London Borough of Croydon
Encyclopedia
The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough
in South London
, England and is part of Outer London
. It covers an area of 87 km² (33.6 sq mi) and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon
from which the borough takes its name. Croydon is mentioned in the Domesday Book
, and from a small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. Croydon is the civic centre of the borough and houses the largest office and retail centre in the south east of England outside central London
. The borough is now one of London's leading business
, financial
and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment
and the arts
contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre.
Formed in 1965 from the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District
and the County Borough of Croydon
, the borough is now part of the local government association for Greater London, London Councils. The borough has a long history which is based mainly around the economy of the area
. The economic strength of Croydon dates back mainly to Croydon Airport
which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as a business centre. Once London's main airport for all international flights to and from the capital, it was closed on 30 September 1959 due to the lack of expansion space needed for an airport to serve the growing city. It is now a Grade II listed building and tourist attraction. Croydon Council and its predecessor Croydon Corporation
unsuccessfully applied for city status
in 1954, 2000 and 2002. The area is currently going through a large regeneration project called Croydon Vision 2020
which is predicted to attract more businesses and tourists to the area as well as backing Croydon's bid to become London's Third City. Since 2003 Croydon has been certified as a Fairtrade borough by the Fairtrade Foundation. It was the first London Borough to have Fairtrade status which is awarded on certain criteria
.
The area is one of the hearts of culture in London and the South East of England. Institutions such as the Warehouse Theatre
and the major arts and entertainment centre Fairfield Halls
add to the vibrancy of the borough. The Croydon Clocktower
was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library, cinema and museum. Since 2000, Croydon has been home to an annual summer festival celebrating the area's cultural diversity, regularly gathering audiences of over 50,000 people. The borough is home to its own local TV station, Croydon TV. Professional English Football league
club Crystal Palace F.C.
play at Selhurst Park
in South Norwood
, a stadium they have been based in since 1924. Other landmarks in the borough include Addington Palace
, an 18th century mansion which became the official second residence of six archbishops, Shirley Windmill
, one of the few surviving large windmills in Surrey
built in the 1800s, and the BRIT School
, a creative arts institute run by the BRIT Trust
which has produced artists such as Adele
, Amy Winehouse
and Leona Lewis
.
The London Borough of Croydon was formed in 1965 from the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District
and the County Borough of Croydon
. The name Croydon comes from Crogdene or Croindone, named by the Saxons
in the 8th century when they settled here, although the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times. It is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon
croeas deanas, meaning "the valley of the crocus
es", indicating that, like Saffron Walden
in Essex
, it was a centre for the collection of saffron
.
By the time of the Norman invasion Croydon had a church, a mill and around 365 inhabitants as recorded in the Domesday Book. The Archbishop of Canterbury
, Archbishop Lanfranc lived at Croydon Palace
which still stands. Visitors included Thomas Beckett (another Archbishop), and royal figures such as King Henry VIII
and Queen Elizabeth I.
Croydon carried on through the ages as a prosperous market town, they produced charcoal, tanned leather, and ventured into brewing. Croydon was served by the Surrey Iron Railway
, the first public railway (horse drawn) in the world, in 1803, and by the London to Brighton
rail link in the mid-19th century, helping it to become the largest town in Surrey
.
In the 20th century Croydon became known for industries such as metal working, car manufacture and its aerodrome, Croydon Airport
. Starting out during World War I as an airfield for protection against Zeppelin
s, an adjacent airfield was combined, and the new aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920. It became the largest in London, and was the main terminal for international air freight into the capital. It developed into one of the great airports of the world during the 1920s and 1930s, and welcomed the world's pioneer aviators in its heyday. British Airways Ltd used the airport for a short period after redirecting from Northolt Aerodrome
, and Croydon was the operating base for Imperial Airways
. It was partly due to the airport that Croydon suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II. As aviation technology progressed, however, and aircraft
became larger and more numerous, it was recognized in 1952 that the airport would be too small to cope with the ever-increasing volume of air traffic. The last scheduled flight departed on 30 September 1959. It was superseded as the main airport by both London Heathrow
and London Gatwick Airport
(see below). The air terminal, now known as Airport House, has been restored, and has a hotel and museum in it.
In the late 1950s and through the 1960s the council commercialized the centre of Croydon with massive development of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre
which was formerly the biggest in town shopping centre in Europe. The centre was officially opened in October 1970 by the Duchess of Kent. The original Whitgift School
there had moved to Haling Park, South Croydon in the 1930s; the replacement school on the site, Whitgift Middle School, now the Trinity School of John Whitgift
, moved to Shirley Park in the 1960s when the buildings were demolished.
The borough council unsuccessfully applied for city status
in 1965, 2000 and again in 2002. If it had been successful it would have been the third local authority in Greater London
to hold that status along with the City of London
and the City of Westminster
. At present the London Borough of Croydon is the second most populous Local government district of England without city status, Kirklees
being the first. Croydon's applications were refused as it was felt not to have an identity separate from the rest of Greater London. In 1965 it was described as "...now just part of the London conurbation and almost indistinguishable from many of the other Greater London boroughs" and in 2000 as having "no particular identity of its own".
Croydon is currently going through a vigorous regeneration plan, called Croydon Vision 2020
. This will change the urban planning
of central Croydon completely. Its main aims are to make Croydon London's Third City and the hub of retail, business, culture and living in South London and South East England. The plan was showcased in a series of events called Croydon Expo
. It was aimed at business and residents in the London Borough of Croydon to demonstrate the £3.5bn development projects the Council wishes to see in Croydon in the next ten years.
There have also been exhibitions for regional districts of Croydon, including Waddon
, South Norwood
and Woodside
, Purley
, New Addington
and Coulsdon
. Examples of upcoming architecture featured in the expo can easily be found to the centre of the borough in the form of the Croydon Gateway
site and the Cherry Orchard Road Towers
.
It is now governed by a cabinet-style council
created in 2001. Croydon shares its London Assembly
member with neighboring Sutton
. It is a safe Conservative seat with the south of Croydon and parts of Sutton traditionally voting towards the Conservatives. The current Assembly Member is Steve O'Connell
who was elected to the assembly in 2008 with a majority of 43%. Croydon is part of the London
constituency in the European Parliament
. Between 1979 and 1984 it formed part of the London South
constituency, followed by London South and Surrey East
between 1984 and 1999 before the adoption of proportional representation
.
controlled the council. Thirty-seven Labour and 31 Conservative
councillors were elected in the 2002 elections
, plus a lone Liberal Democrat
, bolstered by a subsequent defection of a councillor who had originally been elected as a Conservative, defected to Labour, went back to the Conservatives and spent some time as an independent.
At the 2006 local elections
the Conservatives regained control of the council after gaining 12 seats, taking ten seats from Labour in Addiscombe, Waddon, South Norwood and Upper Norwood together with the single Liberal Democrat seat in Coulsdon. They had seen 6% swings from Labour to Conservative in the two previous by-elections, each won by the incumbent party. Since the 2006 elections, a by-election in February 2007 saw a large swing back to Labour from the Conservatives. Since the election, a Labour councillor joined the Conservatives while a Conservative councillor became an independent. Cllr Jonathan Driver, who became Mayor in 2008, died unexpectedly at the close of the year, causing a by-election in highly marginal Waddon which was successfully held by the Conservatives. The following election of May 2010 saw Labour regaining their lost seats in Addiscombe, South Norwood and Upper Norwood, but losing one seat to the Conservatives in New Addington. The current composition of the council is Conservatives 37, Labour 33.
The controlling majority group in the borough is the Conservative Party
. From February 2005 until May 2006 the Leader of Croydon Council was Labour Co-operative
Councillor Tony Newman, succeeding Hugh Malyan. Mike Fisher, Conservative group leader since May 2005, was named as Council Leader following the Conservative victory. Croydon is a cabinet-style council
, and the Leader heads a ten-person cabinet, its members responsible for areas such as education or planning. There is a Shadow Cabinet drawn from the principal opposition party. A backbench cross-party scrutiny and overview committee is in place to hold the executive cabinet to account.
The borough is covered by three parliamentary constituencies for the Westminster Parliament, these are Croydon North
, Croydon Central
and Croydon South
. There are 24 wards which represent Croydon Council.
, Vivian Bendall
, David Congdon
, Geraint Davies and Reg Prentice, London Assembly
member Valerie Shawcross
, Lord Bowness, John Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Lymington
(Master of the Rolls
) and H.T. Muggeridge, MP and father of Malcolm Muggeridge
. The first Mayor of the newly created County Borough
was Jabez Balfour
, later a disgraced Member of Parliament
. Former Conservative Director of Campaigning, Gavin Barwell
, was a Croydon councillor between 1998 and 2010 and since 2010 is the MP for Croydon Central.
Some 10,000 people work directly or indirectly for the council, in its main offices in Taberner House or in its schools, care homes, housing offices or work depots. The council is generally well-regarded, having made important improvements in education and social services. However, there have been concerns over benefits, leisure services and waste collection. Although the council has one of London's lower rates of council tax, there are inevitable claims that it is too high and that resources are wasted.
The Mayor of Croydon for 2010-11 is Councillor Avril Slipper. The Leader is Cllr Mike Fisher and the Deputy Leaders are Cllr Tim Pollard and Cllr Dudley Mead. The Chief Executive since 7 July 2007 has been Jon Rouse.
Croydon Town Hall
on Katharine Street in Central Croydon
houses the committee rooms, the mayor's and other councillors' offices, electoral services and the arts and heritage services.
The present Town Hall is Croydon's third. The first town hall is thought to have been built in either 1566 or 1609. The second was built in 1808 to serve the growing town but was demolished after the present town hall was erected in 1895.
The present town hall was designed by local architect Charles Henman and was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 19 May 1896. It was constructed in red brick, sourced from Wrotham
in Kent
, with Portland stone
dressings and green Westmoreland
slate
s for the roof. It also housed the court and most central council employees.
Parts, including the former court rooms, have been converted into the Museum of Croydon
and exhibition galleries. The original public library is now a cinema, part of the Croydon Clocktower
. The Braithwaite Hall is used for events and performances. The town hall was renovated in the mid-1990s and the imposing central staircase, long closed to the public and kept for councillors only, was re-opened in 1994. The civic complex, meanwhile, was substantially added to, with buildings across Mint Walk and the 19-floor Taberner House to house the rapidly expanding corporation's employees.
Ruskin House
is the headquarters of Croydon's Labour
, Trade Union
and Co-operative
movements and is itself a co-operative with shareholders from organisations across the three movements. In the 19th century, Croydon was a bustling commercial centre of London. It was said that, at the turn of the 20th century, approximately £10,000 was spent in Croydon's taverns and inns every week. For the early labour movement, then, it was natural to meet in the town's public houses, in this environment. However, the temperance movement was equally strong, and Georgina King Lewis
, a keen member of the Croydon United Temperance Council
, took it upon herself to establish a dry centre for the labour movement. The first Ruskin House was highly successful, and there has been two more since. The current house was officially opened in 1967 by the then Labour Prime Minister
, Harold Wilson
. Today, Ruskin House continues to serve as the headquarters of the Trade Union, Labour and Co-operative movements in Croydon, hosting a range of meetings and being the base for several labour movement groups. Office tenants include the headquarters of the Communist Party of Britain
and Croydon Labour Party. Geraint Davies, the MP for Croydon Central
, had offices in the building, until he was defeated by Andrew Pelling
and is now the Labour representative standing for Swansea West
in Wales
.
Taberner House
was built between 1964 and 1967, designed by architect H. Thornley, with Allan Holt and Hugh Lea as borough engineers. Although the council had needed extra space since the 1920s, it was only with the imminent creation of the London Borough of Croydon that action was taken. The building is in classic 1960s style, praised at the time but subsequently much derided. It has its elegant upper slab block narrowing towards both ends, a formal device which has been compared to the famous Pirelli Tower
in Milan
. It was named after Ernest Taberner OBE, Town Clerk from 1937 to 1963.
Taberner House houses most of the council's central employees and its 'one-stop shop' is the main location for the public to access information and services, particularly with respect to housing.
stretching to the south of it, between Croydon and Tandridge. In the north and east of Croydon the authority mainly borders the London Borough of Bromley
and in the north west the boroughs of Lambeth
and Southwark
. The boroughs of Sutton
and Merton
are located directly to the west. It is at the head of the River Wandle
, just to the north of a significant gap in the North Downs
. It lies 10 miles (16.1 km) south of London, and the earliest settlement may have been a Roman staging post on the London-Portslade road, although conclusive evidence has not yet been found. The main town centre houses a great variety of well-known stores on North End
and two shopping centres. It was pedestrianised in 1989 to attract people back to the town centre. Another shopping centre called Park Place
, was due to open in 2012 but has since been scrapped.
The CR postcode area covers most of the south and centre of the London Borough of Croydon while the other parts in the north are covered by SW
and SE postcodes
include the areas of South Norwood and Selhurst, Upper Norwood, West Norwood, and Norbury.
Districts in the London Borough of Croydon include Addington
, a small village to the east of Croydon which until 2000 was poorly linked to the rest of the borough as it was without any railway or light rail stations with only a few patchy bus services to rely on. Addiscombe
is a town just northeast of the centre of Croydon, and is popular with commuters to central London due to its close proximity to the busy East Croydon station
. Ashburton
, to the northeast of Croydon, is mostly home to residential houses and flats, being named after Ashburton House, one of the three big houses in the Addiscombe area. Broad Green is a small district, centred on a large green with many homes and local shops in West Croydon. Coombe
is an area, just east of Croydon, which has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. Coulsdon
, southwest of Central Croydon, which has retained a good mix of traditional high street shops as well as a large number of restaurants for its size. Croydon
is the principal area of the borough, Crystal Palace
is an area north of Croydon, which is shared with the London Boroughs of Lambeth
, Southwark
, Lewisham
and Bromley
. Fairfield
, just northeast of Croydon, holds the Fairfield Halls
and the village of Forestdale
, to the east of Croydon's main area, commenced work in the late 1960s and completed in the mid-70s to create a larger town on what was previously open ground. Hamsey Green
is a place on the plateau of the North Downs
, south of Croydon. Kenley
, again south of the centre, lie within the London Green Belt
and features a landscape dominated by green space. New Addington
, to the east, is a large local authority estate surrounded by open countryside and golf courses. Norbury
, to the northwest, is a suburb with a large ethnic population. Norwood New Town
is a part of the Norwood triangle, to the north of Croydon. Monks Orchard
is a small district made up of large houses and open space in the northeast of the borough. Pollards Hill
is a residential district with houses on roads, which are lined with pollarded lime trees, stretching to Norbury. Purley
, to the south, is a main town whose name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Sanderstead
, to the south, is a village mainly on high ground at the edge of suburban development in Greater London
. Selhurst
is a town, to the north of Croydon, which holds the nationally known school, The BRIT School
. Selsdon
is a suburb which was developed during the inter-war period in the 1920s and 1930s, and is remarkable for its many Art Deco houses, to the southeast of Croydon Centre. Shirley
, is to the east of Croydon, and holds Shirley Windmill
. South Croydon
, to the south of Croydon, is a locality which holds local landmarks such as The Swan and Sugarloaf public house and independent Whitgift School
part of the Whitgift Foundation
. South Norwood
, to the north, is in common with West Norwood and Upper Norwood, named after a contraction of Great North Wood and has a population of around 14,590. Thornton Heath
is a town, to the northwest of Croydon, which holds Croydon's principal hospital Mayday
. Upper Norwood
is, west to Croydon, on a mainly elevated area of the borough. Waddon
is a residential area, mainly based on the Purley Way
retail area, to the west of the borough. Woodside
is located to the northeast of the borough, with streets based on Woodside Green
, a small sized area of green land. And finally Whyteleafe
is a town, right to the edge of Croydon with some areas in the Surrey district of Tandridge.
Croydon is a gateway to the south from central London, and therefore has a number of major roads running through it. Purley Way
on the A23 road
was built to by-pass Croydon town centre on which the A23 once did, is one of the busiest roads in the borough, and has been the site of several major retail developments including one of only 18 IKEA
stores in the country, built on the site of the former power station. It carries on to Brighton Road
which is the main route running towards the south from Croydon
to Purley
and continues on the A23
. The centre of Croydon is very congested, and the urban planning has since become out of date and quite inadequate, due to the expansion of Croydon's main shopping area and office blocks. Wellesley Road, is a dual carriageway
that cuts through the centre of the town, and makes it hard to interchange between the civic centre's two railway stations. Croydon Vision 2020
includes a plan for a more pedestrian-friendly replacement. It has also been named as one of the worst roads for cyclists in the area. Construction of the Croydon Underpass
beneath the junction of George Street and Wellesley Road/Park Lane during the early Sixties started, with the main aim to prevent traffic congestion on Park Lane, situated above the underpass. The Croydon Flyover
on the other hand is situated near the underpass and next to Taberner House
. It mainly leads traffic on to Duppas Hill
, towards Purley Way
with the intention for easy links with Sutton
and Kingston upon Thames
further afield. The major junction on the flyover is for Old Town, which is also a large three-lane road.
, Surrey
and the rest of South London. Addington Hills
is a major floodplain
in London for the Thames Valley
and is recognised as a significant obstacle to the growth of London from its origins as a port on the north side of the river, to a large circular city. The Great North Wood
is a former natural oak forest that covered the Sydenham Ridge
and the southern reaches of the River Effra
and its tributaries. The most notable tree, called Vicar's Oak, marked the boundary of four ancient parishes; Lambeth
, Camberwell
, Croydon and Bromley
. John Aubrey referred to this "ancient remarkable tree" in the past tense as early as 1718, but according to JB Wilson, the Vicar's Oak survived until 1825. The River Wandle
is also a major tributary of the River Thames
, where it stretches to Wandsworth
and Putney
for 9 miles (14 km) from its main source in Waddon
.
Croydon has a temperate
climate in common with most areas of Great Britain, it is similar to that of Greenwich
in Inner London
: its Köppen climate classification is Cfb. Its mean annual temperature of 9.6 °C is similar to that experienced throughout the Weald, and slightly cooler than nearby areas such as the Sussex coast and central London. Rainfall is considerably below England's average (1971–2000) level of 838 mm, and every month is drier overall than the England average.
The nearest weather station is at Gatwick Airport.
, which has been compared to the famous Pirelli Tower
of Milan
, and the Nestlé Tower
, the UK headquarters of Nestlé
.
In recent years, the development of tall buildings, such as the approved Croydon Vocational Tower
and Wellesley Square
, has been encouraged in the London Plan
, which will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers over the next few years as London goes through a high-rise boom.
No.1 Croydon
, formerly the NLA Tower, Britain's 88th tallest tower, close to East Croydon station
, is an example of 1970s architecture. The tower was originally nicknamed the Threepenny bit building, as it resembles a stack of pre-decimalisation Threepence coins, which were 12-sided. Since decimalisation
it has gained the alternative nickname 50 pence building, based on the more familiar 50 pence coin
.
