A new £1.4 billion Westfield shopping centre has been given the green light south London which is set to create 7000 jobs.
Croydon Council has approved plans to redevelop the former Whitgift Shopping Centre into what is set to be London’s third Westfield complex.
It will mark the heart of Croydon town centre’s billion-pound regeneration scheme and will bring thousands of jobs, 1000 new homes and 300 new shops, restaurants and leisure facilities to the area.
The project, which is set to start in 2019, is a joint venture between the local council, the Croydon Partnership, the Greater London Authority and London Minister Greg Hands.
“This is fantastic news for Croydon and we have been doing everything we can to bring the redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre to fruition so local people can benefit from its wealth of offerings, including the creation of 7,000 new jobs,” Croydon Council leader Tony Newman said.
“The new homes and the thousands of jobs this development will bring shows investors are rightly confident about Croydon as a place to live, work and spend free time.”
Westfield UK’s head of development John Burton said: “The approval of the £1.4 billion plans to redevelop the Whitgift Centre represents a significant milestone for the project and for Croydon.”
He added: “The positive response from the London Borough of Croydon provides confidence to retailers, investors and the community, enabling the Croydon Partnership to create south London’s best retail, dining and leisure destination and deliver new homes and 7,000 jobs.”
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