Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has refused to confirm Croydon Council’s compulsory purchase order on the site, which is owned by Schroders and Stanhope.
 
Last week she refused consent for a development scheme centred on a 12,500-seat arena, proposed by Arrowcroft and Frogmore.
 
William Hill, Managing Director of Schroders Investment Managers and David Camp, Chief Executive of Stanhope, said: “We are delighted that the Secretary of State has declined to support the CPO.  We argued at the planning inquiry that the arena scheme was not appropriate for this site and we are pleased to see that the Secretary of State agrees that it does not justify taking our land.
 
“We have already secured planning permission for our development and we now look forward to working constructively with Croydon Council to ensure the early redevelopment of this key site.”
 
The Gateway development, to be built around a 4.5-acre public park, will include new health facilities, a new 200-seat community theatre, cafes and restaurants.
 
To be known as Ruskin Square and designed by Foster & Partners, it will comprise 1m sq ft of office development and more than 500 new homes, a large proportion of which will be affordable.
 
The government decision brings to an end years of uncertainty and planning wrangles over land which has been derelict for 30 years.
 
Ruth Kelly, the then Secretary of State, granted planning permission for Schroders/Stanhope’s scheme on 1 June 2006, and all pre-commencement planning conditions were cleared by the council, in May this year.
 
Mr Hill and Mr Camp said: “We hope that having fought for years for permission to develop our site, we can now put the tortuous planning history behind us.
 
“We look forward to early discussions with the council so that we can make a start on our development which we believe will act as the catalyst for the regeneration of the rest of Croydon.”
 
Further Information:
Dave Felton, Jefferson Communications 020 7256 8912/07803 214682