Tag Archives: Tony McArdle

Tory Perry tries to appoint £123,000 ‘transformation director’

Posted on March 22, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Spend, spend, spend… the bad old habits of the dark days of the Negreedy era don’t seem to have been eradicated altogether, as CEO Kerswell looks to hire a new director to do her dirty work for … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Elaine Jackson, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Neil Williams, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Slough, Thurrock, Sandwell, Liverpool: Croydon’s not alone

Posted on March 17, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government announcements of special measures yesterday covered four other local authorities, as councils across the country struggle with under-funding and massive debts built up over the last decade The party line, trotted out in the Town Hall … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Gove holds back panel’s key report until after budget deadline

Posted on March 7, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The government appointed a panel of experts in early 2021 to oversee the operation of the ‘dysfunctional’ council. But after a delay of more than a year, they won’t publish their ‘assurance’ report until after the Tory … Continue reading →

Posted in Community associations, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Mayor Jason Perry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No Council Tax hike without seeing the assurance panel reports

Posted on February 27, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON COMMENTARY: Michael Gove is not only permitting the borough’s Tory Mayor to hike Council Tax without a referendum, he is doing so while withholding reports from his own panel of inspectors. Which suggests the government has something to hide … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, The Penn Report, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Croydon needs deal that could set precedent for all councils

Posted on January 11, 2023 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A government-appointed inspector, council directors and senior councillors all agree that throwing millions more at the cash-strapped council won’t fix its deep-seated problems. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The Tories who control Croydon Town Hall have already done … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jane West, Jason Cummings, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Mike Fisher, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tories accuse Labour of ‘shocking mistakes’ over budgets

Posted on November 22, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Perry has made a political play with the  Conservative government in an effort to re-set the council’s finances. Again. By our political editor, WALTER CRONXITE Croydon’s Conservatives were quick to play the blame game this morning … Continue reading →

Posted in Callton Young, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

After nearly a year, Gove is sitting on two ‘improvement’ reports

Posted on November 3, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Millions of pounds of public money are at stake, a matter not to be sniffed at, but government minister is staying schtum over state of cash-strapped council’s finances. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Michael Gove, re-installed as Secretary … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tory government delays finance reports to help Mayor Perry

Posted on August 24, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: It’s almost nine months since Whitehall released the last quarterly report from its Improvement Panel on the state of the cash-strapped council’s finances, prompting accusations of political favours for the Conservatives. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES It’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Perry in cover-up of £18m budget overspend in first 100 days

Posted on August 17, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The borough’s new Mayor has already overspent on an agreed budget by £20m – but won’t be producing financial reports until next year. EXCLUSIVE by WALTER CRONXITE, political editor Croydon Council is already £18million over its budget … Continue reading →

Posted in Council Tax, Croydon Council, Dr Ola Olasode, General Purposes and Audit Committee, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Tory Mayor wants to keep finances under wraps for 9 months

Posted on July 6, 2022 by insidecroydon

Political editor WALTER CRONXITE on early signs of less accountability at the Town Hall under the Conservative administration Jason Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor, will tonight be accused of “closing down the books” by reducing the frequency of reports on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Jason Cummings, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Things are about to get even harder, warns report to ministers

Posted on March 7, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government minister expresses concerns over the changes being made at council as it implements its ‘extremely challenging’ budget. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council “are at a critical point of their recovery journey and there is more to … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Report in the Public Interest, RIPI II: Fairfield Halls, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Council looks to second postponement of budget meeting

Posted on March 4, 2022 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Town Hall chiefs still trying to negotiate another multi-million-pound government bail-out, with time running out to issue 136,000 Council Tax notices. By STEVEN DOWNES The council is on the brink of crashing into bankruptcy, unable to set … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Business, Children's Services, Council Tax, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Richard Ennis, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brick by Brick ‘sweetheart’ sale could have cost another £45m

Posted on November 3, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The latest report from government-appointed inspectors assigned to check on the council finances reveals that a sweetheart deal to sell failed house-builders Brick by Brick to a Manchester developer could have cost the bankrupt borough another £45m. … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Business, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Planning, Section 114 notice, Tom Bloxham, Tony McArdle, Urban Splash | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Multi-million-pound loss on hotel ‘not ideal’ says panel

