Croydon set to lose town centre Columbus House car park as plans for 33-storey tower put forward

Plans for one of Croydon’s newest skyscraper flats have moved forward as the real estate company freeholder looks for a buyer to take on the approved project. Planning permission for the site was approved in July 2022, but Waitling Real Estate believes it may require further work regarding new requirements for a second stairwell.

Since the former Columbus House office building was demolished, an NCP-operated car park has occupied the proposed development site at 3 Edridge Road, just off the busy A232.

The car park lies between the Edridge Road Community Health Centre and Leon House, a former office building recently converted into residential apartments. It currently has 66 spaces available 24/7 and, according to Waitling, generates an annual income of £67,200.

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The management agreement for this car park has expired, although discussions for a short-term licence are ongoing. Despite this, the car park will cease to exist entirely once plans to build the new Edridge Road developments begin in earnest.

The completed development will feature two co-joined buildings connected by a shared ground floor with separate entrances for residents. The 11-storey tower will offer 43 affordable, self-contained apartments, while the taller 33-storey tower will provide 184 market-rate flats and three shared-ownership apartments.

The design incorporates several green spaces, including a first-floor play area for families and an elevated play and garden space on the 11th floor. Penthouse residents will benefit from private roof terraces with views across Croydon and the wider London skyline.

Waitling is currently selling the development opportunity but told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that some additional planning issues must be addressed before construction takes place.

According to Tom Colyer of Waitling, the development must now seek planning approval for a second staircase in the tower blocks. As of September 30, 2026, all new residential buildings over 18 meters must have a second staircase core built into them.

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The government introduced the requirement to improve the safety of residential buildings following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. The reasoning behind the decision was that the two staircases would provide multiple escape routes in an emergency.

Both Croydon’s local plan and the GLA’s London plan dictate that any new large-scale developments limit the availability of car parking spaces and instead encourage the use of active travel. As a result, the new development is not expected to replace any of the lost car park spaces.