Category: News

Croydon Council have written as follows:-

We are writing to inform you that Croydon’s Highways team together with its principal contractor FM Conway, will shortly be commencing resurfacing works on the above road. These works are scheduled to commence on 3^rd August  2022- 5^th  August   2022

Gully cleaning  will take place on 6^th August 2022 with parking suspension only

Traffic management will consist of  a road closure

Due to the locations and nature of these works, some disruption will inevitably occur, these works are being scheduled to be carried out between 08.00 – 17:00. If you need vehicular access during the above period it may be advisable to find an alternative and allow additional time for your journey. Traffic management plans are available on request, to illustrate these works according to the councils’ specifications.

Croydon’s Highways team wishes to apologize in advance and welcomes your co-operation to ensure the work is executed safely and efficiently. Every effort will be made to minimise the inconvenience that may be caused during the works. In view of these works, we will notify residents and businesses in the vicinity with a letter drop notification 

The Council’s website carries the following request:-

Croydon residents are being asked to show recently planted trees some TLC this summer, helping to keep them watered and healthy through the hot summer months.

In recent years, Croydon has planted around 2,000 trees – newly-planted trees need to be watered regularly for their first three years to become established and thrive, requiring at least 50 litres of water per week in May, June, July and August.

During the hot months, the council is already stepping up watering around the borough but can always use a helping hand. The council is asking local residents who might have young trees outside their homes, on their street, or on their route to and from work, to help water these trees.

Caring for young trees contributes more widely to a healthier and more vibrant borough, one which we can all be proud of.

Residents can water the base of trees or, if they have one, via the hole in the green bag surrounding its trunk or black irrigation pipes. Trees can be watered just like a household plant and residents are also reassured that it is hard to overwater during the current heatwave.

Read about the proposals by clicking the link below :

Improving air quality and Londoners’ health, tackling climate change and reducing congestion | Have Your Say Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

Have your say – you have until 12 August to view the Mayor’s proposal and comment.  You can do this in a number of ways:

• Registering on the Tfl website and completing the survey

• Emailing your views to cleanairyourview@tfl.gov.uk

• By post to TFL HAVE YOUR SAY (freepost- no stamp required)

It is recommended if you wish to express a clear yes or no, that you email or write, using a clear short first sentence stating whether you support or oppose the expansion, rather than complete the survey, in order to ensure your views are registered properly.

SPRA is happy to publicise the appeal being arranged by West Wickham & Shirley Baptist Church, for material aid for those suffering from the armed invasion of Ukraine.

Details can be found of the Church website …https://www.wwsbc.org.uk/#welcome

… where information is given as to what they are asking people to provide.

We do appreciate that there are many ways in which people can reach out to these troubled people; this is a particularly local one.

SPRA has recently submitted the following representation to the Council in response to its consultation on the revised Plan.

Spring Park Residents’ Association

Representation in response to Croydon Local Plan revision (February 2022)

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Unsound on grounds of consistency with national policy

There is no reference to the Design-Led approach Policy D3 of the London Plan or requirement for Design Codes (London Plan & NPPF) which would enable the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with these documents.

Para 11.197A and 11.2.02

Both these sections address the character of Shirley, but provide minimal and insufficient detail or reference to the above documents. In particular they do not address the different characters of the individual localities within a place.

SPRA therefore believes there is a requirement for a specific and more detailed Shirley Place Character statement and Shirley Place Design Code as part of the Plan.

Suggested templates are offered below for consideration.

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Suggested Shirley Place Character Statement

Outer suburban, low density residential area consisting mostly of 1930s speculative built detached and semi-detached two storey houses of conventional construction with mainly rendered masonry walls and pitched and tile covered roofs, with double height front bay windows, entrance porches, and private garage or off-street parking facility. Long private front and rear gardens, wide roads, many of which are tree-lined, with the houses laid out in a regular and uniform pattern and height and regular spacing of houses respecting a uniform building line. There are few flats developments, and flat roofs above first floor level are rare (other than in the case of loft conversions). The houses are interspersed with doctor’s surgeries, dental practices, local schools and open spaces, and local shopping parades on principal thoroughfares. The houses provide spacious accommodation generally in excess of 90 sq.m RCA.

