We are writing to provide you with a brief update on Brick By Brick’s proposals for new homes at College Green.

We have continued to review feedback received from residents and stakeholders following our public exhibitions and engagement activities held during November 2019 and April 2020 and would like to thank everyone for taking the time to review the proposals and submit their comments.  We are also working through the feedback received from further pre-application meetings with Croydon Council. 

We will provide you with a full update as soon as we are in a position to do so.

Thank you once again for engaging with us and providing your feedback.

Brick By Brick proposals for new homes in College Green

I am writing to let you know that Brick By Brick's Ecology Surveyors - FOA Ecology - will be undertaking evening bat detector surveys at the garage site to the rear of 44 College Green (site C) and the garage site adjacent to 24 College Green (site D) during the week commencing 29th June. These surveys are highly weather dependent, and so they will be carried out on Monday 29th June, Tuesday 30th June, Wednesday 1st July and / or Thursday 2nd July in the evening as governed by weather suitability.  The surveys will not be noisy or disruptive in any way.  

BBB will be in touch again soon to provide an update on the development and the proposals since the engagement in March.

Ecology Surveys - w/c 29th June 

Further to our update on 9th April, we would like to remind you that we are holding three separate telephone engagement sessions on Wednesday and Thursday this week; one with the architect, one with the transport consultant and one with the landscape architect, as detailed below. Residents will have an opportunity to ask the project team questions about the proposals and provide their feedback. 

If you would like book a 15 minute call back , please email us at 

We will keep Commonplace open for comments until 4pm on Monday 20 April, to reflect this additional period of engagement.

Telephone consultations with residents with design-related queries only

Telephone consultations with residents with transport-related queries only

Telephone consultations with residents with landscaping-related queries only

If you are aware of any residents that would like to speak with us about the proposals but do not have access to the internet, please do let them know about this update and encourage them to phone us to book a call back.

At the end of the engagement process, we will review all the comments received, and where appropriate and feasible to do so, we will work with the project team to make amendments to our proposals. Once we have submitted a Planning Application, there will then be a further opportunity for residents to review the plans and formally comment to the council, as the Local Planning Authority, on the proposed scheme.

Brick By Brick proposals for new homes in College Green - telephone engagement 15/16 April

Keep up to date and have your say on proposals for College Green

College Green - keep up to date and have your say

College Green 

About the project

We are Brick By BrickThis is a borough of many parts. Urban, suburban and rural, rolling hills to terrace-end murals. It’s where every kind of people have made their home.Which is why the new homes we’re building are for everyone – young and old, families and friends, social tenants and private owners.Intelligently designed houses and flats with room to live well, built to last and beautifully practical. We’re building them across the borough, hundreds each year, and sending the proceeds to Croydon Council to invest in public services.It’s a new way for boroughs like ours to deliver the housing local people need, while putting the profits to work for the local population.We are Brick By Brick. Built in Croydon for Croydon.To find out more, please visit our <a href="https://wearebrickbybrick.com/">website</a> &amp; see our <a href="https://wearebrickbybrick.com/about-us/faqs/">FAQs</a> .<video>
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Have your say

This page gives you an overview of all the proposals we would like your feedback on.We are proposing to build new homes across three sites and convert one site for car parking at College Green, Upper Norwood. The pages below give further information on the proposals and an opportunity to provide your feedback.

This page outlines our proposals for new homes and car parking at College Green and how we have responded to comments received at the first consultation event.

Taking Your Comments On Board

Initial ProposalsThank you again to local residents who commented on our initial proposals for College Green towards the end of last year. In summary, our initial proposals showed a 13-storey building at Site A and five and four 3-bed houses on Sites B and C, respectively. We also gave local residents an opportunity to vote on what they would like to see at Site D. We issued a response to comments received on the initial proposals in February 2020 - the full statement can be read <a href="https://collegegreen.commonplace.is/news/2020/02/25/response-to-consultation-comments-and-details-of-second-public-exhibition">here</a> . Revised ProposalsWe have reviewed local residents&#39; feedback on our initial proposals and developed amended proposals which now look to provide 49 new homes across Sites A, B and C and a car parking court on Site D. The image below highlights some of the key changes we have made following your feedback: <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584121593/projects/collegegreen/d212bc81-62ef-4a30-b13b-5d5381943de2.png" /><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584115131/projects/collegegreen/f41ff85c-bf1b-437d-98db-f239035b85cf.png" />

View and comment on the proposals for new homes and a community/cafe space at Site A.

