Category Archives: Centrale

Town Hall meetings halved as new Mayor dodges questioning

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Tonight’s cabinet meeting has on its agenda the borough’s underperforming schools, the Westfield failure, Council Tax Support and council rents… in all, 24 items need to be considered at a meeting where opposition councillors will barely be … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Centrale, Children's Services, Croydon Council, Education, Housing, Katherine Kerswell, Mayor Jason Perry, Report in the Public Interest, Schools, Section 114 notice, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Westfield non-developers facing £5m fine for failed supermall

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Council concedes it is virtually powerless over land-owners and developers for long-delayed regeneration scheme, as influential scrutiny chair admits her committee is not convinced things will change. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES The company formed 10 years ago … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Growth Zone, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Property, Rowenna Davis, Tony Newman, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Shopping malls pick Croydon Health as nominated charity

The Croydon Health Charity, based at Mayday Hospital, has been announced as the nominated charity of the year for the Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres. The announcement is a boost for NHS staff and patients across the borough, as the … Continue reading

Posted in Centrale, Charity, Croydon Health Charity, Croydon NHS Trust, Health, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Whitgift Centre is on a roll in the build-up to Christmas

Centrale and Whitgift shopping centres have announced that they will be opening a free roller rink in Whitgift Square on Saturday November 25, to be a feature of festive activities in the town centre right through until Christmas Eve. It … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Activities, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Westfield’s boss admits covid was ‘nail in coffin’ for Croydon

There’s no prospect any time soon of French-based developers ending the decade-long blight to the Whitgift Centre, according to the CEO of  Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. By our retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE Covid was “the final nail in the coffin” for the £1.4billion … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Debenhams, Gavin Barwell, House of Fraser, Jo Negrini, Tony Newman, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Centrale’s vaccination centre leads way for autumn covid jabs

The covid-19 vaccination centre inside the Centrale shopping centre in Croydon has begun the roll-out of autumn booster jabs, for now being offered to those over 65 years old. The severely immunosuppressed and frontline health and care workers, carers and … Continue reading

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BID rangers called ‘bullies in high-viz’ after High Street incident

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Serious questions have been raised about the behaviour of the Mayor-backed security staff drafted into the town centre supposedly to deter anti-social behaviour. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES An investigation is being conducted into the behaviour of a … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Centrale, Crime, Croydon BID, Mayor Jason Perry, Policing, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

M&S recruiting 130 staff ahead of opening Purley Way store

EXCLUSIVE: The company CEO’s life-long association with the Croydon store may have helped to give the beleaguered Whitgift Centre a reprieve. By STEVEN DOWNES Marks and Spencer is recruiting more than 130 staff in advance of its opening a new … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Mayor of London, Planning, Purley Way, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Westfield wants to revive plans for Croydon’s blighted centre

More than three years after shelving their £1.4bn scheme for the town centre, the developers’ monster mall is back on the drawing board – but with significant differences. By STEVEN DOWNES Like a Frankenstein monster after being given a shot … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Growth Zone, House of Fraser, Housing, Mayor Jason Perry, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Jobs fair at Centrale helped to get dozens back into work

More than one-third of Croydon residents attending a jobs fair at Centrale shopping centre went away clutching an offer of work in their hands. The jobs fair, organised by the Department of Work and Pensions and staged at the end … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Centrale | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Street dancer shows its hip to be jabbed to help your family

A street dancer from Croydon said his fear of needles prevented him from coming forward to get his first covid-19 jab. Shandy South, 54, who has worked across the world as a hip hop dancer, said he got his first … Continue reading

Posted in Centrale, Health | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

After wasted decade, Mayoral candidates need town centre plan

How do you replace a long-promised but never delivered £1.4bn redevelopment in the town centre? In his first column of 2022, ANDREW FISHER (left) offers some suggestions Croydon’s town centre has suffered a torrid time of late. The biggest queues … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", 2022 Croydon Mayor election, Andrew Fisher, Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Croydon College, Croydon Council, Education, Gavin Barwell, Housing, London-wide issues, LSBU campus, Planning, Property, Timothy Godfrey, Transport, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The day I signed up with the NHS in the fight against covid

What’s it like on the frontline of the pandemic battle? ROBERT WARD found out yesterday, when he volunteered for duties at one of the borough’s largest vaccination centres It’s been a while since I set a 6.30am alarm, but needs … Continue reading

Posted in Centrale, Health, Robert Ward, Selsdon and Addington Village | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Represent Book Festival, Centrale Shopping Centre, Dec 4

Posted in Activities, Art, Centrale, Education, Poetry | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Winning Women, free dance and sport sessions, Centrale

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Schoolchildren’s half-term homework is to have their covid jab

Parents and carers can, for the first time, book a covid-19 vaccination for their 12-to-15-year-olds during the schools’ half-term this month using the national booking system. Starting tomorrow, October 23, parents and carers can book an appointment to take their … Continue reading

Posted in Centrale, Health, Rachel Flowers, Schools | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Boxpark boss wants to take on Whitgift Centre redevelopment

Our retailing correspondent, MT WALLETTE, on the latest opportunistic comments from a business owner who claims a ‘track record’ of handling the local council The entrepreneur behind Boxpark claims that he is ready to step in and take over the … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boxpark, Business, Centrale, CPO, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

By taking away the buses, they’ve cut off shops in town centre

CROYDON COMMENTARY: As the council abandons 10 years of delusion over the retail regeneration of the town centre, regular reader LEWIS WHITE, right, goes on a shopping trip to witness the state of the Whitgift Centre for himself I popped … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, Croydon BID, Debenhams, Surrey Street, TfL, Transport, West Croydon, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Council concedes the end of its retail dream for town centre

CROYDON IN CRISIS: Do you feel ‘fortunate’ that the long-promised, council-backed scheme to regenerate the town centre has flopped? Because that’s the spin that Town Hall chiefs are putting on the collapse of the project and the end of a … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Growth Zone, Heather Cheesbrough, Jo Negrini, Oliver Lewis, Planning, Sarah Hayward, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Lockdown shop closures will extend town centre’s blight

Our retailing correspondent MT WALLETTE reports that covid’s impact on the High Street leave little hope of Westfield’s long-promised redevelopment on North End any time soon One-tenth of shops in London are now vacant, according to the latest figures for … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Whitgift Centre, Whitgift Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Centrale flips out with £2m adventure park planned for summer

Around 75 jobs will be created by turning unwanted retail space into a ‘family fun centre’ It might not be the whole solution to the sorry plight of Croydon town centre, where a year-long lockdown has compounded storeowners’ troubles with … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

French boardroom revolution could force Westfield sell-off

By STEVEN DOWNES It is looking increasingly likely that Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield will look to unload any interests they hold in the long-promised £1.4billion redevelopment scheme for Croydon town centre. It is almost two years since URW decided to “review” the already … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ex-councillor admits he was wrong over Westfield scheme

A former deputy council leader has spoken publicly about their deep regret for their part in bringing developers, such as Westfield, to their town centre, leaving it as “a tragedy of a place now”. “There’s plenty of nostalgia and lots … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Boris Johnson, Business, Centrale, Croydon Council, Gavin Barwell, Jo Negrini, Planning, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Turn Westfield shambles into opportunity to re-shape our town

CROYDON COMMENTARY: The clear change in approach from senior figures at the Town Hall, previously cheerleaders for Westfield, over the abandoned plans for a £1.4bn redevelopment of the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres represent a welcome opportunity to remodel the … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Business, Centrale, Surrey Street, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Back to the drawing board for new plans for the Whitgift Centre

The council has today issued documents that admit the era of big, shiny shopping centres is over and that the £1.4bn Westfield development is ‘unlikely to be implemented as consented’. Our unbuilt shopping centre correspondent, MT WALLETTE, reports Less than … Continue reading

Posted in "Hammersfield", Allders, Business, Centrale, CPO, Croydon Council, Jo Negrini, Planning, Tony Newman, Whitgift Centre | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments