South Norwood Tourist Board

If you want to make a difference regarding this issue please contact People for Portland Road.

Dear Stuart,

Thank you for your prompt reply. We hope prompt action will follow. From the speedy response we saw to the Love Lane issue, we know the council are more than capable of dealing with these issues. If they are not then a look at the allocation or budget allocated to these resources might be in order – or whether the contractor is fulfilling their obligations under the contract.

The issue of whether rubbish falls onto council or privately owned land is more problematic. As rubbish is a public health issue it is not acceptable for the council to leave it to landowners who will not fulfil their obligations to the community. The focus on fly-tippers (who are not necessarily local residents) is all well and good but there is also a responsibility on the landowners to keep their plots clean and secure. All too often they do neither. There is also anecdotal evidence that some landowners are deliberately allowing plots to become hazardous to pressure the council into granting planning permission (thereby increasing the value of the land).

Land that has been abandoned to become a health hazard cannot be allowed to poison the whole community. In the first instance the council should force entry onto the land and clear it, presenting the landowner with the bill. Indeed there is an argument that such abandoned land should be reclaimed by the community.

Croydon Council makes a big play of being business-friendly but in reality much of this has focused on turning Central Croydon into a super-mall and to seeking to annex Crystal Palace FC from South Norwood. This is symbolic of a broader failure of areas such as South Norwood. You will know that SNTB never denigrate South Norwood and have a habit of being pretty dismissive of those who do. We favour taking positive steps to improve our community. However we cannot allow our vibrant, diverse and imaginative community to fall victim to the consequences of the London property bubble.

Back in 1932 the ramblers also had a problem with landowners. We invoke the spirit of Kinder Scout and will maintain a programme of fun and imaginative ways to highlight this issue. We look forward to you joining us. Feel free to bring some T-shirts.

Kind Regards

SNTB