Croydon Council approved the billion pound project this week.
Motorists were left seething this week after Croydon Council approved the billion pound Hammersfield project.
The Hammersfield project is predicted to create massive amounts of extra traffic on the already over-crowded roads and heavily polluted Croydon City Centre.
The council proposes to get developers to invest around £33 million towards extra buses and tram services that will contribute to the ease in traffic.
Former presenter at LBC radio, Marcus Churchill, said: “If we think ‘car only’ we’ll end up with Croydon become one giant car park (even more than it is at times already).”
A debate has also taken to social media to establish whether the council’s plans have given enough priority to the welfare of cyclists.
Croydon MP, Gavin Barwell stated that the number of parking places in Croydon City Centre are not doubling but increasing from the current 2142 to 3140.
Mr Churchill on Twitter, said: ‘@GavinBarwellMP That’s a thousand extra cars in #Croydon at any 1 time. Do plans include expanding tram & cycle networks? #carmageddon’
A spokesman from Transport for London, said: “Croydon council and TFL are working together to do everything they can to boost public transport in a similar way to how we managed with the Olympics last year.”
Despite all protests, the landmark scheme was unanimously approved by the council’s Strategic Planning Committee at Croydon Town Hall last Monday.
Questions of whether park and ride schemes could help reduce the overhwelming traffic was discussed, as was extending the Tramlink services to areas as far out as Brixton, Streatham and Sutton.
Michael Rodgers, 54, of Church Road, Croydon, said: “Croydon needs the investment and I think Westfield can supply that by the millions.
“There are too many high street shops boarded up because people have decided to travel elsewhere to do their shopping simply because they can park there.”
A video of how the finished development could look has been placed online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtohyeEVgFE.
The aim is to have the centre completed by Christmas 2017.
Photo courtesy of Rgoogin, with thanks.
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