Croydon Partnership and council are pushing forward a land assembly process to pave the way for the eagerly awaited £1bn town centre redevelopment.
The council is issuing approximately 200 requisition letters to local landowners and businesses affected by Croydon Partnership’s plans to redevelop the Whitgift and Centrale shopping centres into a 2m sq ft mixed-use scheme.
The vast majority of businesses affected by the proposals are shops, alongside a handful of offices and a small number of homes.
Croydon Partnership, the joint venture between Hammerson and Westfield, aims to buy in a variety of interests, including freeholds and long leaseholds, to push forward with the development of shops, leisure and residential, with the potential for hotels and offices.
One of the most significant sites that the joint venture will want to secure is Minerva’s 530,000 sq ft store, which sits adjacent to the Whitgift mall.
Sources said that CPO powers would be brought in as a last resort to secure sites.
In January, Hammerson and Westfield agreed to drop plans for rival schemes and create a jv to deliver a major retail overhaul. Westfield bought a 50% interest in the £115mn Centrale shopping centre from Hammerson, with the jv also buying a 25% stake in the Whitgift Centre
The partnership hopes to secure outline planning consent this year.
A spokesman for the Croydon Partnership said: “The essential redevelopment of the retail town centre will be a wider catalyst for the regeneration of Croydon creating over 5,000 jobs and bringing economic and social benefits to the town.
“The land assembly process is vital to bring forward this development at the earliest opportunity. The Croydon Partnership is working within the legal framework alongside the council, and it is our priority to ensure that all businesses involved are consulted.
“While there is strong local support for the development, we are sympathetic to the impact our proposals will have on some local businesses, and we will be working closely on a one-to-one basis. For businesses that would like to remain in the town centre, we will work with each business to seek long- and short-term solutions.”
annabel.dixon@estatesgazette.com
