A discussion forum on Croydon development issues
A long term strategy for Croydon
John Cheetham - Partnerships' Chair
Welcome!
Over the last two years, Croydon has been developing “The Strategy” - a long term plan to 2031. The Strategy sets out detailed new housing targets and the schools and hospitals that will be needed to support Croydon’s population to 2031. It also plans Croydon’s public transport, cultural and economic development. It is clear that the Strategy will have a profound effect on how Croydon develops up to 2031 – for better or for worse.
Despite the Strategy’s importance, very few Croydonians have studied it. You may be sceptical given Croydon’s poor track record on achieving its plans over the last 20 years. No construction work has yet started on key development sites owned by Menta, Minerva, the NHS and Stanhope Schroders. Croydon is awash with vacant office space. Croydon's poor image - worsened by the August riots - deters potential investors. You may feel that in this “age of austerity”, there will not be any regeneration money for years to come. Also, you may have been put off by the volume of Strategy documentation (literally hundreds of pages) and its technical jargon.
There is a real need to distil the Strategy down to its key points. Given the importance of the Strategy, Croydon's 10 Neighbourhood Partnerships spent a great deal of time studying all of the documentation. As the key objective of the Partnerships is to promote honest and informed debate, they created this website to summarise the Strategy’s key points. As a way of stimulating debate, the Partnerships have set out their responses to the Strategy's key points. Also, one of the Chairs sets out his thoughts in a blog - the views of which are personal to that Chair alone. The blog posts cover everything from Croydon's media to local democracy. Our blogger recognises that some of his opinions may be controversial, but he offers his personal views in the hope of stimulating honest debate. However, the most important part of this website is the public discussion boards. This provides a chance for you to have your say.
The future of grassroots democracy in Croydon is unclear given the Council's decision to end all of its support for the Neighbourhood Partnerships as at 31 March 2011. This website evidences that the Partnerships had harnessed the power of the internet and were keen to promote an informed debate on the biggest issue facing Croydon - how it can pull itself out of a decades' long decline in this age of austerity. The need for regeneration is even more pressing given the rampant looting and arson that took place on our streets during the August riots.
The Strategy consultation process is rapidly drawing to a close. This really is the last chance for you to have your say. Don’t lose your opportunity!
John Cheetham
Chair of the Neighbourhood Partnerships
Over the last two years, Croydon has been developing “The Strategy” - a long term plan to 2031. The Strategy sets out detailed new housing targets and the schools and hospitals that will be needed to support Croydon’s population to 2031. It also plans Croydon’s public transport, cultural and economic development. It is clear that the Strategy will have a profound effect on how Croydon develops up to 2031 – for better or for worse.
Despite the Strategy’s importance, very few Croydonians have studied it. You may be sceptical given Croydon’s poor track record on achieving its plans over the last 20 years. No construction work has yet started on key development sites owned by Menta, Minerva, the NHS and Stanhope Schroders. Croydon is awash with vacant office space. Croydon's poor image - worsened by the August riots - deters potential investors. You may feel that in this “age of austerity”, there will not be any regeneration money for years to come. Also, you may have been put off by the volume of Strategy documentation (literally hundreds of pages) and its technical jargon.
There is a real need to distil the Strategy down to its key points. Given the importance of the Strategy, Croydon's 10 Neighbourhood Partnerships spent a great deal of time studying all of the documentation. As the key objective of the Partnerships is to promote honest and informed debate, they created this website to summarise the Strategy’s key points. As a way of stimulating debate, the Partnerships have set out their responses to the Strategy's key points. Also, one of the Chairs sets out his thoughts in a blog - the views of which are personal to that Chair alone. The blog posts cover everything from Croydon's media to local democracy. Our blogger recognises that some of his opinions may be controversial, but he offers his personal views in the hope of stimulating honest debate. However, the most important part of this website is the public discussion boards. This provides a chance for you to have your say.
The future of grassroots democracy in Croydon is unclear given the Council's decision to end all of its support for the Neighbourhood Partnerships as at 31 March 2011. This website evidences that the Partnerships had harnessed the power of the internet and were keen to promote an informed debate on the biggest issue facing Croydon - how it can pull itself out of a decades' long decline in this age of austerity. The need for regeneration is even more pressing given the rampant looting and arson that took place on our streets during the August riots.
The Strategy consultation process is rapidly drawing to a close. This really is the last chance for you to have your say. Don’t lose your opportunity!
John Cheetham
Chair of the Neighbourhood Partnerships
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