Developing New Homes at Site A

The SiteThe site currently comprises a contractor compound, existing ramped access into Westow Park, seven car parking spaces and some open space. Two existing towers are located to the south-east and south-west of the site, and Westow Park to the north. Height and ScaleFollowing your initial feedback, we have reduced the building height by two storeys to 11 storeys to bring the proposed building more in-line with the existing towers. The building has also been repositioned towards the boundary of Westow Park and a new double height community/cafe space has been introduced to create a better interface with Westow Park. Westow Park currently lacks a permanent space for a cafe/leisure operator compared to other nearby parks, e.g. Crystal Palace Park. This new space provides an opportunity to broaden the leisure offer of Westow Park or to host community events and meetings. The landscaped external spill-out space &#39;invites&#39; Westow Park into the site, providing a flexible area which could be used for outdoor events or seating. The proposed building will also provide 40 new homes, comprising a mixture of one- and two-bedrooms:<li>Twenty 1-bed flats</li> <li>Twenty 2-bed flats (including four wheelchair accessible flats)</li>The building is expected to provide a mixture of private sale, shared ownership and affordable rent homes. The building will also accommodate a bin store for both the new homes and community/cafe space, a bike store and a new electrical substation. Two disabled car parking spaces will also be provided on-site. The flats will also be sprinklered and meet the relevant fire regulations. We are currently exploring different options for brick cladding.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584114048/projects/collegegreen/0d194e28-5767-4417-8707-253db4e4f425.png" />Site section illustrating the relationship between the existing towers and proposed building.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584531991/projects/collegegreen/5c6ab948-fc7f-4dad-ae1c-3f3439503377.png" />LandscapingThe external area around the proposed building will be marked with paved surfacing and planting to provide an attractive entrance to the development. At the bottom of the new ramp and stair access to Westow Park, paved surfacing will be installed at the same level of the existing path surface at Westow Park to provide a seamless integration between the proposed development and Westow Park. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584122270/projects/collegegreen/f7e96243-ee26-45b5-8423-2c62f706c134.png" />Proposed site planSustainabilityIn order to address the climate crisis, the development intends to do better than the local planning policy for carbon reductions. The development shall incorporate high insulation, air tightness and efficient equipment, such as mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) and air source heat pumps to provide heating and domestic hot water. This shall remove the need for natural gas and improve local air quality. Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof shall provide additional on-site carbon reductions. Water consumption shall also be reduced through the use of low flow domestic fittings. 20% of parking will have electric vehicle charging points.

Download a copy of the consultation boards.

Downloads

Download a copy of the consultation boards below.

Additional materials

College Green Consultation 2 Boards

Here you can find the answers to some frequently asked questions relating to the proposals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of development is proposed?A total of 40 flats, 9 houses and a car parking court are proposed for College Green. Site A is proposed to accommodate twenty 1-bed and twenty 2-bed flats, with a double height community/cafe space on the lower ground floor. Sites B and C propose five and four 3-bed houses, respectively. A 16-space car parking court is proposed for Site D.Will there be any demolition of existing homes?No, the proposal is to build where the garages are and areas adjacent to them. How many accessible homes will be provided?4 flats at Site A will be wheelchair accessible.Will there be any affordable housing?There will be some shared ownership and affordable rent homes at Site A. The exact number is to be confirmed.Are you increasing parking provision at College Green?Yes. There will be an increase of 39 car parking spaces in total across the whole of College Green.Why is Brick By Brick a good thing for Croydon? Brick By Brick is based on a very straightforward idea. It’s a way for Croydon Council to deliver much needed homes for local people, with the proceeds that arise from this process returned to the council to help fund frontline council services. This means that the profit created by Brick By Brick stays within Croydon. Local people get priority to buy our homes, and unlike most private developers the profit doesn’t line the pockets of individuals or get sent to shareholders overseas. But while the concept of Brick By Brick might be simple, the development process isn’t. Development is a highly complex process, which involves balancing many competing priorities and making difficult decisions. It can be an emotive subject. So when we talk about what we do we think it’s really important to focus on the facts – and in this age of misinformation and fake news, we think this is more important than ever. You can read more about who we are and what we do <a href="https://wearebrickbybrick.com/news/brick-by-brick-who-we-are-what-we-do/">here.</a>

We would like to keep you informed every step of the way through the process.