Lunar House
is another high-rise building. Like other government office buildings on Wellesley Road, such as Apollo House
, the name of the building was inspired by the US moon landings
(In the Croydon suburb of New Addington there is a public house
, built during the same period, called The Man on the Moon).
A new generation of buildings are being considered by the council as part of Croydon Vision 2020
, so that the borough doesn't lose its title of having the "largest office space in the south east", excluding central London. Projects such as Wellesley Square
, which will be a mix of residential and retail with an eye-catching colour design and 100 George Street a proposed modern office block are incorporated in this vision.
Notable events that have happened to Croydon's skyline include the Millennium project to create the largest single urban lighting project ever. It was created for the buildings of Croydon to illuminate them for the third millennium. Not only did this project give new lighting to the buildings, but it provided an opportunity to project onto them images and words, mixing art and poetry with coloured light, and also displaying public information after dark. Apart from increasing night time activity in Croydon and thereby reducing the fear of crime, it helped to promote the sustainable use of older buildings by displaying them in a more positive way.
, Croydon has a population of around 269,100. In 2005 this was recorded to have risen up to 342,700, making Croydon the ninth most populous local authority in England out of 354 boroughs. 159,111 were males, with 171,476 females. In 2001 the number of people per hectare in Croydon was 38.21, in London 45.62, and in England 3.77. The mean age of the residents of Croydon was 33.75 and 233,748 out of 330,587 residents described their health as 'good'.
White is the majority ethnicity with over 72%, compared to 92% in England as a whole. Black or Black British was the second-largest ethnicity, over 13%; 11.3% is South Asian.
The most common householder type were owner occupied with only a small percentage rented. Many new housing schemes and developments are currently taking place in Croydon, such as The Exchange and Bridge House, IYLO
, Wellesley Square
and Altitude 25
. The Metropolitan Police
recorded a 10% fall in the number of crimes committed in Croydon, better than the rate which crime in London as a whole is falling, in 2006. Croydon has had the highest fall in the number of cases of violence against the person in South London, and is one of the top 10 safest local authorities in London. According to Your Croydon (a local community magazine) this is due to a stronger partnership struck between Croydon Council and the police. In 2007, overall crime figures across the borough saw decrease of 5%, with the number of incidents decreasing from 32,506 in 2006 to 30,862 in 2007. Croydon has five police stations. Croydon police station is on Park Lane in the centre of the town near the Fairfield Halls
; South Norwood police station is a newly refurbished building just of the High Street; Norbury police station is on London Road; Kenley station is on Godstone Road; and New Addington police station is on Addington Village road.
The main employment sectors of the Borough is retail
and enterprise
which is mainly based in Central Croydon. Major employers are well-known companies, who hold stores or offices in the town. Purley Way
is a major employer of people, looking for jobs as sales assistants, sales consultants and store managerial jobs. IKEA Croydon, when it was built in 1992, brought many non-skilled jobs to Croydon. The store, which is a total size of 23,000 m2, took over the former site of Croydon Power station, which had led to the unemployment of many skilled workers. In May 2006, the extension of the IKEA made it the fifth biggest employer in Croydon, and includes the extension of the showroom, market hall and self-serve areas. Other big employers around Purley include the large Tesco Extra store in the town centre, along with other stores in Purley Way including Best Buy, Sainsbury's, B&Q, Comet, Vue and Toys "R" Us. Croydon town centre is also a major retail centre, and home to many high street
and department store
s as well as designer boutiques. The main town centre shopping areas are on the North End
precinct, in the Whitgift Centre
, Centrale
and St George's Walk
. Department stores in Croydon town centre include House of Fraser
, Marks and Spencer, Allders
, Debenhams
and T.K. Maxx
. Croydon's main market
is Surrey Street Market
, which has a royal charter dating back to 1276. Shopping areas outside the city centre include the Valley Park
retail complex, Croydon Colonnades
, Croydon Fiveways
, and the Waddon Goods Park.
In research from 2010 on retail footprint, Croydon came out as 29th in terms of retail expenditure at £770 million. This puts it 6th in the Greater London area, falling behind Kingston upon Thames
and Westfield London
. In 2005, Croydon came 21st, second in London behind the West End
, with £909 million, whilst Kingston was 24th with £864 million. In a 2004 survey on the top retail destinations, Croydon was 27th.
In 2007, Croydon leapt up the annual business growth league table, with a 14% rise in new firms trading in the borough after 125 new companies started up, increasing the number from 900 to 1,025, enabling the town, which has also won the Enterprising Britain Award and "the most enterprising borough in London" award, to jump from 31 to 14 in the table.
Tramlink
created many jobs when it opened in 2000, not only drivers but engineers as well. Many of the people involved came from Croydon, which was the original hub of the system. Retail stores inside both Centrale
and the Whitgift Centre
as well as on North End
employee people regularly and create many jobs, especially at Christmas. As well as the new building of Park Place
, which will create yet more jobs, so will the regeneration of Croydon, called Croydon Vision 2020
, highlighted in the Croydon Expo
which includes the Croydon Gateway
, Wellesley Square
, Central One plus much more.
Croydon is a major office area in the south east of England, being the largest outside of central London. Many powerful companies based in Europe and worldwide have European or British headquarters in the town. American International Group
(AIG) have offices in No.1 Croydon
, formerly the NLA Tower, shared with Liberata, Pegasus
and the Institute of Public Finance
. AIG is the sixth-largest company in the world according to the 2007 Forbes Global 2000
list. The Swiss
company Nestlé
has its UK headquarters in the Nestlé Tower
, on the site of the formerly proposed Park Place
shopping centre. Real Digital International has developed a purpose built 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²) factory on Purley Way equipped with "the most sophisticated production equipment and technical solutions". ntl:Telewest
, now Virgin Media
, have offices at Communications House, from the Telewest side when it was known as Croydon Cable. The Home Office
UK Border Agency
has its headquarters
in Lunar House
in Central Croydon. In 1981, Superdrug opened a 11,148 m2 (120,000 ft2) distribution centre and office complex at Beddington Lane. The head office of international engineering and management consultant Mott MacDonald
is located in Mott MacDonald House on Sydenham Road, one of four offices they occupy in the town centre. BT has large offices in Prospect East in Central Croydon. The Royal Bank of Scotland
also has large offices in Purley, south of Croydon. Direct Line
also has an office opposite Taberner House
. Other companies with offices in Croydon include Lloyds TSB
, Merrill Lynch
and Balfour Beatty
. Ann Summers
used to have its headquarters in the borough but has moved to the Wapses Lodge Roundabout in Tandridge.
Croydon Airport
was once London's main airport, but closed on 30 September 1959 due to the expansion of London and the need of more room at the airport which was impossible to provide, so Heathrow International Airport took over as London's main airport. It is now disused and is a tourist attraction. The Croydon Clocktower
arts venue was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994. It includes the Braithwaite Hall (the former reference library - named after the Rev. Braithwaite who donated it to the town) for live events, David Lean Cinema
(built in memory of David Lean
), the Museum of Croydon
and Croydon Central Library
. The Museum of Croydon (formerly known as Croydon Lifetimes Museum) highlights Croydon in the past and the present and currently features high-profile exhibitions including the Riesco Collection, The Art of Dr Seuss and the Whatever the Weather gallery. Shirley Windmill
is a working windmill and one of the few surviving large windmills in Surrey
, built in 1854. It is Grade II listed and received a £218,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund
. Addington Palace
is an 18th century mansion in Addington
which was originally built as Addington Place in the 16th century. The palace became the official second residence of six archbishops, five of whom are buried in St Mary's Church and churchyard nearby. North End
is the main pedestrianised shopping road in Croydon, having Centrale
to one side and the Whitgift Centre
to the other. The Warehouse Theatre
is a popular theatre for mostly young performers and is due to get a face-lift on the Croydon Gateway
site. The Nestlé Tower
is the UK headquarters of Nestlé
and is one of the tallest towers in England, which is due to be re-fitted during the Park Place development. The Fairfield Halls
is a well known concert hall and exhibition centre, opened in 1962. It is frequently used for BBC
recordings and was formerly the home of ITV
's World of Sport
. It includes the Ashcroft Theatre
and the Arnhem Gallery
. Croydon Palace
was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury
for over 500 years and included regular visitors such as Henry III
and Queen Elizabeth I. It is thought to have been built around 960. Croydon Cemetery
is a large cemetery and crematorium west of Croydon and is most famous for the gravestone of Derek Bentley
, who was wrongly hanged in 1953. Mitcham Common
is an area of common land
partly shared with the boroughs of Sutton
and Merton
. Almost 500,000 years ago, Mitcham Common formed part of the river bed of the River Thames. The BRIT School
is a performing Arts & Technology school, owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the BRIT Awards Music Ceremony
). Famous former students include Kellie Shirley
, Amy Winehouse
, Leona Lewis
, Kate Nash
, Dane Bowers
, Katie Melua
and Lyndon David-Hall. Grants is an entertainment venue in the centre of Croydon which includes a Vue cinema
and the Tiger Tiger
nightclub. Taberner House
houses the main offices of Croydon Council, and was built between 1964 and 1967. It has been compared to the Pirelli Tower
in Milan
. Surrey Street Market
has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury
. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and advertising. Beanos
, a collectors' record store that has been in Croydon for over three decades, was once the largest second-hand record shop in Europe. The Parish Church of St John the Baptist is a large church dating from the 15th century. It was largely destroyed by fire in 1867 and rebuilt by Sir George Gilbert Scott
. It is the burial place of six Archbishops of Canterbury with monuments to Archbishops Sheldon and Whitgift. BedZED
, Beddington Zero Energy Development, is on the outskirts of the borough.
and local rail, tram
, and local buses
) at West Croydon
and East Croydon station
.
and M25
orbital motorway. The M25 skirts the south of the borough, linking Croydon with other parts of London and the surrounding counties; the M23 branches from the M25 close to Coulsdon, linking the town with the south coast, Crawley
, Reigate
, and London Gatwick Airport
. The A23
connects the borough with the motorways. The A23 is the major trunk road through Croydon, linking it with central London, East Sussex, Horsham, and Littlehaven. The old London to Brighton road, passes through the west of the borough on Purley Way
, bypassing the commercial centre of Croydon which it once did.
The Brighton Main Line
railway route
south from Croydon links the town to Sussex, Surrey, and Kent and to central London to the north: providing direct services to Hastings, Southampton, Brighton, Portsmouth, Gatwick Airport, Bedford and Luton. The main station for all these services is East Croydon station
in the centre of the town centre. East Croydon station
is the largest and busiest station in Croydon, third busiest in London, excluding Travelcard Zone 1
. The station at West Croydon
serves all trains travelling west except the fastest. There are also more regional stations scattered around the borough. Passenger rail services through Croydon are provided by Southern
and First Capital Connect
. A pilot scheme launched by the Strategic Rail Authority
, Transport for London
and three train operators is designed to encourage more passengers to travel off-peak. In full partnership with the South London Boroughs
which includes Croydon, SWELTRAC, SELTRANS and the transport users group, the scheme promotes the advantages of off-peak travel following improvements to safety, travel connections and upgrading of station facilities. The Thameslink Programme
(formerly known as Thameslink 2000), is a £3.5 billion major project to expand the Thameslink network
from 51 to 172 stations
spreading northwards to Bedford
, Peterborough
, Cambridge
and King's Lynn
and southwards to Guildford
, Eastbourne
, Horsham
, Hove
to Littlehampton
, East Grinstead
, Ashford
and Dartford
. The project includes the lengthening of platforms, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure (e.g. viaduct) and additional rolling stock. When implemented, First Capital Connect services would call at other stations in the borough including Purley and Norwood Junction.
The closest international airport to Croydon is London Gatwick Airport
, which is located 19 miles (30.6 km) from the town centre. Gatwick airport opened on August 1930 as an aerodrome and is a major international operational base for British Airways
, EasyJet
and Virgin Atlantic
. It currently handles around 35 million passengers a year, making it London's second largest airport, and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow
. London Heathrow Airport
, London City Airport
and London Luton Airport
all lie within a two hours' drive of Croydon. Gatwick and Luton Airports are connected to Croydon by frequent direct trains
, while Heathrow is accsesible by the route X26
bus.
and A22 road
s are the major trunk roads through Croydon. These both run north-south, connecting to each other in Purley
. The A22 connects Croydon, its starting point, to East Grinstead
, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield
, and Eastbourne
. Other major roads generally radiate spoke-like from the city centre. Wellesley Road is an urban dual carriageway
which cuts through the middle of the central business district
. It was constructed in the 1960s as part of a planned ring road for Croydon and includes an underpass
, which allows traffic to avoid going into the town centre.
The hilly topography of Croydon and the lack of underground services in that part of South London is a reason for the extensive suburban and inter-urban railway network. Croydon is in the commuter belt to London as part of suburbia. There are several busy local rail routes running along the borough's towns, connecting it with London Bridge
and London Victoria. These local routes mainly run on the Brighton Main Line
and Sutton & Mole Valley Lines. As well as the main stations of East Croydon and West Croydon, there are several suburban stations at Norwood Junction
, Purley
, Coulsdon South
and Kenley
and more.
The light rail system Tramlink
(Operated by Tramtrack Croydon, a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London), opened in 2000, serves the borough and surrounding areas. Its network consists of three lines, from Elmers End
to West Croydon, from Beckenham
to West Croydon, and from New Addington
to Wimbledon
, with all three lines running via the Croydon loop on which it is centred on. It has been highly successful, environmentally-friendly and a reliable light rail system carrying around 22 million passengers a year. It is also the only tram system in London but there is another light rail system in the Docklands
. It serves Mitcham
, Woodside
, Addiscombe
and the Purley Way
retail and industrial area amongst others. An extension to Crystal Palace
is currently being developed by Transport for London with the support of the council and the South London Partnership. This would improve public transport access to Upper Norwood
and Crystal Palace Park and help to stimulate regeneration across the wider area. The extension could be in service by 2013. Other possible extensions include Sutton
, a new park and ride close to the M25, Coulsdon
, Purley
, Kingston upon Thames
, Tolworth
, Tooting
, Brixton
for an interchange with the proposed Cross River Tram
, Bromley
and Lewisham
for an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway.
A sizeable bus infrastructure which is part of the London Buses
network operates from a main hub at West Croydon station
. The bus station at West Croydon
is undergoing a major re-development to make it more modern and future-proof. There are also plans to create a new bus terminal at Park Place
if the shopping centre is built. Addington Interchange is a regional bus terminal in Addington Village
which has an interchange between route three
and bus services in the remote area. Arriva London
, part of Arriva
, is one of the largest bus operators to serve Croydon along with Metrobus, Selkent
, and National Express London
. Unlike other places in the country, London's transport infrastructure is regulated and therefore is not subject to price wars between different companies with TfL setting a standard price for bus services which is currently set at 90p with an Oyster card
. Services include buses to central London, Purley Way, Bromley, Lewisham and a number of other civic centres in the south. London Buses route X26
, the longest route in London, provides services to Heathrow Airport via Richmond
and Sutton.
Although hilly, Croydon is compact and has few major trunk roads running through it. It is on one of the Connect2
schemes which are part of the National Cycle Network
route running around Croydon
. The North Downs
, an area of outstanding natural beauty popular with both on- and off-road cyclists, is so close to Croydon that part of the park lies within the borough boundary, and there are routes into the park almost from the civic centre.
Following the extension of the East London Line
in 2010, two stations in Croydon are now served by London Overground
services; Norwood Junction and West Croydon
. Currently Croydon is one of only five London Boroughs not to have at least one London Underground
station within its boundaries, and the closest tube station is in Morden
.
Home Office
policing in Croydon is provided by the Metropolitan Police
. The force's Croydon arm have their head offices for policing on Park Lane
next to the Fairfield Halls
and Croydon College
in central Croydon. Public transport
is co-ordinated by Transport for London
. Statutory emergency fire and rescue service
is provided by the London Fire Brigade
, which has five stations in Croydon.
and for planning and funding health services in the borough. Croydon has 227 GPs in 64 practices, 156 dentists in 51 practices, 166 pharmacists and 70 optometrists in 28 practices.
The Mayday University Hospital
, built on a 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) site in Thornton Heath at the west of Croydon's boundaries with Merton
, is a large NHS
hospital administrated by Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
. Former names of the hospital include the Croydon Union Infirmary from 1885 to 1923 and the Mayday Road Hospital from 1923 to around 1930. It is a District General Hospital with a 24-hour accident and emergency
department. NHS Direct
has a regional centre based at the hospital. The NHS Trust
also provides services at Purley War Memorial Hospital, in Purley
. Croydon General Hospital was on London Road but services transferred to Mayday, as the size of this hospital was insufficient to cope with the growing population of the borough. Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre and the Emergency Minor Treatment Centre are other smaller hospitals operated by the Mayday in the borough. Cane Hill
was a psychiatric hospital
in Coulsdon.
is co-ordinated by the local authority. Unlike other waste disposal authorities in Greater London, Croydon's rubbish is collected independently and isn't part of a waste authority unit. Locally produced inert waste
for disposal is sent to landfill
in the south of Croydon. There have recently been calls by the ODPM to bring waste management powers to the Greater London Authority
, giving it a waste function. The Mayor of London has made repeated attempts to bring the different waste authorities together, to form a single waste authority in London. This has faced significant opposition from existing authorities. However, it has had significant support from all other sectors and the surrounding regions managing most of London's waste. Croydon has the joint best recycling rate in London, at 36%. Croydon's Distribution Network Operator
for electricity is EDF Energy Networks
; there are no power station
s in the borough. Thames Water
manages Croydon's drinking
and waste water; water supplies being sourced from several local reservoirs, including Beckton
and King George VI
. Before 1971, Croydon Corporation was responsible for water treatment in the borough.
The fire stations, as part of the Community Fire Safety scheme, visited 49 schools in 2006/2007.
The borough compared with the other London boroughs has the highest amount of schools in it, with 26% of its population under 20 years old. They include primary schools (95), secondary schools (21) and four further education establishments. Croydon College
has its main building in Central Croydon, it is a high rise building. John Ruskin College
is one of the other colleges in the borough, located in Addington and Coulsdon College in Coulsdon. South Norwood has been the home of Spurgeon's College
, a world-famous Baptist theological college, since 1923; Spurgeon's is located on South Norwood Hill and currently has some 1000 students. The London Borough of Croydon is the local education authority
for the borough.
Overall, Croydon was ranked 77th out of the all the Local Education Authorities
in the UK, up from 92nd in 2007. In 2007, the Croydon LEA was ranked 81st out of 149 in the country – and 21st in Greater London – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least 5 A*–C grades at GCSE including maths and English (37.8% compared with the national average of 46.7%). The most successful public sector schools in 2010 were Harris City Academy Crystal Palace and Coloma Convent Girls' School. The percentage of pupils achieving 5 A*-C GCSEs including maths and English was above the national average in 2010.
complex which is on the former site of the old 'A Block' of Ashburton Community School which is now situated inside the centre. The library is now on one floor. This format was planned to be rolled out across all of the council's libraries but what was seen as costing too much.
