Neighbourhood Centres

NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES

Assessment 2014/2015

Date: 11 May 2015

CONTENTS

SECTION 1: Introduction SECTION 2: Assessments

SECTION 1: Introduction

1. AIMS OF THE DOCUMENT

Local Centres are;

Broad Green, Brighton Road (Selsdon Road), Brighton Road

(Sanderstead Road), Hamsey Green, Pollard’s Hill,

Sanderstead, Shirley and Thornton Heath Pond. These centres typically serve a localised catchment often mostly accessible by walking and cycling and may comprise a local parade and small clusters of shops, mostly for convenience goods and other services. This may include a small supermarket (less than 2,000m²), sub-post office, pharmacy, launderette and other useful local services. Together with District Centres they play a key role in addressing areas deficient in local retail and other services.
The purpose of this document is to: (a) Provide a robust evidence base document upon which to formulate policy;
(b) Provide evidence to support decision-making on planning applications
(c) Make publicly available, information which resulted in the designation of Neighbourhood Centres and to provide evidence why other areas have not been designated

There are no further tiers which sit below Local Centres and concern has been raised about whether the Local Plan Town Centre hierarchy is offering the opportunity for clusters of uses, in particular community uses to emerge or be supported by current planning policy.
2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Unitary Development Plan (2006) set out the hierarchy of centres in Table 12.1 and are updated in SP3.6 of the Croydon Local Plan: Strategic Policies (2013) to conform with the London Plan Town Centre Hierarchy.
Current planning policy protects community facilities but does not go so far as to actively promote community facilities in appropriate locations. Policy SP5 of the Croydon Local Plan: Strategic Policies sets out the current position regarding the provision of community facilities and the approach taken to assess applications for this type of development.
District Centres are: Addiscombe, Coulsdon, Crystal Palace, New Addington, Norbury, Purley, Selsdon, South Norwood and Thornton Heath. These are distributed more widely than the metropolitan centres, providing convenience goods and services for more local communities and accessible by public transport, walking and cycling. Typically they contain 10,000 – 50,000m²of retail floorspace. Some District Centres have developed specialist shopping functions.
3. METHODOLOGY FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE
DESIGNATION

This assessment is focused around the Local centre/ parade level of the hierarchy and goes beyond recognising them solely for their retail function but for the wider role they play in supporting the local community.



the level of vacancies in the cluster and surrounding areas to accommodate potential growth; whether or not there was a landmark/war memorial in
A planning policy review of CLP1 Partial Review and identification of Neighbourhood Centres on the Places Plans has been undertaken. Care has been taken to promote particular use classes so as to ensure that unintended consequences of inappropriate major Town Centre uses/operators locating in these locations do not arise. A maximum floorspace is also included to ensire development in these locations is appropriate. the area



whether or not there was a church, school, community centre or pub in the area;



the number of community facilities in the area (as defined in CLP 1); and



accessibility to open space.

4.

REVIEW PROCESS

5.

DEVELOPING POLICY

A desktop search has been carried out which identified areas or clusters of ten units or more. This was so that areas of critical mass, or that comprised of different uses in one area could be defined. 42 clustres were identified.
Where four or more of the criteria have been met, these areas are designated a Neighbourhood Area. Consideration has been taken with regards to the designation of areas which have extant centres nearby, and the threats Neighbourhood Centres could evoke should they be situated close by.
Ward Councillors have been invited to submit areas they believe could be designated as Neighbourhood Centres and all of these have been assessed.
A Neighbourhood Centre/ Urban Village will be designated

where appropriate;
A comprehensive survey has been carried out which involved

assessing the clusters and the surrounding areas with regards to the level of community facility provision that these areas currently provide, or could potentially provide in future.



where there are four or more different community facilities present, and



where its designation would not threaten the vitality or vibrancy of Local/District Centres in the surrounding area.
A total of 17 areas have been identified that meet the criteria in order for them to be designated Neighbourhood Areas. A selection of criteria were used in order to ascertain the suitability of designating these areas which included;

