Praise from Mayor Perry for a 28-storey tower in the town centre that his own council’s planners tried to block for being too tall
Coming soon: the plans for the 28-storey tower have been around for three years – first blocked by Croydon planners, now the site’s been bought by Cheyne
Property speculators Cheyne Capital say they are going ahead with a scheme that will build hundreds of flats on the site of City Link House, after pulling of a major property deal in Croydon town centre.
The vacant office block site opposite East Croydon Station has been bought for £210million – according to sources in the housing sector, at the top-end of its price range.
The site has planning permission for 485 “co-living units” and 84 affordable homes in a 28-storey tower and 14-storey block.
Jason Perry, Croydon’s Tory Mayor, claims to see this as a good thing, describing it as “fantastic”.
What Perry failed to mention was that his own council’s planners had originally vetoed the proposed tower on the grounds that it would dwarf and overshadow the landmark No1 Croydon building on the other side of Addiscombe Road.
The original developers, Wittington Investments, won their case on appeal to the Planning Inspector.
Today part-time Perry, who is also a director of the Croydon Business Improvement District, said, “Positive step forward in providing new housing options, creating jobs and enhancing local amenities.”
And he added, “I look forward to the positive impact this will have on our community.”
Perry is seeing profit-hungry private developers laughing all the way to the bank, as he waves through hundreds of new private flats – with thousands more to come if Westfield ever actually do start work on the Whitgift Centre site.
It is hard to be certain whether Perry has amnesia about his planning department’s negative view of this scheme, or whether he is simply displaying Newmanesque levels of hyposcrisy. Either way, in the middle of a housing crisis that is sending Perry’s council spiralling into yet another financial crisis, the hundreds of flats in a private development at East Croydon are unlikely to do anything to reduce Croydon’s council housing waiting list.
In the two full years before Mayor Perry took charge of the at the Town Hall, according to figures provided by the authority, Croydon delivered 204 new council homes at social rent.
In the two years since Perry has been in charge, 2023 and 2024, Croydon delivered just 29 new council homes, thereby helping to create a demand for over-priced rabbit hutch “apartments”.
According to a release from Cheyne Capital, their tall residential tower block will include a gym and “wellness suite”, a cinema, games room and recording studio.
The small flats will include en suite bathrooms and kitchenette, but residents will share kitchens and other communal spaces in the building.
Matt Floyd, at Cheyne Real Estate, said: “We are proud to support a project which can play a role in furthering the regeneration of Croydon, and will contribute to its vibrant business and living community.”
Get that: “furthering the regeneration of Croydon”.
“This project reflects Cheyne Capital’s continued commitment to the UK flexible-living sector.” Ahhh, that well-known “commitment to the UK flexible-living sector”.
Cheyne have previously been involved with Ark Canary Wharf and Taxi House in central London.
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