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| image_shield = Coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon.svg
| shield_size = 100px
| shield_alt =
| shield_link = Coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon
| image_blank_emblem = Lb_croydon_logo.svg
| blank_emblem_type = Council logo
| blank_emblem_size = 150px
| blank_emblem_alt =
| blank_emblem_link =
| motto = ''Ad summa nitamur''<br />(Let us strive for perfection)
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| image_map = Croydon UK locator map.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Croydon shown within [[Greater London]]
| coor_pinpoint = <!-- to specify exact ___location of coordinates (was coor_type) -->
| coordinates = {{Coord|51|20|N|0|05|W|region:GB-CRY_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
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| subdivision_type = [[List of sovereign states|Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name = [[United Kingdom]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Country of the United Kingdom|Constituent country]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[England]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Regions of England|Region]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Greater London|London]]
| subdivision_type4 = [[Ceremonial counties of England|Ceremonial county]]
| subdivision_name4 = [[Greater London]]
| established_title = Created
| established_date = 1 April 1965
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| named_for = <!-- seat, smaller parts -->
| seat_type = Admin HQ
| seat = [[Bernard Weatherill House]], 8 Mint Walk, Croydon
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| government_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| government_type = [[London boroughs|London borough council]]
| governing_body = [[Croydon London Borough Council]]
| leader_title1 = [[Mayor of Croydon|Executive Mayor]]
| leader_name1 = [[Jason Perry (politician)|Jason Perry]]
| leader_title3 = London Assembly
| leader_name3 = [[Neil Garratt]] (Con) AM for [[Croydon and Sutton (London Assembly constituency)|Croydon and Sutton]]
| leader_title4 = [[List of MPs elected in the 2019 United Kingdom general election|MPs]]
| leader_name4 = [[Chris Philp]] (Conservative)<br />[[Sarah Jones (politician)|Sarah Jones]] (Labour)<br />[[Steve Reed (politician)|Steve Reed]] (Labour) <br /> [[Natasha Irons (politician)|Natasha Irons]] (Labour)
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| area_rank = {{English district area rank|ONS=00AH|GSS=E09000008}} [[List of English districts by area|(of {{English district total}})]]
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| population_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_total = {{English district population|ONS=00AH|GSS=E09000008}}
| population_as_of = {{United Kingdom statistics year}}
| population_rank = {{English district rank|ONS=00AH|GSS=E09000008}} [[List of English districts by population|(of {{English district total}})]]
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| postal_code = {{postcode|BR}}, {{postcode|CR}}, {{postcode|SE}}, {{postcode|SW}}
| area_code_type = <!-- defaults to: Area code(s) -->
| area_codes = 01689, 01737, 020
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| iso_code = GB-CRY
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| blank1_name = [[ONS coding system|ONS code]]
| blank1_info = 00AH
| blank2_name = [[GSS coding system|GSS code]]
| blank2_info = E09000008
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| blank_name_sec2 = [[List of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom|Police]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Metropolitan Police]]
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| website = http://www.croydon.gov.uk/
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}}
<!--Paragraph 1/3: Introduction and geography:-->
The '''London Borough of Croydon''' ({{audio|En-uk-LBCroydon.ogg|pronunciation}}) is a [[London borough|borough]] in [[South London]], part of [[Outer London]]. It covers an area of {{convert|87|km2|sqmi|1|abbr=on}} and has a population of 397,741 as of mid-2023,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mid-2023: 2023 local authority boundaries edition of this dataset edition of this dataset |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/estimatesofthepopulationforenglandandwales/mid20232023localauthorityboundarieseditionofthisdataset/mye23tablesew.xlsx/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Croydon (Borough, Greater London, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/uk/greaterlondon/E09000008__croydon/ |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=citypopulation.de}}</ref> making it the most populous London borough. It is the southernmost borough of London.{{r|General info}} At its centre is the town of [[Croydon]], from which the borough takes its name, while other urban centres include [[Thornton Heath]], [[Coulsdon]], [[Purley, London|Purley]], [[South Norwood]], [[Norbury]], [[New Addington]], and [[Selsdon]]. Croydon is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Croydon {{!}} Domesday Book |url=https://opendomesday.org/place/TQ3265/croydon/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=opendomesday.org}}</ref> and developed from a small market town into one of the most populous towns on the outskirts of [[London]]. The borough is now a significant business and cultural centre outside central London. Its influence in entertainment and the arts contributes to its status as a [[Metropolitan area|metropolitan]] centre.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-01 |title=Annex 1 - Town Centre Network {{!}} London City Hall |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/planning/london-plan/the-london-plan-2021-online/annex-1-town-centre-network |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=www.london.gov.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref>
<!--Paragraph 2/3: History and governance:-->
The borough was formed in 1965 from the merger of the [[County Borough of Croydon]] with [[Coulsdon and Purley Urban District]], both of which had been in [[Surrey]]. The local authority, [[Croydon London Borough Council]], is now part of [[London Councils]], the local government association for Greater London.{{r|Arms of Croydon Online}} The [[Economy of Croydon|economic strength]] of Croydon dates back to [[Croydon Airport]], which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as a business centre. Once London's main airport for all international flights to and from the capital, it was closed on 30 September 1959 because there was no room to expand it to meet the growing city's needs. The former lodge to Croydon Airport Terminal is now a Grade II [[listed building]] and tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1188970&resourceID=5|title=Listed Buildings Online: Airport House|publisher=[[English Heritage]]|access-date=30 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1079299&resourceID=5|title=Listed Buildings Online: Former Lodge To Croydon Airport Terminal|publisher=[[English Heritage]]|access-date=30 May 2010}}</ref> Croydon Council and its predecessor [[County Borough of Croydon|Croydon Corporation]] unsuccessfully applied for [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]] in 1954, 2000, 2002, and 2012. The area is undergoing a major regeneration project named [[Croydon Vision 2020]], which is predicted to attract more businesses and tourists to the area, as well as backing Croydon's bid to become "London's Third City" (after the [[City of London]] and [[City of Westminster|Westminster]]).<ref>{{cite news |title=Boris backs Croydon city bid |url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/archive/2008/07/30/Top+Stories+%28lltopstories%29/2413291.Boris_backs_Croydon_city_bid/ |newspaper=[[Croydon Guardian]] |date=30 July 2008 |access-date=6 February 2011}}</ref> While Croydon is predominantly urban, the borough's southern areas feature suburban and rural landscapes. Since 2003, Croydon has been certified as a [[List of Fairtrade settlements|Fairtrade borough]] by the [[Fairtrade Foundation]]. It was the first London borough to be awarded [[Fairtrade Town|Fairtrade status]].{{r|fairtrade}}{{r|fairtradecroydon}}
