Croydon residents voted for their first ever elected Mayor on 5th May. Conservative Jason Perry took the post by a slim majority after the second preference count. Joining him on the council are Kenley’s representatives, Ola Kolade, re-elected for a second term, and newly elected councillor Gayle Gander, who replaces Jan Buttinger. The Mayor has now appointed his cabinet team and Ola has been given the post of Member for Community Safety.
Ola and Gayle attended a recent KENDRA committee meeting where they reiterated the Mayor’s commitment to be responsive to residents concerns and wishes. It is proposed that both our councillors will hold regular surgeries to give residents direct access to their elected representatives. We will pass on further details, when we have them, in our email newsletter.
Although KENDRA is a non-political association, it supported the campaign for a directly elected mayor (DEMOC). KENDRA, and its neighbouring residents’ associations, has long been an opponent of Croydon Council’s intensification plan. Its implementation has seen many perfectly serviceable family homes demolished and replaced by over-sized blocks of flats, and the proposed development of valued green spaces in local residential areas.
On his first day, Mayor Perry announced he was removing the supplementary planning design guide (SPD2). This was seen as a builders’ charter. The Mayor said it would ‘protect the character of our neighbourhoods and the beautiful green spaces.’ He also announced he would be reinstating the graffitti removal service and would begin the process for re-opening Purley Pool and Leisure Centre.
Labour lost overall control of Croydon’s 70 seat Council, which is now made up of 34 Labour councillors, 32 Conservatives, 2 Green Party and 1 Liberal Democrat. Jason Perry stood for Mayor and as a councillor for Croydon South. The Mayor’s Croydon South seat will be re-contested in a by-election.
Croydon bucked the trend of Conservative losses in Greater London. The Labour Council’s contentious planning policy wasn’t the only unpopular issue, in Kenley, at least. It ran up debts of £1.5bn, effectively bankrupting the borough, which resulted in job losses and cuts in services. The Brick By Brick fiasco; losses connected with the purchase of a hotel; the spiralling costs of the Fairfield Halls refurbishment and the ITV news expose, that showed the shameful state of some council tenants’ properties, all contributed to Labour’s loss of control.
KENDRA recognises new homes are needed but Kenley has had more than its fair share. KENDRA hopes that the new administration will listen to us, and the other local residents’ associations. For many years residents have had little say in how their local environment has been changed. We deserve to have our wishes and concerns heard.