Saffron Square

Saffron Square (formerly known as "Wellesley 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.^[1] 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.^[1] The vision is to deliver a mixed-use development.

In recent years, the development of tall buildings 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.^[2] It is part of the Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration plan for the London Borough of Croydon 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 and safeguarding of future pedestrian links between East and West Croydon stations.

See also

• Croydon Vision 2020
• Croydon Gateway

References

External links

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