Our Next Steps

We would like to keep you informed every step of the way as the project progresses. Below is a timeline for the project: <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584113209/projects/collegegreen/3daf84c8-baa2-4c0e-af73-b1eff2cf6dec.png" />If you haven&#39;t already done so, you can subscribe to the College Green Commonplace website where you will be able to keep up to date on the latest news and receive regular updates by email.

View and comment on our landscaping proposals for College Green and improvements to Westow Park.

Landscaping and Improvements to Westow Park

Landscaping ApproachOur proposals seek to deliver landscaping improvements to College Green and Westow Park. The landscaping strategy aims to:<li>Provide upgrades to Westow Park</li> <li>Create an outdoor space outside Site A</li> <li>Enhance an existing green space in College Green through the introduction of a pocket park</li> <li>Improve the connection into Westow Park from College Green </li>MasterplanThe image below shows the proposed landscaping masterplan:<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584116456/projects/collegegreen/931456f6-7ac0-4a2c-ae1b-eb9b39797af0.png" />Proposed landscaping masterplanThe external area around the proposed building at Site A will be marked with paved surfacing and planting to provide an attractive entrance to the development. At the bottom of the new ramp and stair access to Westow Park, paved surfacing will be installed at the same level of the existing path surface at Westow Park to provide a seamless integration between the proposed development and Westow Park.For Sites B and C, the new mews lanes leading up from College Green to the mews houses will be paved surfacing, lined with herbaceous planting to provide an attractive and welcoming entrance to the site. Herbaceous planting is also proposed in front of each house as a mini-front garden, and a new tree in each of the courtyard gardens for Site B.The sixteen car parking spaces will be outlined on a tarmac surface at Site D.Pocket Park<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584117052/projects/collegegreen/28d5e07a-b317-4ebf-a1b4-d0a88520e575.png" />As part of our proposals, we would like to enhance an existing green space at College Green by transforming it into a pocket park. Below are the options we are considering:<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584123255/projects/collegegreen/e444eaf1-a002-4e9d-83cb-1c4a35b2578f.png" />Improvements to Westow ParkAs part of our proposals, we would like to deliver improvements to Westow Park as a Section 106 contribution. Below are the improvements we are considering: <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584117367/projects/collegegreen/bed813b0-aaf7-4b94-b422-2dedd10d6cad.png" />

View and comment on our proposals for car parking at College Green.

Transport and Parking

Garage OccupancyThere are 48 garages across Sites B, C and D, of which two-thirds are vacant. Of the garages currently let, 8 lessees live within 200 metres of College Green. The garages are in a poor state of repair and are likely to be too small for parking modern day cars in. The conversion of Site D into a car parking court will ease the pressure of displacement on-street, as well as increasing the overall parking provision for all College Green residents. Increasing Parking Provision across College GreenParking was a key concern for many local residents and, following your initial feedback, we have explored different ways by which overall parking pressures could be eased. The plan below shows estimated parking demand, provision and where additional parking spaces have been explored. Total parking forecast demand is 30 spaces and total additional parking spaces total 39 which can be broken down as follows:<li>We will be providing an additional 26 parking bays (18 net additional) across Sites A, B, C and D</li> <li>14 parking bays are being implemented by Croydon Council at the garage site adjacent to the existing tower block</li>It is expected that car owners who would be able to park on the former garages adjacent to the existing tower are currently parking on-street at College Green. Once these works are complete, this should relieve further on-street parking pressures.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584123090/projects/collegegreen/91ac218d-0314-44e8-9cbd-799f81fd415c.png" />Proposed parking strategy

View and comment on the proposals for additional car parking at Site D.

