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Tag Archives: Taberner House
Don’t say a word: Queen’s Gardens plans discussed tonight
A small step, but progress of sorts this week. Inside Croydon has received a note from the very helpful public relations person at GL Hearn, the private consultants that have been running the public consultation on proposals to knock down … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Environment, Fairfield, Planning, Taberner House, URV
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, England, London, Taberner House
4 Comments
Council’s deputy continues to lie about Riesco Collection
With Croydon Council’s “unethical” auction of 24 pieces of the Riesco Collection of precious porcelain now barely a month away, there has been no let-up in the deceit being spouted about the disposal by Tim Pollard, the deputy leader of … Continue reading
Council consultation they don’t want you to know about
Yesterday, Inside Croydon published this, a report about the poor handling of the publicity for a public consultation on the future of the site of Taberner House and the neighbouring Queen’s Gardens public open space, which together with their property … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Planning, Taberner House, URV
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, London, London Borough of Croydon, South Norwood, Taberner House
3 Comments
Just 53 attend Taberner House sham consultation sessions
There’s a public consultation going on over Croydon Council’s plans to build four new tower blocks on the site of Taberner House, including building out on to the Queen’s Gardens public park space. Who knew? As we have highlighted many … Continue reading
Croydon U-turn as it opens its doors for Open House weekend
Might this weekend represent the latest minor victory for Inside Croydon? Just over a year ago, we broke the news that, like a churlish, spoilt child having a tantrum, Croydon Council had withdrawn from the Open House London weekend. As … Continue reading
Council approves another £420,000 spend on Fisher’s Folly
And still the costs of moving the offices into Fisher’s Folly, the shiny glass palace on Cost A Mint Walk to be opened next month by Croydon Council leader Mike Fisher, continue to mount. On top of the £140 million … Continue reading
Two senior staff given £300,000 on leaving council last year
Croydon Council spent nearly £300,000 on “exit” and redundancy payments to just two senior staff in the last financial year, official accounts published yesterday reveal. This follows the “golden goodbyes” to top executives in 2011, when £350,000 of Council Tax-payers’ … Continue reading
Council planning chief paid £28,000 for six weeks’ work
Paul Spooner, Croydon’s latest executive director of planning and environment, was paid £28,000 for his first six weeks work at the council, according to the council’s own accounts. That works out at a rate of £4,666 per week, or £242,666 … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", 2014 council elections, Ashburton, Business, Cane Hill, Croydon Council, Environment, Housing, Nathan Elvery, Paul Spooner, Planning, Taberner House, URV, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Celtic Manor Resort, Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, London Borough of Croydon, Taberner House
7 Comments
Council belatedly offers free furniture to community groups
Public pressure, or even a degree of shame, does seem to have some effect on the benighted managers at Conservative-controlled Croydon Council. Last month, our loyal reader will recall, Inside Croydon exposed how the council had given first dibs on … Continue reading
What a load of rubbish: council fails residents (part 94)
Chaos on Mayfield Road yesterday morning, when just before dawn a fly-tipper dumped a load of assorted builder’s waste in the middle of the suburban Sanderstead street. This is just the latest instance of a rapidly growing problem in Croydon, … Continue reading
UKIP criticises favouritism for councillors over furniture “gifts”
Croydon Council’s controversial disposal of thousands of pounds-worth of furniture from Taberner House, ahead of staff being moved into the £140 million new glass palace office building, has raised further complaints of an abuse of public property, with suggestions that … Continue reading
Posted in 2014 council elections, Charity, Church and religions, Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Fairfield, Mike Fisher, Schools, Shirley North, URV, Vidhi Mohan
Tagged Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, Labour, London, London Borough of Croydon, Mike Fisher, Taberner House
3 Comments
Councillors given free pick of Taberner’s unwanted furniture
‘Ere, Rodney. Fancy a new tear-shaped sofa for Nelson Mandela House? The spectre of Del Boy stalks Croydon Council every day. After forking out £3 million on furnishings for its new offices because its existing chairs and desks just would … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Property, URV
