Your Croydon 67 - March-May 2015

ISSUE 67 - MARCH – MAY 2015

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yourregeneration

Your primary source of community information

1

www.croydon.gov.uk

Croydon to host its own summer festival Page 3

Britain’s top cyclists to race around Croydon Page 7

s e c i v r e s e n i l t n protecting froour council tax y g n i z e e r f d an

Pages 11 to 14

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yourcroydon

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Freezing your council tax I would like to take this opportunity to outline the council’s priorities having recently set our budget for the financial year 2015-16.

It has been a tough budget to set as we have had to deal with more cuts to Croydon’s funding from central government while meeting a growing demand for our services. But I’m pleased to say that we have been able to deliver our three key pledges to local residents – freezing council tax, protecting frontline services and ensuring that you are getting value for your money.

We have worked very hard to make sure there will be no increase to your council tax bills this year but, at the same time, we will be protecting and improving the key services that are important to you.

I am pleased to report that our streets are becoming cleaner, and 88% of fly-tips are now collected within 48 hours, up from just 3% a year ago. We are also investing more money in schools, and we have, in partnership with the police, put more new police officers on the beat.

In these tough financial times, putting value for money at the heart of everything we do has never been more important. The council now has the smallest senior management team in London, is ensuring more of its services are available online and is making it easier for you to contact us. This will save us all £17m over the next three years. We’re also looking at how we can work more closely with local communities in areas such as parks and libraries to help deliver better and more efficient services that local people say are a priority.

Highlights Ambition Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Read about Croydon’s own summer festival taking place across four days in July.

Meet the community champions . . 5 Croydon residents have responded to the council’s request for volunteers. Your Croydon speaks to two and learns why they put their hands up.

Tour de Croydon . . . . . . 7 Britain’s top cyclists will be racing round Croydon town centre in June.

Budgeting for the future . . . . . . . 11 Four pages detailing all you need to know about this year’s budget – and how it affects you.

Reporting noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 You can now report noise using the council’s My Croydon smartphone app.

Win tickets for Blood Brothers . . . . . . . . . 18

These are challenging but exciting times for Croydon.

We have major developers investing billions of pounds in our town, building an exciting new shopping centre, and creating thousands of new homes and jobs. Our challenge as a council is to keep your taxes as low as possible, continue to improve the services we all rely on and, crucially, ensure as many local people as possible benefit from the investment that is now flowing into Croydon as confidence in our borough’s future grows every day.

You can read more about how we are protecting services and freezing your council tax on pages 11 to 14.

Councillor Tony Newman Leader of the council

A pair of tickets is up for grabs for one of Willy Russell’s most popular musicals.

To keep up to date with what’s going on, subscribe to Your Croydon and receive a free weekly email that’s full of news and information about your borough, go to www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe and visit

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3

No end to festival’s Ambition

The big event of Croydon’s summer promises to be the inaugural Ambition Festival – and the level of early interest indicates delivery of that promise.

Arnh em a ct: So

n of D

ave

It’s official – interest in Ambition has gone global.

July’s Ambition Festival, which has attracted interest from across the country, is now spreading its feelers overseas – to South America and the Far East.

So, at the same time as approaching established artists to perform, hundreds of SoundCloud tracks and YouTube clips from talented performers keen to appear at the festival have been carefully sifted.

Some of the early bookings are already listed on the performers page at www. ambitionfest.com/performers Festival manager John Bownas, said: “The interest has been quite literally overwhelming – particularly given this is the first year of the event and active promotion’s only just started.

“We’ve had people from Scotland to the West Country and from the Midlands to East Anglia contacting us through the website or via Facebook. We’ve even had a couple of entries from as far away as Argentina and Japan.”

In keeping with the name of the event, the main booking criteria hasn’t been to look for what is simply popular or well-known. Instead, the focus has been on the search for talent and creative drive.

As a result, the stages dotted through the town – on Fairfield Gardens and The Queen’s Gardens, and around the Town Hall – will feature dozens of performances from musicians playing a variety of styles, but who have one thing in common – the ability to entertain an audience.

As well as acts chosen directly by the festival, numerous venues and stages will feature talent chosen by regular local promoters or curated by partners of the event.

There will also be community-based stages and shows featuring many of the talented performers who regularly play in local venues.

And the show doesn’t start and finish with music.

Anyone who fancies a laugh will find plenty of comedy on tap, and for those wanting to put on their dancing shoes (or who simply enjoy the spectacle of dance) there will be ample opportunity to indulge.

Plays and spoken word performances are promised for those wanting a gentler pace, and, for families, there will be children’s activities over the weekend.

As promised, much of the festival will be free of charge, particularly on the Saturday and Sunday when the outdoor stages will be open for business. Tickets for the paid-for events will be subsidised wherever possible to keep them affordable.

For up-to-date information about Ambition follow the event on Facebook or Twitter using #ambitionfest.

Kick-start

Get involved

Getting things off the ground, Friday 20 March sees the official festival launch night in Fairfield’s Arnhem Gallery.

Featuring acts already earmarked for the festival itself, the evening will be a bluesy, rip-roaring taster of what’s to come.

Information, and advance tickets costing £6.50, can be found here.

Volunteering opportunities will soon be advertised through the CVA’s Team Croydon (www.cvalive. org.uk/Volunteering/TeamCroydon.aspx) project for anyone who wants to help out for a day or two and be part of what promises to be a great event.

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yourenvironment yourcroydon

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

COMMUNITY TEAMS UP WITH COUN Last summer, the council launched a campaign to make Croydon cleaner and greener. The Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign involves council staff and the community doing their bit to make the borough a better place to live.

Successes so far include the council clearing 88% of all dumped waste within 48 hours of being reported, a successful prosecution against a fly-tipper and recruiting 184 local community champions.

Dozens of businesses back council campaign Around 30 businesses have pledged to join Croydon Council’s campaign to make the borough cleaner and greener.

The council launched the pledge in September to encourage businesses to make their part of Croydon cleaner by clearing litter from pavements, backyards and side alleys near their premises. This is on top of normal street cleaning by

council contractors.

So far, 20 businesses in London Road have signed the pledge, with around 10 in the Whitehorse Road area. The retailers have pledged to: • clear up outside their shop at least once a day; • have a valid trade waste agreement and stick to it; • report fly-tipping and littering; and • increase recycling where possible.

In the last few weeks, the council’s enforcement teams have been visiting other London Road business owners to ensure they have a valid licence to get rid of rubbish from their premises. If they do not have a trade waste agreement, the enforcement teams have ensured they get one.

Council officers are also due to start recruiting businesses to the pledge in other areas – such as West Croydon – from the middle of March.

