Agenda

Cllr Jade Appleton.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2022 as an accurate record.

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) they may have in relation to any item(s) of business on today’s agenda.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

To receive Announcements, if any, from the Chair, the Mayor, and Head of Paid Service and Returning Officer.

Members will debate the following petition, which will be introduced by a lead member of the petition’s signatories:

Save Cherry Orchard Garden Centre

Croydon Council has decided to shut down this much-loved local garden centre, that has existed for more than thirty years. Not only does it provide a useful amenity for the people of Central Croydon and surrounding areas, but it also provides valuable livelihoods for people with learning difficulties. This much-loved local institution does not cost much to run but is a precious public asset that is valued by many people in Croydon. The closure will save the bankrupt Council hardly any money but will devastate the lives of the people who work there, and Croydon will be a far poorer place without the Cherry Orchard Garden Centre. I have therefore started this online petition so that many of the garden centre’s customers can show how strongly they feel about the proposed closure. We urge Croydon Council to reconsider their decision and allow the Cherry Orchard Garden Centre to continue to thrive.

Public Questions

Six Public Questions will be heard at this meeting, which will be responded to. The questioners then will have the opportunity to ask a supplementary question based on the answer received.

The questions are as follows:

1.     What is the council doing about getting homeless people off our streets and into accommodation?

2.     In view of the public support and affection for Cherry Orchard Garden Centre, which offers both horticultural therapy and valuable work experience for people with learning difficulties, and a wide range of plants for Croydon’s local gardeners and park groups, would the Council be willing to delay the Centre’s closure for three months and set up a cross-party committee to look at the future financial viability, (perhaps with more community involvement and support) of such a valuable public resource that would be sorely missed and has now served the Croydon Community for more than thirty years?

3.     The recent census shows that Islamic communities make up 10.6 % of the Borough's population. What can the Executive Mayor promise to do to assist Islamic communities to secure sufficient burial spaces and to help all faiths find places of worship, including my own Croydon Ugandan Islamic community that has to rent a place for prayer outside the Borough?

4.     Mr Mayor, In the run up to your election in reference to LTNs, you stated, "I do not want Croydon to be dependent on fining its residents to be able to balance the books but removing that dependency will take some time. I will do it but it won’t be on day one!” It is now day 268, you’ve opened the books and discovered ridiculous and achievable income predictions related to these schemes. There is still no data and no public outreach as was also promised. When will you keep to your word?

5.     Will the mayor confirm he will be seeking the resignation of the Head of Directorate responsible for parking and LTN revenue for submitting figures “plucked from the air“ (quote Councillor Scott Roche) to be included in the “fantasy budget“ (again quote Councillor Scott Roche) that has now contributed to the third bankruptcy of the borough? As custodians of the public purse, council officers should be held accountable for their actions.

6.     Since your election and that of the council, please give examples of any tangible improvements that have taken place to date, outside this building within the Central Croydon Conservation Area. In particular on Katharine Street, High Street, Park Street, and St. George's Walk?

Member Questions to the Executive Mayor

To receive questions from councillors.  

Council and Committee Meetings - Municipal Year Calendar 2023-24

Review of Council Tax Support Scheme – 2023/24

To hear maiden speeches from up to five Councillors newly elected at the election held on 5 May 2022.

To debate any motions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.

The following two Motions, one from the Administration and one from the Leader of the Opposition, will be debated:

Conservative Group Motion

‘This Council opposes the Mayor of London’s extension of the ULEZ to the boundary of Greater London.

Sadiq Khan’s plan will not only force hundreds of Croydon residents to pay £12.50 a day just to drive their car, but his own studies show it will have very little environmental impact. 

For many Croydonians, their car is the only reliable option to get around given the reduced public transport options compared with inner London. Punishing those who cannot afford to buy a more modern vehicle is deeply unfair and out of touch, particularly at a time when the cost of living is increasing.

Labour Group Motion

This council notes the Mayor’s failed bid to secure much needed Levelling Up funding from the Government.

This council further notes that since 2010, Croydon has seen its grant funding from Government cut by over 80%.

This council, therefore, is disappointed by and disagrees with the Government decision to ignore Croydon’s strong case for levelling up funding which would have supported local regeneration and helped Croydon to become cleaner, greener and more accessible.

This council believes that the allocation of funding through the Levelling Up Fund – which saw [well-funded] areas like Richmond and Sutton receive money in contrast to Croydon - is evidence that the Government is being unfair to Croydon, and we continue to lose out as a result.