CONTROVERSIAL proposals to replace the council's former Taberner House headquarters with a new 420-home development, including a 32-storey tower, have been approved by the slimmest of majorities.

Members of the council's strategic planning committee voted six-five last Thursday in favour of the scheme from the Croydon Council Urban Regeneration Vehicle (CCURV).

CCURV is a partnership between the council and John Laing to promote the regeneration of various sites across the borough.

It has been behind the development of the council's new Bernard Weatherill House headquarters in Mint Walk and the Waddon Leisure Centre, on Purley Way.

Councillor Jason Perry, the council's cabinet member for planning, regeneration and transport, said he believed the new development would benefit the area.

But opponents say the site is being overdeveloped and have complained about what they see as a loss of part of the Queen's Gardens.

And despite a six-metre reduction in the height of the main tower, English Heritage says 114 metre building will still dominate the area.

The development comprises five housing blocks; one of six storeys, two of nine, one of 13, plus the 32-storey tower. Taberner House, which is in the process of being demolished, stood 19 storeys high.

The new homes range from 18 studio flats to 41 three-bedroom apartments.

The bulk of the development, 361, will be two-bedroom flats.

The project will extend into the existing Queen's Gardens but the developers say this will be compensated by a new garden area and a cafe located within the area of the housing blocks.

Councillor Paul Scott, Labour's opposition planning spokesman, said the council's original masterplan for the area suggested tall buildings should be limited to 20 storeys in height.

Cllr Scott said: "For the council itself to then put in an application for a 32-storey building is just perverse.

"Greed has taken over, they just want to make as much money as possible."

He attacked the fact the development contains only "the barest minimum" of 15 per cent affordable housing.

Cllr Scott also claimed the new open space would be looked at as a private space for residents, rather than for the general public.

He added: "If we win this month's elections we will look closely at the contract to see if changes can be made to tower's height and provide more affordable housing."

Councillor Perry said both the size of the main tower and the proportion of the affordable housing had been dictated by the viability of the development.

He said: "It is better to develop something rather than go for 30 or 40 per cent affordable housing and get nothing done whatsoever."

Cllr Perry added the new gardens would provide a green space via the existing gardens through to the flyover, offering public access which did not exist now.

He said: "Compared with the monolith of Taberner House, we will have a development which I think will enhance the area."

ADRIAN MARIAPPA says Crystal Palace will be aiming to throw a spanner in the works when title-chasing Liverpool visit Selhurst Park on Monday night.

The Reds are in a three-horse race for the Premier League trophy and must win to keep pace with Manchester City and Chelsea.

And although Palace secured safety two weeks ago, Mariappa insists the Eagles owe it to Liverpool's title rivals to put in a performance.

"We want to finish as high as we can," he said. "We have a chance of finishing in the top half of the table which is a big incentive for all of us.

"It would be great to finish the season on a high and not let it peter out.

"We owe it to the teams that we'll put in everything, and that's what we'll try to do.

"Liverpool will be our last home game of the season so we'll be wanting to give our fans a nice send-off.

"We will be going out there to get the win."

The summer signing's preferred position is centre-back, which is where he was initially brought to play by former boss Ian Holloway, but Mariappa has been utilised mainly as a right-back under Tony Pulis.

And he has revelled in the position, providing support for Jason Puncheon going forward as well as keeping a calm head at the back.

"I'm just working hard, I want to play games like everyone else," Mariappa revealed.

"I am used to playing week in, week out, but whether I'm playing or not I'll still work hard for the team and support the team the best I can.

"I'll give everything playing right-back, left-back, wherever the gaffer decides to play me."

The former Watford and Reading man has also been playing with a broken nose after a clash with Everton's Leighton Baines two weeks ago.

"It's still broken so we're looking at getting it fixed," Mariappa said.

"It's the first time I've worn a mask, it's a bit strange and quite hard to get used to.

"Once the game starts though, you forget about it. I have got the odd joke though, like Zorro, Batman, the lot."