Tracey Bellamy, Croydon Council’s

community champions coordinator, said: “We want the pledge to be a reward for doing the right thing. We need to check the trade waste contracts that the businesses hold, and then see the shops keeping to the values on the pledge.”

Businesses have a legal obligation to dispose of waste responsibly and keep their premises and land clean, clear and litter-free. Excessive litter on a business’s premises could mean being served with a Community Protection Notice (ASB and Policing Act 2014) and a fine.

Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride: progress Since the launch of the campaign last June, has: l i c n u o C n o d Croy HAD MORE THAN

4,000 PEOPLE REPORT FLY-TIPPING

cleared

88% of such reports in

48 hours

INSPECTED

250

BUSINESS LICENcES

issued

150

Approx.

FIXED PENALTY

NOTICES OF UP TO

≈£80 ≈

recruited

new 200COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS

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5

NCIL ON FLY-TIPPING CLAMPDOWN

Volunteers step up to be community champions The people of Croydon have got behind the council’s borough-wide effort to stamp out littering and fly-tipping.

The drive to recruit residents to the role of community champion, and help to make Croydon clean and green, has seen 200 community-minded volunteers step up to spearhead their side of the campaign.

The role of community champions ranges from arranging litter action days and boosting volunteer numbers at neighbouring clearups, to on-street recruiting and reporting fly-tipping.

Events have been held across the borough from Thornton Heath to Coulsdon and from Addiscombe to Waddon.

Tracey Bellamy, Croydon Council’s community champions coordinator, said: “People should get involved because it builds community in their area.

“If someone is organising a cleanup and you have a list of champions, you can help with manpower and work more as a bigger group.”

She also had a message for local residents who wanted help in clearing up fly-tipped waste: “If you have a problem that needs solving, we have people in your area and we can bring them to you.”

Clean and green campaign recruits cadets The council’s Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign got some military muscle when air cadets cleared rubbish in Coulsdon.

Five members of Coulsdon and Purley Air Training Corps marked their recruitment among the council’s 184 community champions by clearing litter from Grange Park and nearby roads.

Accompanied by Croydon Council area enforcement officers and the borough’s community champions coordinator, the five teenagers aged 15-17 spent an hour picking litter around the park, including the green, Coulsdon Road shops, a public footpath and the children’s playground.

Despite being a freezing cold day the cadets were up for the challenge and were thanked by residents for their hard work.

The group will also be helping a community clean-up organised by Friends of Coulsdon Coppice on 21 March.

Community champions Robert Webb, from Park Hill, got involved in cleaning up the local area after joining the local residents’ association three years ago. His focus has been on clearing up around the local shop.

He said: “I think the council campaign has started off well.

“It all seems to be more regimented and it’s all heading in the right direction. If everyone was looking after their own front doorstep the street would look cleaner.”

Jo Parry got involved in litter picks through Thornton Heath Residents’ Association and

decided to join the campaign to make a more coordinated effort.

Ms Parry, a mother-of-two, said: “There was a poster in the local library asking people to join the scheme, and I’d organised some local clean-up days.

“There were quite a few small groups in operation but they weren’t working together, so we had a big community action day.

“It was around that day we met Tracey and the council got involved – and I phoned up to be a street champion.”

For more information on how to get involved in the campaign, visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/ dontmess. You can also report dumped waste via the council’s dedicated fly-tipping hotline on 020 8604 7000, the council’s My Croydon smartphone app or by emailing flytip@croydon.gov.uk

6

yourcommunity yourcroydon

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Peer urges students to vote The campaigning mother of Stephen Lawrence, murdered in a race-motivated attack in Eltham, reminded Croydon students of their democratic duty.

Croydon students were told about the importance of voting by life peer and campaigner Doreen Lawrence when she visited their college.

Labour peer Baroness Lawrence, who became a member of the House of Lords after driving through ground-breaking police reform following the racist murder of her son Stephen in 1993, led two sessions with Croydon College students on why politics matter, and how young voters can positively influence society.

She debated on subjects ranging from manifesto pledges and the recent Paris attacks, to police powers and extra-curricular opportunities for young people.

Specific discussions about the democratic process included eligibility to vote, online and phone balloting and the need to attract more women candidates and people from ethnic minorities.

She outlined her journey from being uninvolved in politics to being an active campaigner, and said society needed more candidates who understood the “real world”.

The baroness told her audience: “When I was young, politics wasn’t something that really interested me.

“All our everyday lives – politics is part of that. You may not think so because you go to your friend’s and hang about in the evening but everything revolves around politics. It revolves around shopping and how much you pay for your food, how much for rent and how much for travel.

“I listen to a lot of politicians and MEPs, and for somebody like me to go to the House of Lords I’m not from any of those backgrounds – I’m from the real world, and I don’t believe a lot of them come from the real world.

“If you want to make a difference to the people that represent you, it’s important to register to vote – and that’s where young voices count.”

She said she had noticed more young people becoming interested in the democratic process, adding: “Now I find kids are more astute, like my son and daughter and even my grandchildren talk about politics and I’d like to say that everyone is beginning to have an opinion.”

And her verdict on the audience? “It was very good – at the start they were a little bit nervous but the questions they were asking were quite pertinent and relevant to what they were feeling, and the voting questions were very good.”

Bishop calls for residents’ help Croydon Opportunity and Fairness Commission launched at a packed Stanley Halls meeting, with a plea for residents to join and make a difference.

A once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring people together to build a better Croydon – that was how the Croydon Opportunity and Fairness Commission was described at its recent launch.

Inaugural chairman, the Bishop of Croydon the Rt. Revd Jonathan Clark, went on: “As somewhere with the potential for growth and development, Croydon has it all going for it, if we can find a way of weaving all its assets together.”

The commission’s brief is to give the council an understanding of inequality and inclusion issues and help shape policy that will address those issues.

It will also help tackle the deprivation that is evident in some parts of the borough.

One of the first tasks of the commission will be listening to people from different

areas, communities and interests across the borough before publishing an interim report later this year.

Bishop Jonathan called for residents to get involved in the commission’s work.

He said: “We will succeed and make a difference if people join us. Tell us your views; tell us what needs to change and what more we can achieve.

“I want people from every type of background and with every type of interest to contribute.

“This is for everyone in Croydon – if I thought an Opportunity and Fairness Commission was going to benefit only one particular bit of the borough, I wouldn’t be part of it.”

If you are interested in becoming a resident commissioner, complete the

nomination form on the commission’s website, or call 0800 612 2182.

