A MINI-SUPERMARKET has been granted a licence to sell alcohol despite local opposition.

The licence allowing the sale of alcohol at Bond's of Shirley, in Wickham Road, between 8am and 11pm on Monday to Sunday, was approved by the council's licensing sub-committee.

Objections had been received from Jonty Clark, the executive head of Beckmead School in Wickham Road, who feared older pupils might be tempted to buy drink. He also said the school had suffered from patients from nearby Bethlem Hospital loitering and urinating on the school fence while under the influence of alcohol.

Councillor Maria Gatland, chair of the sub-committee, said: "We had sympathy with the school but there was no evidence that a supermarket selling alcohol would make conditions worse."

"We just talked for hours all night. It was instant."

Leigh Armstrong's account of meeting the love of his life could be that of any south Londoner.

But because of legislation barring same-sex couples from marrying, he and Drew Crawford have been forced to make do with a civil partnership.

Now, however, the Shirley couple, who had a civil partnership ceremony on June 13, 2009, are considering "putting the icing on the cake" with a full wedding.

Drew, 43, said: "We were lucky in that our immediate families and close friends could see that ours is a loving, committed, monogamous relationship, no different from a straight couple's.

"Several of our friends still say, nearly four years on, it was the best 'wedding' they had been to."

Leigh, 50, and Drew say they have found their civil partnership fulfilling, but still came across inequalities.

Leigh explained: "I would sign up at the doctor's surgery and you'd have to fill out a form, and it would say single, married, divorced, or other.

"There was no civil partnered box. I had to tick 'other'. And I'm not an other. It would also be difficult when looking for a flat.

"You tell the estate agent that you're looking for a one-bedroom house for two men and they just put the phone down."

The couple believe any small move in the right direction brings them one step closer to stopping incidents like that from happening.

Leigh said: "After the initial homophobia in the mid-20th century, we beat that, then HIV came along and put us back, and we had to beat that.

"When civil partnerships came in it felt like a really big step. Gay marriage is now the icing on the cake and will hopefully fix all the little things that can make life difficult for us.

"It's not about jumping on the marriage bandwagon, but about removing barriers, to be able to do something you weren't able to do before. It's about choice."

Drew told the Advertiser that although the new law was a step in the right direction, there was still some way to go.

He said: "While we claim to celebrate diversity in the UK, I see gay marriage in its current form as a baby step, which is more than welcome, but a shame that gay and lesbian couples who follow a religious faith will still be discriminated against.

"This is not an issue for us as neither of us are hypocritical so we wouldn't want a religious ceremony anyway. It would be nice to have the option, though, like straight couples.

"If we do now get married it will probably be a conversion – we won't expect friends to stump up for another toaster."

On a stairwell below, a Chelsea fan has daubed something about "CFC, the Blues" and, a few floors before that, the words "Wake up 2012" have been sprayed in what should probably be someone's living room or kitchen.

"SOLD" declares a sign on a balcony, making some unfortunate house-hunter the proud owner of a concrete shell filled with rotting wood, building material and the odd beer can.

This is the IYLO building, a 20-storey block of flats in Croydon. At least in theory. At the moment there are no flats and only half a building.

For nearly two years the skyscraper has sat unfinished in the middle of a roundabout, staking claim to the unenviable title of ugliest sight on a skyline, for some, the byword for architectural blight.

Workmen last picked up tools at the site in June 2011, shortly before a subsidiary of the developer went into administration. Last July, IYLO was bought by a company based in Jersey, which promised work would start again in the autumn.

The only new licks of paint since then have been the tags and slogans sprayed on many of the walls and windows; the only nails hammered in anger on wooden panels to keep trespassers out.

This week the Advertiser took on that role to expose the abject state of what was once a flagship housing development.

After climbing over the fence with little trouble, our reporter and photographer found the site bereft of security staff and littered with rubble and rubbish.

The main stairwell which runs through the centre of the tower is closed off but an opening appears to have been made in some wooden panels covering a metal staircase nearby.

On the floors where walls have been built, most have at least some graffiti. There are other signs of visitors too. In one room we find an empty bottle of Teacher's whisky, in another a T-shirt.

Not that the IYLO building is habitable, particularly today. It is Monday afternoon and the morning snow has given way to wintry showers. Huge puddles are a feature of every floor and where there is timber, it is sodden and rotten. Others are covered in broken glass or sheets of metal.

The main staircase is accessible on floors above the ground, so we make our way up the tower until the 16th storey. By now there is less graffiti because there are few walls or windows to spray.

The floor is covered in snow so we carefully edge our way out. Up here, you begin to get an idea why someone might want to own a flat in the IYLO building.