<!--Paragraph 3/3: Places, landmarks and cultural institutions:-->
The area has a notable cultural presence in London and [[South East England]] and is home to institutions such as the major arts and entertainment centre [[Fairfield Halls]]. However, its famous fringe theatre, the [[Warehouse Theatre]], went into administration in 2012 when the council withdrew funding, and the building was demolished in 2013. The [[Croydon Clocktower]] was opened by Queen [[Elizabeth II]] in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library, the independent [[David Lean Cinema]] (closed by the council in 2011, but now partially reopened on a part-time and volunteer basis), and a [[Museum of Croydon|museum]].<ref name="Croydon Town Hall"/> From 2000 to 2010, Croydon staged an annual summer festival celebrating the area's black and Indian cultural diversity, with audiences reaching over 50,000 people.<ref>{{cite web|year=2010|url=http://www.croydonfestival.com/transport.html|title=Croydon Summer Festival|publisher=Croydon Festival|access-date=6 February 2011|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080715214204/http://www.croydonfestival.com/transport.html|archive-date=15 July 2008}}</ref>
[[Premier League]] football club [[Crystal Palace F.C.]] have played at [[Selhurst Park]] in [[Selhurst]] since 1924. Other landmarks in the borough include what remains of [[Croydon Palace]], an important residence of the [[Archbishops of Canterbury]] since around the 9th century CE, which was known as 'The Old Palace' during its time as a school. It served as the [[manor house]] of the manor of Croydon, held by the Archbishops from the Anglo-Saxon period onwards. Its local successor is [[Addington Palace]], an eighteenth-century mansion that became the official second residence of six archbishops.<ref name="croydon palace addington">{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsofoldpalace.org/addpalace.htm|publisher=Friends of Old Palace|title=Information of Addington Palace|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> The borough is also home to [[Shirley Windmill]], one of the few surviving large windmills in [[Greater London]] built in the 1850s, and to the [[BRIT School]], a creative arts institute run by the [[Brit Awards|BRIT Trust]] which has produced artists such as [[Adele]], [[Amy Winehouse]] and [[Leona Lewis]].<ref>{{cite news|title= Music industry mogul praises Selhurst's Brit School|first= David|last= Burke|url= http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Music-industry-mogul-praises-Selhurst-s-Brit-School/article-378318-detail/article.html|archive-url= https://archive.today/20120912132638/http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Music-industry-mogul-praises-Selhurst-s-Brit-School/article-378318-detail/article.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= 12 September 2012|newspaper= [[Croydon Advertiser]]|date= 6 October 2008|access-date= 11 February 2011}}</ref>
{{TOC limit|limit=3}}
==History==
: '' For the history of the original town see [[Croydon#History|History of Croydon]]''
The name Croydon comes from Crogdene, or Croindone, named by the [[Saxons]] in the 8th century when they settled there, although the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times.<ref name="History of Croydon">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43053|title=Croydon: Introduction and Croydon Palace|via=British History Online|access-date=12 October 2007}}</ref> It is thought to derive from the [[Old English|Anglo-Saxon]] ''croeas deanas'', meaning "the valley of the [[crocus]]es." This may indicate that, like [[Saffron Walden]] in Essex, it was a centre for the collection of [[saffron]].
At the time of the Norman invasion, Croydon had a church, a mill, and around 365 inhabitants, as recorded in the Domesday Book.<ref name="Croyweb History">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.croyweb.com/Basic/history.htm|title=Local history of Croydon|publisher=Croyweb|access-date=5 June 2008}}</ref> The [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], [[Archbishop Lanfranc]] lived at [[Croydon Palace]]. Visitors included [[Thomas Becket]] (another Archbishop), and royal figures such as [[Henry VIII]] of England and [[Elizabeth I]].<ref name="History of Croydon book">{{cite book|last=Malden|first=H.E.|title=A History of the County of Surrey: Volume 4|year=1912|publisher=Victoria County History}}</ref> The royal charter for [[Surrey Street Market]] dates back to 1276.
Croydon continued as a market town, producing charcoal, tanned leather, and beer. Croydon was served by the [[Surrey Iron Railway]], the first public railway (horse-drawn) in the world, in 1803, and by the [[Brighton Main Line|London to Brighton]] rail link in the mid-19th century, helping it to become the largest town in what was then [[Surrey]].<ref name="Croyweb History"/>
In the 20th century, Croydon became known for industries such as metalworking, car manufacturing, and its aerodrome, [[Croydon Airport]]. Starting out during [[World War I]] as an airfield for protection against [[Zeppelin]]s, it was merged with an adjacent airfield, and the new aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920. It developed into one of the busiest airports in the world during the 1920s and 1930s and welcomed the world's aviators in its heyday.<ref name="Battle book">{{cite book|last=Cluett|first=Douglas|author2=Joanna Bogle|author3=Bob Learmonth|title=Croydon Airport and The Battle for Britain|year=1984|publisher=London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services|isbn=0-907335-11-X|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/croydonairportba0000clue}}</ref> [[British Airways Ltd]] used the airport for a short period after redirecting from [[RAF Northolt|Northolt Aerodrome]], and Croydon was the operating base for [[Imperial Airways]]. It was partly due to the airport that Croydon suffered heavy bomb damage during [[World War II]]. As aviation technology progressed, and aircraft became larger and more numerous, it was recognised in 1952 that the airport would be too small to cope with the increasing volume of air traffic. The last scheduled flight departed on 30 September 1959. It was superseded as the main airport by both [[London Heathrow Airport|London Heathrow]] and [[London Gatwick Airport]] (see below). The air terminal, now known as Airport House, has been restored and contains a hotel and museum.<ref name="Croyweb History"/>
In the late 1950s and through the 1960s, the council commercialised the centre of Croydon with massive development of office blocks and the [[Whitgift Centre]], formerly the largest in-town shopping centre in Europe.<ref name="urbanisation">{{cite journal|year=2006|url=http://usj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/43/13/2399|title=Modernism vs Urban Renaissance: Negotiating Post-war Heritage in English City Centres|publisher=Urban Studies Journal |doi=10.1080/00420980601038206 |first1= Aidan |last1=While |journal=Urban Studies |volume=43 |issue=13 |pages=2399–2419 |bibcode=2006UrbSt..43.2399W |access-date=5 June 2008|archive-date=5 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905004224/http://usj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/43/13/2399|url-status=dead}}</ref> The centre was officially opened in October 1970 by the [[Katharine, Duchess of Kent|Duchess of Kent]]. The original [[Whitgift School]] there had moved to Haling Park, South Croydon in the 1930s; the replacement school on the site, Whitgift Middle School, now the [[Trinity School of John Whitgift]], moved to Shirley Park in the 1960s, when the buildings were demolished.
