Whitgift shopping centre deadlock 'can't go on much longer'
SHOPPING centres in north and west London could hold the key to Croydon's future prosperity.
Fears that plans to redevelop the Whitgift Centre could result in years of deadlock between Centrale's owners Hammerson and Westfield have led Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell to appeal for help from Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
And, the Advertiser understands, the town centre stand-off could be solved by deals over developments of Brent Cross and White City shopping centres.
Mr Barwell said this week: "We can't allow the impasse to go on much longer and the mayor can help resolve it.
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"Stalemate is catastrophic for Croydon.
"I do think the mayor has a key role to play in this scheme and I have arranged to meet him later this month to discuss it."
The MP who is a trustee of the Whitgift Foundation - one of the main players in redevelopment - added he wants a solution which is best for Croydon and avoids years of nothing happening.
The foundation, which owns the freehold of the centre, is in partnership with retail giant Westfield, which has said it is prepared to invest £1 billion in a redevelopment scheme.
The clash comes because Royal London Asset Management and the Irish Bank, which own 75 per cent of the leasehold, are part of the Croydon Alliance with Hammerson, owners of the Centrale shopping centre in North End, which intends to produce alternative proposals later this year.
Mr Barwell was not going into any details this week about what he was hoping would come out of his meeting with the mayor.
But insiders have suggested Mr Johnson could use his planning powers as a lever in getting either Westfield or Hammerson to withdraw from the Croydon scene.
Hammerson has planning permission for an expansion of its shopping centre at Brent Cross but it is understood conditions imposed have made going ahead uneconomic.
The suggestion is, if the mayor could help relax those conditions, Hammerson could proceed and decide to forsake its ambitions for the Whitgift Centre.
Equally, Westfield wants a major expansion of its White City centre, hopefully to bring in John Lewis, and the mayor may be able to ease planning paths there, in turn persuading Westfield to think again about Croydon.
Comments
by purleymag
Saturday, June 09 2012, 2:32PM
“I feel another East Croydon regeneration type debacle coming on.......Don't let the politicians interfere, it'll make it much worse!”
by DianaFrance
Saturday, June 09 2012, 11:39AM
“The discussion about Whitgift/Centrale/Westfield has taken place during a visit from Australian relatives. Over there Westfield is an ogre much lke Tesco. They take a rake-off from tenant shops so only the big names can afford to be there. I fear we may be handing over ownership of our town to Westfield.
However, I agree with other posters, let's get on with something before Croydon dies completely, preferably before a whole lot of potential customers depart from the Nestle building.”
by swr220
Saturday, June 09 2012, 10:56AM
“Westfield seem to have a creditable plan to develop Whitgift and importantly, the will (and money!) to get it done quickly. If they can do half as good a job here in Croydon as we've seen in their London based developments, then Croydon will be all the better for it.
Both the Whitgift freeholders and lease holders clearly have their own interests at heart rather than what will be best for the people who actually live here and will ultimately make a success or failure out of the development.
Please, please just make a decision and let's start moving forward.”
by DianaFrance
Thursday, June 07 2012, 4:33PM
“So when more stores withdraw from Croydon, and no customers bother to go there, it won't be Croydon's fault - we can blame Boris.....
Carry on listening to the developers, chaps, but keep your eyes open for the flying flock of Gloucester Old Spots.”
by john_a
Thursday, June 07 2012, 2:39PM
“The Mayor has no legal powers to vary planning conditions at ONE site in London, because of what happens at ANOTHER site, many miles away. Doing so would therefore be an illegal corruption of the planning system.”
by squired
Wednesday, June 06 2012, 5:02PM
“With the recent rumours of Westfield intending to buy Hammerson I was hoping that would do the job. Then they would be one big happy family. I'd still put money on something happening with the Whitgift Centre before the "give it to us and we will start building immediately" Stanhope Schroders non-development by East Croydon.”
by The3rd
Wednesday, June 06 2012, 2:24PM
“I give them 15 years before anything actually happens. Typical Croydon, all talk no trousers.”
by DonJones13
Wednesday, June 06 2012, 1:44PM
“Knock the whole lot down and stop wasting our time.”