Tag Archives: Planning

Planners in Tandridge are leaving their phones off the hook

It is not just in Croydon where getting an answer from the local council can take a while. In neighbouring Tandridge, the planning department will be leaving their phones off the hook and their incoming emails unanswered for a whole … Continue reading

Posted in Tandridge District Council | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Council’s planners lose multiple cases at appeal and in court

Independent inspectors and judges at the High Court continue to rule against decisions made by Croydon’s planning department. Yet those making these dubious, developer-friendly decisions remain in place Research for Inside Croydon has found at least another 11 planning cases … Continue reading

Posted in Aventier, Business, Community associations, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Lynne Hale, Maria Gatland, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Nicola Townsend, Paul Scott, Planning, Sanderstead, Yvette Hopley | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Planners’ misdeeds continue to pile disgrace on our borough

CROYDON COMMENTARY: After the latest revelations of deceit and delay by the council’s planning department, costing the borough tens of thousands of pounds when supporting a profit-hungry developer, iC reader IAN KIERANS says it is time that the Mayor and … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Park Hill and Whitgift, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Home owner’s victory after four-year battle with planners

The planning department at Croydon’s dysfunctional council has been caught out yet again after the collapse of a developer’s appeal – but only after incurring huge and avoidable costs. Our housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES, unravels a saga of deceits and … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Clark, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Jade Appleton, Katherine Kerswell, Nicola Townsend, Park Hill and Whitgift, Parking, Paul Scott, Planning, Property | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Council planning approvals being ‘sold’ for £1,500 per flat

STEVE WHITESIDE, a former council planner, has been carefully monitoring development applications around the borough over several years. In the course of that work, he has observed a systemic move by the council to attach money-spinning legal agreements to approved … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Kenley, Planning, Property, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Tory Bains is forced to confess: planning is ‘all but broken’

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the latest confessions to emerge from the Conservative council’s cabinet The planning department at Croydon Council is “all but broken”, according to a Planning Advisory Service report. The Planning Advisory Service is part of … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Jeet Bains, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Scott Roche | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Gove’s broadside at builders over their ‘ugly’ developments

Michael Gove, in his second spell as the Tories’ Levelling Up Secretary, has declared war against “ugly” buildings, in an effort to reduce opposition to residential developments. That could be bad news for the profit-hungry developers who seek to replace … Continue reading

Posted in Brick by Brick, Environment, Housing, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cash-strapped council hiring in expensive lawyers for planning

The residents’ fight-back against over-development continues, despite efforts by an external legal adviser to get councillors on the planning committee to alter their rulings. By STEVE WHITESIDE A year ago, I suggested on these pages that there might be “glimmers … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Clive Fraser, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Property, Purley, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Palace granted permission (again) for £100m stand at Selhurst

Back of the net! The result of last night’s planning committee meeting was never in doubt. But now Crystal Palace and their chairman Steve Parish have to seal a deal with Sainsbury’s. By our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE It … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Christopher Herman, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Leila Ben-Hassel, Planning, Selhurst, South Norwood, Steve Parish | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cancelled planning committees are ‘shouting incompetence’

There’s growing concerns over the disorganisation of the council planning department, after last night’s scheduled meeting of the planning committee in the Town Hall Chamber had to be cancelled because of “issues with publication of reports”. The cancellation means that … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Planning, Property, South Croydon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Old Coulsdon residents angry at developer badgering wildlife

Croydon’s planners are accused of working together with developers to allow the destruction of an ancient badger sett in Old Coulsdon. Residents have been collating evidence for two years of deliberate vandalism to the sett, despite the protected species status … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Nicola Townsend, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council planners ignore court order over flats in Sanderstead

Those who hoped new Mayor Jason Perry would sweep away the bad practices of the council’s planning department are in for a bit of a disappointment. STEVE WHITESIDE with the latest in a long-running saga Even the decision of a … Continue reading

Posted in Aventier, Business, Croydon Council, Housing, Lynne Hale, Mayor Jason Perry, Nicola Townsend, Planning, Property, Sanderstead | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Residents blocked from meeting by football club’s lobbyists

