The long-awaited regeneration scheme could deliver a new 25-metre swimming pool and more than 200 later-living homes after the GLA said it won’t stand in the way
A CGI rendering of what the completed Purley Pool scheme would look like (Image: Polaska)
Plans to deliver a new swimming pool, later-living housing and wider regeneration for Purley High Street have moved a step closer after the Greater London Authority (GLA) confirmed it will not block the planning application.
The decision removes a major planning uncertainty and keeps the long-awaited Purley Pool project moving forward, with construction expected to begin in 2026. The scheme would replace the former Purley Pool and neighbouring sites with a modern leisure centre, a new public square, and 220 later-living homes, 10 per cent of which will be affordable.
Reopening Purley Pool was a key pledge made by Jason Perry during his successful mayoral election campaign in 2022, when he said the project would be fully costed, funded through unallocated Community Infrastructure Levy money—funds accrued from developers—and delivered without affecting other services, while boosting health and town centre footfall.
The Purley Pool was closed to the public in 2020(Image: Harrison Galliven)
However, since that pledge was made, the approach has changed, with the scheme now centred on housing and retail alongside leisure facilities. The redevelopment is being driven and largely funded by British Virgin Islands-based developer Polaska, which holds a 200-year lease on the site and would lease the completed leisure centre and public parking back to the council.
In February 2025, Croydon Council’s Planning Committee approved the Purley Pool scheme in principle. Due to its size and strategic importance, the application was then referred to the GLA for further consideration.
That referral process has now concluded, with the Deputy Mayor of London for Planning, Jules Pipe, confirming that the GLA will not intervene. This development means responsibility now returns to Croydon Council to progress the next stage.
The council must formally issue the planning permission before the scheme can progress. Once granted, a six-week judicial review period will begin, during which the decision could be challenged in the courts.
Only if that period ends without legal action would construction be able to begin. Until then, the project remains approved in principle but cannot proceed on site.
The current Purley Pool, which closed in 2020, sits alongside the long-dormant former Sainsbury’s and the multi-storey car park, forming a largely inactive core of Purley High Street. The new scheme would replace it with a leisure centre featuring a 25-metre main pool, training pool, gym, studios, café and family facilities, with access for local schools to resume swimming lessons.
Mayor Jason Perry made it a manifesto pledge to reopen Purley Pool(Image: Harrison Galliven/LDRS)
The mixed-use development, featuring over 200 later-living homes, a new public square and improved pedestrian links, aims to better connect Purley station with the High Street and provide the area with a town square it has lacked for years.
Proponents argue the development could increase footfall and support local businesses, saying the combination of leisure, housing and public space could help address the long-standing decline in the town centre.
However, the plans have attracted sustained opposition, particularly over the loss of the existing multi-storey car park and a reduction in town-centre parking. Although 78 parking spaces are included in the final design, many residents remain concerned about accessibility.
The scale and height of the buildings, rising up to 12 storeys, and the level of affordable housing, set at 10 per cent, have also been criticised. Despite these concerns, the council approved the scheme, with construction currently expected to begin in 2026.
It is also worth noting that the project’s future could be affected by the May 2026 local council and mayoral elections, given its political significance to Mayor Perry.
Responding to the latest update, Mayor Perry told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This is fantastic news for Purley. Ever since Labour closed Purley Pool, I have been clear that I would bring a swimming pool back to the district centre.
“This decision is another major step towards making that promise a reality. My thanks go to council officers, the developer and local residents who have worked constructively together to get this scheme to this stage.”
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