Double master plan for Croydon's regeneration
MASTER plans designed to regenerate both East and West Croydon are expected to go out to public consultation in September.
Approval for the draft plans for both areas was given by Croydon Council's cabinet on Monday.
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MASTER PLAN: An improved transport interchange at East Croydon station is planned Photo No: CCRPM120510D06 by Paul Martyniuk
Work will now start on refining the details before the consultation is launched.
Simon Hoar, the council's cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, told Monday's meeting he was confident the regeneration would be completed. He said: "For the first time the key developers and key land owners have been involved with us in the process of drawing up the plans."
Councillor Hoar said they had been intrinsic in developing the master plans, which should make implementation easier.
In the case of East Croydon, the council set up a project board with developers Stanhope/Schroders and Menta, who own key sites around the station, as well as Transport for London, Network Rail, the Homes and Communities Agency and Royal Mail to come up with a shared vision.
A similar board with many of the same partners plus Barratt Homes and St Michael and All Angels Church was established for West Croydon.
Main proposals contained in the East Croydon plan include a new bridge linking Cherry Orchard Road with Lansdowne Road via Stanhope/Schroders' Ruskin Square site, large-scale improvements to East Croydon station to increase capacity and a new transport interchange for trams, taxis and buses.
These projects will be coordinated with new housing and office developments, and a new home for the Warehouse Theatre.
The West Croydon master plan presents the opening of the East London Line extension as a catalyst for the area to become "a front door for Croydon".
Principle objectives include a new and improved station and transport interchange, better pedestrian connections between West Croydon, North End and the Whitgift Centre, and the provision of quality housing.
One idea involves a cluster of new developments around the station including three- and four-storey residential towers.
But the plan stresses: "Development and improvement in West Croydon should not be at the expense of losing all of the current character."
The consultation is planned to start on September 3 and run until October 13. People will be able view and make comments on plans online and there will be public workshops.
2 Comments
by Nathan, South Croydon
Sunday, July 25 2010, 5:46PM
“What East Croydon badly needs is additional entrances/exits to disperse travellers more effectively. There is a bottleneck during busy periods going through the main ticket gates (a couple of which are regularly out of service!).
The artists impressions I saw several years ago showing the now defunct 'Croydon Arena' scheme had additional entrances to the north of the station (Dingwall Road side). I think that this, coupled with enlargening the side exit to Billington Hill, PLUS (if any new scheme really wants to be adventurous) introducing yet another entrance to the north east side that would take you directly onto Cherry Orchard Road, would make a huge difference to overcrowding in and around the station.
I'm sure many people can testify that the 2nd and 3rd ticket halls built over the past couple of years at Kings Cross St Pancras have made a marked difference - and eventually the same will happen at Victoria tube station. We'll just have to wait unfortunately.
In terms of overcrowding on the trains themselves, no amount of station redevelopment will make a difference - this is down to Southern's rolling stock programme, and the Thameslink programme which will bring 10 and 12 coach trains to several routes during the peaks over the next 2-4 years.
Until then we'll just have to be patient, and hope that if we're going to have to stand squashed, face-to-armpit during our morning commute, then the least that people can do in the morning is WASH! Or carry deodorant! Or don't travel at all if they do neither!”
by David, South Croydon
Friday, July 16 2010, 11:16AM
“Every time I read articles about regenerating East Croydon I feel like laughing. In the article it mentions increasing "capacity". What exactly does that mean? If there aren't more platforms and more trains, then what point is it? I know people who struggle to squeeze on a train in the morning on their way to work. Sure, make East Croydon prettier and easier to navigate, but don't kid anyone that it will make any real differences for passengers.”