Tuesday 1 September. 2.30-7.30pm. Engage with the Croydon Opportunity & Fairness Commission
The Commission Chair, Jonathan Clark, the Bishop of Croydon has sent out the following email.
‘I am writing to invite you to the Croydon Opportunity & Fairness Commission Open Day.
The Open Day is this coming Tuesday 1 September from 2.30pm until 7.30pm at Croydon Conference Centre. Our Commissioners would love to see you to hear your views and experiences of opportunity and fairness in Croydon.
It is an informal event with a rolling presentation setting out the work of the Commission. There are a variety of ways to submit your views on the day:
- In person with the Commissioners
- By doing a short video entry in our ‘video cube’
- By posting your comments online
- Or by adding your comments to our displays
If you are able to come it would be ideal if you are able to contact us so that we can make sure a Commissioner is available to talk with you. We are taking bookings for half hour slots, but you are of course welcome to stay on for longer. Please make a booking via http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/opportunity-fairness-commission-open-day-tickets-18325903270
The full address of the venue is 5-9 Surrey Street, Croydon, CR0 1RG. Food and drinks will be provided.
Should you have any queries at all, please contact Pancho on contact@opportunitycroydon.org or 020 8688 0650. If you require any special assistance, please let us know by contacting that same e-mail address.
You can read more about the Opportunity & Fairness Commission on http://www.opportunitycroydon.org.’
Wednesday 2 – Wednesday 16 September Croydon Assembly Working Group meetings
Local Economy and Housing: Wednesday 2 September (7pm)
If you plan to come please email me as convenor in advance: sean.creighton1947@btinternet.com
Environmental Forum: Thursday, 3 September
Health: Monday 7 September
Education/Race: Tuesday 8 September (7pm)
National economy and austerity: Tuesday 15 September
Welfare and Pensions: Wednesday 16 September
All meetings at Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Road, Croydon CR0 1BD at 7.30pm (unless otherwise shown).
September Council Meetings
Monday 7. Streets and Environment Scrutiny Sub-Committee. 7pm.
Tuesday 8. Scrutiny & Overview Committee. 6.30pm.
Wednesday 9:
Health & Well-Being Board. 2pm. The Markee, Croydon Conference Centre, 5-9 Surrey Street, Croydon CR0 1RG.
Licensing Sub-committee. 6.30pm.
Planning Sub-committee. 7pm.
Thursday 10 September. Planning Committee. 6.30pm.
Tuesday 15 September:
South London Waste Partnership Joint Committee. 5.30pm.
Cycle Forum. 6pm.
Health, Social Care & Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee. 6.30pm. Christ Church Purley, 861-863 Brighton Road, Purley, CR8 2BN.
Unless otherwise stated all meetings are at the Town Hall, Katharine St.
Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September. 11am-5pm. Croydon Green Heritage Fair
Large number of stands showcasing the work of local nature conservation groups. Traditional crafts, animal welfare organisations and fine art exhibitions by local artists. You can buy refreshments from the pantry café. Tours of the Heathfield Gardens Tree Trail and of Wildlife Sanctuary and Old Varieties Orchard. Have a meander round walled gardens and extensive parkland. Heathfield Ecology Centre, The Old Orchard, Heathfield, Coombe Lane, Croydon CR0 5RH.
Wednesday 7 October. 6pm (5.30 pm registration). Croydon Voluntary Action Annual General Meeting
CVA Resource Centre, 82 London Road, Croydon. This is an excellent opportunity for our members to come along, hear about our projects/activities over the past year and network; refreshments will be provided. Book your space now (as spaces are limited).
Croydon buy-to-rent purchases become more expensive
Croydon faces cuts to further education provision
See my discussion post on Croydon Citizen:
http://thecroydoncitizen.com/politics-society/future-education-croydon
Council identifies those fined for mess
https://www.croydon.gov.uk/environment/dontmess/hall-of-shame
Hammerson and Westfield News
- Hammerson’s shares not good value
- Hammerson wants to expand in Aberdeen
http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/13611663.Hammerson_aims_to_expand_Union_Square
- Westfield to expand residential developments at Stratford and West London
Westfield is planning to the construct 2,500 apartments adjoining the Westfield London and Stratford City shopping centres in the coming years.
Develop Croydon Conference Sets Sights High
Boris’s Deputy Mayor Eddie Lister will use the October Develop Croydon Conference to argue for devolved powers from Europe to help Croydon’s ‘regeneration’. http://dmtrk.com/12GB-3MOPL-DB74001K47/cr.aspx. Eddie Lister was former Thatcherite Leader of Wandsworth Council. Andrew Kennedy (on Historic Croydon Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/historiccroydon/permalink/510581922431827) has drawn attention to the fact that there are no speakers putting a different view to the developers agenda at this Conference. It has been suggested to me that a range of people and organisations should all chip in some money to pay for at least one delegate who can try and inject a different view.
Does the Innovation District Concept have a role in Croydon?
On Croydon Transition Town Facebook Andrew Kennedy has raised the question of whether the Innovation District concept has a role in Croydon. See my comment in response.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CroydonTT/permalink/959191977479071. It is well worth downloading the document and reading.
The Expansion of Gatwick Airport
The Croydon Council/Gatwick Airport lobby to extend the latter instead of Heathrow has economic and environmental implications. These are under consideration by Croydon Assembly’s Local Economy and Housing working group and Environmental Forum. Issues include:
- the case for and against airports being drivers of economic development;
- the quality and pay levels of jobs that may be created at the Airport;
- the environmental impacts of an increase in the number of planes coming into and leaving the Airport, passengers moving around the sub-region, and employees’ travel methods: air pollution, noise, vehicle traffic;
- the effects of the (long-term) projected need for runway expansion and additional buildings;
- the value for money cost of airport job creation compared with other job creation projects
These issues are of particular relevance to the following specialist sections of the community and voluntary sector (a) residents and tenants associations over whose neighbourhoods an increase in flights will go, (b) to environmental groups, and (c) those (inc. social enterprise) organisations involved in developing job creation projects.
Croydon Communists reaction to the Davies report advocating the expansion of Heathrow can be read at https://croydoncommunists.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/looking-the-other-way-again
Croydon Labour Connections with Developers
Given the close relationship of a local developer with the Croydon Labour Parties over several years, it is perhaps unfair that Croydon Advertiser to home in on Labour Cllr Andrew Pelling for his connections with him. Andrew has been totally sidelined within the Labour Group. http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Calls-Croydon-councillor-explain-gifts-property/story-27688821-detail/story.html
For a different Labour perspective on developers see:
http://www.wolmarforlondon.co.uk/what_do_property_developers_expect_in_return
http://www.wolmarforlondon.co.uk/housing
London Rd History
Kake’s latest posting is on the history of 76 London. http://london-road-croydon.org/history/0076-barnes-harrild-and-dyer.html
London Rd History
Kake’s latest posting is on the history of 76 London. http://london-road-croydon.org/history/0076-barnes-harrild-and-dyer.html
The Cane Hill Hospital War Dead
See my posting on the difficulties of memorialisation at http://thecroydoncitizen.com/politics-society/memory-soldiers-cane-hill
History & Social Action News and Events 