"IT STARTED when I ran away from home for the first time at 14. My family was volatile. I stayed with a friend for a bit, then her sister's. But I soon ended up in a girls' hostel and that's where it began. They manipulated me, my own peers."

Marcia Francis is now 51 but her teenage years were to shape the rest of her life. "I was a persistent runaway, a 'juvenile absconder' the police called it then," she said. "Things started to get more dangerous for me but I just did not get it. You think you are tough but really you're an easy target. There were drugs and gangs. And, yes, I was exploited sexually too."

Ms Francis, of Swain Road, Thornton Heath, qualified as a social worker in her 40s and now runs FAM – Finding Alternative Means – a charity which offers sex education to children and provides support to women struggling with single motherhood or abusive relationships.

So far, she has not spoken out about why she was driven to set up the organisation but now feels the more people share their experiences, the less it will keep happening. "Of course, I was vulnerable then," she said. "But I just did not feel like I was."

More than 30 years on from her experiences, vulnerable children are facing even greater danger than before, according to Frances Le Roy, who works for the NSPCC in Croydon.

"It's everyone's duty to protect children," she said. "If you see something that doesn't look right, you should report it, at least tell someone.

"With all these historical child sex offences cases, people always say 'Oh yes, we always knew he was a bit like that'. People need to raise the alarm now, not 30 years later."

The charity worker, who has focused on child sexual exploitation (CSE) her whole career, said Croydon was struggling with four areas – missing children, unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers, trafficked children and the internet.

"Croydon has the largest number of children in care in the whole of London," she said. "Many of them are from other boroughs who home children here, but it does mean that the police are dealing with much more than other areas.

"The borough also sees a high level of trafficked children compared to other places. We are currently supporting children from Albania and Korea.

"Because of the Home Office, Croydon has more unaccompanied minors than nearly anywhere else and asylum seekers come to get their visas processed here."

THE landing of aircraft during a flypast to commemorate the Battle of Britain has been banned by the company running Kenley Airfield.

Mike Street, of Hayes Lane, has been organising a flypast over the airfield ever since the RAF memorial was put up in 2000.

On anniversaries like 2005 and 2010, Mr Street made the events extra special by having the aircraft land in Kenley so that spectators could meet the pilots, pose for photos and watch them as they landed and took off for the display.

However, when he rang Defence Estates, which runs the airfield for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), earlier this year, the community organiser was told that "powered aircraft" had been banned from landing. At the Kenley and District Residents' Association (KENDRA) meeting last week, Mr Street broke the news to the 70 attendees.

Speaking to the Advertiser, he said: "It's a great shame as it's a very special feature.

"It means people who come to watch can speak to the pilots and enjoy the privilege of watching the planes land and take off on a former Battle of Britain airfield."

Between 500 and 800 locals came to watch the flypast last August, with an even larger crowd on anniversary dates.

"Of course, it is the 70th anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landings this year and we were planning a special landing for that," Mr Street added.

"These things take a lot of organising, so I rang Defence Estates and the beginning of this year. It has said that from now on there will be no landing aircraft on at all.

"The pilots loved landing the planes too because it means they get a RAF Kenley stamp in their logbook, something money can't buy."

Last year, a different event proposed by Kenley Airshow Ltd was cancelled. Alistair White, its organiser, said the MoD and Defence Estates had told him they were banning landing aircraft because of the condition of the runways.

"It's a shame, the show would be much better with the planes landing," Mr White said.

A Defence Estates spokesman said: "Kenley Airshow Ltd proposed a Kenley Airfield Heritage Day – a 1930s revival weekend and charity airshow, in September 2013, which included powered aircraft landing and taking off.

"An assessment was carried out by defence infrastructure organisation airfield specialists, who advised that the runway was not appropriate for powered landings and takeoffs."

Mr Street's flypast will take place on August 17, while Mr White's air show has been delayed until August 2015.

SO, THE last home game of the season is upon us already.

