It was fantastic to be at the Develop Croydon conference with so many partners who share my energy and passion for our town and borough, and my commitment to its regeneration.
If you’re Croydon born and bred like me, you know it is a fantastic place with so much to offer – and a wealth of untapped opportunities.
In the past two years, the council’s previous administration sent the wrong signal to investors.
Their serious financial mismanagement led to them slashing services – from graffiti removal to grass cutting – that keep streets clean and safe.
This neglect not only lets our residents and businesses down, it makes others think that Croydon is uncared for.
Under my leadership, that will change.
The council will play its part to bring investment into our borough, drive forward our regeneration, and restore pride in our borough – starting with cleaning up our public spaces.
Since becoming Mayor I have restored the graffiti removal service; I have had the grass cut and I am introducing a Public Space Protection Order to make our town centre safer.
We must deliver these core services – and we must go beyond that.
I also believe that the council has a unique role to play in bringing our partners together and harnessing that energy, passion and commitment that I felt at Develop Croydon, in order to make things happen.
I am determined that we will maximise every opportunity for Croydon – from bidding for Levelling up Funding, to London Borough of Culture 2023 – which recently helped to attract £4.8m investment from Arts Council England.
It was also a huge privilege to attend the Croydon Mencap AGM and the Croydon Citizens Mental Health Summit this week, where it was great to see our communities working so closely together.
We cannot solve the council’s problems overnight – sadly, we will continue to feel the impact of historical financial mismanagement for some time to come and there is a long road ahead.
But, as long as we have the energy and enthusiasm I witnessed at Develop Croydon, Mencap, and Croydon’s Mental Health Summit this week, we have every reason to feel full of hope about our borough’s future.
Jason Perry
Executive Mayor of Croydon.
