HADRA - Newsletter Spring 2023

SPRING 2023 THE HADRA NEWS

Hartley & District Residents’ Association

HADRA AGM 2023 REPORT FROM THE CHAIR

HADRA’s AGM 2023 was a well-attended event with extremely interesting and insightful contributions from our local MP, the elected Mayor, and the Cabinet Member for Finance.

The evening began with a welcome from Stuart Barlow, Principal of Coulsdon Sixth Form College, who had kindly opened the college for our meeting. He reassured residents that fixes to past problems were now in place and he’s looking forward to working more closely with the community going forwards.

Jason Cummings, Croydon Cabinet Member for Finance, enlightened attendees on how Croydon finances had got so bad and what the new administration is doing about it. He confirmed that, although the 15% hike in our council tax will not be reversed next year, we should not expect further large increases. (Our council tax obligations remain lower than our neighbours in Surrey pay!)

Jason Perry, elected Mayor of Croydon, told us of his main areas of focus: fixing planning by prioritising design over density; cleaning up Croydon and giving pride back to residents; and getting a new leisure facility for Purley. But budget constraints place a very real limit on the possibilities. “We do things well; we just do less of it,” he said.

Our final guest speaker, The Right Honourable Chris Philp MP, Minister for State, Crime, Policing and Fire, thanked the Jasons for their “heroic” commitment to cleaning up the mess they inherited and stressed his intention – and hope – that those responsible for it will be held to account. He spoke of changes on planning, new NHS facilities, including four new theatres for elective surgeries at Purley Hospital, local green spaces being designated (and therefore protected) as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, reducing bureaucracy and ended with a thanks to the police for their work on the coronation.

The business of the AGM brought the meeting to a close.

HADRA SUBSCRIPTIONS

I am moving into my 2nd year as Chairman of HADRA and the Committee as a team has tried to keep up with all the changes going on.

The change in the Council last year has meant that all new planning applications are being looked at in a more reasonable way. Personally, I feel that the family houses in our area need to be protected and, thankfully, we are now seeing planning applications turned down where a developer is trying to knock down a house and build 9 flats. Our planning officer, Colin Etheridge, is kept constantly busy dealing with all of the contentious planning applications in our area with assistance from our past Chair, Lucia Briault.

One of things that has disappointed me is that if you object to a planning application, the developer can see the addresses of the objectors. My own experience is that, with one objection I made, the developer came to my door and asked why I had objected! As an association we are challenging this and we also feel that this is a breach of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

What is even more worrying is that if a planning application is refused and goes to appeal, if you further object to the application, the inspector can not only publish your address but your name, email address and telephone number. In brief the response we had from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State was:

The Planning Inspectorate’s Privacy Notice states that they, “do not accept anonymous or confidential Representations, however, you may comment on a case and ask for your identity to be withheld… if you request this then your representation will be copied to the parties and provided to the inspector without your name and contact details, and your representation may be give less weight by the inspector as a result”. We will continue to pursue.

In closing I would like to thank Elaine Clark, our Secretary and the officers and committee members for all their support and hard work. I think we have a very good team.

John Clarke HADRA Chairman

Residents are reminded that the easiest way to pay the £5 subscription* is to set up an annual standing order. Please note the bank details below:

Account name: HADRA | Sort Code: 23 05 80 (Metro Bank) | Account number: 41022558

Please quote your postcode and flat/house number in the reference. You can of course use the same details to make a one-off payment. Alternatively, cash and cheques made payable to HADRA can be delivered to our Treasurer at 54b Haydn Avenue; please remember to include your name and address.

If you have any queries about your subscription, please email treasurer@hadra.org. We are also grateful for any additional donations and appreciate the support of all residents who make financial contributions to help fund our activities.

MP Chris Philp at the AGM

Mayor Jason Perry at the AGM

CHANGES TO THE HADRA CONSTITUTION

Let us take you on a journey back 30 years. It’s 1993 and the new Ford Mondeo is about to go on sale for the first time. Our Prime Minister, John Major, is overseeing the completion of the Channel Tunnel, due to open next year, and Tim Berners-Lee is releasing his source code for the world’s first internet web-browser.

blinds

Our beleaguered Secretary finds himself hunched over his typewriter bashing away at the keys in time with Meatloaf’s “I’d do anything for Love” and a sheet of paper emerges, entitled “HADRA’s Constitution”.