You can see for miles. In the distance the Crystal Palace tower pokes out through the mist. In the opposite direction, the twin chimneys of Ikea are visible.

A short distance along Wellesely Road is Berkley Homes' Saffron Square, a block of flats which has been proposed and completed since work first started on IYLO in 2007.

The view is even better from the 20th floor, where the staircase ends with a wooden gangplank. Metal cables shoot out from the ground, which is littered with girders and wiring. Even this high up, the staircase is covered in graffiti.

Some 200 feet below, hoardings bordering the site feature IYLO's official slogan: "Inspiration for Life". Its original promise was "live in extraordinary beauty".

Five years since construction has started, the only thing the building has inspired is a parody Twitter account about life in an "existential nightmare". Croydon's planning chief admits he has no idea when work on the IYLO tower will restart. Last July Jason Perry, cabinet member for planning, regeneration and transport, said new owners Rosefair had informed the council that construction would resume by the end of the year. "It's disappointing that nothing has happened given that we were promised things would start to move forward," he said. "I haven't had an update on what is going on. "It's on my agenda and I have been chasing it up this week." The Advertiser has been unable to contact Jersey-based Rosefair, which bought the building after St James's Croydon, a subsidiary of developers Phoenix Logistics, went into administration in June 2011. Construction on the 182 mainly one and two-bedroom apartments had previously been hampered because Phoenix fired original contractors Lancsville for poor performance, causing work to grind to a halt. Paul Scott, Labour's spokesman for planning, said much of the work that has already been completed may have to be redone. Cllr Scott, who works as architect, said: "The real problem from my professional view is the longer the building stands there, the less of it can be salvaged. "The warranty on the walling would have gone already so anyone who takes this building on now may well have to strip it back to its frame. "It's a massive shame because it was starting to shape up as a really well-thought out building. "To have such a large building half-finished, potentially for many years to come, is a disaster for Croydon. "I would call on the council to use whatever influence it has to move things forward and get the thing done. "Councillor Fisher keeps indicating it's going to start again, but nothing happens. "We can't have a positive regeneration of the town centre with that sitting there looking tattier and tattier. "As time goes by it will become more and more of a problem. "It will start to look worse. It's only a matter of time before someone does some huge graffiti on it which can be seen all over the place. "The whole thing is a bit of a disaster, frankly. "For a nice scheme, in an area which desperately needs more housing, to just be sat there is an absolute tragedy."

ASIANS are making themselves "targets" for robbers and burglars by wearing "excessive" jewellery in public and leaving it unsecured at home, a community leader has warned.

Chandra Babu, vice chairman of the Asian Resource Centre, told the Advertiser that "one chain" is enough but wearing more was "making it very difficult for the police".

His warning follows 78 burglaries involving Asian victims in the past two months, including 34 in Broad Green and Thornton Heath, as well as instances of necklaces being snatched in the street.

Police have warned people to keep their jewellery covered up or locked away until special occasions, advice Mr Babu echoed.

"Wearing excessive amounts of gold or valuable jewellery or keeping it at home should be discouraged because people are making themselves targets and making it very difficult for the police," he said.

"It's difficult because a crime is a crime. There should be no excuse for it, but Asian people need to be educated. They need to be more careful."

Last week, police published CCTV images of two men suspected of attempting to break into the home of an Asian family in Norbury Crescent on January 31.

Detective Inspector Brian Hobbs, from Croydon CID, said: "That family was clearly targeted.

"CCTV footage shows the suspects watching the family leave the house and drive away in a car.

"Once they were happy the car had driven off they tried to break in through the front door with a crowbar. We're not sure what disturbed them but they made off after two or three minutes.

"The family were targeted because of the type of jewellery in their home. It's often very valuable."

Det Insp Hobbs said the issue was not specific to Croydon. Burglars have targeted homes in south London, Sussex and Surrey because they know there's "big – and easy – money to be had".

Of the 454 burglaries in Croydon between December 14 and February 8, 78 involved Asian victims, with necklaces and laptops the main items taken.

However, it could be argued that the figures are fairly proportionate, with Data from the 2011 Census showing 16 per cent of the borough's population are Asian.

Among recent burglaries was a spate of three on the afternoon of January 28. Det Insp Hobbs believes the burglars are working in several distinct "teams". So far no one has been arrested.

Mr Babu said the issue dates back at least 15 years.

He added: "I have noticed an increase recently but the difference now is that people are reporting, whereas in the past they didn't. That's a good thing.

"It's an issue at the moment because there have been a lot of new arrivals from India, Pakistan and other Asian countries."