The development of community facilities will be supported in Neighbourhood Centres where;

 They would enhance the centre’s ability to serve a

local need;
 They would demonstrably improve the vitality and vibrancy of the centre; or
 Where a unit has been vacant for a significant period of time and there is no reasonable prospect for it to be brought back into its previous use as well as lack of demand for service or community use before other uses are proposed
 They would improve the vitality and vibrancy of the centre;
 Where a unit has been vacant for a significant period of time and there is no reasonable prospect for it to be brought back into its previous use; and
 They would not exceed 500sqm so as to protect the amenity of the surrounding area and to ensure that the development would serve a local need.
 They would not exceed 500sqm so as to protect the amenity of the surrounding area and to ensure that the development would serve a local need.

In considering proposals within Neighbourhood Centres, the Council will seek to safeguard existing A1 retail uses and the provision of a minimum range of essential local facilities including a post office, chemist, doctor and dentist. Change of use in any such facility will be opposed if it would result in the loss without replacement of a valued local service, or its loss would place the surrounding area more than 400 metres from the nearest alternative.

Within defined district/ local centres as set out in the policies map, community facilities will be supported where:

 They would improve the centre’s ability to serve a

local need

SECTION 2: Assessments

No of

criteria

Open

Title

Place

Address

PTAL

current character

recommendation

Detailed information

Space Open Space (name) met

Comments

designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Green Lane/ Northwood Road suburban shopping area
Sports Ground off

TRUE Couthy Road

Norbury

CR7 8BB

1

8

Grange Park Marlpit Lane/ Bradmore Way/
TRUE Tollers Lane
Officer identified. Girl Guides; Fire Brigade; Air Training Corp; Has a number of different uses and at a distance from other centres. Has a good number of community facilities too. Range of uses; Leisure centre, health centre, medical centre, care home, schools, vacant units for potential use as a community use, Social club, cultural club and public house. designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Kenley and Old Coulsdon
Marlpit Lane/ Placehouse Lane/

Canon's Hill

Old Coulsdon

2

4
88
Portland Road (Watcombe Rd - Woodside Ave) designate as Neighbourhood urban shopping area Centre
South Norwood

and Woodside

SE25 4XB

Enmore Road/ Howard Road

Croydon Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre (Mayday NHS)
FALSE
Religious Education Resource Centre and Education Welfare Service Selhurst Children's Centre Trintiy House (supported housing)
Sydenham Road/Dagnell Park/Selhurst New Road designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Recreation Grounds assoc. with Boys
TRUE School
Covers a relatively large area buts seems coherent and logical to designate especially considering distance to local/district centres
Broad Green and Selhurst suburban shopping

area

Selhurst Road

SE25 5QF

3

8

designate as Neighbourhood Centre designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Doesn't have a large presence of community facilities but does provide a service and has some level of community provision. suburban shopping area
Shirley Avenue/ Shirley

Road/Eldon Avenue

Shirley Road

Woodside Green Fieldway

Shirley

CR0 8SS

3

33
TRUE Recreation Ground TRUE Woodside Green FALSE
887
South Norwood and Woodside suburban shopping

area

SE25 5HQ

Has a good mix of uses

designate as Neighbourhood
Appears as its own area - serving a local need with a number of surrounding community uses (schools

mainly).

Addington

Local shopping area Centre

CR0 9DX

designate as Neighbourhood Centre suburban shopping area
Shrublands

CR0 8NG

Spring Park/ Bridle Road

Shirley

Purley
24
TRUE Spring Park Wood FALSE
76designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Purley South / Brighton Road/ Downlands Road suburban shopping area
Cautious in designating this area as a Neighbourhood Centre. It is close to Purley District Centre. This is an amalgamation of 2 postcodes, however the Forestdale Centre doesn't necessarily add any community use to the area, vacancies within whic could provide some use. Thus, as an area it seems logical to combine the 2.
CR8 4DB designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Selsdon Park Road/ Featherbed Lane
CR2 8JJ CR0 9AS suburban shopping

area

Selsdon

3

FALSE

6

Whilst it meets criteria, much of the area surveyed lies within a local cente. To deisignate as a neighbourhood centre would likely impact on the local centre. Emergent policy is likely to encourage community uses within the vicinity of local/district centres - appropriate in this location
Beulah Road/ Parchmore Road/ Norbury Road/ Neath Road CRO 6PQ CRO 6AA CRO 6BB CRO 6BE maintain current