Suggested Shirley Place Design Code (Built Form)

DENSITY 20-40 d/ha
HOUSE TYPES Two storey detached or semi-detached, of conventional masonry construction under pitched and tile covered roofs, with porch and double height bay windows to front
HEIGHT 9m to eaves
GARDENS Long front and rear gardens
PARKING Single garage or parking space to every house
HOUSE SIZE NLT 90 sq.m RCA
STREETSCAPES Regular and uniform pattern of houses of similar style, design, and materials, of uniform height and regular spacing following a uniform building line.

We have been asked to publicise the following opportunity …

The Shrublands Trust is a registered charity and operates out of its premises at 7 Broom Road, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 8NG.

We are currently in urgent need of a volunteer to help with IT for the running of our weekly Food Bank

What we are looking for:

Skills: Some  IT knowledge required 

Role: to upload opening times and list of food needs each week onto our web site

Time: 10-20 minutes per week

What we can offer you: 

Resources: use of the Shrublands’ laptop

Experience: being part of the Shrublands’ team working for the local community.

Can you help?  For further information please telephone the Trust Manager Mrs. Beverly Warner on 0208 405 9989.

One of our members has alerted us to the following email he has received …

Over the past two years Londoners like you have been powerful defenders of both the Freedom Pass and the 60+ Oyster Card. We’re very grateful for your support, which has been brilliant. Your support has been amazing. I’m writing because we need you once again. Yesterday evening (15th December) we heard that the long-term future of the 60+ Oyster Card is under threat and that there are plans to phase out this travel concession for Londoners aged 60 to 66 entirely over a 12-year period. We are deeply concerned about the impact this regressive cut will have.

Please sign the petition to save the 60+ Oyster Card

It is important to note that the plans will not affect current holders of the 60+ Oyster Card. It will however affect Londoners currently in their 50s and younger who would normally be eligible for the card on their 60th birthday. Campaigning for an age-friendly London is about fighting for a better city for both the older Londoners of today and the older Londoners of the future.We know many of you continue to be impacted by the suspension of concessionary transport before 9am on weekdays. We are very worried that this latest attack on affordable transport will make things much worse for thousands of people. Please sign and then share the petition. We are in the final few hours of the current Government/TfL funding deal and we need to make our voices heard.

Malcolm Bell, Croydon Council’s Energy Projects Manager, has written a warning as follows …

Unfortunately I am writing to inform you, a resident has informed me a company called UK ECO solutions (or someone on their behalf) is doing door knocking in the borough about grants for solid wall insulation, claiming they are working with Croydon Council.  I have recently seen Facebook adverts from them hinting they work with and/or the funding is from the Council.

I can confirm Croydon Council not working with this company, nor are they a sub-contractor for one of our partner companies, nor has the team had any discussions with them.   The sub-contractor working with our partner AgilityEco currently installing solid-wall insulation for home owners is called Simple Green Energy, and they will only be contacting residents who have applied, or been referred into the scheme with their consent.     None of the companies we are working with are doing any cold calling/door knocking promotions.

All the private sector grant providers/schemes we work with are listed on our Energy Advice webpage   www.croydon.gov.uk/energyadvice     Although residents can apply directly for these schemes (as opposed to a referral through Croydon Healthy Homes), we do recommend residents use one of our partner organisations to access grant funding if they are eligible.  For some schemes eligibility/grant may be dependent upon a signed declaration from Croydon Council, and we only do this with companies we have an agreements in place with.

I would strongly advise residents to check the web page to ensure any company claiming to work with the Croydon Council is genuinely working with us.  Alternatively they can email healthyhomes@croydon.gov.uk or call the Healthy Homes Freephone number to check 08002922529 (the number currently diverts to an answerphone, but we aim to call back all residents as quickly as possible, and all within a week).

May I also take this opportunity to notify you the Croydon Heathy Homes team will be hand delivering leaflets about our services to homes in areas with high-levels of fuel poverty, especially older properties.  This week we delivered leaflets in the Waddon area.  The letter we delivered was in the name of our Healthy Homes Advisor, Jayesh Patel.

We have been advised that Shirley Library will be open on Mondays and Tuesdays starting on 6 September, from 10am to 1pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm.

Please see the following link to the Council’s website; https://www.croydon.gov.uk/libraries-leisure-and-culture/libraries/find-your-library/shirley-library