Our failing Labour Council is sucking the joy out of our communities.
Whether it be through causing slum conditions in local housing; slashing services affecting everyone, but especially the most vulnerable; causing heartbreak to mourners by not maintaining grass around graves; or hiking taxes to record levels to fund their financial incompetence - their terrible decisions are having a terrible impact on the people of Croydon,
Now I've learned that they have constructed prohibitive fees to stop local people holding street parties.
The process for events can be found here https://www.croydon.gov.uk/business-licences-and-tenders/health-and-safety-and-food-safety/health-and-safety/organising-safe-events
The application fee for a community event would be £42. The application form gathers information to ensure that the correct departments and external partners are notified and appropriate safety checks can be made.
Additionally to the event application there is the road closure fee. This is cost is set by the traffic management team - £2,520.
Before a balloon has been blown or a cake baked residents will have to fork over £2,562 just to have a street party.
Given the difficult year we have all had, Croydon Council could choose to waive this fee. But Labour's bankruptcy prevents them from doing so - they need the cash to plug the black hole they've caused in our town's finances.
We need to be doing more to help our communities bond and thrive, particularly after the devastating impact of Covid. Forcing hardworking residents to fork over that kind of cash just to have fun is not reasonable or fair.
If residents cannot find a green space to host events on, then the street party just won't go ahead. So not only is the Council likely to lose out on the cash, but the community will miss out on a desperately needed bonding event. If not willing to wave, they could cut the cost to a more affordable level. The current prohibitive cost is a lose:lose.
in May 2022 local people get the chance to kick out the current miserable Labour administration. You can elect an experienced, competent Conservative administration to clean up their mess. Do that, and we can start to rebuild Croydon and get back to offering local people the services and the experiences that they deserve.
