funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, and in partnership with Enable, Macmillan Community Cancer Link Workers … Continue reading
Posted in Charity, Health
Tagged Croydon, Macmillan, Macmillan Cancer Support, Macmillan Community Cancer Link Workers, Merton, Wandsworth
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Viridor turns polluting Beddington incinerator into a sick joke
Incinerator operators Viridor have failed to instal any metal detectors to locate large batteries and other devices which are believed to have caused explosions inside the furnace at the Beddington Lane plant, leading to many of the 40 polluting breaches … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Kingston, Merton, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator
Tagged Beddington Lane, Beddington Lane Farmlands, Beddington Lane incinerator, Croydon, Hackbridge, Hackbridge and Beddington Corner Neighbourhood Development Group, Kingston, Merton, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Viridor
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Bailey holds urgent talks seeking Viridor bail-out for SDEN
Our environment correspondent, PAUL LUSHION, on the backroom deals that have been going on to try to salvage Sutton Council’s struggling heat network business Helen Bailey, the chief exec at Liberal Democrat-controlled Sutton, has been holding emergency talks with incinerator … Continue reading
Posted in Bobby Dean, Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Helen Bailey, Kingston, London-wide issues, Merton, Refuse collection, Ruth Dombey, Shasha Khan, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator
Tagged Beddington Lane incinerator, Helen Bailey, Kingston, KKR, Merton, Ruth Dombey, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Viridor
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MP secures Commons debate on Galpins Road gas explosion
Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, has secured a House of Commons debate tomorrow over the gas explosion on Galpins Road in August that caused the tragic death of four-year-old Sahara Salman and led to the evacuation … Continue reading
South London’s JET jobs programme gets a £3.2m booster
JET, Croydon’s job entry programme for some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents, has received a £3.2million funding boost from the Department of Work and Pensions. As a result, the South London Work and Health and Job Entry Target Programme … Continue reading
Careful what you wish for as we bin rubbish contractor Veolia
CROYDON COMMENTARY: The news that Veolia won’t have their four-borough deal extended once it expires in 2025 has prompted loyal reader LEWIS WHITE, pictured right, to question our councils’ roles in the service decline From the comments made in response … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Kingston, Merton, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Veolia
Tagged #Binmageddon, #MuckyMerton, #SuttonBinShame, Croydon, Croydon Council, Kingston, Kingston Council, Lewis White, Merton, Merton Council, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Sutton Council, Veolia
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Croydon and three other boroughs to bin Veolia rubbish deal
Veolia, who have swept Croydon’s streets and emptied its residents’ bins sporadically since 2003, are to be dropped as the council’s rubbish contractor. The decision has been reached following “significant and ongoing concerns” with Veolia’s performance, which saw three of … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Kingston, Merton, Refuse collection, Sutton Council, Veolia
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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Bin workers face sack if they don’t work on Queen’s Funeral
While most council services have shut down for the bank holiday weekend ahead of Monday’s solemn royal ceremonials, Veolia staff have been told that if they don’t show up for work, they could be fired. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s … Continue reading
Posted in Bromley Council, Business, Croydon Council, Kingston, Lambeth Council, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Merton, Refuse collection, Southwark Council, Veolia
Tagged Bromley, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, HM Queen Elizabeth II, HM The Queen, Kingston, Lambeth, Mayor Jason Perry, Merton, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth II, Southwark, Tory, Unite, Unite the Union, Veolia
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Environment Agency issues flood warning for River Wandle
No sooner has the amber heatwave warning in south London faded away in some light rain than the Environment Agency has put the area on alert for flash flooding. With heavy rain forecast to hit the capital today and tomorrow, … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Lambeth Council, Merton, Sutton Council, Transport, Waddon
Tagged Croydon, Environment Agency, Kingston, Lambeth, Merton, Norbury Brook, Richmond, River Wandle, Sutton, Wandle, Wandle Park
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#BINMAGEDDON! Boroughs left looking like rubbish tips
‘They treat us like the rubbish they are supposed to collect!’ Mounting reports from around the boroughs in the South London Waste Partnership suggest that the councils’ waste service contractors are creaking under pressure. By STEVEN DOWNES The complaints about … Continue reading
Posted in Addiscombe East, Addiscombe West, Business, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Environment, Fly tipping, Merton, Refuse collection, Shirley North, Steve Iles, Sutton Council, Veolia, Waste incinerator
Tagged #SuttonBinShame, Addiscombe, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, Merton, Purley, Shirley, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Sutton, Sutton Council, Veolia
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Boundary Commission recommends four MPs for Croydon
Croydon is to get an extra MP under far-reaching proposed changes to parliamentary constituencies released overnight by the Boundary Commission for England. Under changes which have been years in the making, England will have the number of seats in the … Continue reading
Teacher recalls Merton’s park stars finest hour and a half
Two south London boroughs have managed to produce a profusion of footballing talent, from Neil Sullivan to Callum Hudson-Odoi, from Jason Cundy to Wilfried Zaha. Here, DAVID MORGAN looks back to the days when he was manager of one of … Continue reading
Posted in Crystal Palace FC, David Morgan, Football, Merton, Schools, Sport, Wilfried Zaha
Tagged Callum Hudson-Odoi, Croydon, David Morgan, Graeme Stuart, Jason Cundy, Merton, Neil Sullivan, Wilfried Zaha, Wimbledon FC
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Merton seeking replacement for long-standing CEO Curran
Ged Curran, the chief executive at Merton Council for nearly 17 years, is set to leave his £220,000 per year job. There has been no formal announcement from Merton of Curran’s departure, but the council is holding an appointments committee … Continue reading
Posted in London-wide issues, Merton, Outside Croydon
Tagged Ged Curran, Merton, Merton Council
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One year on, Viridor finally submit report on Beddington blaze
PAUL LUSHION on how a company worth £4.2bn looks set to get away with another crime against the environment Don’t hold your breath, but Viridor might just be about to get around to delivering a report on the massive fire … Continue reading
Viridor breaking rules over incinerator’s pollution reports
Our environment correspondent, PAUL LUSHION, on how 12 months after a major fire at the Beddington Lane plant its polluting operators continue to be given a free pass by the Environment Agency and local councils Viridor, who operate the waste … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Extinction Rebellion, Stuart Collins, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator
Tagged Beddington Lane incinerator, Croydon, Croydon Council, Kingston, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Merton, Miguel Abellan, SLWP, South London Waste Partnership, Stuart Collins, Sutton Council, Viridor, XR Sutton
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TfL backs Sutton Tram Link – but lacks £420m to pay for it
Transport for London has plumped for a tram extension that links Sutton town centre with the Northern Line Tube at Colliers Wood. But they just don’t have the £420million needed to pay for it just yet. The outcome of a … Continue reading
Posted in Merton, Sutton Council, Sutton Link, TfL, Tramlink, Transport
Tagged Mayor of London, Merton, Merton Council, Sutton, Sutton Council, TfL, Transport for London
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