Local education authorities ( LEAs ) were defined in England and Wales as the local councils responsible for education within their jurisdictions. The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902 which transferred education powers from school boards to existing local councils.
98-576: Croydon London Borough Council , which styles itself Croydon Council , is the local authority for the London Borough of Croydon in Greater London , England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London . Croydon is divided into 28 wards, electing 70 councillors. Since 2022 the council has been led by a directly elected mayor . The council has been under no overall control since 2022, being run by
196-412: A Conservative minority administration. The council meets at Croydon Town Hall and has its main offices in the adjoining Bernard Weatherill House . The town of Croydon 's first local authority was a body of improvement commissioners established in 1829. They were superseded in 1849 by an elected local board . The town was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1883, after which it was governed by
294-673: A Fairtrade borough by the Fairtrade Foundation . It was the first London borough to have Fairtrade status which is awarded on certain criteria . The area is one of the hearts of culture in London and the South East of England . Institutions such as the major arts and entertainment centre Fairfield Halls add to the vibrancy of the borough. However, its famous fringe theatre, the Warehouse Theatre , went into administration in 2012 when
392-600: A local education authority since 1965. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees. Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of
490-578: A body formally called the "Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Croydon", generally known as the corporation, town council or borough council. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Croydon was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services. It was therefore made a county borough , independent from the new Surrey County Council , whilst remaining part of Surrey for judicial and lieutenancy purposes. The larger London Borough of Croydon and its council were created under
588-422: A business centre. Once London's main airport for all international flights to and from the capital, it was closed on 30 September 1959 due to the lack of expansion space needed for an airport to serve the growing city. It is now a Grade II listed building and tourist attraction. Croydon Council and its predecessor Croydon Corporation unsuccessfully applied for city status in 1954, 2000, 2002 and 2012. The area
686-486: A committee known as a local education authority (LEA). The councils took over the powers and responsibilities of the school boards and technical instruction committees in their area. Municipal boroughs with a population of 10,000 and urban districts with a population of 20,000 were to be local education authorities in their areas for elementary education only. In 1904 the London County Council became
784-529: A director of children's services. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 includes a clause that allows for the future renaming of LEAs as local authorities in all legislation, removing the anomaly of one local authority being known as an LEA and a children's services authority. The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902 ( 2 Edw. 7 . c. 42). The legislation designated each local authority; either county council and county borough council ; would set up
882-471: A few patchy bus services. Addiscombe is a district just northeast of the centre of Croydon, and is popular with commuters to central London as it is close to the busy East Croydon station . Ashburton , to the northeast of Croydon, is mostly home to residential houses and flats, being named after Ashburton House, one of the three big houses in the Addiscombe area. Broad Green is a small district, centred on
980-547: A formal device which has been compared to the famous Pirelli Tower in Milan. It was named after Ernest Taberner OBE, Town Clerk from 1937 to 1963. Until September 2013, Taberner House housed most of the council's central employees and was the main location for the public to access information and services, particularly with respect to housing. In September 2013, Council staff moved into Bernard Weatherill House in Fell Road, (named after
1078-412: A junction and tram stop in the town centre, was destroyed by arson. Croydon is currently the subject of a series of £3.5bn of development projects, called Croydon Vision 2020 . This aims to change the urban planning of central Croydon . It aims to make Croydon London's Third City and the hub of retail, business, culture and living in south London and South East England. The plan was showcased in
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#17328527378891176-482: A large green with many homes and local shops in West Croydon. Coombe is an area, just east of Croydon, which has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. Coulsdon , south west of Central Croydon, which has retained a good mix of traditional high street shops as well as a large number of restaurants for its size. Croydon is the principal area of the borough, Crystal Palace
