Councillor calls for action on empty flats in Upper Norwood

Tenants and residents living at South Bank on Grange Road, Upper Norwood, were decanted in June 2024 and the block is now boarded up and uninhabited. Croydon has almost 8,000 households waiting for social housing, with only 800  lettings available each year.

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, Claire Bonham said:

"We are in the midst of a housing crisis and I am concerned at the lack of action from Croydon Council in getting this block of flats back into use. Tenants, residents and people living nearby deserve answers from the Council and assurances that plans are in place to get people back into their homes. 

"I have made two enquiries about the future of the block, once in December 2024 to the Cabinet Member for Housing, and once via the Member's Enquiry app in January 2025 but am yet to receive a reply to either.

“Croydon Council spends millions of pounds each month on housing families in temporary accommodation, so it's imperative that empty council properties are brought back into use as quickly as possible”