Customer service and quality guaranteed by established, local family business

be a global pandemic which would force the country to completely shut down and prevent us holding an AGM for a year? Yet our constitution stated that without exception, an AGM must be held annually.

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When we have no choice but to ignore the words of our constitution, we should revise it to reflect modern times, but build-in clauses which would, at the discretion of the committee and an AGM, allow for a certain amount of flexibility. This is why we proposed minor changes to the constitution at the 2023 AGM.

We have a dedicated specialist (each of whom has worked for us for years) for each of our products

window blinds � Conservatory roof blinds

Shutters � Awnings/Canopies

Curtains � Window Film

This document has served us well over the past 30 years and continues to govern the way we operate today. However, designed in a largely pre-internet era, without today’s norms such as social media and WhatsApp, it’s apparent to us today that it is necessary to give our constitution an overhaul so it is fit for the 21st century. To give a couple of examples of the challenges we currently face, in 1993, our constitution reflected that the primary way to communicate with our members was through a paper newsletter and the constitution stated that we must produce a newsletter to notify our members about our Annual General Meeting.

Customer service and quality guaranteed by established, local family business

The majority of changes will have no consequence to the daily operation of HADRA, such as restructuring and renumbering the constitution’s paragraphs. We may have added the odd word here-or-there to clarify a point and such cosmetic changes impact only how the document is presented. However, there are three significant changes which we have proposed and about which you should be aware. These are:

We have a dedicated specialist (each of whom has worked for us for years) for each of the products below:

� All types of window blinds

1. The Membership Secretary’s role has been updated to correctly reflect the fact that membership subscriptions are sent by members directly to our Treasurer.

� Conservatory roof blinds � Shutters

� Awnings/Canopies � Curtains

for a brochure or appointment

invite you to look at our website 8651 3569. Mobile: 07961 827 917

info@desresblinds.co.uk www.desresblinds.co.uk

As there was no flexibility in this, it became problematic when timescales and newsletter content guided us to do the opposite. Instead of the constitution helping in these matters, we are being tied to processes dating back to the last century.

Call or email us for a brochure or appointment

We also invite you to look at our website

Who could have predicted 30 years ago that there would

desresblinds

Customer service and quality guaranteed by established, local family business

We have a dedicated specialist (each of whom has worked for us for years) for each of the products below:

� All types of window blinds

� Conservatory roof blinds � Shutters

� Awnings/Canopies � Curtains

� Window Film

Call or email us for a brochure or appointment

We also invite you to look at our website tel/fax: 020 8651 3569 mobile: 07961 827 917

email: info@desresblinds.co.uk

web: www.desresblinds.co.uk

desresblinds

� Window Film

2. The primary method of communicating to our members has been updated to reflect that we also rely on Social Media and the internet as the primary methods we use to communicate to our membership, in addition to our bi-annual paper newsletter.

tel/fax: 020 8651 3569

mobile: 07961 827 917

email: info@desresblinds.co.uk

web: www.desresblinds.co.uk

3. We have future-proofed the constitution by adding a flexibility clause into it. This means that if something has to temporarily change in the constitution, on which the committee agrees with a unanimous vote, the committee will have the authority to make such temporary changes in advance of approval from the AGM.

QUARTER A5 (P)

Such changes are valid only up to the next AGM when the membership must vote to approve the changes made (in which case these changes will form a revision to our constitution), or the temporary changes will cease if not approved by the membership.

In 1993 we could not foresee a global pandemic. Similarly, we cannot foresee what may happen in 30 years’ time, in the year 2063, which will impact HADRA’s operation. So the constitution needs to be flexible in such instances. The changes were approved by the general membership at the recent AGM. We encourage members to become fully conversant with the changes, which can be reviewed, in full, on the HADRA website.

QUARTER A4 (P)

Lee Cooper HADRA Treasurer

PLANNING REPORT

Croydon Planning Department

The planning department had meetings with residents’ associations in March 2023.

We were updated on the Planning Advisory Service review of the planning department’s performance which identified the following:-

- There is a significant breakdown in communication and trust between Officers, Members and the public.

