Leading Lines
Croydon Council Leader Mike Fisher's Reflections
Looking ahead
Anonymous comments
It won't surprise you to know that we politicians have a fascination with the media - and it's not because we're desperate for public recognition. It's more because there's a direct link between what the papers say and what people think.
But now, with the local press in Croydon updating their web pages even before the papers have been published, a new phenomena is emerging - the anonymous comment. Now, being fairly new myself to this practice of presenting my own thoughts on a variety of subjects, I'm clearly laying myself open to a charge of hypocrisy.
But, through being elected, I do have a recognised position in this town as leader of the council. I'm quite happy to own the views that I put forward - and people are free to agree or not.
Occasionally, if something has particularly caught my attention, I might fire off a letter. And less often it may even be published alongside other correspondence that's usually articulate and reasoned. But 'reader comments' that feature on web pages appear to bring out the worst in people and provide a platform for anonymous contributors to express their prejudices and speculation on issues. Sometimes they're rude. Does anyone take them seriously, I wonder? Do they serve any purpose? Is it any extension of community involvement - or is it a shop window for the narrow-minded?
Over to you
The tendency of today's media to invite public comment and then report on that comment as if it were fact is also, to me, an irritating development.
You're in the car, listening to some kind of debate and next you're hearing the presenter saying that so-and-so has just emailed or texted with their opinion on the matter. Now unless so-and-so happens to occupy an influential position on the subject under discussion, I have absolutely no interest in learning his or her thoughts.
Perhaps it's just a fanciful editorial fashion - a flavour of the month for now and something to be consigned to history when someone's dreamed up a new approach to retain audience interest. Anyway, you don't have to endure the mind-numbing banality. The on/off button is always temptingly close.
The paper's job
One final word - for now - on the media. I really was interested to see the editor of the Advertiser providing his job description in public. The paper's job, he says, is to report on things that have happened in Croydon in a manner that will sell the most copies.
I have to admit that saddened me even though it hardly came as a bombshell. I'm dismayed to think that people will only buy newspapers for the crime and reports of the bleaker stuff going on in our town.
Clearly I'd be no good in today's commercially-driven journalistic operation. However, away from the town hall fixation with the press, people I associate with in the real world - work colleagues, fellow parents, Palace supporters, neighbours - are all saying similar things. They don't want the local press to pretend everything's fine when pretty obviously it's not. But they do find it hard to believe that in a city of some 340,000 people, the papers can't find a bit more to be cheerful about.
Celebrating with our kids
It's a shame the local papers didn't cover the annual school awards. Had they been present they would have been caught up in an overwhelming desire to celebrate the best of our educational achievement.
It was clear from the event that not every school is in crisis. Not every head is failing. And not every pupil is misbehaving. Far from it.
The ceremony acknowledged the outstanding contributions hundreds of our students have made this year to their schools and the wider community. Some of these youngsters were congratulated for their academic achievement, others for their contribution to school life, some for the difference they have made at school and some because, quite simply, they have succeeded beyond expectations.
We are proud of them.
Only recently a handful of students expressed their dismay that they believed that all young people were being portrayed in the press as awful. How sad that that's how they feel. But can you blame them when the local papers couldn't even spare a line to acknowledge the talents and positive worth of the majority of Croydon's younger generation.
Park place riot act
I don't mind admitting that I'm pretty disappointed with the lack of visible progress on the Park Place scheme. I also have every sympathy with the traders still trying to do business in and around the site that's set to become a new shopping centre. It can't be much fun seeing so many of your neighbours pulling down the shutters for good.
Most of the site is owned by Minerva. Until very recently they were expecting to deliver the scheme in partnership with major funding partner and developer, Lendlease. Although this relationship has now ceased Minerva remain confident of finding another partner and in securing a major retailer as an anchor store.
We want that to happen sooner rather than later - with some assurance as to the future of Allders who we know are committed to Croydon. What we don't want is the blight of the site deterring shoppers. That's why we read the riot act to Minerva's top people just a few weeks ago.
I can recall when the High Street was last left in a state of decay after the former Grants store closed. We certainly don't want a repeat over the wider area of what is a southern gateway to Croydon.
St George's Day
St George's Day was a bit of a let-down. Croydon's a council that has always been proud of its English heritage. The Cross of St George flies from the Town Hall every day, not just the 23 April.
However, it was our intention that the Mayor would also raise the flag from the Taberner House masthead on the appointed day. Unfortunately the intention turned out to be longer-lasting than the execution! A technical hitch caused the flag to flutter down within minutes of being hoisted.
