Tag Archives: Richard Simpson

#PennReport: Cover-ups and denial over Brick by Brick failure

Posted on October 13, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The ‘highly dysfunctional’ council had ‘no transparency or accountability’ over the way it handled millions of pounds of public money. And this latest extract from the Penn Report shows that some key figures refuse to accept responsibility … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIF, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

#PennReport: Croydon has been let down by political leaders

Posted on October 5, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The report into the council’s financial collapse that has been withheld for nearly two years includes damning criticisms of some of the council’s most senior staff and political leaders. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Croydon’s dysfunctional council went … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, The Penn Report, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

LibDems refuse council debate on £44m Beech Tree money pit

Posted on September 2, 2022 by insidecroydon

Ruth Dombey’s LibDems in Sutton are refusing to discuss a council development project which has already gone £14million over budget before a single brick has been laid. Sutton wants to bulldoze 25 council homes on Beech Tree Place in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Richard Simpson, Ruth Dombey, Sutton Council | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council admits: We’re on the brink of bankruptcy. Again

Posted on February 28, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: After a fortnight of unconvincing denials from the Fisher’s Folly propaganda bunker and the local Labour Party, official reports released ahead of budget-setting meetings confirm that Croydon could indeed have to issue a second S114 notice. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, David Padfield, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Richard Ennis, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Simon Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Council faces new storm over ‘missing’ £73m housing money

Posted on February 18, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Auditors are refusing to sign-off the Town Hall accounts because of missing millions from a complex nexus of housing companies, which could force the council to tip over the edge into bankruptcy for a second time in … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Tories miss chance to call for police action over Fairfield fiasco

Posted on January 28, 2022 by insidecroydon

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on the latest fall-out from the £37m overspend on the arts venue as the borough’s councillors – Tory as well as Labour – appear reluctant to turn their old mates over to the police The council … Continue reading →

Posted in 2022 council elections, 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, College Green, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Planning, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shifa Mustafa, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Negrini and execs ‘failed to ensure council was acting lawfully’

Posted on January 26, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: An auditors’ report into the ‘shoddy’ deal that handed the Fairfield Halls refurbishment to loss-making builders Brick by Brick hints at potential fraud and accuses senior officials of large-scale negligence. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Brick by Brick, College Green, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Paul Scott, Planning, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Shifa Mustafa, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Sutton’s Simpson show can’t account for £2m SDEN subsidy

Posted on November 6, 2021 by insidecroydon

‘I can’t give you a guarantee there is no fraud’ – the words of an independent accountancy official at a meeting this week caused further dismay to Sutton’s ruling LibDems amid the growing controversy of their loss-making heat network. CARL … Continue reading →

Posted in Barry Lewis, Elliot Colburn, Environment, Helen Bailey, Jayne McCoy, Neil Garratt, Nick Mattey, Richard Simpson, Ruth Dombey, Sutton Council, Tom Drummond, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Opposition renews call for full-scale fraud probe into SDEN

Posted on October 26, 2021 by insidecroydon

Independent review finds that the loss-making, council-owned district heating network has less of a business case, and is more of a basket case, reports CARL SHILTON Richard Simpson, the senior council official who helped unleash the £200million disaster that is … Continue reading →

Posted in Helen Bailey, Jayne McCoy, Nick Mattey, Richard Simpson, Ruth Dombey, Sutton Council, Tim Crowley, Tom Drummond, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ofgem called in to rule over SDEN’s unfair heating prices

Posted on August 25, 2021 by insidecroydon

Sutton’s deputy leader has much to account for over the ‘too complicated’ business model for the misfiring power network. CARL SHILTON reports Just days after appointing independent accountants to conduct a review into the business of Sutton’s controversial heating network, … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Jayne McCoy, Nick Mattey, Outside Croydon, Richard Simpson, Sutton Council, Waste incinerator | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council appoints finance director with links to ex-CEO Elvery

Posted on August 17, 2021 by insidecroydon

Croydon councillors, including the leader of the Conservative opposition, have agreed to appoint as the council’s finance director someone who previously worked amid a “bullying culture” at another failing local authority. Richard Ennis’s appointment, to one of the most critical … Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Lisa Taylor, Nathan Elvery, Richard Ennis | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Complaints to regulator over council’s £100m pensions deal

