Major Westfield Croydon update to bring new homes and shops to town centre

A brand new consultation is underway for the Westfield masterplan on how Croydon town centre will be transformed with 'homes, shops, cultural venues and public spaces'. The rundown town centre revamp has hinged on the long-hoped for Westfield plans for the past decade and while we are still a long way from any changes being made, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has begun a public consultation.

This masterplan incorporates the Whitgift Centre, Allders and the immediate surrounding area of Croydon’s town centre, branded as ‘The North End Quarter’ by Croydon Council in its emerging Local Plan. The proposal is to transform the North End Quarter into a mixed-use destination rather than primarily focused on shopping.

The focus is on the Allders building, the Whitgift Centre, Centrale shopping centre and linked car parks and office buildings. London practice Allies and Morrison, the architects behind successful urban regeneration projects such as King’s Cross and the Olympic Legacy masterplan in Stratford, has been appointed as the lead architect to develop the masterplan scheme.

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New green areas and pedestrian friendly streets are planned and this new masterplan takes into account the "urgent local housing need" through the creation of new homes. These will include homes for sale, build-to-rent, student accommodation, co-living, and supported housing.

Croydon Council says historic town centre landmarks like the Whitgift Almshouses and Allders will be protected. Scott Parsons, Chief Operating Officer, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield said: “Our vision for the North End Quarter will drive major positive change, establishing a thriving heart of Croydon that is inclusive and welcoming for all.

"We know there is a strong desire from residents, businesses and stakeholders to see progress in the town and our goal is to harness Croydon’s creativity, youth and connectivity to develop a scheme that leverages its strengths with a diverse economy across retail, finance, community and the arts.

“The Masterplan Framework consultation is a tool for discussion and consensus. It’s a roadmap for change, addressing the challenges of the past and embracing the opportunities of the future. We welcome feedback from the community and stakeholders on the vision unveiled today and will continue to evolve our plans for Croydon in partnership with the people who live and work here.”

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon, said: “The regeneration of Croydon town centre remains a top priority, and we have been working closely with URW so that our vision for the future of Croydon is aligned with the plans they are consulting on. We welcome this important next step in the preparation of their masterplan for the North End area – to create a vibrant place for people to live, work and visit. We hope to see many of our residents, including our young people, visiting Croydon Urban Room to find out more.”

This initial phase of consultation is open until November 29 and is the first of a series of public consultation activities which will run throughout 2025, helping to shape the plans before a planning application is submitted. To take part in the consultation you can:

• Complete the online survey, setting out your thoughts on the Masterplan Framework, your ideas on what we should do next, and what you’d like to see prioritised.

• Register your interest to take part in the NextGen youth panel. These will be paid opportunities open to people between the ages of 16-25 to learn more about the development process and help shape the proposals.

• Register your interest to participate in other community activities such as design workshops, site tours, online meetings, or suggest where you’d like to see community pop-up events in the future.

19 new shops plus Allders tranformation plans

Croydon Council previously announced in September that plans to transform the empty Allders site into five new shops and two restaurants have been approved, with a CGI design released showing how the historic building could look once renovated.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has been granted planning permission by Croydon Council to revitalise the frontage of Croydon’s historic department store. A council spokesperson said the North End frontage, which has served as a Croydon landmark for over 150 years, will be sensitively refurbished with minimal alterations.

The new units - which are expected to be ‘pop-up’ retailers - are set to include five shops, ranging from 450 to 1,300 square feet each, and two food and drink units at 450 square feet each. A URW spokesperson said this marks the "first step of many" in plans to revive the Allders building, which has sat behind colourful hoardings since January.

The confirmation of the future of the Allders site follows URW announcing the Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres have signed seven new stores and renewed 11 leases from big name shops. These include London’s only pinball club, Pinball Republic, Dressmode, Maflora, Rebel Clothing, and homewares company Stacks, which are hoped to open this year.

Alongside the new signings, a number of high-profile retailers have also renewed their leases. House of Fraser, Sports Direct, Claire’s Accessories, Holland & Barrett, and Waterstones have all renewed their leases, representing 20,000 square foot of floor space across the two shopping centres.

Back in March, URW also announced another 12 new shops, including Deichmann, Chopstixx, and jeweller Loupe.

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