Named and Shamed

Named and Shamed

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Squalid roads, buildings and locations in Croydon named and shamed.

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

In the spirit of "nothing ventured, nothing gained", I wrote to Prince Charles in May about Croydon. The main points of my letter were:

  • To draw his attention to the environmental neglect, and decay, that has been eroding the centre of Croydon over the last few years.


  • To note that Croydon, with a population of over 300,000 people, should be a thriving example of 21st century Britain. Croydon should accommodate architecture, both traditional and modern, which forms a stimulating and pleasant environment in which to live and work.

  • To note that the citizens of Croydon are forced to live and work in a town that contains areas that are squalid, neglected and decaying.


  • To offer an invitation to take a look at this site, and to visit Croydon.


I doubted very much that this would achieve anything, as he cannot become involved in what may be perceived as partisan local politics.

However, I received a letter yesterday from his Assistant Private Secretary.

The letter thanked me, and noted that the matters I raised have long been at the heart of what HRH has been trying to achieve through his Foundation for the Built Environment.

He also enclosed a booklet about the Foundation.

As expected, there seems to be little that HRH can do; but it was worth a shot.

I suggest that our local council, and all of those companies and individuals who are responsible for the mess that Croydon is in, take a look at the book and the website www.princes-foundation.org.

They might learn something!

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