Croydon showed off its “vision for the future” when it laid on a tour for potential investors in a bid to attract their business.

Seeking to change perceptions for the better, delegates were shown round some of the town’s key development sites as well as the historic old town.

Senior figures from Croydon Council, Croydon Partnership and asset management company Schroders were on hand to talk about business opportunities.

From the rooftop terrace of the council’s headquarters, Bernard Weatherill House, the council’s planning and building control director Mike Kiely spoke about the progress of Croydon’s multi-billion pound masterplans.

Surrey Comet:
Mike Kiely spoke about Croydon’s multi-billion pound masterplans

He said: “Croydon is London’s biggest borough and it’s seeing one of the biggest rates of growth of any borough in London.”

The council’s director of development Colm Lacey said: “There has been a huge amount of progress and this tour gives us the opportunity to convince people of our vision of the future.”

Investors were impressed by the Stanhope Schroder’s Ruskin Square and Menta-Redrow developments and the forthcoming Boxpark pop-up mall near East Croydon station.

Delegates also received progress reports on the council’s masterplan for the area, the timescale for Westfield-Hammerson’s Whitgift shopping centre re-development, and Metro Bank being the first major business to move into Ruskin Square when the first phase of the development opens.

There was also discussion about how digital businesses are being attracted away from the Shoreditch area to set up in the Tech City sector of Croydon.

Stuart McLennan, who heads sales and marketing at LAH Property Marketing, was on the tour and said: “It was very informative and most importantly got across what exciting times these are for Croydon.”