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Tag Archives: Surrey County Council
20mph zones planned for parts of Ewell, Tandridge, Banstead
It’s slow progress towards compelling motorists to drive more responsibly, but at Surrey County Council, in its last throes before a controversial reorganisation, some 20mph zones have been introduced, with more to come and consultations on other proposals planned for … Continue reading
Lidl’s Hamsey Green plans get criticism from council planners
Even Croydon’s planners have joined the chorus of disapproval from residents in Sanderstead, Tandridge and Warlingham over the ‘disjointed and generic’ proposals for the Good Companions site at Hamsey Green, reports housing correspondent, BARRATT HOLMES There is a planning saga … Continue reading
Nobody thought having two Surrey councils was a good idea
CROYDON (AND SURREY) COMMENTARY: By a stroke of Steve Reed’s ministerial pen, one part of Surrey is to have just 20 councillors to represent 160,000 people. For SHASHA KHAN, pictured right, that is ‘a devastating attack on our representative democracy’ … Continue reading
Posted in East Surrey Council, Epsom and Ewell, Outside Croydon, Reigate and Banstead Council, Shasha Khan, Steve Reed MP, Surrey, Tandridge District Council, West Surrey Council
Tagged Cllr Shasha Khan, East Surrey Council, Epsom and Ewell, Hooley Merstham and Netherne, Labour, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Reigate and Banstead, Shasha Khan, Steve Reed OBE, Surrey, Surrey County Council, Tandridge, Tandridge District Council, West Surrey Council, Woking, Woking Borough Council
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Reed approves Surrey county council split and £500m write-off
Bankrupt Woking to get an unprecedented debt write-off from government, but new West Surrey Council to be burdened with £4.5bn of borrowing from Day 1 in 2027 Twelve local authorities in Surrey, including Tandridge, Epsom and Ewell and Reigate and … Continue reading
Posted in East Surrey Council, Epsom and Ewell, Outside Croydon, Reigate and Banstead Council, Steve Reed MP, Surrey, Tandridge District Council, West Surrey Council
Tagged East Surrey Council, Epsom and Ewell, Labour, MHCLG, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Reigate and Banstead, Steve Reed OBE, Surrey, Surrey County Council, Tandridge, Tandridge District Council, West Surrey Council, Woking, Woking Borough Council
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Surrey, Lambeth and Bromley beat Croydon as rotten boroughs
Based on official Ombudsman figures, our council remains among the most complained about in England. But might there be a glimmer of improvement in the figures, or has our borough just been overtaken for rotteness by others? EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning
Tagged Amerdeep Somal, Bromley Council, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth council, LGO, Local Government Ombudsman, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Surrey County Council, Tory
16 Comments
Minister rules out new mayors – but Croydon’s stuck with ours
Government proposals over the running of local councils will mean more ‘strong leaders’ across the country – like Tony Newman. Or Mike Fisher. WALTER CRONXITE, Political Editor, reports The Labour government wants to “standardise” local council governance so that most … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Croydon Council, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Mike Fisher, Reigate and Banstead Council, Sadiq Khan, Surrey, Tony Newman
Tagged Angela Rayner MP, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jim McMahon, Labour, Lewisham, London, London Assembly, London Borough of Croydon, London Borough of Hackney, London Borough of Newham, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Lutfer Rahman, Mayor Jason Perry, MHCLG, Mike Fisher, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Newham, Reigate and Banstead, Surrey County Council, Tandridge District Council, Tony Newman, Tory
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Complaints against Perry’s council on rise, Ombudsman says
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Our Town Hall reporter, KEN LEE, on another year where our council is close to the top of a league table – for most upheld complaints Katherine Kerswell, Croydon’s £204,000 per year chief executive, if she bothered … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Bromley Council, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth Council, Planning, Southwark Council, Surrey, Sutton Council
Tagged Amerdeep Somal, Bromley, Children's Care, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth, LGO, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Local Government Ombudsman, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Ombudsman, Planning, social care, Southwark, Surrey County Council, Sutton, Tory
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It’s bad for Starmer’s Labour and worse for Badenoch’s Tories
ANDREW FISHER has had a busy couple of days, as the clip from LBC above demonstrates, as he has been keeping close watch on the local election results. Here, he considers what they might mean for Croydon The overnight local … Continue reading
