Another Bite of The Cherry

I understand that Arrowcroft's Solicitors (Berwin Leighton Paisner) are sending out to various parties another document, attempting to bolster Arrowcroft's case for the arena, which they intend to submit to the Secretary of State.

It is from Showsec about Crowd Management Strategy, and the hard copy is accompanied by a CD.

Unfortunately for Arrowcroft the CD seemingly contains numerous errors, and is accompanied by an errata slip.

The package makes much of the staggered arrival of spectators before events, but ignores that fact that people will leave afterwards en masse (particularly, late at night).

Whilst they are allowed to send it to the Secretary of State, the inquiry inspector will not look at it now that the inquiry is over.

In other words, it is a waste of time and effort.

This act of desperation by Arrowcroft appears to be a last ditched attempt to plug holes in their case.

Those who take a second bite of the cherry, need to beware that they don't swallow the stone.

Sardines

The Croydon Guardian have picked up on something noted on this site in October, concerning the number of trams to be laid on for people leaving arena events.

As noted, the current "plans" allow for 9,000 people per tram.

Yes, that will work!

As the Guardian says:

"Visitors to the planned arena in Croydon could face 'transport chaos' because of a shortage of trams."

Roger Harding, general manager at Tramtrack, is quoted in the Guardian:

"It is an outline of the sort of thing we might have to do when the arena gets a little closer but we are going to sit down with the management and we are going to agree a final position if the arena is given the go ahead."

In other words, he doesn't think that the arena is going to happen!

The Real London Arena

Croydon Council and Arrowcroft would have us believe that their plans for the Croydon arena are viable.

They are very quiet about the O2 arena at Greenwich.

Why is that then?

Read this:

"The O2 promise to deliver the widest range of entertainment possible under one canopied roof. It has the capacity to host 20,000 people in The O2 Arena – a maximum capacity perfect for the big name acts it attracts.

The arena benefits both the punters and the performer with its perfect sight-lines from every angle, crystal clear acoustics, comfortable seating, wide aisles and a huge variety of snacks and beverages.

Ellison said:

'The O2 has changed the face of concert-going by offering visitors an enhanced experience. Visitors can enjoy a first rate meal in one of our 25 bars and restaurants before or after the show.

Our arena food is of the highest quality - we do offer burgers and hotdogs but also stir fries, freshly made sandwiches and salads. People can come down and spend the afternoon there even if they aren't attending a concert. The cinema is hugely popular and attractions like this summer's beach saw over 100,000 people visit.'

It also boasts to have successfully avoided any long waits to the lavatories by fitting 548 toilets into the venue.

Transport links to The O2 also makes the venue one of the most convenient venues available. 'The transport links to The O2 are fantastic,' said Ellison.

'The Jubilee Line carries visitors from Bond Street to North Greenwich in 20 minutes; we own The Thames Clipper service which ferries customers to and from The O2 down to Waterloo and London Bridge Pier every half an hour. There are 2,000 car parking spaces as well as a 24 hour bus service. Customer experience is everything.'."

Now ask yourselves this, who the hell do the council and Arrowcroft think that they are kidding when they claim that their arena is viable in the face of competition from the O2 arena?

Read more about the O2 arena here O2

Sign the petition against the arena via this link on the Number 10 website: Petition

Welcome To Lah Lah Land

Those of you who are worried about the negative impact that the arena will have on the quality and availability of public transport in Croydon, need not worry.

Here is the "plan" for controlling and "marshalling" the extra crowds expected to descend upon Croydon, if the arena is built:

Summary of Agreement with Tramtrack Croydon Ltd. (1.10.07)

1.2. TCl suggest that a higher percentage of visitors to the Arena will use the trams and, therefore, additional trams will be required for major events. An agreement has been completed with Tramtrack that secures marshalling requirements and the provision of additional trams to be paid for by Central Croydon Regeneration Limited Liability Partnership (CCRLLP) when certain triggers are reached ("the Agreement").

