All Croydonians should feel proud today

An artists impression of the scheme 

Like many Croydonians last night, I was delighted that the Westfield and Hammerson's £1 billion town centre regeneration project was approved at a special meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee. 

When the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson came to Croydon in January to announce the partnership between Westfield and Hammerson I was very excited as I knew that if this project was approved then it would provide the kick start for the Borough's much-needed regeneration. 

Croydon is a diverse town with the largest population in London and with an estimated 1.2 million people a year visiting the new retail hub, the local economy will benefit enormously from the increased footfall. 

For many years, Croydon has always been chosen by large businesses as the place to house their back office staff - rather than their shiny HQ, and last nights approval will encourage businesses to move to Croydon to launch and expand their operations in our town. 

With hundreds of new shops, cafes and restaurants being built this will create thousands of new jobs and regenerate the whole area. 

There are already many entrepreneurs across the Borough formulating ideas and launching businesses who have recognised that Croydon is a perfect town to invest in so lets hope that many more businesses follow suit so that all Croydonians can be proud of our town once again.

Click here to watch a video of how Croydon will be transformed by the redevelopment

Gamechanger for Croydonians

Today, Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson has helped deliver a £1billion investment into Croydon’s shopping centre, a move which will create 5,000 new jobs and regenerate the town centre. This is a joint effort between Croydon Council and investors with building work set to begin in 2015.

This investment from both Westfield and Hammerson will further enhance Croydon’s reputation as a must-visit retail hub, bringing new jobs and opportunities for residents and their families. The influx of visitors will also impact local businesses who will gain from an increased customer flow and restore our town to its formerly glory. Take one look at some of the local Labour Party blogs and Twitter feeds and it’s clear to see how hard they are all working to trash our town’s reputation and present the most negative image of Croydon possible in the public eye. But today’s announcement proves them all wrong, Croydon is and will continue to be one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live and work in the country.

Just take one look at the community spirit shown in response to the riots, take one look at the radical development of our town centre and the celebrations around the Diamond Jubilee. Croydon is a fantastic place to be and the Conservatives will continue to stand up for residents and fight for the issues that matter to them.