Croydon was hit by extensive rioting in August 2011 during the [[2011 England riots]]. [[House of Reeves|Reeves]], a historic furniture store established in 1867 that gave its name to a junction and [[Reeves Corner tram stop|tram stop]] in the town centre, was destroyed by arson.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8690213/London-riots-Croydon-residents-leap-from-burning-buildings-as-capital-burns.html |title=London riots: Croydon residents leap from burning buildings as capital burns |last=Wardrop|first = Murray |date=8 August 2011 |work = The Daily Telegraph|___location=London |access-date =1 February 2015}}</ref>
Since a 1999 study by town planning consultants [[EDAW]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=1998-03-12 |title=EDAW masterplan begins the transformation of Croydon |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/archive/edaw-masterplan-begins-the-transformation-of-croydon |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=The Architects’ Journal |language=en}}</ref> Croydon has been the subject of a series of development projects ranging from £200 million to £3.5 billion, called [[Croydon Vision 2020]]. This aims to change the [[urban planning]] of central Croydon. It aims to make Croydon ''London's Third City'' and the hub of retail, business, culture, and living in south London and south-east England.{{r|croydon expo 07}} The plan was showcased in a series of events called [[Croydon Expo]].<ref name="regeneration croydon">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydonconservatives.com/news_search_results_detail.asp?StoryNo=944|title=Croydon Expo to be a Regeneration Showcase|publisher=Croydon Conservatives|access-date=5 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211100836/http://www.croydonconservatives.com/news_search_results_detail.asp?StoryNo=944|archive-date=11 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="bbc croydon expo">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/02/21/regeneration_feature.shtml |title=New look Croydon on display|publisher=[[BBC London]]|access-date=5 April 2008 | ___location=London | first=Evadney | last=Campbell}}</ref>
===Administrative history===
The area of the modern borough broadly corresponds to the four [[ancient parish]]es of [[Croydon]], [[Addington, London|Addington]], [[Coulsdon]] and [[Sanderstead]].
The parish of Croydon was governed by [[improvement commissioners]] from 1829 until 1849 when it was made a [[Local board of health|local board district]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Croydon Improvement Act 1829 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo4/10/73/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=18 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lawes |first1=Edward |title=The Act for promoting the Public Health, with notes |date=1851 |publisher=Shaw and Sons |___location=London |page=262 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MRJXAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA262 |access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lancaster |first1=Brian |title=The "Croydon Case": Dirty Old Town to Model Town |date=2001 |publisher=Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society |isbn=978-0-906047-16-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0wIgAQAAMAAJ&q=Croydon%20improvement%20act%201829 |access-date=18 May 2024}}</ref> Croydon was incorporated as a [[municipal borough]] in 1883.<ref>{{cite web |title=Croydon Municipal Borough / County Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10107830 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref> When elected county councils were established in 1889, Croydon was considered large enough to provide its county-level services. It was therefore made a [[county borough]], independent from the new [[Surrey County Council]], whilst remaining part of [[Surrey]] for judicial and [[Lord-lieutenant|lieutenancy]] purposes.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1888|year=1888|chapter=41}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Diagram of Surrey showing administrative boundaries, 1963 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/241244560 |website=National Library of Scotland |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=5 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Kelly's Directory of Surrey |date=1913 |page=97 |url=https://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/85749/rec/3 |access-date=18 May 2024}}</ref> The borough was enlarged in 1928 to absorb the neighbouring parish of Addington.<ref>{{cite web |title=Croydon Corporation Act 1927 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo5/17-18/106/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=18 May 2024}}</ref>
Coulsdon and Sanderstead were governed as [[rural parish]]es within the [[Croydon Rural District]] until 1915 when the [[Coulsdon and Purley Urban District]] was created covering the two parishes. [[Purley, London|Purley]] itself was not a civil parish, being in the parish of Coulsdon, but was included in the urban district's name on account of it being one of the main built-up settlements in the district. There were subsequent adjustments to the boundaries with neighbouring areas, notably including in 1933 when the urban district absorbed the parish of [[Farleigh, Surrey|Farleigh]], after which there were three [[urban parish]]es in the district, Cousldon, Farleigh, and Sanderstead.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coulsdon and Purley Urban District |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10186304 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=18 May 2024}}</ref>
The London Borough of Croydon was created on 1 April 1965 under the [[London Government Act 1963]], covering the combined area of the former Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and the [[County Borough of Croydon]], both of which were abolished at the same time. The area was transferred from Surrey to Greater London to become one of the 32 London boroughs.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=London Government Act 1963|chapter=33|access-date=16 May 2024}}</ref><ref name="Arms of Croydon Online"/> The Farleigh area was removed from the borough in 1969 and transferred back to Surrey, becoming part of the parish of [[Chelsham and Farleigh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Croydon London Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10108664#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=18 May 2024}}</ref>
The borough council has unsuccessfully applied for [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]] on several occasions: in 1965, 1977, 1992, 2000, 2002, and 2012. At present, the London Borough of Croydon is the second most populous [[local authority district|local government district]] of England without city status. Croydon's applications were refused as it was felt not to have an identity separate from the rest of Greater London. In 1965, it was described as "...now just part of the London conurbation and almost indistinguishable from many of the other Greater London boroughs" and in 2000 as having "no particular identity of its own".<ref name="beckett">{{cite book|title=City status in the British Isles, 1830–2002|series=Historical Urban Studies|last=Beckett |first=John |author-link=John Beckett (historian) |year=2005 |publisher=Ashgate|___location=Aldershot|isbn=0-7546-5067-7 |pages=100, 103, 110, 122–4, 129, 131, 143, 146, 150, 166, 168, 175–6 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Results of Diamond Jubilee Civic Honours Competition announced|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/results-of-diamond-jubilee-civic-honours-competition-announced|publisher=Cabinet Office|access-date=27 March 2012|date=14 March 2012}}</ref>
==Governance==
{{main|Croydon London Borough Council}}
Croydon Council is the local authority for the borough of Croydon. The council holds its meetings at [[Croydon Town Hall]], which is situated on Katherine Street in the centre of Croydon. The council's main administrative offices are located in the adjoining building, [[Bernard Weatherill House]]. Since 2022, the council has been led by the directly elected [[Mayor of Croydon]].
===Greater London representation===
Since 2000, for elections to the [[London Assembly]], the borough forms part of the [[Croydon and Sutton (London Assembly constituency)|Croydon and Sutton]] constituency. It has been represented by [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] AM [[Neil Garratt]] since [[2021 London Assembly election|May 2021]]. He is the leader of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] in the [[London Assembly]].
===Westminster representation===
The borough is covered by four parliamentary constituencies: [[Streatham and Croydon North]], [[Croydon West (UK Parliament constituency)|Croydon West]], [[Croydon East (UK Parliament constituency)|Croydon East]] and [[Croydon South (UK Parliament constituency)|Croydon South]]. Streatham and Croydon North by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MP [[Steve Reed (politician)|Steve Reed]], Croydon West is represented by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MP [[Sarah Jones (politician)|Sarah Jones]], Croydon East is represented by [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] MP [[Natasha Irons (politician)|Natasha Irons]] and Croydon South by [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP [[Chris Philp]].
