As one of London’s largest and youngest boroughs, Croydon is home to a diverse community, unrivalled connectivity and a bustling cultural landscape. Over 140,000 people travel to the borough every day. Proud home of anchor institutions including The BRIT School, Stormzy’s Merky HQ, Crystal Palace F.C., London South Bank University and Fairfield Halls, Croydon’s economic opportunities are exciting, with one of the largest SME bases in the capital and the fastest rate of microbusiness growth in London (24% in 2024 – the third-fastest in the UK).
Named London Borough of Culture in 2023/24, Croydon boasts more creative businesses per capita than Manchester, Leeds or Birmingham and continues to attract national talent to its music, arts and events scene.
With thousands of new homes, billions already invested in regeneration and a growing population, Croydon is ready. Not just to grow, but to lead.
At the heart of the Growth Plan is the Town Centre Vision – a regeneration plan for one of the South East’s best connected destinations and one primed for growth. Under this Vision, £30 million of funding will go towards a programme of improvements designed to attract new visitors, residents, businesses and investors. A new spatial strategy will guide transformation across five defined areas – the North End Quarter, East Croydon, West Croydon, the Cultural Quarter and the Heritage Quarter.
More than a dozen projects are planned across these zones; from improving the urban experience with a pedestrian link bridge at East Croydon and upgrades to public realm at George Street and Dingwall Road, to new green spaces connecting College Green and Fairfield Halls. A programme of activities and installations will drive footfall and reignite the high street, creating a flourishing town centre that honours its past while inviting in the people, ideas and investment of the future.
The ambition of the plan has already attracted strong backing:
Promoting connectivity, culture and history, commercial and community, this is an important moment to publicly declare our ambition as a borough and the opportunities. Its time to unlock our long-held potential, remove the shackles of negativity and embrace growth and investment. We must now deliver tangible results.
The Growth Plan and Town Centre Vision will allow the potential of the borough to be fully realised. Since 2022, every major planning application has been approved at committee. Croydon is one of London’s largest and most affordable boroughs, delivering more than 10,000 homes in the next five years – contributing to the 34,000 target to be delivered by 2039.
Croydon’s outstanding connectivity continues to set it apart. The town centre is just 14 minutes from London Bridge, 16 minutes from Victoria, and 15 minutes from London Gatwick Airport. Croydon boasts the capital’s only Tramlink system and direct rail links spanning London and the South East, extensive bus services, and excellent road access via the M25 and A232.
As one of the capital’s youngest boroughs, Croydon is investing in local training to nurture future talent and has the backing of 65 investors, developers and landowners through Develop Croydon.
