Saffron Square is a planned town square and high-rise building in West 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...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 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. The project aimed to start in 2008 with completion in 2012; however, as of 2010 it has not yet started. As of 2010, the project currently plans to complete its first building in 2012 and the tower in 2015. The vision is to deliver a mixed-use development.

In recent years, the development of tall buildings 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. It is part of the 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...

 regeneration plan for the London Borough of Croydon

London Borough of Croydon

The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of 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...

 to add to its goal of being London's Third City.

Plans

Berkeley Homes' proposals for this key northern gateway site include:

• A new town square accessible to all and integral to the design. Offering a public environment to the large number of people who work in Croydon.
• A 45-storey tower incorporating a light feature to the Croydon skyline.
• Approximately 800 new homes, a proportion of which will be for affordable/key worker housing. 10% will be for shared ownership housing.
• 3,000 m² of retail floorspace including shops, restaurants and cafés surrounding the public square.
• Sustainable initiatives to minimise the scheme's impact on the environment. A significant proportion of the site's energy requirements will be met by on site renewable energy sources.
• Creation of improved permeability
  Permeability (spatial and transport planning)
  Permeability or connectivity describes the extent to which urban forms permit movement of people or vehicles in different directions. The terms are often used interchangeably, although differentiated definitions also exist...
  
   and safeguarding of future pedestrian links between East and 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...
  
  s.

External links

• www.wellesleysquare.co.uk - Berkeley's official website