1274-515: A local education authority, with the abolition of the London School Board . The metropolitan boroughs within London were not education authorities, although they were given the power to decide on the site for new schools in their areas, and provided the majority of members on boards of management. The LEAs' role was further expanded with the introduction of school meals in 1906 and medical inspection in 1907. The Education Act 1944 changed
1372-701: A petition in 2020 and a referendum in October 2021 in which more than 80% of the votes were in favour of the change. The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates. It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It
1470-565: A school. It served as the Manor House of the manor of Croydon since it had been held as a manor by the Archbishops since the Anglo-Saxon period. Its local successor is Addington Palace , an eighteenth-century mansion which became the official second residence of six Archbishops of Canterbury , Shirley Windmill , one of the few surviving large windmills in Greater London built in the 1850s, and
1568-442: A series of events called Croydon Expo . The area of the modern borough broadly corresponds to the four ancient parishes of Croydon , Addington , Coulsdon and Sanderstead . The parish of Croydon was governed by improvement commissioners from 1829 until 1849 when it was made a local board district . Croydon was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1883. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Croydon
1666-411: A small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. The borough is now one of London's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment and the arts contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre. Its population is 390,719, making it the most populous London borough and sixteenth largest English district . The borough
1764-751: Is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Croydon". From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council . The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Croydon) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. As an outer London borough council, Croydon has been
1862-489: Is a London borough in south London , part of Outer London . It covers an area of 87 km (33.6 sq mi). It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; while other urban centres include Coulsdon , Purley , South Norwood , Norbury , New Addington , Selsdon and Thornton Heath . Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book , and from
1960-422: Is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing , social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health. Some 10,000 people work directly or indirectly for the council, at its main offices at Bernard Weatherill House or in its schools, care homes, housing offices or work depots. The council has been under no overall control since
2058-521: Is a place on the plateau of the North Downs , south of Croydon. Kenley , again south of the centre, lie within the London Green Belt and features a landscape dominated by green space. New Addington , to the east, is a large local council estate surrounded by open countryside and golf courses. Norbury , to the northwest, is a suburb with a large ethnic population. Norwood New Town is a part of
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#17328527378892156-502: Is a town, right to the edge of Croydon with some areas in the Surrey district of Tandridge. Croydon is a gateway to the south from central London, with some major roads running through it. Purley Way , part of the A23 , was built to by-pass Croydon town centre. It is one of the busiest roads in the borough, and is the site of several major retail developments including one of only 18 IKEA stores in
2254-482: Is a town, to the northwest of Croydon, which holds Croydon's principal hospital Mayday . Upper Norwood is north of Croydon, on a mainly elevated area of the borough. Waddon is a residential area, mainly based on the Purley Way retail area, to the west of the borough. Woodside is located to the northeast of the borough, with streets based on Woodside Green , a small sized area of green land. And finally Whyteleafe
2352-512: Is an area north of Croydon, which is shared with the London Boroughs of Lambeth , Southwark , Lewisham and Bromley . Fairfield , just northeast of Croydon, holds the Fairfield Halls and the village of Forestdale , to the east of Croydon's main area, commenced work in the late 1960s and completed in the mid-70s to create a larger town on what was previously open ground. Hamsey Green
2450-655: Is an area of common land partly shared with the boroughs of Sutton and Merton . Almost 500,000 years ago, Mitcham Common formed part of the river bed of the River Thames. The BRIT School is a performing Arts & Technology school, owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the BRIT Awards Music Ceremony ). Famous former students include Kellie Shirley , Amy Winehouse , Leona Lewis , Adele , Kate Nash , Dane Bowers , Katie Melua and Lyndon David-Hall . Grants
2548-526: Is an entertainment venue in the centre of Croydon which includes a Vue cinema . Surrey Street Market has roots in the 13th century, or earlier, and was chartered by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1276. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and advertising. Croydon Minster , formerly the parish church, was established in the Anglo-Saxon period, and parts of the surviving building (notably