===Government buildings===
[[File:Croydon clocktower.jpg|thumb|[[Croydon Town Hall]]]]
[[Croydon Town Hall]] on Katharine Street in central Croydon houses the committee rooms, the mayor's and other councillors' offices, electoral services, and the arts and heritage services. The present Town Hall is Croydon's third. The first town hall is thought to have been built in either 1566 or 1609.<ref name="Croydon Town Hall">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/heritage/town_hall.asp|title=Katharine Street, Town Hall: Heritage Pages|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=10 October 2007}}</ref> The second was built in 1808 to serve the growing town but was demolished after the present town hall was erected in 1895.
The 1808 building cost £8,000, which was regarded as an enormous sum at the time and was perhaps as controversial as the administrative building [[Bernard Weatherill House]] opened for occupation in 2013 and is reputed to have cost £220,000,000. The early 19th-century building was known initially as "Courthouse" as, like its predecessor and successor, the local court met there. The building stood on the western side of a High Street near the junction with Surrey Street, the ___location of the town's market. The building became inadequate for the growing local administrative responsibilities and stood at a narrow point of a High Street in need of widening.
The present town hall was designed by local architect Charles Henman<ref name="Croydon Town Hall"/> and was officially opened by the [[Edward VII|Prince]] and [[Queen Alexandra|Princess of Wales]] on 19 May 1896. It was constructed in red brick, sourced from [[Wrotham]] in Kent, with [[Portland stone]] dressings and green [[Westmorland|Westmoreland]] [[slate]]s for the roof. It also housed the court and most central council employees.
The Borough's incorporation in 1883 and a desire to improve central Croydon with improvements to traffic flows and the removal of social deprivation in Middle Row prompted the move to a new configuration of town hall provision. The second closure of the Central Railway Station provided the corporation with the opportunity to buy the station land from the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company for £11,500 to use as the site for the new town hall. Indeed, the council hoped to be able to sell on some of the land purchased with enough for municipal needs and still "leave a considerable margin of land which might be disposed of". The purchase of the failed railway station came despite local leaders having successfully urged the re-opening of the poorly patronised railway station. The railway station re-opening had failed to be a success, so the land was freed up for alternative use.
Parts, including the former courtrooms, have been converted into the [[Museum of Croydon]] and exhibition galleries. The original public library was converted into the [[David Lean Cinema]], part of the [[Croydon Clocktower]]. The Braithwaite Hall is used for events and performances. The town hall was renovated in the mid-1990s and the imposing central staircase, long closed to the public and kept for councillors only, was re-opened in 1994. The civic complex, meanwhile, was added to, with buildings across Mint Walk and the 19-floor Taberner House to house the rapidly expanding corporation's employees.
[[File:CroydonTabHouse.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Croydon Council's offices were in [[Taberner House]] until September 2013]]
[[Ruskin House]] is the headquarters of Croydon's [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]], Trade Union, and [[Co-operative Party|Co-operative]] movements and is itself a co-operative with shareholders from organisations across the three movements. In the 19th century, Croydon was a bustling commercial centre of London. It was said that, at the turn of the 20th century, approximately £10,000 was spent in Croydon's taverns and inns every week. For the early labour movement, then, it was natural to meet in the town's public houses, in this environment. However, the temperance movement was equally strong, and [[Georgina King Lewis]], a keen member of the [[Croydon United Temperance Council]], took it upon herself to establish a dry centre for the labour movement. The first Ruskin House was highly successful, and there have been two more since.<ref name="Ruskin House">{{cite book|author1=M. Tiedemann|author2=E. Daisley|author3=Bob Learmonth|title=Ruskin House: A History|year=1999}}<!-- quoted by permission of [[User:Mtiedemann]]--></ref> The current house was officially opened in 1967 by the then Labour Prime Minister, [[Harold Wilson]]. Today, Ruskin House continues to serve as the headquarters of the Trade Union, Labour, and Co-operative movements in Croydon, hosting a range of meetings and being the base for several labour movement groups. Office tenants include the headquarters of the [[Communist Party of Britain]] and Croydon Labour Party. [[Geraint Davies (Labour politician)|Geraint Davies]], the MP for [[Croydon Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Croydon Central]], had offices in the building, until he was defeated by [[Andrew Pelling]] and is now the Labour representative standing for [[Swansea West (UK Parliament constituency)|Swansea West]] in Wales.
[[File:Croydon Council.JPG|thumb|Bernard Weatherill House, home to Croydon Council from September 2013]]
[[Taberner House]] was built between 1964 and 1967, designed by architect H. Thornley, with Allan Holt and Hugh Lea as borough engineers. Although the council had needed extra space since the 1920s, it was only with the imminent creation of the London Borough of Croydon that action was taken. The building, which was demolished in 2014, was in classic 1960s style, praised at the time but subsequently much derided. It has its elegant upper slab block narrowing towards both ends, a formal device that has been compared to the famous [[Pirelli Tower]] in Milan. It was named after Ernest Taberner OBE, Town Clerk from 1937 to 1963.<ref name="Taberner House names">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/heritage/taberner_house.asp|title=Park Lane, Taberner House:Heritage Pages|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=10 October 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071003132819/http://www.croydononline.org/history/heritage/taberner_house.asp|archive-date=3 October 2007}}</ref> Until September 2013, Taberner House housed most of the council's central employees and was the main ___location for the public to access information and services, particularly concerning housing.
In September 2013, Council staff moved into Bernard Weatherill House in Fell Road, (named after the former Speaker of the House and Member of Parliament for Croydon North-East). Staff from the Met Police, NHS, Jobcentre Plus, Croydon Credit Union, Citizens Advice Bureau as well as 75 services from the council all moved to the new building.
==Geography and climate==
The borough is in the far south of London, with the [[M25 motorway|M25 orbital motorway]] stretching to the south of it, between Croydon and [[Tandridge (district)|Tandridge]]. To the north and east, the borough mainly borders the [[London Borough of Bromley]], and in the northwest the boroughs of [[London Borough of Lambeth|Lambeth]] and [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]]. The boroughs of [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]] and [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]] are located directly to the west. Croydon is at the head of the [[River Wandle]], just to the north of a significant gap in the [[North Downs]]. It lies {{convert|10|mi|km}} south of Central London, and the earliest settlement may have been a Roman staging post on the London-Portslade road, although conclusive evidence has not yet been found. The main town centre houses a great variety of well-known stores in [[North End, Croydon|North End]] and two shopping centres. It was pedestrianised in 1989 to attract people back to the town centre. Another shopping centre called [[Park Place (Croydon)|Park Place]] was due to open in 2012 but has since been scrapped.<ref>{{cite news |title=Croydon Council abandons agreement to build new shopping centre |first=Andrew |last=Worden |url=http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Breaking-news-Croydon-Council-abandons-agreement-build-new-shopping-centre/article-985303-detail/article.html/ |newspaper=[[Croydon Advertiser]] |date=12 May 2009 |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822185205/http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/news/Breaking-news-Croydon-Council-abandons-agreement-build-new-shopping-centre/article-985303-detail/article.html |archive-date=22 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:London Borough of Croydon bedrock and superfical rock.jpg|thumb|Map of the bedrock and superficial rock at the surface of the borough.]]
