A Room With a View

Sign up here to buy an East Croydon flat for a mere £401,000 http://t.co/Z7UKVHtfjG pic.twitter.com/knOII4rkIZ

— Inside Croydon (@InsideCroydon) June 15, 2015

Croydon - Wanking Capital of London!

It’s official: Croydon is the wanking capital of London.

That is according to Time Out.

The Legacy of Failure

Andrew Pelling talks on Sunday 20th with Hammerson and Lloyd's chairman John Nelson of his love for Croydon and views on past Croydon planners' failures as Hammerson agree with Westfield to work jointly on transforming Croydon town centre.

Listen to the podcast here.

Croydon Council CEO Bans Press

The Croydon Guardian reports that Croydon Council chief executive, Jon Rouse, banned the press from a public meeting last night, lest he be subjected to scrutiny.

The ban is somewhat "ironic" given that the press had been invited by the deputy chairman of the forum to attend what it had described as a public meeting at Croydon Voluntary Action resource centre in London Road, where the council chief was answering questions about the regeneration of West Croydon.

Now you know why Croydon continues to decay; the council have absolutely no intention of regenerating it, and don't want the press to report as such!

The Wind Atop Altitude 25

Courtesy of Andrew Pelling, here is the sound of the wind atop Altitude 25.

As he notes, high rise buildings are not the answer to Croydon's housing needs. Additionally aside from being windy at the top, these high rise buildings actually exacerbate the wind at street level.

Lansdowne Road & Dingwall Road Roundabout Improvements

Those of you who care about the centre of Croydon and want to see the rot stopped, would be well advised to participate in the council's consultation over Lansdowne Road & Dingwall Road Roundabout Improvements:

"From July 2013 with the opening of the new northern entrance to East Croydon Station, Lansdowne Road will be the vital pedestrian and cycle connection between East Croydon Station, the major south London public transport Interchange and Croydon's retail core (the Whitgift Centre, North End and Centrale). The proposed improvement works will provide a safer more attractive route to handle the predicted 30% of the people who currently use East Croydon Station to access these parts of the town. 

These works are part of the wider Connected Croydon programme of public realm enhancements. The project will deliver a lasting legacy for Croydon Metropolitan Centre over the next three years.

The works will also connect to a proposed new surface level pedestrian crossing on Wellesley Road that will connect Lansdowne Road and the main eastern entrance of the Whitgift Centre by 2014. This will further strengthen the role of Lansdowne Road as a direct pedestrian link between the new East Croydon footbridge and Croydon’s major commercial and retail core. 

The main objectives of these works are as follows:

• To transform Lansdowne Road between Wellesley Road and Dingwall Road (including Dingwall Road roundabout) into a pedestrian friendly space that still accommodates vehicles

• To strengthen the sense of arrival to an important London destination by creating an inviting public space

• To set a high quality benchmark for public realm improvements in Croydon Metropolitan Centre

• To improve connectivity and increase capacity for pedestrians and cyclists between Lansdowne Road and the new East Croydon footbridge via Lansdowne Walk whilst maintaining its role as a vehicular route

• To preserve existing bus movement and timing, and allow for future increase in capacity

• Improve public transport interchange in the vicinity of the western entrance to the new East Croydon Footbridge including a new taxi rank." 

Despite whatever comes of this plan, it is a pity that Dingwall Road will remain a barren wasteland that looks both hideous and dangerous until other issues are addressed.

The consultation runs until 30 November, and details can be downloaded via this link Lansdowne Road & Dingwall Road Roundabout Improvements.

Comments should be submitted by email to guy.protheroe@croydon.gov.uk or by post to the address below by the 30 November 2012.

Contact Details

Guy Protheroe

Telephone	020 8726 6000 ext: 62105
Email	guy.protheroe@croydon.gov.uk
Address	Capital Delivery Hub, 18th floor Taberner House, Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1JT

Allders In Administration Again!

In January 2005 I wrote:

"Allders, once Croydon's flagship store, is due to go into administration in the next 24 hours.

That is bad news for the staff and pensioners as, aside from the jobs that may be lost, there is a rumour in the City of a £17M black hole in the pension fund.

The Standard reports that the company that owns the Allders chain, Minerva, only acquired Allders to get its hands on the flagship Croydon site.

What does this mean for the centre of Croydon I wonder? "

Some five and half years later, and Allders is yet again in administration.

The Telegraph reports:

"The department store, the third biggest in the UK, today appointed Duff & Phelps as administrator, blaming a sales decline on “the well-publicised economic difficulties facing the UK”. 300 jobs have been put on the line. 

The collapse comes in the year that the department store was celebrating its 150th anniversary. It remains open for trading."

What now for the centre of Croydon?

The Kiss of Death For Croydon

Oh dear, on top of the creeping decay and blight eroding the centre of Croydon, it seems that the reputation of Croydon will be further sullied if this project ever gets airtime.

The Guardian reports that:

"A new reality TV show set to rival TOWIE is being made in Croydon. 

Reality show Surrey Heights, based in Croydon, will be holding casting sessions for individuals, groups and couples at Shooshh nightclub next month."

Pass the sickbag someone!

