Near Surrey Street Market, Croydon. Pic: Dustin Tramel / Unsplash
Cultural projects in Croydon will benefit from a £7.2m boost of a regeneration programme that was agreed to by the council’s cabinet last week.
To facilitate growth in Croydon town centre, London authorities are financing and delivering £5.25 billion 12-year regeneration programme called the Growth Zone.
It’s a partnership between Central Government, Croydon Council, the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.
The Growth Zone budget and programme for 2024/25 was set by Croydon Council’s cabinet on Wednesday last week, and the regeneration programme was boosted by £7.2m.
Steering the town centre’s recovery
This additional investment will be beneficial for public spaces, culture and inward investment.
One of the projects that will benefit the culture in the borough is the development of the Croydon Urban Room engagement project, which will function as a space to talk about the past, present and future of Croydon town centre.
Their website stated: “Through conversations, stories, exhibitions and events, the Urban Room will bring together the views of those who live, work and visit the area to develop clear priorities for a plan to steer the town centre’s recovery.”
The idea is that this will function as a space where everyone has the opportunity to share their thoughts regarding the development of the town centre, be it ideas or concerns.
The Urban Room objectives are to inform, educate, collaborate, create, and inspire. Increasing access and understanding of the planning process, focusing specifically on underrepresented communities, is at the heart of the project.
Other cultural projects that will receive funding include exhibitions and programmes at the Museum of Croydon, and a wider project to create a cultural legacy for Croydon to continue beyond its year as London Borough of Culture. Eastlondonlines has approached the Croydon Council for a comment expanding on the latter project.
The regeneration of Croydon town centre has long been a priority for the Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, who said he is “determined to invest in the much-needed infrastructure and improved public and green spaces for our town centre, to make Croydon a place where we can all feel proud to live, work and visit”.
