Croydon to get £18m for major improved connectivity plans for town centre

Plans to transform Croydon town centre, including new walking and cycling paths, bus priority lanes and more greenery, are set to receive a £18.5m boost.

The Reconnected Croydon Plan was launched for the previous round of funding last year. 

The Department for Levelling Up said the bid will undergo a “short validation check” to measure for inflation and judge whether the plans have changed. The check will also determine whether the Reconnected Croydon Plan still represents value for money and can be delivered by the target date of March 2026. 

Croydon Council has published a plan to improve the ‘intervention’ areas that make up central Croydon.  

This sets out the vision but lacks detail on the nature of proposed changes: https://tinyurl.com/3r3455cu 

The plan states: “Years of decline in Croydon has stripped residents and businesses of the pride they once held in the town.  

“Through new investment in education, cultural and leisure, this pride is beginning to be restored. The reconnected Croydon programme will physically transform the town centre and act as the catalyst to reimagining it as a place of significant community and local pride.” 

A series of changes have been earmarked for different parts of the town centre:

Old Town - £3.9m planned spend

The document promises better walking and cycling routes around the busy Old Town area, which includes Croydon Minster, the six lane Roman road highway the town hall. There will also be upgrades made to the ‘public realm’ as well as improved east to west connectivity along the Improvements are to be made to walking and cycling routes in the area around College and Fairfield Halls. There will also be increased greenery in the public spaces nearby.

Wellesley Road - £1.4m planned spend

The busy A212 that splits East and West Croydon will also see increased greenery along the roadside. The road will also benefit from improved walking and cycling routes.

East Croydon - £0.5m planned spend 

Along With improved walking and cycling lanes, East Croydon will also see new bus priority lanes implemented and investment in the public realm. East Croydon is already seeing the creation of the new Ruskin Square. This area will soon become the home of both HMRC and the Home Office.

West Croydon - £0.7m planned spend

The plans pledge investment into West Croydon’s ‘connectivity’ alongside familiar promises to improve walking, cycling and public spaces.

South End to North End - £0.7m planned spend

Croydon’s extended high street, which sees the area's largest daily footfall, will also see improved walking routes. The council pledges improved walking facilities, co-designed public realm improvements and way-finding.