Croydon's Mayor has pledged to overhaul the publication of the council's spending data after an investigation revealed that more than half of its suppliers were hidden from the public in the current financial year.
Secret Spending Figures Spark Public Concern
Research by Lee Nallalingham, a data analyst from Tower Hamlets, uncovered that Croydon Council had made payments totalling £316 million to redacted suppliers. This spending was identified through a Freedom of Information request as part of a wider review of London borough finances.
The sum relates to a staggering 49,224 individual payments recorded up to mid-December. These concealed transactions accounted for over half of all the council's recorded outgoings for the period. In contrast, visible payments included those to major contractors like the agency staff provider Adecco, waste management firm Veolia, and the Croydon NHS Trust.
Mayor Admits "Overly Sensitive" Redaction Process
Responding directly to the findings, Mayor Jason Perry acknowledged the council's approach had been flawed. He stated he had personally reviewed the data publication process and found the redaction processes had been "overly sensitive."
While defending the need to redact some information, such as payments related to individual social care recipients for privacy reasons, Perry conceded that many non-commercial suppliers had been unnecessarily hidden. This over-redaction dramatically inflated the figures, making 41% of spending appear secret in November, whereas the true figure should have been closer to 8%.
Council Vows Corrective Action and Defends Governance
The Mayor committed to tightening the council's approach and correcting the previously published data for the 2025/26 financial year. He strongly denied any wrongdoing, insisting: "There has been no unexplained spending – this is simply about improving how the data is presented."
He emphasised that all council spending is subject to rigorous governance and procurement checks. The issue, he argued, was one of presentation rather than propriety, and he thanked Mr Nallalingham for bringing it to light.
The research highlighted a significant disparity between Croydon and other London authorities. Mr Nallalingham noted that the average redacted spending for a London council was around £40 million, or roughly 8.6% of total spending, a stark contrast to Croydon's initial figures.