===Geology===
The bedrock of the northern part of the borough is mostly London Clay Formation<ref name="BGS London Clay">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LC|title=London Clay Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (blue-grey and grey-brown calcareous clay formed between 56 and 47.8 million years ago (mya) during the [[Palaeogene]] period) with a Claygate member<ref name="BGS Claygate">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=CLGB|title=Claygate Member|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (dark grey clays with sand laminae and silt) of the same period making up the [[Norwood Ridge]]. A band of rocks of the Lambeth Group<ref name="BGS Lambeth">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LMBE|title=Lambeth Group|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (clay with sand/gravel/limestone/lignite, laid between 59.2 and 47.8 mya), Harwich Formation<ref name="BGS Harwich">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HWH|title=Harwich Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (sand and gravel with [[glauconite]], laid between 56 and 47.8 mya) and Thanet Formation<ref name="BGS Thanet">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=TAB|title=Thanet Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (silty, fine-grained sand with glauconite, laid between 59.2 and 56 mya) crosses the borough from east to west under Waddon, Addiscombe and Shirley into Spring Park. In the south, most of the bedrock is of the Lewes Nodular/Seahaven Chalk/Newhaven Chalk Formation<ref name="BGS Lewes">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LSNCK|title=Lewes Nodular Chalk Formation, Seaford Chalk Formation And Newhaven Chalk Formation (Undifferentiated)|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (laid during the [[Cretaceous]] period, between 93.9 and 72.1 mya), from South Croydon and Addington down past Kenley and King's Wood with a small area of Holywell Nodular/New Pit Chalk Formation<ref name="BGS Holywell">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HNCK|title=Holywell Nodular Chalk Formation and New Pit Chalk Formation (undifferentiated)|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (also Cretaceous, laid between 100.5 and 89.8 mya) in lower areas between hills, beginning just east of Kenley station and followed by the railway line curving southwards.<ref name="BGS viewer">{{cite web|url=https://geologyviewer.bgs.ac.uk/|title=Geology Viewer|website=British Geological Society|access-date=14 April 2025}}</ref>
There are five types of overlying superficial rock, all of the [[Quaternary]] period. In the very north, an unnamed sand-and-gravel member<ref name="BGS sand and gravel uncertain">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=SGAO|title=Sand and gravel of uncertain age and origin|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> of the [[Quaternary]] period overlies the Claygate member of the Norwood Ridge along Church Road and Crystal Palace Parade, with another area along Crown Lane to the east. An area of Lynch Hill Gravel<ref name="BGS Lynch Hill">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=LHGR|title=Lynch Hill Gravel Member|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (deposited between 362 and 126 thousand years ago (tya)) extends from Norbury down to under West Croydon and East Croydon stations. A narrow Hackney Gravel Member <ref name="BGS Hackney">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HAGR|title=Hackney Gravel Member|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (laid between 362 and 126 tya) curves down through lower elevations from the west of Norbury and broadly followed by the railway line from South Croydon to south of Purley Station. Extending from this and other lower elevation areas are narrower deposits of Head<ref name="BGS Head">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=HEAD|title=Head|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (poorly sorted and stratified angular rock debris and slow glacial hillwash, deposited between 2.588 mya and the present), related to the downward movement of water, e.g. under Coulsdon Town, Coulsdon South and Kenley stations and by Riddlesdown and Whyteleafe stations. Higher chalk areas in the south are overlain with Clay-with-flints Formation<ref name="BGS Clay-with-flints">{{cite web|url=https://webapps.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=CWF|title=Clay-with-flints Formation|website=British Geological Society|access-date=1 May 2025}}</ref> (orange- or red-brown clay with nodules of flint, laid betwee 23.03 mya and 11.8 tya), e.g. at Netherne-on-the-Hill, Old Coulsdon and Kenley.
Elevations range from 32 metres in the north on London Clay (west of London Road ([[A23 road|A23]]} south-southeast of Norbury Station and west of Thornton Heath station) to 175 metres in the south on a small area of Lambeth Group rock (at [[Sanderstead]] Plantation on [[A2022 road#West Wickham to Purley|Addington Road]]).<ref name="BGS viewer"/>
===Townscape description===
{{See also|List of districts in Croydon}}
[[File:CroydonNorthEnd.jpg|thumb|300px|[[North End, Croydon|North End]] shopping street photographed in 2005, after pedestrianisation]]
The [[CR postcode area]] covers most of the south and centre of the borough while the [[SE postcode area|SE]] and [[SW postcode area|SW]] postcodes cover the northern parts, including Crystal Palace, Upper Norwood, South Norwood, Selhurst (part), Thornton Heath (part), Norbury and Pollards Hill (part).