- The Planning Dept is under resourced and if it continues as is, the service will break and everyone will suffer as a consequence. Planning is a major income source but it must be sufficiently resourced to generate Income.

- Whilst many of your practices and procedures are very good, others are causing you to work inefficiently and these must be changed along with a review of resources.

- Review of the planning enforcement guidance to ensure that resources are identified and focused to improve the service for customers.

The planning department has produced an action plan to improve performance. They are trying to reduce the backlog and speed up the determination of applications.

The Local Plan Review is to be consulted on Jan-Feb 2024. This is expected to be a new version of the Local Plan Review document, and will include changes arising from the 2022 consultation, the Mayor’s Business Plan, as well as changes resulting from updates to legislation and available evidence.

A Review of the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule is to be consulted on in September 2023. This will focus on updating the rates that development/ developers pay to help to deliver local infrastructure.

The Council’s Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is to be consulted on in summer 2023.

A Residential Extensions & Alterations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is to be consulted on in JanFeb 2024.

Planning Applications

With Supplementary Planning Document (SPD2) being revoked on 25 July 2022 there has been a reduction in developers submitting planning applications to demolish large houses and build flats.

Also some undesirable applications are now being refused at committee and delegated officer level.

The Planning Inspector has dismissed the appeals for six terraced houses in the back garden of 11 Haydn Avenue and to demolish the house at 31 Bencombe Road and build four semi-detached houses.

The Planning Inspector has dismissed the appeals for six terraced houses in the back garden of 11 Haydn Avenue, to demolish the house at 31 Bencombe Road and build four semi-detached houses, and to demolish Hartley Court and Ravenswood (which are next to the railway bridges at the bottom of Hartley Down) and build 16 flats,

A planning inspector has only just been appointed to determine the appeals to build two pairs of semi-detached houses in the back gardens of 5 and 7 Hartley Old Road, and to the demolish the house at 220 Brighton Road and build 9 flats.

Colin Etheridge HADRA Planning Representative

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

Covid had, and continues to have, a significant impact on individuals, communities and organisations. As outlined in the article on page 2, HADRA adapted to respond to the challenges created by the pandemic. The committee continued monitoring planning applications, responding to issues raised by residents and providing another voice to support concerns being escalated to the council. The dedicated group of road stewards continued to deliver communications to residents ensuring they were kept updated about activities and opportunities in the area. The changes made have now been agreed at the AGM.

During this period, it is unsurprising that the number of members fell.

However, since we have moved on from the height of the pandemic, we have seen the number of HADRA members grow. We have yet to reach the pre-pandemic level of membership but we are moving in the right direction. We need your support to continue to be able to act on your behalf!

The committee is very aware of the diverse community it represents and offers different ways to pay the subscription. Our preference is to receive payment by a faster payment or standing order to Account name: HADRA | Sort Code: 23 05 80 (Metro Bank) | Account number: 41022558 quoting your postcode and flat/house number in the reference otherwise we do not know who has paid. If you prefer cash, or cheques made payable to HADRA, these can be delivered to 54b Haydn Avenue.

You may need to be up with the lark like one Coulsdon Road resident, who paid me a subscription as I delivered newsletters early one Sunday morning!

Jackie Fowler HADRA Membership Secretary

FROM THE SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM ( SNT )

Purley and Woodcote SNT has been doing speed gun operations on various roads across the Ward. These roads have been flagged up to us by the ward panel members and residents of Purley and Woodcote.

During the Speed Gun Operation, officers were informed by a passer by of a Road Traffic Incident that has just occurred halfway down the road. Due to officers being close by they arrived on scene within minutes and were able to provide care to the victim and clear the obstruction in the road.

The team continues to engage with local businesses and residents. We aim to have different opportunities to engage with you all, such as visible patrols and different surgeries available such as coffee with a copper and the ward panel.

We look forward to seeing you at our monthly “Coffee With A Copper” event. It is really helpful to hear from as many residents as possible about concerns in the local area. We love to engage with as many residents as possible!

Lastly Purley and Woodcote SNT have been involved in helping the Kenley Ward execute a drugs warrant resulting in a suspect being arrested and a large number of cannabis plants were seized. This has reduced crime and reassured residents that officers are out and about, listening to concerns, and acting on the intelligence given to us.