For the full list of commissioners, and to find out how you can be involved, go to www.opportunitycroydon.org/

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Croydon to host major cycling event Croydon will step on to the world stage when it hosts a major event in the cycling calendar this summer, with thousands of spectators expected to turn out to see some of Britain’s top cyclists in action.

The Pearl Izumi Men’s Tour Series and Matrix Fitness Women’s Grand Prix, two of Britain’s main professional cycling events and the backbone of the UK pro-cycling scene, come to Croydon town centre on the evening of 2 June.

Team Wiggins formed by 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins, and the One Pro Cycling team of England cricketer Matt Prior join the list of teams headlined by defending champions JLT Condor.

The 75-minute men’s race is one of 10 events taking place

this summer at different town centre venues across the UK and one of only two London events – the other being Canary Wharf.

The one-hour women’s race is one of five events across the country.

The 1km cycle route includes the north part of the pedestrianised North End, crossing the tram lines at George Street and Church Street, and Surrey Street.

Croydon Tramlink will be suspended in the town centre for the duration of the race, as well as in the lead-up and immediately after, while Surrey Street Market will close early to allow the event to take place.

As part of coverage of the race, Croydon will be the subject of a one-hour highlights programme on ITV4 and Eurosport, which will broadcast in 100 countries.

Alastair Grant, director of tour series organiser SweetSpot, said: “Bringing the Pearl Izumi Tour Series to Croydon was a strategic decision which has been further strengthened by the enthusiasm that the council holds.

“We are looking forward to

working within an established borough of London, especially one within such close proximity of the cycling heartlands in the south of the country.

“We hope that this is the start of a partnership that leads to other cycling events in the future.”

8

youreducation yourcroydon

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

More school places for borough pupils As regeneration sees a growing population, the council works to ensure every child has a school place.

The increasing demand for school places in the borough is being met head-on by the council as it sets to funding almost 2,000 additional classroom spots.

From September, 30 pupils per year group will be added at eight primary schools, equating to 960 pupils over three years.

At secondary level, 900 new places will be created when the Oasis Arena academy opens Albert Road, South Norwood in September.

More expansions are on the cards at The Archbishop Lanfranc, Mitcham Road,

in 2016, followed by the new Ark free school in 2017.

The first primary schools due for expansion, in September, are: • Chestnut Park, Croydon • West Thornton Academy annexe • Oasis Fairfield, Croydon • Heathfield Academy Spices Yard • Gonville Academy (for one year only) • Heavers Farm Primary (for one year only) • Christ Church C of E in Purley (for one year only)

• Chipstead Valley Primary (for one year only) The extra places are in addition to those already agreed last July for children with special educational needs.

Feasibility studies are under way to provide 106 extra places for children aged four to 11 from September, split between pupils with specific learning difficulties and those with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

For the full lists, visit the council website to see the Cabinet report.

Giving children the best start Promise of rapid identification of issues and quicker support as council offers families improved service.

Parents of under-fives in Croydon needing extra support will get much quicker help from the council thanks to a new service.

Thanks to almost £1.5m from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Croydon will be one of the UK’s first councils to combine support services for young families.

Called Croydon Best Start, the new service will cut the number of referrals that parents go through by bringing together health visiting, children’s centres, early years and the voluntary sector.

The new council service, which is being developed with the help of local parents, will provide: • a comprehensive map of local support groups and services for parents; • a drive to improve teaching standards in pre-school nurseries and childcare; • longer home visits to check families’ mental and physical health and relationships; • a central pool of advisers to work with families at risk of domestic violence; • relationship advice for parents; and • more access for parents to employment training.

The council is due to develop these proposals this year, which includes consulting staff and unions. Brighton & Hove, Manchester and Leeds are the other councils to have launched similar plans.

The grant was made under the DCLG’s Public Sector Transformation Network, which aims to pool the resources of councils and 999 services so they become more efficient and provide greater value for money.

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9

All aboard for the relaunch of

www.croydon.gov.uk

Residents pitch in with ideas and pointers to make council’s website easier for everybody to use.

Improved service, easier navigation and cost savings are all part of Croydon Council’s new website.

Designed with ease of use in mind, it was built with the help and suggestions of borough residents and members of council staff, and automatically adapts its layout for smartphones, tablets, PCs and laptops.

The improved functionality will ensure that online services are even more accessible to all, making them only a click or a swipe away, wherever the user is, and whenever the user desires.

It has never been easier to

do business with the council.

And improving online services helps the council to save money, protecting the services that matter to residents.

One driver behind the redesign was the age of the software, which had reached the end of its life and could no longer be technically supported, making it increasingly difficult to offer a reliable service.

The site’s content has also been reviewed, resulting in a reduction of more than 3,500 pages, making it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for.

The new site is fully

integrated with the council’s smartphone app My Croydon and the My Account service, enabling users to carry out council transactions such as council tax payment in one place,

and the smartphone app.

Go to https://my.croydon. gov.uk The My Croydon app can be downloaded from the Apple and Google online stores.

Make My Account your account Contact with the council just keeps getting easier as more services are made available online.

Council tax payment and support are among the latest features to be added to the council’s My Account facility.

Designed to make residents’ contact with the council as easy as possible, information on a range of services is now available, and more are to be added.

Included in the latest round of additions is advice on business rates and housing benefit.

An added plus for everybody living in Croydon is that the handling of council tax affairs online through my account helps the council to save money and protect the services that residents have indicated are their priority.

My Account enables residents to have a single account for all services – using My Account couldn’t be easier.

Residents can now: • make a payment; • view either a summary of their council tax or business rates account; and • view their benefit entitlement.

Getting started couldn’t be easier or quicker, all that’s needed is your council tax or business rates account number, or, if you are receiving housing benefit or council tax support, your benefit claim number and national insurance number.

To open your own My Account, simply: • go to https:// my.croydon.gov.uk and choose “create an account”; • complete the boxes with your personal information (do not include spaces or

hyphens in phone numbers); • read the terms and conditions and, if you agree, tick the box; • click “create an account”; and • the last and important step is to check your emails; you will receive an email from the council (noreply@ croydon.gov.uk) with a

link that has to be clicked to activate the account.

These new services add to the many things that can be done via My Account, such as reporting an issue (fly-tip, blocked drain, missed rubbish collection), booking a white goods collection (fridge, freezer, washing machine), and much more.

10 yourcroydon

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Pitch in and value Croydon Scheme aims to create jobs and boost local businesses through commissioning for council contracts.

How to pitch for some of the council’s £400m services commissioned each year was the focus of attention for delegates at the recent Value Croydon event.

More than 200 delegates learned of the new way of doing business that sees commissioning for social value at its heart The Fairfield event – the first of what is set to be a series – saw local companies learning about the opportunities available to them in carrying out council work, and becoming main contractors or sub-contractors.