JAMES Dasaolu became UK indoor 60m champion last weekend in emphatic style.

The 24-year-old Great Britain international clocked 6.58secs in the final in Sheffield, winning by 0.11secs from his nearest challengers.

Dasaolu will now head to next month's European indoor championships in Gothenburg as part of Team GB.

And he revealed he had to stay focused in the semi-final race after a few distractions elsewhere at the event.

"I did get a bit distracted as there was a false start and the pole vault and high jump was going on," he said.

"But I didn't panic, I stayed relaxed and I just wanted to get to the final and post a good time like I did.

"I knew that in the final I just had to nail the start and I'd be OK.

"I was happy to go there and compete against athletes of the same calibre.

"I would have liked to have been a bit quicker but I was happy with the win.

"I want to challenge for medals in the European Championships now."

Elsewhere last weekend, Croydon Harriers' men's team returned to the second division 2XU Surrey Cross-Country League for the first time in six seasons after their final fixture at Wimbledon Common.

Croydon finished third on the day behind Dulwich and Full-on-Triathlon in the nine-club fixture, however they comfortably held on to one of two automatic qualification berths on offer and are promoted along with Dulwich.

Unofficially, Croydon are joint winners of the division with Dulwich although this is yet to be ratified by the league.

Peter Chambers won the overall 5.4-mile race in 29 minutes and 30 seconds, his first Surrey League victory of the season after a pair of thirds and a runners-up finish this winter. David White (31:05) was third, Mark Plackett (31:38) was fifth and Ben Savill (32:32) ninth.

Alan Burn (40th, 35:15), Neil Aikman (52nd, 36:37), Martin Rowe (69th, 37:34), Mark Maginn (74th, 37:47), Matthew Kiernan (79th, 37:57) and Keith Brown (111th, 42:17) completed the scoring team of ten runners.

Non-scoring support came from Robert Rye (112th), Dave Warren (116th), Norman Hemming (120th) and Eric Campbell (129th) in the field of 129 runners.

In the young athletes' 2.7-mile race, Kieron Connor finished third, with Omar Harhara and Luke Baker unofficial fifth and sixth positions.

Meanwhile, the women's team also brought the curtain down on their campaign at Denbies Vineyard in Dorking.

Brighton Marathon hopeful Sophie Bates finished in her highest ever Surrey League position of 31st and was fourth in the second division race.

In the young athletes' races, Stevie Lawrence was fifth in the U17 women's race to add to her fourth and eighth position finishes also gained this season. Emily Howe (28th) and Josie Kavanagh (35th) provided support.

And Ellie McCormack kept the flag flying in the U13 girls' race, finishing 42nd.

CROYDON'S major businesses have joined forces to ensure their interests are protected during the town's regeneration.

The Croydon Occupiers' Forum is a joint initiative from the Croydon Business Improvement District (BID) and Develop Croydon and the first meeting was attended some of the town's major employers including Allianz Global Assistance, Mott MacDonald, AIG and Zurich Insurance.

Matthew Sims, chief executive of the BID, said: "The fact that Westfield and Hammerson are coming together to redevelop the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres is a great news story for Croydon and we want to make sure that momentum is continued."

Coupled with other redevelopment projects already under way to bring homes and jobs to Croydon, there was renewed interest and confidence in the future.

But Mr Sims said: "In doing that it is important that we retain the companies we have here at the moment."

Mike Webb, chairman of Allianz, has already warned that in the longer term the company could be forced out of Croydon unless it can attract more skilled staff locally and more businesses are persuaded to move into the town.

Mr Sims said the new forum would provide a vehicle at which these types of concern could be raised and possible solutions talked through.

He said: "Every organisation has issues ranging from the perceptions of Croydon to improving the security and cleanliness of the town.

"I believe the occupiers' forum can turn into a very good lobbying arm for businesses in the town and help deliver positive changes for Croydon."

Richard Plant, chairman of the Develop Croydon Forum, added: "We want to make sure that Croydon occupiers are given a voice that ensures the council, the Greater London Authority and developers take into consideration the needs of employers and employees during this period of change and beyond."

The intention is for the Occupiers' Forum to meet three times a year.

Mr Sims said: "Last week's meeting was very much about setting the scene and making sure everyone understood the issues and concerns.

"At the next meeting in June we will be focusing on more detailed objectives."

HUNDREDS of new jobs will be lined up for Sutton if expansion plans from a company supplying the offshore energy industry get the go-ahead.

Subsea 7, an engineering, construction and services contractor to the industry, is in talks with Sutton Council about constructing new purpose-built offices close to the main railway station.