Posted in 2026 council elections, 2026 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher
Tagged Andrew Fisher, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Herne Hill, Jim Dickson, Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Labour, Lambeth council, Liberal Democrats, Local elections 2025, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, Runcorn and Helsby by-election, Surrey County Council, Tory
11 Comments
45 houses on Farleigh Meadows is latest battle for Green Belt
Residents in Warlingham are fighting a rearguard action to save the Green Belt, with a succession of applications to build housing, often on sites which were formerly sports grounds or used for recreational purposes. Farleigh Meadows, previously a stables and … Continue reading
Surrey’s county elections postponed ahead of council mergers
Government steps in as it looks to create single unitary authorities, while offering a reprieve for London’s borough mayors, including in Croydon County elections due to be held in Surrey on May 1 have been cancelled, as the government prepares … Continue reading
Posted in Epsom and Ewell, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Redhill, Reigate and Banstead Council, Surrey, Tandridge District Council
Tagged Angela Rayner MP, Conservative, Croydon Mayor, English Devolution White Paper, Epsom and Ewell, Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, London, London Assembly, Mayor, Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, Surrey County Council, Tandridge District Council, Tim Oliver, Tory
10 Comments
Tandridge, Reigate and Epsom councils could all be scrapped
Croydon’s neighbouring district councils could be merged into one county-wide, unitary Surrey authority, under plans expected to be unveiled in a government White Paper, reports PEARL LEE, our south of the borough correspondent Dozens of councils could be abolished in … Continue reading
Posted in Epsom and Ewell, Outside Croydon, Reigate and Banstead Council, Surrey, Tandridge District Council
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Epsom and Ewell, Labour, London, London Borough of Croydon, Morgan McSweeney, Reigate and Banstead, Surrey County Council, Tandridge, Tandridge District Council, Tim Oliver, Tory
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IT’S OFFICIAL: Croydon still among country’s worst councils
CROYDON IN CRISIS: Four years since Katherine Kerswell was installed as Croydon’s chief executive, and figures from the Local Government Ombudsman confirm that our council is among the most complained about in England. And soon, our council might be forced … Continue reading
Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning
Tagged Amerdeep Somal, Bromley Council, Conservative, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Lambeth council, LGO, Local Government Ombudsman, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mayor Jason Perry, Surrey County Council, Tory
12 Comments
People power! Coulsdon road closures postponed and changed
After Tory councillor accused residents’ association of ‘scaremongering’, council performs an 11th-hour U-turn over Stites Hill Road closure. By JEREMY CLACKSON, transport correspondent Residents in Old Coulsdon, in Caterham on the Hill and the surrounding areas were claiming a victory … Continue reading
Posted in Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Margaret Bird, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association
Tagged Caterham, Caterham on the Hill, Conservative, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Common, Coulsdon Road, Croydon, Croydon Council, Margaret Bird, Mayor Jason Perry, OCRA, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Stites Hill Road, Surrey, Surrey County Council, Tory
3 Comments
Surrey council: Coulsdon road closures are down to Croydon
The simultaneous closures of Coulsdon Road for drainage works and Stites Hill Road for “traffic management” reasons, due to begin next week and last for a month, creating an “Iron Curtain” between south London and Surrey, are all a matter … Continue reading
Posted in Caterham, Community associations, Coulsdon, Coulsdon West Residents' Association, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Environment, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Outside Croydon, Surrey
Tagged Caterham, Caterham on the Hill, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Common, Coulsdon Road, Croydon, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry, OCRA, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Stites Hill Road, Surrey, Surrey County Council, The Fox Coulsdon
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Old Coulsdon roadworks will create an ‘Iron Curtain’ to Surrey
Road closures in Old Coulsdon have been described by local activists as “a wholly absurd idea of creating an Iron Curtain between Surrey and Croydon”. The road closure of Stites Hill Road, enforced by Croydon Council for “traffic management” at … Continue reading