Crystal Palace FC have lodged 40 new files as part of the planning application for their proposed £100m stand. But a meeting promised with affected households has been cancelled and residents told that they are not welcome to attend a … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Christopher Herman, Croydon Council, Croydon North, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Housing, Louis Carserides, Mayor of London, Planning, Property, South Norwood, Stella Nabukeera, Steve Parish, Steve Reed MP | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Planning permission lapsed for £100m new stand at Selhurst

The planning permission for Crystal Palace to redevelop their main stand in a £100million project at Selhurst Park has lapsed – leaving the club to go through a costly re-application process, or to continue to play their games in one … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Crystal Palace FC, Football, Housing, London-wide issues, Mayor of London, Planning, Property, Selhurst, Sport, Steve Parish | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Planning chief’s position untenable as developers’ charter axed

Town Hall correspondent PEARL LEE on the seismic shift going on in the council’s planning department Croydon’s part-time Mayor, Jason Perry, will deliver on one of his key promises tonight when, at his first council cabinet meeting since his election … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Chris Philp MP, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Croydon South, Heather Cheesbrough, Housing, Kenley, Mayor Jason Perry, Michael Neal, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Sanderstead, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Brick by Brick abandons its planning consents and 23 sites

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The council this week set light to a ‘bonfire of the vanities’, abandoning planning applications on 477 homes around the borough in development proposals by their failed house builders. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council has dumped … Continue reading

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Jo Negrini, London-wide issues, New Addington, Norbury, Paul Scott, Planning, Property, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman, Waddon, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Sutton planners add fuel to incinerator fires with dirty diesel

Think those plumes of smoke coming out of the polluting Viridor incinerator at Beddington Lane are just from the burning of hundreds of thousands of tons of rubbish? Think again. It’s not entirely the case. Some of the pollution comes … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Environment, London-wide issues, Merton, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Mayor Perry’s first act is to end planners’ ‘9-9-9 emergency’

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on the early moves by the new administration Jason Perry’s first executive act as Croydon’s new Mayor was to start to wind-in the toxic legacy of Paul Scott’s time in charge of planning and development … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Croydon’s planners out-strip other boroughs in permissions

EXCLUSIVE: Research based on government figures confirms that Croydon’s planning department has been out-stripping other south London boroughs in giving permission to property developers – at times by a rate of more than 5 to 1. By STEVEN DOWNES Research … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Planning director worried about her career? So she should be

CROYDON COMMENTARY: As someone who spent their career working on local authority planning matters, STEVE WHITESIDE has found council director Heather Cheesbrough’s attempt to gag one of the Mayoral election candidates just the latest example of shameless arrogance So Heather … Continue reading

Posted in Aventier, Business, Croydon Council, Environment, Heather Cheesbrough, Kenley, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Council’s planning chief attempts to gag Mayor candidate

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Heather Cheesbrough has lied about her qualifications and covered up for planning staff with too-close connections with private developers. Now she’s trying to block an election candidate calling for her to be sacked. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Pelling, Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Val Shawcross, Waddon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Planning Inspector rejects developer’s appeal on Hartley flats

After nearly a decade of profit-hungry developers being allowed to build too-small flats in too-large blocks in Croydon’s leafy suburbs, a government official has finally pointed out that this does nothing to help the housing crisis. By BARRATT HOLMES Residents … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Community associations, HADRA, Housing, Planning, Property, Purley, Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Residents in Oval Road put in a spin by latest flats scheme

Long-suffering residents in Addiscombe are trying to fight proposals to build two blocks of flats, of up to four storeys, that profit-hungry developers, aided by the council’s planners, are proposing to squeeze into a narrow space between the back gardens … Continue reading

Posted in Addiscombe West, Jeet Bains, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Planning, Sean Fitzsimons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

#Macarnage: Formal complaint over planners’ too-close links

EXCLUSIVE: The council has approved a scheme for another block of flats which is to be built by a firm with close links to a senior member of the planning staff, and where another planner appears to have helped draw … Continue reading

Posted in Coulsdon, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Heather Cheesbrough, Nicola Townsend, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Planning department judged ‘at fault’ over boundary dispute

Emails from residents unanswered, six-month delays in dealing with a formal complaint, and a planning department that ignored a court order. Just another episode in the regular shambles at Fisher’s Folly Another day, another ruling from the Local Government Ombudsman … Continue reading

Posted in Croydon Council, Heather Cheesbrough, Katherine Kerswell, Planning | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments