A STRING of problems need to be overcome if Hammerson is to achieve its objective of helping catapult Croydon into the retail centre top ten, the company has admitted.

It unveiled some of those outstanding problems with its Centrale shopping centre in North End at a exhibition held on Friday and Saturday.

The exhibition was designed to get feedback from shoppers and businesses about Hammerson's plans to invest a further £50m in the centre.

These plans include revamping the whole shopping experience in the centre, providing more emphasis on family entertainment including providing a cinema complex and more restaurants.

It is also intended to provide extra retail units and a much-improved food hall.

More than 230 people attended the exhibition, with 80 per cent of those who filled in feedback forms saying they felt Croydon would benefit from the proposals.

A total of 85 per cent welcomed the cinema and 98 per cent the idea of introducing more restaurants.

Robin Dobson, Hammerson UK director of retail development said: "Visitors were overwhelmingly in support of the proposals to create a new leisure and dining quarter for Centrale.

"There was a clear message that investment in Croydon is needed and for us to deliver the scheme as soon as possible.

"We will continue to progress the scheme in advance of submitting a planning application in early 2012."

Catrin Morgan, Hammerson's property spokesman, said on Friday there were a lot of retail brands who were not in Croydon at the moment which they were keen to attract to ensure the shopping experience in the town was right.

But this will involve, she said, dealing with some of the centre's inherent problems.

These include: improving its impact in North End, dealing with a poor environment and lack of natural light, hidden shop frontages, inconveniently located stairs and escalators, limited leisure facilities and a poor family dining offer.

Ms Morgan added: "We also know people find it difficult to navigate around the centre."

If planning permission is granted, work would start early in 2013 and be completed by the summer of 2014.