2.4.1. Where marshalling requirements are implemented through the Arena Management Plan and where attendance at an event is below 7,500 the number of Additional Tram Services to be provided by TCL eastbound to meet anticipated demand during the hour after the event ends is zero; between 7,500 and 9,250 it is one; between 9,250 and 10,000 it is two; above 10,000 the number of Additional Tram Services to be provided by TCL eastbound to meet anticipated demand during the Exit Hour is three.

2.4.3...and to discuss with TCL the feasibility of extending the East Croydon Tram Platforms so that they are capable of holding 2 stationary trams as part of those works.

2.4.4. (a)....... the following information will be communicated within the Arena to spectators attending a Major Event:

(i) the arrival times of trams at the East Croydon Tram Platforms during the Exit Hour; and

(ii) subject to TCL having obtained the prior written agreement of TfL, that the Wellesley Road Platform is for alighting only and boarding of the trams by visitors to the Arena will not be permitted at this platform during the Exit Hour;

(b).......include the following Marshalling Requirements:

(i) To segregate tram passengers in an area not less than 400 m2 from those customers of the Arena seeking to use East Croydon Railway Station and bus stations and car parking in Fairfield.

(ii) To organise the management of separate queues for each tram destination as agreed between the Developer and TCL and hold waiting passengers in those queues pending the availability of trams for the relevaant designation.

(iii) Release passengers from relevant queues on instruction from staff of the Tram operator.

(iv) Consider with the Developer appropriate management of passenger flows in the direction of Wellesley Road for West Croydon station and local Car parks and determine whether similar queueing and segregation will be required for Wellesley Road tram stop.

Oh yes, this will definitely work!

Sign the petition against the arena via this link on the Number 10 website: Petition

Objections To Arena

EAST CROYDON GATEWAY SITE

Town & Country Planning Act 1990 – Section 77 Application by Arrowcroft Ltd

Site and Land Adjoining East Croydon Station, George Street, Dingwall Road and Lansdowne Road, Croydon Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/293)

REASONS FOR OBJECTION TO THE PLANNING APPLICATION

SYNOPSIS

• The development is not sustainable. Worse it will cause considerable harm to neighbouring communities that are sustainable and have been so for many years.



• There has been no proper consultation or community involvement as prescribed by PPS1. In fact there has been much shrouding in mystery to such an extent that we have had to resort to the Freedom of Information Act twice to gain information from
  the Council.



• For a large event based development a robust transport plan is needed. The information the applicant has provided relies upon sparse or out-of-date surveys and nowhere mentions improvements to the public transport infrastructure.



• It is indicated that the Council - to respond to Arena customers parking in residential streets - would likely introduce new parking zone regimes in our areas which are unwanted.



• We think that a sequential approach should have been applied in selecting the location for the proposed development.



• Nothing in the applicant’s material leads us to believe that the proposed development is commercially and financially capable of delivering the metropolitan status rebranding and regeneration of Croydon. We have yet to see a business plan for the operation of the Arena.



• The applicant does not mention off-site law, order and crowd control.



• We think the latest design for the Arena with apparently 50 or so steps poses a natural danger and appears to contain more oppressive greyness and glass with which Croydon has been architecturally overburdened since the 1960s.



• The UDP Inspector’s Report said that an Arena on this site was not essential.

Steve Collins
Chairman, Canning & Clyde Road Residents Association

Also on behalf of Park Hill Residents Association, Morland Park Residents Association, H.O.M.E Residents Association and the Croydon Transport Focus Group

Arrowcroft's Case Demolished

My compliments to the Canning and Clyde Road Residents' Association who have written and excellent letter demolishing Arrowcroft's case for the arena.

They have given me permission to publish the letter here.

It is a pity that our local media have not probed Arrowcroft's claims very thoroughly, if at all, nor indeed acknowledged that there is widespread opposition to the arena within the borough.

