Westfield plan for Croydon need ‘radical rethink’, claim politicians

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Westfield’s plans for the future of Croydon town centre need a “radical rethink”, politicians have warned as they’ve dubbed high street shopping a thing of the past.

It has been more than a decade since promises were made to transform the borough with a huge modern shopping centre, and locals are still waiting while town centre continues to decline.

Much of the area is now managed by the company which was supposed to change the town, but it has been working on a new plan for more than two years.

Fewer shops, more restaurants and a hotel were announced as possible options in 2019, but locals have been waiting for firm plans since then.

The original planning application has now expired. And there has still been no update on the future of the project from the Croydon Partnership, the joint venture in charge which combines Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Hammerson.

Croydon’s new Conservative mayor, Jason Perry, thinks a new use for the old Allders building marks a turning point for the town, but others aren’t so sure.

Councillor Sean Fitzsimons thinks a “radical rethink” is needed and huge shopping centre is a thing of the past.

Cllr Fitzsimons, who has been a Labour councillor in Croydon since 1994, urged caution, saying the council should not agree to anything just because it is “desperate”.

He said: “I am told that they are in ongoing discussions with officers.

“It took the council quite a long time to admit that the previous scheme was dead in the water.

“I am not holding my breath for a new application to come through. I think it needs a more radical rethink. I think the days of a shopping centre are long gone and the risk of it being delayed are greater because we’ve got a recession coming round the corner.

“The council has to articulate what its vision for the town centre is, otherwise we will take anything that is offered to us. I think that we shouldn’t grab anything that is going just because we are desperate.”

Leader of the opposition and former deputy leader of the council Stuart King admits there is more that the Labour administration could have done while in power.

He said: “With hindsight we should have been more robust with the partnership about having a stronger sense of urgency from them about a development coming forward for our town centre. It is essential they come forward with something sooner rather than later.”

But cabinet member for planning and regeneration, Councillor Jeet Bains, said a commitment to improving the town centre was “not just talk” from the council’s new Conservative leadership.

Cllr Bains said: “As the council we have a power to influence and can facilitate making it easier for them to do business, we can basically create an environment where there are less obstacles in place.

“We are keen to get cracking on all of this. In general, all sides are looking for something to happen at pace. At the moment the town centre is very unattractive.”

Pictured top: Croydon’s new Conservative mayor, Jason Perry, thinks a new use for the old Allders building marks a turning point for the town, but others aren’t so sure (Picture: Picture: Darren Pepe)