The Mayor is asking the Government to work with him on a solution for Croydon – Newsroom

The Chief Executive of Croydon has called on the new Secretary of State and Croydon’s four newly elected MPs to work with him to repair the borough’s finances and ensure continued financial sustainability.

In an open letter to Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Croydon Mayor Jason Perry congratulates her on her Cabinet appointment.

He outlines the significant progress the Council has made under his leadership in setting up the Council’s finances – progress which has been repeatedly noted and welcomed by the District’s Independent Improvement and Assurance Committee.

Mayor Perry highlights Croydon’s remaining challenge – the Council’s £1.6bn debt which it inherited and which is the legacy of past mismanagement which led to the Council’s financial collapse in 2020. This burden continues to cost the Council £62 million a year for the service – money that could otherwise be spent on improving services for residents.

Mayor Perry has made it clear that it will require a new solution from the government to address this historic debt problem and become financially sustainable. In his letter, Mayor Perry requests a meeting with the minister as soon as possible to discuss a way forward.

Read the Mayor’s letter to the Secretary of State in full here.

Mayor Perry has also written to the four newly elected MPs for Croydon – Natasha Irons (Croydon East), Sarah Jones (Croydon West), Chris Philp (Croydon South) and Steve Reed (Streatham and Croydon North).

He asks them to come together in support of our borough and invites them to a meeting to discuss how they can support Croydon for the benefit of all residents.

“Croydon has made huge strides in addressing our financial challenges over the past two years and we are closely managing all parts of our budget that are under our control. Our strong progress under my leadership as elected mayor was recognized by the previous government and our independent improvement and assurance panel. But I have always been clear that Croydon will need a new solution, with a package of support from the Government, if the Council is to become financially sustainable for the future.

“We are calling on the new government and our local MPs to work with me to bring this solution. I want Croydon to provide the best possible service for our residents and to be the most efficient and cost effective council so we can give them great value for money. To achieve this our number one priority must be to fix the Council’s finances so that Croydon can be sustainable for the future. By working together we can achieve the best possible outcome for local people and ultimately restore pride in our neighbourhood.”

Jason Perry, Chief Executive of Croydon