2646-502: Is considerably below England's average (1971–2000) level of 838 mm, and every month is drier overall than the England average. The nearest weather station is at Gatwick Airport. The skyline of Croydon has significantly changed over the past 50 years. High rise buildings, mainly office blocks, now dominate the skyline. The most notable of these buildings include Croydon Council's headquarters Taberner House , which has been compared to
2744-466: Is currently going through a large regeneration project called Croydon Vision 2020 which is predicted to attract more businesses and tourists to the area as well as backing Croydon's bid to become "London's Third City" (after the City of London and Westminster ). Croydon is mostly urban, though there are large suburban and rural uplands towards the south of the borough. Since 2003, Croydon has been certified as
2842-579: Is due to get a face-lift on the Croydon Gateway site. The Nestlé Tower was the UK headquarters of Nestlé and is one of the tallest towers in England, which is due to be re-fitted during the Park Place development. The Fairfield Halls is a well known concert hall and exhibition centre, opened in 1962. It is frequently used for BBC recordings and was formerly the home of ITV 's World of Sport . It includes
2940-456: Is itself a co-operative with shareholders from organisations across the three movements. In the 19th century, Croydon was a bustling commercial centre of London. It was said that, at the turn of the 20th century, approximately £10,000 was spent in Croydon's taverns and inns every week. For the early labour movement, then, it was natural to meet in the town's public houses, in this environment. However,
3038-497: Is to the east of Croydon, and holds Shirley Windmill . South Croydon , to the south of Croydon, is a locality which holds local landmarks such as The Swan and Sugarloaf public house and independent Whitgift School part of the Whitgift Foundation . South Norwood , to the north, is in common with West Norwood and Upper Norwood, named after a contraction of Great North Wood and has a population of around 14,590. Thornton Heath
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3136-528: Is used for events and performances. The town hall was renovated in the mid-1990s and the imposing central staircase, long closed to the public and kept for councillors only, was re-opened in 1994. The civic complex, meanwhile, was substantially added to, with buildings across Mint Walk and the 19-floor Taberner House to house the rapidly expanding corporation's employees. Ruskin House is the headquarters of Croydon's Labour , Trade Union and Co-operative movements and
3234-400: The 2022 election , being run by a minority Conservative administration under Jason Perry , the directly elected Mayor of Croydon . The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows: Prior to 2022, political leadership
3332-556: The Ashcroft Theatre and the Arnhem Gallery . Croydon Palace was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years and included regular visitors such as Henry III and Queen Elizabeth I . It is thought to have been built around 960. Croydon Cemetery is a large cemetery and crematorium west of Croydon and is most famous for the gravestone of Derek Bentley , who was wrongly hanged in 1953. Mitcham Common
3430-569: The BRIT School , a creative arts institute run by the BRIT Trust which has produced artists such as Adele , Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis . The name Croydon comes from Crogdene or Croindone, named by the Saxons in the 8th century when they settled here, although the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times. It is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon croeas deanas , meaning "the valley of
3528-470: The Coulsdon and Purley Urban District was created covering the two parishes. Purley itself was not a civil parish, being in the parish of Coulsdon, but its name was included in the urban district's name on account of it being one of the main built-up settlements in the district. There were subsequent adjustments to the boundaries with neighbouring areas, notably including in 1933 when the urban district absorbed
3626-494: The Greater London Council . The twenty outer London boroughs became local education authorities, while a new Inner London Education Authority , consisting of the members of the GLC elected for the twelve inner London boroughs covering the former County of London was created. In 1974 local government outside London was completely reorganised. In the new metropolitan counties of England and Wales, metropolitan boroughs became LEAs. In
3724-639: The London Assembly , the borough forms part of the Croydon and Sutton constituency. The borough is covered by three parliamentary constituencies: these are Croydon North , Croydon Central and Croydon South . Sarah Jones (politician) won the Croydon Central seat for Labour in 2017. Croydon North has a Labour MP, Steve Reed (politician) , and Croydon South has a Conservative MP, Chris Philp . Croydon Town Hall on Katharine Street in central Croydon houses
3822-559: The London Government Act 1963 , with the first election held in 1964 . For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's two outgoing authorities, being the councils of the County Borough of Croydon and the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District . The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old districts and their councils were abolished. The council's full legal name