"The Planning Inspectorate
Attention Deborah Tobin
4/04 Kite Wing
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
BRISTOL BS1 6PN

17 July 2007

Dear Ms Tobin

Town & Country Planning Act 1990 – Section 77 Application by Arrowcroft Ltd Site and Land Adjoining East Croydon Station, George Street, Dingwall Road and Lansdowne Road, Croydon Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/293)

We have been informed by Berwin Leighton Poisner that we have an opportunity to comment upon the latest planning material for this important East Croydon Gateway site.

We are sending this objection on behalf of Park Hill Residents Association, Morland Park Residents Association, H.O.M.E. Residents Association and our own Association. This represents over 4,000 households in the vicinity of the proposed development. We are aware of strong opposition to the applicant’s scheme by other residents who do not have the representation of an association.

Our own Association has commented on the original application to the London Borough of Croydon on 7 February 2003 and to the Government Office for London on 10 February 2004. We trust, as we intend to speak at the forthcoming Inquiry, that these
previous objections will be considered by the Inspector.

As you are aware, the potential developer has just released a considerable amount of last minute new information and we would like to further object by adding the following:

1. We believe the current plans are amongst others contrary to the Secretary of State’s Policy in PPG13 and Policies PPS1, PPS3 and PPS6.

2. The plan completely fails to show any improvement to the public transport
infrastructure, only a woolly reference to a new platform at East Croydon Station.

3. The statement of impacts on transport generation and modal travel patterns is severely flawed. For example, the traffic assessment is based on two days, Wednesday 18 July 2006 and Saturday 6 January 2007. There is no evidence that either of these days is representative. It would be expected that traffic would be relatively light on a Wednesday in mid-July because it is in the holiday season and some educational establishments were on holiday.

4. In an endeavour to prove transport capacity, the importance of chronology seems to have been forgotten. It is highly likely that patrons will arrive in a pulse during the hour before an event. This coincides with rush hour for both vehicle and public transport, particularly trains. Most certainly a 17.00 hours to 19.00 hours assessment, possibly of a Friday, is needed for all modes of transport. The patrons’ choice of transport will of course be decided by ease, cost and sociability. Particularly with a mind to returning after an entertainment event, the car seems a preferable choice. There is no price sensitivity analysis to disprove this and encourage more sustainable transport choices.

5. The road infrastructure in and around central Croydon is poor and very fragile. As an example, in a three week period earlier this year, there were three instances when traffic gridlocked due to minor incidences. The gridlocking of course affected bus and tram services.

6. The difficulty in using the Whitgift, Allders or any other car parks on the other side of Wellesley Road is that patrons will have to cross the Wellesley Road either at a busy road junction or through a subway which not everyone views as safe. Arena patrons will likely be competing with patrons of the Fairfield Halls to use their car parks. The temptation to use on street parking in adjacent and neighbouring residential areas is therefore overwhelming. All of our residents associations do not wish to see any changes to existing controlled parking zones. This will damage our community and inhibit activities including attendance at clubs and places of worship. Where will patrons of the 12,000 square feet night club park up?

7. We note that the supermarket has grown to over 110,000 square feet. The original
plan was that people would use this supermarket to do their weekly shop. Given that the total site contains more cycle parking places than car parking (1,477 / 1,186) and given the difficulty of driving into the centre of Croydon, it seems unlikely that people would want to use it for a weekly shop. What will be the purpose of this supermarket that is not already provided for in the centre of Croydon? Cycling in central Croydon is known to be extremely hazardous.

8. The Means of Transport Statement is severely out-of-date. The tram routes have
changed and bus service listings are out-of-date at time of traffic assessment. The
volume and distribution of public transport travel in Greater London has increased
substantially since 2000 so for example updating a seven year old SRA rail travel
survey is not likely to give valid results.

9. Although the applicant presents Croydon as having quick public transport links from all areas, this is not the case for certain places within the potential catchment area, such as Orpington, Bromley, Biggin Hill, Selsdon and Sanderstead amongst others. These people will likely come by car.

10. We think the nature of the development is such that it should be required to
demonstrate that a sequential approach has been applied in selecting the location for
the proposed development. This is dismissed by saying that none were considered.

Why?

