Croydon’s regeneration projects vary in size and cost but all aim to make the town centre more attractive, safer and easier to access for residents
The regeneration of Croydon town centre has dominated local debate for much of the past decade as the borough continues to grapple with the decline of its high streets and longstanding issues around accessibility.
The council is well aware of these challenges and has invested significant time and money in promoting its own regeneration programme, alongside those of its partners, in a bid to boost confidence in the borough and attract further investment into the town centre.
The schemes range from the ambitious but long-delayed Croydon Project (also known as the Westfield redevelopment) to smaller improvements to streets, public spaces and wayfinding. While some projects are finally gathering pace or have been completed, others remain in planning or under construction.
Here’s a breakdown of Croydon town centre’s biggest regeneration projects, what they aim to deliver, where they currently stand and when they’re expected to be completed.
The Croydon Project (North End redevelopment)
The redevelopment of Croydon’s central North End shopping district, encompassing the Whitgift Centre, Centrale and Allders, has been one of the borough’s defining regeneration projects for more than a decade. Years of delays, changes in ownership and revised proposals have fuelled frustration among residents and businesses alike.
However, the long-delayed plans received a shot in the arm this week after Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) – the company leading the project – took on the freehold of the Whitgift Centre. The deal also included Green Park House on Wellesley Road and the parts of the Allders building not already owned by URW.
The £31.5 million agreement with former owners the John Whitgift Foundation removes a major hurdle for the scheme and gives URW ownership of the site it has spent years trying to redevelop.
The wider Croydon Project aims to redevelop the ageing Whitgift Centre and surrounding area into a new mixed-use destination with shops, homes, offices, public spaces, leisure facilities and improved public realm. Centrale will remain in place under the plans, with work also being done to improve east-west connections across the town centre.
Despite the recent progress and a series of public consultations shaping the project’s vision, URW has yet to submit a planning application to the council. While smaller interim works have taken place, including the reopening of Allders Parade last year, residents will still have to wait before large-scale redevelopment begins.
College Green
Across town in East Croydon, the council is in the early stages of creating a new public park that will link two of the borough’s most important cultural and educational landmarks: Fairfield Halls and Croydon College.
Currently, the site is dominated by hard tarmac surfaces and undefined open spaces, contributing to a harsh and unwelcoming environment. Despite its prominent location within the council-designated “cultural quarter” and its history as the former home of the Walnut Fair in the 19th century, the area has remained largely unused and neglected in recent years.
Under the plans, the existing concrete podium will be transformed into what the project’s lead architect described as an ‘urban meadow’, complete with walkways, seating areas and spaces for community activity. At twice the size of Queen’s Gardens over the road, College Green Gardens would become the first new public park in central Croydon in years.
Once complete, College Green is also expected to become a key gateway into Croydon and provide a new setting for events, relaxation and everyday use.
The redevelopment is fully funded through the Croydon Growth Zone in partnership with the Greater London Authority and Transport for London. This ring-fenced funding uses retained business rates to invest in long-term public improvements and does not draw on Croydon’s main capital budget.
Following extensive public consultation and planning approval last year, the council hopes the park will be complete by winter 2027.
Croydon Minster
Across town, Croydon is also creating another new green space in front of the Grade I listed Croydon Minster. Despite its historic and architectural significance, the Minster has long been fronted by an unattractive grey concourse and grimy underpass beneath the 1960s-built Roman Way.
However, Croydon Council is now progressing plans to create a more welcoming setting around one of the borough’s oldest landmarks, with improved landscaping, enhanced public spaces and better walking routes linking the Minster to the wider town centre. The Roman Way underpass has already been filled in, with work now underway on the new landscaping and the installation of a safer pedestrian crossing between St John’s Road and the Minster across Roman Way.
The redevelopment is fully funded through Croydon’s Growth Zone, delivered in partnership with the Greater London Authority. Work is well underway, with Minster Green expected to be completed by the end of summer 2026.
East Croydon pedestrian bridge
The East Croydon pedestrian bridge is another of the borough’s long-delayed projects to recently receive a much-needed boost. Last week, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) revealed that Croydon Council had reached an agreement with Network Rail and developer Menta to complete and maintain the remaining section of the bridge serving Cherry Orchard Road.
The agreement removes a key obstacle that had stalled the project for years. Although most of the bridge has been open to the public for some time, the final link has remained unfinished since the scheme was first proposed in 2012.
Once complete, the bridge will provide a direct pedestrian route between Cherry Orchard Road and Ruskin Square, as well as access to the station platforms. However, as previously reported by the LDRS, ticket barriers will only be located at the Ruskin Square entrance, meaning passengers approaching from Cherry Orchard Road will still face a lengthy walk to enter or exit the station.
Work on the final section of the bridge, located between Menta’s two residential blocks on Cherry Orchard Road, is due to begin later this summer, with completion expected in 2027.
What’s already been completed?
Wellesley Road pedestrian crossing
Last year, Croydon took a step towards tackling the chronic lack of pedestrian access across Wellesley Road with the opening of a new crossing. Opened last December, it was hailed by the Mayor as the “final missing link” on a road that has “split the town in half for years”.
The fully accessible crossing provides street-level access between Lansdowne Road and the Whitgift Centre, replacing the much-derided Wellesley Road underpass, which was filled in as part of the scheme. The LDRS previously reported how the underpass had, in recent years, become a hotspot for anti-social behaviour.
The £4m Wellesley Road scheme was funded through the Croydon Growth Zone, TfL’s Local Implementation Plan, an indemnity arrangement and the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. It forms part of a wider programme of town centre public realm and highways improvements backed by the council’s £18.5m Levelling Up Fund award.
Dingwall Road
Last month, Croydon Council and its partners also completed the Dingwall Road improvements, another project delivered as part of the council’s Levelling Up Fund programme. Dingwall Road was previously described by Mayor Jason Perry as a “very confused junction” near East Croydon Station and the new Ruskin Square developments.
The completed works have seen uneven paving replaced, sustainable drainage installed, crossings upgraded and the road layout redesigned to make it easier to walk, cycle and use wheelchairs or mobility scooters. New lighting, seating, trees and planting, along with reduced street clutter, have also been implemented to make the area more attractive.
Nearby George Street has also benefited from new paving and fencing, an upgraded pedestrian and cycle crossing outside BOXPARK, and a new motorcycle parking bay on Dingwall Road near the junction with George Street.
What are we still waiting to hear more about?
Pride in Place funding for Croydon West
Earlier this year, the Croydon West constituency was chosen as an area that will benefit from the Government’s Pride in Place programme. Under this programme, the area around West Croydon and Croydon University Hospital can receive up to £20 million over 10 years.
The MP for Croydon West, Sarah Jones, said the funding represents “£2 million every year dedicated to improving our community”.
The MP and partners are now in the process of electing a chair to lead the Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board for Croydon West. Once elected, the chair will help residents guide where the funding is spent. Croydon West was one of two locations in the borough set to benefit from this funding, with New Addington North also part of the programme.
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