3920-503: The River Effra and its tributaries. The most notable tree, called Vicar's Oak, marked the boundary of four ancient parishes; Lambeth , Camberwell , Croydon and Bromley . John Aubrey referred to this "ancient remarkable tree" in the past tense as early as 1718, but according to JB Wilson, the Vicar's Oak survived until 1825. The River Wandle , a chalk stream , is also a major tributary of
4018-642: The River Thames , where it stretches to Wandsworth and Putney for 9 miles (14 km) from its main source in Waddon . Croydon has a temperate climate in common with most areas of Great Britain: its Köppen climate classification is Cfb . Its mean annual temperature of 9.6 °C is similar to that experienced throughout the Weald, and slightly cooler than nearby areas such as the Sussex coast and central London. Rainfall
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4116-715: The crocuses ", indicating that, like Saffron Walden in Essex, it was a centre for the collection of saffron . By the time of the Norman invasion Croydon had a church, a mill and around 365 inhabitants as recorded in the Domesday Book. The Archbishop of Canterbury , Archbishop Lanfranc lived at Croydon Palace which still stands. Visitors included Thomas Becket (another Archbishop), and royal figures such as Henry VIII of England and Elizabeth I . The royal charter for Surrey Street Market dates back to 1276, Croydon carried on through
4214-585: The 1990s led to the formation of unitary authorities in parts of England and throughout Wales, which became local education authorities. The Children Act 2004 defined each local education authority as additionally a children's services authority, with responsibility for both functions held by the director of children's services. The Local Education Authorities and Children's Services Authorities (Integration of Functions) Order 2010 removed all reference to local education authorities and children's services authorities from existing legislation, replacing them with
4312-464: The London conurbation and almost indistinguishable from many of the other Greater London boroughs" and in 2000 as having "no particular identity of its own". The local authority is Croydon Council, which meets at Croydon Town Hall on Katherine Street in the centre of Croydon, and has its main offices at the adjoining Bernard Weatherill House . Since 2022 the council has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Croydon . Since 2000, for elections to
4410-479: The London-Portslade road, although conclusive evidence has not yet been found. The main town centre houses a great variety of well-known stores on North End and two shopping centres. It was pedestrianised in 1989 to attract people back to the town centre. Another shopping centre called Park Place was due to open in 2012 but has since been scrapped. The CR postcode area covers most of the south and centre of
4508-562: The NLA Tower, Britain's 88th tallest tower, close to East Croydon station , is an example of 1970s architecture. The tower was originally nicknamed the Threepenny bit building , as it resembles a stack of pre-decimalisation Threepence coins, which were 12-sided. It is now most commonly called The Octagon, being 8-sided. Lunar House is another high-rise building. Like other government office buildings on Wellesley Road, such as Apollo House ,
4606-455: The Norwood triangle, to the north of Croydon. Monks Orchard is a small district made up of large houses and open space in the northeast of the borough. Pollards Hill is a residential district with houses on roads, which are lined with pollarded lime trees, stretching to Norbury. Purley , to the south, is a main town whose name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Sanderstead , to
4704-594: The Rolls ) and H.T. Muggeridge , MP and father of Malcolm Muggeridge . The first Mayor of the newly created county borough was Jabez Balfour , later a disgraced Member of Parliament. Former Conservative Director of Campaigning, Gavin Barwell , was a Croydon councillor between 1998 and 2010 and was the MP for Croydon Central from 2010 until 2017. London Borough of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon ( pronunciation )
4802-648: The ages as a prosperous market town, they produced charcoal, tanned leather, and ventured into brewing. Croydon was served by the Surrey Iron Railway , the first public railway (horse drawn) in the world, in 1803, and by the London to Brighton rail link in the mid-19th century, helping it to become the largest town in what was then Surrey . In the 20th century Croydon became known for industries such as metal working, car manufacture and its aerodrome, Croydon Airport . Starting out during World War I as an airfield for protection against Zeppelins , an adjacent airfield
4900-620: The airport remain. It is a tourist attraction. The Croydon Clocktower arts venue was opened by Elizabeth II in 1994. It includes the Braithwaite Hall (the former reference library – named after the Rev. Braithwaite who donated it to the town) for live events, David Lean Cinema (built in memory of David Lean ), the Museum of Croydon and Croydon Central Library . The Museum of Croydon (formerly known as Croydon Lifetimes Museum) highlights Croydon in