South Norwood Library
, New Addington Library
, Shirley Library, Selsdon Library, Sanderstead Library, Purley Library, Coulsdon Library and Bradmore Green Library are examples of older council libraries. The main library is Croydon Central Library
which holds many references, newspaper archives and a tourist information point (one of three in southeast London). Upper Norwood Library
is a joint library with the London Borough of Lambeth
. This means that both councils fund the library and its resources, but even though Lambeth have nearly doubled their funding for the library in the past several years Croydon has kept it the same, doubting the future of the library.
The predominant religion of the borough is Christianity
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
, the borough has over 215,124 Christians, mainly Protestants. This is the largest religious following in the borough followed by Islam with 17,642 Muslims resident. This is a small portion of the more than 600,000 Muslims in London as a whole.
48,615 Croydon residents stated that they are atheist or non-religious in the 2001 Census.
There are more than 35 churches in the borough, with Croydon Minster being the main one. This church was founded in Saxon times, since there is a record of "a priest of Croydon" in 960, although the first record of a church building is in the Domesday Book
(1086). In its final medieval form, the church was mainly a Perpendicular-style structure, but this was severely damaged by fire in 1867, following which only the tower, south porch and outer walls remained. Under the direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott the church was rebuilt, incorporating the remains and essentially following the design of the medieval building, and was reconsecrated in 1870. It still contains several important monuments and fittings saved from the old church.
Croydon has strong religious links, from a royal charter for Surrey Street Market
dating back to 1276, to Croydon Palace
which was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury
for over 500 years. With visitors such as Henry III
and Queen Elizabeth I. The Bishop of Croydon
is a position as a suffragan Bishop
in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark
. The current bishop is Rt Rev Nicholas (Nick) Baines
.
was closed down in early 2006 so that it could be knocked completely down and re-designed from scratch like Thornton Heath, which would cost around £10 million.
In May 2006 the Conservative Party
became in charge of Croydon and decided that doing this would cost too much money, so they came up with another idea of just re-furbishing the centre, although this decision did not come without controversy.
Purley Pool is to close soon, but a new "super-pool" is planned in Coulsdon. The ageing New Addington Leisure Centre is also set to close but is to be re-built. A new leisure centre is also going to be built on the A23
, southern end of Purley Way
in Waddon
.
Sport Croydon, is the commercial arm for leisure in the borough. Fusion currently provides leisure services for the council, a contract previously held by Parkwood Leisure.
Football teams include Crystal Palace F.C.
, which plays at Selhurst Park
, in the nPower Championship. Coulsdon United F.C.
(formerly Coulsdon Town F.C. before the merge with Salfords F.C.
) are a team that currently play in the Combined Counties League
Division One. Croydon Athletic F.C.
, whose local nickname is The Rams, is a football club based in Thornton Heath
's Keith Tuckey Stadium and play in the Isthmian League
Division One South, with Croydon F.C.
who play at Croydon Sports Arena and Holmesdale
, who were founded in South Norwood
but currently playing on Oakley Road in Bromley
, currently in the Kent League
. Non-football teams that play in Croydon are Streatham-Croydon RFC
, a historic rugby union
club in Thornton Heath
who play at Frant Road, as well as South London Storm Rugby League Club
, based at Streatham's
ground, who compete in the Rugby League Conference
. Another rugby union
club that play in Croydon is Croydon RFC
, who play at Addington Road. The London Olympians
are an American Football
team that play in Division 1 South in the British American Football League
. The Croydon Pirates
are one of the most successful teams in the British Baseball Federation
, though their ground is actually just located outside the borough in Sutton
.
Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces, ranging from the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve
to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough.
Croydon aims to become one of the hearts of culture in London and the South East of England. This has been proved with the dedication the council has shown to projects such as the proposed Croydon Arena. Although, despite the aim, it has also cut funding to the Warehouse Theatre
.
In 2005, Croydon Council drew up a Public Art Strategy, with a vision that is accessible and enhances people's enjoyment of their surroundings. The public art strategy delivered a new event called Croydon's Summer Festival hosted in Lloyd Park
. The festival consists of two days of events. The first is called Croydon's World Party which is a free one day event with three stages featuring world, jazz and dance music from the UK and internationally. The final days event is the Croydon Mela, a day of music with a mix of traditional Asian culture and east meets western club beats across four stages as well as dozens of food stalls and a funfair. It has attracted crowds of over 50,000 people. The stratergy also created a creative industries hub in Old Town, ensure public art is included in developments such as College Green
and Croydon Gateway
and investigate the possibility of gallery space in the Cultural Quarter.
The Warehouse Theare is a professional producing theatre opened in 1977 with one hundred seats based in an oak-beamed former cement Victorian warehouse. It has been acclaimed for its commitment to new writing, led by its present director, Ted Craig
, including its annual International Playwriting Festival
, in partnership with the Extra Candoni Festival of Udine
in Italy and Theatro Ena in Cyprus. Youth theatre is also important, with the resident Croydon Young Peoples' Theatre and including an annual collaboration with the Croydon-based Brit School
. It is on the Gateway site which is going through a regeneration project. Stanhope's plan for the site is to include a 200 seat theatre custom-designed by Foster + Partners in their Ruskin Square development surrounded by a large new park. This will be paid for in full by Stanhope at a cost approaching £5 million. The Board of the Warehouse Theatre believes that this is the best option for securing a fully funded, workable and unique building. Arrowcroft's proposal is for an Arena-led scheme which initially didn't include the theatre. But this was changed to incorporate a replacement theatre as part of a condition of planning. It is proposed that it occupies one of the leisure units behind the Arena facing onto the plaza with a children's playground in front. The plan is to build a 200 seat theatre inside the leisure unit. The biggest problem with this scheme is that it would be built in one phase and requires the theatre to vacate the current theatre before the development begins. The theatre would then be without a home for a period of three years or more and would need a temporary location and additional funding to make this possible. The theatre will be launching its largest fundraising appeal in its 30 year history over the Autumn of 2008 to help it launch itself into the new building. Fundraising will be required for finishing touches to the new building, technical equipment, launch programme and a host of other vital expenditure to ensure the Warehouse Theatre is launched into its new future on a firm footing.
Fairfield Halls
, Arnhem Gallery and the Ashcroft Theatre
show productions that are held throughout the year such as drama, ballet, opera and pantomimes and can be converted to show films. It also contains the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery
. Other cultural activities, including shopping and exhibitions, are Surrey Street Market
which is mainly a meat and vegetables market near the main shopping environment of Croydon. The market has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276. Airport House
is a newly refurbished conference and exhibition centre inside part of Croydon Airport
. The Whitgift Centre
, the current main shopping centre in the borough is also one of the largest in-town shopping centres in the whole of Europe. Centrale
, a new shopping centre that houses many more familiar names, as well as Croydon's House of Fraser
. North End
, the main shopping street, which holds both centres. Park Place
, a shopping centre that is planned to be built in Central Croydon by Minerva. Croydon Arena is a proposed arena for the Gateway site which if built would feature more commercial exhibitions and sporting events next to East Croydon station.
began life in 1869, and is the third-highest selling paid-for weekly newspaper in London. The Advertiser is also Croydon's major paid-for weekly paper and is on sale every Friday in five geographical editions: Croydon; Sutton & Epsom
; Coulsdon & Purley; New Addington; and Caterham
. The paper converted from a broadsheet to a compact (tabloid) format on 31 March 2006. It was bought by Northcliffe Media
which is part of the Daily Mail and General Trust
group on 6 July 2007. In 2008 it was given a new website as part of the This is network of brands across the United Kingdom. The Croydon Post is a free newspaper available across the borough and is operated by the Advertiser group. The circulation of the newspaper is notably more than the main title published by the Advertiser Group.
The Croydon Guardian
is another local weekly paper, which is paid for at newsagents but free at Croydon Council libraries and via deliveries. The newspaper is published every Wednesday. The paper is owned by regional newspaper publisher Newsquest Media Group and is inside the South London arm. It is one of the best circulated local newspapers in London and has the highest circulation in Croydon with around one thousand more copies distributed than The Post.
The borough is served by the London regional versions of BBC
and ITV
coverage, from either the Crystal Palace or Croydon transmitters.
Croydon Television is owned by Croydon broadcasting corporation. Broadcasting from studios in Croydon, the CBC is fully independent. It does not receive any government or local authority grants or funding and is supported by donations, sponsorship and by commercial advertising.
Capital Radio
began broadcasting on October 1973 from Euston Tower
, North London
. The station, now owned by Global Radio
, broadcasts as 95.8 Capital FM from Leicester Square
in central London. The group also has a sister station on the medium wave frequency, known as Classic Gold Digital 1521
. Local BBC radio is provided by BBC London 94.9
. Large radio stations picked up by transmitters around Croydon are Kiss 100
and Magic 105.4 FM
from Bauer Radio, Choice FM and Heart 106.2 from Global Radio
, Virgin Radio
from SMG
and 102.2 Smooth Radio
from Guardian Media Group
.
The London Borough of Croydon is twinned with the municipality
of Arnhem which is located in the east of the Netherlands. The city of Arnhem
is one of the 10 largest cities in the Netherlands. They have been twinned since 1946 after both towns had suffered extensive bomb damage during the recently ended war. There is also a Guyanese
link supported by the council.
and British American Tobacco
. Members of the opposition Labour group on the council, who had banned such shareholdings when in control, described this as "dealing in death" and inconsistent with the council's tobacco control strategy.
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
in South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
, England and is part of Outer London
Outer London
Outer London is the name for the group of London Boroughs that form a ring around Inner London.These were areas that were not part of the County of London and became formally part of Greater London in 1965...
. It covers an area of 87 km² (33.6 sq mi) and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
from which the borough takes its name. Croydon is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, and from a small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. Croydon is the civic centre of the borough and houses the largest office and retail centre in the south east of England outside central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
. The borough is now one of London's leading business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, financial
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...
and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
and the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre.
Formed in 1965 from the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District
Coulsdon and Purley Urban District
Coulsdon and Purley Urban District was a local government district in north east Surrey from 1915 to 1965.It was formed in 1915 from part of the abolished Croydon Rural District...
and the County Borough of Croydon
County Borough of Croydon
Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965.-History:A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On March 9, 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough...
, the borough is now part of the local government association for Greater London, London Councils. The borough has a long history which is based mainly around the economy of the area
Economy of Croydon
Croydon, located in Greater London, England, has a diverse economy with the service and retail sectors now dominating over the town's historical market status...
. The economic strength of Croydon dates back mainly to Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as a business centre. Once London's main airport for all international flights to and from the capital, it was closed on 30 September 1959 due to the lack of expansion space needed for an airport to serve the growing city. It is now a Grade II listed building and tourist attraction. Croydon Council and its predecessor Croydon Corporation
County Borough of Croydon
Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965.-History:A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On March 9, 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough...
unsuccessfully applied for city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in 1954, 2000 and 2002. The area is currently going through a large regeneration project called Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020 is a regeneration programme by the London Borough of Croydon for the centre of Croydon in South London. The original study was carried out in 1999 by EDAW and is being taken forward through the Local Development Framework process...
which is predicted to attract more businesses and tourists to the area as well as backing Croydon's bid to become London's Third City. Since 2003 Croydon has been certified as a Fairtrade borough by the Fairtrade Foundation. It was the first London Borough to have Fairtrade status which is awarded on certain criteria
Fairtrade Town
Fairtrade Town is a status awarded by a recognized Fairtrade certification body describing an area which is committed to the promotion of Fairtrade certified goods...
.
The area is one of the hearts of culture in London and the South East of England. Institutions such as the Warehouse Theatre
Warehouse Theatre
The Warehouse Theatre is a professional producing theatre with one hundred seats in the centre of the London Borough of Croydon, south London, England based in an oak-beamed former cement Victorian warehouse...
and the major arts and entertainment centre Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
add to the vibrancy of the borough. The Croydon Clocktower
Croydon Clocktower
Croydon Clocktower on Katharine Street in Croydon is an arts centre in London, England. It contains the Museum of Croydon, the Riesco Gallery with a collection of Chinese pottery and ceramics, the David Lean Cinema, the Braithwaite Hall used for concerts and conferences, and a café and bar...
was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library, cinema and museum. Since 2000, Croydon has been home to an annual summer festival celebrating the area's cultural diversity, regularly gathering audiences of over 50,000 people. The borough is home to its own local TV station, Croydon TV. Professional English Football league
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
club Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
play at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
in South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
, a stadium they have been based in since 1924. Other landmarks in the borough include Addington Palace
Addington Palace
Addington Palace is an 18th century mansion in Addington near Croydon, South London, England.-History:The original manor house called 'Addington Place' was built about the 16th century....
, an 18th century mansion which became the official second residence of six archbishops, Shirley Windmill
Shirley Windmill
Shirley Windmill is a Grade II listed tower mill in Shirley, in the London Borough of Croydon, England which has been restored to working order.-History:...
, one of the few surviving large windmills in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
built in the 1800s, and the BRIT School
BRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
, a creative arts institute run by the BRIT Trust
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
which has produced artists such as Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
, Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
and Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
.
History
- For the history of the original town see History of Croydon
The London Borough of Croydon was formed in 1965 from the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District
Coulsdon and Purley Urban District
Coulsdon and Purley Urban District was a local government district in north east Surrey from 1915 to 1965.It was formed in 1915 from part of the abolished Croydon Rural District...
and the County Borough of Croydon
County Borough of Croydon
Croydon was a local government district in north east Surrey, England from 1849 to 1965.-History:A local board of health was formed for the parish of Croydon St John the Baptist in 1849. On March 9, 1883 the town received a charter of incorporation to become a municipal borough...
. The name Croydon comes from Crogdene or Croindone, named by the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
in the 8th century when they settled here, although the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times. It is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
croeas deanas, meaning "the valley of the crocus
Crocus
Crocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
es", indicating that, like Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, it was a centre for the collection of saffron
Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
.
By the time of the Norman invasion Croydon had a church, a mill and around 365 inhabitants as recorded in the Domesday Book. The Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, Archbishop Lanfranc lived at Croydon Palace
Croydon Palace
Croydon Palace, in Croydon, now part of south London, was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years. Regular visitors included Henry III and Queen Elizabeth I...
which still stands. Visitors included Thomas Beckett (another Archbishop), and royal figures such as King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and Queen Elizabeth I.
Croydon carried on through the ages as a prosperous market town, they produced charcoal, tanned leather, and ventured into brewing. Croydon was served by the Surrey Iron Railway
Surrey Iron Railway
The Surrey Iron Railway was a horse drawn plateway whose width approximated to a standard gauge railway that linked the former Surrey towns of Wandsworth and Croydon via Mitcham...
, the first public railway (horse drawn) in the world, in 1803, and by the London to Brighton
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
rail link in the mid-19th century, helping it to become the largest town in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.
In the 20th century Croydon became known for industries such as metal working, car manufacture and its aerodrome, Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
. Starting out during World War I as an airfield for protection against Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s, an adjacent airfield was combined, and the new aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920. It became the largest in London, and was the main terminal for international air freight into the capital. It developed into one of the great airports of the world during the 1920s and 1930s, and welcomed the world's pioneer aviators in its heyday. British Airways Ltd used the airport for a short period after redirecting from Northolt Aerodrome
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
, and Croydon was the operating base for Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long range air transport company, operating from 1924 to 1939 and serving parts of Europe but especially the Empire routes to South Africa, India and the Far East...
. It was partly due to the airport that Croydon suffered heavy bomb damage during World War II. As aviation technology progressed, however, and aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
became larger and more numerous, it was recognized in 1952 that the airport would be too small to cope with the ever-increasing volume of air traffic. The last scheduled flight departed on 30 September 1959. It was superseded as the main airport by both London Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
and London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
(see below). The air terminal, now known as Airport House, has been restored, and has a hotel and museum in it.
In the late 1950s and through the 1960s the council commercialized the centre of Croydon with massive development of office blocks and the Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Centre
The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre and office development in the centre of Croydon, London, opened in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre currently comprises of retail space and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at...
which was formerly the biggest in town shopping centre in Europe. The centre was officially opened in October 1970 by the Duchess of Kent. The original Whitgift School
Whitgift School
Whitgift School is an independent day school educating approximately 1,400 boys aged 10 to 18 in South Croydon, London in a parkland site.- History and grounds :...
there had moved to Haling Park, South Croydon in the 1930s; the replacement school on the site, Whitgift Middle School, now the Trinity School of John Whitgift
Trinity School of John Whitgift
The Trinity School of John Whitgift, usually referred to as Trinity School, is a British independent boys' day school with a co-educational Sixth Form, located in Shirley Park, Croydon. The current building was constructed in 1965 on the site of the former Shirley Hotel...
, moved to Shirley Park in the 1960s when the buildings were demolished.
The borough council unsuccessfully applied for city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
in 1965, 2000 and again in 2002. If it had been successful it would have been the third local authority in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
to hold that status along with the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
. At present the London Borough of Croydon is the second most populous Local government district of England without city status, Kirklees
Kirklees
The Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
being the first. Croydon's applications were refused as it was felt not to have an identity separate from the rest of Greater London. In 1965 it was described as "...now just part of the London conurbation and almost indistinguishable from many of the other Greater London boroughs" and in 2000 as having "no particular identity of its own".
Croydon is currently going through a vigorous regeneration plan, called Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020 is a regeneration programme by the London Borough of Croydon for the centre of Croydon in South London. The original study was carried out in 1999 by EDAW and is being taken forward through the Local Development Framework process...
. This will change the urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
of central Croydon completely. Its main aims are to make Croydon London's Third City and the hub of retail, business, culture and living in South London and South East England. The plan was showcased in a series of events called Croydon Expo
Croydon Expo
The Croydon Exp07 was a series of events aimed at business and residents in the London Borough of Croydon, UK to demonstrate the £2bn of development projects planned for Croydon in the next 10 years . It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration programme. The council-backed scheme is hoping...
. It was aimed at business and residents in the London Borough of Croydon to demonstrate the £3.5bn development projects the Council wishes to see in Croydon in the next ten years.
There have also been exhibitions for regional districts of Croydon, including Waddon
Waddon
Waddon is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, to the south west of central Croydon on the borders of the London Borough of Sutton. Waddon has an older area with 19th century properties, some even older, close to central Croydon. Further south is a large estate of Council-owned homes and a...
, South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
and Woodside
Woodside, London
Woodside is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon located between Addiscombe and South Norwood.-History:Woodside is a suburban district of residential streets based around Woodside Green, a small sized area of green land. At one end of the green is a war memorial. It is surrounded by...
