It was a lively Autumn General Meeting at Kenley Memorial Hall last night. It was reasonably well attended by about 45 members.
The Elected Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, gave an update on the state of Croydon Council’s finances. Still burdened by £1.6bn of debt, he said the annual budget was hampered by the £36 million in interest payments needed before any spending on services could be considered.
Homelessness and a growing list of those in need of accommodation was putting a strain on finances too. Social care accounts for the majority of Croydon’s and most other local authority budgets.
On a positive note, the Council has stopped many undesirable and inappropriate residential developments and the destruction of family homes.
However the Mayor said many large developments seem to have stalled in the borough, including one in Purley, mainly due to suspected funding problems.
One member wanted to know what was happening to the dilapidated My Old China building and the Youngs Builders’ Merchants site in Purley, adding it gave a bad impression of the area generally. The Mayor said as both sites were private land he couldn’t say what was intended and that the Council’s powers were very limited in such cases.
Questioned about speeding in Hayes Lane and the lack of any action over many years, the Mayor deferred to Councillor Ola Kolade, for his local knowledge of the problem. Cllr. Kolade said that there was an ongoing Safer Streets assessment and Hayes Lane, particularly the unpaved section, was part of it.
Councillor Kolade promised he would make further representations to Croydon’s highways department to express the frustration of residents who have had to put up with this menace on a daily basis for many years. Unfortunately the Metropolitan Police representative was unable to attend, so we were unable to ask what the police were doing to stop the speeding.
The Mayor told the meeting that he was in monthly contact with the Westfield group and was confident that Croydon’s town centre was at last showing signs of regeneration. He said work was about to begin on several new retail units inside the Allders building. He encouraged members to visit the exhibition in the Whitgift centre, which shows what is being proposed.
Tom Oliver, a conservation ranger for the Corporation of London, gave a talk about the work and quirks of the Commons.
He explained the subtle but vital importance of the chalk downs at Kenley, one of only a handful of sites across Europe. Here rare plants grow, including yellow rattle and several types of orchid. Cattle graze the grasses, acting as organic lawn mowers, which help to keep competitors of these low-growing plants at bay.
On the subject of cattle, Tom explained how Kenley’s cows, a rare breed originally imported by the Normans, were satellite-guided using collars that gave them a mild electric shock when the ventured out of their safety zone. By scanning a QR code on the common, visitors can track movements of these cows on their smart phone.
He praised the many volunteers who give thousands of hours of their time to help preserve our wonderful Commons.
(Full details of the work of the rangers and the events scheduled in the coming months will be published on this website soon, with useful links to the Corporation of London.)
Rounding off the evening our local Councillors, Ola Kolade and Gayle Gander answered many questions including the bus for ‘upper’ Kenley. It was still in the balance but it was hoped a positive decision would come soon.
Cllr. Gander said the long awaited crossing by the Co-Op would be installed in the first quarter of 2025. Fingers crossed of course.
The thefts at the Co-Op had diminished but not stopped. Cllr. Kolade said the action or rather inaction by the Co-Op and other retailers may have exacerbated the situation, almost as an encouragement to others.
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