4998-495: The area's black and Indian cultural diversity, with audiences reaching over 50,000 people. Premier League football club Crystal Palace F.C. play at Selhurst Park in Selhurst , a stadium they have been based in since 1924. Other landmarks in the borough include what remains of Croydon Palace , an important residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury since around the ninth century CE, and known as 'The Old Palace' during its time as
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#17328527378895096-578: The available range of powers and functions. On 11 November 2020, the council issued a Section 114 Notice, under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 , due to its difficult financial position, a de facto declaration of bankruptcy. Private Eye magazine named Croydon the most rotten borough in Britain for six years in a row from 2017 to 2022. In 2022 the council moved to having a directly elected mayor as its political leader. This followed
5194-464: The borough and into the North Downs , Surrey and the rest of south London. Addington Hills is a major hilly area to the south of London and is recognised as a significant obstacle to the growth of London from its origins as a port on the north side of the river, to a large circular city. The Great North Wood is a former natural oak forest that covered the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of
5292-474: The borough doesn't lose its title of having the "largest office space in the south east", excluding central London. Projects such as Wellesley Square , which will be a mix of residential and retail with an eye-catching colour design and 100 George Street a proposed modern office block are incorporated in this vision. Notable events that have happened to Croydon's skyline include the Millennium project to create
5390-474: The borough mainly borders the London Borough of Bromley , and in the north west the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark . The boroughs of Sutton and Merton are located directly to the west. It is at the head of the River Wandle , just to the north of a significant gap in the North Downs . It lies 10 miles (16 km) south of Central London, and the earliest settlement may have been a Roman staging post on
5488-470: The borough while the SE and SW postcodes cover the northern parts, including Crystal Palace, Upper Norwood, South Norwood, Selhurst (part), Thornton Heath (part), Norbury and Pollards Hill (part). Districts in the London Borough of Croydon include Addington , a village to the east of Croydon which until 2000 was poorly linked to the rest of the borough as it was without any railway or light rail stations, with only
5586-510: The centre of the town, and makes it hard to walk between the town centre's two railway stations. Croydon Vision 2020 includes a plan for a more pedestrian-friendly replacement. It has also been named as one of the worst roads for cyclists in the area. Construction of the Croydon Underpass beneath the junction of George Street and Wellesley Road /Park Lane started in the early 1960s, mainly to alleviate traffic congestion on Park Lane, above
5684-449: The committee rooms, the mayor's and other councillors' offices, electoral services and the arts and heritage services. The present Town Hall is Croydon's third. The first town hall is thought to have been built in either 1566 or 1609. The second was built in 1808 to serve the growing town but was demolished after the present town hall was erected in 1895. The 1808 building cost £8,000, which was regarded as an enormous sum for those days and
5782-503: The composition of the council (excluding the elected mayor's seat) was as follows: The next election is due in May 2026. The cabinet is appointed by the executive mayor. The current composition of Croydon Council's cabinet is as follows: The largest opposition group on the council forms a Shadow Cabinet. The current composition of Croydon Council's Shadow Cabinet is as follows: The council meets at Croydon Town Hall on Katherine Street, which
5880-434: The council withdrew funding, and the building itself was demolished in 2013. The Croydon Clocktower was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library, the independent David Lean Cinema (closed by the council in 2011 after sixteen years of operating, but now partially reopened on a part-time and volunteer basis) and museum . From 2000 to 2010, Croydon staged an annual summer festival celebrating
5978-776: The councils of counties and county boroughs. From 1974 the local education authorities were the county councils in non-metropolitan areas and the district councils in metropolitan areas. In Greater London, the ad hoc Inner London Education Authority existed from 1965 to 1990. Outer London borough councils have been LEAs since 1965 and inner London borough councils since 1990. Unitary authorities created since 1995 have all been LEAs. The functions of LEAs have varied over time as council responsibilities for local education have changed. On 1 April 2009, their powers were transferred to directors of children's services. The Children Act 2004 required every London borough, metropolitan district, top-tier local authority (county) or UA in England to appoint
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#17328527378896076-442: The country, built on the site of the former power station. The A23 continues southward as Brighton Road, which is the main route running towards the south from Croydon to Purley . The centre of Croydon is very congested, and the urban planning has since become out of date and quite inadequate, due to the expansion of Croydon's main shopping area and office blocks. Wellesley Road is a north–south dual carriageway that cuts through
