Croydon Council has received a planning application from URW for refurbishment works at the Centrale Shopping Centre, marking a further step in the regeneration of Croydon town centre.
The submission by Unibail‑Rodamco‑Westfield (URW) – owner of both Centrale and the Whitgift Centre – seeks permission for a refreshed look to the North End entrances and the building’s façade.
Plans outline new glazed frontages, a large digital screen and enhanced lighting intended to improve the streetscape. The existing colonnades along North End would be infilled to remove concealed areas and deliver contemporary, more attractive shopfronts on this busy pedestrian route.
Executive Mayor Jason Perry has welcomed the application as aligning with his Growth Plan to create a vibrant, modern town centre for residents, workers and visitors. He 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 proposals form the opening phase of URW’s Masterplan Framework to reimagine the North End Quarter as a mixed hub of retail, culture, public spaces and new homes. They build on recent momentum, including the revival of the former Allders building, where six new shops and food outlets have opened in Allders Parade.
The Centrale upgrades would sit alongside several Council‑led public realm schemes nearing completion on Wellesley Road, George Street and Dingwall Road, delivering safer, greener and more welcoming connections across the town centre.
This spring, targeted street cleaning and decluttering will take place from West Croydon station to North End to create a more appealing shopping environment. New wayfinding will also be installed to help people explore Croydon’s cultural, heritage and retail destinations.
North End has a long and varied history beyond retail. The Whitgift site previously housed Trinity School of John Whitgift (formerly Whitgift Middle School), named after Archbishop John Whitgift, founder of the town’s historic Almshouses and the Hospital of the Holy Trinity. The school relocated in the 1960s and the site was redeveloped as the Whitgift Centre, which opened in 1970.
Further up the high street, the ornate façade of Grants reflects its past as a prestigious 19th‑century department store that drew aristocratic visitors, supported by Croydon’s early role as home to the UK’s first international airport.
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