Develop Croydon hosted its flagship annual Develop Croydon Conference at a pop-up conference venue on the top floor of Centrale Shopping Centre in November. ‘Restart Croydon’, attracted more than 200 investors, developers, policymakers, built environment consultants, and business leaders to explore a new vision for Croydon that will reposition the borough as a hub of innovation and investment, showcasing exciting initiatives underway, including the town centre masterplan.
The Conference was held in partnership with Croydon Council, London Gatwick, Ruskin Square, Schroders Capital and Stanhope. Associate and supporting partners include Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), GLi, SHW, KSP and Patrizia.
Highlights from the panels and keynote speakers included:
During Restart Croydon’s ‘Reimagining Town Centres’ panel discussion, Adam Smith, strategic development director at Unibail Rodamco Westfield (URW) said they were very conscious that the “whole landscape of town centres and commerce has changed ship” but remarked that they had confidence in Croydon town centre, evidenced by them “tripling their investment” in the past year.
Nick Hibberd, Corporate Director Sustainable Communities, Regeneration & Economic Recovery at Croydon Council cited several things the council are working on to bring town centre plans forward including appointing a specialist team to “come up with a new vision for the town centre” alongside a “new spatial strategy.” He suggested that, critically, a new regeneration and delivery plan will be delivered which will include a “pipeline of projects which will outline the infrastructure and public realm improvements the council needs to support in order to deliver wider regeneration.”
Panellists also identified additional key elements for fostering a thriving future town centre in Croydon. These included robust security and safety initiatives to address antisocial behaviour, prioritising the current needs of local businesses for long-term sustainability, creating spaces for the active involvement of young people – both physical and within the consultation/planning process, establishing versatile workspaces for a comprehensive range of services and safeguarding against gentrification to prevent marginalisation of the voices within the existing community.
In the ‘Build-to-Rent, Alternatives, and Retaining Community’ Panel, Heather Cheesbrough emphasised the significance of BTR and alternative housing solutions in Croydon, stating: “It’s a really interesting typology that has gained popularity in the past few years. We’re very welcoming of it but it is not the only typology. It’s important that we don’t overlook private sale and affordable developments, among others. We also need to cater to all groups, particularly considering Croydon’s diverse population and culture.”
The thought of celebrating culture and using it to Croydon’s advantage was reflected by Shonagh Manson, Assistant Director of Culture and Creative Industries at Greater London Authority, at her keynote. She said: “It’s our identity, the stories we tell ourselves. In a world of increasing globalisation where we have the same coffee shops on street corners and people have the same trainers, culture is what makes us distinctive. Four out of five people say culture is the reason they come to visit. Culture connects us and makes us happier and healthier citizens.”
Further, Tim Norwood, London Gatwick’s Chief Planning Officer and Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at his keynote urged Croydon businesses to connect with the airport after announcing a raft of major opportunities.
He explained with the opening of the Northern Runway, 14,000 additional jobs will be created on-site and through supply chains, with Gatwick just 15 minutes from Croydon, 900 of those will be specifically for Croydon residents, modelling shows. Currently, 1,028 Croydon residents work at the airport showing major economical ties with the region.
Executive Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry ended the sessions positively in his keynote by affirming his commitment to the community and the town’s future, saying, “We want to create welcoming places and spaces for everyone to enjoy by improving the users’ experience, reinforcing employers’ identity, and supporting economic vitality.”
By late afternoon, delegates had the opportunity to join round table workshops focused on the town centre’s future, take an investor tour of the Purley Way to see the scale of industrial and logistics space in Croydon and hear about new opportunities, or visit some of the most recently completed residential developments. The day ended with a networking reception at Fern.
