Croydon Council has successfully bid for £814,000 from the Greater London Authority (GLA), for the Amplifying Surrey Street project. It is part of Executive Mayor Jason Perry’s priority to regenerate the town centre and make the borough cleaner, safer and healthier.
The council is working closely with community partners, businesses and residents on the project to conserve and regenerate the unique heritage of the Surrey Street market – which dates back to 1276, making it one of the oldest in the UK.
Croydon will collaborate with market traders and local businesses, to protect and drive growth of the market; and will work to bring vacant shops and spaces back into use so they can be used by culture, arts and community groups. It will also work to create safer, greener and improved public spaces in the Surrey Street area, for everyone to use and enjoy.
Through recent engagement workshops about the Civic Partnership Programme, council partners highlighted local priorities, which included connectivity, safety, heritage, vacancy and the public realm. Surrey Street and its surroundings were emphasised as an area of civic, cultural and historical importance.
Croydon was one of five London boroughs to secure funding from the Civic Partnership Programme, which aims to create more open, connected and inclusive public spaces across London, and to give residents of all backgrounds a greater role in shaping their town centres.
The £814k secured is part of a larger funding package, which will be matched by contributions from Croydon Council’s Growth Zone (business rate retention mechanism) that is focussed on funding town centre regeneration.
Jules Pipe, the Greater London Authority’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service, said:
“The projects funded by the Civic Partnership Programme aim to give Londoners of all backgrounds a greater role in shaping how their city grows and deliver better public spaces to live, work and play.
“I’m impressed by the quality and diversity of proposals we received – and welcome Croydon’s focus on revitalising Surrey Street by bringing vacant shops back into use, supporting market traders and creating new, green spaces.”
“Sadiq and I are committed to growing partnerships like these as a way of empowering local communities and creating a city where all Londoners have access to the best opportunities. I look forward to seeing all the positive impacts these projects will have in the future as we build a fairer, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Executive Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry said:
“This funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) is a welcome boost for our project to regenerate Surrey Street, home to one of the oldest street markets in the UK.
“We look forward to working with Surrey Street market traders, local businesses, community partners and residents, to deliver this project. It is part of our plans for the wider regeneration of the town centre, creating a vibrant and welcoming place to live, work and visit.”
