Croydon Council has announced plans to fill the vacant Allders building with pop-up retail and food outlets.

The planning application, submitted by the building’s owners Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), has caused some to ask what has become of the Council’s Westfield ambitions.

The plans will have the current hoardings removed and replaced with five new retail and two food and beverage units on the building’s ground floor.

The iconic former department store, which closed in 2013, has sat behind colourful hoardings since January.

The retail units will cater to ‘pop-up’ retail, similar to that seen at East Croydon’s BoxPark.

According to Mayor Jason Perry, these plans come as part of his wider push to “transform” Croydon town centre.

In April 2023 URW bought out Hammerson, the owners of the Centrale shopping centre, which was one half of the Croydon Partnership supposed to revamp the town centre.

The Allders building was then transferred to the partnership by Croydon Council.

These recent plans follow previous failed attempts to revitalise the iconic site to the South of Croydon’s North End high street. Plans to turn the building into a “Secret Cinema” back in 2022 were scrapped when the company behind the scheme went into liquidation.

After revealing the latest proposal last week, Perry said: “The proposed development is set to bring a fresh, dynamic atmosphere back to the High Street, restoring a sense of place and pride to our community. 

“We hope to see this transformation begin early next year, providing a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to thrive.”

Response to the proposals has been mixed.

Some Croydonians have welcomed the plans as a positive step towards revitalising the high street, which many see as in a bad state.

The Allder’s building in particular, with its striking façade, is of particular concern to many older residents and shoppers who remember the department store in its heyday.

On the Nextdoor App, Croydon resident John Else commented: “Well done, this is needed.”

Another Nextoor user, Dee Evans, said: “Well let’s just hope the retail shops aren’t going to be even more mobile repairs shops selling vapes or luggage or kitchenware. Far too many of those already in central Croydon for these to all be legitimate ‘businesses.”

However, some have labelled the plans as a “sticking plaster,” and have suggested that seven new “pop-up” shops will not go far enough to revitalise the high street.

On Facebook, Jackie Arnold commented: “Another lot of old tat shops that are full of rubbish like there is down the high street already and we don’t need any more food outlets. We need proper shops.”

Others believe this announcement detracts from the lack of progress on the long-awaited plans for a new Westfield shopping centre in the town centre.

Virinder Sethi summed up this frustration on Nextdoor by saying: “So no Westfield?”

The plans for Westfield have ebbed and flowed over the past 10 years.

Croydonians can now expect the release of URW’s ‘Masterplan’ for Croydon sometime in 2025.