We are inviting you to join us in making our Third City vision a reality. The Wellesley Road and Park Lane project requires a forward looking, world class team. They will create a scheme which will be a real milestone intransforming, improving and regenerating the public realm of Croydon.

Third City is the result of Architect Will Alsop’s work with the local community in Croydon. It imagines how Croydon could be in twenty years time. Becoming a city in London (alongside Westminster and the City of London) isn’t about size of population or prestige for local politicians. It is about building upon a strong local identity to create place which contains all that is needed for urban life; a place in which people can live, work and relax. Wellesley Road and Park Lane are the spine of central Croydon but they currently split the town centre in two. Removing this obstacle will bring about much needed improvements in aesthetic and functional qualities of this space, help to attract new investment and a wider range of uses.

The project is led by the London Borough of Croydon in partnership with Design for London, the London Development Agency and Transport for London. The Mayor has indicated his support for the creation of an attractive public space that promotes economic development in Croydon. We are working closely with Design for London (his architecture and urban design team) to achieve this. This will be a highly visible manifestation of the Borough’s ambitions to regenerate central Croydon to create a hub of metropolitan life. We expect the designers to formulate a creative and inspired solution to transform Wellesley Road from the main road through Croydon into its vibrant and friendly centre.

Following a pre-qualification stage, up to 4 design practices will be invited to submit design concepts for the regeneration of Wellesley Road and Park lane. These design concepts shall be judged by a jury made up of representatives of the London Borough of Croydon, the Mayor of London and leading design professionals who will select a minimum of two winning designs. The winning design practices will be invited to take part in a competitive procedure (under the negotiated procedure) with the aim of appointing a preferred bidder to enter into a contract with the London Borough of Croydon to develop the complete regeneration solution for Wellesley Road and Park Lane. The appointed design practice will need to work with partner organisations and local residents to produce detailed proposals. These proposals will be part of a bigger regeneration agenda in central Croydon, complementing the technical masterplan for Croydon Metropolitan Centre which is emerging as part of our Area Action Plan.

Councillor Tim Pollard,
Deputy Leader (Performance Management & Cabinet Member for Regeneration)