Virtual planning committee approves Croydon regen scheme

Croydon’s local housing company Brick By Brick has secured permission for a 421-home scheme in Croydon town centre in the borough’s first ever virtual planning committee meeting.

The Fairfield Homes scheme will see apartments built across five buildings of up to 29 storeys, sitting above flexible office, retail and leisure space in the town centre.

The scheme sits opposite Croydon’s Fairfield Halls concert venue, which has recently been refurbished by Brick By Brick, with the revenue from the housing scheme ultimately destined to cross fund the refurb job.

Four of the buildings in the scheme have been designed by MICA Architects, with Common Ground Architecture – Brick By Brick’s in-house architecture practice – designing the remaining 78-home block.

The scheme includes renewable energy provided by photovoltaics, and a focus on family accommodation with a number of three-bedroom duplex apartments and a private residential courtyard garden.

The scheme received permission at Croydon’s first ever virtual planning committee, convened following the bringing on by the government of new legislation enabling planning committees to carry on working under coronavirus “lockdown” restrictions.

Brick By Brick was set up by Croydon council in 2016 to provide high quality and affordable housing in the borough, and has recently completed its first homes, with 1,000 under development and an ambition to be producing 500 a year by 2021.

Colm Lacey, chief executive of Brick By Brick, said the scheme was a “vitally important project for Croydon”. He said: “The development will provide much needed homes, employment space and local amenities, and incorporates a variety of communal and private open spaces to make it a really lovely place to live, work and visit.

“This project is a great example of a mixed-use town centre development which genuinely benefits local people.”