“OUR VISION IS TO BE RECOGNISED AS LONDON’S MOST ENTERPRISING BOROUGH”
STANHOPE AND SCHRODERS ARE PUSHING ON WITH THEIR RUSKIN SQUARE SCHEME
Whitgift and Hammerson’s adjacent Centrale has finally got people talking about real progress in Croydon. Together, the pair will develop a mixed-use scheme of 2m sq ft. A planning application was registered last month which principally takes on plans already submitted, with the most significant change being the removal of a residential tower from the middle of the scheme. A decision is expected in mid-May. The developers are already talking to a number of major
tenants. The biggest of which is widely expected to be John Lewis, which has long wanted to open a department store in Croydon, but only in a space that suits its needs. Westham Croydon (not its real name) will provide that space. But the redevelopment of Croydon is not all about
Hammerson and Westfield. Other big schemes in the town are also finally pushing ahead.
L&G has got consent to turn the former Nestlé tower
into flats – the loss of Nestlé was a major blow to Croydon, but that bruise is fading now that Hammerson and Westfield have teamed up – and Stanhope and Schroders are pushing forward with the 150,000 sq ft first phase of their £500m Ruskin Square. Nathan Elvery, the new chief executive of Croydon
council, is full of gusto. “Croydon has embarked on an ambitious programme to renew and improve its infrastructure and office offer,” he says. “Our vision is to be recognised as London’s most enterprising borough. That vision is being delivered. There has never been a better time to invest in Croydon.” Hammerson’s Peter Cole adds: “Our announcement
has been a tipping point for Croydon… There’s nothing like a successful retail project to drive the regeneration of the rest of a town.”