Agenda and minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 6 February 2025 as an accurate record.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2025 be signed as a correct record.

Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that, in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act 2011, they are required to consider in advance of each meeting whether they have a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI), some other registrable interest (ORI) or a non-registrable interest (NRI) in relation to any matter on the agenda. If advice is needed, Members should contact the Monitoring Officer in good time before the meeting. If any Member or co-opted Member of the Council identifies a DPI or ORI which they have not already registered on the Council’s register of interests or which requires updating, they must urgently complete the disclosure form which can be obtained from Democratic Services at any time, copies of which will be available at the meeting for return to the Monitoring Officer.

Members and co-opted Members are required in general to disclose any relevant DPIs, ORIs or NRIs at the meeting –

• Where the matter relates to a DPI they may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not stay in the room unless granted a dispensation.
• Where the matter directly relates to the financial interest or wellbeing of an ORI they may not vote on the matter unless granted a dispensation.
• Where a Member or co-opted Member has an NRI which directly relates to or affects their or a relevant person’s financial interest or wellbeing, whether they can participate in any discussion or vote on the matter or stay in the room depends on the detailed rules in paragraphs 7 of Appendix B of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

The Chair will invite Members to make their disclosure of interests orally at the meeting and they will also be recorded in the minutes.

There were no disclosures of a pecuniary interest not already registered.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was none.

To consider the accompanying reports by the Director of Planning & Strategic Transport:

Demolition of the existing buildings and erection of buildings of 5 to 12 storeys to provide a leisure centre (Use Class F2), an Integrated Retirement Community comprising a mix of Specialist Older Persons Housing and Care Accommodation for older people (Use Classes C2 and C3), car parking, landscaping, and associated works.

Ward: Purley and Woodcote

Recommendation: Grant permission

Demolition of the existing buildings and erection of buildings of 5 to 12 storeys to provide a leisure centre (Use Class F2), an Integrated Retirement Community comprising a mix of Specialist Older Persons Housing and Care Accommodation for older people (Use Classes C2 and C3), car parking, landscaping, and associated works.

Ward: Purley and Woodcote

Thomas Wilson, Deputy Team Leader Planning and Sustainable Regeneration, presented the item.

Diane Hearne spoke in objection of the application. Richard Wilmer and Penny Moss spoke in support of the application. Neil Garratt addressed the Committee as the as the London Assembly member for Croydon and Sutton. Chris Philp MP addressed the Committee as the Member of Parliament for Croydon South. Simon Brew addressed the committee as the Ward Councillor.

After the speakers had finished, the Committee began the deliberation.

The substantive motion to GRANT the application based on the officer’s recommendation was proposed by Councillor Parker.

This was seconded by Councillor Redfern. The motion to grant the application was taken to a vote and carried with 8 Members voting in favour, no members voting against and 2 Members abstaining.

The Committee RESOLVED to GRANT the application for Purley Leisure Centre, 50 High Street, Purley, CR8 2AA.

To receive the following presentations on a proposed development:

There were none.

Masterplan Framework for a Mixed-Use Town Centre Redevelopment

Ward: Fairfield

North End Quarter – Land bounded by Wellesley Road, Church Street and George Street, Frith Road, Tamworth Road, and Poplar Walk including Whitgift Shopping Centre (CR0 1LP), North End and Centrale Shopping Centre (CR0 1TY).

Ward: Fairfield

Ross Gentry provided the background to the Masterplan Framework.

Tim Hurstwyn (URW) and Paul Eaton (Allies and Morrison) attended to give a presentation and respond to Members' questions and issues raised.

The main issues raised at this meeting were as follows:

Contents

• A lot to be commended on the document
• Support for flexibility and that the scheme will evolve over time
• Some challenges raised around what the document is actually saying

Town Centre

• Key is how the masterplan will drive town centre employment
• Need to generate employment, jobs and people needed
• Comments around need for young population and Croydon communities to be factored in going forward
• Question around the significant reduction in retail floorspace and justification for that
• Leisure and community use and how integrated, as well as lesson learnt from engagement 
• Pleased to hear mix of uses in central area
• Retail training academies should be looked into
• Importance of giving confidence to traders and meanwhile possibilities
• Relationship to Surrey Street need consideration   
• Needs more than just houses in town centre given metropolitan centre status 
• Want to see what would bring people into Croydon as part of these proposals

Movement

• Interactions of routes and public realm, and interactions with buildings critical
• Importance of activity, with questions focussed on Wellesley Road

Transport

• Need to provide adequate public transport services with reduced car parking
• Importance of transport infrastructure investment

Design

• Importance of safety and designing out crime
• Some challenges around potential extent of development on Wellesley Road

Engagement

• What lessons were learned from consultation events that have fed into the document

Timeframe

• Some questions on timeframe for delivery and phasing

Concluding remarks

• Not unanimous across the chamber but generally supportive at this very early stage
• Majority of members gave endorsement of the Masterplan Framework, noting more detail is to follow
• Request for a site visit across the town centre

To consider any item(s) referred by a previous meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee to this Committee for consideration and determination:

There are none.

There were none.

To consider the accompanying report by the Director of Planning & Strategic Transport:

There were none.

Attached is the list of Delegated and Planning Committee/Sub Committee decisions taken between 20.01.2025 to 16.02.2025.

RESOLVED to note the weekly Planning decisions as contained within the

report.