New Office Block

Property group Terrace Hill Group PLC has said that it has received planning consent for a 204,000 square foot 14-storey office building in George Street, Croydon, opposite East Croydon railway station.

The company says that it plans to start construction in late 2007, at a cost of £100M.

The End is Nigh For Allders

It looks as though the end is nigh for Allders, if this report in the Croydon Guardian about the building site that Croydon will be turned into is anything to go by:

"Originally the £500million shopping centre (Park Place) was to be built in two phases, easing the disruption to residents, transport and businesses nearby and allowing the Allders department store to move into new premises with minimum disruption.

But now the mammoth retail complex will be built in one go and fears are growing over the future of the North End department store which began trading in Croydon in 1862.

The council confirmed this week that Park Place would be constructed in a single phase development."

It is sad to see the Allders building go. However, the store itself has long since died (eg the mens' department) and is a pathetic shadow of its former self which should most certainly be put out of its and our misery.

Crane Collapse

My commiserations to the seriously injured driver of the crane, that collapsed onto the roof of the Croydon Park Hotel on Saturday, I wish him a speedy and full recovery.

It is at least some relief that there seem to have been no other serious injuries.

This website has a very good series of photos showing the collapse in real time:

- Crane Collapse

One piece of friendly advice to Altitude 25 and their associates Howard Holdings, who are the building site developers, it may be wise to publish some information on your websites about the collapse together with a note of sympathy to the driver.

As at this time, there is no mention of the collapse on either of the sites.

Tree Felling

I am saddened to read that in the last five years Croydon Council has felled 2600 trees, yet only replanted 600 of those that have been cut down.

Seemingly the borough has such appalling finances it cannot afford to replace any more of the trees.

That being the case I am forced to ask why the council is so dead set on supporting the Arrowcroft arena scheme (with no green space), when the Stanhope scheme eschews the unwanted white elephant of an arena in favour of a new park planted with mature trees.

Council Divided Over Arena

It would seem that the council is not as fully behind the arena development as they would like to have us believe.