A possible data centre has entered the mix of uses being considered for the long-delayed Whitgift redevelopment, adding a new question to the evolving plans for Croydon town centre. It is one option, not a settled commitment: the latest outline proposals also list education, a hotel and a micro-logistics hub among possible wider uses.
The developer, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), is promoting a residential-led, mixed-use scheme for the Whitgift site. A report presented during pre-application discussions with Croydon Council describes between 3,000 and 4,000 homes alongside commercial space for retail, food and drink, leisure, community, culture and workspace. The data-centre reference appears as a potential use only. No size, design, power demand, cooling arrangements or decision to include one has been specified in the material checked.
That distinction matters. The project has not reached a formal planning application, and the council has not approved a development. The broad figures and uses are still being discussed before an outline application, which URW intends to submit in 2027. The eventual application would be subject to the council’s planning process; the current proposals should not be read as a guaranteed building programme.
The housing-led approach would transform a site long associated with the Whitgift shopping centre. Current plans put four residential blocks of about 30 to 45 storeys along Wellesley Road. Three further buildings, around 15 to 25 storeys, are proposed nearer the middle of the site, with a 12-storey element and lower-rise buildings stepping down toward the conservation-area edge. Heights, layout and the treatment of existing buildings remain part of pre-application work.
Proposed public spaces include a square provisionally called the Forum, planned to accommodate events for up to 2,000 people, and a green area called Whitgift Park. The emerging masterplan also includes open streets and routes through the site. The latest public consultation is due to show more detail on public spaces, connections and the character of the future town centre.
The consultation is scheduled to begin on Thursday 8 October, when the project team says materials and a short survey will be made available. Three in-person sessions are listed: Surrey Street Market on 8 October from 10am to noon; East Croydon Station on 14 October from 4pm to 6pm; and North End on 15 October from 1pm to 3pm. The project describes this as its final consultation phase before the planned outline application. The consultation is an opportunity to comment on a developing proposal, not a formal planning decision.
The data-centre possibility is the most consequential new addition to the use mix disclosed in the latest committee material. It sits alongside the project’s wider shift towards homes and commercial activity, rather than being presented as a separate, fully designed development. At this stage there is no public specification from which to assess its footprint or technical requirements, and no basis to treat its inclusion as certain.
The next steps are therefore consultation, continued design and planning discussions, and preparation of the intended outline application. Croydon Council will consider a formal proposal only if one is submitted. Until then, the home total, tower arrangement, supporting uses and any data-centre component remain subject to change.