The company is looking to buy the Brighton Road multi-storey car park site from the council, knock it down and build its new offices.

Subsea 7 already employs 300 people in Quadrant House, behind Sutton station.

Its idea is to move those staff into the new building, which would also create space to provide hundreds more jobs, as the company moves ahead with expansion plans over the next few years.

Architects are in the process of drawing up designs for the new building and the company hopes to unveil draft proposals next month before submitting a formal planning application in April.

Dave Williams, Subsea 7 vice-president, said: "We are pleased to be able to announce this proposal for a long-term investment in our presence in Sutton and look forward to sharing our draft proposals with the local community over the next couple of months.

"We are committed to consulting with the local community before we lodge a planning application and want to ensure that we deliver a landmark building that Sutton can be proud to have at this southern gateway location."

The council has responded to the announcement by trying to reassure residents and shoppers that the loss of the 630-space car park will not cause parking problems in the town centre.

It has made public the results of survey which show that, even at peak times, on average only 60 per cent of spaces – 400 – in the Brighton Road car park are occupied.

The report says the loss of spaces would be compensated by 700 empty spaces available at other town centre car parks.

Cllr Jayne McCoy, chair of the council's housing, economy and business committee, said: "When interest was shown in this site by Subsea 7 we looked into this issue in great detail and found that even with the sale of Brighton Road, there would still be plenty of parking in other car parks close to the town centre.

"This is an opportunity to create hundreds of jobs for local people and in turn support existing businesses in the borough."

Mother-of-seven Sandra Key, 54, is typical of members of Purley-based South East Cancer Help Centre (SECHC).

She remembers a time when she was "on death row". And then she remembers how her life changed after stepping through the front door of SECHC.

"At one point during my cancer, I was absolutely on death row. My body was that ill. At the time, I could have quite easily left my family and given up. But now I'm looking at everything very positively and my whole life has changed.

"Without the help I've had here, I don't think I would be here and would not have kept on putting up a fight while in remission. The centre has changed my whole life and outlook.

"It has been a life-saver. People have probably felt like me but don't know where to go. I honestly think if it wasn't for the centre I wouldn't be here today, because of the support I have been given.

"It is one big help centre, we are all like a big family. You can always talk to someone here and they will always listen."

Sandra, from Croydon, told how her cancer became so advanced, that while waiting for a life or death operation at Croydon University Hospital, a priest was sent to her bedside to baptise her in front of her emotional family, after doctors gave her just a slim chance of surviving the bowel cancer operation.

"My family thought I was going to die," she said.

"It was so bad a priest came and baptised me because they'd said to my son and husband I probably wasn't going to make it."

But despite surviving the operation, it wasn't until becoming a regular at SECHC that she began to recover from her illness fully.

Now in its 30th year, Purley Cross-based SECHC has grown from humble beginnings in a Caterham living room, to a centre with four therapy rooms, a community hall and offers more than 20 clubs and treatments.

Meanwhile its membership base has grown from just a handful to more than 500 members a year who use the centre weekly or biweekly.

It offers support to people from across generations, from those in their 20s to people in their 90s, and has helped more than 10,000 people in their fight against cancer since its inception.

It runs everything from reflexology and hypnotherapy treatments, to arts and craft and drama sessions, with counselling offered in between.

Beryl Evans, from Caterham, who became a regular at the centre nearly three years ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer, said it is the aspect of psychological well-being alongside, and after, the harsh reality of going under the knife, which helps to boost people's recovery.

She said: "I think in a lot of places you are just seen as the cancer rather than the person, but here you are seen as the person rather than the cancer.

"It's the psychological well-being you get here, and I have also met so many friends along the way."

Mrs Evans added: "We're one big family."

With more than one in three people in the UK developing cancer in their lifetime, and with someone being diagnosed every two minutes, demand has never been higher for cancer services beyond those received in hospitals and NHS centres.

But amid a stubborn recession which continues to squeeze charities, SECHC needs the support of its community to remain such a strong force for the next 30 years.

Whereas five years ago it held 18 months' running costs in surplus, it now only holds just six.

It has an army of 70 volunteers, three full-time and two part-time staff, but needs more volunteers and donations to continue the good work.

Centre manager Nina Guha said: "It is a difficult time for charities and we do need the help of our local community to keep going.

"We have huge recognition from the hospitals with people who have come from the Royal Marsden, Mayday and St George's.

"We are very proud to be a part of the community and very proud to have reached our 30th year, which I think is a great achievement and we hope we can continue that."