Districts in the London Borough of Croydon include [[Addington, London|Addington]], a village to the east of Croydon which until 2000 was poorly linked to the rest of the borough as it was without any railway or light rail stations, with only a few patchy bus services.<ref name="addiscombe">{{cite web|year=2003|url=http://www.addiscombe.net/|title=Addiscome Community website|publisher=Addiscomme on the Net|access-date=2 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026024552/http://www.crystalpalacepark.net/|archive-date=26 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Addiscombe]] is a district just northeast of the centre of Croydon, and is popular with commuters to central London as it is close to the busy [[East Croydon station]].<ref name="ashburton">{{cite web|year=2001|url=http://www.uklocalarea.com/browse.php/q/Ashburton/wc/00AHGF|title=Quality of life in the Addiscombe ward|publisher=UK Local Area|access-date=2 November 2007}}</ref> [[Ashburton, London|Ashburton]], to the northeast of Croydon, is mostly home to residential houses and flats, being named after Ashburton House, one of the three big houses in the Addiscombe area.<ref name="broad green">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.londontown.com/LondonStreets/broad_green_avenue_a4d.html|title=Avenue guide to Broad Green|publisher=London Town|access-date=2 November 2007}}</ref> [[Broad Green, Croydon|Broad Green]] is a small district, centred on a large green with many homes and local shops in West Croydon.<ref name="broad green" /> [[Coombe, Croydon|Coombe]] is an area, just east of Croydon, which has barely been urbanised and has retained its collection of large houses fairly intact. [[Coulsdon]], south-west of Central Croydon, has retained a good mix of traditional high street shops as well as a large number of restaurants for its size.<ref name="coulsdon">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.coulsdon.net/|title=Coulsdon home page|publisher=Coulsdon.net|access-date=2 November 2007}}</ref> [[Croydon]] is the principal area of the borough, [[Crystal Palace, London|Crystal Palace]] is an area north of Croydon, which is shared with the [[London Borough of Lambeth|London Boroughs of Lambeth]], [[London Borough of Southwark|Southwark]], [[London Borough of Lewisham|Lewisham]] and [[London Borough of Bromley|Bromley]].<ref name="crystal palace">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.crystalpalacepark.net/|title=Parklife:Crystal Palace Park|publisher=CPP Parklife|access-date=2 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026024552/http://www.crystalpalacepark.net/|archive-date=26 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Fairfield, Croydon|Fairfield]], just northeast of Croydon, holds the [[Fairfield Halls]]<ref name="fairfield">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.fairfield.co.uk/|title=Fairfield Halls home page|publisher=Fairfield Halls|access-date=2 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221042411/http://www.fairfield.co.uk/|archive-date=21 February 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the village of [[Forestdale, London|Forestdale]], to the east of Croydon's main area, commenced work in the late 1960s and completed in the mid-70s to create a larger town on what was previously open ground.<ref name="forestdale">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.forestdale.info/indexone.htm|title=Forestdale community website|publisher=Forestdale.info|access-date=6 June 2008|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706094554/http://www.forestdale.info/indexone.htm|archive-date=6 July 2008}}</ref> [[Hamsey Green]] is a place on the plateau of the [[North Downs]], south of Croydon.<ref name="hamsey">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/parks_and_open_spaces/hamseygreen.asp|title=History of Hamsey Green Pond|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Kenley]], again south of the centre, lies within the London [[Green Belt]] and features a landscape dominated by green space.<ref name="kenley">{{cite web|year=2008|url=http://www.kenleyra.org.uk/|title=Kenley & District Residents Association|publisher=Kendra|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[New Addington]], to the east, is a large local council estate surrounded by open countryside and golf courses.<ref name="nadding">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/newaddington.asp|title=History of the New Addington estate|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Norbury]], to the northwest, is a suburb with a large ethnic population.<ref name="norbury">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/norbury.asp|title=History of the Norbury area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Norwood New Town]] is a part of the Norwood triangle, to the north of Croydon. [[Monks Orchard]] is a small district made up of large houses and open space in the northeast of the borough.<ref name="monksorchard">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/monksorchard.asp|title=History of the Monks Orchard area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Pollards Hill]] is a residential district with houses on roads, which are lined with pollarded lime trees, stretching to Norbury. [[Purley, London|Purley]], to the south, is a main town whose name derives from "pirlea", which means 'Peartree lea'.<ref name="purleyoaks">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/purley.asp|title=History of the Purley area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Sanderstead]], to the south, is a village mainly on high ground at the edge of suburban development in [[Greater London]].<ref name="sanderstead">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/sanderstead.asp|title=History of the Sanderstead area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Selhurst]] is a town, to the north of Croydon, which holds the nationally known school, The [[BRIT School]]. [[Selsdon]] is a suburb which was developed during the inter-war period in the 1920s and 1930s, and is notable for its many Art Deco houses, to the south-east of Croydon Centre. [[Shirley, London|Shirley]], is to the east of Croydon, and holds [[Shirley Windmill]]. [[South Croydon]], to the south of Croydon, is a locality which holds local landmarks such as The Swan and Sugarloaf public house and independent [[Whitgift School]], part of the [[Whitgift Foundation]].<ref name="scroydons">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/southcroydon.asp|title=History of the South Croydon area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[South Norwood]], to the north, is in common with West Norwood and Upper Norwood, named after a contraction of Great North Wood and has a population of around 14,590. [[Thornton Heath]] is a town, to the northwest of Croydon, which holds Croydon's principal hospital [[Mayday University Hospital|Mayday]].<ref name="heathtpond">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/thorntonheath.asp|title=History of the Thornton Heath area|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> [[Upper Norwood]] is north of Croydon, on a mainly elevated area of the borough. [[Waddon]] is a residential area, mainly based on the [[Purley Way]] retail area, to the west of the borough. [[Woodside, London|Woodside]] is located to the northeast of the borough, with streets based on [[Woodside Green]], a small area of green land.<ref name="woodsidehistory">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/woodside.asp|title=History of the Woodside area|publisher= Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118142941/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/parksandopenspaces/pksandops/pos|archive-date=18 November 2007}}</ref> And finally [[Whyteleafe]] is a town, right to the edge of Croydon with some areas in the Surrey district of Tandridge.
Croydon is a gateway to the south from central London, with some major roads running through it. [[Purley Way]], part of the [[A23 road|A23]], was built to by-pass Croydon town centre. It is one of the busiest roads in the borough, and is the site of several major retail developments, including one of only 18 [[IKEA]] stores in the country, built on the site of the former power station.<ref name="purleywayhistory">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/purleyway.asp|title=History of the Purley Way retail district|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> The A23 continues southward as Brighton Road, which is the main route running towards the south from [[South Croydon|Croydon]] to [[Purley, London|Purley]]. The centre of Croydon is very congested, and the urban planning has since become out of date and quite inadequate, due to the expansion of Croydon's main shopping area and office blocks. [[Wellesley Road]] is a north–south [[dual carriageway]] that cuts through the centre of the town, and makes it hard to walk between the town centre's two railway stations. [[Croydon Vision 2020]] includes a plan for a more pedestrian-friendly replacement. It has also been named as one of the worst roads for cyclists in the area.<ref name="cycle names">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://crapcyclelanesofcroydon.blogspot.com/2007/05/jug-handle-wellesley-road.html|title=The "jug handle" – Wellesley Road|publisher=Crap Cycle Lanes of Croydon|access-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> Construction of the [[Croydon Underpass]] beneath the junction of George Street and [[Wellesley Road]]/Park Lane started in the early 1960s, mainly to alleviate traffic congestion on Park Lane, above the underpass. The [[Croydon Flyover]] is also near the underpass, and next to [[Taberner House]]. It mainly leads traffic on to [[Duppas Hill]], towards Purley Way, with links to [[Sutton, London|Sutton]] and [[Kingston upon Thames]].
===Topography and climate===
{{climate chart
|Croydon
|2|8|52
|2|8|34
|4|11|42
|5|13|45
|8|17|47
|11|20|53
|14|23|38
|13|23|47
|11|19|57
|8|15|62
|5|11|52
|3|9|54
|source=Met Office<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/greenwich.html |title=Greenwich 1971–2000 averages |work=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628141612/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/greenwich.html |archive-date=28 June 2014 }}</ref>
|float=right
}}
Croydon covers an area of 86.52 km<sup>2</sup>. Croydon's physical features consist of many hills and rivers spread out across the borough and into the [[North Downs]], Surrey, and the rest of south London. [[Addington Hills]] is a major hilly area to the south of London and is recognised as a significant obstacle to the growth of London from its origins as a port on the north side of the river, to a large circular city. The [[Great North Wood]] is a former natural oak forest that covered the [[Sydenham, London|Sydenham Ridge]] and the southern reaches of the [[River Effra]] and its tributaries.