, Purley
Purley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
, New Addington
New Addington
New Addington is an area on the edge of South London in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a large local authority estate surrounded by open countryside, woodland and golf courses. The Prime Meridian crosses the eastern edge of New Addington...
and Coulsdon
Coulsdon
Coulsdon is a town on the southernmost boundary of the London Borough of Croydon. It is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt of the Farthing Down, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common...
. Examples of upcoming architecture featured in the expo can easily be found to the centre of the borough in the form of the Croydon Gateway
Croydon Gateway
Ruskin Square is the name given to a project to redevelop a block of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre of Croydon in South London. It is part of the major Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration scheme...
site and the Cherry Orchard Road Towers
Cherry Orchard Road
Cherry Orchard Road is a road and planned building development in East Croydon, London. The street is part of the longer A222 road for all of its length...
.
Governance
Cabinet-style council
A Cabinet-style Council is a type of local government which has been introduced in the United Kingdom for Local Councils following the introduction of the Local Government Act 2000....
created in 2001. Croydon shares its London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
member with neighboring Sutton
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
. It is a safe Conservative seat with the south of Croydon and parts of Sutton traditionally voting towards the Conservatives. The current Assembly Member is Steve O'Connell
Steve O'Connell
Stephen O'Connell is a British Conservative politician. He is a member of the London Assembly for Croydon and Sutton and a councillor in the London Borough of Croydon....
who was elected to the assembly in 2008 with a majority of 43%. Croydon is part of the London
London (European Parliament constituency)
London is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :The constituency corresponds to Greater London, in the south east of the United Kingdom....
constituency in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. Between 1979 and 1984 it formed part of the London South
London South (European Parliament constituency)
Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
constituency, followed by London South and Surrey East
London South and Surrey East (European Parliament constituency)
Prior to its uniform adoption of proportional representation in 1999, the United Kingdom used first-past-the-post for the European elections in England, Scotland and Wales...
between 1984 and 1999 before the adoption of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
.
Politics of Croydon Council
The council consists of 70 councillors elected in 24 wards. From 1994 to 2006 the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
controlled the council. Thirty-seven Labour and 31 Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
councillors were elected in the 2002 elections
Croydon Council election, 2002
Elections to Croydon Council in London, England were held on 4 May 2002. The whole council was up for election for the first time since the 1998 election. The Labour Party managed to keep control of the council which it had done since 1994 when it took power away from the Conservative Party...
, plus a lone Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, bolstered by a subsequent defection of a councillor who had originally been elected as a Conservative, defected to Labour, went back to the Conservatives and spent some time as an independent.
At the 2006 local elections
Croydon Council election 2006
Elections to Croydon Council in London, England were held on 4 May 2006. The whole council was up for election for the first time since the 2002 election. The Labour Party lost control of the council to the Conservative Party.-Election...
the Conservatives regained control of the council after gaining 12 seats, taking ten seats from Labour in Addiscombe, Waddon, South Norwood and Upper Norwood together with the single Liberal Democrat seat in Coulsdon. They had seen 6% swings from Labour to Conservative in the two previous by-elections, each won by the incumbent party. Since the 2006 elections, a by-election in February 2007 saw a large swing back to Labour from the Conservatives. Since the election, a Labour councillor joined the Conservatives while a Conservative councillor became an independent. Cllr Jonathan Driver, who became Mayor in 2008, died unexpectedly at the close of the year, causing a by-election in highly marginal Waddon which was successfully held by the Conservatives. The following election of May 2010 saw Labour regaining their lost seats in Addiscombe, South Norwood and Upper Norwood, but losing one seat to the Conservatives in New Addington. The current composition of the council is Conservatives 37, Labour 33.
The controlling majority group in the borough is the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. From February 2005 until May 2006 the Leader of Croydon Council was Labour Co-operative
Labour Co-operative
Labour and Co-operative describes those candidates in British elections standing on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party, based on a national agreement between the two parties....
Councillor Tony Newman, succeeding Hugh Malyan. Mike Fisher, Conservative group leader since May 2005, was named as Council Leader following the Conservative victory. Croydon is a cabinet-style council
Cabinet-style council
A Cabinet-style Council is a type of local government which has been introduced in the United Kingdom for Local Councils following the introduction of the Local Government Act 2000....
, and the Leader heads a ten-person cabinet, its members responsible for areas such as education or planning. There is a Shadow Cabinet drawn from the principal opposition party. A backbench cross-party scrutiny and overview committee is in place to hold the executive cabinet to account.
The borough is covered by three parliamentary constituencies for the Westminster Parliament, these are Croydon North
Croydon North (UK Parliament constituency)
Croydon North is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, Croydon Central
Croydon Central (UK Parliament constituency)
The comparison is with the notional 2005 result for the new boundaries which made Croydon Central a Labour defence.-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
and Croydon South
Croydon South (UK Parliament constituency)
Croydon South is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
. There are 24 wards which represent Croydon Council.
Civic history
For much of its history, Croydon Council was controlled by the Conservative Party or conservative-leaning independents. Former Croydon councillors include former MPs Andrew PellingAndrew Pelling
Andrew John Pelling is a British politician. First elected as a Conservative he was an independent Member of Parliament for Croydon Central and on 30 March 2010 announced his intention to contest the seat as an Independent at the 2010 general election, but lost the seat to his former party...
, Vivian Bendall
Vivian Bendall
Vivian Walter Hough Bendall is a British estate agent and politician. After gaining the seat in a by-election he served as Conservative Member of Parliament for Ilford North from 1978 until his defeat in 1997. Bendall is on the right-wing of the party.-Business life:Born in Croydon, Bendall's...
, David Congdon
David Congdon
David Leonard Congdon is a British former Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Croydon North East, South London from 1992 to 1997....
, Geraint Davies and Reg Prentice, London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
member Valerie Shawcross
Valerie Shawcross
Valerie Shawcross CBE is a Labour Party politician and member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark. Shawcross was the Labour Co-operative candidate for Bermondsey and Old Southwark at the 2010 general election....
, Lord Bowness, John Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Lymington
John Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Lymington
John Francis Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Lymington PC, QC was a senior British judge who served as Master of the Rolls for 10 years, from 1982 to 1992.- Early and private life :...
(Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
) and H.T. Muggeridge, MP and father of Malcolm Muggeridge
Malcolm Muggeridge
Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge was an English journalist, author, media personality, and satirist. During World War II, he was a soldier and a spy...
. The first Mayor of the newly created County Borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
was Jabez Balfour
Jabez Balfour
Jabez Spencer Balfour was a businessman, British Liberal Party politician and fraudster.-Life:He was the son of James Balfour and Clara Lucas Balfour....
, later a disgraced Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. Former Conservative Director of Campaigning, Gavin Barwell
Gavin Barwell
Gavin Laurence Barwell is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Croydon Central since the 2010 general election.He is also the Head Governor of Trinity School in Croydon.-Education:...
, was a Croydon councillor between 1998 and 2010 and since 2010 is the MP for Croydon Central.
Some 10,000 people work directly or indirectly for the council, in its main offices in Taberner House or in its schools, care homes, housing offices or work depots. The council is generally well-regarded, having made important improvements in education and social services. However, there have been concerns over benefits, leisure services and waste collection. Although the council has one of London's lower rates of council tax, there are inevitable claims that it is too high and that resources are wasted.
The Mayor of Croydon for 2010-11 is Councillor Avril Slipper. The Leader is Cllr Mike Fisher and the Deputy Leaders are Cllr Tim Pollard and Cllr Dudley Mead. The Chief Executive since 7 July 2007 has been Jon Rouse.
Government buildings
Croydon Clocktower
Croydon Clocktower on Katharine Street in Croydon is an arts centre in London, England. It contains the Museum of Croydon, the Riesco Gallery with a collection of Chinese pottery and ceramics, the David Lean Cinema, the Braithwaite Hall used for concerts and conferences, and a café and bar...
on Katharine Street in Central Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
houses the committee rooms, the mayor's and other councillors' offices, electoral services and the arts and heritage services.
The present Town Hall is Croydon's third. The first town hall is thought to have been built in either 1566 or 1609. The second was built in 1808 to serve the growing town but was demolished after the present town hall was erected in 1895.
The present town hall was designed by local architect Charles Henman and was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 19 May 1896. It was constructed in red brick, sourced from Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, with Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
dressings and green Westmoreland
Westmoreland
Westmoreland is a historic county in England. It may also refer to:-Places:Australia*Westmoreland County, New South WalesCanada*Westmorland County, New BrunswickJamaica*Westmoreland, Jamaica, a parishNew Zealand...
slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
s for the roof. It also housed the court and most central council employees.
Museum of Croydon
The Museum of Croydon is a museum located inside the Croydon Clocktower arts facility. It is in Central Croydon, London Borough of Croydon, England. The museum is stated to be a lifetime museum, which showcases historical and stylish artifacts which were derived from the borough...
and exhibition galleries. The original public library is now a cinema, part of the Croydon Clocktower
Croydon Clocktower
Croydon Clocktower on Katharine Street in Croydon is an arts centre in London, England. It contains the Museum of Croydon, the Riesco Gallery with a collection of Chinese pottery and ceramics, the David Lean Cinema, the Braithwaite Hall used for concerts and conferences, and a café and bar...
. The Braithwaite Hall is used for events and performances. The town hall was renovated in the mid-1990s and the imposing central staircase, long closed to the public and kept for councillors only, was re-opened in 1994. The civic complex, meanwhile, was substantially added to, with buildings across Mint Walk and the 19-floor Taberner House to house the rapidly expanding corporation's employees.
Ruskin House
Ruskin House
For the re-generation plan for the centre of Croydon, see Ruskin SquareRuskin House, situated in its own grounds on Coombe Road, Croydon, South London, has been an important centre of Britain's progressive movements for a century...
is the headquarters of Croydon's Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, Trade Union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and Co-operative
Co-operative Party
The Co-operative Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom committed to supporting and representing co-operative principles. The party does not put up separate candidates for any UK election itself. Instead, Co-operative candidates stand jointly with the Labour Party as "Labour...
movements and is itself a co-operative with shareholders from organisations across the three movements. In the 19th century, Croydon was a bustling commercial centre of London. It was said that, at the turn of the 20th century, approximately £10,000 was spent in Croydon's taverns and inns every week. For the early labour movement, then, it was natural to meet in the town's public houses, in this environment. However, the temperance movement was equally strong, and Georgina King Lewis
Georgina King Lewis
Georgina King Lewis was described as a "Friend of the Oppressed". She followed in the grand tradition of philanthropic Victorian Quakers, leaving an important legacy in Croydon, South London, England...
, a keen member of the Croydon United Temperance Council
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, took it upon herself to establish a dry centre for the labour movement. The first Ruskin House was highly successful, and there has been two more since. The current house was officially opened in 1967 by the then Labour Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
. Today, Ruskin House continues to serve as the headquarters of the Trade Union, Labour and Co-operative movements in Croydon, hosting a range of meetings and being the base for several labour movement groups. Office tenants include the headquarters of the Communist Party of Britain
Communist Party of Britain
The Communist Party of Britain is a communist political party in Great Britain. Although founded in 1988 it traces its origins back to 1920 and the Communist Party of Great Britain, and claims the legacy of that party and its most influential members Harry Pollitt and John Gollan as its...
and Croydon Labour Party. Geraint Davies, the MP for Croydon Central
Croydon Central (UK Parliament constituency)
The comparison is with the notional 2005 result for the new boundaries which made Croydon Central a Labour defence.-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:- Notes and references :...
, had offices in the building, until he was defeated by Andrew Pelling
Andrew Pelling
Andrew John Pelling is a British politician. First elected as a Conservative he was an independent Member of Parliament for Croydon Central and on 30 March 2010 announced his intention to contest the seat as an Independent at the 2010 general election, but lost the seat to his former party...
and is now the Labour representative standing for Swansea West
Swansea West (UK Parliament constituency)
Swansea West is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Taberner House
Taberner House
Taberner House houses the main offices of Croydon London Borough Council. It is located in Croydon, London, close to the old town hall, now known as the Croydon Clocktower.-History:...
was built between 1964 and 1967, designed by architect H. Thornley, with Allan Holt and Hugh Lea as borough engineers. Although the council had needed extra space since the 1920s, it was only with the imminent creation of the London Borough of Croydon that action was taken. The building is in classic 1960s style, praised at the time but subsequently much derided. It has its elegant upper slab block narrowing towards both ends, a formal device which has been compared to the famous Pirelli Tower
Pirelli Tower
The Pirelli Tower , is a skyscraper in Milan, Italy.-History:...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. It was named after Ernest Taberner OBE, Town Clerk from 1937 to 1963.
Taberner House houses most of the council's central employees and its 'one-stop shop' is the main location for the public to access information and services, particularly with respect to housing.
Geography and climate
The borough is in the deep south of London, with the M25 orbital motorwayM25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
stretching to the south of it, between Croydon and Tandridge. In the north and east of Croydon the authority mainly borders the London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
and in the north west the boroughs of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
and Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
. The boroughs of Sutton
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
and Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
are located directly to the west. It is at the head of the River Wandle
River Wandle
The River Wandle is a river in south-east England. The names of the river and of Wandsworth are thought to have derived from the Old English "Wendlesworth" meaning "Wendle's Settlement". The river runs through southwest London and is about long...
, just to the north of a significant gap in the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
. It lies 10 miles (16.1 km) south of London, and the earliest settlement may have been a Roman staging post on the London-Portslade road, although conclusive evidence has not yet been found. The main town centre houses a great variety of well-known stores on North End
North End, Croydon
North End is a pedestrianized road in Central Croydon which is the main equivalent to a high street in Croydon. The road holds both of the main shopping centres, Centrale and Whitgift Centre plus a forthcoming one called Park Place. The road offers many well-known shops such as WHSmith, Next, Zara...
and two shopping centres. It was pedestrianised in 1989 to attract people back to the town centre. Another shopping centre called Park Place
Park Place (Croydon)
Park Place was a shopping centre which had been expected to open in Croydon, England by 2011, although this date has been pushed back and building has not started. It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme...
, was due to open in 2012 but has since been scrapped.
Cityscape
SW postcode area
The SW postcode area, also known as the London SW postcode area, is a group of postcode districts covering part of southwest London, England. The area originates from the South Western and Battersea districts of the London post town.-Postal administration:The postcode area originated in 1857 as...
and SE postcodes
SE postcode area
The SE postcode area, also known as the London SE postcode area, is the part of the London post town covering part of south east London, England...
include the areas of South Norwood and Selhurst, Upper Norwood, West Norwood, and Norbury.
Districts in the London Borough of Croydon include Addington
Addington, London
Addington is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...
, a small village to the east of Croydon which until 2000 was poorly linked to the rest of the borough as it was without any railway or light rail stations with only a few patchy bus services to rely on. Addiscombe
Addiscombe
Addiscombe is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south of Charing Cross.It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy...
is a town just northeast of the centre of Croydon, and is popular with commuters to central London due to its close proximity to the busy East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
. Ashburton
Ashburton, London
Ashburton is a small neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon neighbouring South Norwood, Shirley, Addiscombe and Woodside. The area is mostly home to residential houses and flats. Most in the area would describe themselves as living in Shirley or Addiscombe.Ashburton was named after...
, to the northeast of Croydon, is mostly home to residential houses and flats, being named after Ashburton House, one of the three big houses in the Addiscombe area. Broad Green is a small district, centred on a large green with many homes and local shops in West Croydon. Coombe
Coombe, Croydon
Coombe is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, not far from central Croydon.Coombe is located between the green spaces of Shirley Hills, Lloyd Park, Ballards and Coombe Wood. It is unusual in this part of South London as it has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large...
is an area, just east of Croydon, which has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. Coulsdon
Coulsdon
Coulsdon is a town on the southernmost boundary of the London Borough of Croydon. It is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt of the Farthing Down, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common...
, southwest of Central Croydon, which has retained a good mix of traditional high street shops as well as a large number of restaurants for its size. Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
is the principal area of the borough, Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...
is an area north of Croydon, which is shared with the London Boroughs of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
, Southwark
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
, Lewisham
London Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
and Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
. Fairfield
Fairfield, Croydon
Fairfield is a ward in the London Borough of Croydon, covering most of the Croydon area of London in the United Kingdom. The ward currently forms part of Andrew Pelling MP's Croydon Central constituency, which has one of the smallest majorities for the Conservative Party in the UK on its current...
, just northeast of Croydon, holds the Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
and the village of Forestdale
Forestdale, London
Forestdale is a village in southeast London, UK, part of the London Borough of Croydon. It is located to the east of Selsdon, and to the west of Addington. The main building development of the village, commenced in the late 1960s and completed in the mid 70s, took place on what was previously open...
, to the east of Croydon's main area, commenced work in the late 1960s and completed in the mid-70s to create a larger town on what was previously open ground. Hamsey Green
Hamsey Green
Hamsey Green is a place on the plateau of the North Downs between the villages of Sanderstead to the north and Warlingham to the south. It is split almost across the centre east and west with the southern part in the Tandridge district of Surrey...
is a place on the plateau of the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
, south of Croydon. Kenley
Kenley
Kenley is a district in the south of the London Borough of Croydon. It borders Purley, Coulsdon, Riddlesdown, Caterham and Whyteleafe. Kenley is situated 13 miles south of Charing Cross. The 2001 census showed Kenley having a population of 13,525....
, again south of the centre, lie within the London Green Belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
and features a landscape dominated by green space. New Addington
New Addington
New Addington is an area on the edge of South London in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a large local authority estate surrounded by open countryside, woodland and golf courses. The Prime Meridian crosses the eastern edge of New Addington...
, to the east, is a large local authority estate surrounded by open countryside and golf courses. Norbury
Norbury
Norbury is a town in the London Borough of Croydon, also crossing the London Borough of Merton. It shares the postcode London SW16 with nearby Streatham. Norbury is south of Charing Cross.-History:...
, to the northwest, is a suburb with a large ethnic population. Norwood New Town
Norwood New Town
Norwood New Town is a largely residential former working class enclave within the larger district of Upper Norwood in Southeast London. It is within the London Borough of Croydon...
is a part of the Norwood triangle, to the north of Croydon. Monks Orchard
Monks Orchard
Monks Orchard is a place on the edge of the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a town situated about 10 miles south south-east of Charing Cross. - History :...
is a small district made up of large houses and open space in the northeast of the borough. Pollards Hill
Pollards Hill
Pollards Hill is a residential district crossing the border of the south London boroughs of Merton and Croydon between Mitcham and Norbury. It is the name of a council ward in Merton. The district is bisected by the Merton/Croydon boundary along Recreation Way...
is a residential district with houses on roads, which are lined with pollarded lime trees, stretching to Norbury. Purley
Purley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
, to the south, is a main town whose name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Sanderstead
Sanderstead
Sanderstead is a village in London Borough of Croydon, located on high ground at the edge of the built-up area of Greater London. From 1915 to 1965 it formed a parish in the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District of Surrey. Having been a farming community in previous centuries, Sanderstead is now...
