Progress on the development of Crescent Gardens, the latest phase of East Croydon’s regeneration has reached a significant milestone, with construction reaching the highest point of the eight-storey building. A topping out ceremony was held on to mark the occasion, attended by the Mayor of Croydon along with representatives of Latimer Homes, Menta and Sir Robert McAlpine.
Crescent Gardens forms part of the £350m Morello regeneration project led by Menta that is creating a vibrant new urban quarter next to East Croydon station. Set on Cherry Orchard Road, Crescent Gardens will provide 118 Shared Ownership and affordable rented apartments developed through Latimer, part of Clarion Housing Group. The scheme is being delivered by Sir Robert Mc Alpine as main contractor and is due for completion in 2023.
Latimer has partnered with Menta to provide the affordable housing element of Morello, creating an exciting opportunity for local people to get onto the property ladder in a thriving location. The shared ownership homes at Crescent Gardens come in a mix of one, two and three-bedroom layouts to suit a range of lifestyles. As part of the UK’s largest housing association, Latimer is Clarion’s development company and has a key role in the group’s target of building 50,000 homes over 10 years.
Victoria Finch, Sales Director at Latimer Homes said: “We are proud to be creating this fabulous collection of affordable apartments in the centre of Croydon. At Latimer, we develop places that have a strong focus on community and quality, something strongly in evidence at Crescent Gardens. It is testament to the hard work and great partnership of everyone involved in the project that we have reached this topping out milestone and we look forward to launching the Shared Ownership homes soon.”
At the topping out event, the participants went up to the top point of the building to view the completed exterior building works.
The Mayor of Croydon, Councillor Sherwan Chowdhury, who took part in the ceremony said: “The progress at Crescent Gardens is a key part of the Council’s ongoing regeneration plans and our shared vision to establish Croydon as a booming 21st century destination to live, work and visit. We thank the teams at Menta, Latimer and Sir Robert McAlpine for making the plans come to life.”
Over the past nine years, Morello has transformed an underdeveloped and largely derelict site into a sustainable and cutting-edge new neighbourhood that integrates with its surroundings. Menta, specialists in delivering large scale regeneration projects, has been working with the London Borough of Croydon and key stakeholders since the project’s inception and has already delivered the first phase including over 300 new homes. As well as Crescent Gardens, the second phase of Morello also includes 338 further residential apartments, 20,000 sq ft of commercial space, a landscaped public square and station infrastructure.
Craig Marks, Chief Executive of Menta said: “Crescent Gardens is an important piece of the jigsaw that is the regeneration of East Croydon, making a significant contribution to meeting the needs for affordable housing in the borough. The multimillion-pound upgrade of East Croydon station also means this is a location where connectivity is second to none, so residents of Crescent Gardens will be able to travel into central London in less than twenty minutes.”
Crescent Gardens is located just a few minutes’ walk from East Croydon station and connects with the Morello development via a new station entrance. As one of South London’s major rail hubs, the station forms a vital gateway to the capital so residents of Crescent Gardens can reach Clapham Junction in nine minutes and London Victoria in just fifteen minutes.
Hector McAlpine of lead contractor Sir Robert McAlpine commented: “Construction at Crescent Gardens has been progressing smoothly and on schedule. We are proud to be part of creating a bright new future for East Croydon and so it is fantastic to celebrate this topping out event that marks this notable milestone for the scheme.”