MARKING A YEAR OF PROGRESS IN CROYDON

Many residents in the south of the Borough have become increasingly concerned about planning over the past few years. To mark a year of progress in Croydon under the new administration, I thought it was worth reflecting on the positive practical changes that have been made to local planning recently.

These are changes that I have been fighting for over many years, together with local residents and Residents’ Associations.

As everyone knows, over the past few years the previous administration indiscriminately issued planning consents – usually paving the way for replacing family homes with ugly blocks of flats. This risked changing the character of our neighbourhood and putting huge pressure on our essential local services.

Since last May’s election, there has been a steep change. Our Mayor, Jason Perry, quickly acted to ensure planning policy better protects our neighbourhood, including scrapping the hated SPD2 rules as one of his first acts in office. In addition to this, the planning committee is

COULSDON SIXTH FORM COLLEGE

Coulsdon Sixth Form College provides the young people of Coulsdon and the surrounding area with an exceptional sixth-form experience. Small enough to know each individual student, yet big enough to provide wide subject choice and access to amazing facilities and teachers who bring their industry experience to the classrooms, studios and workshops.

Under the leadership of a new Principal, Stuart Barlow, Coulsdon Sixth Form is going from strength to strength. Stuart brings his many years of experience in further education and sixth-form colleges to Coulsdon and is leading the charge to ensure students achieve their full potential and are given every opportunity to succeed. Stuart, who has been in post since the beginning of this academic year is already driving up quality and said: “I am pleased to say that in my short time at the helm, we are seeing further improvements in outcomes for students at Coulsdon. Our January exam series suggests predicted achievement will be up by around 10% and will be at or above the national average. I have also installed a new daily schedule to reflect the needs of students – making the whole day more structured, providing a timetable that allows our young people to focus and learn in an optimised way. We are striving for excellence and like most other schools and colleges there are always challenges and improvements to be made. At Coulsdon, we tackle these head-on and always put the best interests of our students and their achievement first.”

The College which is in the heart of Coulsdon, is wellserved by public transport and as such is accessible across the area. Its footprint is impressive, including wonderful green fields and sports facilities to provide students with the space to flourish and thrive. Stuart continued: “ We are very fortunate to have some wonderful facilities including a lot of outdoor space where students can relax but also take part in extra-curricular activity. We are re-building our competitive sports programme and have a new Head

no longer controlled by a single party. This means that planning applications are now examined properly, and planning policy is carefully applied.

The practical results of these changes are apparent from the sheer number of applications rejected in recent months, the majority of which would have simply been waved through in previous years. Developers who were targeting Croydon are now backing off and trying their luck elsewhere.

Over the years, I joined many of you campaigning against the overdevelopment of our neighbourhood. I am so pleased that results are now being delivered.

Update on the fight against ULEZ

I am delighted the High Court ruled last month that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ plans may be unlawful.

While the full legal case is not expected to be heard until July, the most recent announcement marks a significant milestone in the fight against the expansion of ULEZ to Croydon and other parts of Greater London.

I know how concerned many residents and businesses are about the introduction of this swindling car tax. That is why I am continuing to call on Sadiq Khan to abandon his ULEZ expansion plans once and for all.

Chris Philp Member of Parliament for Croydon South

of Student Experience, Shakira Martin, who is providing students with a full programme of activities to support their personal development.”

The choice of subjects at the College is extensive with 30 A Levels to choose from and a wide range of BTEC subjects. The College has also launched a new T-level in Laboratory Science. There is more choice at Coulsdon than many other school sixth forms or colleges and its small class sizes provide room for individual attention and support. Students can also build their own programme of study combining A Levels and BTECs where appropriate, allowing a specialist focus on their studies while boosting their UCAS points. Students can also elect to study for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) to enhance their final results and boost their university applications.

Stuart concluded: “There is still time to apply to Coulsdon for this September, we would love anyone who is curious about studying with us to come along to our next open day on 28 June to meet our tutors and current students and see for themselves what a welcoming, friendly and aspirational college we are.”

To register for the event, please scan the QR code on the advert to the left, or visit www.coulsdon.ac.uk

TEXTILE REPAIR CAFÉ IN CROYDON’S WHITGIFT CENTRE

In Central Croydon lies a hidden gem. A welcoming, creative space where a sustainable community-run initiative has been quietly gathering momentum for just over a year.

