Exciting plans to bring pop-up mall Boxpark to Croydon have been given the green light by the council.

London’s second and biggest Boxpark, following its forerunner in Shoreditch, will open next summer on the Ruskin Square site next to East Croydon, the main gateway into the town centre.

This comes after the council’s planning committee last night gave its approval to the five-year scheme, which is being delivered in partnership with the GLA and Stanhope & Schroders.

Made from 97 shipping containers, Boxpark Croydon will be food and drink focussed, with more than 30 outlets including restaurant, café and retail units.

Units will be rented out to a mixture of independent small and medium sized businesses, and the scheme is expected to generate up to 200 new jobs.

There will also be covered courtyard space where year-round events will take place, expanding the cultural offer in the town centre.

Boxpark Croydon is a meanwhile use scheme which will occupy Ruskin Square during the wider office and housing focussed redevelopment of the site by Stanhope & Schroders.

This will see up to 1.25 million sq ft of office accommodation, 625 new homes and more than 100,000 sq ft of retail, café and restaurant space.

“I welcome the decision by the planning committee to give the go ahead to this really exciting scheme.

“Boxpark’s arrival is a sign of how Croydon is rapidly changing and is an important milestone in the regeneration of our borough.

“It will transform East Croydon, taking the site at Ruskin Square earmarked for future development by Stanhope & Schroder and turning it into something welcoming and attractive to the two million people who pass through the station each year.

“Boxpark means Croydon will draw even more visitors to the town centre, and see it become a place people want to come to and spend their free time.”

Councillor Alison Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning

Daniel Moylan, chair of the Mayor’s Design Advisory Group, said: “The purpose of the Mayor’s Regeneration Fund is to identify opportunities to make investments which will support jobs and economic growth.

“Boxpark certainly has the potential to drive growth and prosperity in Croydon, a London Borough which is going from strength to strength thanks to its great infrastructure and booming local economy.”

Notes to editors

CGI stills can be downloaded here http://bit.ly/1VFkf2W

[feather_share]