London youth zone gets planning go-ahead

The move means building work on the project, jointly developed by charity OnSide Youth Zones and Croydon Council, could start within the next few months and be completed next year.

Plans for the Croydon scheme were first unveiled in April.

The council has contributed £3.25m towards the construction costs as well as £300,000 in revenue expenses and provided the site which will be located on the junction of Whitehorse Road and Boulogne Road in Thornton Heath.

The youth zone has been named Legacy, following a public vote by 3,000 young people in Croydon. It will open every night of the week and provide facilities for those aged between eight and 19, or up to 25 for those with additional needs.

It joins a network of zones already operating across the north west and the Midlands with a 30,000-strong membership, and will include sports facilities such as an outdoor 3G pitch, an indoor four-court sports hall and a gym and fitness suite.

It will also have a music room, arts and media facilities, group project rooms and a recreation area for its projected 400 daily visitors. Entry is expected to cost 50p along with a £5 membership fee.

Dr Mark Ward, OnSide's project director said: "Gaining planning consent in Croydon is really exciting for everybody involved, especially the young people of the area.

"Youth Zones have a remarkable track record of changing the lives of so many people and we can't wait for that offer to extend to Croydon."

Other contributors to the project's capital funding include The Queen's Trust (£1m), The Stone Family Foundation (£500,000) and The Fidelity UK Foundation (£250,000).

The Croydon youth zone is one of three sites earmarked to open in London in the coming years with OnSide still developing projects in Barking and Dagenham, and Barnet.

The charity currently operates eight youth zones in England, but has plans to be operating 20 youth zones by 2020.

Croydon was one of the areas most badly affected by riots in August 2011.