Premcor Estates has submitted a planning application for a new mixed-use development on a site in Croydon.
The proposed regeneration of the Woburn and Bedford Court site will comprise 445 residential units – 156 affordable – and circa 1,772 sq m of flexible commercial/community space at ground floor level.
The new one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments will be delivered across four buildings of 29 storeys, 26 storeys, 13 storeys and four to seven storeys.
Rob Lane, director at Premcor, said: “This is a significant inner-city regeneration scheme and it has taken four years to reach the planning submission stage. We have invested an immense amount of time and thought into creating a masterplan which we see as being able to deliver the optimum residential, commercial and community benefit for the Croydon community.
“Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable mixed-use neighbourhood that revitalises Woburn and Bedford Court and Wellesley Road. In the wider context, the redevelopment of the site aims to deliver a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood that promotes local employment, supports small to medium-sized enterprises and serves as a community hub which is currently lacking in the neighbourhood.”
James Owens, partner and head of planning at Rapleys’ London office, which is the planning consultant for the scheme, added: “Currently, the Woburn Court and Bedford Court site comprises a total of 80 units distributed across eight blocks, each ranging from three to four storeys in height. Built in 1964, they fall far short of current standards and regulations. With the current amenity space consisting of flat grass areas, scattered trees, concrete pavers and tarmac, an upgrade rather than a total rebuild has been deemed neither practical nor commercially viable.
“Placemaking lies at the heart of this proposal and with approval, this scheme will be able to significantly improve the quality of life and opportunity for local people, as well as breathing new life into what is now a run-down site – the current 1960s development layout results in a fragmented public realm, which has led to misuse of its spaces and as a consequence, the estate has been plagued by antisocial behaviour over the years.”
The project team also includes EPR Architects, Churchman Thornhill Finch and Montagu Evans.
