As noted on this site in February, Croydon Council have given Berkeley Homes the green light to build a £140M 44-storey tower in Croydon.
The development at Wellesley Square will include a total of 739 flats built across five blocks.
However, Property Week reports that the tower, designed by Rolfe Judd architects, has been designed to resemble a crocus. Seemingly, the name 'Croydon' was derived from the Latin for crocus and valley.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
Croydon Selects John Laing
Property Week reports that Croydon Council has selected John Laing Projects and Developments as its preferred partner for a £450M regeneration.
John Laing beat competition from Land Securities Trillium to be selected as Croydon Council's partner to redevelop four council-owned sites and build the council a new headquarters.
The cabinet is set to approve the creation of the 50:50 urban regeneration vehicle on 9 June.
The council said:
"Through setting up a limited liability partnership in which the council and its selected private sector investment partner would each have a 50% stake (through the authority's land assets and the partner’s cash) the council will be able to ensure regeneration takes place in the way it wants and to realise much greater value from the proceeds."
Councillor Tim Pollard said:
"It won't have escaped anyone's notice that some of the most successful companies in the UK are property developers. The council has for some time sold sites to the highest bidder only for developers to take all the profit when land is developed.
The solution we expect to engineer with John Laing will ensure we get a big slice of the future action and make a lasting contribution to Croydon's regeneration."
I might have more faith in the council's and Tim Pollard's abilities to regenerate Croydon, were it not for their obsession with trying to build an arena in Croydon.
John Laing beat competition from Land Securities Trillium to be selected as Croydon Council's partner to redevelop four council-owned sites and build the council a new headquarters.
The cabinet is set to approve the creation of the 50:50 urban regeneration vehicle on 9 June.
The council said:
"Through setting up a limited liability partnership in which the council and its selected private sector investment partner would each have a 50% stake (through the authority's land assets and the partner’s cash) the council will be able to ensure regeneration takes place in the way it wants and to realise much greater value from the proceeds."
Councillor Tim Pollard said:
"It won't have escaped anyone's notice that some of the most successful companies in the UK are property developers. The council has for some time sold sites to the highest bidder only for developers to take all the profit when land is developed.
The solution we expect to engineer with John Laing will ensure we get a big slice of the future action and make a lasting contribution to Croydon's regeneration."
I might have more faith in the council's and Tim Pollard's abilities to regenerate Croydon, were it not for their obsession with trying to build an arena in Croydon.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Park Place Going Nowhere
The Croydon Guardian reports that the much vaunted Park Place scheme, that has caused the decay of St George's Walk, has been delayed again.
The original plan was for work on Park Place to start in spring this year, with completion expected in 2012.
Croydon council now claim that it does not expect to receive a new planning application from developer Minerva until October or November this year.
Whilst that is going on it seems that Minerva may well be taken over.
Aside from our very naive council, who seriously believes that this development will ever take place in the next five years?
This scheme is sinking fast, and is dragging down local businesses and the environment with it (see my article in March 2008 for further background).
The original plan was for work on Park Place to start in spring this year, with completion expected in 2012.
Croydon council now claim that it does not expect to receive a new planning application from developer Minerva until October or November this year.
Whilst that is going on it seems that Minerva may well be taken over.
Aside from our very naive council, who seriously believes that this development will ever take place in the next five years?
This scheme is sinking fast, and is dragging down local businesses and the environment with it (see my article in March 2008 for further background).
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Consultation
There appears to be a consultation exercise going on in Croydon at the moment, wrt plans for Wellesley Road etc.
Go to the library and ask for a copy of the Summary and Comment form, the last date for comment and feedback is 14th April.
Go to the library and ask for a copy of the Summary and Comment form, the last date for comment and feedback is 14th April.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Park Place Collapse
It looks like the Park Place development scheme has collapsed (or rather is going to collapse).
How many years has the council (both Labour and Tory) tried to kid us that this development would ever happen?
Who seriously believed that this scheme would ever get off the ground?
How many other development schemes touted by the council are going to fail to get off the ground?
The failure of Croydon council to plan effectively has led to the degradation and decay of the area designated for the development, eg St George's Walk. Local businesses, such as Turtle's, have been under threat of closure because of this scheme.
In May 2005 I wrote that:
"Turtle's, one of Croydon's best known independent stores, is searching for new premises after compulsory purchase orders were issued to acquire the land for the £500M Park Place shopping centre."
In February 2005 I wrote about Minerva funding Croydon Council's fight against the Whitgift shopping centre expansion plans proposed by Minerva's rivals, who own the Whitgift. I stated then that this must surely raise reservations about the council's independence.
Interestingly, John Prescott crushed the rival scheme in March 2006; Andrew Rosenfeld (owner of Minerva) having loaned £1M to Labour.
According to The Times:
"Prescott killed the rival scheme, put forward by a consortium called Whitgift, by rejecting its appeal against an earlier refusal by inspectors to give it planning permission."
Prescott denied this and another allegation. Prescott confirmed that he had received the planning applications, but said he felt the decisions should be made locally.
"I passed it over to Croydon and (the other application) City of London Corporation.
They made the decision, not me."
It is time that the council stopped kowtowing to the developers, and asserted a robust and coherent development policy that served the interests of the people who actually live and work in Croydon.
How many years has the council (both Labour and Tory) tried to kid us that this development would ever happen?
Who seriously believed that this scheme would ever get off the ground?
How many other development schemes touted by the council are going to fail to get off the ground?
The failure of Croydon council to plan effectively has led to the degradation and decay of the area designated for the development, eg St George's Walk. Local businesses, such as Turtle's, have been under threat of closure because of this scheme.
In May 2005 I wrote that:
"Turtle's, one of Croydon's best known independent stores, is searching for new premises after compulsory purchase orders were issued to acquire the land for the £500M Park Place shopping centre."
In February 2005 I wrote about Minerva funding Croydon Council's fight against the Whitgift shopping centre expansion plans proposed by Minerva's rivals, who own the Whitgift. I stated then that this must surely raise reservations about the council's independence.
Interestingly, John Prescott crushed the rival scheme in March 2006; Andrew Rosenfeld (owner of Minerva) having loaned £1M to Labour.
According to The Times:
"Prescott killed the rival scheme, put forward by a consortium called Whitgift, by rejecting its appeal against an earlier refusal by inspectors to give it planning permission."
Prescott denied this and another allegation. Prescott confirmed that he had received the planning applications, but said he felt the decisions should be made locally.
"I passed it over to Croydon and (the other application) City of London Corporation.
They made the decision, not me."
It is time that the council stopped kowtowing to the developers, and asserted a robust and coherent development policy that served the interests of the people who actually live and work in Croydon.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Diamonds In The Sky
"A bid to transform Croydon's skyline with four new diamond shaped skyscrapers will be officially launched at a property festival in Cannes."
An interesting idea, but I shall believe it when I see it!
Here is an artist's impression of the plans:
An interesting idea, but I shall believe it when I see it!
Here is an artist's impression of the plans:
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