, to the south, is a village mainly on high ground at the edge of suburban development in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. Selhurst
Selhurst
Selhurst is a suburban development in the London Borough of Croydon south-south-east of Charing Cross. A relatively small area, Selhurst is bounded by South Norwood, Croydon and Thornton Heath and, like nearby Broad Green, has lost its distinct identity from these larger neighbours in recent years...
is a town, to the north of Croydon, which holds the nationally known school, The BRIT School
BRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
. Selsdon
Selsdon
Selsdon is an area located in the southern suburbs of the London Borough of Croydon. The suburb was developed during the inter-war period during the 1920s and 1930s, and is remarkable for its many Art Deco houses...
is a suburb which was developed during the inter-war period in the 1920s and 1930s, and is remarkable for its many Art Deco houses, to the southeast of Croydon Centre. Shirley
Shirley, London
Shirley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 10 miles south south-east of Charing Cross.-Description:...
, is to the east of Croydon, and holds Shirley Windmill
Shirley Windmill
Shirley Windmill is a Grade II listed tower mill in Shirley, in the London Borough of Croydon, England which has been restored to working order.-History:...
. South Croydon
South Croydon
South Croydon is a locality in Greater London, the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon about 1 km in radius, centred on the Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is part of the South Croydon post town and in the London Borough of Croydon...
, to the south of Croydon, is a locality which holds local landmarks such as The Swan and Sugarloaf public house and independent Whitgift School
Whitgift School
Whitgift School is an independent day school educating approximately 1,400 boys aged 10 to 18 in South Croydon, London in a parkland site.- History and grounds :...
part of the Whitgift Foundation
Whitgift Foundation
The Whitgift Foundation is a charity based in Croydon, South London, England, established in 1596 by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, who lived at Croydon Palace. The purpose of the charity is to provide education for the young and care for the elderly...
. South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
, to the north, is in common with West Norwood and Upper Norwood, named after a contraction of Great North Wood and has a population of around 14,590. Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south-southeast of Charing Cross.-Geography:...
is a town, to the northwest of Croydon, which holds Croydon's principal hospital Mayday
Mayday University Hospital
Croydon University Hospital, formerly Mayday Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Croydon in south London, England, and is in the administrative area of NHS Croydon - Croydon Primary Care Trust. It is administratively a part of Croydon Health Services. It is a teaching hospital.It is...
. Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
is, west to Croydon, on a mainly elevated area of the borough. Waddon
Waddon
Waddon is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, to the south west of central Croydon on the borders of the London Borough of Sutton. Waddon has an older area with 19th century properties, some even older, close to central Croydon. Further south is a large estate of Council-owned homes and a...
is a residential area, mainly based on the Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
retail area, to the west of the borough. Woodside
Woodside, London
Woodside is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon located between Addiscombe and South Norwood.-History:Woodside is a suburban district of residential streets based around Woodside Green, a small sized area of green land. At one end of the green is a war memorial. It is surrounded by...
is located to the northeast of the borough, with streets based on Woodside Green
Woodside Green
Woodside Green is an area and street located in Woodside, London, centred on a village green. The station is located near to Woodside tram stop in the London Borough of Croydon. The green is over 44¾ acres .-History:...
, a small sized area of green land. And finally Whyteleafe
Whyteleafe
Whyteleafe is a small town in South East England, in the Surrey district of Tandridge. Four streets in Whyteleafe are just inside the southern edge of the London Borough of Croydon. Neighbouring villages and towns include Woldingham, Caterham, Coulsdon, Warlingham, and Kenley...
is a town, right to the edge of Croydon with some areas in the Surrey district of Tandridge.
Croydon is a gateway to the south from central London, and therefore has a number of major roads running through it. Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
on the A23 road
A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
was built to by-pass Croydon town centre on which the A23 once did, is one of the busiest roads in the borough, and has been the site of several major retail developments including one of only 18 IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
stores in the country, built on the site of the former power station. It carries on to Brighton Road
Brighton Road
Brighton Road is a major road running through Croydon and Purley, in south London, England. The northern part of its length is designated the A235, and further south it becomes the A23....
which is the main route running towards the south from Croydon
South Croydon
South Croydon is a locality in Greater London, the area surrounding the valley south of central Croydon about 1 km in radius, centred on the Red Deer public house on the Brighton Road. It is part of the South Croydon post town and in the London Borough of Croydon...
to Purley
Purley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
and continues on the A23
A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
. The centre of Croydon is very congested, and the urban planning has since become out of date and quite inadequate, due to the expansion of Croydon's main shopping area and office blocks. Wellesley Road, is a dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
that cuts through the centre of the town, and makes it hard to interchange between the civic centre's two railway stations. Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020 is a regeneration programme by the London Borough of Croydon for the centre of Croydon in South London. The original study was carried out in 1999 by EDAW and is being taken forward through the Local Development Framework process...
includes a plan for a more pedestrian-friendly replacement. It has also been named as one of the worst roads for cyclists in the area. Construction of the Croydon Underpass
Croydon Underpass
Croydon Underpass is a underpass located in Croydon, London. The road is part of the A212 which stretches from Catford to Forestdale. Construction of the underpass beneath the junction of George Street and Wellesley Road/Park Lane during the early Sixties...
beneath the junction of George Street and Wellesley Road/Park Lane during the early Sixties started, with the main aim to prevent traffic congestion on Park Lane, situated above the underpass. The Croydon Flyover
Croydon Flyover
The Croydon Flyover is a flyover located in Croydon, London, England. It is part of the A232 road which connects Orpington with Ewell. The flyover connects Park Lane and the Croydon Underpass, on the A212 road with Duppas Hill Road. It crosses over the A236, Old Town and Southbridge Road and the...
on the other hand is situated near the underpass and next to Taberner House
Taberner House
Taberner House houses the main offices of Croydon London Borough Council. It is located in Croydon, London, close to the old town hall, now known as the Croydon Clocktower.-History:...
. It mainly leads traffic on to Duppas Hill
Duppas Hill
Duppas Hill is a park, road and surrounding residential area in Waddon, near Croydon in Greater London . It is thought to be named after a family called 'Dubber' or 'Double'.Duppas Hill has a long history of sport and recreation...
, towards Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
with the intention for easy links with Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
and Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
further afield. The major junction on the flyover is for Old Town, which is also a large three-lane road.
Topography and climate
Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km2, the 256th largest district in England. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers that are spread out across the borough and into the North DownsNorth Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and the rest of South London. Addington Hills
Addington Hills
Addington Hills is a park in Upper Shirley, London, England. It is managed by the London Borough of Croydon. It was part of the old parish of Addington before the suburb of Shirley was developed in the 1930s. The site consists largely of woodland on a gravel bed, with London's largest area of...
is a major floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
in London for the Thames Valley
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London...
and is recognised as a significant obstacle to the growth of London from its origins as a port on the north side of the river, to a large circular city. The Great North Wood
Great North Wood
The Great North Wood was a natural oak forest that covered most of the area of raised ground starting some four miles south of central London, covering the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of the River Effra and its tributaries...
is a former natural oak forest that covered the Sydenham Ridge
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
and the southern reaches of the River Effra
River Effra
The River Effra is a river in south London, England. It is now mainly underground. The name cannot be traced back much earlier than 1840 , so speculation that it came from a Celtic word for torrent is unwarranted...
and its tributaries. The most notable tree, called Vicar's Oak, marked the boundary of four ancient parishes; Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, Croydon and Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
. John Aubrey referred to this "ancient remarkable tree" in the past tense as early as 1718, but according to JB Wilson, the Vicar's Oak survived until 1825. The River Wandle
River Wandle
The River Wandle is a river in south-east England. The names of the river and of Wandsworth are thought to have derived from the Old English "Wendlesworth" meaning "Wendle's Settlement". The river runs through southwest London and is about long...
is also a major tributary of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, where it stretches to Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Toponymy:...
and Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
for 9 miles (14 km) from its main source in Waddon
Waddon
Waddon is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, to the south west of central Croydon on the borders of the London Borough of Sutton. Waddon has an older area with 19th century properties, some even older, close to central Croydon. Further south is a large estate of Council-owned homes and a...
.
Croydon has a temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
climate in common with most areas of Great Britain, it is similar to that of Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
in Inner London
Inner London
Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs which form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. The area was first officially defined in 1965 and for purposes such as statistics, the definition has changed over time. The terms Inner London and Central...
: its Köppen climate classification is Cfb. Its mean annual temperature of 9.6 °C is similar to that experienced throughout the Weald, and slightly cooler than nearby areas such as the Sussex coast and central London. Rainfall is considerably below England's average (1971–2000) level of 838 mm, and every month is drier overall than the England average.
The nearest weather station is at Gatwick Airport.
Architecture
The skyline of Croydon has significantly changed over the past 50 years. High rise buildings, mainly office blocks, now dominate the skyline. The most notable of these buildings include Croydon Council's headquarters Taberner HouseTaberner House
Taberner House houses the main offices of Croydon London Borough Council. It is located in Croydon, London, close to the old town hall, now known as the Croydon Clocktower.-History:...
, which has been compared to the famous Pirelli Tower
Pirelli Tower
The Pirelli Tower , is a skyscraper in Milan, Italy.-History:...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, and the Nestlé Tower
Nestlé Tower
The Nestlé Tower is a skyscraper located in Croydon, United Kingdom occupied by the multinational food and consumer goods company Nestlé S.A. as their UK headquarters...
, the UK headquarters of Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
.
In recent years, the development of tall buildings, such as the approved Croydon Vocational Tower
Croydon Vocational Tower
Croydon Vocational Tower is a proposed mixed-use skyscraper to be built in Croydon. The high-rise building which will be built on the former low rise Fairfield Building which was built in the 1950s as part of Croydon College...
and Wellesley Square
Wellesley Square
Saffron Square is a planned town square and high-rise building in West Croydon, London, United Kingdom to be developed by Berkeley Homes. Planning permission for the tower was given in April 2008. The location of the site on the 'urban motorway' of Wellesley Road has lain fallow for over ten years...
, has been encouraged in the London Plan
London Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
, which will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers over the next few years as London goes through a high-rise boom.
No.1 Croydon
No.1 Croydon
No.1 Croydon is a skyscraper at 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, London, next to East Croydon station. It was designed by R. Seifert & Partners and completed in 1970. It has 24 storeys and is high. 'NLA' stood for 'Noble Lowndes Annuities'...
, formerly the NLA Tower, Britain's 88th tallest tower, close to East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
, is an example of 1970s architecture. The tower was originally nicknamed the Threepenny bit building, as it resembles a stack of pre-decimalisation Threepence coins, which were 12-sided. Since decimalisation
Decimal Day
Decimal Day was the day the United Kingdom and Ireland decimalised their currencies.-Old system:Under the old currency of pounds, shillings and pence, the pound was made up of 240 pence , with 12 pence in a shilling and 20 shillings in a...
it has gained the alternative nickname 50 pence building, based on the more familiar 50 pence coin
British Fifty Pence coin
The British decimal fifty pence coin – often pronounced "fifty pee" – was issued on 14 October 1969 in the run-up to decimalisation to replace the ten shilling note...
.
Lunar House
Lunar House
Lunar House is a 20-storey office block at 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, in south London. on the east side, that houses the headquarters of the UK Border Agency, an executive agency of the Home Office in the United Kingdom.-The building:...
is another high-rise building. Like other government office buildings on Wellesley Road, such as Apollo House
Apollo House (Croydon)
The Apollo House is a high-rise building on Wellesley Road in the London Borough of Croydon, London, England.In common with a neighbouring building Lunar House, the building's name was inspired by the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969....
, the name of the building was inspired by the US moon landings
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
(In the Croydon suburb of New Addington there is a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, built during the same period, called The Man on the Moon).
A new generation of buildings are being considered by the council as part of Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020 is a regeneration programme by the London Borough of Croydon for the centre of Croydon in South London. The original study was carried out in 1999 by EDAW and is being taken forward through the Local Development Framework process...
, so that the borough doesn't lose its title of having the "largest office space in the south east", excluding central London. Projects such as Wellesley Square
Wellesley Square
Saffron Square is a planned town square and high-rise building in West Croydon, London, United Kingdom to be developed by Berkeley Homes. Planning permission for the tower was given in April 2008. The location of the site on the 'urban motorway' of Wellesley Road has lain fallow for over ten years...
, which will be a mix of residential and retail with an eye-catching colour design and 100 George Street a proposed modern office block are incorporated in this vision.
Notable events that have happened to Croydon's skyline include the Millennium project to create the largest single urban lighting project ever. It was created for the buildings of Croydon to illuminate them for the third millennium. Not only did this project give new lighting to the buildings, but it provided an opportunity to project onto them images and words, mixing art and poetry with coloured light, and also displaying public information after dark. Apart from increasing night time activity in Croydon and thereby reducing the fear of crime, it helped to promote the sustainable use of older buildings by displaying them in a more positive way.
Demography
According to the 2001 censusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Croydon has a population of around 269,100. In 2005 this was recorded to have risen up to 342,700, making Croydon the ninth most populous local authority in England out of 354 boroughs. 159,111 were males, with 171,476 females. In 2001 the number of people per hectare in Croydon was 38.21, in London 45.62, and in England 3.77. The mean age of the residents of Croydon was 33.75 and 233,748 out of 330,587 residents described their health as 'good'.
White is the majority ethnicity with over 72%, compared to 92% in England as a whole. Black or Black British was the second-largest ethnicity, over 13%; 11.3% is South Asian.
The most common householder type were owner occupied with only a small percentage rented. Many new housing schemes and developments are currently taking place in Croydon, such as The Exchange and Bridge House, IYLO
IYLO
IYLO is the commercial name given to an under construction project to construct a residential skyscraper in the London Borough of Croydon, London. The slogan used by the clients Phoenix Logistics and E3 Property International is Inspiration For Life. The building, once finished, will feature 20...
, Wellesley Square
Wellesley Square
Saffron Square is a planned town square and high-rise building in West Croydon, London, United Kingdom to be developed by Berkeley Homes. Planning permission for the tower was given in April 2008. The location of the site on the 'urban motorway' of Wellesley Road has lain fallow for over ten years...
and Altitude 25
Altitude 25
Altitude 25 is Croydon's tallest skyscraper on Fairfield Road in the London Borough of Croydon, London. The development was intended to regenerate a brownfield site just three minutes' walk from East Croydon station...
. The Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
recorded a 10% fall in the number of crimes committed in Croydon, better than the rate which crime in London as a whole is falling, in 2006. Croydon has had the highest fall in the number of cases of violence against the person in South London, and is one of the top 10 safest local authorities in London. According to Your Croydon (a local community magazine) this is due to a stronger partnership struck between Croydon Council and the police. In 2007, overall crime figures across the borough saw decrease of 5%, with the number of incidents decreasing from 32,506 in 2006 to 30,862 in 2007. Croydon has five police stations. Croydon police station is on Park Lane in the centre of the town near the Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
; South Norwood police station is a newly refurbished building just of the High Street; Norbury police station is on London Road; Kenley station is on Godstone Road; and New Addington police station is on Addington Village road.
Population change
The table shows details on the population change since 1901, including the percentage change since the last available census data. Although the London Borough of Croydon has existed as a London borough since 1963, figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, and civil parishes that would later be constituent parts of the authority.Economy
| Labour Profile | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2008 | |
| Total employee jobs | 128,800 | 130,000 |
| Full-time | 91,100 | 89,500 |
| Part-time | 37,000 | 41,000 |
| Manufacturing | 6,300 | 4,200 |
| Construction | 6,300 | 6,400 |
| Services | 117,000 | 119,700 |
| Distribution, hotels & restaurants | 30,500 | 29,200 |
| Transport & communications | 6,900 | 7,200 |
| Finance, IT, other business activities | 33,800 | 37,300 |
| Public admin, education & health | 38,900 | 39,000 |
| Other services | 6,900 | 7,000 |
| Tourism-related | 9,100 | 8,500 |
The main employment sectors of the Borough is retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
and enterprise
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
which is mainly based in Central Croydon. Major employers are well-known companies, who hold stores or offices in the town. Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
is a major employer of people, looking for jobs as sales assistants, sales consultants and store managerial jobs. IKEA Croydon, when it was built in 1992, brought many non-skilled jobs to Croydon. The store, which is a total size of 23,000 m2, took over the former site of Croydon Power station, which had led to the unemployment of many skilled workers. In May 2006, the extension of the IKEA made it the fifth biggest employer in Croydon, and includes the extension of the showroom, market hall and self-serve areas. Other big employers around Purley include the large Tesco Extra store in the town centre, along with other stores in Purley Way including Best Buy, Sainsbury's, B&Q, Comet, Vue and Toys "R" Us. Croydon town centre is also a major retail centre, and home to many high street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
and department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s as well as designer boutiques. The main town centre shopping areas are on the North End
North End, Croydon
North End is a pedestrianized road in Central Croydon which is the main equivalent to a high street in Croydon. The road holds both of the main shopping centres, Centrale and Whitgift Centre plus a forthcoming one called Park Place. The road offers many well-known shops such as WHSmith, Next, Zara...
precinct, in the Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Centre
The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre and office development in the centre of Croydon, London, opened in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre currently comprises of retail space and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at...
, Centrale
Centrale
Centrale is a shopping centre in Croydon, South London, one of the largest covered retail developments in London. It is owned and managed by the St Martins Property Group and was opened in 2004....
and St George's Walk
St George's Walk
St George's Walk is a covered shopping parade in the centre of Croydon, London that houses many independent stores. It was completed in 1964 by Ronald Ward and Partners, the designers of St George's House and Millbank Tower. It runs parallel to the Croydon Clocktower arts facility runs between the...
. Department stores in Croydon town centre include House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
, Marks and Spencer, Allders
Allders
Allders is an independent department store in Croydon, established by Joshua Allder in 1862. It is the fourth-largest department store in the United Kingdom.The Croydon store was the flagship of a large chain of department stores in the UK...
, Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
and T.K. Maxx
T.K. Maxx
T.K. Maxx is a retailer with stores throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Poland. The company is part of the TJX Companies which also owns other 'off-price' retail chains such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls in the United States and Winners in Canada...
. Croydon's main market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
is Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market is a market that sells mainly meat & vegetables as well as a range of other items through the week in Croydon, south London. It has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and...
, which has a royal charter dating back to 1276. Shopping areas outside the city centre include the Valley Park
Valley Park Retail Area
Valley Park Retail and Leisure Complex is a retail park in the Purley Way retail and industrial area of the London Borough of Croydon. Valley Park was opened in 1992 on the site of the former Croydon 'B' Power Station which was built in the late 1940s and opened in 1950. The power plant shut down...
retail complex, Croydon Colonnades
Colonnades Leisure Park
The Colonnades Leisure Park is an out-of-town leisure park located in the Purley Way retail and industrial district of the London Borough of Croydon, South London which opened in the late 1990s...
