Tuesday 24 May. 4pm. The Amazing Life of Olaudah Equiano
Croydon resident Marc Wadsworth’s programme on Equiano, the 18thC leading black campaigner for the abolition the slave trade and slavery and for parliamentary reform is being broadcast by BBC Radio 4.
The Listening Mayor?
Jason Perry promises to be a listening Mayor including ‘to all voices from across the council chamber, with an expectation that all councillors pull together.’ Whether this will happen depends on the Labour Councillors who have yet to appoint their Leader and Shadow Cabinet members and announced their strategy. Perry has yet to announce his Cabinet members.
He plans:
- to support Croydon businesses by encouraging innovation, attracting investment, and cleaning up local high streets;
- to deliver clean streets, tackle fly-tipping, make waste disposal easier and make sure grass is cut in public spaces;
- to tighten planning processes to protect the unique character of local areas.
- to tackle the borough’s graffiti problem by reintroducing the Council’s graffiti removal service;
- to reopen Purley Pool and Leisure Centre.
He will of course have an uphill struggle against litter and fly-tipping given the problems faced in doing this by the Tory administration to May 2014 and then by Labour. The central problem is the uncaring attitude of many people.
It will be interesting to see what budget amendments will be made to finance the graffiti team and the Pool.
For full details see the News section of the Council website.
More Skeletons
More skeletons about the poor management of the Council are coming to light, including the delays in the installation of the new digital information bus shelters – see next posting, and the pay out of £10,750 to a family after a Council blunder left their home like a building site for two years, with part of it flooding when it rained. The family of five, and a child they were caring for, were left with large holes in their walls after builders stopped working on their home when they weren’t paid on time.
www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/croydon-family-lived-building-site-23949788
Historic Croydon Facebook
Andrew Kennedy, the administrator of the Historic Croydon Facebook feels that it is ‘the right time to PAUSE this group. This time, May 2022 after the election of a Mayor and a nearly balanced Council, feels like the start of a new era in politics in Croydon and that part of the jigsaw or jungle whatever you want to call it has been sorted out, given a chance to start again.
There are many issues to tackle in Croydon, mostly in my view in terms of running the Council and the executive administration, the senior officers who are wilful in my opinion and some of whom maybe overly politicised.
Then more generally in the culture at Bernard Wetherall House which in my opinion, is not one of particularly helpful to the public and where there is antipathy and sometimes fear. An “us” and “them”. This maybe due to over work, under staffing, poor leadership, inadequate training, poor recruitment, I don’t know but it has got to be overcome.
With regards to pausing the group, I am the only administrator and unless someone comes forward who I feel I can trust then this will probably lead to eventual closure. Here is what the effect of pausing is according
www.facebook.com/groups/historiccroydon
How To Join Croydon Community Energy?
CCE is a group with a democratic membership structure, open to anyone who lives or works in Croydon or the surrounding areas. Membership costs £1.21 (£1 share and a fee to cover the online platform fee). Members will its quarterly newsletter, have a vote at the AGM every year.
You can also donate £5 or £10 a month to support locally-owned renewable energy and fuel poverty projects in the borough.
www.croydoncommunityenergy.co.uk/become-a-member
Lord Barwell Criticises Government
Gavin Barwell, former Tory Croydon Central MP and Cabinet member Chief of Staff has criticised the Government’s Queen Speech proposals.
‘…It’s biggest flaw is lack of action on the cost of living. Both morally and politically, the government needs to do more.’
Inside Croydon also reports that while welcoming the election of Jason Perry as Mayor and the end of Labour control, he says: ‘Also good to see two-party monopoly broken with election of Croydon LibDems and Croydon Greens. Real chance now to change culture of Croydon politics for the better.’
Barwell is of course a former Croydon Councillor (2006-10) and as MP the man who persuaded Hammerson and Westfield to join forces to give us Westfield Croydon! In 2019 he set up Gavin Barwell Consulting Ltd. In January this year he became a Director of Clarion Futures, a housing association formerly known as Affinity Sutton Community Foundation.
The Housing Crisis
Croydon resident Vicky Sprаtt’s book Tenаnts: The People on the Frontline of Britаin’s Housing Crisis, is being published on 19 by Profile. She writes: ‘My grandparents were saved by social housing in 1956, but today’s young families have been betrayed by Right to Buy.’
The History of Croydon Pubs
Book by Peter Walker on the history of over 270 Croydon pubs and licensees from the 13th Century to the 20th Century.
www.crystalpalacefoundation.org.uk/shop/croydon/croydon-and-its-pubs?
History & Social Action News and Events 