There are fresh fears over the Park Place project after new leases were offered for spaces in a building which was set to be knocked down to make way for the £500million shopping centre.

Tenants in the huge Park Street office block were forced to move out last year as work on the shopping centre was due to start in spring.

But the council and Croydon Business are now offering temporary space to new businesses at knockdown rates.

A plan to launch an "enterprise centre" on the fourth floor of the building was agreed at a meeting of the Croydon Enterprise Advisory Board last week.

Chief executive of Croydon Business, Brian Stapleton, said: "When I took over as chief executive of Croydon Business last September I approached Minerva and Lend Lease who own Park House to see if they would allow me to use the temporary vacant offices to help start-up companies."

The companies agreed to the move and have let premises for minimal rents.

Croydon Business Venture (CBV), which is managing the space, said it has had interest from several organisations.

The expected opening is March - the month that demolition was originally set to take place for the Park Place scheme.

Councillor Tim Pollard, cabinet member for finance, said: "Pending the developers realising their intentions for Park Place, the council wants to see the most effective use possible made of the current unoccupied premises and office space.

"We will be even happier to see some certainty about a timetable regarding the Park Place development. This will be a massive investment for the town centre and we are looking forward to the developers making visible progress.

"In the meantime, finding alternative temporary uses for the current property is far preferable to being left with an empty-fenced site in the town centre."