What a season it has been, and what better way to finish up at home to title-chasers Liverpool.

If you thought Manchester City were impressive last Sunday, expect Brendan Rodgers' side to go all-out attack as they look to bump up their goal difference.

Indeed, the Premier League title could come down to just that should both the Reds and City win their remaining games.

However, with the way Palace have defended since Tony Pulis' arrival, it will not be an easy ride for the visitors.

The Eagles have their own aims to finish the season on a high and to also maybe sneak a top ten finish. Who would have thought that?

Monday's game could also be the last time you see Julian Speroni pull on the famous red and blue in SE25. Of course, we hope it isn't, but it is a possibility.

The custodian is hoping the club offer him new terms to stay despite interest elsewhere, and the stopper himself knows the game against Liverpool could be emotional.

Speroni is also set to come up against the Premier League's best strikeforce this season in Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.

"This is why you want to be in the Premier League, to face this kind of talent," he said. "Whatever happens, we have to go out there and enjoy it. The Liverpool v Chelsea match last weekend was key for Liverpool. They lost and now everything is wide open again.

"It could go to the last game of the season and it's whoever holds their nerve.

"We only have two games left and you wish you had five or six more. Liverpool will be tough and then we have Fulham, who are fighting for their lives. It's not over yet so we carry on."

In terms of line-up, Pulis is likely to play his strongest XI, which includes Speroni in goal.

At the back he is unlikely to change things, with Adrian Mariappa, Scott Dann, Damien Delaney and Joel Ward keeping their places.

In midfield, the boss may decide to recall Kagisho Dikgacoi to partner Mile Jedinak in a bid to stop Steven Gerrard bursting forward.

Yannick Bolasie could also be a busy man in stopping marauding right-back Glen Johnson as well as trying to get forward, while Jason Puncheon looks set to come up against youngster Jon Flanagan.

Joe Ledley, who impressed in his preferred position of central midfield against City, might be deployed further forward to support Cameron Jerome. But Marouane Chamakh has been eye-catching in that role too.

Looking at the visitors, they have no injury worries.

Sturridge came on against Chelsea last weekend after recovering from a hamstring problem and looks set to start.

Raheem Sterling has certainly caught the eye in recent months and will provide Joel Ward with a good test, while Phillipe Coutinho will need to be marshalled.

We've seen how good Martin Skrtel is from set-pieces so he will need to be marked properly, while Gerrard needs no introduction.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is gunning for nothing but a win in south London and believes Liverpool will bounce back following their defeat to Chelsea.

He said: "Our objective is for ourselves. We need to win the two games and see where it takes us.

"Then we will be fine. The players have been absolutely fantastic. We'll now focus on Crystal Palace.

"To lose against Chelsea was obviously a big disappointment, because we haven't had many games that we have lost.

"But we'll recover, we'll go again and hopefully we can get the win next time against Crystal Palace.

"I like to take the initiative in games and let players express themselves. Our game is based on being offensively creative as opposed to stopping.

"[Chelsea] will prepare us for that because of the nature of how Crystal Palace play."

"THERE was a fire and the strawberry saved the day," recalled Lianna about a picture story she drew recently in class.

The seven-year-old is one of 16 students at the Speech and Language Unit at Aerodrome Primary, where imagination and visuals are widely used to help youngsters overcome speech and language disorders.

Having opened two years ago, the unit is already winning plaudits, with Aerodrome, in Waddon, highly commended at a national communication awards ceremony in early April.

One of two such facilities in the borough – the other is at Applegarth primary in New Addington – the unit takes children aged from four up to nine and with a range of needs.

Speech therapist Maxine Whitmore said: "Some have severe speech difficulties, some have difficulties with languages in terms of understanding and using, and some have difficulty using language in a social capacity.

"To ask for help or to pick up on humour, for example; sometimes they can be quite literal."

What the children share, however, is the frustrating consequences of not being able to communicate properly. Those include, added Ms Whitmore, problems with "things like friendship, and really accessing the curriculum".

