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Tag Archives: MHCLG
Gove won’t ‘level up’ with an extra £1.50 per person per year
With the government’s settlement for local councils announced this week, our columnist ANDREW FISHER takes a look at what Michael Gove and his so-called ‘Levelling Up’ department is really offering “Billions more for councils to build back better” reads the … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Andrew Fisher, Callton Young, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Val Shawcross
Tagged Andrew Fisher, Conservative, Council Tax, Council Tax Support, Croydon, Croydon Council, Department for Levelling Up, DLUHC, Housing and Communities, MHCLG, Michael Gove, Tory
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Reshuffle sees Philp shunted sideways to the ‘Ministry of Fun’
Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the unlucky ‘escape’ in the government reshuffle for Croydon’s only Conservative MP Croydon’s only Tory MP has finally made his escape from the clutches of Priti Patel at the Home Office. There are rumours, unconfirmed, … Continue reading
Posted in Boris Johnson, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Housing, Improvement Board, Surrey
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Culture, DCMS, Department of Digital, Media and Sport, MHCLG, Michael Gove, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Nadine Dorries, Surrey Heath
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Jenrick ministry defends choice of all-white improvement panel
The government has been forced to defend its decision to appoint an all-white “improvement and assurance panel” to oversee Croydon Council’s efforts to recover from its financial collapse last year. In January, Robert Jenrick’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local … Continue reading
£700,000: Croydon counting the costs of council failures
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Town Hall has been hit with ‘penalty fines’ of its own since its financial collapse 12 months ago. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES £697,300 And rising… That’s how much Croydon Council says it has paid so far, … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Report in the Public Interest, Robert Canning, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Croydon, Croydon Council, Grant Thornton, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Robert Canning, Robert Jenrick, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman
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Labour leaders block Audsley over support for elected mayor
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The ghost of Tony Newman has come back to haunt one of his former councillors, as purges begin against those who dared to question the council leader who bankrupted the borough. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The “very … Continue reading
Posted in 2021 Mayor Referendum, 2022 council elections, Alison Butler, Bensham Manor, Clive Fraser, Hamida Ali, Jamie Audsley, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Clive Fraser, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Directly Elected Mayor, Jamie Audsley, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Paul Scott, Rapid Review, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed OBE, Stuart Collins, Tony Newman
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Bankrupt borough could overspend by millions again this year
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Cash-strapped council is facing another busted budget, according to latest estimates. By STEVEN DOWNES Less than six months since Croydon was handed the biggest bail-out in history, following the authority declaring itself effectively bankrupt, and the council … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Chris Buss, Croydon, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Tony McArdle
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Government orders councils to close covid emergency hotels
Local authorities across England, including Croydon Council, have been ordered by the government that they must close the hotels they used to house the homeless during the covid-19 pandemic, as a condition of the latest round of rough-sleeper funding. Inside … Continue reading
Government-appointed advisers pulled plug on BxB sale
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Improvement Panel’ ordered council to abandon its poor-value deal to sell Brick by Brick, and instead to pay Wates Construction £1.12m to oversee the loss-making builders’ work on 23 sites. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Tony McArdle
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Phil Brookes, Tony McArdle
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Government inspector’s concerns over BxB sweetheart deal
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Jenrick’s improvement board raises serious questions over whether the quick sale of the council’s failed development company could end up costing tax-payers many millions of pounds, while its latest report criticises borough officials’ ‘lack of self-awareness’. By … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Tony McArdle
Tagged Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, Tony McArdle, Urban Splash
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Ali’s latest gaffe attracts ridicule over landlord licensing
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council leader reacts with dismay at loss of £20m in licence fees, as Labour councillors question lack of support from their new chief executive. By STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the council leader, opened herself up again to … Continue reading
Jenrick rejects Croydon’s landlord licence scheme application
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The government has binned an application to extend the borough’s landlord licensing scheme, saying that the council failed to provide any housing strategy. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, has rejected … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Alison Knight, Business, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Landlord licensing, Paul Scott, Tony Newman
Tagged Alison Butler, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, Landlord licensing scheme, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Paul Scott, Robert Jenrick, Tony Newman
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‘Deeply shocking’ report shows council’s ‘serious failure’
The pressure increased on Hamida Ali, the leader of Croydon Council, as the Town Hall’s pay-masters, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, issued a statement today in response to the notice issued by the Social Housing Regulator which … Continue reading
Posted in Alison Butler, Alison Knight, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Sarah Hayward, Sarah Jones MP, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman
Tagged Chris Philp MP, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Croydon South, Labour, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Regina Road, Regina Road Residents' Support Group, Sarah Jones MP, Social Housing Regulator, South Norwood, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory
