When the lockdown was announced in March it was clear that the ECRA committee could no longer functional as normal. We had to postpone our AGM and cancel our social events including the Quiz nights. We were fortunate that we had already printed the Spring Review and with the help of our road stewards who didn’t have to self-isolate and some additional volunteers, we were able to distribute it without knocking and collecting the annual subscription (this accounts for the reduction in subs and reserves in the accounts).
We have continued to act in your interest by having committee meetings online by zoom and in back gardens where we could maintain social distancing. We have continued to engage on your behalf with the outside bodies such as the Croydon council, TfL, Network Rail, the NHS, BrickbyBrick, etc. by zoom, MS Teams, email and phone.
We now find ourselves in position where it is clear we will not be able to hold the AGM in the Autumn, our Stewards’ night or the Christmas Dinner. I am pleased to say that the committee have all volunteered to carry on until we are in a safe position to hold an AGM which may be well into next year.
We will continue to engage with those outside bodies on your behalf and we will also publish and distribute the Review for the rest of the year. You can find the accounts for the year 2019/20 in this PDF.
As you can see our main sources of income is subscriptions and adverts. It is important that we collect as many subscriptions as possible. This enables us to maintain the subscriptions at £3.00 and to use any surplus money on your behalf in the community.
If you have not paid yoursubscription this year. You can help us and our road stewards by paying your subscription by Standing Order or Bank Transfer. To do this please contact us on and we tell you how to do this. Alternatively, you can pay by cash or cheque (payable to ECRA) direct to your road steward or you can put the £3.00 in an envelope with your address on it through my door at 50 Reddown Road.
The Covid-19 pandemic is a very serious issue and it is important we do what we can for ourselves and others to keep safe. It is pleasing to see how the Coulsdon community has pulled together to help each other. Please stay safe.
Charles King Chair : East Coulsdon Residents’ Association
The Friends of Farthing Downs and Happy Valley have relaunched their nature trail on Farthing Downs and in Happy Valley Coulsdon, with the help of an all-star cast of celebrities. There are 29 marker posts with QR codes and with your mobile phone you can a narrative about the location by one of a number of celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Tony Robinson and Martin Jarvis.
In conjunction with this they have issued a new booklet which costs £2 and is on sale at Advanced Print Brighton Road Coulsdon.
A new local Italian run Deli Caffe has opened in Stoats Nest parade, Coulsdon. Serving good coffee, tasty paninis, fresh bread, canolli, arancini, pasta, deli ham and cheeses plus gelato, cakes and authentic Italian fresh shelf and frozen products. Eat in/outside/Take-away. Customer parking.
Brick By Brick were granted planning consent for the development of 157 new homes in Lion Green Road in January 2019. Full details of this scheme can be viewed on the public access register www.croydon.gov.uk/onlineplans using the reference 17/06297/FUL.
It is anticipated that construction works will begin in September 2020, with expected completion in Winter 2022.
Initial works and car park closure
Initial works include construction of the new car park with completion of this aimed for Spring 2021. It is planned that 50% of the car park will close when these works begin.
Where to find updates
Regular news updates will be posted to the Commonplace website and you can subscribe to receive email notifications of updates.
An opportunity for residents, businesses and stakeholders to meet virtually with CField Construction will be provided next month (August) and will take place prior to the main construction works starting. CField will be distributing an introductory newsletter, including an invitation to the event and details will also be posted as a news update on Commonplace.
A number of postboxes in Coulsdon have been designated NHS priority postboxes.
These are at Post Offices, in the town centre and at Coulsdon South station. All these have a collection at 5.00pm or slightly later (most other postboxes only have morning collections).
These postboxes have been identified as locations where people who have had a home Testing Covid-19 test kit should use to return their test sample for delivery the next day.
A number of postboxes in Coulsdon have been designated NHS priority postboxes.