6174-428: The directly elected mayor in 2022 means that there are now 71 seats on the council overall. The mayor is also elected every four years, at the same time as the council. Notable former councillors include former MPs Andrew Pelling , Vivian Bendall , David Congdon , Geraint Davies and Reg Prentice , London Assembly member Valerie Shawcross , Lord Bowness , John Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Lymington ( Master of
6272-511: The famous Pirelli Tower of Milan , and the Nestlé Tower , the former UK headquarters of Nestlé . In recent years, the development of tall buildings , such as the approved Croydon Vocational Tower and Wellesley Square , has been encouraged in the London Plan , and will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers in the coming years as part of London's high-rise boom. No. 1 Croydon , formerly
6370-614: The fear of crime, it helped to promote the sustainable use of older buildings by displaying them in a more positive way. There are a large number of attractions and places of interest all across the borough of Croydon, ranging from historic sites in the north and south to modern towers in the centre. Croydon Airport was once London's main airport, but closed on 30 September 1959 due to the expansion of London and because it didn't have room to grow; so Heathrow International Airport took over as London's main airport. It has now been mostly converted to offices, although some important elements of
6468-507: The former Speaker of the House and Member of Parliament for Croydon North-East). Staff from the Met Police, NHS, Jobcentre Plus, Croydon Credit Union, Citizens Advice Bureau as well as 75 services from the council all moved to the new building. The borough is in the far south of London, with the M25 orbital motorway stretching to the south of it, between Croydon and Tandridge . To the north and east,
6566-502: The funding of students in higher education (for example undergraduate courses and PGCE ) whose permanent address is in their area, regardless of the place of study. Based on an assessment of individual circumstances they offer grants or access to student loans through the Student Loans Company . Statutory education functions for local authorities in England are as follows: England has several tiers of local government and
6664-687: The headquarters of the Trade Union, Labour and Co-operative movements in Croydon, hosting a range of meetings and being the base for several labour movement groups. Office tenants include the headquarters of the Communist Party of Britain and Croydon Labour Party. Geraint Davies , the MP for Croydon Central , had offices in the building, until he was defeated by Andrew Pelling and is now the Labour representative standing for Swansea West in Wales. Taberner House
6762-424: The largest single urban lighting project ever. It was created for the buildings of Croydon to illuminate them for the third millennium. The project provided new lighting for the buildings, and provided an opportunity to project images and words onto them, mixing art and poetry with coloured light, and also displaying public information after dark. Apart from increasing night time activity in Croydon and thereby reducing
6860-570: The name of the building was inspired by the US Moon landings (In the Croydon suburb of New Addington there is a public house , built during the same period, called The Man on the Moon ). Lunar House houses the Home Office building for Visas and Immigration. Apollo House houses The Border Patrol Agency. A new generation of buildings are being considered by the council as part of Croydon Vision 2020 , so that
6958-574: The non-metropolitan counties the county councils were the education authorities. In 1986, with the abolition of the Greater London Council, the Inner London Education Authority became directly elected. This however only lasted until 1990, when the twelve inner London boroughs assumed responsibility for education. In 1989, under the Education Reform Act 1988 , the LEAs lost responsibility for higher education, with all polytechnics and colleges of higher education becoming independent corporations. A further wave of local government reorganisation during
7056-400: The parish of Farleigh , after which there were three urban parishes in the district, being Cousldon, Farleigh and Sanderstead. The London Borough of Croydon was created on 1 April 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 , covering the combined area of the former Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and the County Borough of Croydon , both of which were abolished at the same time. The area
7154-757: The past and the present and currently features high-profile exhibitions including the Riesco Collection, The Art of Dr Seuss and the Whatever the Weather gallery. Shirley Windmill is a working windmill and one of the few surviving large windmills in Surrey , built in 1854. It is Grade II listed and received a £218,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund . Addington Palace is an 18th-century mansion in Addington which
7252-522: The re-opening of the poorly patronised railway station. The railway station re-opening had failed to be a success so freeing up the land for alternative use. Parts, including the former court rooms, have been converted into the Museum of Croydon and exhibition galleries. The original public library was converted into the David Lean Cinema , part of the Croydon Clocktower . The Braithwaite Hall