, Croydon Fiveways
Croydon Fiveways
Croydon Fiveways is a small out-of-town retail park and road junction in the industrial and large retail area of Purley Way inside the London Borough of Croydon, South London. The retail park was opened to accommodate Ladbrokes Texas Homecare store in Purley Way...
, and the Waddon Goods Park.
In research from 2010 on retail footprint, Croydon came out as 29th in terms of retail expenditure at £770 million. This puts it 6th in the Greater London area, falling behind Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
and Westfield London
Westfield London
Westfield London is a shopping centre in White City in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The centre was developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn,...
. In 2005, Croydon came 21st, second in London behind the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, with £909 million, whilst Kingston was 24th with £864 million. In a 2004 survey on the top retail destinations, Croydon was 27th.
In 2007, Croydon leapt up the annual business growth league table, with a 14% rise in new firms trading in the borough after 125 new companies started up, increasing the number from 900 to 1,025, enabling the town, which has also won the Enterprising Britain Award and "the most enterprising borough in London" award, to jump from 31 to 14 in the table.
Tramlink
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
created many jobs when it opened in 2000, not only drivers but engineers as well. Many of the people involved came from Croydon, which was the original hub of the system. Retail stores inside both Centrale
Centrale
Centrale is a shopping centre in Croydon, South London, one of the largest covered retail developments in London. It is owned and managed by the St Martins Property Group and was opened in 2004....
and the Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Centre
The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre and office development in the centre of Croydon, London, opened in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre currently comprises of retail space and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at...
as well as on North End
North End, Croydon
North End is a pedestrianized road in Central Croydon which is the main equivalent to a high street in Croydon. The road holds both of the main shopping centres, Centrale and Whitgift Centre plus a forthcoming one called Park Place. The road offers many well-known shops such as WHSmith, Next, Zara...
employee people regularly and create many jobs, especially at Christmas. As well as the new building of Park Place
Park Place (Croydon)
Park Place was a shopping centre which had been expected to open in Croydon, England by 2011, although this date has been pushed back and building has not started. It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme...
, which will create yet more jobs, so will the regeneration of Croydon, called Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020
Croydon Vision 2020 is a regeneration programme by the London Borough of Croydon for the centre of Croydon in South London. The original study was carried out in 1999 by EDAW and is being taken forward through the Local Development Framework process...
, highlighted in the Croydon Expo
Croydon Expo
The Croydon Exp07 was a series of events aimed at business and residents in the London Borough of Croydon, UK to demonstrate the £2bn of development projects planned for Croydon in the next 10 years . It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration programme. The council-backed scheme is hoping...
which includes the Croydon Gateway
Croydon Gateway
Ruskin Square is the name given to a project to redevelop a block of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre of Croydon in South London. It is part of the major Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration scheme...
, Wellesley Square
Wellesley Square
Saffron Square is a planned town square and high-rise building in West Croydon, London, United Kingdom to be developed by Berkeley Homes. Planning permission for the tower was given in April 2008. The location of the site on the 'urban motorway' of Wellesley Road has lain fallow for over ten years...
, Central One plus much more.
Croydon is a major office area in the south east of England, being the largest outside of central London. Many powerful companies based in Europe and worldwide have European or British headquarters in the town. American International Group
American International Group
American International Group, Inc. or AIG is an American multinational insurance corporation. Its corporate headquarters is located in the American International Building in New York City. The British headquarters office is on Fenchurch Street in London, continental Europe operations are based in...
(AIG) have offices in No.1 Croydon
No.1 Croydon
No.1 Croydon is a skyscraper at 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, London, next to East Croydon station. It was designed by R. Seifert & Partners and completed in 1970. It has 24 storeys and is high. 'NLA' stood for 'Noble Lowndes Annuities'...
, formerly the NLA Tower, shared with Liberata, Pegasus
Pegasus Software
Pegasus Software is based in Kettering, England and develops accounting and financial management and payroll software applications for small and medium sized businesses.-History:...
and the Institute of Public Finance
Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy is a professional institute for accountants working in the public services.CIPFA has 14,000 members who work throughout the public services, in national audit agencies, in major accountancy firms, and in other bodies where public money...
. AIG is the sixth-largest company in the world according to the 2007 Forbes Global 2000
Forbes Global 2000
The Forbes Global 2000 is an annual ranking of the top 2000 public companies in the world by Forbes magazine. The ranking is based on a mix of four metrics: sales, profit, assets and market value...
list. The Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
company Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
has its UK headquarters in the Nestlé Tower
Nestlé Tower
The Nestlé Tower is a skyscraper located in Croydon, United Kingdom occupied by the multinational food and consumer goods company Nestlé S.A. as their UK headquarters...
, on the site of the formerly proposed Park Place
Park Place (Croydon)
Park Place was a shopping centre which had been expected to open in Croydon, England by 2011, although this date has been pushed back and building has not started. It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme...
shopping centre. Real Digital International has developed a purpose built 70000 sq ft (6,503.2 m²) factory on Purley Way equipped with "the most sophisticated production equipment and technical solutions". ntl:Telewest
Telewest
Telewest, formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications was a cable Internet, broadband internet, telephone supplier and cable television provider in the United Kingdom...
, now Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
, have offices at Communications House, from the Telewest side when it was known as Croydon Cable. The Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
UK Border Agency
UK Border Agency
The UK Border Agency is the border control body of the United Kingdom government and part of the Home Office. It was formed on 1 April 2008 by a merger of the Border and Immigration Agency , UKvisas and the Detection functions of HM Revenue and Customs...
has its headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in Lunar House
Lunar House
Lunar House is a 20-storey office block at 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, in south London. on the east side, that houses the headquarters of the UK Border Agency, an executive agency of the Home Office in the United Kingdom.-The building:...
in Central Croydon. In 1981, Superdrug opened a 11,148 m2 (120,000 ft2) distribution centre and office complex at Beddington Lane. The head office of international engineering and management consultant Mott MacDonald
Mott MacDonald
The Mott MacDonald Group is an employee-owned company management, engineering and development consultancy serving the public and private sectors world-wide...
is located in Mott MacDonald House on Sydenham Road, one of four offices they occupy in the town centre. BT has large offices in Prospect East in Central Croydon. The Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
also has large offices in Purley, south of Croydon. Direct Line
Direct Line
Direct Line is part of the RBS Insurance division of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group that specialises in selling insurance and other financial services over the phone and internet....
also has an office opposite Taberner House
Taberner House
Taberner House houses the main offices of Croydon London Borough Council. It is located in Croydon, London, close to the old town hall, now known as the Croydon Clocktower.-History:...
. Other companies with offices in Croydon include Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
, Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
and Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
. Ann Summers
Ann Summers
Ann Summers is a United Kingdom-based retailer specialising in sex toys and lingerie, with over 140 high street stores in the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Spain. In 2000, Ann Summers acquired the Knickerbox brand, a label with an emphasis on more comfortable and feminine underwear, while...
used to have its headquarters in the borough but has moved to the Wapses Lodge Roundabout in Tandridge.
Landmarks
There are a large number of attractions and places of interest all across the borough of Croydon, ranging from historic sites in the north and south to modern towers in the centre.Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
was once London's main airport, but closed on 30 September 1959 due to the expansion of London and the need of more room at the airport which was impossible to provide, so Heathrow International Airport took over as London's main airport. It is now disused and is a tourist attraction. The Croydon Clocktower
Croydon Clocktower
Croydon Clocktower on Katharine Street in Croydon is an arts centre in London, England. It contains the Museum of Croydon, the Riesco Gallery with a collection of Chinese pottery and ceramics, the David Lean Cinema, the Braithwaite Hall used for concerts and conferences, and a café and bar...
arts venue was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994. It includes the Braithwaite Hall (the former reference library - named after the Rev. Braithwaite who donated it to the town) for live events, David Lean Cinema
David Lean Cinema
The David Lean Cinema is a small cinema built in the 1990s to honour the director David Lean who was born in the town. It is located in Croydon, London on Katharine Street...
(built in memory of David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
), the Museum of Croydon
Museum of Croydon
The Museum of Croydon is a museum located inside the Croydon Clocktower arts facility. It is in Central Croydon, London Borough of Croydon, England. The museum is stated to be a lifetime museum, which showcases historical and stylish artifacts which were derived from the borough...
and Croydon Central Library
Croydon Central Library
Croydon Central Library is Croydon's main public library located inside the Croydon Clocktower in Croydon, south London. It is owned by the London Borough of Croydon on behalf of Croydon Council. The library is located on four floors inside the Clocktower...
. The Museum of Croydon (formerly known as Croydon Lifetimes Museum) highlights Croydon in the past and the present and currently features high-profile exhibitions including the Riesco Collection, The Art of Dr Seuss and the Whatever the Weather gallery. Shirley Windmill
Shirley Windmill
Shirley Windmill is a Grade II listed tower mill in Shirley, in the London Borough of Croydon, England which has been restored to working order.-History:...
is a working windmill and one of the few surviving large windmills in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, built in 1854. It is Grade II listed and received a £218,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
. Addington Palace
Addington Palace
Addington Palace is an 18th century mansion in Addington near Croydon, South London, England.-History:The original manor house called 'Addington Place' was built about the 16th century....
is an 18th century mansion in Addington
Addington, London
Addington is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...
which was originally built as Addington Place in the 16th century. The palace became the official second residence of six archbishops, five of whom are buried in St Mary's Church and churchyard nearby. North End
North End, Croydon
North End is a pedestrianized road in Central Croydon which is the main equivalent to a high street in Croydon. The road holds both of the main shopping centres, Centrale and Whitgift Centre plus a forthcoming one called Park Place. The road offers many well-known shops such as WHSmith, Next, Zara...
is the main pedestrianised shopping road in Croydon, having Centrale
Centrale
Centrale is a shopping centre in Croydon, South London, one of the largest covered retail developments in London. It is owned and managed by the St Martins Property Group and was opened in 2004....
to one side and the Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Centre
The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre and office development in the centre of Croydon, London, opened in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre currently comprises of retail space and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at...
to the other. The Warehouse Theatre
Warehouse Theatre
The Warehouse Theatre is a professional producing theatre with one hundred seats in the centre of the London Borough of Croydon, south London, England based in an oak-beamed former cement Victorian warehouse...
is a popular theatre for mostly young performers and is due to get a face-lift on the Croydon Gateway
Croydon Gateway
Ruskin Square is the name given to a project to redevelop a block of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre of Croydon in South London. It is part of the major Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration scheme...
site. The Nestlé Tower
Nestlé Tower
The Nestlé Tower is a skyscraper located in Croydon, United Kingdom occupied by the multinational food and consumer goods company Nestlé S.A. as their UK headquarters...
is the UK headquarters of Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
and is one of the tallest towers in England, which is due to be re-fitted during the Park Place development. The Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
is a well known concert hall and exhibition centre, opened in 1962. It is frequently used for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
recordings and was formerly the home of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's World of Sport
World of Sport (UK TV series)
World of Sport was a British television sport anthology programme which ran on ITV between 2 January 1965 to 28 September 1985 in response to competition from BBC's Grandstand...
. It includes the Ashcroft Theatre
Ashcroft Theatre
The Ashcroft Theatre is a theatre located within the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, South London. The theatre was named after Croydon-born Dame Peggy Ashcroft and is a proscenium theatre with a stepped auditorium. The mural on its fire curtain is by the artist Henry Bird. A variety of productions are...
and the Arnhem Gallery
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
. Croydon Palace
Croydon Palace
Croydon Palace, in Croydon, now part of south London, was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years. Regular visitors included Henry III and Queen Elizabeth I...
was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
for over 500 years and included regular visitors such as Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
and Queen Elizabeth I. It is thought to have been built around 960. Croydon Cemetery
Croydon Cemetery
Croydon Cemetery is a cemetery located next to Mitcham Common near Croydon, which is part of the London Borough of Croydon, London. It is managed by Croydon Cemeteries and Crematoriums. The cemetery is much larger than other ones in London and Croydon Crematorium is located inside the cemetery....
is a large cemetery and crematorium west of Croydon and is most famous for the gravestone of Derek Bentley
Derek Bentley
Derek William Bentley was a British teenager hanged for the murder of a police officer, committed in the course of a burglary attempt. The murder of the police officer was committed by a friend and accomplice of Bentley's, Christopher Craig, then aged 16. Bentley was convicted as a party to the...
, who was wrongly hanged in 1953. Mitcham Common
Mitcham Common
Mitcham Common or Seven Islands is 182 hectares of common land situated in South London. It is predominantly in the London borough of Merton, with parts straddling the borders with Sutton and Croydon.- History :...
is an area of common land
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
partly shared with the boroughs of Sutton
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
and Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
. Almost 500,000 years ago, Mitcham Common formed part of the river bed of the River Thames. The BRIT School
BRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
is a performing Arts & Technology school, owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the BRIT Awards Music Ceremony
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
). Famous former students include Kellie Shirley
Kellie Shirley
Kellie Shirley is a British actress. She is mostly known the role of Carly Wicks in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders up until 2008...
, Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
, Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, Kate Nash
Kate Nash
Kate Marie Nash is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. She had a UK no. 2 hit "Foundations" in 2007, followed by the platinum selling UK number 1 album Made of Bricks. She was named Best Female Artist at the 2008 BRIT Awards....
, Dane Bowers
Dane Bowers
Dane Bowers is an English R&B singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer. He was a part of R&B boyband Another Level between 1997 and 2000 when he performed on seven Top 10 singles...
, Katie Melua
Katie Melua
Ketevan "Katie" Melua is a British-Georgian singer, songwriter and musician. She moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then to England at fourteen. Melua is signed to the small Dramatico record label, under the management of composer Mike Batt, and made her musical debut in 2003...
and Lyndon David-Hall. Grants is an entertainment venue in the centre of Croydon which includes a Vue cinema
Vue (cinema)
Vue Entertainment , formerly known as SBC International Cinemas, is a cinema company in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The company was formed in May 2003 when SBC acquired 36 Warner Village cinemas. There are now 69 Vue cinemas, with 654 screens totaling 140,500 seats, including the rebranded...
and the Tiger Tiger
Tiger Tiger (nightclub)
Tiger Tiger is a chain of British nightclubs owned by Novus Leisure. The chain has nine branches, located in Aberdeen, Cardiff, Croydon, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Portsmouth...
nightclub. Taberner House
Taberner House
Taberner House houses the main offices of Croydon London Borough Council. It is located in Croydon, London, close to the old town hall, now known as the Croydon Clocktower.-History:...
houses the main offices of Croydon Council, and was built between 1964 and 1967. It has been compared to the Pirelli Tower
Pirelli Tower
The Pirelli Tower , is a skyscraper in Milan, Italy.-History:...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market is a market that sells mainly meat & vegetables as well as a range of other items through the week in Croydon, south London. It has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and...
has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and advertising. Beanos
Beanos
Beanos was a second-hand record shop, once the largest in Europe, located in the South London suburb of Croydon. It was founded by David Lashmar in 1975 and continued to expand through three increasingly larger shops ending up in an old printing works in Middle Street during the 1990s.After over...
, a collectors' record store that has been in Croydon for over three decades, was once the largest second-hand record shop in Europe. The Parish Church of St John the Baptist is a large church dating from the 15th century. It was largely destroyed by fire in 1867 and rebuilt by Sir George Gilbert Scott
George Gilbert Scott
Sir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses...
. It is the burial place of six Archbishops of Canterbury with monuments to Archbishops Sheldon and Whitgift. BedZED
BedZED
Beddington Zero Energy Development is an environmentally friendly housing development in Hackbridge, London, England. It is in the London Borough of Sutton. It was designed by the architect Bill Dunster to support a more sustainable lifestyle...
, Beddington Zero Energy Development, is on the outskirts of the borough.
Transport
There are two main interchanges for all public transport modes (nationalInter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
and local rail, tram
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
, and local buses
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
) at West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
and East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
.
National and international travel
Croydon is linked into the national motorway network via the M23M23 motorway
The M23 motorway is a motorway in England. The motorway runs from south of Hooley in Surrey, where it splits from the A23, to Pease Pottage, south of Crawley in West Sussex where it rejoins the A23. The northern end of the motorway starts at junction 7 on what is effectively a spur north from...
and M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
orbital motorway. The M25 skirts the south of the borough, linking Croydon with other parts of London and the surrounding counties; the M23 branches from the M25 close to Coulsdon, linking the town with the south coast, Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
, and London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
. The A23
A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
connects the borough with the motorways. The A23 is the major trunk road through Croydon, linking it with central London, East Sussex, Horsham, and Littlehaven. The old London to Brighton road, passes through the west of the borough on Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
, bypassing the commercial centre of Croydon which it once did.
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
railway route
Rail transport in Great Britain
The railway system in Great Britain is the oldest in the world, with the world's first locomotive-hauled public railway opening in 1825. As of 2010, it consists of of standard gauge lines , of which are electrified. These lines range from single to double, triple, quadruple track and up to twelve...
south from Croydon links the town to Sussex, Surrey, and Kent and to central London to the north: providing direct services to Hastings, Southampton, Brighton, Portsmouth, Gatwick Airport, Bedford and Luton. The main station for all these services is East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
in the centre of the town centre. East Croydon station
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
is the largest and busiest station in Croydon, third busiest in London, excluding Travelcard Zone 1
Travelcard Zone 1
Fare zone 1 is the central zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. For most tickets, travel through the zone is charged...
. The station at West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
serves all trains travelling west except the fastest. There are also more regional stations scattered around the borough. Passenger rail services through Croydon are provided by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
and First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
. A pilot scheme launched by the Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
, Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
and three train operators is designed to encourage more passengers to travel off-peak. In full partnership with the South London Boroughs
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
which includes Croydon, SWELTRAC, SELTRANS and the transport users group, the scheme promotes the advantages of off-peak travel following improvements to safety, travel connections and upgrading of station facilities. The Thameslink Programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
(formerly known as Thameslink 2000), is a £3.5 billion major project to expand the Thameslink network
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
from 51 to 172 stations
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
spreading northwards to Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
and southwards to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
, Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
to Littlehampton
Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
, East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
and Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
. The project includes the lengthening of platforms, station remodelling, new railway infrastructure (e.g. viaduct) and additional rolling stock. When implemented, First Capital Connect services would call at other stations in the borough including Purley and Norwood Junction.
The closest international airport to Croydon is London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
, which is located 19 miles (30.6 km) from the town centre. Gatwick airport opened on August 1930 as an aerodrome and is a major international operational base for British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
and Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines...
. It currently handles around 35 million passengers a year, making it London's second largest airport, and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
, London City Airport
London City Airport
London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...
and London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
all lie within a two hours' drive of Croydon. Gatwick and Luton Airports are connected to Croydon by frequent direct trains
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
, while Heathrow is accsesible by the route X26
London Buses route X26
London Buses route X26 is a Transport for London contracted bus route from Heathrow Airport to West Croydon. The service is currently contracted to Metrobus.The route is the longest London Buses route in London.-History:...
bus.
