The next stop in our VISION 2020 series is the Whitgift Centre's answer to the Centrale development, the multi-million pound Bishop's Court shopping complex.

Developers for the Centrale complex may be vying for the title of top dog in Croydon's shopping community, but retailing opponents still have a few tricks up their sleeve.

Bishop's Court, the proposed £150m shopping complex, is The Whitgift Centre's secret weapon.

The project will be a major expansion of the Whitgift Centre and, when finished, will boast a new department store and up to 30 new retail outlets.

It involves the redevelopment of 1.95 hectares of land between North End, George Street and Dingwall Avenue, land which currently contains the Allders department store, adjacent offices and shops.

Developers of Bishop's Court estimate that around 1,000 full and part-time jobs will be created from the development.

And it is believed the finished project will greatly complement Croydon's already booming shopping facilities.

Simon Winslow, special projects director at Aberdeen Celexa, is heading the development.

He said: "We applied for planning permission in July 2000 and we are still waiting on a decision.

"If everything goes through you should see the finished product in 2006.

We have undertaken various economic and demographic surveys which have shown that there is still a demand for retail projects in Croydon.

"Croydon is fast becoming one of the best places to shop in the south east and we want to attract even more people to the town centre.

"We will be incorporating another department store into the town centre.

We don't know what it will be yet, but it will complement Allders and the other shops.

"We don't really consider the Centrale project as a threat, quite the opposite, in fact.

We think the two centres will compliment each other and will generate a good flow of shoppers between the two centres."

November 13, 2001 12:00