Posted on July 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The scandals at Fisher’s Folly surrounding questionable property transactions keep emerging. EXCLUSIVE By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s £1.5billion pension fund has been the subject of two complaints to the statutory watchdog, the Pensions Regulator, Inside Croydon has … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Pelling, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Richard Simpson, Simon Hall | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Investigation gets under way but left waiting for Negrini

Posted on December 1, 2020 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The terms of reference for an independent investigation into the disastrous decisions and mismanagement which led to the council going broke have been leaked to Inside Croydon. STEVEN DOWNES reports It might be seen as appropriate, given … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Robert Henderson, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Audit Report: ‘Tony Newman always has been a coward’

Posted on October 24, 2020 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: More senior council figures could lose their positions as a result of the Report in the Public Interest which was released last night, as the Town Hall politicians take stock of its consequences. KEN LEE reports Half … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Brick by Brick, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Jason Perry, Jo Negrini, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, Simon Hall, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon now has three employees paid £200,000+ per year

Posted on April 16, 2020 by insidecroydon

Our political correspondent, WALTER CRONXITE, reports on the latest startling figures coming out of the council Croydon Council had three members of staff who took home more than £200,000 in the last financial year for which figures are available. That’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Colm Lacey, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Eleni Ioannides, Guy van Dichele, Heather Cheesbrough, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Richard Simpson, Robert Henderson, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Council exec handed 76% pay rise, while CEO collects £213,000

Posted on April 10, 2019 by insidecroydon

Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on some startling pay rises among the council’s elite executives While presiding over continuing austerity cuts to Town Hall budgets, staff redundancies and service reductions, all amid maximum Council Tax increases, Jo Negrini, the borough’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Barbara Peacock, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Richard Simpson | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Another director quits job as pressure mounts on Negrini

Posted on February 1, 2019 by insidecroydon

Our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE, on the storm gathering around the council’s ‘regeneration practitioner’ chief executive Pressure continues to mount on Croydon’s £200,000 per year chief executive, Jo Negrini. Another key member of her executive team is quitting the council, … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", Brick by Brick, Business, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Richard Simpson, Robert Henderson, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The last 12 months told through Inside Croydon reports

Posted on December 31, 2018 by insidecroydon

So how was it for you dear? As 2018 draws to an end, we rifle through the past year’s archive to highlight what Inside Croydon’s loyal reader was reading about most JANUARY: Council ‘Godfather’ is made an offer he can’t … Continue reading →

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2018 council elections, Addiscombe East, Art, Brick by Brick, Business, Centrale, Chris Philp MP, Croydon Council, East Croydon, Environment, Fairfield Halls, Housing, Inside Croydon, Jo Negrini, London-wide issues, Niall Bolger, Oliver Lewis, Paul Scott, Planning, Purley, Refuse collection, Richard Simpson, Ruth Dombey, Schools, South Norwood, Sutton Council, TfL, Tony Newman, Tramlink, Transport, Veolia, Waste incinerator, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council is rocked by news that finance chief has resigned

Posted on November 13, 2018 by insidecroydon

EXCLUSIVE: Our local democracy reporter KEN LEE on a shock departure from Fisher’s Folly Richard Simpson, effectively the second-in-command at the council to chief executive Jo “We’re Not Stupid” Negrini, is to leave Croydon. Simpson has worked at Croydon Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Richard Simpson, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Town Hall meeting told to expect 4% Council Tax increase

Posted on September 26, 2018 by insidecroydon

Our political editor WALTER CONXITE on an admission from the council’s finance chief that they have little idea how to plan the borough’s budgets A Town Hall meeting has been told to expect a 4 per cent hike in Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Richard Simpson, Simon Hall | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Croydon uses four agencies to help on trip to South of France

Posted on March 9, 2018 by insidecroydon

KEN LEE, our foreign travel on someone else’s budget correspondent, reports on the proliferation of consultants who are getting their expense accounts paid for out of Croydon Council Tax at MIPIM’s junket next week Senior officials from Croydon Council and … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Housing, Jo Negrini, Planning, Property, RIF, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments