A planning application has been received by Croydon Council for Centrale Shopping Centre, marking an exciting step forward in the wider regeneration of Croydon town centre.

The application was submitted to the Local Planning Authority by Unibail‑Rodamco‑Westfield (URW), owners of Centrale and the Whitgift Centre, outlining a series of eye‑catching upgrades to the North End entrances and façade.

Executive Mayor Jason Perry has welcomed the proposals, which support his Growth Plan to create a town centre that feels vibrant, modern, and inviting for residents, workers and visitors alike.

Among the improvements are sleek new glass frontages, a large digital screen, and enhanced lighting designed to brighten the area and create a more welcoming feel. The colonnades in North End would be filled in, removing hidden areas and creating more attractive, modern shopfronts along this busy pedestrian route.

These upgrades form the first phase of URW’s Masterplan Framework, which aims to reimagine the North End Quarter as a dynamic hub of retail, culture, public spaces and new homes. The plans build on recent momentum, including the revival of the former Allders building with six newly opened shops and food places in Allders Parade.

The improvements also sit alongside several major Council-led regeneration projects now taking shape across Croydon. The transformation of Wellesley Road, George Street and Dingwall Road is nearing completion, introducing safer, greener and more welcoming connections across the town centre.

This spring, the Council will carry out targeted street cleaning and decluttering from West Croydon station to North End, creating a more attractive shopping environment. New wayfinding signage will also be introduced to help residents and visitors explore Croydon’s cultural, heritage and retail destinations.

Croydon’s North End has a long history – and not always as a retail centre. The Whitgift site was once home to Trinity School of John Whitgift, originally called Whitgift Middle School. It was named after Archbishop John Whitgift, the 16th‑century benevolent founder of the town’s historic Almshouses, Hospital of the Holy Trinity at Croydon, and a schoolhouse. The school relocated in the 1960s and its former site was redeveloped the Whitgift Centre, which opened in 1970.

Further up the high street, the ornate façade of Grants hints at its past as the retail hub of Croydon – once the prestigious 19th‑century department store. Grants drew aristocratic visitors from across Great Britain and overseas thanks to Croydon’s early role as home to the UK’s first international airport.

Executive Mayor Jason Perry said: “Croydon is changing – becoming a brighter, more welcoming town centre that honours its heritage whilst looking confidently to the future. I welcome this planning application for Centrale as part of URW’s wider North End masterplan, supporting growth and encouraging inward investment into our borough.”

The planning application for Centrale will be considered by the Local Planning Authority and comments can be made on the Council Website.

 

Centrale will remain open throughout the first phase of URW’s planned improvement programme.

Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon