Tag Archives: Section 114 Notice

What will sending in Commissioners mean for our council?

Government-appointed bureaucrats taking over the running of local level services happens only in ‘very exceptional circumstances and very much as a last resort’ according to Whitehall guidance Since 2020, following Croydon’s first Section 114 Notice issued that November, a number … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Improvement Board, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Marie Snelling, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stabilisation Plan, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

‘Council’s finances remain broken’ MP Irons tells Commons

Local government minister admits that Croydon’s finances ‘are not small problems to deal with’ Natasha Irons, the Labour MP for Croydon East, yesterday made an 11th-hour plea to government ministers to act to salvage something from the wreckage of Croydon … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon East, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Natasha Irons, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

92% of readers disagree with Kerswell’s Peer Review findings

Croydon Mayor Jason Perry and the council CEO who tells him what to do, Katherine Kerswell, had better be very worried, as a series of public opinion questions have had responses in which more than 90% of iC readers have … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

‘Mayor and CEO are respected and provide strong leadership’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Like a dodgy business that offers to pay for positive reviews on Tripadviser, the council has been patting itself on the back this week because some local government colleagues have said some nice things about them. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Annette McPartland, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

The Jase and Kathy Show – a Christmas Special for Croydon!

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Inside Croydon has obtained a leaked video from an internal council webinar earlier this month, where the Mayor fails to mention the £83m overspend predicted in a recent report to government, and council CEO seems to blame … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Debbie Jones, Improvement Board, Inside Croydon, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

After his latest failure, Mayor Perry claims he is powerless

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Although he was a member of the committee that handed a £437,000 ‘golden handshake’ to Jo Negrini, the borough’s elected Mayor is now blaming the law for his own broken promises. By STEVEN DOWNES Almost a week … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Norbury and Norwood Junction council car parks to be sold off

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall reporter KEN LEE on how 157 Brick by Brick flats in Coulsdon were sold below the market rate, as the council continues to overspend on Mayor Perry’s unbalanced budget Anything that is not nailed down … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jane West, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

After four-year delay, council to submit complaint reports

CROYDON IN CRISIS:  There won’t be any further police investigation. The council’s pursuit of Jo ‘Negreedy’ Negrini for her pay-off cash appears to have collapsed. But chief exec Katherine Kerswell might now write a couple of sternly worded letters. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Simpson, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, Sutton Council, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Police drop all investigations into council’s financial collapse

CROYDON IN CRISIS: It now emerges that the Met decided to take no further action over allegations of possible fraud or false accounting as long ago as June 2023. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES There will be no prosecutions brought against … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Guy van Dichele, Hazel Simmonds, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa, The Penn Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Perry’s Council Tax increases to reach 27% by April 2025

CROYDON IN CRISIS: More mega-millions borrowing, more maximum tax increases, but still no solution in sight for the borough’s residents, as officials pretend that they are running a balanced budget. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon residents will be hit by another … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Perry ducks scrutiny over council financials that don’t add up

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Elected Mayor didn’t hang around to face the music from councillors as the £42m overspend was discussed at the Town Hall this week. By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s projected £42million overspend this financial year is “unprecedented”, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Leila Ben-Hassel, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Mayor Perry busts his unbalanced budget with £42m overspend

CROYDON IN CRISIS: According to official figures, even with a £38m government bail-out, the Conservative-run council looks like spending £42m over budget in this financial year – and that’s £10m more than when it first went bust in 2020. EXCLUSIVE … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Jane West, Katherine Kerswell, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Labour Party chief’s consultancy business is in deep trouble

EXCLUSIVE: Might the failure of David Evans’s Croydon-based business offer some clues to the effectiveness, or otherwise, of his time running the party machine for Keir Starmer? By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE Whatever might be planned by David Evans … Continue reading →

Posted in Alison Butler, Croydon Council, David Evans, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dear Angela: It’s time for you to act and fund Croydon fairly

Last month, the Croydon Mayor wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister begging for an urgent meeting to resolve the council’s long-standing financial problems after 14 years of Tory austerity. Angela Rayner did not reply. So now ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Andrew Fisher, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Section 114 notice, Steve Reed MP, Streatham and Croydon North | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Minister McMahon snubs Croydon Mayor over ‘urgent’ meeting

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Keir Starmer’s new government seems in no rush to deal with the deep-seated problems caused by 14 years of austerity inflicted on local councils, as Jason Perry’s plea for an urgent meeting is given a cold shoulder … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

£500m difference in audit figures is looking like a Brum deal

COUNCILS IN CRISIS: A report from forensic auditors has raised questions about one council’s bankruptcy that could persuade others, including cash-strapped Croydon, to ask whether they are getting proper analysis of their struggling finances An academic report into the parlous … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Libraries, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Council’s action over Negrini pay-off ‘looks dead in the water’

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Despite a bit of grandstanding by Tory Mayor that he would ‘hold to account’ those responsible for bankrupting the borough, an official Freedom of Information response shows that the council is actually doing nothing. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Jacqueline Harris-Baker, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lisa Taylor, Mayor Jason Perry, Richard Simpson, Section 114 notice, Shifa Mustafa | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Perry admits he has failed in begging letter to Labour’s Rayner

With bail-outs since 2021 of £417m, Croydon’s executive Mayor says that he cannot deliver ‘balanced’ budgets, as he asks the new government to do what his chums in the previous Conservative government refused to do: write off part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Times tables show watchdog Oflog is Gove’s Tory poodle

The Conservative government handed ‘fundamentally flawed’ data about local councils to a Murdoch-owned newspaper for publication just days before this month’s local elections. By our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE If Jason Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor, had any hopes that … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

£603,000: the soaring costs of Croydon’s ‘improvement’ panel

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Three years since Tony McArdle and his government-appointed team of troubleshooters were parachuted into the council, there are mounting questions about what they have achieved. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Government-appointed chair of Croydon Council’s “improvement and … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Libraries, Section 114 notice, SEND, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Government blocks public inquiry into collapse of councils

Any suspicion that the Establishment that controls local and national government doesn’t want the public to find out about the shady deals that go on in Town Halls up and down the land will have been confirmed with the news … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Outside Croydon, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No hiding place for Jason Perry, Croydon’s impotent Mayor

CROYDON IN CRISIS: From a couple of hundred attendees soon after he was first elected, Croydon’s part-time Mayor is now drawing crowds of only a couple of dozen for his council-funded promotional tour. KEN TOWL went along to South Norwood … Continue reading →

Posted in 2026 council elections, Croydon Council, Harris Academy South Norwood, Ken Towl, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, South Norwood | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

It’s time for our elected councillors to stand up for Croydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Saddled with £1.4bn of ‘toxic’ debt, Mayor Perry has been rendered paralysed in his management of the cash-strapped council’s finances. Ahead of tonight’s budget meeting, ANDREW PELLING outlines some of the options for the borough’s politicians There’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Croydon Greens, Esther Sutton, Improvement Board, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Ria Patel, Sarah Jones MP, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

It’s the same in Croydon and Birmingham: Pay More, Get Less

In this week’s column, ANDREW FISHER, pictured right, looks at the criminalisation of journalism through the treatment of Julian Assange, and he charts the latest  undermining of local councils by central Government It could be worse. You could live in … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Fisher, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Can’t deal with debt’ admits Perry as he borrows £38m more

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council staff morale ‘at an all-time low’ according to a national newspaper report, while the bankrupt borough’s part-time Mayor’s only answer to its financial struggles is to borrow even more money Last week, Inside Croydon columnist Andrew … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments