The government has handed proposals to regenerate College Green – including the refurbishment of Fairfield Halls – a £14.2million funding boost.
Croydon Council has been granted the Coast to Capital Partnership funding to enhance the proposals which are designed to create a stunning new cultural quarter.
The scheme is being delivered by the council’s own development company Brick by Brick with a detailed planning application for the first phase due to go before committee on February 23. Contractors are currently preparing the Farfield Halls site for structural works which will begin in May.
Cllr Alison Butler, cabinet member for homes, regeneration and planning, said: “This funding award represents a huge vote of confidence in our vision for the new cultural quarter at Fairfield and College Green, and for the whole of Croydon.
“Through this ambitious regeneration we are delivering new homes, new jobs and a new college – together with a fantastic new performance venue right at the heart of the development. It is hugely important, not only for Croydon but for the South East, putting our town firmly back on the map as a key destination for arts and leisure.”
The College Green proposals form a key part of Croydon’s £5.25billion regeneration programme while Rick Mather Architects last year won a New London Architecture Award for its plans for Fairfield Halls.
Plans for Fairfield Halls have been well-received, with design team, Rick Mather Architects winning the NLA (New London Architecture) award in the Conservation and Retrofit category in September.
The Croydon investment forms part of a £66million government for the economy in the Coast to Capital area – which extends from the borough to the south coast – creating up to 40,000 new jobs and 13,000 new homes across the region between now and 2021.
“The new projects to be funded will help to improve the daily lives and prospects of local people,” said Jonathan Sharrock, chief executive of Coast to Capital LEP.
“Working closely with partners, we will be able to unlock the region’s potential for long-term growth by kick starting schemes which will provide the stimulus to bring forward more homes and jobs.”