New plans revealed to build 50-storey tower in Croydon

By ian austen ian.austen@essnmedia.co.uk

Ian Austen

ian.austen@essnmedia.co.uk

FOLLOWING a massive rethink, radical plans for redeveloping a major part of East Croydon have left the drawing board.

And this time Craig Marks, boss of developer Menta, is hopeful his new proposals will go a long way towards placating local opposition and giving regeneration a shot in the arm.

Menta caused uproar after proposing a development, comprising mainly housing, including four tower blocks, one of which would have been 45 storeys high.

And while the new £250 million scheme still contains a landmark 50-plus-storey block, the other three large towers have disappeared.

Mr Marks withdrew the initial proposals a year ago on the day they were due to be considered by Croydon's planning committee.

He wants a less controversial new scheme.

In the last fortnight Menta has been testing the water, through two public consultation exercises and a presentation to the council's strategic planning committee.

Mr Marks says the initial reaction has been considerably more positive, although he accepts concerns about the height of the main tower – which would be between 160 and 180 metres tall – remain.

The overall scheme, which encompasses an area around Cherry Orchard Road, Cherry Orchard Gardens and Billinton Hill, envisages providing around 500 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

They would be spread between the main tower block and an up to 14-storey building on the site of vacant former council flats in Cherry Orchard Gardens.

Also included is a 180-room hotel – a new element to the scheme – a gym, restaurants, shops, community facilities and open space.

A key element will also be an extension of a bridge which is part of the masterplan for regenerating East Croydon.

The bridge, which would link East Croydon station to Lansdowne Road, would, under his scheme – Mr Marks promises – be extended to provide a new link for Addiscombe residents to both the station and the town centre.

He said: "The original scheme was ambitious, perhaps a bit over-ambitious.

"I was beguiled by the possibilities for Croydon's future and I remain beguiled by them."

Mr Marks believes the new proposals have dealt with local objectors' fears that a "wall of development and monolithic mass" would have been created by the original four towers.

Menta will look hard at the responses from the initial consultations to submit a planning application around Christmas.

If planning permission is granted work could start in 2012 and take four years to complete.

What do you think of the new proposals? Write to Letters, Croydon Advertiser, 3rd Floor, Jessop House, 100 Tamworth Road, Croydon, CR0 1XX or e-mail newsdesk@croydonadvertiser.co.uk