Issues raised at the ECCO walkabout with Addiscombe West ward councillors @yourcroydon

· by · in Politics & Law. ·

The East Croydon Community Organisation walkabout with Councillors, Patricia Hay-Justice, Clive Fraser and Sean Fitzsimons took place on Saturday 22 October 2022. You can meet with them at their regular surgeries which take place on the second Saturday of the month, from 10.30am to 12 noon, at the Sir Philip Game Centre, Morland Avenue. You can also contact them by email

General

  • Fly tipping.  Could the estate agent or property owner become the person responsible for this not to happen and receive a fine if it does. They need to be held responsible for their tenants.  The landlord licencing scheme was set up to hold private landlords more accountable for their properties and in some cases, the actions of their tenants. Croydon was not granted a renewed license in 2021, resulting in less resources to carry out more investigations concerning privately let properties. The Council can target fly tipping perpetrators if proof is provided of the act.
  • Is the East Croydon area getting anything positive from the building of all of the new developments?  Improvement already secured include
    • East Croydon Station bridge link and lift from Cherry Orchard Road. 
    • New paving in the adjacent to new developments, such Menta flats on Cherry Orchard Road. 
    • Cherryfields/Optivo development due to improved the Oval Road passage.
    • Pedestrian crossing established between the Menta flats and the former site of Cherryfields on Cherry Orchard Road. 
    • Public Art Strategy will deliver artworks as part of new developments such as the new Menta tower blocks and the Cherryfields/Optivo flats
    • Increased affordable housing with Greater London Authority additional funding for shared ownership. 
    • Preservation of established trees and secured public realm on the corner of Oval Road and Cherry Orchard Road.   
  • Lack of infrastructure to support all the occupants of these new high-rise buildings, including the lack of decent local shopping
    • The creation of a new two storey building at Ark Oval Primary Academy that has enabled a breakfast club to be established and additional primary school places, as well as the provision of a new nursery. 
    • The creation of the new Ark Blake secondary school on Morland Road. 
    • Redevelopment and enlargement of East Croydon Medical Centre, due to reopen on Addiscombe Road in summer 2023.
  • There appear to be a growing number of hostels that provide vulnerable people the bare minimum of accommodation but no apparent support services.   This is a national problem driven by a lack of social and affordable housing. The price of property is relatively low in Croydon compared to other London boroughs.  This, matched with greater state benefit rewards for providing such supported living, makes Croydon an attractive destination for such service providers. To maximise their financial return, providers tend to seek out larger homes which they then convert into houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) under national permitted planning regulation. During 2021/22, Croydon Council introduced a requirement for all new HMOs to be registered.  This has identified some, but not all, new providers. Currently there is a government investigation of such landlords taking place, targeting those who are gaining from this system but not seen to be fulfilling their duty of care to the vulnerable people they serve.  You can find Croydon’s HMO register here:  https://www.croydon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/croydon-mhmo-register-november-2022.pdf

Addiscombe Road

  • Many of the mature trees along The Boulevard have been cut down in recent years and most of the horse chestnuts are diseased.  It would be good to plant some successors before we lose any more.  Awaiting an update from the Council’s Trees and Forestry department.
  • The new building being constructed at 30-38 Addiscombe Road is too high.  Concern that more tall building will follow. The current Local Plan allows developers to construct ‘tall buildings’ within the ‘Opportunity Area’ of the borough, including part of East Croydon.  Ward councillors are lobbying for this to be addressed in a “stepping down effect” rather than having tall buildings built next to low-rise houses.

