Croydon is getting its very own Westfield.

At a planning committee meeting last night (November 14), Croydon Council voted unanimously in favour of the £1.4billion redevelopment that will see the Whitgift Shopping Centre turned into Westfield.

"This is fantastic news for Croydon and we have been doing everything we can to bring the redevelopment of the Whitgift Centre to fruition so local people can benefit from its wealth of offerings, including the creation of 7,000 new jobs," Councillor Tony Newman said.

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“The new homes and the thousands of jobs this development will bring shows investors are rightly confident about Croydon as a place to live, work and spend free time."

More than 300 shops, restaurants, cafés and leisure facilities including a multi-screen cinema and bowling alley will be part of the re-development.

The joint venture between Westfield and Hammerson initially had planning permission granted in 2014, but more recently had another planning application submitted which featured revisions such as more housing, a third level of retail and leisure and a new Marks and Spencer store.

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"This is fantastic news for Croydon," MP for Croydon South Chris Philp said.

"It will provide world-leading retail facilities in the town centre, and act as a spur to other much-needed regeneration projects there.

"I am hopeful that John Lewis will be confirmed as the anchor store before too long."

In total 1000 new homes will also be built as part of the redevelopment.

“The approval of the £1.4bn plans to redevelop the Whitgift Centre represents a significant milestone for the project and for Croydon," Westfield UK/ Europe’s head of development John Burton OBE said.

"Retail-regeneration projects have a proven track record to deliver transformation and regeneration which is evidenced by the £5.25bn of inward investment planned for Croydon."

Works on the shopping centre will begin next year.

“I am delighted that after convening two meetings of all concerned parties, here at the Department for International Trade, we will now see construction taking place," Minister for London Greg Hands said.

"This major redevelopment of the Whitgift site will bring huge benefits to Croydon and London with thousands of new homes and jobs."