Croydon Plans 138 Homes Around Listed Lido Platform – Croydon 2026

Key Points

• Croydon Council is reviewing a developer’s pre‑application proposal to build around 138 homes on the former Purley Way Lido site off Waddon Way.
• The scheme would retain the site’s Grade II listed diving platform, originally built in 1935 and listed in 2013.
• The latest proposals target a long‑derelict brownfield plot and include more than 20% affordable housing plus additional parking.
• Councillors have warned that the development could aggravate local congestion if planning permission is granted, echoing longstanding concerns about traffic on Purley Way and the Fiveways junction.
• This is not the first time housing has been proposed around the lido: Bellway previously sought consent for 168, then 149, homes on or near the site, but earlier applications were refused and an appeal dismissed in 2024.
• The proposed development is described as part of the wider Purley Way Masterplan, with design intended to echo local Art Deco architecture and make the diving platform the focal point of new public space.

Croydon Council (South London News) July 14, 2026, is considering a developer’s plans to build 138 homes on the site of a former lido, targeting a long‑derelict plot on Waddon Way that still retains its original Grade II listed diving platform. As reported by the South London News team on mylondon.news, the pre‑application proposals include more than 20 per cent affordable housing alongside additional parking provision, but councillors have raised concerns that the development could worsen congestion in the surrounding area if it secures future planning approval.

What exactly is being proposed on the former Purley Way Lido site?

The plans would see around 138 homes built on the site of the former Purley Way Lido, which retains its Grade II listed diving platform, according to the initial reports published on 14 July 2026.

The pre‑application package reportedly includes a tenure mix with more than 20% of the homes designated as affordable, as well as measures to increase parking provision on a site that has been derelict for many years.

The proposed layout is designed around the retained diving structure, which was built in 1935 and is one of just four inter‑war concrete diving platforms known to survive in England, as noted by Bellway in earlier communications about the site.

The diving platform was Grade II listed in 2013 and is intended to form the focal point of new public space at the development, off Waddon Way.

How does this proposal differ from previous lido‑site housing plans?

This is not the first attempt to bring housing to the former lido site. In January 2021, Bellway revealed plans for 168 homes around the lido diving board, proposing a scheme that would have built nearly 170 homes around the Grade II‑listed Art Deco structure.

Later, in March 2022, Bellway submitted plans for 149 homes on the former Wyevale Garden Centre portion of the site, with buildings of up to five storeys.

Those 149‑home plans were refused by Croydon Council, and Bellway appealed the decision. In August 2024, the Planning Inspectorate dismissed that appeal, upholding the council’s refusal and protecting the site’s heritage and trees, according to a council press release.

The current 138‑home proposal, therefore, represents a revised approach, with a slightly lower number of homes and a stated emphasis on retaining the listed diving platform as a central heritage feature.

Why are councillors worried about congestion on Waddon Way and Purley Way?

Councillors have warned that the development could worsen congestion in the surrounding area if it secures future planning approval, highlighting long‑standing traffic problems on Purley Way and at the Fiveways junction.

The Fiveways area, where Purley Way meets several key routes, is described by Transport for London and Croydon Council as “extremely busy”, with motorists and bus users frequently experiencing congestion at peak times, especially on weekends when large numbers of visitors go to and from retail parks along Purley Way.

Past planning debates in the area have already flagged the risk that new development could lock in traffic problems and limit future road‑widening options.

As reported by Inside Croydon, local councillors previously argued that allowing even modest new blocks of flats could

“shut down the council’s options for easing traffic flows into the town centre”

in preparation for major retail developments, and could also put nearby heritage buildings such as the Waddon Hotel at risk.

The current concerns about the 138‑home scheme appear to build on those earlier anxieties about cumulative traffic impacts in a already congested corridor.

How will the listed diving platform be protected and used in the new development?

The Grade II listed diving platform is intended to remain intact and become the focal point of new public space at the development, according to Bellway’s earlier description of the scheme as “The Platform”, named after the lido’s iconic multi‑level diving stage.

The design concept, led by architecture firm BPTW for Bellway, proposes three urban blocks between three and five storeys high, with a new linear public space leading to the retained diving platform, which references the site’s historic use as a lido.

The diving structure was built in 1935 and listed in 2013, and is considered a rare surviving example of inter‑war concrete diving architecture in England.

By centring the public realm around this feature, the proposal aims to preserve the heritage of the former Purley Way Lido while transforming a vacant brownfield site into a residential neighbourhood inspired by local Art Deco architecture.

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What affordable housing and parking provisions are included?

The pre‑application proposals include more than 20 per cent affordable housing, alongside additional parking provision, according to the reports on mylondon.news.

This tenure mix is higher than the 10% affordable share proposed in Bellway’s earlier 149‑home scheme for part of the site, which had been set at 10% affordable and 90% private.

The increased affordable housing share appears to reflect both local housing needs and potential pressure from the council to deliver a more balanced tenure mix on a large brownfield site.

The addition of more parking, however, is likely to be scrutinised in view of the wider congestion concerns and the council’s historically cautious approach to new car infrastructure in already saturated traffic areas.

Background: The history of the Purley Way Lido and its diving platform

The site’s defining feature is the Grade II listed diving platform, built in 1935 as part of the original Purley Way Lido, an Art Deco‑style leisure complex that once served the local community.

The diving platform is one of just four inter‑war concrete diving structures known to survive in England and was granted Grade II listing in 2013, recognising its architectural and historic significance.

After the lido closed, the site fell into disuse and became a vacant brownfield plot, with the former Wyevale Garden Centre occupying part of the land before it was also vacated.

Various housing developers have since sought to redevelop the site, with Bellway submitting multiple proposals for 168 and then 149 homes, some centred on retaining the diving board as a heritage feature.

Those applications were refused, and an appeal by Bellway was dismissed in 2024, reinforcing the council’s position that heritage and environmental concerns must be carefully weighed against the need for new housing.

The current 138‑home proposal is the latest iteration of this long‑running debate over how to regenerate the site while preserving its unique listed structure.

Prediction: How could this development affect residents, commuters and local businesses?

If the 138‑home scheme is approved, Waddon Way and the wider Purley Way corridor could see a noticeable increase in residents and associated traffic, potentially exacerbating existing congestion at peak times and on weekends when retail parks draw large numbers of visitors.

Commuters using Purley Way and the Fiveways junction may face longer journey times and more frequent delays, particularly if no additional road‑capacity or traffic‑management measures are implemented alongside the housing development.

Local residents and businesses could also experience changes in the character of the area: the new homes would bring more people living close to the retail and transport hubs, which could support local shops but also increase pressure on parking and public spaces.

The retention and activation of the diving platform as a focal point for new public space might enhance the area’s appeal and create a distinctive landmark, but the overall impact will depend on how well the design and transport strategies manage the scale of change in a already congested and historically sensitive location.