7350-539: The relevant local authority varies. Within Greater London the 32 London borough councils and the Common Council of the City of London are the local authorities responsible for education; in the metropolitan counties it is the 36 metropolitan borough councils ; and in the non-metropolitan counties it is the 21 county councils or, where there is no county council, the councils of the 62 unitary authorities . The Council of
7448-465: The requirements for delegation of functions from county councils to districts and boroughs. The population requirement for excepted districts became 60,000 or 7,000 pupils registered in elementary schools. The Local Government Act 1958 permitted any county district to apply for excepted district status. In 1965 the London County Council , Middlesex County Council and the councils of the county boroughs of Croydon, East Ham and West Ham were replaced by
7546-522: The roof. It also housed the court and most central council employees. The Borough's incorporation in 1883 and a desire to improve central Croydon with improvements to traffic flows and the removal of social deprivation in Middle Row prompted the move to a new configuration of town hall provision. The second closure of the Central Railway Station provided the corporation with the opportunity to buy
7644-399: The south, is a village mainly on high ground at the edge of suburban development in Greater London . Selhurst is a town, to the north of Croydon, which holds the nationally known school, The BRIT School . Selsdon is a suburb which was developed during the inter-war period in the 1920s and 1930s, and is remarkable for its many Art Deco houses, to the southeast of Croydon Centre. Shirley ,
7742-408: The station land from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company for £11,500 to provide the site for the new town hall. Indeed, the council hoped to be able to sell on some of the land purchased with enough for municipal needs and still "leave a considerable margin of land which might be disposed of". The purchase of the failed railway station came despite local leaders having successfully urged
7840-499: The temperance movement was equally strong, and Georgina King Lewis , a keen member of the Croydon United Temperance Council , took it upon herself to establish a dry centre for the labour movement. The first Ruskin House was highly successful, and there has been two more since. The current house was officially opened in 1967 by the then Labour Prime Minister, Harold Wilson . Today, Ruskin House continues to serve as
7938-574: The term 'local authority'. A local authority for the purposes of the Education Act 1996 and the Children Act 2004 was defined as the county council, metropolitan district council, unitary authority, London borough council and the Common Council of the City of London. Schedule 1 of the order inserted in the Education Act 1996 a list of 'education functions' for the relevant local authorities. Despite
8036-611: The term becoming obsolete, 'local education authority' continues to be used to distinguish local authorities with education functions from those without them. In Wales the councils of the counties and county boroughs are responsible for education. Since 5 May 2010, the terms local education authority and children's services authority have been repealed and replaced by the single term 'local authority' in both primary and secondary legislation. Local education authorities had some responsibility for all state schools in their area. Until recently, local education authorities were responsible for
8134-424: The third local authority in Greater London to hold that status, along with the City of London and the City of Westminster . At present the London Borough of Croydon is the second most populous local government district of England without city status. Croydon's applications were refused as it was felt not to have an identity separate from the rest of Greater London. In 1965 it was described as "...now just part of
8232-462: The tower) date from the 14th and 15th centuries. However, the church was largely destroyed by fire in 1867, so the present structure is a rebuild of 1867–69 to the designs of George Gilbert Scott . It is the burial place of six archbishops, and contains monuments to Archbishops Sheldon and Whitgift . Local education authority There have been periodic changes to the types of councils defined as local education authorities. Initially, they were
8330-552: The town's market. The building became inadequate for the growing local administrative responsibilities and stood at a narrow point of a High Street in need of widening. The present town hall was designed by local architect Charles Henman and was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 19 May 1896. It was constructed in red brick, sourced from Wrotham in Kent, with Portland stone dressings and green Westmoreland slates for
8428-433: The underpass. The Croydon Flyover is also near the underpass, and next to Taberner House . It mainly leads traffic on to Duppas Hill , towards Purley Way with links to Sutton and Kingston upon Thames . The major junction on the flyover is for Old Town , which is also a large three-lane road. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km . Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across