Castles In The Air - Another "Plan" For The Whitgift Centre

PropertyWeek reports that Hammerson has signed an exclusivity agreement which will enable it to buy a stake in the Whitgift Centre in Croydon.

This of course places a question mark over Westfield’s plans for the centre, and adds to the confusion as to what exactly is going on with the shopping centre.

In November 2011 Westfield announced that it had secured an exclusive agreement with the shopping centre’s freeholder, the Whitgift Trust, to explore options to redevelop the mall. However, the shopping centre’s other stakeholders had not been consulted and agreed to sell a share of their stake to Hammerson.

"Plans" for the redevelopment of the Whitgift shopping centre have been argued about for years, eg I wrote this in February 2005:

"Minerva is funding Croydon Council's fight against the Whitgift shopping centre expansion plans proposed by Minerva's rivals, who own the Whitgift.

Minerva is paying the six figure costs of legal fees incurred by the council, at a planning inquiry into the expansion of the Whitgift shopping centre.

The owners of Whitgift are appealing against the council's decision not to approve plans to extend the shopping centre. The extension is called Bishops Court 2.

The council is reported to back the rival project called Park Place, which is proposed by Minerva."

Frankly, based on the failures of previous schemes, I don't think there will be an redevelopment of the Whitgift anytime soon. 

Nestle To Leave Croydon

Nestle has announced that it will move its UK headquarters, housing 840 staff, from Croydon to Gatwick by the end of 2012.

Nestle has been based in Croydon for over 40 years.

It had been seeking a new head office in Croydon for "several years", but it had proved "very difficult". Croydon Council said that Nestle had chosen a type of office accommodation that it could not match, this is ironic given how much empty office space there appears to be in Croydon.

Well Done Reeves

Kudos to the Reeves family, the staff of Reeves and the people of Croydon for showing what can be done in the face of adversity.

"Today, however, thanks to a combination of steely determination, black humour and the remarkable kindness of strangers – including donations amounting to more than £10,000, a handwritten letter from Prince William, and a tapestry stitched by a customer in her eighties – the store is in better shape than the family could ever have hoped. “I am absolutely staggered by the support,” says Reeves"

Prince Charles Visits Croydon

"Tara Walton volunteers for All Inclusive, an organisation that offers financial training to young people, based in the centre.

The 24-year-old said: 'It is good they have come and are actually paying attention to Croydon for once, but it shouldn't have taken the riots to do that.'"

Source Croydon Guardian 18 August 2011

"Prince shares Ken's concern at town decay"

Source Croydon Guardian 11 June 2004

Reeves et al

I am truly sorry to see that Reeves the family run furniture store was torched by scum last night, 140 years of history up in smoke, along with numerous other businesses, shops and homes.

The law abiding citizens of Croydon deserve better than this.

On Twitter East Croydon Station, 10am #riotcleanup

Things Are Worse

Sad to see when walking along Dingwall Road the other day, on a visit to see my mother, that the decay and dereliction along Dingwall Road has become worse.

Why are there so many empty, decaying buildings and derelict sites there?

It is absolutely hideous, and a lousy advertisement for Croydon; most especially as it is the first thing that people see when they leave East Croydon Station.

The Consultation

There appears to be a consultation exercise going on in Croydon at the moment, wrt plans for Wellesley Road etc.

Go to the library and ask for a copy of the Summary and Comment form, the last date for comment and feedback is 14th April.

Diamonds In The Sky

"A bid to transform Croydon's skyline with four new diamond shaped skyscrapers will be officially launched at a property festival in Cannes."

An interesting idea, but I shall believe it when I see it!

Here is an artist's impression of the plans:

Taking The Piss?

I see that The Guardian (the broadsheet not the local rag) notes that Croydon has "improved no end".

Are they taking the piss?

Thinking Big

I am pleased to see that there are finally plans to build on the derelict eyesore which is on the former Randolph and Pembroke House site in Wellesley Road.

This has been a rotting scab on Croydon's landscape since the two buildings were demolished in 1993, and has been featured on this site back in February 2004.

Berkeley Homes have had their plans approved by Croydon Council to build a 44-storey tower and a development that will see a total of 739 flats built across five blocks.

The question is, will companies come to Croydon and use this 44 storey tower?

Of Mice and Men

As the old saying goes "the best laid plans of mice and men..."

This most certainly is the case for the plans for the Park Place development, which have been gathering dust for years now.

Allegedly, the plan is to "regenerate Croydon town centre" (how often do developers and Croydon council use that phrase?), by amongst other things knocking down St George's Walk.

However, despite the developers and the council "talking big" for years about these plans, nothing yet has happened or looks like happening anytime soon.

The Croydon Guardian reports:

"Work was due to start in spring but Minerva and Lend Lease have still not secured an anchor tenant.

St George's Walk is under a compulsory purchase order and was originally set to be demolished late last year.

But it now looks as though it will still be open in 2009 and traders say they are fed up with not getting any answers from their landlord, Minerva."

Meanwhile St George's Walk is rotting.

A cynic might suggest that the plan is to allow the area to rot away to nothing, then force the council to accept a second rate tenant and a third rate development.

Why should the citizens of Croydon be treated in this manner by their council?

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.