The most cursory of investigations would have revealed the potential of the nearby Crystal Palace Arena. It has a seated capacity of 16,500 and can handle up to 45,000 for large concert events. It has Crystal Palace Station adjacent to the main entrance and has three other railway stations within easy walking distance.

The Arena is well served by a variety of bus services from throughout London – the East Croydon Gateway site being just a 25 minute public transport ride away. The Crystal Palace area is highlighted for regeneration. Plans proposed by Croydon Council and TfL include a Croydon Tramlink extension to Crystal Palace.

11. The application should demonstrate regeneration which we take to mean creating a
sustainable community. We believe that the Arena scheme in this location will severely harm existing demonstrable, local, sustainable and diverse communities and not create one in its own right.

12. The application contains a new building for the Warehouse Theatre, but conditional upon the Theatre being able to provide a viable business plan for the future. Since the applicant’s development plans would mean displacement of the Theatre for at least a 3-4 year period then this could prove tricky (and seems fatuous, since the applicant lacks one of their own). We think this ‘last minute’ concession to the Theatre is due to the overwhelming public outrage – local, national and international - at its previous exclusion from the earlier planning application.

13. Nothing in the new material leads us to believe that the proposed development is
commercially and financially capable of delivering the metropolitan status, rebranding and regeneration of Croydon. Since the Arena idea was first mooted, alternative arena venues have opened in London, for example Wembley (12,200 fully seated) that with the 70% increase in tube capacity can easily cope with the patronage. In addition of course we have the O2 and Indigo venues at The Dome.

14. We have yet to see a business plan for the operation of the proposed Arena. A year ago we were told by the applicant that a full capacity (12,500) audience was needed 100 times per year for the Arena to be commercially viable. We note from the latest application material that a capacity crowd has now been redefined to mean either 60% or 70% of the total possible. Apart from having to do so to suit the Transport Plan, surely this raises doubts over the commerciality of the project and raises questions as to why the Arena should be so large in the first place.

15. Is there any reason why Croydon needs yet another night club? Problems with existing clubs have recently led to the Council reviewing its licensing procedure.

16. We could find no mention in the new material of off-site law, order and crowd control nor emergency evacuation arrangements. Who will undertake this? We have been
made very aware of how overstretched the Croydon Police force already is at peak
times.

17. Regarding the quality of design, it appears to be more oppressive greyness and glass with which Croydon has been architecturally overburdened since the 1960s.

18. Although this applicant’s scheme is preferred and promoted by the London Borough of Croydon, at no time has the Council undertaken any proper public consultation to ask the people of Croydon whether this is what they want. In fact we learnt about the
original planning application by chance and were sent details of this latest application apparently because we have formally objected to the Council’s Compulsory Purchase Order to the site. Notification did not come from the London Borough of Croydon but a third party. For a development of this size and with the impact that it is likely to have on Croydon for many years to come, it begs the question why the public’s opinion has not been carefully canvassed and why the Council so willingly granted the original planning application (now the subject of the call-in) apparently without any viability or impact assessment.

We take heart from the UDP Inspector’s Report that said an Arena on this site was not
essential.

We are grateful to the applicant, Arrowcroft, for inviting us to meet to discuss our concerns about their latest development plans. We did this on 12 July 2007 but regret we received no satisfactory answers to the above and other matters raised.

Steve Collins
Chairman, Canning and Clyde Road Residents Association

Also on behalf of Park Hill Residents Association, Morland Park Residents Association,H.O.M.E Residents Association and the former Croydon Society Transport Group."

Opposition Grows

My thanks to Valerie Hunter, a Croydon resident, who sent me a document that she wrote which outlines her reasons for opposing the councils plans for building an arena on the Gateway site.

Valerie categorises her objections under a number of headings:

-Lack of consultation
-Clash with Fairfield
-The Warehouse theatre
-Lack of events
-Parking
-Anti social behaviour
-Pollution
-Affordable housing
-Transport

She concludes by saying:

"However, communication with those who will be most affected by this scheme appears to be almost non-existent; one can only assume, to avoid objections.

Clearly, big business and prestige are more important to the Cabinet than the quality of life for Croydon residents."