At the same time, it was a chance for the council to nurture partnerships with businesses, the community and other public sector bodies to promote social

value in Croydon.

Small firms will be able to see details of all council contracts worth £5,000 or more, and be able to bid for them.

The Value Croydon initiative is focused on creating jobs for local people, providing training and skill development opportunities, investing in local business growth and opening up more commissioning opportunities to local businesses.

For more information, call the council’s commissioning support team on 020 8726 7383 or email commissioning@croydon.gov.uk

Focus turns on empty properties Hundreds set to get help into a home through drive to refurbish empty properties.

Landlords are being encouraged to refurbish privately owned empty properties across the borough in a bid to bring at least 662 back into.

The council is keen to work with landlords and owners, who will be offered grants or loans to help with costs.

Those who refuse could face enforcement action.

With about 5,000 people on the borough’s housing waiting list, not including those in emergency accommodation, the initiative aims to tackle a shortage of privately-rented

family properties, and the environmental impact of empty homes.

Abandoned properties can attract piles of fly-tipped waste, vermin and break-ins, and have a detrimental effect on those living close by.

The initiative is designed to fit with the council’s Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride environmental campaign.

Landlords and owners who qualify for a grant must refurbish the empty property so that it can be let to families on the borough’s housing waiting list. Loans must be paid back within two years.

There are many reasons that a property could remain empty, and the council will work with owners to address these issues.

Owners who refuse to cooperate, however, could find that the council has the power to buy the empty property without their permission and find a suitable buyer who must make it available for housing within an agreed timescale.

The council estimates that the number of empty flats or houses could be higher than the official 662, and is encouraging residents to report empty properties via the My Croydon app, which is quick and free to download from the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores.

Empty homes can also be reported online at www.croydon.gov.uk or via the dedicated hotline 020 8760 5470.

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yourregeneration yourcouncil tax 11

Council Tax 2015/16 Your Guide WHAT YOU WILL PAY At Croydon we have been working hard to make savings while facing very challenging financial circumstances due to government cuts in our funding. We have achieved this, protected the frontline services and have been able to freeze your 15/16 council tax.

We know that what’s important to you is how much council tax you will be paying, so here is a simple guide to council tax this year.

Band

2014/15 Croydon Council Tax

2014/15 GLA Precept

2014/15 Total Tax

2015/16 Croydon Council Tax

2015/16 GLA Precept

2015/16 Total Tax

£

£

£

£

£

£

A

780.93

199.33

980.26

780.93

196.67

977.60

B

911.08

232.56

1,143.64

911.08

229.44

1,140.52

C

1,041.24

265.78

1,307.02

1,041.24

262.22

1,303.46

D

1,171.39

299.00

1,470.39

1,171.39

295.00

1,466.39

E

1,431.70

365.44

1,797.14

1,431.70

360.56

1,792.26

F

1,692.01

431.89

2,123.90

1,692.01

426.11

2,118.12

G

1,952.32

498.33

2,450.65

1,952.32

491.67

2,443.99

H

2,342.78

598.00

2,940.78

2,342.78

590.00

2,932.78

Croydon council tax: 0.00% increase

Greater London Authority: -1.34% decrease

A more detailed guide to your council tax bill is available at

www.croydon.gov.uk/ctaxguide

yourcroydontax

12 yourcouncil

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES We deliver over £1.1billion of services every year including: 13 LIBRARIES 17 NEIGHBOURHOOD RECYCLING CENTRES

3 HOUSEHOLD REUSE AND RECYCLING CENTRES 127 PARKS AND OPEN SPACES

£29MILLION

WORTH OF STREET CLEANING, RUBBISH COLLECTION AND RECYCLING EVERY YEAR

£30MILLION

GOES INTO PAYING FOR STREET LIGHTING, LOOKING AFTER CROYDON’S ROADS AND PROVIDING FREE BUS TRAVEL FOR CROYDON’S OLDER AND DISABLED PEOPLE

For more information on our annual budget and how your money is spent watch our budget video

www.croydon.gov.uk/getinvolved

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yourregeneration yourcouncil tax 13

AROUND 30%

OF OUR BUDGET IS SPENT ON LOOKING AFTER AROUND 13,000 OF THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN CROYDON

£123MILLION

OF SERVICES TO OVER 91,000 YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS RANGES FROM LOOKING AFTER VULNERABLE CHILDREN, TO RUNNING YOUTH SERVICES AND GIVING ASSISTANCE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, OR FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CARE

£8MILLION

IS SPENT EACH YEAR ON PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP WITH HOUSING IN CROYDON – INCLUDING PROVIDING TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION TO AROUND 2,610 HOUSEHOLDS AND 762 PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS

£22MILLION A YEAR IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE IN CROYDON

£4MILLION

KEEPING COMMUNITIES SAFER THROUGH THINGS LIKE CCTV AND UNIFORMED PATROLS

yourcroydontax

14 yourcouncil

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED

HOURS

OF REPORTED FLY-TIPS CLEARED WITHIN

2013 Strategic Assessment

ADDITIONAL LITTER BINS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE PAST

Croydon faces financial challenges and has to make tough decisions to save another £100m over the next three years. We are committed to doing things more efficiently, making £25.6m of efficiency savings while providing high-quality services that we know are important to you.

MONTHS

REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OFFENCES

Latest figures suggest that the total number of offences is continuing to fall - Metropolitan Police

2004 TO 2013

NATIONALLY

OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS WERE CLASSED AS OUTSTANDING OR GOOD COMPARED TO

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yourregeneration yourvote 15

Don’t forget to register to vote The country goes to the polls in May to decide who will form the next government. But if you want to vote, you need to make sure you are registered. Here’s how you can do so.

How to register to vote has changed since the last election. You can now register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. But to vote in May, you need to make sure you’ve registered by 9 April.

The new system is called “individual electoral registration”, which means everyone is responsible for registering themselves.

Under the old system, the “head of every household” could register for everyone who lived at that address.

More details are now required to register – including your national insurance number and date of birth. This is all about making the electoral register much more secure.

Can’t remember your national insurance number? It’ll be on your national insurance card, or on payslips, or letters about benefits or tax credits.

Once you’ve filled in your details, you’ll get confirmation to say you’re registered.

It’s as easy as that. Now you’re able to have your say on who will run the country for the next term of government.

Visit the council’s website for more information www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/dande/elections/regvote/ electoral-registration

This year we have two ways for you to win your council tax paid for a year!

w i n !

Your

council ta x paid for a year

Set up a direct debit before 31 May 2015 It’s quick,easy and the most cost effective way to pay!

