Members of People for Portland Road say the Veolia lorry destroyed part of their “wonderful little oasis” and dented volunteers’ spirits
People for Portland Road are responsible for two community gardens in the area, and have previously received support from the Mayor of London(Image: People for Portland Road )
A volunteer gardening group has called on Croydon Council to press its waste contractor to honour its promise of compensation after a bin lorry destroyed part of their community garden last year.
Despite waste contractor Veolia promising to replace one of the three felled silver birches and provide £1,000 in additional funding, the firm and Croydon Council have yet to deliver the compensation despite nearly 10 months passing.
Members of the People for Portland Road volunteer group are now calling on the council to “stop ignoring” their pleas so they can return the garden to its former glory. The incident took place around 8am on March 15 last year, when a member of People for Portland Road saw a Veolia refuse lorry career off Enmore Road into the garden area outside South Norwood Leisure Centre.
The wayward lorry mowed down three mature silver birches, knocked a branch off another tree and destroyed surrounding shrubbery planted by the group. It also left deep tyre tracks on the grass and damaged the Denmark Road sign.
The Veolia lorry careered off the road into the community garden, damaging a sign, mature trees and shrubbery(Image: People for Portland Road)
However, instead of addressing the damage, the witness said the Veolia lorry driver “did not hang around” and reversed out of the garden to continue in their route. “It was total devastation,” said Paul Scott, Vice Chair of the group.
“I cannot contemplate how a competent driver could have possibly ended up driving into it,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). “It just doesn’t make sense.”
“It was fortunate that it happened relatively early in the morning; a couple hours later we would have all been in the garden. Someone could have been very seriously injured.”
Nearby Portland Road has become a hotspot for car crashes in recent years, despite its 30mph speed limit, and a 20mph limit on its side roads. In December, the LDRS revealed the road would soon benefit from £650,000 of TfL funding, which will be spent on traffic-calming features, improved crossing facilities and possible junction redesigns.
Following the incident, the group contacted local Labour Councillor Amy Foster who raised their concerns with Croydon Council. Veolia agreed to compensate soon after, with the council’s Head of Environmental Services and Sustainable Neighbourhoods committing to provide the group with one new silver birch tree and £1,000 for additional planting.
People for Portland Road member Paul Scott said the current garden is a “sad comparison to what was there” before the incident (Image: People for Portland Road )
However, nearly ten months later, Cllr Foster and the community group say communications from the council and Veolia have gone “very, very quiet” and they claim some of their emails are being ignored. Mr Scott said the need for a resolution is pressing with the all-important spring planting season fast approaching.
‘Wonderful little oasis’
The community garden, one of two projects led by the group, was part of a local effort to make Portland Road greener and more biodiverse. “It has really transformed that whole area,” Mr Scott told the LDRS.
Mr Scott, a former Croydon Labour Councillor, says the gardens have encouraged insects and birds to visit in greater numbers. Another volunteer described the gardens as a “wonderful little oasis” in the middle of South Norwood.
However, Mr Scott says the garden is still yet to fully recover since the incident. “Things are still growing there, but they are a sad comparison to what was there,” he said.
“When we talk with the volunteers we try and be upbeat about it, but this is the kind of thing that puts them off.”
Veolia told the LDRS that its own investigation confirmed that the incident was caused by a driver error, and that its disciplinary process was adhered to with “appropriate action” taken.
Cllr Foster added: “I am disappointed that the positive commitment we received on behalf of Veolia following the crash on March 15th 2025 has resulted in a deafening silence from the council.
“That our many emails asking for confirmation of payment to allow the new shrubs to be purchased are unanswered is hurtful and once again brings into question how well the Mayor and Council are able to manage the Veolia contract, especially when things go wrong.”
Paul Scott (right) is a former councillor and the Vice Chair of People for Portland Road(Image: People for Portland Road)
Croydon Council renewed its borough-wide waste management contract with Veolia last April. The eight-year deal covers waste and recycling collections in the borough, along with waste vehicle maintenance, street cleaning and footway winter maintenance.
A spokesperson for Veolia said: “The vehicle crash into the community garden outside South Norwood Leisure Centre in March 2025 was a regrettable incident that we are very sorry occurred.
“We’re sorry for the frustration caused by the significant delay in communicating with People for Portland Road. A member of Veolia’s team has now made direct contact with the group to arrange a goodwill payment and to cover the cost of a replacement silver birch tree.”
Receive the latest Croydon news, breaking updates, and features directly in your inbox. Sign up for our Croydon Central newsletter here.
Comments are closed.