The document can be downloaded here: Opposition To The Arena

I recommend that you read it.

Canning & Clyde Road Residents' Association CPO Objection

My thanks to the Canning and Clyde Road Residents' Association, for allowing me to publish their objection letter to the arena.

"The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Government Office for London
Planning Division
9th Floor
Riverwalk House
157 – 161 Millbank
London
SW1P 4RR
4 February 2007

Dear Secretary of State

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON
(LAND WEST OF EAST CROYDON STATION, THE GATEWAY SITE)
COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2007
COMPULSORY PURCHASE OF LAND AND NEW RIGHTS IN CROYDON TOWN CENTRE

I am Chairman of a local residents association based within a ten minute walk of the Gateway site. We wish to formally object to the above order. We have no commercial interest in the land but a huge one in terms of its use and social and economic benefit to our local and the wider Croydon community. All of us who live or work in Croydon are surely stakeholders in what happens to this important land.

As you are aware, the Council wishes this Compulsory Purchase Order to facilitate the development of a 12,500 capacity arena on the site by Arrowcroft.

Pursuant to Section 226 the Council may not exercise the power of compulsory purchase unless they can prove that the development, re-development or improvement is likely to contribute to the achievement of any one or more of the following objectives – we maintain that the proposed development fails on every point:

(a) the promotion or improvement of the economic well-being of the area. The 2002 contract between the Council and the proposed developer placed an obligation upon Arrowcroft to provide a Viability Assessment Report supported by a five year Business Plan. We learn from the Leader of the Council that these documents were not provided nor were necessary. Why? We therefore assume it is not viable.

The consequences of such a key central Croydon development failing seem not to have been considered since the Council has undertaken no risk assessment.

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON
(LAND WEST OF EAST CROYDON STATION, THE GATEWAY SITE)
COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2007
COMPULSORY PURCHASE OF LAND AND NEW RIGHTS IN CROYDON TOWN CENTRE

(b) the promotion or improvement of the social well-being of the area. The Council has not made it clear how the development of the Arena scheme would ensure the social well-being of the area. The public opinion is to the contrary. If anything, there is a danger through under-utilisation that the Arena development would cause a sterile and no go area at this important central Croydon site.

The stressing of the transport system caused by an Arena event would have an adverse effect upon commuters already travelling in crowded conditions; commuters underpin the commercial viability of Croydon.

The Warehouse Theatre currently provides good quality productions that add to the social and cultural well-being of the area. The Arrowcroft scheme would destroy this.

(c) the promotion or improvement of the environmental well-being of the area. Croydon's road system cannot cope with the significant increase in volume of cars and coaches associated with large events resulting in pollution; local residential streets are likely to prove far more attractive for parking than town centre car parks with resultant air and noise pollution. We are right on the local feeder roads which already demonstrate high levels of traffic emission pollution.

The plans so far submitted by Arrowcroft for the Arena scheme show a sterile, concrete development. To the public’s mind this does not constitute an improvement to the environmental well-being of the area. It will just add to the bleakness of the existing surrounding landscape.

Please also note the following objections:

In addition we would like to object on the grounds that the Compulsory Purchase Order is completely unnecessary. The Council already has before it a scheme by the freeholders with planning permission, funding and a schedule to start immediate works. It is a development, including green space and an improved Warehouse Theatre, that is clearly popular with a lot of residents.

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF CROYDON
(LAND WEST OF EAST CROYDON STATION, THE GATEWAY SITE)
COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2007
COMPULSORY PURCHASE OF LAND AND NEW RIGHTS IN CROYDON TOWN CENTRE

The UDP Inspector found an Arena to be not necessary for the site. In the Planning Report PDU/UDP08/PIM, Proposed Modifications to Croydon UDP, 3 April 2006 it states,

'The Inspector agreed with the Mayor's view that a requirement for an arena on this site was not justified and recommended two policies for the site, which: allow for both competing schemes; do not insist on the inclusion of an indoor arena, and; stipulate a minimum of 800 dwellings. The Council has proposed a single policy, rather than two separate policies as recommended by the Inspector. The policy expresses a strong preference for an arena based scheme. However, the policy makes clear that other forms of development will be acceptable, provided a similar ability to regenerate, re-brand and change perceptions of Croydon Metropolitan Centre can be demonstrated. This addresses the Mayor's concern that an arena only policy could lead to the continued sterilisation of this key site.'