Cherry Orchard Road

  • Lamp post in the cycle lane at the corner with Addiscombe Road needs to be moved. Councillors have reported this to officers and continue to pursue a relocation.  
  • Pedestrian lights at top of Cherry Orchard Rd (where it meets Addiscombe Rd) don’t show green when trams pass and other times when safe to cross. The system has been programmed to give trams priority to minimise journey times.
  • Could trees be planted in the island where Cherry Orchard Road meets Addiscombe to soak up some of the traffic fumes. There are no trees planned for this junction, but new trees should be planted on the west side of Cherry Orchard Road as part of the Menta development. 
  • Bring back the pelican crossing over Cherry Orchard Road to the slip road to the station.  A new pedestrian crossing will be put in place opposite the stairs to be built to the link bridge over the East Croydon station platforms. Regrettably, this crossing cannot open ahead of completion of the two Menta tower blocks due to ongoing construction access and health and safety requirements for the development site.  This is planned for September 2023. 
  • What will the former site of the post off sorting office be used for?  Network Rail owns the site and is negotiating meantime use with community-focussed tenants while it awaits funds to redevelop East Croydon Station.
  • The three trees that were in the raised bed outside Stephenson House have been removed.  They were removed by the company that runs Stephenson House, which is responsible for the raised bed and its contents.
  • Could Georgian House be made subject to a preservation order? Local people could make an application to Historic England, (with the land owner’s consent), for a building to be considered for listed status  https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/apply-for-listing/
  • The area around the shops at the north end of the roads looks very run down. Council economic development officer due to meet with Cllrs to review opportunities for the area.

Cedar Road

  • Potholes. Ward councillors have raised a request to review the Council’s schedule of planned works for roads and pavements.

Chisholm Road

  • Residents would like the three trees removed to be replaced. They have been added to the list for planting Spring 2023.

Lebanon Road

  • Comms cover at the junction with Cedar Road has been covering the pavement for three years.  Council officers have requested a repair from Virgin Media. 

Leslie Grove

  • The presence of men gathering to drink after in the parking lot at the Cherry Orchard end can feel intimidating. The Public Safety Protection Order that prohibits street drinking that covers both sides of Cherry Orchard Road does not cover the parking lot as it is private property.
  • Can the alleyways behind the houses be gated to prevent fly- tipping? This would be the responsibility of the owners of the land adjacent to the alleyway.

Lower Addiscombe Road

  • Why is there still scaffolding around The Leslie Arms? The owner of the property is currently awaiting approval from Heritage England as to his latest proposal to develop the site and this is delaying the process of his planning application
  • It would be great if some of the road could be reclaimed at the Leslie Arms junction and made into pavement. Ward councillors are seeking funding to take forward this project.  

Oval Road

  • Could the recycling bags be made of a material that is also recyclable so that residents can tie them. At present they have to be left untied and can spill out. Or if people wanted them, could they have a couple of the green/blue recycling boxes instead. Many residents tied their bags but these have been prone to attack by vermin.  The council has proposed to switch back to the use of boxes and bins until a more suitable solution is found for homes with little or no front garden space on Oval Road. 
  • When will the street trees be planted? By the end of March 2023.
  • The gate between houses 90 and 92 has been taken down and there has now been some suspicious activity down there. The gates have been replaced, though they effectively exclude anyone wanting to gain entry. The owner has adopted a higher threshold for those wanting a garage lease.
  • Cars parked in front of houses partly parked over pavement making passing difficult. This issue had been reported and recently followed up with council officers. Councillors can update as progress emerges.
  • Rats are big problem. Surveys of a sample of houses carried out in October 2022 indicated that more household had seen mice than rats.  Residents were invited to a virtual meeting on 15 November with Councillor Roche (Cabinet Member for Streets), ward councillors, the elected Mayor and officers.  It was reported that there was no conclusive evidence to conclude that the bag collection system is responsible for the vermin sightings on Oval Road.   However, there is a connection with the demolition of the meatpacking factory (Cherryfields) and the resultant displacement of vermin nests.  
  • The north end of the passageway alongside Oval School will be improved as part of the development of the Cherryfields site.  When will the south end be improved (in particular the large puddle removed)?  The Council have promised to improve the south end of the passage after the Cherryfields redevelopment has been completed in 2023.  
  • Could the passageway be “greened?  Ward councillors can provide contacts to assist the group who wish to take this initiative forward.
  • There is a problem with dog faeces.   Sightings can be reported directly to public.safety@croydon.gov.uk or using the “Love Clean Streets” app.

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