The revised car-free scheme could deliver 268 homes across two towers near East Croydon station but potentially with no affordable housing
Two new towers, rising to 21 and 12 storeys, could be built on a car park just 100 metres from East Croydon station under newly revised plans.
The scheme would deliver 268 homes and commercial space, but with no on-site parking and potentially zero affordable housing. The latest plans, which have taken several forms over their nearly 15-year history, would add to the cluster of high-rise developments already surrounding East Croydon station.
The proposals would see the two blocks and a ground-floor commercial unit built on the surface car park adjoining the Ruskin Square multi-storey car park, just north of Croydon’s Lansdowne Road. The site forms part of the wider Ruskin Square regeneration area, which also includes the recently completed Home Office building at 2 Ruskin Square.
The planned towers would be built in an octagonal style, reflecting the design of the iconic No. 1 Croydon building (NLA Tower) nearby, also known locally as The 50p Building. The developer has agreed to provide 16 affordable flats on the first and second floors of the 12-storey block.
However, independent assessments found that the scheme faces viability challenges, with the developer’s own calculations showing it cannot financially support any affordable housing. The report also states that housing associations could be reluctant to manage the affordable flats as they would share space and facilities with private homes.
Croydon’s housing team has therefore expressed a strong preference for a financial payment instead of the affordable housing allocation. This payment would fund the council’s affordable housing acquisitions programme elsewhere in the borough.
The development would also be car-free, with no general parking provided on site. However, the site is considered to have strong public transport links, with extensive rail, tram and bus services nearby.
Eight Blue Badge spaces will be provided in the adjacent Ruskin Square multi-storey car park. Future residents would be barred from applying for on-street parking permits to limit pressure on surrounding streets, while the developer would contribute £1,500 per home towards sustainable transport improvements.
A 1,200 square metre public square is also proposed at the front of the site, alongside a 2,000 sqm communal garden at the rear.
Planning history
The redevelopment site has an extensive planning history dating back to the 2012 Ruskin Square masterplan. Under the original plans, the developer proposed two curved, low-rise residential blocks alongside surface parking.
An application was then submitted in 2015, which proposed a part 14, part six-storey block and a separate three-storey building. However, the plans were withdrawn in July 2025 to allow the developer to pursue a higher-density scheme.
The latest pre-application plans, submitted by developer Croydon Gateway Limited Partnership, also reflect changes in building regulations. These include recent changes to fire safety, as well as the need for more dual-aspect homes – those designed with windows or doors on two separate sides.
Croydon’s Planning Committee will discuss the pre-application proposals and provide feedback at its meeting on Thursday (September 3). The plans are expected to return to the committee at a later date for a formal decision.
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