The Textile Repair Café’s core mission is to reduce the volume of clothes going to waste by building textile skills that have been lost in recent years, with basic sewing skills no longer taught in schools and a marked shift towards STEM subjects and away from more creative options.

The resurgence in popularity of textile skills such as sewing, knitting and crochet - which blossomed during

to repair the clothes they already had) is definitely back – and today this thrifty trend includes customisation and upcycling, with many enthusiasts sharing ideas and tips on social media.

Croydon’s Textile Repair Café is located on the ground floor of the Whitgift Centre, near Boots and the rear entrance to M&S. It is an inviting space where a variety of workshops and events are held. Workshops are usually two hours long and cover a range of sewing and other soft textile crafts. Prices start from a very reasonable £10. There is also a weekly ‘Sewcial Club’ where like-minded individuals come together to craft and chat.

Covid lockdowns - has been further boosted by the cost of living crisis. The ethos of “make do and mend” (a post-WWII government campaign that urged people

Recently, the Textile Repair Café put on a series of events to celebrate London Repair Week, which also marked the anniversary of their launch in 2022. Unsurprisingly, these events focussed on repair, alterations and customisation. Whether you want to save the planet or save money (or both!), learn a new skill or brush up on an old one, or just meet new people with a passion for soft crafts, head to the Green Croydon website for more info about the Textile Repair Cafe.

SUSTAINABLE COULSDON ECO FAIRS

More than 18 months have passed since Sustainable Coulsdon (and Beyond) held its very first Eco Fair in Old Coulsdon, as part of Great Big Green Week in September 2021 (see Winter 2021 Newsletter for full report). Since then - thanks in no small part to the incredible organisational skills of Laura from local refill business eCO2 Solutions - we have held 4 more standalone Eco Fairs at St John’s Church Hall (the one near Bradmore Green pond), in addition to attending the Rotary Village Fair last summer. It’s fantastic that there are more and more local individuals, businesses and groups doing their bit to tackle climate change. The number and variety of stallholders continues to grow, with visitors young and old coming from far and wide to attend.

The latest Eco Fair took place on a bitterly cold Sunday at the beginning of March and stallholders and visitors were equally grateful for the warming and tasty array of savoury and sweet treats provided by Sutton Community Farm and Croydon Vegetarians and Vegans, as well as an endless supply of free hot drinks.

Kids activities included a recycled wood workshop led by Seed of Play, face painting and local author Octavia Lonergan.

There was plenty to interest adults too, with stallholders selling handmade items, homemade jams and chutneys, recycled silver jewellery and a huge variety of products for sustainable living. You could get tips on saving money as well as the planet and find out about Croydon Community Energy, Greenpeace and the City of London / Sustrans proposals to improve visitor access to Farthing Downs.

The Chat Zone remains a popular attraction, with a constant stream of people keen to find out about various local groups and initiatives relating to climate, nature and sustainability. We were also lucky to have the benefit of

Lucia Briault

expert recycling knowledge from Catherine who runs Tadworth Terracycle and raises incredible amounts of money for various charities.

We’re hoping to hold the next Eco Fair in June. Please contact us if you’re interested in getting involved, whether as a potential stallholder, organiser, general helper or visitor. Suggestions and feedback are also welcome. You can find Sustainable Coulsdon and Beyond on Facebook and Next Door, or email sustainable.coulsdon@gmail.com

THE HIVE

We now have over 50 volunteers signed up to help in various capacities. From gardeners and weeders, to carpenters and fundraisers. Photographers and marketeers to occupational therapists and brownie leaders. Many local businesses have expressed an interest in joining in too, which is exactly what we want - members of all the community becoming involved and using the space to their benefit too.

Plans and ‘a vision’ have evolved since and are really quite exciting. Did you know the library originally should have had additional building at the back of it?

The library, as it currently stands, is shaped like an open book, and the extension would have had aisles of books splayed outwards to act like pages to the open book.

We’ve been inspired to recreate this with planters, benches, shrubs and flowerbeds, so that when you look down at the library from Google Earth, the entire library plot should be the shape of a book.

