Croydon pledges to improve high streets with £3.7m government funding

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Croydon council has revealed plans to improve its high streets with a massive £3.7m government funding boost.

A total of £3.7m was allocated to the borough and Croydon council has submitted investment plans for how it will spend the first £2.5 million. The money is expected to be spent over the next three years.

Croydon’s mayor Jason Perry said the cash will “transform spaces at the heart of communities” in Croydon.

The plan includes a £580,000 injection into high streets and “public space improvements” in Thornton Heath, Selsdon, New Addington and Purley, with local people given the chance to outline what they would like to see.

In 2023 Croydon wants to spend £230,000 of the funding on “cultural, heritage and community events” when it will be London Borough of Culture.

Another £610,000 will go towards supporting local businesses, including monthly clinics for small and medium-sized firms.

A further £294,000 has been earmarked to support Croydon’s creative, tech and digital sector, as well as businesses, including pubs, clubs and restaurants, that make up the borough’s night-time economy.

The council also has plans to set up a Young Entrepreneurs Academy in 2023 for those aged 18-25, which will mentor young people as they start their own businesses.

Mayor Perry said: “This is the right time to be ambitious and harness all that our borough has to offer.

“This funding will open up big opportunities, ranging from transforming the spaces at the heart of our communities through to invaluable mentorship for the next generation of local entrepreneurs.

“I am determined to put Croydon back on the map for the right reasons, showing everyone exactly why people should be proud to live and work in our borough.”

The council has been given the money from the Department of Levelling Up’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Pictured top: Thornton Heath railway station (Picture: Google Street View)