The UDP was adopted in May 2006.

We would also wish that the Secretary of State be mindful of the lack of any proper consultation that has been undertaken by Croydon Council either before or during its unexplained 'partnership' with the Arena developer. This has been confirmed publicly by the Leader of the Council at a public meeting about Croydon’s future development held on 10 January 2007.

What is Croydon Council doing and why?

With best regards

Steve Collins
Chairman
Canning & Clyde Road Residents Association"

The CPO Objection Letter

Here is the text of the letter that I sent 3rd February to Ruth Kelly, laying out my objections to the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of the Gateway site:

"Dear Ms Kelly,

Subject Compulsory Purchase of the Gateway Site Croydon Served 16 January 2007

I wish to formally object to Croydon Council’s proposed Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of the Gateway development near East Croydon Station.

Please note that I am a long term resident of Croydon, and have no commercial interest or links with the proposed development or rival developers.

I have for the last three years been running www.croydoniscrap.com which highlights the ongoing decay and squalor that is eroding the heart of Croydon, in the hope of shaming those responsible to address the problem.

Dingwall Road in Croydon is without a doubt one of the most shameful areas within Croydon’s town centre. It is one of the main thoroughfares leading to East Croydon station and is used by commuters, visitors and residents on their way to and from the station.

However, instead of being a thriving and bustling thoroughfare of commerce, industry and residential properties; its “piss poor” derelict appearance has more similarity to the devastation following a nuclear attack, rather than the main thoroughfare of what is meant to be one of London's more prestigious outer boroughs.

There have been plans for the redevelopment of this site (known as the Gateway) for many years now. Unfortunately the two competing developers (Arrowcroft and Stanhope Schroders) have two rival plans. Arrowcroft want to include in their development an arena, this is the plan currently favoured by both the previous Labour council and the new Tory administration. Stanhope Schroders do not have plans for an arena, but do actually own a large part of the land on which the Gateway project would be constructed.

As such there is now a protracted legal battle (see Legal Battle) between the council and Arrowcroft on one side, and Stanhope Schroders on the other.

Needless to say the long suffering residents of Croydon, who have to endure the squalor and danger of walking down this scrofulous tumour on Croydon’s backside, have to wait whilst the legal teams fight it out.

In October 2006 Croydon Council’s Cabinet member for Finance and Regeneration, Tim Pollard, published a Cabinet Member’s Bulletin, which summarised a visit that he made to Hamburg to see an arena exactly the same as that proposed by Arrowcroft for the Gateway Site.

On the face of it the report shows that Pollard is enthusiastic about the arena. However, read the report closely and you will see that all is not well:

· The arena in Hamburg is not in the city centre, as such the large influx of people who attend sporting events and pop concerts do not disrupt the daily lives of the residents or commercial activities of Hamburg. Croydon’s arena would cause disruption.

· The Hamburg arena, as per Pollard, has an “uninspiring exterior”, ie it is ugly. He notes that it would have to look a lot better, if it were to be placed in a city centre such as Croydon.

· Most of the visitors to the Hamburg arena come by car. Yet those coming to the Croydon arena would be expected to endure the misery of public transport, thus displacing and inconveniencing those who currently live, commute and shop in Croydon.

· In another part of Pollard's report he notes:

“It has long been recognised that East Croydon Station needs to be redeveloped as it is reaching capacity at peak times. This is likely to be exacerbated by the new developments which are about to start in the town centre. Network Rail expects to release a development brief shortly and is keen to work jointly with Croydon Council to procure a development partner.”