You can do it online www.croydon.gov.uk/doitonline by calling 0845 940 0160 or by completing and returning the direct debit form enclosed with your bill.

Set up of a My Account – the faster, smarter, better way to access many council services at a time and place to suit you!

All you need to do is go to www.croydon.gov.uk/myaccount FOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS VISIT

www.croydon.gov.uk/counciltaxprizedraw

yourcroydon 16 yourenvironment

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Making Croydon clean and green Croydon Council is committed to making the borough one of the cleanest and greenest in London.

A new approach to tackling fly-tipping, street cleansing, recycling and environmental issues is being taken – an approach supported by the Don’t Mess with Croydon: Take Pride campaign.

Clean streets are important to residents in making an area a good place to live. The council provides consistent delivery of recycling and waste services to achieve this.

However, it can do better with the help of residents.

Large percentages of households still do not recycle enough. Instead, they throw

everything that they consider “rubbish” into their landfill waste bin.

Much of this waste can be recycled and should be disposed of separately to general household waste. Throwing things away is a waste of the resources and energy which have been used to make the product.

Through better bin management – separating waste from recycling – bins are not filled as quickly.

If waste isn’t recycled, it can lead to overflowing bins and contribute to fly-tipping and littering. Household waste is the

most common fly-tipped rubbish.

Most fly-tips involve relatively small quantities; one black bin bag dumped on the street can have a negative ripple effect, encouraging others to dump their rubbish next to it.

Before long, excess rubbish has accumulated, attracting vermin, and creating an unpleasant environment for everyone.

The council spends £10m per year on waste removal services, and Defra has estimated that it costs Croydon £90.43 to remove each fly-tip.

If less is spent less on street cleaning, fly-tip removal, and landfill levies more can be diverted to the frontline services that residents have indicated they care about.

A full range of waste and recycling services is available for Croydon residents, who can have up to five recycling boxes for use.

Information about what can be recycled using the kerbside box system can be found at: www.croydon. gov.uk/environment/ rrandw/collection/resident/ recycling-collection/

Where can you recycle Where can you recycle? — Croydon recycling banks are open all year round (including bank holidays), except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Purley Oaks, Brighton Road, Purley CR8 1DG Monday to Sunday: 8am to 3.30pm Factory Lane, Broad Green CR0 3RL Monday to Saturday: 7.30am to 4.30pm Sunday: 8.30am to 4pm

Fishers Farm, North Downs Road, New Addington CR0 0LB Monday to Friday: 8am to 4pm Saturday: 9am to 2pm Sunday: 9am to 1pm

More information Visit the waste and recycling information pages for further advice on how to reduce, reuse and recycle your waste.

A bulky waste collection of larger items for recycling can be

booked via My Account (www.croydon.gov.uk/myaccount).

Help stop fly-tipping and littering www.croydon.gov.uk/ dontmess

www.croydon.gov.uk subscribe to Your Croydon at www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe

yourregeneration yourenvironment 17

Help find these fly-tippers Help is needed in finding and prosecuting two men who dumped two tonnes of building waste in a Waddon cul-de-sac.

Officers were called to Lysander Road on the Imperial Way trading estate on the afternoon of 21 January, following reports of two men arriving in a van and tipping flooring materials, windows, timber and other building waste onto the street.

The men then fled on foot toward Imperial Way when workers noticed the waste being dumped.

Council environmental enforcement officers seized the men’s abandoned vehicle, a specially-adapted Ford Transit van with a large rear storage area.

When the investigation is over, the van will be crushed.

Council officers have trawled neighbouring companies’ CCTV footage and interviewed witnesses, but are keen to hear from others who may have seen the incident, or in which direction the two men ran after committing their crime.

The crackdown on fly-tipping is part of the council’s Don’t Mess With Croydon – Take Pride campaign, aimed at combining the help of volunteers with council action to encourage recycling and lead enforcement against the worst offences.

Since launching the initiative last June, the council has: • r ecruited 184 volunteer

community champions; • issued around 150 fixed penalty notices of up to £80; • c arried out about 250 business licence inspections; • cleared 88% of reported flytipped waste within 48 hours; and • s een more than 4,000 people report fly-tipping issues Dumped waste can be reported via the council’s dedicated flytipping hotline 020 8604 7000, the council’s My Croydon smartphone app or by emailing flytip@ croydon.gov.uk For more information, visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/dontmess

Reporting noise? App’s the way to do it Council’s smartphone app breaks new ground with feature enabling users to report noise to the council.

A decibel meter that indicates whether noise is loud enough to be classed a nuisance has been added to Croydon’s innovative smartphone app My Croydon.

If the noise is loud enough, the council will be able to take action, and the app will request more information, such as what category the noise falls under – for example antisocial behaviour, barking dogs, car alarms – as well as the approximate location.

With powers to deal with unreasonable noise – including music, parties, alarms, construction and DIY – the council receives about 4,000 noise complaints a year.

The new noise-reporting function is currently in its beta-testing phase, so the council is keen that residents using

it provide feedback, regarding such as technical issues they may be having.

My Croydon already enables residents to report a range of problems including abandoned vehicles, blocked drains and gullies, dead animals, dog fouling, fly-tipping, graffiti, illegal campsites, illegal street trading, potholes and road defects, and tree or hedge obstructions.

The My Croydon app – to date being used by almost 6,000 people – is quick and free to download from the Google and Apple online stores.

The council welcomes feedback from users of the app, in particular those using the new noise-reporting feature; email myaccount@croydon.gov.uk

yourcroydon

18 yourregeneration

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

New London Road brand in prospect Voting has been held for London Road residents and businesses to choose a new brand for the area.

Thornton Heath-based designer Future of Croydon was given the task of creating three options for a logo for London Road.

The public were then invited to choose the one that they would like to see represent the place in which they live and work.

A total of 663 votes were cast with the winning design head and shoulders above the other two with 418 votes.

The new brand will be displayed prominently in London Road and will be

part of a new website for the area.

Ashley Wyllie, director of Future of Croydon, said: “As Future of Croydon and as local residents we are proud to have been involved in a project that is at the start of bringing back energy and vibrancy to London Road.

“Hopefully, this project will be the catalyst for change in London Road, to enhance relations within the community, bring the traders closer together and restore the family spirit, with the ultimate aim of making London Road a better place to live, work and visit.”

Keep up to date with how London Road is changing at www.croydon.gov.uk/ londonroad

More than just a lick of paint London Road shopfronts are refurbished as part of area improvement works.

A spruced-up appearance will be on display as more than 40 shopfronts in London Road get a makeover.

