I was delighted to welcome London’s Deputy Mayor for Business, Howard Dawber, to Croydon to discuss investment opportunities and hear from him how Croydon is a ‘high priority’ due to its ‘enormous potential’.
We attended the launch of the REACT Institute at London South Bank University’s Croydon campus, where we heard about big plans for Croydon as an innovation hub partnering with big tech, education, and the community.
I will continue to work hard to promote Croydon and my vision to make our town a place that businesses can thrive and where residents can choose from a range of career and job opportunities.
When I was elected in May 2022, I promised residents that I would be focused on fixing the council’s finances and building a Croydon that we can all take pride in. Next Wednesday I will be taking my budget proposals back to Full Council – I will continue to listen to residents and our partners to ensure that we continue our progress in becoming a council that is sustainable and provides value for money.
Croydon’s pay and display parking machines are set to change over the coming months because they operate on the 3G mobile network, which is due to be shut down in the summer. In response to our trials we have taken steps to address a vast majority of concerns, with options for ‘Paypoint’ and the ability to phone ‘RingGo’ to book a session added to our payment options. Over the coming weeks pay and display machines will no longer be able to accept cash, as this function will be turned off in batches across the borough. No pay and display machines will be able to accept cash after 31 March. However, many will still accept card payment until the 3G network is shutdown. We know that these types of changes can be challenging, which is why we are listening and making adjustments that will make the process easier.
I was really inspired by my visit to Croydon High School Astrogazers Club. I joined an evening celebrating their Mission Aspiration project, which involved launching two weather balloons 32,000 metres into space and successfully retrieving images of the Earth. The Astrogazers collaborated with the University of Bath for the project and their next endeavour, Mission Pegasus, will involve launching a satellite into low Earth orbit.
Physics teacher Mrs Arabi Karteepan, who recently won the Royal Astronomical Society’s Secondary and Further Education Award for the project, spoke passionately about her childhood dream of going into space and I eagerly look forward to their next mission.
Lastly, I’m looking forward to the ‘Routes to Roots’ exhibition in the Museum of Croydon on Friday, 8 March. This is an opportunity to celebrate the hidden stories and the diverse voices of the South Asian diaspora. Visit the Museum of Croydon website for more information.
Enjoy your weekend
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
