Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning: one of the latest batch of CGIs distributed to promote a ‘weather-dependent’ Westfield consultation today, for a redevelopment scheme where since 2012 only six ‘kiosks’ have been opened. Not the scale of the tower block to the left, dwarfing the ‘iconic’ Allders building
Paris-based multi-bilion developers URW today begin another public consultation over the future of the town centre – Consultation No6 – which means that their latest planning application, already two years late, won’t see the light of day until long after May’s local elections. By STEVEN DOWNES
And here we go again, with another “public consultation” (meaning lip-service exercise) over the future of Croydon town centre.
This latest (“weather dependent”) consultation begins this afternoon on North End, as Westfield once again goes through the motions of pretending that the views of Croydon residents count for anything to them, after 14 years of multi-million-pound broken promises and the now constant development blight where there was once a thriving town centre.
By Inside Croydon’s rough reckonings, this March 2026 consultation will be the sixth public exercise staged over the future of the town centre in 14 years, after Aussie developers Westfield hijacked Hammerson’s original scheme and with landowners the Whitgift Foundation cobbled together what was initially a £1billion proposal for a shopping mall and around 600 flats.
Croydon residents embraced those plans and, for four or five years, actually believed that there was real intent behind them. They even went along with having Westfield-approved Jo Negrini as their local council’s chief executive, with spectacular results (though not in a good way).
Somewhere in Scandinavia there stands today a bare mountainside where there was once a forest, which has over the last 16 years given up all its trees to make the paper that has been used in printing the consultation documents and the resulting, never-consumated, plans for Croydon. Some scientists working for the UN reckon that such paper production and use may have contributed around 0.1% to global warming since 2010*…
It’s not as if URW, for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, as they are now known, even pretend that they really want to engage with the public. Their expensively hired, West End-based public relations firm (at least the third they have used to publicise and promote their work or to manage consultations since Westfield arrived in Croydon) only got round to distributing press releases about the consultation this morning, with their first session just a few hours away.
Building blocks: some of the materials distributed on behalf of URW come without any labels or captions. Is this, for instance, with at least nine tower blocks, what the developers are proposing for the future of North End?
So don’t be surprised, if you bother to turn up on North End this afternoon, if you’re the only one there. Perhaps that’s the way Westfield would prefer things.
What this all means, and what is left unsaid by the multi-billion, Paris-based business behind the scheme, is that the formal planning application which was supposed to have been submitted in late 2024, and which was then postponed until November 2025, now definitely won’t be seeing the light of day until later in 2026 – all far too late for failed Mayor Jason Perry to claim it as another of his bogus achievements.
URW call this “the next round of public consultation”. Being on-brand, this is now called “The Croydon Project”, which they say is a “vision to regenerate Croydon town centre and strengthen its role as a key destination in south London”.
We report the words that they have distributed today without further comment. Loyal readers will have seen it all before (at least five times in some cases), and can decide for themselves whether the blandishments offered now are in any way credible:
More promises: Adam Smith is the latest Westfield exec with the latest set of promises
“The Croydon Project will transform the Whitgift Centre, Centrale and the iconic Allders building alongside surrounding areas on North End, into a vibrant mixed-use destination with new homes, public spaces, shops, restaurants and leisure uses.”
It is more than a year now since Mayor Perry’s planning committee meekly rubber-stamped Wesfield’s town centre Masterplan Framework, effectively ceding some degree of planning oversight to the developers, for them to do as they think best (for themselves, obviously).
Perry, Croydon’s part-time Mayor and full-time cheerleader for big business and property developers, described it as “a significant milestone”.
Other elected councillors, members of the planning committee, were less convinced. After following the the decade-long saga of non-development, one described the proposal to build 3,000 flats and a few shops as “underwhelming”. Another criticised the outline plans for turning Croydon into a “dormitory town”, and for a lack of detail, the absence of any worthwhile new jobs and no promises of public infrastructure.
Not that that has made any difference to Westfield’s posturing today. “The evolving masterplan outlines how Croydon town centre could be transformed into a modern mixed-use destination, combining new homes with a stronger retail, leisure and cultural offer that keeps the town centre active throughout the day and evening.”
As part of the proposals, the project aims to deliver:
- Around 2,500–3,000 new homes in the town centre
- New public spaces, including a major public square on the Whitgift site
- A refreshed and modernised Centrale shopping centre
- The revitalisation of the historic Allders building
- A diverse mix of shops, cafés, restaurants, leisure and cultural venues
- Improved routes and connectivity through the town centre
So, in short, lots of flats. Westfield claim that their “latest proposals also respond directly to feedback received during earlier consultations”. All five of them?
As part of the consultation, Westfield are staging “a series of pop-up events across Croydon where local people can learn more about the proposals and share their views directly with the team”. Interestingly, this time round they are taking their roadshows on the road, to other parts of Croydon – perhaps areas where the blight caused by 14 years of the developers’ malign influence is not so obvious.
Westfield say that the events are “weather dependent”, and will take place on:
Today, 3pm to 6pm at 60–68 North End, CR10 1UJ
Tomorrow, Mar 13, 10am to 1pm – New Addington Market, CR0 0JD
Tue Mar 17, 2pm to 6pm – Norwood High Street and Norwood Junction Station
Thu Mar 19, 11am to 2pm – Surrey Street Market, CR0 1RJ
Westfield is claiming that “progress is already underway on the project”, citing the six kiosks they opened where the Allders department store used to be (before they ordered Croydon Council to clear it of the bazaar traders who were operating in the building). Five times as many businesses moved out of the Whitgift Centre in 2025 as the number of kiosks that were opened.
The six kiosks were paid for out of a £6million fine, raised by the planning authority, Croydon Council, against Westfield for their failure to deliver on one of their earlier, approved, planning applications.
Empty space: Westfield like to emphasise the ‘new public square’, positioned at the foot of their residential towers (no heights or storeys are given) in their CGIs
“The Croydon Project aims to reimagine Croydon town centre and restore its role as the economic and creative capital of south London,” according to Adam Smith, the latest exec to be appointed to front up the Croydon non-development.
“Our ambition is to create a thriving mixed-use destination with new homes, public spaces and a vibrant mix of retail, leisure and cultural activity that reflects Croydon’s energy and creativity.”
Smith’s official comment also includes the phrase “long-term regeneration”, which translates as this whole scheme could be another 10 years, at least, before it is completed. If it ever begins.
Smith said: “This long-term regeneration will bring new life and investment to the heart of the town centre. Community feedback will remain central, with this next round of consultation giving local people the chance to help shape the evolving masterplan.”
Just as they were told their feedback in five previous consultations would shape the developments that never ever started.
For those who have to work for a living and so are not able to attend any of Westfield’s patronising pop-ups, the proposals can be seen online at TheCroydonProject.co.uk.
* Some of the facts in this paragraph may be made up. It is not April 1 yet, but anything claiming to offer the public a say in the development of Croydon town centre inevitably leads us towards thoughts of “All Fools’ Day”.
Read more: Planning application for Westfield scheme stalled to mid-2026
Read more: Westfield reveal consultation and more delays on ‘masterplan’
Read more: Perry allows Westfield to spend £6m ‘fine’ on own interests
Read more: Westfield boss says Croydon scheme could take 15 more years
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