Among properties already completed are James Chiltern Estate Agents, EV Entertainment and Avant Garde Artists.

Improvements have ranged from the installation of security measures to complete overhauls of shop fronts.

Graphics students from Croydon College helped with designs to the façade of EV Entertainment.

In total, 45 shops in London Road are benefitting from nearly £600k support through the council’s shopfront/building improvement programme, which is due to be completed by spring.

These are part of a £3.2m project

to revitalise the area, which has so far included more than 1,000 metres of pavement repaved with high-quality slabs, improved parking bays and new trees on the west side of London Road.

This will continue as far as Bensham Lane and Dennett Road before moving over to the east side.

More than £50m is being invested through the council’s Connected Croydon programme, a jointly funded project managed by Croydon Council, with support from Transport for London, and an £18m contribution from the Mayor of London.

Keep up to date with the London Road improvements at www.croydon.gov.uk/ londonroad or follow @YourCroydon on Twitter.

www.croydon.gov.uk subscribe to Your Croydon at www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe

yourregeneration 19

All change for East Croydon Major improvement works are transforming the town’s main transport hub as part of the overall regeneration of the town centre.

The area surrounding East Croydon station is undergoing a significant upgrade, making it more attractive and accessible.

Pedestrian access to the station will be improved, while George Street will be completely revamped with new paving and an improved street area.

Crossings at the junction with Wellesley Road will be made simpler and easier to navigate.

Works are expected to last until December.

The second phase of the works, taking place later in the year, will see Billinton

Hill pedestrianised.

Connections from train to bus and tram will be significantly improved, with better links between eastbound and westbound bus stops.

In addition, there will be an improved taxi rank and public “drop-off” and “pickup” points.

Users of the station are warned of possible disruption at busy times; temporary diversion routes for pedestrians will be in place throughout the works programme.

The £5.4m project is a collaborative effort between the Mayor of London, TfL,

Network Rail and Croydon Council as part of the Connected Croydon programme which aims to improve Croydon’s streets, squares and open spaces.

David Rowe, head of borough projects and programmes at TfL, said: “We’re delighted that our funding will help transform the areas around the main entrance to East Croydon station, making it more attractive and easier for passengers to use.

“Improved pedestrian ways and better connections between the train, bus and tram will significantly improve access to the station as well as help boost the local economy.”

Win a pair of tickets to see Blood Brothers Written by Willy Russell, the legendary Blood Brothers tells the captivating

and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.

The superb score includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True.

The smash-hit musical stars multiplatinum selling artist Marti Pellow and the critically acclaimed Maureen Nolan.

Few musicals have achieved the levels of

acclaim bestowed on Blood Brothers. Bill Kenwright’s production surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End, one of only three musicals to achieve that milestone.

Your Croydon is offering a pair of tickets to see this multi-award-winning musical. To win, tell us which Willy Russell play tells the story of a housewife who finds a new life after a Greek island holiday.

Blood Brothers is playing at Fairfield’s Ashcroft Theatre from 30 March to 4 April. For further information, visit www.

kenwright.com.

Terms and conditions.

Prize is valid for Monday 30 March 2015. The editor’s decision is final. Prize is subject to availability. Prize is as stated and cannot be transferred or exchanged.

No cash alternative will be offered.

Email your answer, along with name, postal address and daytime telephone number to yourcroydon@ croydon.gov.uk to arrive not later than Friday 20 March 2015. The winner will be the sender of the first correct answer selected at random.

yourcroydon

20 yoursafety

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Blowing away the bad behaviour Going out on the town? A new scheme aims to end violence caused by pre-loading.

Breathalysers are now being used in the town centre to help cut back on drink-related antisocial behaviour.

The Safer Croydon Partnership has bought six breathalysers to support the police’s work to crack down on binge drinking and pre-loading, which sees revellers getting drunk on cheap alcohol at home

before going out for the evening.

The partnership agreed the breathalysers could help reduce alcohol-related violence, with clients who are clearly already drunk trying to gain entry to pubs and clubs.

The devices have been in use since the start of February, having been trialled by police and clubs in Croydon

on weekends last November.

Door staff at bars and clubs can ask people to blow into the device, which works on a traffic light system. Those who have too high an alcohol reading are refused entry.

Venue managers report that most accept the breathalyser’s results, meaning fewer arguments with door staff caused

by drunken people attempting to gain entry to clubs.

And this has led to a reduction in the potential for alcohol-related disorder taking place inside their premises.

The police and venues have welcomed the breathalysers as good additions to measures already in place to help keep the town centre safe.

Companies vie for business excellence awards A new programme to recognise the businesses creating a bright future for the borough is open for entries.

The Croydon Business Excellence Awards launched last month (February), with the awards ceremony set for October.

All entries will be submitted to a rigorous and independent judging process, and companies shortlisted after the 8 May deadline will receive detailed feedback that can prove invaluable to improving their future performance.

David Robinson, chairman of Croydon Business Venture, said: “Having been fundamental in enabling more than 2,250 businesses to be

created since our formation in 1983, providing well over 5,000 new jobs, we’re delighted to be sponsoring the Best New Business category.

“As the accredited Enterprise Agency for Croydon, supporting start-ups and

entrepreneurs is what we’re all about.”

Further sponsorship opportunities are still available, while companies can also register their interest in the awards now.

Email info@croydonawards.co.uk or visit www.croydonawards.co.uk

www.croydon.gov.uk subscribe to Your Croydon at www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe

yourregeneration yoursafety 21

Croydon is getting safer The past 12 months’ crime figures have been released and it is good news – Croydon is getting safer.

Most major types of crime are down – including mugging and house breaking – but there is particularly good news in relation to knife crime, which has been significantly reduced.

However, it is not just about the figures, it is also about us responding to your local concerns.

That is why, just before Christmas, we ran an operation to target drug dealing in London

Road, resulting in a large number of people being arrested, and a significant improvement to quality-oflife issues in the area.

In fact, one local business owner said that, for him, Christmas had come early with the arrest and imprisoning of the local dealers.

We are currently tackling violence in the borough as part of our commitment to the London-wide operation, Equinox. This is in response to a rise in reports of violent crime, not only

in Croydon, but across London as a whole.

Here in Croydon, we are focusing on the town centres and working with the council to crack down on violence linked to pubs and clubs.

As well as deploying more police officers on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, we are using breathalysers to identify those people who pre-load on alcohol before going out and then “top up” in pubs and clubs, as we know that these people are more likely to be involved in violence.

In addition to improving our CCTV coverage in the town centres, officers will be deploying with bodyworn video cameras to catch offences on film, which will be used in any prosecution to ensure the maximum punishment for the offence.

