Regeneration project: New Addington

Croydon is getting £956,000 from the Mayor’s Regeneration Fund to build on work started by the Outer London Fund in New Addington. Central Parade is at the heart of New Addington, but has suffered from deteriorating streets, graffiti, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour. Round One funding saw £516,000 from the Outer London Fund start improvements to Central Parade. This included creating a better town square to host community events. After the 2011 riots, further funding has been invested to extend the new shared surface, adding pedestrian footpaths and rearranging parking provisions. Funding is also supporting the Good Food Matters project and feasibility studies for future development.

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Hosting events

Central Parade in New Addington has become the focal point for community led events. Assemble, working in residence with local community group New Addington Pathfinders, have redesigned the square to provide a clearly defined space for events, including a timber stage. The team brought events previously held indoors out into the space to test ideas for the permanent design. The space is complemented by a new website, New Addington Today, and a digital sign fixed to Pathfinder’s HQ, both featuring events listings. Funding is also helping to realise Good Food Matters, a community scheme to promote healthy eating through learning and training activities – including a new Community Food Learning Centre, designed by Geraghty Taylor Architects.

Public spaces

Investment in New Addington is focused around Central Parade, with funds being used to improve access and pedestrian safety, and make it more attractive and appealing. The first phase helped to create a livelier town square that could accommodate events and a larger market, with new paving, planting, a stage, and skateboard ramp. The second phase will see architects 5^th Studio design better pedestrian routes and clearer parking to encourage visitors to the parade. The area directly outside the shops is being made more pedestrian-friendly with a shared surface that will allow market expansion and shops to have less cluttered forecourts.

Supporting business

The Good Food Matters project aims to improve the skills, work readiness and employment opportunities of local people in New Addington through healthy food production and preparation. It is delivered by a local charity that seeks to engage young unemployed people and other social disadvantaged groups, with workshops and training opportunities. Funding is supporting the delivery of a Community Food Learning Centre, and the cultivation of a 1.5 acre plot of land to include an orchard, wildlife meadow, greenhouse and allotments. In the long term, the project will help young people get recognised qualifications, and deliver advanced cookery and horticulture courses.

Stewardship

Local community group, New Addington Pathfinders, played an important role in shaping the Round One project, working with the appointed design team. The funding also helped to seed the Business Improvement District in New Addington. Subsequent investment is being put towards a Central Parade West development study, to review the options for this priority regeneration site, including plans for a new supermarket, housing, a leisure centre, green space and a community centre. A network of stakeholders is being put together to form a steering group that will guide the future development of the area.

Shaping development

Central Parade West was identified as a priority regeneration site in 2004, but since then has proved difficult to develop. A study into development options for the area is considering how best to support provision of a new leisure centre, a supermarket, an improved Addington Community Association building, and redesign parking provisions. The study envisions a future for the area and will assess the feasibility of the development options. As part of their work on the redesigned square at Central Parade, Assemble compiled a ‘wish list’ for the second phase of works. Suggestions include lighting columns, a community event toolkit, additional seating, planting and shop front signage that would further consolidate the new public space.

Preparing for change

Working in residence in New Addington, design collective, Assemble, built full-size prototypes of new street furniture and tested how they worked with a programme of events that brought activity typically held indoors outside. The permanent outdoor stage and playable seating area were informed by this engaging consultation.

Borough: Croydon

Partners/client: LB Croydon

Consultants: 5^th Studio, Geraghty Taylor Architects, Assemble

Funding: Mayor of London £1.5m, Big Lottery Fund £300,000, Tudor Trust £150,000, City Bridge Trust £50,000, Lloyds TSB £20,000, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation £46,000