- Location: Whitgift Centre, Croydon
- Business: Wine bar eviction notice
- Notice Period: Six months to quit
- Context: Part of centre redevelopment
- Status: Eviction process underway now
Bishops Wine Bar, another of the mall’s longest-standing vendors, received a notice to depart from the Whitgift Center management on Wednesday, New Year’s Eve.
The wine bar management calls the decision to force Bishops, which has operated in downtown Croydon since 1982, to shut down by the end of June this year “arbitrary and unjust.”
There was no explanation included with the quit notice.
For a few years, Bishops Wine Bar, which is tucked away in an obscure concrete alley off Wellesley Road, has been fighting for its life. This has been particularly true since the Whitgift Center management closed the Allders multi-story parking lot, cutting off Bishops from anyone in the mall who might grab a quick Malbec before hauling their purchases home.
Shop after store has closed, so it’s not like many people still bother to shop at the Whitgift Center these days. In 2025, almost five additional stores had left the Whitgift Center for each “kiosk” Westfield constructed in the shell of the former Allders building.
In 2024, shortly after Westfield assumed control of the shopping center, the parking lot (as well as the walkways through it) were closed. Twelve years had passed since Westfield pledged to renovate the shopping center as part of a £1 billion town center revitalization plan.
Westfield, which is now a part of the multibillion-dollar Paris-based multinational URW, appears to be dissatisfied with causing residents of central Croydon more than ten years of development blight.
On her petition, aimed at the Whitgift management as well as one of Westfield’s biggest supporters, Mayor Jason Perry at Croydon Council, Ferrara explains:
“On New Year’s Eve 2025… we received a stark letter from our landlord, the Whitgift Centre. They invoked a break clause which requires us to close in six months from January 1, 2026, without providing a reason.”
“The thought of shuttering the doors deprives Croydon not just of a business, but of a piece of its community’s heart,”
she says.
“The Whitgift Centre’s decision seems arbitrary and unjust, especially given that no explanation has been offered. The closure would impact not only the staff who rely on their jobs for their livelihoods but also the patrons who find solace and camaraderie within its walls. Bishops Wine Bar is a vital part of the community fabric, offering cultural events and supporting local artists.
We believe that with enough support, we can persuade the Whitgift Centre to reconsider this decision. We propose collaborating with the centre to find a mutually beneficial arrangement, such as renegotiating lease terms or exploring partnership opportunities that would ensure Bishops continues to serve the community.
We call upon the management of the Whitgift Centre to engage in a dialogue with us and the Croydon Council to explore these options. Preserving long-standing establishments like Bishops Wine Bar is crucial in maintaining the character and history of our town…
Let us unite and convey to the Whitgift Centre how essential Bishops Wine Bar is to us all.”
What redevelopment plans has Westfield proposed for Whitgift Centre?
Unibail- Rodamco- Westfield( URW), possessors of the Whitgift Centre in Croydon, propose a comprehensive masterplan frame for the North End Quarter, covering Whitgift, Centrale, Allders, and conterminous areas.
Obliteration and rebuild of Whitgift Centre into domestic– led mixed- use with over 967 figure- to- rent homes( minimal 20 affordable at London Living Rent situations), retail, rest, and artistic spaces. Refurbishment of Centrale for modernized shopping, better layout, and magnet of major brands.
New green public spaces, rambler-friendly thoroughfares, and more- connected routes, conserving milestones like Whitgift Almshouses and Allders facade. Allders repurposed for shops, food outlets, rest, culture, and education.
