Croydon’s growth is “vital” to the whole of London with capacity for around 7,000 new jobs and homes – but a “bigger vision” is needed.
Lucy Owen, of the Greater London Authority, made the pronouncement at the Develop Croydon Conference as she outlined projections for another 2 million people and 900,000 more jobs in London over the next 20 years.
Ms Owen, who is Head of Area (South London) for housing and land directorate, said: We need to deliver 49,000 new homes each year. We really do need to meet this growth and Croydon is a vital, vital part of this.”
Visionary: Lucy Owen with panel chairman Paul Finch
But she added: “We need a bigger vision to deliver the growth Croydon and London really need.”
She explained that growth had stalled on some of the borough’s 54 sites identified for housing development and that infrastructure needed to be put in place – open spaces, health facilities, transport – to support growth.
“There isn’t just one missing piece to the jigsaw, there really isn’t,” Ms Owen said. “There isn’t just one solution in Croydon. Croydon has lots of different infrastructure projects that are needed. There’s not one silver bullet, there’s not one big ask.”
The audience at the Develop Croydon Conference
Croydon Council and the GLA have worked together to secure grants such as the £3.37m Get Britain Building Funding to unlock Ruskin Square and the £22m funding for Connected Croydon infrastructure projects. However, marketing is also key.
“Croydon and the GLA have been working together to package it up, calling it a growth zone and give some certainty to what we’re doing, to be really clear about what we’re asking for,” Ms Owens said.
“We need long-term certainty in Croydon so people can invest in Croydon and have the certainty their investment will work.”
Unlocked: The first phase of homes at Ruskin Square
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