What’s happening with Croydon’s new Westfield shopping centre?

South Londoners have been looking forward to getting their own Westfield shopping centre for more than 12 years. Now, there’s finally an update on the project, but it may not be the major shopping destination people were first promised. 

Croydon’s Westfield development is ‘definitely happening’, the developer now in charge of the project has said, but if you were getting your hopes up for the Whitgift Centre to be brought back to its former glory, you might be disappointed. The new plans do include a mixed retail space, but there’s also going to be a lot of housing. 

The building of Westfield was initially due to be finished by 2017, but the development kept getting pushed back. Last year developers Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) took on the project, and have started a public consultation into the scheme which will see ‘homes, shops, cultural venues and public spaces’ built in Croydon. 

Tim Hurstwyn, Development Director at URW, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: ‘We are different from the Westfield of old. We are here, and we are going to deliver.’

The masterplan is to create the ‘North End Quarter’, a new mixed-use destination with a shopping focus that will include the Whitgift Centre, Allders and the immediate surrounding area of Croydon’s town centre. There will also be new green areas and pedestrian friendly streets, as well as homes for sale, build-to-rent houses, student accommodation, co-living, and supported housing.

Architects Allies and Morrison, the people behind the King’s Cross and the Stratford Olympic developments, have been appointed as the lead designers for the Croydon scheme.

Scott Parsons, chief operating officer at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: ‘Our vision for the North End Quarter will drive major positive change, establishing a thriving heart of Croydon that is inclusive and welcoming for all.

‘We know there is a strong desire from residents, businesses and stakeholders to see progress in the town and our goal is to harness Croydon’s creativity, youth and connectivity to develop a scheme that leverages its strengths with a diverse economy across retail, finance, community and the arts.’

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London’s Bond Street is officially the world’s third-most expensive shopping destination.