The Mayor's Back. The Buildings Are Still Empty.|❤️Croydon Local Pulse | Issue #30

Wednesday -- the week's halfway point and Croydon's got plenty going on. From a mayor with a mandate to a council that can't find its own empty buildings, it's business as usual in CR0. Let's get into it.

🎨 Threads of Norwood -- Solo exhibition by Anudarani at Stanley Arts, until 26 May. Free entry. |stanleyarts.org

🌏 Surprised! Asian Arts Festival -- Sat-Sun 16-17 May, Croydon town centre. Free, family-friendly. Street performances, giant puppets, live music, workshops, food stalls.

Source: brumdaily.uk

🏙️ BOX BINGO: Bingo with a Croydon Twist -- Fri 15 May, 6-9pm, Boxpark Croydon. Tickets via Eventbrite.

🎢 Patel's Millions 2 -- Sat 16 May, 7:30pm, Fairfield Halls Ashcroft Theatre. | fairfield.co.uk

🏛️ Perry's 100-Day Clock Starts Now
🏚️ Council Can't Track Its Own Empty Buildings
🔥 London Road Fire Causes Brief Closure
⚽ Riddlesdown in Line for a Cup Double
💛 HEARTBEAT: The Fight to Save Kenley's Last Local
🎨 Wednesday Theme: Croydon Rising
📍 Pulse Points: Threads of Norwood, Surprised! Festival, Box Bingo, Patel's Millions 2
📊 This week's poll: Should the council publish a vacant property register?

🗳️ PERRY'S 100-DAY CLOCK STARTS NOW
Jason Perry begins his second term as Executive Mayor with a clear mandate -- 35,871 votes, 40.99% turnout, and a borough watching closely. His priorities: financial stability, zero tolerance on crime and antisocial behaviour, and a revitalised town centre. The 100-day plan is coming soon. The question is whether the new council -- 30 Labour, 28 Conservative, 8 Green, 2 Lib Dem, 2 Reform -- can work with him to deliver it.
Source: Croydon Council Newsroom

🏚️ COUNCIL CAN'T TRACK ITS OWN EMPTY BUILDINGS
An FOI request has revealed Croydon Council has no central system to track vacant properties or stalled development sites across the borough. No dashboards, no lists, no schedules -- just ad hoc methods pieced together from returned mail and on-the-ground intelligence. With sites like the Nestle/St George's Tower sitting idle, this is a regeneration problem hiding in plain sight.
Source: MyLondon

🔥 LONDON ROAD FIRE CAUSES BRIEF CLOSURE
A wooden structure and rubbish pile between two buildings on London Road caught fire yesterday afternoon. Four engines and around 25 firefighters from Croydon, Norbury, Mitcham, and West Norwood attended. No injuries reported. The road was briefly closed and has since reopened.
Source: Your Local Guardian

⚽ RIDDLESDOWN IN LINE FOR A CUP DOUBLE
Riddlesdown Collegiate's under-15s have reached TWO ESFA cup finals -- both at Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium, on May 21 and May 22. They've won 13 straight matches this season, scoring 54 and conceding just 13. Both finals are within 14 hours of each other, raising welfare concerns. Notable alumni include Kate Moss, Kieran Gibbs, and David Ozoh (Derby County, on loan from Crystal Palace).
Source: Inside Croydon

💛 HEARTBEAT

The Kenley Hotel -- a Victorian pub on Godstone Road, closed since last July -- has become the focus of a community campaign. The Kenley and District Residents' Association (KENDRA) is pushing for Asset of Community Value (ACV) status, which would give locals first right of refusal if the freehold comes up for sale. Public meetings are planned this month, and volunteers are needed for communications, fundraising, and planning. It's the kind of story that plays out in communities across the country -- but this one's ours.

Source: Inside Croydon

With a new council, a re-elected mayor, and a borough full of community campaigns -- from Kenley's pub to The Kiosk fighting for its lease -- Croydon is a place where people show up. The regeneration story isn't just about Westfield or Whitgift. It's about the people who refuse to let their neighbourhood slide.

🧠 DID YOU KNOW?
Croydon Council's FOI response revealed it has no central database of empty properties -- yet Croydon has one of the highest concentrations of stalled development sites in outer London. The Nestle tower on Wellesley Road has been vacant for years.

Source:MyLondon