Tag Archives: Phil Thomas

Council dumps disastrous idVerde outsourced parks contract

This was not what was meant when ‘taking back control’ was coined as a slogan, but this week in Croydon, our council has moved in to relieve a French firm of its responsibilities in our parks, as KEN LEE reports … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Carillion, Croydon Council, Croydon parks, Duppas Hill Park, Environment, idVerde, Kingston, Libraries, Lloyd Park, Merton, Stuart Collins, Veolia, Wandle Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Collins backs free Christmas tree collection service for 2018

WALTER CRONXITE reports from the council chamber on the first giveaways of the 2018 election campaign Stuart Collins, the deputy leader of Croydon’s Labour-run council, put an early present under every household’s Christmas tree in the borough last night. Collins … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Business, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Refuse collection, Robert Canning, Stuart Collins, Veolia, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Senior Tory councillor quits Town Hall but keeps it all quiet

KEN LEE, our Town Hall reporter, on the disappearing act performed by one of the local Tories’ former leading lights Unannounced at the Town Hall, and unmentioned to the people of Selsdon and Ballards ward she was supposed to be … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Dudley Mead, Phil Thomas, Sara Bashford, Selsdon & Ballards | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Croydon Tories take their revenge on Fisher over #WadGate

There was blood on the shag pile at Croydon Tory HQ over selections for next May’s local elections. Political editor WALTER CRONXITE reports on the high casualty rate among some of the council’s one-time big beasts Mike Fisher, until 2014 … Continue reading

Posted in 2018 council elections, Chris Wright, Coulsdon East, Croydon Council, Donald Speakman, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Heathfield, James Thompson, Margaret Mead, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Purley, Sara Bashford, Selsdon & Ballards, Shirley North, Sue Winborn, Tim Pollard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Balancing the books allows Labour to invest in Croydon

BUDGET COMMENTARY: With the council’s books balanced, a government-approved increase in Council Tax and front-line services being maintained by the Labour council, it is little wonder that the local Tories have so little to offer, writes Councillor ANDREW PELLING Croydon … Continue reading

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Bernard Weatherill House, Council Tax, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Dudley Mead, Fly tipping, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Shirley North, Simon Hall, Tony Newman, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Let there be light: Skanska finish the job, only four months late

Under the council’s newly embossed letter-headings of “Delivering for Croydon”, this probably counts as a Pyrrhic victory: Skanska has finally finished installing street lights across the borough – only four months behind schedule. Given that, as recently as May 2014 … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Croydon Minster, Environment, Phil Thomas, Skanska, Street lighting, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Company behind council’s crap app faces winding up order

Croydon Council’s crap app – MyCroydon – could be about to crash, as the company which operates it, Sensemble, was facing winding up proceedings in the High Court today over around £100,000 in unpaid tax bills. The winding up order … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Phil Thomas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TfL’s £7.6m grant for 20mph zones and road ‘improvements’

Croydon’s councillors will have an opportunity next Monday to demonstrate that they have grasped Einstein’s definition of insanity, and that they won’t be doing the same thing and expecting different results over the spending of millions of pounds on often … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Connected Croydon, Croydon Council, Cycling, Environment, Fairfield, Parking, Purley Way, South Norwood, Stuart King, TfL, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Any way the wind blows, doesn’t really matter to Tory Thomas

If anyone sees Croydon Tory councillor Phil Thomas, can they give him a copy of this chart please? The chart shows how the fall-out – because that’s what it will be – of toxic particulates from the Beddington Lane incinerator … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Parking the tow trucks is another sign that cuts don’t work

WALTER CRONXITE on another cut in council services which seems to offer irresponsible drivers free rein to park their cars wherever they like What follows is a sentence that has never before appeared on Inside Croydon: We agree with Phil … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Kathy Bee, Parking, Phil Thomas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tory councillor aids roads lobbyist expelled from UKIP

JEREMY CLACKSON, Inside Croydon’s Motoring Correspondent, has uncovered evidence that one of the borough’s most senior Tory councillors has been busily assisting a roads lobbyist to undermine efforts to make the borough’s streets safer for all When the Labour group … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Community associations, Commuting, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Cycling, Environment, Gavin Barwell, Mario Creatura, Parking, Peter Staveley, Phil Thomas, Planning, Selsdon & Ballards, Tramlink, Transport, Winston McKenzie | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Un-Appy ‘Arry gets all wound-up in court action over debt

Red-faces all-round in Fisher’s Folly, the council’s over-expensive offices, after the company which was set up to provide a smart phone app to help keep rubbish off the borough’s streets has been dragged through the courts after just 18 months … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Nathan Elvery, Phil Thomas, Refuse collection, Stuart Collins, Tech City | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Costs mount on council’s rubbish MyCroydon app

A tech worker who carried out work on the MyCroydon app has told Inside Croydon that the company which was given the contract by the council, “is not really an ‘app developer’ or ‘software developer’. All it has done is … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Capita, Croydon Council, Fly tipping, Graham Cadle, Phil Thomas, Refuse collection | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kiely leaves council planning post with barely a mention