Please be aware that Croydon is getting safer and help us by reporting any suspicious activity.

Andy Tarrant

Chief Supt Andy Tarrant Croydon borough commander

Palace backs anti-domestic violence push Club gets behind council campaign to condemn domestic violence.

Crystal Palace FC Foundation (CPFCF) is championing Croydon’s work to change attitudes to domestic violence and sexual abuse, and to reduce offences.

The council has joined the White Ribbon campaign, which takes a clear stand – domestic violence and sexual abuse should not be tolerated.

It aims to get the community, especially men and boys, to engage in condemning violence against women and girls, and promote a change of attitude.

It also aims to increase awareness of the issue and provide services aimed at reducing incidents.

CPFCF (http://cpfcfoundation.org/) has added its support to the campaign and there are now plans to get anti-domestic abuse and sexual violence messages rolled out through education programmes run by the council and the foundation.

The club will publicise the campaign in match-day

programmes and invite key campaign promoters to attend a game, and share this work with supporters.

In addition, white ribbons will be worn by players and ground staff to show the foundation’s and the club’s commitment to the work.

Sign our petition The council’s petition, requesting the government creates a national register of domestic abuse offenders, is off to a good start, with more than 1,000 people adding their names.

Adoption of the idea is spreading as Croydon’s initiative gains the support of fellow London authorities Merton, Lambeth, Sutton, Hackney, and Hounslow, and local government organisations London Councils and the LGA.

However, the public’s support is still vital as 100,000 signatures are required before the issue can be debated in the House of Commons.

It is felt that a national register of offenders would greatly increase the effectiveness of the council and police in tackling the symptoms and causes of domestic violence.

Visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/dvpetition

yourcroydon

22 yourhealth

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Care and support is changing for the better From April, the new Care Act will help make care and support more consistent across England.

“Care and support” is the help some adults need to live as well as possible with an illness or disability.

It can include help with things like washing, dressing, eating, getting out and about, and keeping in touch with friends or family.

If you receive care and support, or support someone as a carer, you could benefit from the changes.

The way care and support needs are assessed in England is changing, meaning

that, when decisions are made about the help you receive, the council will consider your well-being and what is important to your family.

For the first time, there will be a national level of care and support needs that councils will consider when assessing what help they can give you.

If you receive care and support, you will be more in control of decisions that affect you, and in putting together a care plan, tailored to your needs.

Croydon Council provides comprehensive information and advice about care and support services in the borough to help you understand the options available, and how you can access support services.

To find out about local care and support, visit www. croydon.gov.uk/careact An explanatory leaflet is available in accessible formats by emailing careact@croydon.gov.uk

The day you start to stop Stub out that cig and take the first step to a healthier smoke-free life.

Quitting smoking is, arguably, one of the most difficult of tasks, and that is why the council is going all-out to help residents keen to kick the habit.

In partnership with the British Heart Foundation, the council is urging the borough’s tobacco heads to go smokefree on No Smoking Day, Wednesday, 11 March – and stay that way.

Every year, more than a million smokers use the day to try to quit. It helps them by creating a supportive

environment, and by highlighting the many sources of help and advice available to them.

This year’s theme is “proud to be a quitter”, and the council wants to celebrate the achievement of those who manage to break addiction and make their lives smoke free.

So, huge congratulations to the 19,000 Croydon quitters who have ditched the fags using our local services since 2001.

Croydon’s stop-smoking services are delivered free of charge by a network of more than 70 providers across the borough. Information is available from GP surgeries, pharmacies, community centres and Croydon University Hospital.

Take your first step to be a proud quitter – find your nearest adviser and get support and encouragement at https://nosmokingday.org.uk/ or call 0800 019 8570.

www.croydon.gov.uk subscribe to Your Croydon at www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe

yourregeneration yourhealth 23

A&E won’t kiss it better It’s only for real emergencies — ­ Campaign shows residents where to go for help or treatment when their condition isn’t life threatening.

Feeling under the weather, but not knocking on death’s door?

You could go to see your GP, or call in at a local pharmacy to get some help and advice – whatever you do, don’t go to the A&E department unless there’s a real emergency.

Accident and emergency departments are under severe pressure because too many people turn up for treatment when there is not a serious emergency.

The past winter saw record numbers of people attending A&E departments, and NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been running an awareness campaign to remind people what the initials A&E actually mean.

The “Don’t go to A&E” campaign advises that A&E is not for common health problems associated with the colder weather

– such as coughs and colds – but for serious, life-threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness.

It will have been hard to miss the CCG’s family of eye-catching yellow statues in posters telling people about alternatives to visiting A&E for conditions that are not life threatening.

So, if you’re feeling unwell and don’t know where to turn, don’t worry – the campaign highlights where people can get expert advice and treatment locally, recommending self-care at home, pharmacies, GP surgeries, minor injuries units or the urgent care centre.

Anybody can find their nearest service by visiting www.nhs.uk and entering their symptoms and postcode, or downloading a local services guide from www.croydonccg.nhs.uk

If someone has a cardiac arrest, would you know where to find a defibrillator?

Every minute without resuscitation reduces the

chance of survival by around 10%.

More defibrillators are needed in Croydon. For further information and to receive training visit londonambulance.nhs.uk/ shockinglyeasy or call 020 7783 2366.

yourcroydon

24 yourhealth

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Heartburn? Get it checked Knowing the signs of cancer could save your life.

Urging people to be aware of the warning signs of one of the country’s main killer diseases is the focus of the national “Be clear on cancer” campaign.

It says that people should visit their doctor if, for example, they have heartburn most days for three weeks or more, as this can be a sign of stomach cancer.

The campaign coincides with results of a new survey commissioned by Public Health England, which reveals that only one in two people (55%) would visit their doctor if they had

heartburn most days for three weeks or more.

Early diagnosis of stomach cancer (also known as oesophageal cancer) is crucial, making treatment more likely to be successful.

About 67% of people diagnosed with oesophago-gastric cancers at the earliest stage survive for at least five years. This figure drops to around 3% for those diagnosed at a late stage.

According to the survey findings, 59% of respondents did not know that heartburn could be a sign of cancer, with just 15% saying they were certain that it is a symptom.

For more information on cancer symptoms, ask your GP or visit www.nhs.uk/be-clear-on-cancer

Healthy Living Hub A brilliant place to get FREE friendly health advice and have fun too.

