As the year draws to a close, it has been a privilege to meet and work alongside so many of our valued residents, council staff, businesses and partners in 2023.
It has been fantastic to see the best of our borough represented through the many events we have hosted in this year as London Borough of Culture. The programme has showcased the huge range of talent in Croydon, and our unique identity, culture and heritage through music, dance, carnivals, festivals and much more. I can’t wait to see what the final season holds in store in the New Year.
Since becoming Executive Mayor, it’s been my top priority to set Croydon’s finances straight so that the council can provide good, sustainable services for residents. We are still working to address the impact of past mismanagement and having to make tough decisions. Our financial recovery is progressing well this year and the government continues to demonstrate its confidence in our progress and our ability to get our council back on track. Thanks to all those who took part in our recent budget engagement and webinar – I will continue listening to residents and do all I can to get Croydon back on the map for the right reasons.
Part of restoring confidence and pride in the borough is making our public spaces cleaner and safer. In the past year, we’ve invested in projects, run by our community partners, to prevent youth violence and help young people stay safe. We’ve implemented Public Spaces Protection Orders to tackle antisocial behaviour in the town centre and in Thornton Heath, which starts in the New Year.
We launched our first blitz clean-up session in Norbury, removing graffiti, fly-tipping and cleaning up pavements, making sure our streets look their best. We’ll be taking this approach to more high streets in the New Year. We’ve also boosted our leisure facilities, successfully securing funding to improve many of our borough’s cricket and tennis courts, and to maintain our swimming pools. The year has ended with the fantastic news of the success of our Levelling Up Fund bid which will bring £18.5m to transform our town centre, something I know residents care deeply about.
During 2023, we’ve continued to make huge strides in improving our housing service to make it more responsive and effective, working towards better living conditions and quality of life for residents. We’re moving ahead with plans to regenerate Regina Road, putting residents at the heart of decisions on their homes. In the summer, we started our new in-house contact centre and repairs contracts to improve communications between the council and our residents and to speed up response time. We will be building on this important work in 2024, keeping up the pace to provide our tenants with warm, safe, dry homes, and make sure they are treated with proper care and respect.
Finally, as we get closer to Christmas, I want to thank all those working over the festive season that keep essential services running and help to keep everyone safe. In particular, I would like to thank our council staff, emergency services and volunteers for their service to our community and the vital work they do. Although our hours of operation will change during the Christmas break, we are here providing vital services for you – find information and advice on our website.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all – have a great holiday and hopefully a rest. I look forward to serving you all in 2024 and building on the progress we’ve made in 2023.
Jason Perry
Executive Mayor of Croydon