Children come here for their regular schooling alongside help with their communication needs. The aim is for them eventually to go back into mainstream schools.

Teachers use tools including visual aids, repetition and outdoor trips to help their students. In one example, teachers assign a different shape to each grammatical component of a sentence.

"Very often they forget key parts of sentences [such as the object or the verb]," Ms Whitmore explained. "But if you can say to them, 'You have forgotten, for example, the diamond', then it works."

Aerodrome Primary was highly commended at early April's annual Shine a Light Awards, run by Pearson Assessment with The Communication Trust.

Judges were impressed with the school's "tailored support packages for pupils encompassing social, education and emotional wellbeing" and its "multi-sensory approach to learning". For example, explained the school's assistant head Vicky Prigg, a project in which students made a space rocket to fly to the moon.

Developer: Sloane International Group

Planning: Granted2. Impact House

Developer: Tricos Group

Planning: Built

Developer: Durkan

Planning: Under construction

Vertex is a new, exciting landmark in the heart of Croydon providing 98 one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Vertex is an outstanding development which will be built to a high standard of environmental sustainability, using the latest modern building materials.

Developer: Inspired Asset Management

Planning: Under construction

Developer: CCURV

Planning: Built

Developer: Essential Living

Planning: Planning application submitted

Essential Living will develop 230 new homes designed specifically for the private rental market as part of CCURV's redevelopment of Taberner House, one of the landmark schemes of Croydon's regeneration.

The scheme is the first public/private partnership incorporating a PRS component to be signed in the UK.

Developer: Legal & General

Planning: Granted

St George's House has planning consent to convert the existing office space into two striking residential buildings.

The high quality redesign and refurbishment incorporates 265 private residential apartments, 23 affordable apartments, underground car parking and amenity/retail space.

The amenity space has been designed to enhance the design, providing common areas to include; coffee shop, reception, concierge service and roof gardens. It is anticipated that the construction programme will be completed in 2015.

Developer: London Borough of Croydon

Planning: Masterplan in place

The College Green development is central to the successful realisation of the Fair Field Masterplan and the regeneration of central Croydon.

The mixed use scheme will see up to 600 residential units with provision of retail, community and business space to complement the existing uses within the area. The development will be aligned closely with the Fairfield Halls refurbishment and will complement and exploit the potential of the unique and historic institutions, Croydon College and Fairfield Halls, and activities within and around the area.

Developer: Phoenix Logistics

Planning: In pre-application

Developer: Freshwater

Planning: In pre-application

A proposed new major development of 96 George Street and adjoining land which will provide up to 100,000 sq ft of newly developed offices in the heart of East Croydon with immediate access to the mainline railway station.

Developer: Terrace Hill

Planning: In pre-application

Developer: The Croydon Partnership

Planning: Granted

The London Borough of Croydon and Mayor of London granted planning for the Croydon Partnership's £1bn scheme for Croydon town centre, creating a 2m sq ft state-of-the-art retail, leisure and restaurant destination. This includes new prime retail and leisure space, public realm, new car parking and up to 600 new residential units.

Developer: Bravo Hotel Group

Planning: Granted

Developer: Abstract Group

Planning: Built

Renaissance Croydon is a 100,628 sq ft, five-storey office building which achieved practical completion in November 2013. It combines a top BREEAM excellent 2011/EPC B specification with the lowest rent and cost per workstation of any new building within the M25 – £22 per sq ft and £3,000 per workstation. The building is already 40 per cent let and has been sold to M&G Investments.

Developer: Stanhope Schroders

Planning: Under construction

Work is due to start imminently on the first residential phase of Ruskin Square, the landmark East Croydon development by Schroder Investment Management Ltd and Stanhope plc, advised by Jones Lang LaSalle. The total residential scheme comprises 600 homes, and the wider site includes 1.5 million sq ft of grade A office space, as well as shops, restaurants, and extensive new landscaped public realm. The first phase of 161 apartments will be delivered in partnership with Places for People.