8526-458: Was built between 1964 and 1967, designed by architect H. Thornley, with Allan Holt and Hugh Lea as borough engineers. Although the council had needed extra space since the 1920s, it was only with the imminent creation of the London Borough of Croydon that action was taken. The building, being demolished in 2014, was in classic 1960s style, praised at the time but subsequently much derided. It has its elegant upper slab block narrowing towards both ends,
8624-425: Was combined, and the new aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920. It became the largest in London, and was the main terminal for international air freight into the capital. It developed into one of the great airports of the world during the 1920s and 1930s, and welcomed the world's pioneer aviators in its heyday. British Airways Ltd used the airport for a short period after redirecting from Northolt Aerodrome , and Croydon
8722-617: Was completed for the old county borough council in 1896. The council has its main offices at Bernard Weatherill House on Mint Walk, immediately south of the Town Hall. The building was purpose-built for the council and opened in 2013 to replace the council's former offices at Taberner House on Park Lane, which was subsequently demolished. Since the last boundary changes in 2018 the council has comprised 70 councillors representing 28 wards , with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. The addition of
8820-498: Was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services. It was therefore made a county borough , independent from the new Surrey County Council , whilst remaining part of Surrey for judicial and lieutenancy purposes. The borough was enlarged in 1928 to absorb the neighbouring parish of Addington. Coulsdon and Sanderstead were governed as rural parishes within the Croydon Rural District until 1915 when
8918-427: Was formed in 1965 from the merger of the County Borough of Croydon with Coulsdon and Purley Urban District , both of which had been within Surrey . The local authority, Croydon London Borough Council , is now part of London Councils , the local government association for Greater London. The economic strength of Croydon dates back mainly to Croydon Airport which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as
9016-655: Was officially opened in October 1970 by the Duchess of Kent . The original Whitgift School there had moved to Haling Park, South Croydon in the 1930s; the replacement school on the site, Whitgift Middle School, now the Trinity School of John Whitgift , moved to Shirley Park in the 1960s, when the buildings were demolished. Croydon, in common with many other areas , was hit by extensive rioting in August 2011. Reeves , an historic furniture store established in 1867, that gave its name to
9114-517: Was originally built as Addington Place in the 16th century. The palace became the official second residence of six archbishops, five of whom are buried in St Mary's Church and churchyard nearby. North End is the main pedestrianised shopping road in Croydon, having Centrale to one side and the Whitgift Centre to the other. The Warehouse Theatre is a popular theatre for mostly young performers and
9212-457: Was perhaps as controversial as the administrative building Bernard Weatherill House opened for occupation in 2013 and reputed to have cost £220,000,000. The early 19th century building was known initially as "Courthouse" as, like its predecessor and successor, the local court met there. The building stood on the western side of the High Street near to the junction with Surrey Street, the location of
9310-449: Was provided by the leader of the council . The leaders from 1965 to 2022 were: In 2022 the council changed to having a directly elected mayor as its political leader. The directly elected mayor is termed the 'executive mayor' to distinguish it from the more ceremonial position of the 'civic mayor', who chairs council meetings. The executive mayor since 2022 has been: Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections up to May 2024,
9408-488: Was superseded as the main airport by both London Heathrow and London Gatwick Airport (see below). The air terminal, now known as Airport House, has been restored, and has a hotel and museum in it. In the late 1950s and through the 1960s the council commercialised the centre of Croydon with massive development of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre which was formerly the biggest in-town shopping centre in Europe. The centre
9506-408: Was the operating base for Imperial Airways . It was partly due to the airport that Croydon suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II. As aviation technology progressed, however, and aircraft became larger and more numerous, it was recognised in 1952 that the airport would be too small to cope with the ever-increasing volume of air traffic. The last scheduled flight departed on 30 September 1959. It
9604-410: Was transferred from Surrey to Greater London to become one of the 32 London boroughs. The Farleigh area was removed from the borough in 1969 and transferred back to Surrey, becoming part of the parish of Chelsham and Farleigh . The borough council has unsuccessfully applied for city status on several occasions: in 1965, 1977, 1992, 2000, 2002, and 2012. If it had been successful, it would have been
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