Try out the exercise bike, table tennis, Xbox Kinect, free chair-based exercise class and lots more! Regular visits from experts including Macmillan Cancer Support, Diabetes UK, MIND and Age UK. For more information: Croydon.gov.uk/Healthyhub Call: 020 8253 1009 E-mail: Healthy.Living@Croydon.gov.uk Find us at: Croydon Clocktower, Central Library, Katharine Street, CR9 1ET Open Times: Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm

www.croydon.gov.uk subscribe to Your Croydon at www.croydon.gov.uk/subscribe

yourregeneration yourdiary 25

Council meeting dates

Useful contacts

Deadlines for public questions for the forthcoming full council meetings (starting at 6.30pm) – noon on the relevant deadline date.

For police, fire brigade, ambulance, call: 999 or 112, Text phone 1800

Meeting: Monday, 20 April Deadline: Thursday, 2 April

Thursday, 21 May No public questions Questions (maximum number of words: 50) for consideration at a full council meeting, can be sent by email; alternatively, print and complete the form here and post it to Questions for the council, Democratic and legal services, 4th floor, Zone G, Bernard Weatherill House, 8 Mint Walk, Croydon CR0 1EA; or call 020 8726 6000 extn 63876.

Unless otherwise stated, scrutiny meetings start at 6.30pm, in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall.

Meeting:

10 Mar Streets and environment scrutiny sub-committee 14 April Health, social care and housing scrutiny sub-committee Venue: Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Shirley 12 May Children and young people scrutiny sub-committee

For information on scrutiny, visit www.croydon.gov.uk/ scrutiny or email scrutiny@croydon.gov.uk.

Meetings of the Safer Neighbourhood Board are held in the venues indicated. For further information, go to www.croydononline.org/safer-neighbourhood-board Forthcoming public meeting dates are: Wednesday 18 Mar at 6.30pm – Venue to be confirmed Details of all Croydon Council meetings can be found on the council website at www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/ dande/minutes

Croydon Council general enquiries 020 8726 6000 Croydon NHS Walk-in Centre — 020 3040 0800 Non-emergency urgent care — 111 Croydon University Hospital — 020 8401 3000

Get in touch To get in touch with the Your Croydon editorial team, email: yourcroydon@croydon.gov.uk or call 020 8760 5644 If anybody you know isn’t receiving the online version of Your Croydon, tell them that they can ensure delivery by subscribing at www.croydon. gov.uk/subscribe

Central Library and Museum of Croydon Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET Open: Monday to Saturday (see website for daily hours) Library – www.croydon.gov.uk/central-library Telephone: 020 8726 6900 Email: libraries@croydon.gov.uk Museum – www.museumofcroydon.com Telephone: 020 8253 1022 Email: museum@croydon.gov.uk Fairfield Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1DG Details: www.fairfield.co.uk Telephone: 020 8688 9291 Email: boxoffice@fairfield.co.uk

Guided Walks

For full details, visit: www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/parksandopenspaces/walks

March Sunday 1 March Croydon skyscraper tour Join the volunteering and learning officer at 2pm by the Wandle Park Café, as he leads a guided tour of Croydon’s unique architectural heritage.

Saturday 7 March Family woodland wander in Selsdon Wood Join the community partnership officer for another family wander through the woods, enjoy the delights of spring, spot the first butterfly, or try the bitter taste of wood sorrel.

Saturday21 March Ghosts along the Wandle Join us on this spooky walk along the Wandle. Learn about the various spooks and spectres that haunt the river and the surrounding area on this evening stroll to Beddington and back.

April Sunday 5 April Easter Sunday Wandle wander Join the volunteering and learning officer at 2pm by the Wandle Park Café for a pleasant afternoon’s stroll along the idyllic Wandle River to Beddington Park and back.

Sunday 12 April Spring time in Selsdon Wood Join the Friends of Selsdon Wood for a stroll through the fields and woods to marvel at the fresh green of spring.

Sunday 19 April Be a dormouse detective in Happy Valley Come along and find out about the life of the elusive dormouse.

Nocturnal, living almost entirely in the treetops, and becoming increasingly scarce, dormice are hardly ever seen.

Find out how to spot their signs.

May Saturday 2 May Bluebells and birds in Selsdon Wood Meet the Friends of Selsdon Wood at 2pm by the bear in the Selsdon Wood car park for this gentle stroll.

Friday 8 May Wildlife watch night in Sanderstead Get a glimpse of badgers foraging and watching bats feeding as they fly along the hedgerows.

Sunday 24 May Play with us at Pinewood and join Croydon’s Outdoor Explorers Open day at Pinewood Scout Centre to promote all things nature play and outdoor exploring in Croydon.

yourcroydon 26 yourservices

March – May 2015 | Your Croydon

Your A to Z of council services The council provides a comprehensive range of services designed to offer help and advice to residents. Below is only a small selection of those services – for the full list, visit www.croydon.gov.uk and follow the “A-Z” link in the purple field near the top of the home page.

Adult education Information on the courses available to older students.

Emergency planning Keeping Croydon running in the event of serious incidents.

Job search Find the latest vacancies for positions within the council.

Recycling What to recycle, how to recycle and where to recycle.

Blocked drains Information on how to deal with drain problems.

Extended schools Providing a range of services and activities to help meet the needs of pupils, their families and the wider community.

Leisure centres Links and information on all the borough’s leisure centres.

Safer Croydon Partnership Working to make the borough safer for all who live, work and visit here.

Lottery registration Running a lottery to raise funds for a charity or an organisation such as a sports club, church or school, requires registration.

Trading standards Dealing with doorstep crime and rogue traders, and offering advice to residents and businesses.

Bulky waste collection What it is, how to book it and how much it will cost.

CCTV Helping to ensure the safety of people in Croydon.

Croydon Careline Providing a home safety and personal security system, helping people to live independently within their own homes.

Direct payments Giving a person the choice to buy and arrange their own social care services.

Disabled parking Providing parking bays throughout Croydon for vehicles used by the holders of blue badges.

Fly-tipping How to report it, your responsibilities as a landowner, and how the council prosecutes fly-tippers.

Fly-tipping

Gambling The different types of licences – and how to apply for them.

Mice and rats Information on the telltale signs and how to get help eradicating them.

My Croydon Download the council’s app for easy reporting of a number of issues Neighbourhood wardens Offering help and support to local communities.

Home safety advice See if you are eligible for a free home safety check.

Out-of-school activities After-school clubs, breakfast clubs, holiday play schemes – they’re all here.

Instrument tuition Service for children and young people.

Planning applications Advice on all aspects of the planning process.

Trading Standards

Voluntary organisations Details on available funding.

Welfare benefit advice Know what you’re entitled to and claim it.

Youth projects All you need to know about Croydon’s youth provision.

Zoo licence You need to apply for a licence to run a zoo – should you really want to!

Planning s Application

www.cro ydon. gov.uk/atoz 141052