Council gives planning permission for a new NHS site and 199 homes – but only 20 are affordable

Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

The construction of 199 new homes and new NHS facilities has been approved by Croydon council, but only nine per cent of the properties are affordable.

The location on Dingwall Road, which previously housed a Job Centre, is positioned near the East Croydon railway station area, which has seen much development in recent years.

The development, led by Bellway Homes, will feature 20 affordable housing units as well as 19 three-bedroom family homes. The development will also house a children’s play area, green spaces and three disabled car parking spaces.

Despite many councillors supporting the need for new housing in one of Croydon’s fastest-growing areas, the new development only proposes 20 affordable single-bedroom units out of the 199 homes in total. This figure represents nine per cent of properties and falls far short of Croydon’s target of having 50 per cent affordable housing provision in new large developments.

During a planning meeting in January, where the current plans were initially approved, Labour councillor Ellily Ponnuthurai said: “Most of the housing need we come across is for family and children, so when the nine per cent of housing is made up of one-bedroom flats it just doesn’t seem justifiable to me.”

Green councillor Ria Patel highlighted how many residents in her own Fairfield ward, where this development is housed, cannot afford to live in the new buildings dominating East Croydon. 

Conversely, Conservative councillor Ian Parker of Coulsdon disagreed, saying: “It’s largely market housing, which I think we should welcome. We have approved a number of schemes in the centre of Croydon which have been built to rent, I think we should welcome a mix of housing tenure in Croydon and this contributes to that.”

Other councillors raised issues with regard to the lack of sunlight available to all residents when built, as well as the contribution it will make to the wind tunnel effect, which residents say is already considerable around East Croydon. 

The current application was first submitted back in May 2021. However, the council has collaborated closely with the developer to resolve these issues and has now approved an updated scheme.

The NHS facility and accompanying ambulance bay were offered by the developer in the revised application and were a key reason why it was eventually approved by the planning committee. 

The council hopes that this new development will help to improve accessibility around the East Croydon area. The plans will also safeguard land for potential tram expansion, and the improved cycle infrastructure is expected to encourage active travel around the area.

Once complete, the development will sit alongside a number of the other high-rise office and residential buildings that hug the area around East Croydon. It is also in close proximity to the Ruskin Square area, which currently houses an office used by HM Revenue and Customs as well as home office employees who have moved from the nearby Lunar and Apollo house.

A start date for construction on the Dingwall Road site will follow in due course.

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon said: “The regeneration of Croydon is a priority for me in making Croydon cleaner, safer and healthier, so I’m delighted this vacant brownfield site will be transformed.

“The scheme will see the delivery of 199 homes, helping to meet the housing needs of our borough.”

Jamie MacArthur, Regional Planning Director for Bellway London, said: “This new development in Dingwall Road will transform a vacant site into a high-quality residential scheme, delivering a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, alongside communal gardens and play space, a residents’ lounge and a residents’ gym.

“Now planning permission has been secured, we are looking forward to seeing this high-profile scheme progress to the next stages of delivery.”

Pictured top: Dingwall Road used to house a Job Centre building before it was demolished in 2019 (Picture: Google Street View)