Beautician Tereza Groth-Andersen, 50, gives members of SECHC deep cleansing, exfoliating and stimulating facials and massages alongside counselling and activity groups. The beautician of three years said: "The way it helps is that people get a little bit of me time. It is the feeling that they are having time spent on themselves. "If they are feeling good they know they look good and it gives them a lift and a spark in their day. Lots of people say they're invigorated by it and it makes them ready to face the day. "It's healing from the inside. It's a time when people get 45 minutes undivided, soothing attention and this is complementary alongside the counselling that people receive." Centre chair Jennifer Mollett, 65, told how the group has grown from a handful of members in the living room of Avril Hinckley, who founded the charity in her Caterham home. But the centre, based in floor space donated by Tesco, now sees around 500 members a year and offers them more than 20 different therapies and group activities. Jennifer said: "Lots of members say they get their diagnosis and feel they have lost control. "People here can choose what therapies they like and that gives them back control. But people come here, they realise they are not the only person going through it and it normalises things. That is the biggest help, the participation in something. "Not only do we offer a lot of therapies, but the staff have been here for years and years and so are very committed and caring towards the members. They remember who they are and why they are coming here." Nina Guha, centre manager, said more men now attend the centre and take part in the special prostate talk sessions, and encouraged more men to use the service.. She said: "It is an isolating experience for men. It is the case with a lot of them they are dragged into it by their wife or daughter. But what we are saying to people is, don't suffer in silence. "More and more men are starting to come now when we perhaps only had an 80/20 balance before, we're seeing a 65/35 now in terms of women and men." The charity, which opens Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and Saturday, 9am to 1pm, would like to thank Tesco for donating the floor space of the centre, a generous act which the centre estimates is worth about £20,000 in funding a year.

To find out more about how to support the charity, visit http:/www.sechc.org.uk or call 020 8668 0974

Exam results do not tell the whole story: bad results usually signal problems, but good results can conceal what's missing from an education.

Parents need to look beyond the league tables and ask: will this school help develop my daughter or son as a person? Does the school have a long-term vision for my child, preparing them for life?

The upsurge of interest in "character education" has accelerated since the riots in the summer of 2011, which affected Croydon so badly.

Character education is not about cold showers and early-morning runs; it's about helping children to grow into happy and fulfilled young men and women with qualities of greatness that will stand them in good stead wherever they go and whatever they do.

That's why the launch of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Values last year was a major advance. And the recent setting-up of two schools run by the PACT Educational Trust is a further hopeful sign.

The Cedars School in Croydon, along with its sister school for girls, The Laurels in Clapham, put character formation at the heart of what they do. They are based on a tried-and-tested model that is highly successful abroad and produces excellent results at the trust's existing schools, including Oakwood in Purley.

The great thing about educating for character is that it helps children in every aspect of their lives. It doesn't see good character as an alternative to good exam results. It says – if you get character right, children will do their best and achieve their potential. As Martin Luther King put it, education is about "intelligence plus character".

At The Cedars, every child will have a tutor with whom she or he meets one-to-one every fortnight. The tutor stays in close contact with home so that parents and school work together to help each child on their journey to greatness of character.

Our long-term vision is of young men who always give their best, who have a wide range of interests and a wide circle of friends. They are at ease in any surrounding because they are at ease within themselves. They have the good sense and integrity to know when to make a stand, and the courage to follow it through. They learn that the secret of true happiness lies in self-giving love and cheerful service to others.

This vision is inspired by St Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, a Catholic organisation that has been supported by every pope since its foundation in 1928.

The Cedars has a Catholic ethos and is fully supported by Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark. Open to all faiths, it wants to help young people think critically and to question. Our students perform well at exams. But their long-term success lies in becoming fulfilled, loving human beings. Even if everything else is forgotten or superseded, that's the part of their education that remains.

This could be the shape of Coulsdon in a few years' time if the town's new "masterplan" is realised.

The draft document outlining the development of Coulsdon and Cane Hill – where more than 650 homes are due to be built – was approved at a council cabinet meeting on Monday.

It will now go out for public consultation and, once finalised, provide a template for development in the town.

Jason Perry, the council's cabinet member for regeneration, said the plan had been drawn up with both landowners and developers to be "realistic and deliverable".

He said: "The area has enormous potential and it is genuinely exciting that individual landowners are signed up to work together on the development of a shared understanding that will ensure the district grows in a co-ordinated manner.

"By looking at the area as a whole, we can plot a major transformation that addresses the town's physical, economic and social needs for the years to come."

The 129-page document has also been shaped with input from community representatives, who have broadly welcomed the published plans.

