Croydon Council was awarded funding from the Mayor of London’s Homebuilding Capacity Fund to develop a holistic design-led masterplan and delivery strategy for the Purley Way. The council worked alongside a multidisciplinary team and local communities to develop a transformative vision for the future of the Purley Way area — from a hostile and divisive road, into a green city street which accommodates a cluster of four new distinct mixed-use centres. Each centre has a clear purpose and response to positive elements of local character and supports integration of existing and new communities. The masterplan co-ordinates a significant increase in the delivery of well-designed, sustainable homes whilst also ensuring protection and intensification of designated employment areas, and enhancement of physical, social, cultural and digital infrastructure (including its public spaces, green, blue and sustainable transport networks). The spatial strategies within the masterplan have directly informed policies within a new Purley Way transformation area chapter in Croydon’s Local Plan Review. The masterplan will be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document following the adoption of Croydon’s Local Plan Review in 2023.
The vision for the North End Quarter transformation area (as included in Croydon’s Local Plan Review) is to develop a sustainable, highly productive and resilient, safe 24-hour destination for all. The area has the potential to revive central Croydon’s bold and visionary heritage with innovation and wellbeing at its heart. It will be a vibrant biodiverse, high quality neighbourhood that complements and supports the surrounding masterplan areas in the town centre, and includes retail as a balanced part of a more diverse mix of uses that safeguard its future vitality and viability. The North End Quarter will build on its history as an education, commercial and social hub, to be an attractive visitor and resident destination with a vibrant public and cultural offer alongside retail. It will be an inclusive destination for all, including an exemplary physical network of streets, public spaces and facilities that improves connectivity, celebrates its heritage and a unique local character with a strong green infrastructure that connects to the wider green and blue grid, digital infrastructure and sustainable transport embedded throughout.
As one of London’s largest and most diverse boroughs, Croydon is a fantastic place to live, work and spend time, with all the benefits of close proximity to the rest of London and the south east.
The borough is made up of diverse communities that stretch from Crystal Palace to Coulsdon and from New Addington to Purley; with bustling district centres and a vibrant urban town at its centre.
One of London’s largest commercial districts outside the centre, Croydon is a major hub of activity for workers and visitors; its excellent transport links include the iconic trams.
The borough has a richly diverse cultural scene and is known as the birthplace of music genres from punk to dubstep and the home of grime legend Stormzy. The renowned Brit School is continuing this legacy by nurturing a new generation of performers, with past alumni of Adele, Amy Winehouse and Tom Holland.
Croydon’s greatest strength is its people. London’s most populous borough, Croydon is home to 390,800 residents. Caring, passionate and principled, they take huge pride in coming together to improve their borough and help their communities.
Over the past decade, we have seen huge investment, regeneration and growth in our borough. Croydon remains an attractive and important part of London for ongoing growth and investment – growth from which we want to see all our communities benefit.
Population projections 2021 390,800
Population projections 2050 421,151 (2041 projection)
London plan new homes (ten-year target) 20,790
Building council homes for Londoners (four-year programme) 888
Anisha Jogani, placemaking team leader
Steve Dennington, head of spatial planning, planning and strategic transport
steve.dennington@croydon.gov.uk
Carol Squires, head of employment, skills and economy
Una Foster, Senior Economic development officer