South London town aims to be major UK nightlife hotspot by 2040

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Mayor Jason Perry says the borough can become a major destination for business events, hotels and nightlife

Croydon could become one of the best places in southern England for a night out within the next 15 years, the borough's mayor has claimed, as he renewed calls for ministers to fix one of the country's worst rail bottlenecks.

Executive Mayor Jason Perry set out an ambitious vision for Croydon's future at the Invest in Croydon conference, saying he wants the borough to become a major hub for conferences, exhibitions, restaurants and nightlife by 2040.

But he warned that the transformation depends on government backing for the long-delayed Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, which aims to ease congestion around East Croydon station on what Network Rail describes as Britain's busiest rail bottleneck.

The project's supporters argue that unlocking capacity on the Brighton Main Line could pave the way for billions of pounds of economic growth and help Croydon capitalise on the planned expansion of Gatwick Airport.

Speaking at the Invest in Croydon Conference on Thursday, November 12, Mr Perry the improvements could help make Croydon “a destination in our own right”.

“By 2040 I want Croydon to be known as the business events hub of the Thameslink corridor and one of the best places in the South of England for a night out,” he said.

“A town where an international hotel operator can see its next investment and a local chef can see it as the location for their first restaurant. I want people to get off the train in Croydon, because there is history, heart and hustle here.”

However, the Mayor was clear that such an ambition could only be realised if the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) received government backing.

First proposed in 2020, the scheme intends to ease a long-standing bottleneck on the Brighton Main Line in the Croydon area.

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