Providing Additional Car Parking at Site D

The SiteThe sire currently comprises 11 garages, of which 6 are vacant. Proposals Following your initial feedback, we have decided to convert Site D into a car parking court which was selected as the most preferred option by local residents. The site will provide 16 additional car parking spaces which will be available for use by all existing and new College Green residents. External lighting will also be installed.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584111536/projects/collegegreen/1039d9bf-4a23-4d7a-a0e1-40ab1e1a3309.png" />Proposed car parking layout plan

View and comment on the proposals for new homes at Site C.

Developing New Homes at Site C

The Site The site currently comprises 17 garages in poor states of repair, of which 12 are vacant. Existing homes and gardens are situated to the north and west, and a garage block to the south. Height and ScaleThe site proposals will provide four 3-bedroom houses for private sale. The proposed houses are two storeys in height. Following your initial feedback, windows facing existing homes on College Green will have obscured windows and decorative brickwork to minimise overlooking and privacy concerns. Three on-site car parking spaces are proposed. Two small communal bin stores will be provided, with collection from the site entrance. Each home will also be provided with a bike shed in the courtyard gardens. The houses will also be sprinklered and meet the relevant fire regulations.We are currently exploring different options for brick cladding.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584114794/projects/collegegreen/3daf1515-8263-43cf-84f1-79af7a742a35.png" />Section illustrating the relationship between the existing and proposed homes. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584114859/projects/collegegreen/bb021ee7-ee34-4bd6-b6a2-044b3a359066.png" />LandscapingThe new mews lane leading up from College Green to the mews houses will be paved surfacing, lined with herbaceous planting to provide an attractive and welcoming entrance to the site. Herbaceous planting is also proposed in front of each house as a mini-front garden. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584114915/projects/collegegreen/5663e287-994b-424e-81eb-54562f3e7dcc.png" />Proposed site planSustainabilityIn order to address the climate crisis, the development intends to do better than the local planning policy for carbon reductions. The development shall incorporate incorporate high insulation, air tightness and efficient equipment such as mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) and air source heat pumps to provide heating and domestic hot water. This shall remove the need for natural gas and improve local air quality. Water consumption will also be reduced through the use of low flow domestic fittings. 20% of car parking will have electric vehicle charging points.

View and comment on the proposals for new homes at Site B.

Developing New Homes at Site B

The SiteThe site currently comprises 20 garages in poor states of repair, of which 14 are vacant. Existing homes and gardens are situated to the east, west and south of the site. Height and ScaleThe site proposals will provide five 3-bedroom houses for private sale. The proposed houses range from one- to three-storeys with breaks in between the roofs to allow views and light through to existing homes. Following your initial feedback, we have amended the angles of the roofs to reduce the visual impact on existing homes.Five on-site car parking spaces are proposed, one for each house. Two small communal bin stores will be provided, with collection from the site entrance. Each home will also be provided with a bike shed in the courtyard gardens. The houses will also be sprinklered and meet the relevant fire regulations.We are currently exploring different options for brick cladding.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584114363/projects/collegegreen/85384168-4e35-4eb0-872c-330933237a62.png" />Section illustrating the relationship between the existing and proposed homes.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584114670/projects/collegegreen/382697e2-cfbb-4151-b593-f586b47c86e9.png" />LandscapingThe new mews lane leading up from College Green to the mews houses will be paved surfacing, lined with herbaceous planting to provide an attractive and welcoming entrance to the site. Herbaceous planting is also proposed in front of each house as a mini-front garden, and a new tree in each of the courtyard gardens. <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:eco,w_1024/v1584114582/projects/collegegreen/3eafb672-8bac-4359-9487-313d40ee0a78.png" />Proposed site planSustainability In order to address the climate crisis, the development intends to do better than the local planning policy for carbon reductions. The development shall incorporate high insulation, air tightness and efficient equipment such as mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) and air source heat pumps to provide heating and domestic hot water. This will remove the need for natural gas and improve local air quality. Water consumption shall be reduced through the use of low flow domestic fittings. 20% of car parking will have electric vehicle charging points.