Last week, one Redhill-based publication devoted two complete pages to the retirement of one of its own staff. But we have been unable to find a single word in its pages about the departure from Croydon of the council’s planning … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Anthony Brooks, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Jo Negrini, Planning, Property, Tramlink, Transport, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Labour cuts and pastes Tory plans for a very bleak midwinter

Tough luck. That’s the message from Croydon Council if we have a bad winter. As commuters battle their way home through what’s left of Hurricane Gonzalo, winter seems to be with us already. Snow and ice cannot be too far … Continue reading

Posted in Community associations, Commuting, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Environment, Health, Kathy Bee, Mayday Hospital, Purley Way, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Councillors are not ‘Appy with MyCroydon’s performance

The MyCroydon smartphone app, a vital part of Labour’s new council administration’s “Don’t Mess With Croydon” T-shirt and slogans campaign, doesn’t work properly. Who says so? A group of Labour councillors, including the deputy cabinet member for T-shirts and slogans. … Continue reading

Posted in Crime, Croydon Council, Environment, Fly tipping, Graham Cadle, Phil Thomas, Refuse collection, Stuart King | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Punch-drunk Tories struggling to get up off the canvas

WALTER CRONXITE has put down his copy of Boxing News to assess the ringcraft of Croydon’s defeated Tories as they warm up for their next big bout Like a boxer who has taken one heavy blow to the chin too many, … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Clare Hilley, Coulsdon West, Croydon Central, Croydon North, Dudley Mead, Gavin Barwell, Mario Creatura, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, New Addington, Phil Thomas, Steve O'Connell, Tony Pearson, Vidhi Mohan, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Spot the difference: Crapita sponsors Labour Mayor’s banquet

STEVEN DOWNES, editor of Inside Croydon, suggests that the borough’s new council has allowed itself to be compromised by the council’s senior staff, developers and big business even before it has been in office for a month Spot the difference. … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2014 council elections, Bernard Weatherill House, Business, Capita, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Environment, Fairfield Halls, Fly tipping, Julie Belvir, Manju Shahul Hameed, Mike Fisher, Nathan Elvery, Phil Thomas, Planning, Refuse collection, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman, URV, Waste incinerator, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Threat of UKIP sees Croydon’s Tories press the panic button

VOTE 2014: The Conservatives, who have run Croydon Council since 2006, have pressed the panic button over the UKIP threat to their control of the Town Hall. The local Tories sent out their distress signal in leaflets distributed across the … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Coulsdon West, Croydon Central, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Fairfield, Fieldway, Gavin Barwell, Mike Fisher, Peter Staveley, Phil Thomas, Richard Ottaway MP, Sarah Jones MP, Selsdon & Ballards, South Norwood, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Questions mounting over political influence at council

There is mounting evidence that some of Croydon Council’s most senior officials are behaving in a dubious manner in respect of the local elections later this month, when they have tens of thousands of pounds of public money at their … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Addiscombe West, Anthony Brooks, Coulsdon West, Croydon Central, Fly tipping, Gavin Barwell, Julie Belvir, Mark Watson, Nathan Elvery, Patricia Hay-Justice, Peter Staveley, Phil Thomas, Refuse collection, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council spends £200,000 on dropped kerbs in flood-risk area

Senior Conservative politicians have ordered Croydon Council staff to cold-call house-holders in a marginal ward to offer to build dropped kerbs with a hefty discount provided on the rates. At the same time that council staff and the emergency services … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Andrew Pelling, Bensham Manor, Clare Hilley, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Environment, Joy Prince, Parking, Phil Thomas, Property, Robert Canning, Simon Hoar, Tony Harris, Transport, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tories dump councillor No3 as Barwell strengthens his hand

Andy Stranack was duly selected on Saturday night as a Tory candidate for Heathfield ward in May’s local elections. Stranack’s selection saw a third sitting Conservative councillor dumped in the selection process so far and provided the latest sign that … Continue reading

Posted in 2012 by-election, 2014 council elections, 2015 General Election, Croydon Central, Dudley Mead, Eddy Arram, Gavin Barwell, Heathfield, Helen Pollard, Ian Parker, Jason Cummings, Justin Cromie, Lynne Hale, Margaret Mead, Phil Thomas, Sanderstead, Sara Bashford, Selsdon & Ballards, Steve Reed MP, Tim Pollard, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Town Hall bruiser Thomas, lies and a Tory power struggle

Inside Croydon editor STEVEN DOWNES on another demoralising three hours of his life that he will never get back – spent at last night’s council budget meeting Croydon Tories, who have been in charge of the council for eight years, … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Environment, Fly tipping, Mike Fisher, Phil Thomas, Refuse collection, Selsdon & Ballards, Shirley North, Steve Reed MP, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fisher holds fire on Tory selections to force through budget

In 14 Thursdays’ time, on May 22, you will be able to vote for up to three people who you want to help run your local services until 2018. Yet the Conservatives who have controlled Croydon Town Hall for the … Continue reading

Posted in 2014 council elections, Addiscombe West, Ashburton, Avril Slipper, Coulsdon, Coulsdon West, Croydon Greens, David Osland, Eddy Arram, Gavin Barwell, Graham Bass, New Addington, Purley, South Croydon, Tony Pearson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments