Croydon Council Is Confused

I received this email and photos today, from someone who is having a lot of trouble convincing Croydon Council that they have responsibility for the fly tipping that is occurring at the bottom of her garden.

It is sad to see that our elected representatives are so adept at "passing the buck", yet unwilling/unable to resolve problems such as this.

Text of email:

"Dear Ken

I hope you can help me.

I live in Valley View Gardens in Kenley and my property backs on to what was the old Bourne View allotment site. I believe that about 5 years ago the allotments flooded very badly and badly damaged property in Bourne View. Since then Croydon Council and Sutton and East Surrey Water (who apparently own the land) invested £130,000 building a floodbank and culvert to prevent this happening again and fenced in and gated the area so there is no access to the general public. This was about 2 years ago when I just moved into my property, in the process of carrying out this work they removed a lovely screen of trees from the site which was behind my garden so now I have clear view of the new concrete culvert and the allotment site itself. (lovely!) a problem I could live with but now a resident in Gomshall Gardens (also backing on to the allotment site) has taken to dumping his rubbish in the culvert which is directly behind my property.

I have spoken to Croydon Council who have told me that they do not own the land and therefore it is not their responsibility. I then spoke to Sutton and East Surrey Water who said that as Croydon Council constructed the culvert they would be responsible for it. I went back to the council who said that as the fly-tipping is in a river bed (the old Bourne Stream) it was the Environmental Agency's responsibility. The EA when I spoke to them have denied this and said it is the responsibility of the local council!

Even though I have pointed out the property of the resident who has carried out the flty-tipping no warning letter have been sent as they have continued to add to the ever growing eyesore.

My property is a beautiful detached chalet bungalow which I have now been told by local Estate Agents would be nigh on impossible to sell at what would be the market value. I have appealed to the valuation tribunal to lower my council tax banding (not that they will but I am exploring all avenues! And trying to make a nuisance of myself so something is done)

Do I have to go to the expense of erecting a 7 foot high fence to block out the view before I can sell my property? Of do I have to climb down in to the culvert and attempt to remove the sofa, chairs, microwave etc myself?`

I have attched some photos of the dumped stuff although it isn't easy to get a good image as you have to look down on it..."

Croydon Council Stuck In The Mud

Despite being elected only last May it seems, if this email that I received yesterday is anything to go by, that Croydon Council have gone to sleep.

Edited text of email:

"My wife and I live at **(edited out) Chipstead Valley Rd. We returned from holiday on the 19th August to find a sea of mud deposited in the road and on the pavement outside our house.

This had been caused by the storms of the previous weekend washing all of the sediment and debris from St Andrews Rd down Sandown Rd before pouring out onto Chipstead Valley Rd, where the poorly designed drains couldn't cope with the amount of water and silt that was generated by the storm.

I telephoned Croydon Council on Monday 21st to advise them of this matter. When my wife telephoned them on Wednesday 23rd they had no record of the original complaint. This time the call was logged and a reference number was given. It is know the 3rd of September and Croydon Council have still not cleared up the mess.

We are informing you of this out of desperation as despite numerous telephone calls to the Council offices by us and our neighbours nothing has been done. There is now grass growing on the mud

Please see attached photo (1 of many).."

My message to Croydon Council is this: WAKE UP AND DO YOUR JOB!

Colin's Troublesome Erection II

Those of you with long memories may recall an earlier article about Colin's troublesome erection.

It seems that although his erection has subsided, Colin is still having quite a few problems. To read more, please visit Colin's Troublesome Erection II.








As the old theatrical saying goes, "this could run and run!".

Fairfield Ward Most Dangerous Area In London

Fairfield ward Croydon has been named by the Metropolitan Police as one of the most dangerous areas in London.

The ward, which includes East Croydon station and Croydon High Street, has experienced 4,135 crimes, including 231 street robberies in the year to April 2006.

Fairfield was listed as the 10th highest for crime in London, and 7th for the number of street robberies.

One major factor in this shameful record, is the appalling urban decay that blights the ward. Anyone who has to walk down the derelict and poorly lit Dingwall Road, late at night, can attest to feeling "unnerved" to say the least.

It is time that the newly elected Croydon Council got its act together, and addressed the decay and squalor of this borough.

Why should we put up with living in this decaying dump?

The Blight Continues

Those of you who may have hoped that Dingwall Road, the post nuclear wasteland that greets commuters and shoppers in the very heart of Croydon, may finally be on the verge of being developed will have to wait a lot longer.

It is reported that a High Court challenge has been issued by Arrowcroft, the council's preferred developer for the Gateway site, over the granting of planning permission for the Stanhope/Schroder's rival scheme.

Arrowcroft have taken umbridge at the Government's decision to grant permission to Stanhope/Schroder's office-led development.

The Arrowcroft plan includes a 12,500 seat arena, which has become something of a fetish for the council. Needless to say it is quite unecessary for Croydon, and will overburden the already stretched East Croydon station's facilities.

A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said a challenge had been issued, but its lawyers had only just started examining the papers.

This means that the citizens of Croydon will have to wait even longer, and endure the ongoing decay of the town centre, whilst the lawyers battle it out for who will actually get the right to earn millions from this development.

The solution is simple, the council should ditch the ridiculous idea for a sports arena.

Lunarcy

The Times reports that Croydon's famed/despised carbuncle, Lunar House, may soon be sold to a Greek shipping magnate for redevelopment into an even larger office block.

Whilst money is being spent on building larger office blocks, that doubtless will remain unoccupied, useful shops and amenities such as Beano's (the second hand record shop near Surrey Street market) are closing.

Beano's has been around for 35 years and has been forced to close, not because of the internet but, because Croydon town centre is so crappy these days that people simply do not want to come here to shop.

There is a lesson here somewhere, if Croydon council could be bothered to think about it.