Pop ups and small businesses put forward in “new vision” for Croydon shopping centre

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Pop-up shops could be the future of Croydon town centre with a major overhaul of the shopping centre unlikely to happen in one go.

Director of planning at the council, Heather Cheesbrough, described the long-awaited redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre as ‘challenging’. And at a Croydon cabinet meeting last night she set out emerging plans for a ‘new vision’ for the town centre.

The Croydon Partnership, which combines Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Hammerson, has said it “remains committed” to Croydon. But is reviewing original plans, which were previously approved, for a massive shopping centre.

Ms Cheesbrough said: “Our old vision was predicated on evidence that was dated back to the noughties when retail was king.

“It is definite that the fundamental requirement for a comprehensive redevelopment is gone from the local plan, it is more about incremental and phased approaches development.

“Because a new vision will take time to progress and move forward we’ve been doing work on short term activation and meanwhile uses for the short to medium term.”

Ms Cheebrough said the council has been working on a strategy for the many empty shops in the Whitgift Centre and the High Street.

She pointed to Gabriel’s Wharf on the Southbank and the railway arches and multi-storey car park in Peckham rented out to independent businesses.

“Because Croydon has got so many creative and small businesses, I think we’re really well placed to do something special here,” said Ms Cheesbrough.

Council leader Hamida Ali said that in meetings with the Croydon Partnership, the company has stressed “ongoing commitment to Croydon”.

Cllr Ali added: “That is really valuable particularly given the shifts affecting the retail industry which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“We all want to see a meaningful and sustainable redevelopment of our town centre and there is understandable impatience for that to come forward. We have done everything we can to discharge our responsibilities as the planning authority.

“It is just as important what those proposals might look like but how the space in the town centre is used in the short and medium term.”

The redevelopment of Croydon’s shopping centre was one of the key aspects of the Croydon Growth Zone – a 12 year programme of private housing and office developments.

As development in the town centre has slowed, Croydon Council has decided to reduce the budget for this area from £36 million to just £4 million for 2021/22.

Cabinet member for Croydon Renewal, Stuart King, told a meeting last night (Monday, March 22): “The scale and pace of the growth zone has always been predicated on economic circumstances, that is the basis of the whole model.

“It would not make sense to spend money with business rates which are not coming in.”