Posted in Caterham, Community associations, Coulsdon, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon Residents' Association, Mayor Jason Perry, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Surrey
Tagged Caterham, Coulsdon, Coulsdon Common, Coulsdon Road, Croydon, Croydon Council, East Coulsdon, Mayor Jason Perry, OCRA, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Soakaways, Stites Hill Road, Surrey County Council, TfL, Transport for London
5 Comments
Woldingham and Purley are placed on official flood alerts
After one of the wettest Februarys on record, the Government has tonight issued a flood warning for low-lying areas across the whole of south-east London, from the M25 at Caterham, through Kenley, Purley, South Croydon, Carshalton Beeches, all the way … Continue reading
Posted in Coulsdon, Croydon Council, Environment, Kenley, Purley, South Croydon, Surrey, Tandridge District Council
Tagged Carshalton Beeches, Caterham, Caterham Bourne, Coulsdon Bourne, Croydon, Croydon Council, Environment Agency, Flood warning, London Borough of Croydon, Purley, River Wandle, Surrey County Council, Tandridge, Woldingham
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Community farm struggling, caught in a council no man’s land
Sutton Community Farm, just outside Wallington, is struggling for financial survival, saying that is running at a “significant loss”. Run as a co-operative, the farm has attracted 450 community shareholders since it was established in 2010. The farm receives most … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Environment, Gardening, Surrey, Sutton Council
Tagged Surrey County Council, Sutton, Sutton Community Farm, Sutton Council, Wallington
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Battle lines drawn over proposal for 87 houses on RAF Kenley
Residents in Kenley, Old Coulsdon and nearby Caterham have been expressing deep concern about proposals to build 87 “barrack-style” houses on part of what used to be RAF Kenley. The planning application has been lodged with Tandridge District Council for … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Caterham, City Commons, Coulsdon, Environment, History, Housing, Kenley, Kenley Airfield Friends Group, Old Coulsdon, Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, Planning, Property, Surrey, Tandridge District Council
Tagged Coulsdon, Croydon, Croydon and District Education Trust, Croydon Council, Kenley, Kenley aerodrome, Kenley Airfield, London Borough of Croydon, Planning, RAF Kenley, Surrey County Council, Tandridge, Tandridge District Council, Warlingham
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Tory councils wasted £1m on High Court challenge to ULEZ
Pro-pollution Tory politicians in and around London were dealt a heavy blow as a High Court judge dismissed their challenge against the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone. The politically-inspired legal case is estimated to have cost Council Tax-payers … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Health, London-wide issues, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, TfL, Transport, ULEZ, ULEZ expansion
Tagged 15% Council Tax hike, Bexley, Bromley, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, London, Mayor, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Mayor Sadiq Khan, Sadiq Khan, Surrey County Council, TfL, Tory, Transport for London, ULEZ, Ultra Low Emission Zone
11 Comments
Surrey council fined £7,400 over failures for boy with SEND
Croydon is not the only local authority in trouble. Tory-run Surrey County Council has been criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman after a second investigation into its failures to properly support a young boy with special educational needs. The Ombudsman … Continue reading
Passenger group concerned over Surrey’s cuts to bus routes
A public transport group representing passengers in Croydon, Sutton and Surrey has warned against widespread cuts to bus services implied in a consultation conducted by Surrey County Council. Surrey CC failed to consult the East Surrey Transport Committee directly, and … Continue reading
Route masters let TfL know what they think of bus changes
Our transport correspondent JEREMY CLACKSON takes a closer look at TfL’s proposed changes to 13 routes through Croydon and Sutton, and discovers residents’ groups and ward councillors sceptical about the service reductions London Mayor Sadiq Khan has recently said that … Continue reading
Posted in Andrew Pelling, Chipstead, Commuting, East Croydon, Kenley, London-wide issues, Norwood Junction, Purley, Purley Way, South Croydon, South Norwood, Surrey, Sutton Council, TfL, Transport, Waddon, West Croydon
Tagged Andrew Pelling, Caterham, Charles King, Coulsdon, East Surrey, Kenley, London Buses, Old Town, Purley, Purley Way, Surrey County Council, TfL, Transport for London, Waddon
12 Comments
Covid outbreak takes seven Surrey fire engines out of service
The fire brigade in neighbouring Surrey has been hit by an outbreak of coronavirus which has placed nearly one-third of the county’s full-time fire engines out of service. According to the Fire Brigades Union, the outbreak has occurred after Surrey … Continue reading