Our wider vision is to have the garden as a relaxed social space where local residents could sit quietly and enjoy a book under the dappled shade of a blossom tree. We’d love to have a ‘happy to chat’ bench where someone alone could chat with someone new, plus areas for children to explore or brownie/scout groups to come down and earn a badge.

We want artists to be able to use the space and display their work and we are already working on a tiled wall in collaboration with Get Fired in Coulsdon. We also have big ambitions to bring wildlife back to the area with various attractions for bees, butterflies, birds and minibeasts. Work has been slow and at times backbreaking! And the garden is now in a flattened, soil state and we have secured the perimeter for safety. Next steps will be to have a path laid, build numerous planters, receive our donation of trees from the Woodland Trust and compost from Dobbies Woodcote. And then the actual gardening can begin! But we are still open to new ideas! It’s a garden that belongs to the entire community.

So, please - if you have any suggestions we would absolutely love to have a chat about them, please email us at thehivecoulsdon@ gmail.com

Lucia Briault

REEDHAM CHILDREN’S TRUST - COULD YOU BE A CHILDREN’S CHAMPION?

Will you be a champion for local vulnerable children?

“With the cost of the living crisis, I was feeling depressed and turned to a friend for help in finding a charity that could support us. But to my amazement, we received a food hamper and vouchers, an incredible show of support I couldn’t believe. I am beyond grateful for this support, which has truly helped my children and me.” Mum of 3, Croydon.

Families are struggling. The cost-of-living crisis is exacerbating the serious issues of the known 27,483* children in living in poverty in the borough. Children are disadvantaged by multiple issues, such as: domestic violence, poor mental health, special educational needs and placement in care.

These multiple deprivations can prevent our children from accessing education and building the resilience, skills and confidence they need to fulfil their potential. They will earn less, have increased health problems and lead shorter lives. Without support now, we risk our children’s futures.

Reedham Children’s Trust exists to improve the lives of vulnerable children and young people. We work in collaboration with charities and voluntary organisations across Croydon to enable the best possible support to reach more children and young people in need . Please become a Children’s Champion today. Together we can improve the lives and futures of local vulnerable children. For more information and ideas, please get in touch on: 020 8660 1461 / 07837 339113 events@reedhamchildrenstrust.org.uk or visit www.reedhamchildrenstrust.org.uk/champion

*Stats from End Child Poverty: https://endchildpoverty.org.uk

**Pupil Premium Allocations 22/23: https://rb.gyvuzwxj

£25 could pay for an hour’s support to a child in crisis

£50 provides workshops on cooking and food growing

£100 buys food vouchers for 4 families

£1,000 could support four young people re-engage with school

INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP FEE

For many years, Hartley and District residents have paid an annual subscription to HADRA of £3.00. This supports the voluntary efforts of the committee members, funds the printing of the bi-annual newsletter and covers other administrative expenses. At the 2022 Annual General Meeting, it was agreed to increase the annual membership fee to £5.00 from 1 April 2023.

The committee would like to draw residents’ attention to the change and remind those paying by standing order that it is time to amend their payments as soon as possible.

The last time that the subscription was increased was in April 2006 and whilst reluctant to make this change it was felt necessary to help meet the rising costs associated with running the residents’ association.

OLD COULSDON VILLAGE FAIR

The Rotary Club of Coulsdon Manor will again be organising the annual Village Fair at Grange Park, Old Coulsdon on Saturday 1st July and, as eager as ever, we are pleased to announce that HADRA has already reserved our place at this year’s event. For those unaccustomed to the fair, it takes place on the first Saturday of every July on the village green, adjacent to the picturesque St John’s Church in Coulsdon. This is a large event, with a variety of stalls from local clubs, interest groups and organisations and is a great day out for the whole family.

HADRA’s aim on our stall will, as always, be to raise awareness of the role we play in our local community and to provide information as to the most recent happenings in our area.

As our Treasurer has promised to be present too, it’s also an excellent way to pay your yearly £5 subscription which became due in April!

