URW cleared to redevelop Croydon’s historic Allders store
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has been granted planning permission to convert the historic Allders department store in Croydon, south London, into new retail and leisure units.
The three-storey building at 2-28 North End has frontages on both North End and George Street, with entrances on the ground floor of each.
The new plans include five shops ranging from 450 to 1,300 sq ft and two F&B units at 450 sq ft each.
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has been granted planning permission to convert the historic Allders department store in Croydon, south London, into new retail and leisure units.
The three-storey building at 2-28 North End has frontages on both North End and George Street, with entrances on the ground floor of each.
The new plans include five shops ranging from 450 to 1,300 sq ft and two F&B units at 450 sq ft each.
The plans mark the first phase of redevelopment of the store.
Allders opened in 1862 and has been closed for more than a decade. The company stopped trading in 2012, seven years after entering administration.
The building reopened as Croydon Village Outlet in 2012 but closed in 2019 and has been vacant since.
The store was part of the Croydon Partnership, a 50:50 deal between URW and Hammerson to redevelop the Centrale and Whitgift malls in Croydon. However, the plan was canceled in 2021, and in April, URW bought Hammerson’s share, taking control of the Allders building.
This planning application was submitted in 2022.
Penny Cameron, head of development for the UK at URW, said: “This is the first step of many in our plan to revive this much-loved Croydon landmark, bringing Allders back into use as a space the community can enjoy, while preserving its heritage.”
Jason Perry, mayor of Croydon, said: “We welcome these plans from URW to revitalise the North End area as part of the wider regeneration of our town centre. We know how much the landmark Allders building means to our residents and businesses and these plans will help to restore a sense of place and pride in our historic town centre.”