The most notable tree, called Vicar's Oak, marked the boundary of four ancient parishes: [[Lambeth]], [[Camberwell]], Croydon and [[Bromley]]. John Aubrey<ref>John Aubrey ''Natural History and Antiquities of the County of Surrey'', 1718, vol. 2, p. 33,</ref> referred to this "ancient remarkable tree" in the past tense as early as 1718, but according to J. B. Wilson,<ref>J. B. Wilson & H. A. Wilson ''The Story of Norwood'' {{ISBN|0-9515384-1-1}}</ref> the Vicar's Oak survived until 1825. The [[River Wandle]], a [[chalk stream]], is also a major tributary of the [[River Thames]], flowing to [[Wandsworth]] and [[Putney]] for {{convert|9|mi|km}} from its main source in [[Waddon]].
Croydon has a [[temperate]] climate, in common with most areas of Great Britain: its [[Humid temperate climate|Köppen climate classification]] is ''Cfb''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.worldclimate.com/ |title=WorldClimate |access-date=2 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208173133/http://www.worldclimate.com/ |archive-date=8 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>([http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N51W000+1102+03776W Temperature data)]</ref> Its mean annual temperature of 9.6 °C is similar to that experienced throughout the Weald, and slightly cooler than nearby areas such as the Sussex coast and central London.<ref name="temperature">{{cite web|year=2001 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/17.gif |title=Mean Temperature Annual Average |publisher=[[Met Office]] |access-date=22 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203143739/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/17.gif |archive-date=3 February 2012 }}</ref> Rainfall is considerably below England's average (1971–2000) level of 838 mm, and every month is drier overall than the England average.<ref name="rainmean">{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/england.html |title=Met Office: averages 1971–2000 |access-date=22 August 2007 |publisher=Met Office |year=2007 |work=Met Office website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605024000/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/england.html |archive-date=5 June 2011 }}</ref>
===Architecture===
{{Further|Architecture of Croydon|List of tallest buildings and structures in Croydon}}
The skyline of Croydon has significantly changed over the past 50 years. High-rise buildings, mainly office blocks, now dominate the skyline. The most notable of these buildings include Croydon Council's former headquarters [[Taberner House]], which has been compared to the famous [[Pirelli Tower]] of [[Milan]], and the [[Nestlé Tower]], the former UK headquarters of [[Nestlé]].
In recent years, the development of [[Tall buildings in London|tall buildings]], such as the approved Croydon Vocational Tower and [[Wellesley Square]], has been encouraged in the [[London Plan]], and will lead to the erection of new skyscrapers in the coming years as part of London's high-rise boom.<ref>{{cite web|title=London – Full Summary of Projects|publisher=Will Fox, SkyscraperCity.com|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=46|access-date=15 December 2006|archive-date=30 December 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230014300/http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=46|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[No. 1 Croydon]], formerly the NLA Tower, Britain's 88th tallest tower,<ref name="NLA Tower">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/snuk_list.htm|title=Britain's Tallest 100 Buildings by Height|publisher=Sky Scraper News|access-date=12 October 2007|archive-date=11 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611025038/http://www.skyscrapernews.com/snuk_list.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> close to [[East Croydon station]], is an example of 1970s architecture. The tower was originally nicknamed the ''Threepenny bit building'', as it resembles a stack of pre-decimalisation [[Threepence (British coin)|Threepence]] coins, which were 12-sided. It is now most commonly called The Octagon, being 8-sided.
[[Lunar House]] is another high-rise building. Like other government office buildings on Wellesley Road, such as [[Apollo House (Croydon)|Apollo House]], the name of the building was inspired by the [[Project Apollo|US Moon landings]] (In the Croydon suburb of New Addington there is a [[public house]], built during the same period, called ''The Man on the Moon''). Lunar House houses the Home Office building for Visas and Immigration. Apollo House is home to The Border Patrol Agency.
A new generation of buildings is being considered by the council as part of [[Croydon Vision 2020]], so that the borough does not lose its title of having the "largest office space in the south east", excluding central London.<ref>{{cite web|title=Croydon Gateway – Arrowcroft Scheme|publisher=Emporis|url=http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=101018|access-date=12 October 2007|archive-date=23 October 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041023091740/http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/nc/ne/?id=101018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Projects such as [[Wellesley Square]], which will be a mix of residential and retail with an eye-catching colour design, and [[100 George Street]] — a proposed modern office block — are included in this vision.
Notable events that have happened to Croydon's skyline include the Millennium project to create the largest single urban lighting project ever. It was created for the buildings of Croydon to illuminate them for the third millennium. The project provided new lighting for the buildings and offered an opportunity to project images and words onto them, mixing art and poetry with coloured light, and also displaying public information after dark. Apart from increasing night-time activity in Croydon and thereby reducing the fear of crime, it helped to promote the sustainable use of older buildings by displaying them in a more positive way.<ref name="skyline">{{cite web|url=http://www.millennium.gov.uk/cgi-site/awards.cgi?action=detail&id=38&t=2|title=Croydon Skyline|access-date=12 October 2007|publisher=Millennium Commission|year=2003|work=Croydon Skyline Millennium Trust|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031104234739/http://www.millennium.gov.uk/cgi-site/awards.cgi?action=detail&id=38&t=2|archive-date=4 November 2003}}</ref>
===Landmarks===
There are numerous attractions and places of interest across the borough of Croydon, ranging from historic sites in the north and south to modern towers in the centre.