Richard Thurbon, chairman of the Coulsdon West Residents' Association, said: "It has got some really interesting concepts.

"Particularly the skate park, which is something that has been on the agenda for 20 years, so it is really good that someone has listened to that.

"I think a lot of the residents' associations agree the Lion Green Road site would be ideal for the much-mooted leisure centre and the health facility we have always asked for."

But he hoped there would be enough thought given to providing the right transport, school places and other services to serve the development.

"We want to avoid Netherne-on-the-Hill-ing it," he said, referring to a development similar to Cane Hill just across the Surrey border. "That has just got its first bus after 20 years – which is privately run."

Nigel Rea, vice-chairman of the Old Coulsdon Residents' Association, said the plans presented both prospects and problems for the village.

He said: "There will be some better shopping available to us down there. The other side of it is all the housing [on Cane Hill] could become an eyesore from our direction. I think it is too early to judge how it might look."

Traders in the town centre, where discussions over a yet-to-happen second supermarket have been held for years, said they hoped this time was for real.

Alan Wright, owner of Express Copy in Chipstead Valley Road, had not seen the draft masterplan, but said: "Anything that benefits Coulsdon, I am all for it. Do it as fast as possible. As long as it does not hinder people coming into Coulsdon."

Mr Thurbon added: "Our overriding concern is how quickly is this going to be implemented: we don't want to wait another 30 years." The consultation will run from February 25 to April 14. Dates and times have yet to be set for two exhibitions and public meetings, and the plan will also be available for comments on the council's website. Ward councillors Ian Parker and Jeet Bains have stressed the importance residents' and businesses' involvement. Cllr Parker added: "I hope that businesses and residents will take the opportunity to comment on the masterplan, which provides many opportunities for Coulsdon. "As the development progresses I want to ensure that residents and businesses are kept well informed by the council and by Barratt as this will help to allay the understandable concerns that will arise as such an important development takes shape." Ideas in the plan:

• NEW SUPERMARKET:

CROYDON Council is being told to clean up its act on fly-tipping by angry Kenley residents who have accused the local authority of neglecting the issue in the village.

The Advertiser has been inundated with photos of rubbish, from broken beds to discarded bottles of methadone – a heroin substitute used to rehabilitate drug addicts – just yards away from a primary school.

One series of photos sent to the Advertiser shows a sofa left dumped for two weeks by the roadside in Old Lodge Lane, where residents say the illegal act is most prevalent.

Nick Denvil, 35, who lives in Old Lodge Lane, said: "There has been no improvement, no progress. There have been issues going on in Old Lodge Lane for years. It's a hygiene issue and a blight on our village.

"I don't think it reflects well on the council's environmental policy. If it reflects the council's environment policy I think it is something to be ashamed of.

"When you see bottles of methadone near where children play and 30 seconds away from their school, that's when you've got to start asking serious questions about what's going wrong here.

"It is disgusting and the mentality on how we deal with it needs to change."

New measures are being called for with fly-tippers undeterred by current enforcement which can range from a £75 to £50,000 fine or twelve months in prison.

Although Old Lodge Lane does not receive the highest number of call-outs for fly-tipping when compared with roads across the borough, residents say it is being neglected due to its remote location.

David Hooper, also a resident of the street, said: "It's extremely messy. We have had meetings with Kenley councillor Steve O'Connell and with the council because people are saying the whole process is taking too long.

"It is just getting worse and worse. It is getting to a situation where people are getting very angry and if the authorities don't do something about it it could escalate further."

Cllr O'Connell has urged more residents to come forward and report the continuing problem in Old Lodge Lane.

He said: "Somebody's not reporting it. I will be urging people to tell me or the council for it to get cleared. Let's get these things reported. It's a Kenley beauty spot and it horrifies me it's being dumped on."

A council spokesman said: "We're in regular dialogue with local residents and businesses and we will certainly prosecute whenever we obtain enough proof to allow us to do so."

THE Addington Golf Club celebrates its centenary this year, and captains Stuart Ashby and Penny Hewitt oversee a series of celebrations.

On Saturday, June 1, the club will host a match with Knole Park, Worpleson and Coombe Hill for the Abercromby Cup, while there are plans to play against fellow Surrey centenarians Bramley, RAC and Camberley Heath in September.

Furthermore, a Hickory Club Invitational will be staged on July 10, which is the date the club officially opened in 1913, and on the social front, the club's centenary dinner dance will be held in November.

It all began on July 10, 1913, when Addington Golf Syndicate Ltd was incorporated with an initial share capital of £1,000.

