Planning permission for a new Westfield shopping centre in Croydon have been scrapped after planning permission for the development has now expired, according to London News Online.
The Croydon Partnership, which combines Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Hammerson, announced in 2019 it was undertaking a review of the scheme to include fewer shops, a hotel and offices.
The partnership is now reportedly looking at ways to regenerate the town centre – after both companies suffered “significant setbacks” during the pandemic.
A Croydon council report lays out just what the next steps could be.
A report from Croydon Council going to cabinet next week has laid out potential next steps: “Both partners need time to work through what this will mean for Croydon and the Whitgift, however they are committed to work with the council, other town centre stakeholders and the communities to ensure that successful and fit for purpose proposals for the regeneration and redevelopment of the Whitgift and town centre are evolved.”
It said that the original scheme is no longer an ‘appropriate or sustainable development’ and that: “Croydon on the one hand is fortunate that the 2018 development did not proceed; opening post pandemic with an outdated operating model, but the Whitgift Centre now is very tired and requires
a fresh approach away from a traditional model dominated by retail and anchored by department stores.”