Lee Cooper

HADRA COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Chairman

– John Clarke

Email: chair@hadra.org Phone: 020 8660 0845

Vice Chair & Treasurer

– Lee Cooper

Email: vicechair@hadra.org Phone: 07506 608582

Secretary – Elaine Clark

Email: secretary@hadra.org Phone: 020 8660 9927

Membership Secretary

– Jackie Fowler

Email: membership@hadra.org Phone: 020 8241 4267

Planning Representative

– Colin Etheridge

Email: planning@hadra.org Phone: 020 8668 3707

Transport & Environmental Representative

– Vacant

Health Representative & Minutes Secretary

– Rita Lewis

Phone: 020 8668 5520

Newsletter Editor

– Vicky Burley

Email: editor@hadra.org Phone: 020 8406 0843

Committee Member

– Diane Hearne

Phone: 020 8668 1778

The HADRA Committee would like to thank neighbours who give up their time in their work as road stewards. Please see adjacent list for names and vacancies.

If you are interested in filling one of the vacancies, do please get in touch with the Membership Secretary (details above).

REPORTING CRIME

We see many reports of crime on social media such as Facebook and Nextdoor but the Police don’t monitor these sites so please make sure you also report crimes.

This can be done either online or by telephone call to 101.

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report anything at crimestoppers-uk.org. 101 is for a non-emergency situation; if a crime is taking place or somebody is in immediate danger, call 999.

RULES FOR DOG OWNERS

If you take your dog onto a public road, please ensure it is kept on a leash at all times.

LIST OF WARD COUNCILLORS

Kenley

Ola Kolade

Mobile: 07707 277218

Gayle Gander

Mobile: 07716 092482

Purley & Woodcote

Simon Brew

Mobile: 07803 618096

Samir Dwesar

Mobile: 07716 092471

Holly Ramsey

Mobile: tbc

Old Coulsdon

Margaret Bird

020 8604 7035

Mobile: 07710 184942

Nikhil Sherine Thampi

Mobile: 07716 092479

Coulsdon Town

Ian Parker

Mobile: 07783 152343

Mario Creatura

Phone: 020 3624 3142

Luke Shortland

Mobile: 07716 092467

Visit www.croydon.gov.uk for a full list of councillors.

Please refer to political parties’ websites for information on their prospective candidates for your ward.

ROAD STEWARD S

If you are interested in helping out the HADRA Committee by becoming a steward for your road, please get in touch with a member of the HADRA committee (contact details on page 10).

ASMAR CLOSE - Vacant

BENCOMBE ROAD - Susan Bentley

BRIGHTON ROAD - Maureen Lee (odds)

BURCOTT ROAD - Vacant

BYRON AVENUE - John Peachey | Laura Briggs

CEARN WAY - Vacant

COULSDON COURT ROAD - Kim Clerkin

COULSDON ROAD - Margaret Davison

HARTLEY DOWN - Andrew Dunlop | Helen Ali

HARTLEY FARM - Vacant

HARTLEY HILL - Vacant

HARTLEY OLD ROAD - Jenny Strong | Helen Moon

HARTLEY WAY - Vacant

HAYDN AVENUE - Susan Quaintance | Rebecca Simpson

HIGHER DRIVE - Colin Wright

HILLARS HEATH - Vacant

OLD LODGE LANE - Sharon Smith | Valerie Woodley

PETERSFIELD CRESCENT - Vacant

STOATS NEST ROAD - Linda Lawrence

STOATS NEST VILLAGE - Vacant

Please clean up after your dog. If there isn’t a bin, take it home.

If you don’t do this, you could be fined up to £1,000.

ROAD STEWARD LIAISON OFFICER - Vacant

The Road Steward Liaison Officer position is to organise the distribution of our biannual newsletter to our Road Stewards. If you are interested please contact our Chairman.

POLICE & CRIME

Please find below some useful contacts:

Emergency Tel: 999

Non Urgent Tel: 101

Old Coulsdon SNT

Email: OldCoulsdon.SNT@met.police.uk

Kenley SNT

Email: Kenley.SNT@met.police.uk

Coulsdon Town SNT

Email: CoulsdonTown.SNT@met.police.uk

Purley & Woodcote SNT

Email: PurleyandWoodcote.SNT@met.police.uk

London Borough of Croydon

Tel: 020 8726 6000

Council Trading Standards

Tel: 020 8407 1311

Email: trading.standards@croydon.gov.uk

Council Antisocial Behaviour

Tel: 020 8726 6000 | Email: ASBTeam@croydon.gov.uk

REEDHAM ORPHANAGE

“The Asylum for Fatherless Children” was founded in 1844 by Rev. Andrew Reed, an English Congregational minister and hymn writer, who became a prominent philanthropist and social reformer. He was, like many of the Victorian philanthropists, very forward thinking and was known as a kindly, caring man who believed in equality for all.

