New 11-storey office block to be built next to East Croydon railway station

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

A new 11-storey office block will soon be built near East Croydon railway station as the council has given the green light for buildings to be demolished and replaced with new offices.

St Matthew’s House and Norwich House are the 1970s office buildings at 96-98 George Street which will be replaced with a single block of more than 19,000sqm of new office space.

Part of the plans from Metropolitan Properties Limited include improvements to College Square outside Croydon College – which acts as a cut through to George Street. Plans show this includes a line of trees, benches and a stage.

The plans read: “The design proposal consists of two social spaces: one an outside room and the second, a stage co-joined by a curving ramp with a gentle gradient nestled among trees, both existing and new.

“The stage is designed to host both formal performances as well as to provide a space for informal hanging out. These social spaces make space not only for the fixed but also for the programmed e.g. the Live Well healthy eating stalls.”

Plans also include a cafe on the ground floor accessed off College Road. There will be two blue badge car parking spaces provided, along with more than 280 cycle parking spaces.

A report from Croydon council’s planning department recommended the application was approved.

It said: “The proposed 11-storey building would offer a high-quality office building to Croydon, to further establish itself as the premier business location in South London and the Gatwick Diamond.

“It is considered that the building has been designed with the needs of the end user and the surrounding context successfully, using high-quality design, detailing and materials to enhance the street scene of George Street.”

The plans were unanimously approved by the council’s planning committee at a meeting last week.

The approval includes a number of conditions, including the developer contributing £50,000 towards improvements to the local public transport network.

Pictured top: Croydon council has approved a new 11-storey office block in the town centre (Picture: Metropolitan Properties Limited)