Leading the way was South African-born John Frederic Abercromby, a former member of the Stock Exchange, and with the aid of the experienced Willie Park Junior, he made an impressive start by building Worplesdon and Coombe Hill before he took on the Addington.

And the club became so popular between the two World Wars that a second 18 holes were opened in 1923.

Among today's notable members is veteran comedian Ronnie Corbett, whose home backs on to the course, while former footballers Gianfranco Zola, Ian Wright and Mark Bright are among a raft of leading faces who share the fairways with cricketers such as Mark Butcher and Alec Stewart.

In recent years, the club was bought by the Altonwood Group (owned by former Wimbledon, Crystal Palace and Brentford chairman Ron Noades) which also owns and operates Surrey National, Westerham, Woldingham and Godstone Golf Clubs.

Determined to restore the course's high reputation work has been progressing at a pace.

The undergrowth has been cleared, bunkers have been completely renovated and several new tees have been constructed, which has led to the club being ranked eighth in Surrey and 30th in England. And new purpose built clubhouse is in the pipeline.

To celebrate the centenrary, the club are running a limited membership offer. Contact Oliver Peel on 0208 7771055 or email him at oliver.peel@addingtongolf.com

WORK started this week on the first phase of a major revamp of Shirley Community Centre in a bid to attract more groups to use it.

The work is being undertaken by offenders on the Pay Back Scheme – community work carried out as part of their sentence.

But Marzia Nicodemi-Ehikioya, secretary of the centre, said it could never have got under way without support from the Express Timber building centre in Wickham Road, Shirley.

She said the company has donated hundreds of pounds-worth of preparation equipment, including scrapers, white spirit and paint holders, enabling a start to be made on the complete redecoration of the inside of the building in Bridle Road.

Ms Nicodemi-Ehikioya said: "We are extremely grateful for the help we have received from Express Timber and we are now hoping other people in the area will help with the next phase.

"We particularly need tins of paint, preferably white matt, for the ceilings and also new curtains."

She said the centre had been hit hard by Croydon Council's youth service budget cuts which had seen it lose its rental income from a council-run youth club.

Ms Nicodemi-Ehikioya said: "This was our main source of income and losing it is making it more difficult to survive."

She said the aim of the centre's trustees was to boost the number of groups using the centre but admitted the building was looking tatty.

"It needs to look more attractive if more people are going to use it," she said. "We find that once people see what facilities we offer they realise it is a great centre."

If financial support can be found, it is hoped to start redecorating the outside of the building in the spring.

Anyone who can help the centre with materials for the overall project is asked to call Ms Nicodemi-Ehikioya on 07940 415532.

LABOUR councillors have denied they are trying to create a communist regime in West Croydon by dictating which businesses should open in the area.

The attack was launched by Councillor Vidhi Mohan, cabinet member for communities and economic development, as the cabinet approved a £1.5 million, three-year investment programme for West Croydon on Monday.

The clash came after Labour councillor Stuart Collins complained that, since the riots, London Road was becoming a haven for betting and pawn shops.

He said the council should be looking at being more proactive in suggesting what types of businesses should be opening, to ensure there was a proper mix in West Croydon.

Cllr Mohan said: "This is not a communist system where we say what sort of shops should be there. It is up to market forces to decide."

But Labour councillor Toni Letts told the meeting: "I would like to think we would want to be a progressive authority and want to encourage a variety of businesses in the area, rather than every other business being a greengrocer or pawn shop.

"That is a not a communist idea, it is economic sense."

Cllr Mohan was equally dismissive of a challenge made by Labour member Louisa Woodley about £174,000 being spent over three years on new initiatives, including the employment of a West Croydon safer, cleaner co-ordinator.

She said: "A total of 87 businesses in London Road were affected by the riots and I think it would be better if more of the money was spent on helping them."

Cllr Mohan defended the new post, claiming that other money was being directed at helping riot-hit businesses and that the co-ordinator's financial package would play a key role in reducing crime and making West Croydon cleaner and safer.

The £174,000, when broken down, includes up to £88,000 for the co-ordinator post, £50,000 for supporting victims of business crime, and £21,000 for helping businesses join the Croydon Safer Radio scheme.

The scheme provides businesses with a radio handset which they can use to report incidents directly to the council's 24-hour CCTV control room.

Of the investment package approved on Monday, about £1.4 million will come from the Greater London Authority as part of post-riots investment fund, with a further £179,000 coming from Croydon Council's match-funding.

In addition to the co-ordinator role, about £550,000 will go into job creation and £280,000 into helping develop new businesses.