Thornton Heath

3

6urban shopping area status designate as Neighbourhood urban shopping area Centre
FALSE FALSE
65
LOWER ADDISCOMBE ROAD jctn with CHERRY ORCHARD

ROAD

Lower Addiscombe Road Addiscombe

Seems logical to place the pointnear the junction of Nutfield Road near the school and parade of shops. This would also maintain the status of the designated centre to the East.
Brigstock Road / Bensham Lane / Boswell Road designate as Neighbourhood urban shopping area Centre
Brigstock Road/Bansham Lane/Boswell Road

CR7 7JD/ CR7 7HJ

Brigstock Road

Thornton Heath

4

TRUE Trumble gardens

5

Coulsdon West / Chipstead Valley Road/ Rickman Hill/ Portnalls Road
Meets criteria but to designate separate to the District Centre may have adverse effects. Community uses encouraged in Local/District centres anyway through new policy. At a distance to other centres. Has necessities to serve local need and provision of community faciltiies with school and cricket club
Dispersed area and small parade of shops maintain current status designate as Neighbourhood Centre

Coulsdon

CR5 3BR

CR8 5AA
22

FALSE

5

5
Kenley and Old Coulsdon
Rural based village

settlement

Kenley (Godstone Road)

TRUE Cricket Grounds

Meets the criteria but seems illogical to designate this and the area south of this by the library where a more coherent neighbourhood area can be achieved. This could also be combined with SE25 4PQ, but for reasons of proximity to SE25 4XB, it would seem rational to only designate one area. Quite close to district centre so a neighbourhood centre in this location could detract from that.
SE25 4UN Manor Road/Coventry Road/Addison Road/ Doyle Road
South Norwood and Woodside maintain current status
Playground - John

TRUE Street

South Norwood Hill

Ashburton Park

5

Includes Fire Station Has a good provision of open space with Ashbuton Park and the facilties within that. Could potentially be linked to the community facilities on Spring Lane but tram line severs the connection. Concerns regarding this designation as to the threat to the Local Centre to the west (Addiscombe Road).
Ashburton Park and Bowling Green/ Tennis Courts/ designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Lower Addiscombe Road/ Spring Lane/ Longhurst Road/ Stroud Green Way suburban shopping

area

Addiscombe

3

1

TRUE Playground

4

4
Lacey Green John Fisher RFC 12th Caterham
Coulsdon East - Coulsdon Road/Waddington Avenue/Lacey Drive
Kenley and Old Coulsdon maintain current
Rural Shopping Area status
Doesn't provide much function and would likely look to

Old Coulsdon to provide facilites.

CR5 1EN

TRUE Scout Group

urban shopping area;#suburban shopping area join with other proposal and designate as one NC ST PETERS CHURCH join with other proposal and
ALSO CLOSE TO CROYDON METROPOLITAN COLLEGE, scREAM STUDIOS AND VACANT OFFICES (2-4

SOUTHEND)

Southend/ Parker Road

South Croydon

South Croydon Waddon
CRO 1BF CRO 1DP CRO 4LH
56

FALSE

4

44
SOUTHEND W/ PARKER

ROAD

urban shopping area designate as one NC

FALSE

designate as Neighbourhood

ABBEY ROAD

urban shopping area Centre

TRUE DUPPAS HILL

Due to the area to the south being designated - designation of this area would result in a linear development of the area. Main focus appears to be around the Station.
Kenley/ Lower Road/ Godstone Road maintain current

Rural Shopping area status

Purley

CR8 5JE

Church Road/ Spa Close/
23

FALSE

4

4designate as Neighbourhood Centre
Crystal Palace and Beulah Hill Upper Norwood
Adjacent to Beulah