In other words, East Croydon station will not be able to cope with the increase in numbers brought about by the arena. To trust Network Rail and the council to find an, as yet, undiscovered solution to this problem is taking far too great a leap of faith.

· The location of the Hamburg arena (outside the city and away from bars), and the fact that visitors come by car meant that those using the facilities were sober and well behaved. Given the fact that there are a large number of bars and clubs in Croydon, and the fact that visitors would not be driving it is reasonable to assume that those coming to the Croydon arena would be considerably less well behaved.

I detect, from the tone of the report, a sense of doubt about the project creeping into Pollard's mind. There are too many “ifs” for my liking.

I would note that Croydon Council own none of the land, but the previous administration signed with Arrowcroft and committed to the scheme some years ago. Councillor Pollard notes that the Council have a legally binding contract with Arrowcroft (source

Contract)

This more than lilkely means that if the deal with Arrowcroft fails, there may be penalties imposed on Croydon. I note the following:

· Croydon is effectively bankrupt

· Croydon cannot afford the penalties, if they arise

· The current administration quite clearly do not like the arena project. However, the decision to go ahead is most likely being based on the fear of penalties rather than the benefits (of which there are none) of having an arena.

Clearly the decision to impose a CPO is flawed, and has been taken for the wrong reasons.

William Hill, Head of Property at Schroders said:

“I do not know whether to laugh or cry. This must be a first. A CPO brought by a Council to stop the immediate regeneration of derelict land by a willing, able and fully funded developer with construction scheduled to start in a matter of weeks.”

David Camp, chief executive of Stanhope, said:

“As baffling as this all may seem, the benefit of the CPO starting is at long last the Arrowcroft arena proposals will be subject to some impartial and proper scrutiny.”

“Over five years on from the submission of the arena scheme for planning we still do not know who the arena operator is, where the funding for the scheme is coming from and the basis of the viability assessment carried out.”

I would also remind you that the Secretary of State granted permission to Stanhope and Schroders’s scheme in the high court. I draw your attention to the minutes of the Select Committee on Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions (1 November 2004). Where it was made very clear that the committee believed that the then Labour administration had a conflict of interest.

The minutes also note that the then Labour administration made the dispute between themselves and Stanhope personal. Sir Paul Beresford is quoted as saying:

“I just happen to have been given the Croydon Gateway report that you gave to your Labour group. It is quite abusive, it is personally abusive. I find it quite extraordinary...

It is the report that went to the Labour group on 5 February this year and it says: "These so-called blue-chip developers have acted like irritable children when their toy has been snatched from them, whining and screaming to the press and anyone else who will listen." Then it goes on to name a number of individuals, including Sir Stuart, but naming him with a rather abusive phrase, which I will not use, and others that have resisted or not agreed with you also get abusive names applied to them?..


Calling one of the individuals, that I have not named, ‘Mr Slime’ and another one ‘Mr Dud’..

You are in a position where, certainly by the paper, you have got some personal difficulties with individuals, you want an Arena on the schemes and really you want Arrowcroft to do the development, so that, in essence, anyone else putting in an application, including the people that own the land, is wasting their time?..”

Source:

Parliament

It is clear that the then Labour administration had no intention of viewing any other scheme impartially. Therefore the scheme, and related CPO, is flawed and should be blocked.

My recommendations are as follows:

· The residents of Croydon do not want or need an arena. Therefore the arena should be ditched.

· The residents of Croydon want Dingwall Road to be developed as speedily and as decently as possible. Go for the plan that can be started as quickly as possible.

· The council must stop wasting time on legal battles with Stanhope Schroder, simply because their development does not have an arena.

Get the site redeveloped now!

Abandon the CPO and the flawed Arrowcroft proposal.

We, the residents of Croydon, are fed up with the ongoing delays and empty promises of the council.

I would also note that Andrew Pelling MP (Croydon Central) has written to me, with his support.

To read Councillor Pollard’s report visit this link:

Pollard

Take a virtual walk down Dingwall Road via this link:

Dingwall Road

Please feel free to contact me if you need further details.

Yours sincerely,

Ken Frost MA FCA FIPFM"