Local travel
The A23A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
and A22 road
A22 road
The A22 is one of the two-digit major roads in the south east of England. It carries traffic from London to Eastbourne on the East Sussex coast...
s are the major trunk roads through Croydon. These both run north-south, connecting to each other in Purley
Purley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
. The A22 connects Croydon, its starting point, to East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
, and Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. Other major roads generally radiate spoke-like from the city centre. Wellesley Road is an urban dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
which cuts through the middle of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. It was constructed in the 1960s as part of a planned ring road for Croydon and includes an underpass
Croydon Underpass
Croydon Underpass is a underpass located in Croydon, London. The road is part of the A212 which stretches from Catford to Forestdale. Construction of the underpass beneath the junction of George Street and Wellesley Road/Park Lane during the early Sixties...
, which allows traffic to avoid going into the town centre.
The hilly topography of Croydon and the lack of underground services in that part of South London is a reason for the extensive suburban and inter-urban railway network. Croydon is in the commuter belt to London as part of suburbia. There are several busy local rail routes running along the borough's towns, connecting it with London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
and London Victoria. These local routes mainly run on the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
and Sutton & Mole Valley Lines. As well as the main stations of East Croydon and West Croydon, there are several suburban stations at Norwood Junction
Norwood Junction railway station
Norwood Junction railway station is in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 4.The station is managed by London Overground and trains operated by Southern and London Overground .-History:...
, Purley
Purley railway station
Purley railway station is at Purley in the London Borough of Croydon, on the main London to Brighton line, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is a junction, with branches to Caterham and Tattenham Corner. There are sidings used by the Day and Son gravel company, part of whose installation has been given a...
, Coulsdon South
Coulsdon South railway station
Coulsdon South railway station serves Coulsdon in the London Borough of Croydon, and is in Travelcard Zone 6, on the Brighton Main Line. The station is served by Southern.- History :...
and Kenley
Kenley railway station
Kenley railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern, and it is in Travelcard Zone 6, on the Caterham Line....
and more.
Tramlink
Tramlink is a tramway system in south London in the United Kingdom which began operation in May 2000...
(Operated by Tramtrack Croydon, a wholly owned subsidiary of Transport for London), opened in 2000, serves the borough and surrounding areas. Its network consists of three lines, from Elmers End
Elmers End
Elmers End is a place in London Borough of Bromley, England. It has a large green space which is the centre of a gyratory. Very close to the combined railway station and Tramlink terminus bearing its name is the old sewage farm. The remains of this industrial site can still be seen...
to West Croydon, from Beckenham
Beckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
to West Croydon, and from New Addington
New Addington
New Addington is an area on the edge of South London in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a large local authority estate surrounded by open countryside, woodland and golf courses. The Prime Meridian crosses the eastern edge of New Addington...
to Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, with all three lines running via the Croydon loop on which it is centred on. It has been highly successful, environmentally-friendly and a reliable light rail system carrying around 22 million passengers a year. It is also the only tram system in London but there is another light rail system in the Docklands
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
. It serves Mitcham
Mitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
, Woodside
Woodside, London
Woodside is a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Croydon located between Addiscombe and South Norwood.-History:Woodside is a suburban district of residential streets based around Woodside Green, a small sized area of green land. At one end of the green is a war memorial. It is surrounded by...
, Addiscombe
Addiscombe
Addiscombe is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south of Charing Cross.It is situated just to the northeast of central Croydon, and is home to a high proportion of people who commute to Central London, owing to its proximity to the busy...
and the Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
retail and industrial area amongst others. An extension to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is a residential area in south London, England named from the former local landmark, The Crystal Palace, which occupied the area from 1854 to 1936. The area is located approximately 8 miles south east of Charing Cross, and offers impressive views over the capital...
is currently being developed by Transport for London with the support of the council and the South London Partnership. This would improve public transport access to Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood
Upper Norwood is an elevated area in south London, England within the postcode SE19. It is a residential district largely in the London Borough of Croydon although some parts extend into the London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark and the London Borough of Bromley. Upper Norwood...
and Crystal Palace Park and help to stimulate regeneration across the wider area. The extension could be in service by 2013. Other possible extensions include Sutton
Sutton, London
Sutton is a large suburban town in southwest London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Sutton. It is located south-southwest of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. The town was connected to central London by...
, a new park and ride close to the M25, Coulsdon
Coulsdon
Coulsdon is a town on the southernmost boundary of the London Borough of Croydon. It is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt of the Farthing Down, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common...
, Purley
Purley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
, Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
, Tolworth
Tolworth
Tolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
, Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
for an interchange with the proposed Cross River Tram
Cross River Tram
Cross River Tram was a Transport for London proposal for a tram system in London, England, UK. It was planned to run on a north-south route from Camden Town in the north, through and , to Peckham and Brixton in the south....
, Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
and Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
for an interchange with the Docklands Light Railway.
A sizeable bus infrastructure which is part of the London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
network operates from a main hub at West Croydon station
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
. The bus station at West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
is undergoing a major re-development to make it more modern and future-proof. There are also plans to create a new bus terminal at Park Place
Park Place (Croydon)
Park Place was a shopping centre which had been expected to open in Croydon, England by 2011, although this date has been pushed back and building has not started. It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme...
if the shopping centre is built. Addington Interchange is a regional bus terminal in Addington Village
Addington, London
Addington is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...
which has an interchange between route three
Tramlink route 3
Tramlink route 3 is one of three tram routes operated as part of the Tramlink network in south London. The route is owned and operated by Transport for London ....
and bus services in the remote area. Arriva London
Arriva London
Arriva London is a division of Arriva which operates bus services in London, UK. It is made up of many previous bus operators including previously independent Grey Green...
, part of Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
, is one of the largest bus operators to serve Croydon along with Metrobus, Selkent
Selkent
Selkent, or the South East London & Kent Bus Company Ltd, is one of many operators of bus services contracted to Transport for London. It is currently owned by Stagecoach Group, as part of Stagecoach London....
, and National Express London
Travel London
Travel London was a bus operator in London which was originally a subsidiary of the National Express Group. In May 2009 the company was sold to NedRailways, now called Abellio...
. Unlike other places in the country, London's transport infrastructure is regulated and therefore is not subject to price wars between different companies with TfL setting a standard price for bus services which is currently set at 90p with an Oyster card
Oyster card
The Oyster card is a form of electronic ticketing used on public transport services within the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. It is promoted by Transport for London and is valid on a number of different travel systems across London including London Underground, buses, the Docklands...
. Services include buses to central London, Purley Way, Bromley, Lewisham and a number of other civic centres in the south. London Buses route X26
London Buses route X26
London Buses route X26 is a Transport for London contracted bus route from Heathrow Airport to West Croydon. The service is currently contracted to Metrobus.The route is the longest London Buses route in London.-History:...
, the longest route in London, provides services to Heathrow Airport via Richmond
Richmond station (London)
Richmond station is a National Rail and London Underground station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in south west London which is managed by South West Trains....
and Sutton.
Although hilly, Croydon is compact and has few major trunk roads running through it. It is on one of the Connect2
Connect2
Connect2 is a project run by Sustrans to develop new walking and cycle routes in 79 communities around the UK.- Project :Connect2 is a five year project run by Sustrans. It involves the creation of new cycle and walking routes, bridges and other facilities in 79 locations around the UK...
schemes which are part of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
route running around Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. The North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
, an area of outstanding natural beauty popular with both on- and off-road cyclists, is so close to Croydon that part of the park lies within the borough boundary, and there are routes into the park almost from the civic centre.
Following the extension of the East London Line
East London Line
The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...
in 2010, two stations in Croydon are now served by London Overground
London Overground
London Overground is a suburban rail network in London and Hertfordshire. It has been operated by London Overground Rail Operations since 2007 as part of the National Rail network, under the franchise control and branding of Transport for London...
services; Norwood Junction and West Croydon
West Croydon station
West Croydon station is a transport interchange for National Rail and Tramlink services, as well as London Buses. It is in the London Borough of Croydon and Travelcard Zone 5...
. Currently Croydon is one of only five London Boroughs not to have at least one London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
station within its boundaries, and the closest tube station is in Morden
Morden tube station
Morden is a London Underground station in Morden in the London Borough of Merton. The station is the southern terminus for the Northern line and is the most southerly station on the Underground network. The next station north is...
.
Public services
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
policing in Croydon is provided by the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
. The force's Croydon arm have their head offices for policing on Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
next to the Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
and Croydon College
Croydon College
Croydon College, established in 1895, is a Further Education and Higher Education institution in the London Borough of Croydon.Located in East Croydon, it is made up of a Further Education College and a Higher Education College.- Further Education :...
in central Croydon. Public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
is co-ordinated by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
. Statutory emergency fire and rescue service
Fire service in the United Kingdom
The fire services in the United Kingdom operate under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
is provided by the London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
, which has five stations in Croydon.
Health services
NHS Croydon - Croydon Primary Care Trust is the body responsible for public healthPublic health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
and for planning and funding health services in the borough. Croydon has 227 GPs in 64 practices, 156 dentists in 51 practices, 166 pharmacists and 70 optometrists in 28 practices.
The Mayday University Hospital
Mayday University Hospital
Croydon University Hospital, formerly Mayday Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Croydon in south London, England, and is in the administrative area of NHS Croydon - Croydon Primary Care Trust. It is administratively a part of Croydon Health Services. It is a teaching hospital.It is...
, built on a 19 acres (76,890.3 m²) site in Thornton Heath at the west of Croydon's boundaries with Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
, is a large NHS
National Health Service (England)
The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
hospital administrated by Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust
NHS Trust
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales.The trusts are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is...
. Former names of the hospital include the Croydon Union Infirmary from 1885 to 1923 and the Mayday Road Hospital from 1923 to around 1930. It is a District General Hospital with a 24-hour accident and emergency
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
department. NHS Direct
NHS Direct
NHS Direct is the health advice and information service provided by the National Health Service for residents and visitors in England, with advice offered 24 hours a day, every day of the year through telephone contact on the national 0845 46 47 number, web based symptom checkers at and via...
has a regional centre based at the hospital. The NHS Trust
NHS Trust
A National Health Service trust provides services on behalf of the National Health Service in England and NHS Wales.The trusts are not trusts in the legal sense but are in effect public sector corporations. Each trust is headed by a board consisting of executive and non-executive directors, and is...
also provides services at Purley War Memorial Hospital, in Purley
Purley, London
Purley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 11.7 miles south of Charing Cross.The name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'. Purley has a population of about 72,000....
. Croydon General Hospital was on London Road but services transferred to Mayday, as the size of this hospital was insufficient to cope with the growing population of the borough. Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre and the Emergency Minor Treatment Centre are other smaller hospitals operated by the Mayday in the borough. Cane Hill
Cane Hill
Cane Hill was a psychiatric hospital in Coulsdon in the London Borough of Croydon. Built to care for patients in the eastern part of Surrey, remote from the Springfield and Brookwood Asylums, it opened in 1882 as the Third Surrey County Lunatic Asylum. Following a gradual winding down of...
was a psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
in Coulsdon.
Waste management
Waste managementWaste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
is co-ordinated by the local authority. Unlike other waste disposal authorities in Greater London, Croydon's rubbish is collected independently and isn't part of a waste authority unit. Locally produced inert waste
Inert waste
Inert waste is waste which is neither chemically or biologically reactive and will not decompose. Examples of this are sand, drywall, and concrete. This has particular relevance to landfills as inert waste typically requires lower disposal fees than biodegradable waste or hazardous waste....
for disposal is sent to landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
in the south of Croydon. There have recently been calls by the ODPM to bring waste management powers to the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
, giving it a waste function. The Mayor of London has made repeated attempts to bring the different waste authorities together, to form a single waste authority in London. This has faced significant opposition from existing authorities. However, it has had significant support from all other sectors and the surrounding regions managing most of London's waste. Croydon has the joint best recycling rate in London, at 36%. Croydon's Distribution Network Operator
Distribution Network Operator
Distribution network operators are companies licensed to distribute electricity in Great Britain by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets....
for electricity is EDF Energy Networks
EDF Energy
EDF Energy is an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of gas and electricity to homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom...
; there are no power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
s in the borough. Thames Water
Thames Water
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of in the United Kingdom...
manages Croydon's drinking
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
and waste water; water supplies being sourced from several local reservoirs, including Beckton
Beckton
Beckton is part of the London Borough of Newham, England, located east of Charing Cross.Its boundaries are the A13 trunk road to the north, Barking Creek to the east, the Royal Docks to the south, and Prince Regent Lane to the west. The area around Prince Regent Lane is also known as Custom House...
and King George VI
King George VI Reservoir
The King George VI Reservoir in England lies to the south of Stanwellmoor near Stanwell and Heathrow. The reservoir was opened in November 1947 and named after the then reigning monarch King George VI. It is owned by Thames Water....
. Before 1971, Croydon Corporation was responsible for water treatment in the borough.
London Fire Brigade
The borough of Croydon is 86.52 kmsq, populating approximately 340,000 people. There are five fire stations within the borough; Addington (two pumping appliances), Croydon (two pumping appliances, incident response unit, fire rescue unit and a USAR appliance), Norbury (two pumping appliances), Purley (one pumping appliance) and Woodside (one pumping appliance). Purley has the largest station ground, but dealt with the fewest incidents during 2006/07.The fire stations, as part of the Community Fire Safety scheme, visited 49 schools in 2006/2007.
Education
Croydon College
Croydon College, established in 1895, is a Further Education and Higher Education institution in the London Borough of Croydon.Located in East Croydon, it is made up of a Further Education College and a Higher Education College.- Further Education :...
has its main building in Central Croydon, it is a high rise building. John Ruskin College
John Ruskin College
John Ruskin College is now the first specialist vocational sixth form college in the country. It is situated in Forestdale on the A2022 , close to the A212 roundabout, on the southern edge of London's conurbation...
is one of the other colleges in the borough, located in Addington and Coulsdon College in Coulsdon. South Norwood has been the home of Spurgeon's College
Spurgeon's College
Spurgeon's College is a theological institute of higher learning located in South Norwood Hill, London. It was founded by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, known as 'the Prince of Preachers' and in his time minister of the largest church in the world, the Metropolitan Tabernacle at Elephant and Castle...
, a world-famous Baptist theological college, since 1923; Spurgeon's is located on South Norwood Hill and currently has some 1000 students. The London Borough of Croydon is the local education authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
for the borough.
Overall, Croydon was ranked 77th out of the all the Local Education Authorities
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
in the UK, up from 92nd in 2007. In 2007, the Croydon LEA was ranked 81st out of 149 in the country – and 21st in Greater London – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least 5 A*–C grades at GCSE including maths and English (37.8% compared with the national average of 46.7%). The most successful public sector schools in 2010 were Harris City Academy Crystal Palace and Coloma Convent Girls' School. The percentage of pupils achieving 5 A*-C GCSEs including maths and English was above the national average in 2010.
Libraries
The borough of Croydon has 14 libraries, a joint library and a mobile library. Many of the libraries where built a long time ago and therefore have become outdated, so the council started updating a few including Ashburton Library which moved from its former spot into the state-of-the-art Ashburton Learning VillageAshburton Learning Village
Ashburton Community School was a secondary comprehensive community school located in the heart of the learning village. It is co-educational and has approximately 1200 pupils aged 11–16....
complex which is on the former site of the old 'A Block' of Ashburton Community School which is now situated inside the centre. The library is now on one floor. This format was planned to be rolled out across all of the council's libraries but what was seen as costing too much.
South Norwood Library
South Norwood Library
South Norwood Library is a public library in South Norwood, South London. It stands in the London Borough of Croydon and is part of the Croydon Libraries arm of the council. It's next to the High street on Selhurst Road / Lawrence Road and is also close to South Norwood Recreation Ground. The...
, New Addington Library
New Addington Library
New Addington Library is a public library in New Addington, South London. It stands in the London Borough of Croydon and is part of the Croydon Libraries arm of the council. The library is located on Central Parade next to New Addington Leisure Centre...
, Shirley Library, Selsdon Library, Sanderstead Library, Purley Library, Coulsdon Library and Bradmore Green Library are examples of older council libraries. The main library is Croydon Central Library
Croydon Central Library
Croydon Central Library is Croydon's main public library located inside the Croydon Clocktower in Croydon, south London. It is owned by the London Borough of Croydon on behalf of Croydon Council. The library is located on four floors inside the Clocktower...
which holds many references, newspaper archives and a tourist information point (one of three in southeast London). Upper Norwood Library
Upper Norwood Library
Upper Norwood Joint Library is a Public Library located in Upper Norwood, South London. It stands in Lambeth on the edge of the borough boundary between both the London Borough of Croydon and the London Borough of Lambeth. It is located on Westow Hill, in Crystal Palace town centre.Upper Norwood...
is a joint library with the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
. This means that both councils fund the library and its resources, but even though Lambeth have nearly doubled their funding for the library in the past several years Croydon has kept it the same, doubting the future of the library.
Religion
| 2001 Census United Kingdom Census 2001 A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.... |
||
| Croydon | London | |
| Atheist (No Religion) | 48,615 | 1,130,616 |
| Buddhist | 1,579 | 54,297 |
| Christian | 215,124 | 4,176,175 |
| Hindu | 16,781 | 291,977 |
| Muslim | 17,642 | 607,083 |
| Sikh | 1,310 | 104,230 |
| Other Religions | 2,830 | 186,347 |
The predominant religion of the borough is Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the borough has over 215,124 Christians, mainly Protestants. This is the largest religious following in the borough followed by Islam with 17,642 Muslims resident. This is a small portion of the more than 600,000 Muslims in London as a whole.
48,615 Croydon residents stated that they are atheist or non-religious in the 2001 Census.
There are more than 35 churches in the borough, with Croydon Minster being the main one. This church was founded in Saxon times, since there is a record of "a priest of Croydon" in 960, although the first record of a church building is in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(1086). In its final medieval form, the church was mainly a Perpendicular-style structure, but this was severely damaged by fire in 1867, following which only the tower, south porch and outer walls remained. Under the direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott the church was rebuilt, incorporating the remains and essentially following the design of the medieval building, and was reconsecrated in 1870. It still contains several important monuments and fittings saved from the old church.
Croydon has strong religious links, from a royal charter for Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market is a market that sells mainly meat & vegetables as well as a range of other items through the week in Croydon, south London. It has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and...
dating back to 1276, to Croydon Palace
Croydon Palace
Croydon Palace, in Croydon, now part of south London, was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury for over 500 years. Regular visitors included Henry III and Queen Elizabeth I...
which was the summer residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
for over 500 years. With visitors such as Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
and Queen Elizabeth I. The Bishop of Croydon
Bishop of Croydon
The Bishop of Croydon is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury, England....
is a position as a suffragan Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark
Anglican Diocese of Southwark
The Diocese of Southwark is one of the 44 dioceses of the Church of England, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese forms part of the Province of Canterbury in England. It was formed on May 1, 1905 from part of the Diocese of Rochester...