The Old Town Masterplan


It seems the revised old town masterplan although not yet complete is finally taking the local residents views on board below is a email bulletin which was sent to all local residents who had given their email addresses as a point of contact at the last old town meeting:

Dear All

I am writing further to the introductory public meeting for the Old Town Masterplan that was held on 18th October 2012. I would like to invite you to an Ideas Workshop for the Old Town Masterplan which is taking place on Tuesday 26th March 2013 between 6.30pm-8.30pm at Matthews Yard in Old Town and to update you on progress on the Old Town Masterplan and other regeneration projects in the Old Town.

I am very pleased to announce that Croydon Council has now appointed a multi-disciplinary design team being led by Allies and
Morrison Urban Practitioners (AM-UP) through a competitive tender to work on developing the Old Town Masterplan.  The team bring to the project expertise in architecture, heritage, urban design, transport planning, economic development, landscape architecture and urban planning. They will now be working closely with Croydon Council, stakeholders and the community to develop ideas for the future of Old Town.

The purpose of the Old Town Masterplan is to improve the built environment for people living, working and shopping in Old Town. It will be a Planning Guidance Document that sets the parameters for development of the buildings, streets and public spaces in Old Town and also looks at how movement in, out and around the area could be improved over the next 20 years. It will also recommend how the heritage assets of the area – its treasured buildings and historic street patterns - can be preserved, enhanced and celebrated. The Old Town Masterplan is funded by the Mayor of London and Croydon Council the draft masterplan will be formally consulted on towards the end of this year.

Ideas workshop: The Old Town Masterplan – Tuesday 26th March 6.30-8.30pm

As a follow-up to October's Public Meeting we would like to invite you to an ideas workshop that will be held on Tuesday 26 March 2013 between 6.30pm-8.30pm at Matthews Yard for people who live, work and shop in Old Town. The address of Matthews Yard is 1 Matthews Yard, off Surrey Street, CR0 1FF, website: www.matthewsyard.com. The workshop will be an opportunity for you, as local experts, to provide Allies and Morrison Urban Practitioners and Croydon Council with your valuable local opinions and information on the buildings, streets, public spaces and transport in the Old Town area and also let us know what you believe are the important issues and opportunities for the built environment.  You will also be able to discuss and explore options for the future of the area with the masterplanning team and other local people. The information gained at this event will be used to inform the emerging options being developed through the masterplaning process.

It is essential that the objectives and proposals of the draft masterplan are informed by local knowledge so that the outputs are designed to improve the quality of the built environment and movement around it for local communities.  We hope to see you on the 26 March, even if you are only able to spare the time to attend part of the event. I would be grateful if you could confirm your attendance by emailing croydon.gov.uk">oldtownmasterplan@Croydon.gov.uk.

In addition to the masterplan, there are several other related projects underway in Old Town at the moment, including:

Portas Pilot

Old Town was one of 27 areas in the country to be awarded funding by the government to help improve its retail offer under a national scheme led by Mary Portasaka"The Queen of Shops" – famous for her TV series about UK shops. The Portas Pilot in Old Town is governed by a Town Team made up of local volunteers. In January 2013 the Town Team published their business plan which is available to view at the following weblink: wp-content/uploads/Town-Team-Business-Plan.pdf href="http://www.oldtowncroydon.org.uk/guide/wp-content/uploads/Town-Team-Business-Plan.pdf" target=_blank>www.oldtowncroydon.org.uk/guide/wp-content/uploads/Town-Team-Business-Plan.pdf

As well as local traders, the town team is keen to work with local residents. If you would like to find out more or get involved in their work, please contact the Town Team direct by emailing portas@oldtowncroydon.org.uk or find it on facebookfacebook.com/croydonoldtown href="http://facebook.com/croydonoldtown" target=_blank>facebook.com/croydonoldtown or twitter: twitter.com/oldtowncroydon.

High Streets Project

Croydon Council is in the process of appointing a design team through a competitive tender to deliver public realm and building frontage improvements for Old Town High Streets (Church Street, Surrey Street, Drummond Road, Tamworth Road, Old Palace Road).

The same team will also deliver public realm and building frontage improvements for London Road, High Street and Katherine Street.

The design team will start work in April and a full public consultation will be run next summer, building on the continuous dialogue Croydon Council has been having with the Town Team and Croydon Old Town Business Association. All works will be delivered by April 2015.

Croydon Minster Memorial Gardens

Croydon Council has submitted a bid to the Greater London Authority for extra funding to deliver landscape improvements to Saint John's Memorial Gardens. If this bid is successful, the works will be delivered by the Old Town High Streets team, and within the same timescales as the High Streets project.

what are your views of the latest update on the regeneration of old town Croydon?