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Fitzsimons stays on to scrutinise his scrutiny committee
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Town Hall’s theatre of the absurd continues tonight with a meeting chaired by a councillor criticised by auditors and government inspectors for failing to raise the alarm over finances and poor governance. STEVEN DOWNES reports Sean … Continue reading
Posted in Chris Clark, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, David Wood, Hamida Ali, Jane Avis, Nina Degrads, Oliver Lewis, Report in the Public Interest, Stephen Mann, Tony Newman
Tagged Clive Fraser, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Patricia Hay-Justice, Rapid Review, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Sean Fitzsimons, Tony Newman
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Ali and Kerswell are summoned to Parliamentary inquiry
CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘There is much that the council needs to do to become a properly functioning local authority’ says panel’s report to government, as it recommends more cuts to Croydon’s Adult Social Care and Children’s Services. By STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Chris Buss, Clive Betts MP, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Panel, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S114, Section 114, Tony McArdle
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Croydon In Crisis: Council handed biggest bail-out ever
EXCLUSIVE: Councillors were being briefed tonight that the government has agreed to a £120m loan arrangement for the bankrupt borough – but it will take at least 20 years for the council to pay down its mountain of debt. By … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, Luke Hall, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S114, Section 114, Tory
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We’re in the money! Bexley gets its government bail-out
While Croydon Council waits on anxiously for the deliberations of Whitehall civil servants over whether it will be allowed its multi-million-pound bail-out, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government last night announced that it would be granting permission to … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Outside Croydon, Section 114 notice
Tagged Bexley Council, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S114, Section 114, Tory
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‘There is no alternative’: £25m council bail-out given green light
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council reports rewritten, lack of commercial experience in key positions and a ‘very controlling’ former leader and his inner circle. The rapid review of Croydon Council paints a picture that will be very familiar to readers of … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Chris Wood, Croydon, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Rapid Review, Robert Jenrick, Tony Newman
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Croydon In Crisis: Government to take charge of council
EXCLUSIVE: Tory minister expected to appoint an ‘improvement board’ to oversee the running of the borough. By STEVEN DOWNES The hopes of senior Croydon politicians to retain some control as they try to manage the council out of its financial … Continue reading
Jenrick issues ‘strongly-worded’ warning over property deals
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government minister targets bankrupt borough when he tells LGA conference ‘Councils shouldn’t make investments for which they are not well-equipped’. By WALTER CRONXITE It seems increasingly likely that Whitehall will insist on Croydon flogging off many of … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Section 114 notice
Tagged Brick by Brick, Colonnades, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, S114, Section 114
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Croydon gets Commons debate, but Labour MPs go AWOL
The collapse of Croydon Council’s finances got a debate all to itself at the House of Commons last week. But two of the borough’s three MPs didn’t bother to show up. Adjournment debates are a peculiar piece of parliamentary procedure, … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP
Tagged Brick by Brick, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jason Cummings, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, S114, Sarah Jones, Section 114, Steve Reed OBE, Tony Newman, Tory
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Council hands Jenrick a begging letter asking for £150m
CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council’s old-new leader faces an agonising wait – and probably another Section 114 notice by December 23 – as Whitehall ponders over a multi-million-pound loan. By KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter Croydon’s Labour-run Council confirmed … Continue reading
Clues to Whitehall plan in leaked report from Nottingham
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Might there be clues into what Whitehall has planned for this borough from a ‘rapid review’ conducted on another cash-strapped local authority? By our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE A “rapid review” by government inspectors into a … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice
Tagged Croydon, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Nottingham, Nottingham City Council, Robert Jenrick, S114, Section 114
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Council’s Christmas present to Croydon: another S114 notice
Ho! Ho! Ho! The countdown to Christmas at the council’s Fisher Folly offices began in earnest this morning with the issuing of a Section 114 notice – another one – signalling that officials are still unable to deliver a balanced … Continue reading
CEO Kerswell: council staff ‘are angry, upset and want answers’
CROYDON IN CRISIS: They say confession is good for the soul, though apologies issued yesterday by several council executives read more like pleas to keep their jobs. By WALTER CRONXITE There were several council staff members who half-expected Katherine Kerswell, … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Hamida Ali, Hazel Simmonds, Heather Cheesbrough, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Shifa Mustafa
Tagged Chris Wood, Croydon, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Labour, Lisa Taylor, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI, Shifa Mustafa
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Wood comes knocking with brief to investigate Brick by Brick
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Can it really just be coincidence that the troubleshooter appointed to conduct an urgent review of the council also has extensive experience working at one of Jo Negrini’s former boroughs? WALTER CRONXITE reports It seems almost certain … Continue reading
Posted in Brick by Brick, Colonnades, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Property, Report in the Public Interest, Tony Newman
Tagged Brick by Brick, Chris Wood, Colonnades, Croydon, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Labour, London Borough of Croydon, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, Tony Newman
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