Posted on November 2, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Whitehall-appointed inspectors raise serious doubts over the council’s property sales. By STEVEN DOWNES The council’s sale of the Croydon Park Hotel at a loss of as much as £10million has been condemned by government-appointed officials. Such a … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Callton Young, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Croydon Park Hotel, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Section 114 notice, Stuart King, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Cash-strapped council still going over-budget, report finds

Posted on November 2, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Government commissioners say that there’s been ‘an opportunity missed’ because of the slow pace of change under council CEO. By STEVEN DOWNES Katherine Kerswell, the chief executive of the cash-strapped council, has been subjected to overt criticism … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, Richard Ennis, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Jenrick ministry defends choice of all-white improvement panel

Posted on August 31, 2021 by insidecroydon

The government has been forced to defend its decision to appoint an all-white “improvement and assurance panel” to oversee Croydon Council’s efforts to recover from its financial collapse last year. In January, Robert Jenrick’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local … Continue reading →

Posted in Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

£700,000: Croydon counting the costs of council failures

Posted on August 26, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: The Town Hall has been hit with ‘penalty fines’ of its own since its financial collapse 12 months ago. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES £697,300 And rising… That’s how much Croydon Council says it has paid so far, … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Report in the Public Interest, Robert Canning, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bankrupt borough could overspend by millions again this year

Posted on July 28, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Cash-strapped council is facing another busted budget, according to latest estimates. By STEVEN DOWNES Less than six months since Croydon was handed the biggest bail-out in history, following the authority declaring itself effectively bankrupt, and the council … Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Government-appointed advisers pulled plug on BxB sale

Posted on July 2, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘Improvement Panel’ ordered council to abandon its poor-value deal to sell Brick by Brick, and instead to pay Wates Construction £1.12m to oversee the loss-making builders’ work on 23 sites. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES Hamida Ali, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Housing, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Planning, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Council abandons its £100m discount sale of Brick by Brick

Posted on July 1, 2021 by insidecroydon

A deal to off-load the loss-making housing firm at a massive loss to tax-payers has been dropped. By STEVEN DOWNES Croydon Council has been forced to abandon plans to flog-off loss-making builders Brick by Brick. The council’s interim head of … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Colm Lacey, Hamida Ali, Planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Homes England called in to check Brick by Brick sale value

Posted on June 23, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: There’s mounting concern over possible poor value for tax-payers in the ‘sweetheart’ deal arranged with Manchester developers. By STEVEN DOWNES Growing suspicions surrounding the too-good-to-be-true deal over the sale of loss-making house-builders Brick by Brick has seen … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Housing, Improvement Board, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Government inspector’s concerns over BxB sweetheart deal

Posted on June 18, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Jenrick’s improvement board raises serious questions over whether the quick sale of the council’s failed development company could end up costing tax-payers many millions of pounds, while its latest report criticises borough officials’ ‘lack of self-awareness’. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Brick by Brick, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Jo Negrini, Katherine Kerswell, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Commissioner says Croydon can recover – with another £30m

Posted on June 9, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: A report from commissioners overseeing another local authority that went bankrupt offers troubling parallels closer to home. STEVEN DOWNES reports Croydon Council can get itself out of financial trouble – but only if Whitehall stumps up another … Continue reading →

Posted in Brick by Brick, Croydon Council, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Report in the Public Interest, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle, Tony Newman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ali and Kerswell are summoned to Parliamentary inquiry

Posted on March 19, 2021 by insidecroydon

CROYDON IN CRISIS: ‘There is much that the council needs to do to become a properly functioning local authority’ says panel’s report to government, as it recommends more cuts to Croydon’s Adult Social Care and Children’s Services. By STEVEN DOWNES … Continue reading →

Posted in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, Chris Buss, Croydon Council, Fairfield Halls, Hamida Ali, Improvement Board, Katherine Kerswell, Section 114 notice, Tony McArdle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments