May 2025 Addiscombe West Councillors Update

Bridge to Nowhere
Planning Update– Discharge of Condition Notice 24/03590/DISC

You may recall that in October 2024, Network Rail applied to discharge certain conditions imposed by the Council on its 2011 planning application to construct the pedestrian bridge.

Condition 5: Details of servicing the bridge’s Kiosks on the East side of the new bridge. (Electric and water supplies)

Condition 6: The methodology for reviewing the pedestrian access arrangements to the bridge and station platforms, which would result in no ticket line on the Cherry Orchard Road side, so commuters from Cherry Orchard will have to walk over to the other side of the bridge to access the Station.

On 10^th April 2025, the council planning officers approved condition 5; however, the council had considered the information provided for condition 6 to be insufficient. Network Rail withdrew this part of the application before the Council could make a decision. Given that condition 6 must be met before opening, the bridge will therefore remain closed.

The council’s official comms on this matter is, “The Council continues to work closely with Network Rail (NR), its agent GTR and Menta in managing the East Croydon Station link bridge opening.  The parties continue to meet regularly to ensure the programme of works necessary to open the public side of the bridge is understood and agreed.”

Your councillors and MPs continue to lobby stakeholders and support activists, such as Andrea Perry, who has set up a petition calling for a ticket gate on the east side of the station. The petition has surpassed 1,300 signatures and has been reported in the online newspaper, MyLondon.

The petition link is below:

Petition · Ticket Gate needed! from Cherry Orchard Road into East Croydon station – Croydon, United Kingdom · Change.org

At Full Council, Councillor Patricia Hay-Justice gained assurance from Mayor Perry to work with other stakeholders to secure a ticket gate. Jerry Fitzpatrick has kept this issue on the Full Council agenda by asking public questions about the ticket gate in the April 2025 meeting. If members wish to ask public questions of the Elected Mayor and his Cabinet, please use the link below, How to ask a council question | Croydon Council

Glamorgan Public House – 24/03463/FUL – update

The last planning applications for demolition and a new build were refused by Council officers April 2025.

Under the Localism Act 2011, the Save the Glamorgan group was able to add this valued site to the Council’s Asset of Community Value (AVC) register. This required the owner to notify the council of their intention to demolish or change the use of the building and provide time for a community group to raise the funds to purchase the asset. Being deemed as an AVC, the Glamorgan has benefited from some protection for the last five years, whilst the Save the Glamorgan Group has worked tirelessly, with the support of your local councillors, to raise funding.

During the five years, some may claim that the owner has encouraged the dilapidation of this building. This may have reduced the selling price but substantially increased the renovation costs for Glamorgan’s reincarnation. The campaign group are not in a position to purchase this valued asset and councillors have received a report that the site has been sold to new owners, property developers who are Croydon-based. Councillors are seeking further updates on the intentions for this site.

Old Sorting Office – 24/00325/FUL

Planning permission was granted 16/10/24 for the use of the former Croydon Delivery Office at 1 to 5 Addiscombe Road as a rocket padel tennis facility. The planning decision included pre-commencement conditions, which have yet to be submitted or discharged.  This was due to be completed and ready by Summer 2025, but at this stage, the council do not have any further information on when the applicant intends to implement the scheme.

Meat Packers Site – Cherry Orchard Road

Following a series of builder partners entering liquidation, Southern Housing has now selected another preferred contracting partner. They have secured additional grant funding from the Mayor of London and believe the scheme to be viable for delivering London Affordable Rent homes within Croydon. They are currently completing all contractual documentation. However, Southern warns that there will still be a period of limited activity as the contractor finalises its design and remobilises its site operations. They aim to resume site building by the end of Summer 2025.

City Link (Green buildings opposite East Croydon Station

The previous owner, Whittington Investments, has sold City Link House to Cheyne Capital Ltd, inclusive of planning permission for 485 co-living units and 84 affordable homes in a 28-storey tower and a 14-storey block, and the new owners are in talks with Croyon Council over possible changes to their planning application.

Oval Road Walkabout 2024 – follow-up re Oval Passage

To follow up, after councillors participated in a walkabout with police, council community safety representatives, and residents, it was mentioned that squatters were living on disused land along the Oval passage, and concerns were raised about the safety of the boundary wall. The boundary wall issues have been resolved. Highways referred the issue to Building Control, who reminded the owner of their health and safety obligation. The pictured fencing covers a crumbling, unsafe brick wall. Thank you to residents Melanie and Charlie for highlighting the issue and for their persistence.

This message is an extract from the council’s Member’s Casework App

“Added by Highways Operations Manager on 31/12/2024 16:10:28

Dear Cllr Hay-Justice
I write as a follow-up to my previous response regarding the above.
Our highway officers had previously written to the owner of the wall, and it appears that no action has been taken to undertake the repairs.
Unfortunately, the footpath is not a designated Public Rights of Way, and as such, we are unable to use any of the powers under the Highways Act to enforce compliance.
I can, however, confirm that the owner of the building has a legal obligation to ensure that the building or parts of the building (including the walls) are safe as per the Building Safety Act 2022.  The Accountable Person (owner, freeholder or management company) has an ongoing duty to assess building safety risks.
We have therefore passed on the request to our building control team to use their legal powers to assist with resolving the matter.
The Council will write to the building owner and inform them of their responsibilities and request to undertake the necessary action.
In the meantime, if any matters arise, please let me know.
Yours sincerely,
Highways Operations Manager”