TRUE Heights

South Norwood Hill

SE25 6DP

Union road Tier 2 Employment area close to CMC. Due to the employment area and proximity to CMC the area does not lend itself easily to its designation as a Neighbourhood area
Whitehorse rd jctn with Windmill road
Broad Green and Selhurst
Whitehorse rd Windmill road maintain current urban shopping area status
Whitehorse rd jctn with

Windmill road

4

TRUE Boulogne Park

4

Disjointed - residential/ some shops
Area idenitified by Cllr Mann and comprises Christians in Action on parview/Bingham Road. Extensive survey of the area (to Shirley Road) only identifies a further 2 uses. Very close to the CMC. Does not meet critieria with Bluebird Care; Brighton Road Baptist Church, and Busy Bees Nursery.
Bingham Road/ Parkview Road/ Shirley Road maintain current

status

Addiscombe

2

3
FALSE FALSE
33
Brighton Road/ Newark Road/ Crunden Road maintain current

South Croydon

CR2 6EG

urban shopping area status

Area is largely residential with a parade of shops which includes a pharmacy and dental practice. There are no extant community facilities, but closeby there is Lang Lane Wood and Ashburton Playing Fields.
Bywood Avenue/ Brookside Way suburban shopping area maintain current

status

Shirley

1

6

TRUE Long Lane Wood

3

3
Broad Green and Selhurst

maintain current

close to WANDLE PARK

Stubbsw Mead/Recycling Depot TRUE Wandle Park this area borders CMC and designation would impact on

CMC

West croydon

CRO 2RE

Duppas Hill Waddon Hotel/Pub close to Waddon station maintain current

Duppas Hill

Waddon

CRO 4NG

SE25 4PQ
45
TRUE Duppas Hill FALSE
33
Could be combined with SE25 4UN but would detract from the other Neighbourhood Centre further south (SE25 XB) which is better in terms of its integrity as a Neighbourhood Centre
Portland Road/Addison Road/Crowther Road
South Norwood and Woodside maintain current urban shopping area status

Whilst it has some community uses there isn't much scope for further provision and its location is too far away from Woodside Green itself in order to be part of that Neighbourhood Area. It is separated by the tram line from Ashburton Park and so is caught in the middle.
Mainly residential with some other uses
South Norwood and Woodside maintain current

status

Spring Lane

3

6

Woodside Green

FALSE

FALSE
33
LONDON ROAD / KIDDERMINSTER ROAD
Broad Green and Selhurst maintain current

status

CR0 2RF

Christchurch, Sumner Road

would have a negative impact on nearby centre

Recreation Ground off Primrose
TRUE Lane/Shirley Road
In terms of criteria, it fails - no vacancies, no tram stop or landmark or place of worship. There is no community centre nearby nor is there a pub. suburban shopping area maintain current status
Shirley Road/ Shirley

Avenue/Valley Walk

Shirley Road

Shirley

CR0 5SS

CRO 1BE
66
22
COOMBE ROAD/ EDRIDGE RD

maintain current

COOMBE ROAD

EDRIDGE RD

Croydon

FALSE

CLOSE TO CMC

Whitehorse Lane/Thirsk Road/Ladbrooke Road
Loses the neighbourhood feel very quickly and despite being relatively close to Selhurst Park, it doesn't contribute to the area as a neighbourhood centre. Also very close to district centre. disconnected from but close to district centres
Whitehorse Road/Thirsk Road maintain current

status

Thornton Heath

Shirley

SE25 6RD

4

2
FALSE FALSE
22
Wickham Road/Oak Avenue suburban shopping area maintain current status
There are other uses (Bethlem Royal Hospital and All

Saints church) but they are dispersed

CR0 8EB

Retail park adjacent to Purley way inc. Fiveways jctn and postcodes north of
Retail Park including large Morrisions on Fiveways jctn

Further north is Retail Park inc.

FIVEWAYS JUNCTION

(NORTH) Portland Road (Upper) Aspley Road/Holland Road
Fiveways CRO 4NZ maintain current