No date yet for start of Westfield shopping complex in Croydon
Scores of traders still do not know whether they will be able to move back into a doomed shopping centre once it is rebuilt.
Businesses ousted from Croydon Village Outlet are in the dark about if they will get the chance to return when it is finally demolished to make way for a new Westfield shopping centre.
And the future of the mall plan itself is still uncertain after numerous delays to the scheme.
Croydon council leader, Councillor Tony Newman, has confirmed that discussions with Westfield are still ongoing.
The council wants to bring a £1.4billion shopping centre to the town but in February it was announced that the scheme is being reviewed.
Town hall leaders want fewer shops and more leisure options like cinemas and restaurants.
Work was supposed to start this year but this has been put off until at least 2020.
The council has said taking over Croydon Village Outlet – the former Allders building – was the final part of the compulsory purchase order (CPO) process to gather all the land needed for the mega shopping centre.
But it seems more work needs to be done to assess the building before it can be re-occupied or its future decided.
A spokesman for the Croydon Partnership, which combines Westfield and Hammerson, said that surveys are still being carried out on the building.
“Due to the scale of the building and the extent of health and safety issues revealed by the initial independent assessment, we have needed to undertake additional surveys on a phased basis,” he said.
“A number of surveys have now been completed on parts of the building and further surveys are still ongoing.
“We have been working closely with all businesses based in the former Allders building and have relocated a total of 18 concessionaires including 16 into the Whitgift Centre, with a relocation unit agreed with a further concession.
“We have engaged with all parties affected by the closure of the Allders building and have worked as quickly as possible to reach agreements within the appropriate legal frameworks.
“Upon completion and assessment of all surveys, we will be able to make an informed decision on the next steps regarding the Allders building.”
And at a full council meeting on Monday night, Cllr Newman confirmed that discussions with Westfield are still ongoing but gave no definite progress update on the start-date for building.
He was asked by a member of the public what Croydon council would do to make the borough more environmentally-friendly.
“In terms of Westfield, we are in ongoing discussions with them,” said Cllr Newman.
“We want to see less not more car parking in the scheme. We have more influence because of the delay we can do absolutely everything we can to see a reduction not an increase.”
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And in the meantime Croydon’s town centre is becoming a dump, footfall is falling and a load of tatty cheap shops spring up. This saga has dragged on for too long. I rather shop somewhere else now.
I totally agree. I appreciate that all high streets are suffering but Croydon is a shell of its former self.
If Westfield does not go ahead Croydon is dead. This whole scheme has taken far too long to be decided and traders and residents have suffered the consequences. Councillor Newman and his team have let us all down.
And with nothing to attract people to the centre I can sadly see the Fairfield Halls suffering the same fate.
I fear it’s already too late to save what was once a thriving town centre.
The nation may be sick and tried of the Brexit saga which has gone on for over 3 years. But residents of Croydon the Westfield saga has gone on for over 10 years! It has become a torture!! Thanks to our useless councillors!!
Agreed 100%
There is no where to shop in Croydon. We need Westfield shopping centre.
we shop in Bromley now Croydon is very dirty all the new work done to regenerate the pavements are filthy shops have gone downhill and the wrong sort of crowd gangs etc, not a safe place to be
There is a need to think outside the box and use the area for more than just retail. Smaller units to attract independents and more community focussed areas where people can engage in activities other than shopping. Croydon has an excellent tram service there should be no need for enormous parking facilities. How many trees and play / sitting areas will there be. Children trapped in buggies for hours of “shopping” …old people with nowhere to sit ..no toilets….there are other ways of attracting people into Croydon.
What a waste of space this councillor is . Nothing confirmed yet . How many years has this been going on. (To long). I hate going into Croydon now . All you see are cheap shops and gangs hanging out in the high street. I go to Wimbledon. They’ve killed this shopping complex completely.
Cllr Newman needs to switch off his green agenda, does he not understand that less parking spaces mean only one thing less people visiting . So the conversation goes “want to visit the centres new cinema and leisure facilities” “yea seems like a good idea” “well we have to get a bus cos there’s no parking” “sod that I aint getting on a bus lets go somewhere else”. and guess what they will .
Sadly Croydon is a terrible place now. It has lost it’s identity through mismanagement by the council and the influx of homeless/vulnerable people, gangs and the relentless number of people seeking asylum. Croydon council need to get wake up before it’s too late. All they seem to be concerned with is building tower blocks. How many of them actually live locally?
Even the die hards will have to admit that Croydon is a dead dump!!!
Westfield definitely need to be built one way or another otherwise Croydon will be a ghost town. But they also need to make sure the gang and crime issues are tackled as a priority otherwise no one will come to Croydon for shopping if you keep hearing people are being stabbed or shops being burgled.
If Westfield doesn’t get build then all the Flats in its surroundings will either remain empty or be filled with council tenants. Croydon has been far too long a laughing stock of the South.
2016 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2017 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2018 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2019 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2020 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2021 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2022 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2023 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2024 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
2025 – Tony Newman, “discussions with Westfield are still ongoing….”
Just really sad how this council has destroyed Croydon. It is just a matter of time before Westfield have had enough and will pull the plug.
Time to move now.
Being born and bred in Croydon and seeing it demise is horrible. I had to move away as I did not like the way the borough was changing. I move North and to be honest the best thing l have done. People take pride and the investment in Leeds is an example of what Croydon Council should look at for the people of Croydon. It is heart breaking every time we come back south to visit friends and family. Thanks to the leaders of Croydon for destroying one of the best boroughs in London.
Yes it’s a total disgrace. Croydon is a dump thanks to the council.
Time to use your VOTE and get rid of these bunch of idiots. They couldn’t organise a pxxss up in a brewery.
What a shambles……. Croydon shopping centre is not a place I want to visit any more and I have been shopping there for over 40 years . Cllr Newman – money and jobs are leaving the area. Get Westfield delivered and if you can’t what is your Plan B ?