The Secret Judo Club Revisited II

In response to my letter to my ward councillors on 28th January, re the disused judo club, I received this email from one of them (Susan Winborn) on the 29th:

"Dear Mr Frost

Thank you for your email regarding the Judo Club site.

Planning permission was granted in September 2006 on this site for the erection of two four/five storey buildings comprising a total of nine one bedroom and 26 two bedroom flats; formation of vehicular access and provision of 18 parking spaces and cycle stores.

regards

Cllr Susan Winborn"

I raised the following question, by return:

"Thank you Susan

When will work commence please?

Kind regards

Ken Frost"

She answered a couple of hours later:

"Ken

I am afraid I cannot say when the developers are likely to be in a position to start work.

May I suggest that you look on the Croydon Council site under planning application number 06/01923/P. This gives you full details of this application which was passed by the Planning Committee including the name and address of the developers.

Regards

Susan"

I was not that impressed with this, and wrote back later that afternoon:

"Susan

Is this not your role to help me, as your potential "voter", and look into this on my (and your other "constituents') behalf??

If not, what exactly is your role in life?

The site as been derelict for over four years, the planning application has been in place (according to you) for 1.5 years (my site says longer).

Clearly the owner has either:

1 Run out of money, or

2 Is holding the site to make a profit for resale, undeveloped

Neither of which is good for the residents of Croydon.

How about helping resolving this issue, on behalf of your "voters"?

If you can't, what exactly did you stand for election for?

regards

Ken

www.croydoniscrap.com"

I copied the message to a number of organisations/individuals. I am pleased to say that Boris Johnson's office wrote back, and said that they would forward it to his housing policy group.

I will keep this site updated with any other responses that I receive.

The Secret Judo Club Revisited

Sent to my local councillors today:

"Dear Councillors

I contacted the Empty Properties Department of Croydon Council a fortnight ago, to ask about the derelict site on Tavistock Road (where I live) that used to be a Judo club.

It has been abandoned for over four years, without any signs of it being renovated or redeveloped.

I have featured it on my website on several occasions, and it has been mentioned in the local press.

Yet nothing is being done with it?

Why?

The Empty Properties Department state that they cannot help, and advised me to write to you.

Please advise me as to when this blight on my road and the community will be addressed.

The fact that there is a severe housing shortage in the South East, and that this property has remained derelict and a blight on the community is nothing short of scandalous.

Thank you for you help.

Kind regards

Ken Frost

www.croydoniscrap.com"

The Bird House Saga

I am advised by the council that if there is no change in the status/condition of the Bird House in Sydenham Road, then they will consider a compulsory purchase of this sadly neglected building.

This sad building has been a regular feature on this site ever since I started it back in 2004 (click the tag below). It is shameful that this once lovely building has been allowed to rot, especially as there is a housing shortage.

Overcrowding

The Croydon Guardian reports that Croydon is overcrowded:

"Croydon is one of London's most overcrowded boroughs and is building a below average percentage of family homes.

A survey, by Inside Housing, has revealed that just seven per cent of the affordable homes built in Croydon last year was family sized."

Why then are there so many derelict houses and areas in Croydon?

Why does the council insist on pursuing a policy of building more shopping centres and an arena?

The Vision Thing

Given the prediction that by 2018 internet shopping could account for half of Britain's £300BN a year retail market, why is that Croydon Council and its friends in the property development companies are still pushing ahead with plans to build another shopping centre in Croydon?

Given the dismal failure that is Centrale, I would have thought that they would had learned their lesson by now.

The centre of Croydon does not need more shops, bars or restaurants. It needs people to actually live there when night falls, in other words we need housing in the centre of Croydon that will provide the engine for the regeneration of the local economy and the environment.

Unfortunately, the council and the developers lack the long term vision to see this.