Tagged Croydon, Del Boy, Furniture, London, London Borough of Croydon, Seat of local government, Taberner House
2 Comments
Council CEO runs up £657 bill for posh nosh meal
Cut-backs at Croydon Council continue – to road cleaning services, to the lollipop ladies outside our schools, in the flogging off of uninsured public art collections and to a wide range of public services – but not, it would appear, … Continue reading
Divide and rule council’s lollipop cuts affect north hardest
Parents and pupils at the following schools need to approach their lollipop lady, or “school crossing patrol officer”, on Monday, shake them by the hand and thank them. Elmwood Junior, Lodge Road Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Long Lane St John’s/Shirley … Continue reading
£30m library deal referred for scrutiny – by report’s author
It was past 9pm last night, Bank Holiday Monday, when the official Croydon Council Twitter feed spluttered into life (double time for someone in the press office, perhaps?), offering a link to some new content on the official council website. … Continue reading
“No service will be untouched” in further cuts, says CEO
Maybe it is the “interim” element of the title that gives Nathan Elvery a touch of impermanence as Croydon’s chief executive, a bit like Rafa Benitez, the unloved and unappreciated “interim” manager at Chelsea football club. Or maybe, as a … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Hannah Miller, Nathan Elvery, URV
Tagged Bernard Weatherill, Croydon, Human Resources, Local government, London, Nathan Elvery, Pam Parkes, Taberner House
3 Comments
Investigation called for over councillor’s planning interests
Julie Belvir, the Borough Solicitor, Croydon Council‘s senior legal officer, is expected to investigate the conduct of Waddon councillor Clare Hilley. Last month, Inside Croydon published an email from Hilley in which she offered her “planning expertise” to a leading … Continue reading
Posted in Clare Hilley, Environment, Housing, Julie Belvir, Planning, Property, Simon Hoar, Tony Harris, Waddon, Waste incinerator
Tagged Code of Conduct, Conservative, Croydon, Croydon Council, London, Taberner House, Taylor Wimpey, Waddon
2 Comments
Council silent as HR chief Parkes heads for the exit
Croydon’s Council Tax-payers look to be facing another expensive six-figure pay-off, after an internal announcement yesterday confirmed that the borough’s human resources director, Pam Parkes, one of the council’s five most senior officers, is to leave with immediate effect. There … Continue reading
£3.1m on HQ’s furniture is “value for money” in Croydon
Lewis Carroll couldn’t have made this up. There is a proposal going before Croydon Council’s corporate services committee on Wednesday that suggests spending £3.14 million of public money on new furniture and fittings for Bernard Weatherill House, the council headquarters … Continue reading
Posted in Croydon Council, Planning, URV
Tagged Council Tax, Croydon, Croydon Council, Furniture, Lewis Carroll, London Borough of Croydon, Taberner House
1 Comment
Trebles all round? Croydon return pot-less from awards
Four tables booked at a five-star West End hotel. Around 40 councillors and council staff attending. Something like £28,000 spent on a night’s gala dinner, booze and jollity. And not a single award won. That is the summary of this … Continue reading
Council to get glitzy slap on the back from its contractors again
The leadership at Croydon Council – motto “Proud to Swerve” – has so little to celebrate in its mismanagement of the borough that it all-too-often goes out of its way to boast about often bogus accolades. Inside Croydon has highlighted … Continue reading
Council’s Ministry of Truth spends record amounts on staff
Hayley Lewis, the trained psychologist who Croydon employs as its “Head of customer communications and strategy”, once suggested that a council communications department is “an unnecessary burden”. How prescient. On her personal blog, Lewis added a convenient “?” to present … Continue reading
Jon Rouse: an alchemist who turned property into debts
CROYDON COMMENTARY: Former councillor ANDREW PELLING reviews the career of the borough CEO, who last week announced his resignation after almost six years in the job, and suggests that his promised financial wizardry was all a bit Mickey Mouse Since … Continue reading
Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Jon Rouse, Mike Fisher, Planning, Property, Ruskin Square, URV
Tagged David Wechsler, Guardian, London Borough of Croydon, Rouse, Taberner House
4 Comments
In to the Valley: Croydon’s wrong turn on road to future
CROYDON COMMENTARY: So a massive retail-based regeneration scheme in the centre of town will go ahead. DAVID CALLAM says it may yet prove to be yesterday’s solution for tomorrow’s problems Behold Boris Johnson, Croydon’s saviour, appearing in person at the … Continue reading
Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Ikea, Valley Park, Whitgift Centre
Tagged Croydon, Fairfield Halls, Gatwick Airport, Hammerson, London, Purley Way, Taberner House, Whitgift Centre
16 Comments