In 1844, he opened the Asylum for Fatherless Children in temporary accommodation in Richmond. Construction of The Reedham Orphanage was finished in 1858. To enable transportation to the orphanage (then out in the countryside – to benefit the children), a railway station was also built and the area became known as Reedham.

In 1950 the orphanage became a school and continued until its closure in January 1980. The building was demolished and the land sold to fund what is now the Reedham Children’s Trust.

The Trust is actually housed in the original entrance lodge to the orphanage.

Source: Image reproduced from “Village Histories 1. Purley”, with the kind permission of The Bourne Society.

PURLEY ABOUT 1903

The picture below was taken just after the Victorian period but is included to show the pleasant appearance of Purley at the turn of the century. When the London and Brighton Railway opened in 1841 the station was called Godstone Road for the area was almost completely devoid of population.

With the opening of the branch line to Caterham in 1856, the station was renamed Caterham Junction and the newly opened hotel called the Caterham Hotel. It became the Railway Hotel in 1888 when the station was renamed Purley.

The other public house seen in the photo is the weather boarded Jolly Farmers. It was rebuilt in 1905 when Purley was becoming popular as a residential area and the shopping centre was gaining in importance.

LOCAL HISTORY

COST OF LIVING

Always at the front of everyone’s mind!

Although the nineteenth century is generally thought of as a period of stability, prices and the cost of living fluctuated considerably. As an example, the standard quartern loaf (4lb 5¼ oz) varied directly in price in relation to that of wheat. In 1801 and 1812 its price reached 1s 3½d and 1s 5d respectively. In 1820s and 1830s it averaged 9d or 10d. By 1875 it had fallen to 7d, to 6d by 1887 and to 5d by 1895.

There was probably a doubling in the real earnings of the average worker during the period. Despite this, Charles Booth and Seebohm Rowntree (both sponsors of major investigations into the extent and causes of poverty) came to the conclusion that at the end of the nineteenth century, nearly 31% of the populations of London existed in poverty.

There was however great class distinction and visible contrast between rich and poor, and there is no doubt that serious poverty was common in the Croydon area. Drink contributed to poverty and because people were poor they turned to alcohol. At the end of the century the average expenditure of the working class family on drink was 6s 11d weekly, or between £15 and £20 out of an annual income of £80.

The wage of an urban semi-skilled worker in regular employment in the mid-nineteenth century was about 15s to £1 per week. This is a typical budget of such a man in 1841, earning 15s and with a family of 3 children.

2s

Information obtained from the Victorian Croydon Illustrated

Here are 10 lesser-known facts about our King of which you may not be aware. We’ve also included one which is false*.

Can you spot which is the false fact?

1. King Charles is the first heir to earn a university degree. He gained his BA from the University of Cambridge in 1970.

2. King Charles can play the piano, trumpet and cello.

3. He holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest heir-apparent, having patiently waited for the throne for over 70 years.

4. The King has appeared in Coronation Street, EastEnders and even presented the weather on the BBC.

5. King Charles wrote a children’s book in 1980 entitled “The Old Man of Lochnagar”. The book has since been turned into a musical, animated film and a ballet.

6. King Charles has a different surname than his mother. Early on in her reign, the late Queen Elizabeth II (“Windsor”), decreed that her descendants’ last name would be MountbattenWindsor.

7. He is President or Patron of more than 400 charitable organisations.

8. The Maasai tribe in Tanzania have bestowed the title “The helper of the Cows” on King Charles.

9. He can never travel on the same aircraft as his son, Prince William, to reduce the risk of losing our King and heir at the same time.

10. Prince Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor was born in Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

11. The King will no longer need a passport for foreign travel. In the United Kingdom, the monarch does not need a passport to travel overseas because passports are issued in his or her name. The same applies to driving licences.

*The false fact is no. 10! King Charles was born at Buckingham palace, not Osborne House.

10 LITTLE - KNOWN FACTS ABOUT OUR NEW KING, CHARLES III