We'll be better prepared next year when the council hopes to generate the vibrant kind of interest in celebrating St George's Day that our Irish community routinely manage for their own patron saint's day.
Crime down but …
It's good to see that crime figures have fallen again. At least the official trend is healthy. But there are still a lot of offences taking place and no evidence yet that people really are feeling safer.
I have great faith in our investment in Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers. I strongly believe that a highly visible uniformed presence is an effective deterrent to anti-social behaviour. However, the fear of crime remains widespread and I believe it's time to delve beyond the statistics and explore what is really making residents so apprehensive, what they think is behind the crime that's taking place and what solutions they might have.
If there were just one simple cause, I'd say it's a lack of respect, possibly itself caused by a breakdown in traditional values of decency.
While the council may not be able to intervene it's certainly time for the council to be seen taking active steps to divert young people in particular from adopting a criminal way of life.
The Warehouse
The future of the Warehouse Theatre has become a hot topic again.
There's no doubt in my mind that the theatre is a star turn in Croydon's cultural offer. The trouble is that the venue doesn't attract enough customers to pay its way in a commercial world.
I'm not convinced it's right to take money from council taxpayers and artificially prop up what is to all intents and purposes a failing business. If we were overflowing with funds it may be a different proposition - even though there are many deserving causes looking for support. The Warehouse adds artistic prestige to the town's reputation. But we wouldn't be expected to bail out a local football club, a pub, or a shop or any other local amenity that wasn't pulling in enough trade to remain solvent.
So, while I don't expect a change of heart from the council, we will continue talking to the theatre about options and ideas that could keep the Warehouse from going under.
An appetite for change
Despite the enormous effort that goes into making sure a new contract hits the ground running, there were more teething problems than expected with the new meals on wheels service.
It was worrying to learn that the root cause for some failed deliveries was the accuracy of information handed over to the new contractor Apetito. The victims in this situation were vulnerable people who rely on a doorstep delivery. There is more to be learned about this episode and I look forward to the conclusions of an investigation that's been promised by my colleague Margaret Mead.
Purley pool
A vocal minority of residents in Purley appear to be unswerving in their devotion to what's become a tired and sub-standard pool.
It's odd that it's our intention to close a failing facility that has attracted more attention than our proposal to build two brand new pools and bring leisure opportunities to many more people in the borough.
On this issue we'll be judged by our performance. Three brand new pools are in the pipeline - in Waddon, Coulsdon and New Addington. That's a pretty ambitious objective, and one we're intent on fulfilling.
Closing Purley, when the first of the new pools is ready for use, will enable us to kickstart the long overdue regeneration of Purley High Street. The empty Sainsbury's store that's part of the same complex as the pool and car park, will make way for a new scheme that will revitalise the area.
Targeting teachers
While I didn't support the NUT members who took strike action for a day and closed many schools, I do have a lot of sympathy for the job teachers do. Sometimes they really are provoked - yet still they put the needs of youngsters first.
In my own ward, a couple of parents took their allegations of classroom bullying to a local newspaper which then ran a critical story without taking any steps to present a balanced story.
The pupil at the centre of the story received the injuries complained of in a car crash - not at the hands of classroom bullies. Quite why the parents should be so elaborate in their unfounded public complaints is a matter of conjecture. The dilemma for the school is how to safeguard its reputation without disclosing personal information on the pupil.
A school's natural tendency is to protect children - not expose them to claim and counter-claim in the press. But if the school doesn't defend itself, then the resulting pain can be felt by staff, pupils and their parents.
While I regret any suffering on the part of the pupil, I have to say that I would always support the school in giving a robust response to allegations being made publicly against it. Clearly I wouldn't expect the school to start the issue, but I would expect it to stand its corner. Perhaps then parents would learn to use the formal channels that exist to look after their interests rather than use their children in the media.
The Boris and Steve show
And finally … at last we have a Mayor of London that we can work with. Ken Livingstone was an engaging personality but as a politician he's long been a maverick socialist. Boris Johnson, ably assisted by his assembly of GLA members including our own Steve O'Connell, will bring a fresh and responsible attitude to governing London. To coin a phrase - he's someone we can do business with.
The focus on inner London over the last eight years has been detrimental to outer London boroughs like Croydon. Ken never acknowledged a need to work with boroughs for the benefit of residents. In many ways he was a tyrant. I expect Boris to govern London in partnership with the boroughs. Working together, for a change, we can make a difference.
