The authority effectively declared bankruptcy three times between 2020 and 2022 with a debt of £1.6 billion.
But a new report due to be discussed tonight at a council meeting has revealed a large scale of change over the last four years.
The Corporate Peer Challenge team which visited Croydon in October noted significant reform and money saving measures in the borough.
But the team says the narrative surrounding Croydon is still “controlled by others external to the council.”
The narrative tends to “focus on the Council’s historic problems.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon says he has “prioritised listening to residents, fixing the finances and restoring pride.”
He’s welcoming the report’s findings.
“As Executive Mayor I have prioritised listening to residents, fixing the finances and restoring pride in our borough, with my Mayor’s Business Plan setting a clear direction.
“This report which provides external independent validation is an important milestone for Croydon. It highlights the extraordinary scale and pace of change and improvement at the Council, and I am pleased that our peers have recognised the positive progress we have made. This is the first time the Council has invited a CPC in many years, which highlights our commitment to openness, challenge and change.
“There is much more still to do. After everything that has happened at Croydon in the past, there is understandably some way to go to rebuild trust with residents. We must do more to communicate with them about the positive changes we are making and ensure that they are seeing this progress in their neighbourhoods and the town centre. We also need to continue to make the case with Government, for a long-term solution to Croydon’s debt, which continues to impact our budget, despite our robust management and governance arrangements.
“Our CPC has highlighted that we need to reclaim the narrative about Croydon – locally and beyond – and put our borough back on the map for the right reasons.”