Developer: Deloitte LLP

Planning: Granted

Developer: Menta

Planning: Granted

Developer: Menta

Planning: Granted

Morello is a mixed-use scheme by Menta which includes a landmark 55-storey residential tower. The tower creates a 'vertical street' comprising 424 residential units, ground and first-floor retail spaces and a series of communal amenity spaces.

A 17-storey four star boutique hotel sits adjacent to the tower and will become a new commercial and community hub. Work is scheduled to start in 2014.

Developer: Menta

Planning: Granted

Menta has secured planning consent for a mixed tenure development of 71 residential units and a community centre, public square and shops in Cherry Orchard Road.

A mix of town houses, and apartments – which are predominantly focused at the affordable end of the market – will complement the new station environment being created within the Morello Quarter proposals and the Morello Tower.

Developer: Menta Redrow

Planning: Under construction

Sales were launched in March 2014 on this exciting development of 290 one, two and three bedroom contemporary-designed new apartments.

They are being designed as a garland of four low to mid-rise buildings of up to 20 storeys linked as pairs at lower levels. The joint venture development by Menta and Redrow Homes started on site in April and is scheduled for occupation in 2016.

Developer: Family Mosaic

Planning: Under construction

Developer: Guildhouse Rosepride LLP

Planning: Granted

One Lansdowne Road is a landmark 55-storey tower designed by Piers Gough CBE, of CZWG Architects. Planning consent is in place for 397 residential apartments, a 217-bed hotel and 180,000 sq ft of office space.

This iconic mixed-use scheme has strong potential for change of use to deliver an enhanced solely residential scheme.

The main tower element of the scheme will be one of the tallest residential buildings in the UK at a height of 200m – firmly placing One Lansdowne Road as one of the focal points of London's skyline.

Developer: Criterion Capital

Planning: Granted

A 79,385 sq ft scheme delivering 110 residential one and two bedroom apartments to the private rental sector.

Developer: Barratt London

Planning: In pre-application

Developer: Criterion Capital

Planning: Granted

Consented scheme set to deliver 348 residential one and two bedroom apartments to the private rental sector. This 367,630 sq ft development is currently on site and it is anticipated that it will be completed by October 2015.

Developer: Berkeley

Planning: Under construction

Berkeley Homes is building a high-quality mixed use development of 791 new homes incorporating an iconic 43-storey tower. Saffron Square is designed around a one-acre public square complete with water features and overlooked by a residents' gym, business lounge, 24-hour concierge and a selection of shops and cafes.

Developer: Criterion Capital

Planning: In pre-application

A 56,816 sq ft scheme delivering 91 residential one and two bedroom apartments to the private rental sector.

Developer: Canmoor CarVal Investors

Planning: Built

Interchange is a new 180,000 sq ft Grade A office building located in the heart of Croydon, close to West and East Croydon stations and the Whitgift Centre. It provides exceptional quality and value, with 18,000 sq ft flexible floor plates, a vibrant three-storey atrium and 400 secure parking spaces.

Developer: Regency Homes

Planning: Under construction

Developer: Barratt Homes

Planning: Granted

Barratt and Ward Homes are finalising plans for the redevelopment of the former Cane Hill Hospital in Coulsdon. Subject to planning the development will consist of up to 675 new homes, 163 of which will be affordable, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom houses. The proposals seek the retention of existing buildings with the provision of new commercial facilities close to the town centre.

Developer: Barratt Homes

Planning: Under construction

Barratt London's New South Quarter offers 923 studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments adjacent to the historic 21-acre Wandle Park in Croydon. Excellent transport links via Wandle Park tram station offer services into both East and West Croydon in under 10 minutes and into the city centre via London Bridge station from East Croydon in 15 minutes. The range of shops, pubs and restaurants will expand when Westfield and Hammerson's new shopping centre opens in 2018.