Croydon Council’s Proposed Purley Way ‘Masterplan’ – Public Input Requested
You may be aware that Croydon Council has been developing a planning ‘Masterplan’ for the future of the Purley Way area. This is part of their work to update the Croydon Local Plan. Over the past weeks the Council have invited input from the public, and hosted a number of ‘Zoom’ meetings to explain their proposals for the Purley Way. The PWRA, along with other Croydon Residents Associations, has attended these meetings. We felt it important to understand these proposals as, with Purley being at one end of the Purley Way, any changes to the Purley Way are likely to have an effect on Purley itself.
As a result of both reviewing the council’s proposals, and attending the ‘Zoom’ meetings, we are concerned that the Council’s proposals are naïve, unrealistic, and do not take account of impact on areas surrounding the Purley Way, including Purley itself. Consequently, whilst the PWRA supports the principle and intent of redeveloping the Purley Way area, which we believe most people consider currently unattractive and over-trafficed, we cannot support the ‘Masterplan’ as currently proposed.
Below is a link to both a summary of the ‘Masterplan’ and the public consultation questionnaire:
https://getinvolved.croydon.gov.uk/project/685
The PWRA has submitted responses to what we consider to be the key questions in the questionnaire at this stage. Namely those about the overall principles on the Masterplan. These questions and our responses are:
Do you have any additional comments for how the Vision could be improved?
Whilst the Purley & Woodcote Residents Association support the principle and intent of redeveloping the Purley Way area, which is currently unattractive and over-trafficed, we cannot support these proposals. They are both naive and unrealistic.
Whilst good to have an overarching vision, it needs to be grounded in the reality of delivery, and this masterplan for the Purley Way is not. The practicality, and cost, of delivery does not seem to have been taken into account – conversion of the Purley Way into a largely residential area with retail and leisure integrated (ie situated below blocks of flats), without control over the Purley Way (a major arterial route), ownership of the sites in question, and / or finances to support the delivery of the masterplan is not a credible position from which to make these proposals.
Furthermore, no account, or impact assessment, of these proposals on surrounding areas appears to have been undertaken. For example no account is taken of the extensive and largely industrial / warehousing operations immediately adjacent to the masterplan area, or of the near-by sewage works and incinerator. Is it credible to propose extensive residential development in such an area?
Purley lies at the Southern end of the Purley Way and planning decisions by Croydon Council will see several thousand new housing units (largely flats) there, without any new supporting infrastructure (schools, doctors, etc), and increasing traffic pressure on the already congested Purley Cross. These proposals will only add to the cumulative pressure on Purley, with no tangible benefit.
What do you think is the priority for transforming the Purley Way Corridor?
The priority for transforming the Purley Way corridor should be below regenerating Croydon Town centre, and ensuring adequate infrastructure is in place for Purley and other existing district centres.
Do you have any additional comments for how the phasing of development and supporting infrastructure, or ‘precursor projects’ could be improved?
It is essential that provision of new transport and social infrastructure must either precede, or run in parallel with, any Purley Way regeneration.
The ‘precursor projects’ need to be realistic and of a type that will create support for a wider regeneration.
The public consultation on the ‘Masterplan’ ends at midnight on 16th March, and, if you agree with us, we urge you to respond, using our responses if you wish.
I don’t see where to find your response to the Purley Way Masterplan! Please tell me.
Hi Derek,
Re-read the article again and when you get to: “The PWRA has submitted responses to what we consider to be the key questions in the questionnaire at this stage. Namely those about the overall principles on the Masterplan. These questions and our responses are”
The answers to the questions in bold are our responses. I hope that makes sense!
Has Croydon Council the finances for this project at the moment? Surely the priority is to get out of bankruptcy before embarking on schemes that can wait for a while.