. The current bishop is Rt Rev Nicholas (Nick) Baines
Nicholas Baines
Nicholas "Nick" Baines has been the Bishop of Bradford, the diocesan Anglican bishop in the Diocese of Bradford, since 21 May 2011....
.
Sport and leisure
The borough has been criticized in the past for not having enough leisure facilities, maintaining the position of Croydon as a three star borough. At the moment only three leisure centres are open for public use and two of these are expected to be closed down in the near future, with plans for only one of them to be re-built. Thornton Heath's ageing sports centre was recently knocked down, and replaced by a newer more modern leisure centre. South Norwood Leisure CentreSouth Norwood Leisure Centre
South Norwood Leisure Centre is a leisure centre located on Portland Road in South Norwood, Croydon, London. The centre has recently gone through a refurbishment process which has seen it closed for more than a year and a half. It contains a 25m sized swimming pool with seating for spectators...
was closed down in early 2006 so that it could be knocked completely down and re-designed from scratch like Thornton Heath, which would cost around £10 million.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
became in charge of Croydon and decided that doing this would cost too much money, so they came up with another idea of just re-furbishing the centre, although this decision did not come without controversy.
Purley Pool is to close soon, but a new "super-pool" is planned in Coulsdon. The ageing New Addington Leisure Centre is also set to close but is to be re-built. A new leisure centre is also going to be built on the A23
A23 road
The A23 road is a major road in the United Kingdom between London and Brighton, East Sussex. It became an arterial route following the construction of Westminster Bridge in 1750 and the consequent improvement of roads leading to the bridge south of the river by the Turnpike Trusts...
, southern end of Purley Way
Purley Way
Purley Way is a section of the A23 trunk road in the London Borough of Croydon, in the areas of Purley, Waddon and West Croydon, and has given its name to the out-of-town shopping area alongside it with a catchment area covering most of South London. It was designed as a bypass for Croydon and was...
in Waddon
Waddon
Waddon is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, to the south west of central Croydon on the borders of the London Borough of Sutton. Waddon has an older area with 19th century properties, some even older, close to central Croydon. Further south is a large estate of Council-owned homes and a...
.
Sport Croydon, is the commercial arm for leisure in the borough. Fusion currently provides leisure services for the council, a contract previously held by Parkwood Leisure.
Football teams include Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, which plays at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
, in the nPower Championship. Coulsdon United F.C.
Coulsdon United F.C.
Coulsdon Town Football Club is a football club based in Coulsdon, Greater London, England. The club plays its football in the Surrey Elite Intermediate League. The club is sponsored by Sainsbury's and Walter & Mair Estate Agents.-History:...
(formerly Coulsdon Town F.C. before the merge with Salfords F.C.
Salfords F.C.
Salfords F.C. was a football club based in Coulsdon, Greater London, England. It was among the founding members of the Surrey Premier League in 1982.In 2007, it merged with Coulsdon Town to form Coulsdon United....
) are a team that currently play in the Combined Counties League
Combined Counties Football League
The Combined Counties Football League is a regional English football league currently comprising teams from southwestern Greater London, Surrey, small parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, and Guernsey...
Division One. Croydon Athletic F.C.
Croydon Athletic F.C.
Croydon Athletic F.C. are an English football club based in Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon, London, England. They currently play in the Isthmian League Division One South.-History:...
, whose local nickname is The Rams, is a football club based in Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south-southeast of Charing Cross.-Geography:...
's Keith Tuckey Stadium and play in the Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
Division One South, with Croydon F.C.
Croydon F.C.
Croydon F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in Croydon, London, England. Until 2006, they played in the Isthmian League, but lost their place in that league as part of the 2006 re-structuring of non-league football, and now play in the Combined Counties League. They play at...
who play at Croydon Sports Arena and Holmesdale
Holmesdale F.C.
Holmesdale F.C. is an English football club founded in South Norwood, London, but are currently based in Bromley.-History:The club was established in 1956 as Holmesdale Baptist by the 3rd East Surrey Boys Brigade Company. The word Baptist was dropped from the club's name the following year...
, who were founded in South Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
but currently playing on Oakley Road in Bromley
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
, currently in the Kent League
Kent League
The Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:...
. Non-football teams that play in Croydon are Streatham-Croydon RFC
Streatham-Croydon RFC
The Streatham-Croydon Rugby Football Club, is a historic Rugby Union club, founded in 1871, based at Frant Road, Thornton Heath, in the London Borough of Croydon, South London....
, a historic rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club in Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath
Thornton Heath is a district of south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south-southeast of Charing Cross.-Geography:...
who play at Frant Road, as well as South London Storm Rugby League Club
South London Storm Rugby League Club
See also South London Storm - Season 2009.South London Storm is a rugby league club who play and train at Archbishop Lanfranc School in the London Borough of Merton, they currently compete in the Rugby League Conference South Premier division of the Rugby League Conference...
, based at Streatham's
Streatham-Croydon RFC
The Streatham-Croydon Rugby Football Club, is a historic Rugby Union club, founded in 1871, based at Frant Road, Thornton Heath, in the London Borough of Croydon, South London....
ground, who compete in the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
. Another rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club that play in Croydon is Croydon RFC
Croydon RFC
Croydon Rugby Football Club, founded in 1956 as Shirley Wanderers RFC, and are based at Addington Road, West Wickham, in the London Borough of Croydon, South London....
, who play at Addington Road. The London Olympians
London Olympians
The London Olympians is a British amateur American football team, based in Crystal Palace, London. They are the United Kingdom's most successful amateur American football club...
are an American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team that play in Division 1 South in the British American Football League
British American Football League
The British American Football League was the United Kingdom's primary American Football league from 1998 until 2010. It was formerly known as the British Senior League until 2005. BAFL was the trading name for Gridiron Football League Ltd incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee....
. The Croydon Pirates
Croydon Pirates
Croydon Pirates are a British baseball club based in South London, England, who run three teams in various national leagues. They play at Roundshaw, which is one of the best baseball diamonds in the U.K., meaning Croydon are often the hosts of the London Tournament and National Finals.The first...
are one of the most successful teams in the British Baseball Federation
British Baseball Federation
The British Baseball Federation is the national governing body of baseball within the United Kingdom, founded in .BBF is a federated member of both the Confederation of European Baseball and the International Baseball Federation...
, though their ground is actually just located outside the borough in Sutton
London Borough of Sutton
The London Borough of Sutton is a London borough in South London, England and forms part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the 80th largest local authority in England by population. It is one of the southernmost boroughs of London...
.
Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces, ranging from the 200 acre (0.809372 km²) Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve
Selsdon Wood
Selsdon Wood is a woodland area located in the London Borough of Croydon. The park is owned by the National Trust but managed by the London Borough of Croydon. It is a Local Nature Reserve....
to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough.
Culture
Warehouse Theatre
The Warehouse Theatre is a professional producing theatre with one hundred seats in the centre of the London Borough of Croydon, south London, England based in an oak-beamed former cement Victorian warehouse...
.
In 2005, Croydon Council drew up a Public Art Strategy, with a vision that is accessible and enhances people's enjoyment of their surroundings. The public art strategy delivered a new event called Croydon's Summer Festival hosted in Lloyd Park
Croydon parks and open spaces
The London Borough of Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces within its boundaries, ranging from the 200 acre Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough. Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km², the 256th largest district in England...
. The festival consists of two days of events. The first is called Croydon's World Party which is a free one day event with three stages featuring world, jazz and dance music from the UK and internationally. The final days event is the Croydon Mela, a day of music with a mix of traditional Asian culture and east meets western club beats across four stages as well as dozens of food stalls and a funfair. It has attracted crowds of over 50,000 people. The stratergy also created a creative industries hub in Old Town, ensure public art is included in developments such as College Green
Croydon College
Croydon College, established in 1895, is a Further Education and Higher Education institution in the London Borough of Croydon.Located in East Croydon, it is made up of a Further Education College and a Higher Education College.- Further Education :...
and Croydon Gateway
Croydon Gateway
Ruskin Square is the name given to a project to redevelop a block of land between East Croydon railway station and the existing town centre of Croydon in South London. It is part of the major Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration scheme...
and investigate the possibility of gallery space in the Cultural Quarter.
The Warehouse Theare is a professional producing theatre opened in 1977 with one hundred seats based in an oak-beamed former cement Victorian warehouse. It has been acclaimed for its commitment to new writing, led by its present director, Ted Craig
Ted Craig
Ted Craig FRSA is an Australian-born theatre director who is best known as the artistic director of the Warehouse Theatre, South London, England.Craig was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia...
, including its annual International Playwriting Festival
International Playwriting Festival
The International Playwriting Festival was founded in 1986 by Steve Gooch and Ted Craig and is hosted by the new playwriting theatre, Warehouse Theatre, South London. It is held in two parts: the first is a competition with entries accepted from all over the world, which are judged by a panel of...
, in partnership with the Extra Candoni Festival of Udine
Udine
Udine is a city and comune in northeastern Italy, in the middle of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, between the Adriatic sea and the Alps , less than 40 km from the Slovenian border. Its population was 99,439 in 2009, and that of its urban area was 175,000.- History :Udine is the historical...
in Italy and Theatro Ena in Cyprus. Youth theatre is also important, with the resident Croydon Young Peoples' Theatre and including an annual collaboration with the Croydon-based Brit School
BRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
. It is on the Gateway site which is going through a regeneration project. Stanhope's plan for the site is to include a 200 seat theatre custom-designed by Foster + Partners in their Ruskin Square development surrounded by a large new park. This will be paid for in full by Stanhope at a cost approaching £5 million. The Board of the Warehouse Theatre believes that this is the best option for securing a fully funded, workable and unique building. Arrowcroft's proposal is for an Arena-led scheme which initially didn't include the theatre. But this was changed to incorporate a replacement theatre as part of a condition of planning. It is proposed that it occupies one of the leisure units behind the Arena facing onto the plaza with a children's playground in front. The plan is to build a 200 seat theatre inside the leisure unit. The biggest problem with this scheme is that it would be built in one phase and requires the theatre to vacate the current theatre before the development begins. The theatre would then be without a home for a period of three years or more and would need a temporary location and additional funding to make this possible. The theatre will be launching its largest fundraising appeal in its 30 year history over the Autumn of 2008 to help it launch itself into the new building. Fundraising will be required for finishing touches to the new building, technical equipment, launch programme and a host of other vital expenditure to ensure the Warehouse Theatre is launched into its new future on a firm footing.
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Halls
Fairfield Hall is an arts centre in Croydon, London, England and opened in 1962. It contains a concert hall, the Ashcroft Theatre , the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery....
, Arnhem Gallery and the Ashcroft Theatre
Ashcroft Theatre
The Ashcroft Theatre is a theatre located within the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, South London. The theatre was named after Croydon-born Dame Peggy Ashcroft and is a proscenium theatre with a stepped auditorium. The mural on its fire curtain is by the artist Henry Bird. A variety of productions are...
show productions that are held throughout the year such as drama, ballet, opera and pantomimes and can be converted to show films. It also contains the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
. Other cultural activities, including shopping and exhibitions, are Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market
Surrey Street Market is a market that sells mainly meat & vegetables as well as a range of other items through the week in Croydon, south London. It has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276 linking it to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The market is regularly used as a location for TV, film and...
which is mainly a meat and vegetables market near the main shopping environment of Croydon. The market has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276. Airport House
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
is a newly refurbished conference and exhibition centre inside part of Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport...
. The Whitgift Centre
Whitgift Centre
The Whitgift Centre is a large shopping centre and office development in the centre of Croydon, London, opened in stages between 1968 and 1970. The centre currently comprises of retail space and was the largest covered shopping development in Greater London until the opening of Westfield London at...
, the current main shopping centre in the borough is also one of the largest in-town shopping centres in the whole of Europe. Centrale
Centrale
Centrale is a shopping centre in Croydon, South London, one of the largest covered retail developments in London. It is owned and managed by the St Martins Property Group and was opened in 2004....
, a new shopping centre that houses many more familiar names, as well as Croydon's House of Fraser
House of Fraser
House of Fraser is a British department store group with over 60 stores across the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1849 as Arthur and Fraser. By 1891 it was known as Fraser & Sons. The company grew steadily during the early 20th century, but after the Second...
. North End
North End, Croydon
North End is a pedestrianized road in Central Croydon which is the main equivalent to a high street in Croydon. The road holds both of the main shopping centres, Centrale and Whitgift Centre plus a forthcoming one called Park Place. The road offers many well-known shops such as WHSmith, Next, Zara...
, the main shopping street, which holds both centres. Park Place
Park Place (Croydon)
Park Place was a shopping centre which had been expected to open in Croydon, England by 2011, although this date has been pushed back and building has not started. It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 re-generation scheme...
, a shopping centre that is planned to be built in Central Croydon by Minerva. Croydon Arena is a proposed arena for the Gateway site which if built would feature more commercial exhibitions and sporting events next to East Croydon station.
Media
There are three local newspapers which operate within the borough, each with considerable history in the area. The Croydon AdvertiserCroydon Advertiser
The Croydon Advertiser is a weekly newspaper covering the London Borough of Croydon, South London, and surrounding areas. It is the third-highest selling paid-for weekly paper in London...
began life in 1869, and is the third-highest selling paid-for weekly newspaper in London. The Advertiser is also Croydon's major paid-for weekly paper and is on sale every Friday in five geographical editions: Croydon; Sutton & Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
; Coulsdon & Purley; New Addington; and Caterham
Caterham
Caterham is a town in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. The town is geographically divided into two sections: Caterham on the Hill and Caterham Valley - the main town centre. The town lies close to the A22, a few miles south of Croydon, in a valley cut into the dip slope of the North Downs...
. The paper converted from a broadsheet to a compact (tabloid) format on 31 March 2006. It was bought by Northcliffe Media
Northcliffe Media
Northcliffe Media Ltd. is a large regional newspaper publisher in the UK and Central and Eastern Europe, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. The company's name was changed to Northcliffe Media from Northcliffe Newspaper Group in 2007.It operates from over 30 publishing centres, and also...
which is part of the Daily Mail and General Trust
Daily Mail and General Trust
Daily Mail and General Trust plc is a British media conglomerate, one of the largest in Europe. In the UK, it has interests in national and regional newspapers, television and radio. The company has extensive activities based outside the UK, through Northcliffe Media, DMG Radio Australia, DMG World...
group on 6 July 2007. In 2008 it was given a new website as part of the This is network of brands across the United Kingdom. The Croydon Post is a free newspaper available across the borough and is operated by the Advertiser group. The circulation of the newspaper is notably more than the main title published by the Advertiser Group.
The Croydon Guardian
Croydon Guardian
The Croydon Guardian is a weekly free local newspaper covering the London Borough of Croydon, South London, and surrounding areas. The newspaper is published once a week, every Wednesday, and is distributed free of charge in the borough of Croydon. It is sold for 50p at newsagents and other shops...
is another local weekly paper, which is paid for at newsagents but free at Croydon Council libraries and via deliveries. The newspaper is published every Wednesday. The paper is owned by regional newspaper publisher Newsquest Media Group and is inside the South London arm. It is one of the best circulated local newspapers in London and has the highest circulation in Croydon with around one thousand more copies distributed than The Post.
The borough is served by the London regional versions of BBC
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
and ITV
Carlton Television
Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
coverage, from either the Crystal Palace or Croydon transmitters.
Croydon Television is owned by Croydon broadcasting corporation. Broadcasting from studios in Croydon, the CBC is fully independent. It does not receive any government or local authority grants or funding and is supported by donations, sponsorship and by commercial advertising.
Capital Radio
Capital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
began broadcasting on October 1973 from Euston Tower
Euston Tower
Euston Tower is a skyscraper located in the London Borough of Camden. It is a good example of an International style skyscraper with glass curtain walls. It is situated at the intersection of Tottenham Court Road/Hampstead Road and Euston Road. It stands across the Euston Road from Warren Street...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. The station, now owned by Global Radio
Global Radio
Global Radio UK Ltd. is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio and GCap Media.The company's Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen...
, broadcasts as 95.8 Capital FM from Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
in central London. The group also has a sister station on the medium wave frequency, known as Classic Gold Digital 1521
Classic Gold Digital Network
Classic Gold Digital Network was one of the biggest 'gold' formatted radio networks in the United Kingdom, with a potential audience of 47 million. Classic Gold was broadcast on analogue and DAB digital platforms, as well as Sky channel 0189.-History:...
. Local BBC radio is provided by BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
. Large radio stations picked up by transmitters around Croydon are Kiss 100
Kiss 100 London
Kiss is a UK radio station broadcasting on FM and Digital Radio, specialising in hip hop, R&B, urban and electronic dance music. It also broadcasts on DAB Digital Radio around the UK & nationally on Freeview, Sky and TalkTalk TV...
and Magic 105.4 FM
Magic 105.4 FM
Magic 105.4 FM is an adult contemporary Independent Local Radio station based in London, purchased by media group Emap in mid-1998, who subsequently rebranded the then-titled Melody 105.4 FM. It is part of the Magic radio network, now owned by Bauer Radio...
from Bauer Radio, Choice FM and Heart 106.2 from Global Radio
Global Radio
Global Radio UK Ltd. is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio and GCap Media.The company's Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen...
, Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
from SMG
SMG plc
STV Group plc is a Scottish media company. It is a constituent of the FTSE Fledgling Index. Originally formed as Scottish Television, it changed its name to Scottish Media Group in 1996 when it acquired Caledonian Publishing, owners of Glasgow-based newspapers The Herald and Evening Times...
and 102.2 Smooth Radio
102.2 Smooth Radio
102.2 Smooth Radio was an Independent Local Radio station for the Greater London area, which replaced 102.2 Smooth FM on 26 March 2007, launched by Gavin McCoy with Barbra Streisand's "A Star Is Born"...
from Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group
Guardian Media Group plc is a company of the United Kingdom owning various mass media operations including The Guardian and The Observer. The Group is owned by the Scott Trust. It was founded as the Manchester Guardian Ltd in 1907 when C. P. Scott bought the Manchester Guardian from the estate of...
.
Town twinning
| Flag | Country | own | rea |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Netherlands | Arnhem Arnhem Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the... |
Gelderland Gelderland Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,... |
 |
Guyana Guyana Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British... |
- | South America |
The London Borough of Croydon is twinned with the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Arnhem which is located in the east of the Netherlands. The city of Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
is one of the 10 largest cities in the Netherlands. They have been twinned since 1946 after both towns had suffered extensive bomb damage during the recently ended war. There is also a Guyanese
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
link supported by the council.
Investment in the tobacco industry
In September 2009 it was revealed that Croydon Council had around £20m of its pension fund for employees invested in shares in Imperial TobaccoImperial Tobacco
Imperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
and British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
. Members of the opposition Labour group on the council, who had banned such shareholdings when in control, described this as "dealing in death" and inconsistent with the council's tobacco control strategy.
See also
- List of people from Croydon
- UK postcodes — a note of why and how postcodes CR0 and CR9 differ from the others