Bid is on to sweep away crumbling estate that’s become anti-social fly-tip

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

A long-awaited planning application has been submitted for a central Croydon housing estate, which could see two aged blocks replaced with 445 new flats, shops and community areas.

The application also promises 156 of the flats would be made affordable, but the plans face a waiting period while the estate’s few homeowners are bought out.

Woburn Court and Bedford Court are a pair of post-war housing blocks just off Croydon’s Wellesley Road and currently comprise eight low-rise residential blocks of either three or four storeys in height, housing a total of 80 maisonettes and flats.

The site also has 90 car parking spaces, as well as single-storey garage blocks and a green verge at the front, both of which are owned by Croydon council.

According to a council planning report, the existing buildings on the site are generally in a poor state of repair and are reaching the end of their lifespan ‘with the site also suffering from considerable levels of antisocial behaviour, including drug dealing and fly-tipping.’

Under the application, the council-owned garages at The Elms would be demolished and the site redeveloped.

The new application would seek to regenerate the ageing estate into a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments, with the tallest structure reaching 29 storeys. Notably, it will be a car-free project, with only 14 accessible parking spaces and one ‘car club’ space, alongside 811 long-stay cycle parking bays.

A central ‘pocket garden’ with play areas, trees, and greenery would be included. And the 1,772 square meters of ground-floor space at the new site could also be used for ‘flexible commercial and community use’.

While the developers, Premcor Estates, have submitted the application and are now awaiting a date for it to go to Croydon’s planning committee, the next question concerns what will happen to the existing tenants.

The majority of the residents are social tenants, with a large number of them being in temporary accommodation, however, there are also a handful of residents – fewer  than 10 – who own their flats.

Premcor’s director Rob Lane said: “This significant inner-city regeneration scheme has taken four years to reach the planning submission stage. We have dedicated substantial time and effort into crafting a masterplan that maximizes residential, commercial, and community benefits for Croydon.”

Planning consultant Rapleys is assisting with the proposal. James Owens, a partner and head of planning at Rapleys, said: “If approved, this scheme will significantly enhance the quality of life for local residents and revitalise what is now a neglected site plagued by antisocial behaviour.”

Pictured top: Fly tipping outside Woburn and Bedford Court (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)