Croydon Council has outlined how it will invest £1.5m from the Government’s Pride in Place Programme to revitalise high streets, enhance public spaces and boost community pride.
The funding will support a range of improvement projects, selected after listening to residents and the borough’s four MPs about where investment is most needed. This forms part of Executive Mayor Jason Perry’s commitment to drive growth and regeneration, and to make Croydon a place that residents are proud to call home.
Significant investment will be delivered across several local parks. In Addiscombe Recreation Ground, a vacant building will be transformed into a new community space suitable for a café or events, alongside refurbished public toilets. Edgecoombe Playground in Selsdon will see improvements to its play area, while Wandle Park will benefit from upgraded lighting and pathways to make the park safer and more welcoming.
At Waddon Ponds, viewing platforms will be enhanced and the mess room refurbished. In Sanderstead, the community area by Millers Pond will be improved, and funding will also support better access to the sunken garden in The Queen’s Gardens in the town centre.
The borough’s four new community hubs, based in the former library buildings in Shirley, Sanderstead, Broad Green and Bradmore Green, will receive upgrades to improve accessibility. In Norbury, Green Lane shopping parade will benefit from new paving, and the High Street will see new public art installed.
The works are expected to be completed by March 2027. New Addington North was also selected as one of only two neighbourhoods in London to receive long-term support through the Pride in Place Programme, securing up to £20m over the next decade to help regenerate the area. As this is a longer-term project, work is still at an early stage. The Council is currently seeking a volunteer Chair to help lead this initiative.
“We are planning to use this funding to deliver meaningful improvements to the public spaces across our borough. Our parks, our high streets, and our shared spaces are the backbone of community life, and we have taken time to listen to residents and partners to understand which areas matter to them and are in most need of investment. We are determined to make them safer, more welcoming and inviting places where residents can feel proud to spend time and come together.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