[[File:Shirley Windmill.jpg|right|thumb|[[Shirley Windmill]]]]
[[Croydon Airport]] was once London's main airport, but closed on 30 September 1959 due to the expansion of London and because it did not have room to grow. [[Heathrow International Airport]] took over as London's main airport. It has now been mostly converted to offices, although some important elements of the airport remain. It is a tourist attraction.<ref name="Battle book"/>
The [[Croydon Clocktower]] arts venue was opened by [[Elizabeth II]] in 1994.<ref name="Croydon Town Hall"/> It includes the Braithwaite Hall (the former reference library – named after the Rev. Braithwaite who donated it to the town) for live events, the [[David Lean Cinema]] (built in memory of [[David Lean]]), the [[Museum of Croydon]] and [[Croydon Central Library]]. The Museum of Croydon (formerly known as Croydon Lifetimes Museum) highlights Croydon in the past and the present and currently features high-profile exhibitions including the Riesco Collection, The Art of Dr Seuss and the Whatever the Weather gallery.<ref name="moc">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.museumofcroydon.com/themes?session=bKbl5UPphSh|title=Themes in the Museum of Croydon|publisher=[[Museum of Croydon]]|access-date=6 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213023143/http://www.museumofcroydon.com/themes?session=bKbl5UPphSh|archive-date=13 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Shirley Windmill]] is a working windmill and one of the few surviving large windmills in [[Surrey]], built in 1854. It is [[Listed building|Grade II listed]] and received a £218,100 grant from the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]].<ref>{{NHLE|num=1079277|desc=Shirley Windmill|grade=II}}</ref> [[Addington Palace]] is an 18th-century mansion in [[Addington, London|Addington]] that was originally built as Addington Place in the 16th century. The palace became the official second residence of six archbishops, five of whom are buried in St Mary's Church and churchyard nearby.<ref name="croydon palace addington"/>
[[North End, Croydon|North End]] is the main pedestrianised shopping road in Croydon, having [[Centrale (shopping centre)|Centrale]] to one side and the [[Whitgift Centre]] to the other. The [[Warehouse Theatre]] is a popular theatre for mostly young performers and was due to get a face-lift on the [[Croydon Gateway]] site.
The [[Nestlé Tower]] was the UK headquarters of [[Nestlé]]<ref name="UK Nestlé Locations">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.nestle.co.uk/AboutNestle/NestleLocations/ |title=Location of Nestlé offices in the UK and EIRE |publisher=Nestlé |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221175607/http://www.nestle.co.uk/AboutNestle/NestleLocations/ |archive-date=21 February 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and is one of the tallest towers in England, which is due to be re-fitted during the Park Place development. The [[Fairfield Halls]] is a well-known concert hall and exhibition centre, opened in 1962. It is frequently used for [[BBC]] recordings and was formerly the home of [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s [[World of Sport (UK TV series)|World of Sport]].<ref name="fairfield"/> It includes the [[Ashcroft Theatre]] and the [[Arnhem|Arnhem Gallery]].
[[Croydon Palace]] was the summer residence of the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] for over 500 years and included regular visitors such as [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] and Queen [[Elizabeth I]]. It is thought to have been built around 960. [[Croydon Cemetery]] is a large cemetery and crematorium west of Croydon and is most famous for the gravestone of [[Derek Bentley]], who was wrongly hanged in 1953. [[Mitcham Common]] is an area of [[common land]] partly shared with the boroughs of [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]] and [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]]. Almost 500,000 years ago, Mitcham Common formed part of the river bed of the River Thames.<ref name="Mitcham Common friends">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.mitchamcommon.org/about.html |title=About Mitcham Common |publisher=Mitcham Common Conservators |access-date=6 June 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119013713/http://mitchamcommon.org/about.html |archive-date=19 November 2007 }}</ref>
The [[BRIT School]] is a performing Arts & Technology school, owned by the BRIT Trust (known for the [[BRIT Awards|BRIT Awards Music Ceremony]]). Famous former students include [[Kellie Shirley]], [[Amy Winehouse]], [[Leona Lewis]], [[Adele]], [[Kate Nash]], [[Dane Bowers]], [[Katie Melua]] and [[Lyndon David-Hall]].<ref name="BRIT">{{cite news|year=2008 |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2184707.ece/ |title=Croydon's little gem: The BRIT school |work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=6 June 2008 |___location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220065545/http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2184707.ece |archive-date=20 December 2007 }}</ref> [[Croydon Grants|Grants]] is an entertainment venue in the centre of Croydon which includes a [[Vue (cinema)|Vue cinema]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grantscentrecroydon.co.uk/ |title=Croydon Grants website |publisher=Grants Centre Croydon |access-date=4 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511200118/http://www.grantscentrecroydon.co.uk/ |archive-date=11 May 2008 }}</ref>
[[Surrey Street Market]] has roots in the 13th century, or earlier, and was chartered by the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] in 1276. The market is regularly used as a ___location for TV, film and advertising. [[Croydon Minster]], formerly the parish church, was established in the [[Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon]] period, and parts of the surviving building (notably the tower) date from the 14th and 15th centuries. However, the church was largely destroyed by fire in 1867, so the present structure is a rebuild of 1867–69 to the designs of [[George Gilbert Scott]]. It still contains several important monuments and fittings saved from the old church.<ref name="Croydon Parish Church">{{cite web|year=2011|url=http://www.croydonminster.org/about-us/history|title=History of Croydon Minster|publisher=Croydon Minster|access-date=30 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324185511/http://www.croydonminster.org/about-us/history|archive-date=24 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Demography==
[[File:Croydon population pyramid.svg|thumb|Population pyramid of the Borough of Croydon]]
===Population change===
The table shows population change since 1801, including the percentage change since the previous census. Although the London Borough of Croydon has existed only since 1965, earlier figures have been generated by combining data from the towns, villages, and [[civil parish]]es that would later be absorbed into the authority.
{{Historical populations
|type = UK
|title = Population
|footnote = Source: [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10192973&c_id=10001043&add=N ''A Vision of Britain through time'']
|1801 |6742
|1811 |8911
|1821 |10567
|1831 |14031
|1841 |18638
|1851 |21849
|1861 |42197
|1871 |62545
|1881 |82893
|1891 |108339
|1901 |141918
|1911 |185914
|1921 |221692
|1931 |264358
|1941 |281273
|1951 |299271
|1961 |316084
|1971 |333942
|1981 |316296
|1991 |319218
|2001 |330688
|2011 |363378
|2021|390719}}
===Ethnicity===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
! rowspan="3" |Ethnic Group
! colspan="12" |Year
|-
! colspan="2" |1971 estimations<ref>{{Cite web |title=Migration and London's growth |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/74375221.pdf#page=94 |publisher=LSE}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1981 estimations<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/ethnicityin1991c0000unse |title=Ethnicity in the 1991 census: Vol 3 – Social geography and ethnicity in Britain, geographical spread, spatial concentration and internal migration |date=1996 |publisher=London : HMSO |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-11-691655-6}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |1991 census<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/ethnicityin1991c0000unse |title=Ethnicity in the 1991 census: Vol 3 – Social geography and ethnicity in Britain, geographical spread, spatial concentration and internal migration |date=1996 |publisher=London : HMSO |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-11-691655-6}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2001 census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/submit.asp?forward=yes&menuopt=201&subcomp= |title=KS006 – Ethnic group |publisher=NOMIS |access-date=30 January 2016}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2011 census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/QS201EW/view/1946157259?cols=measures |title=Ethnic Group by measures |publisher=NOMIS |access-date=8 January 2016}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2021 census<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethnic group – Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS021/editions/2021/versions/1/filter-outputs/d2f0a39a-75b6-4995-b4bd-a5b68ff79027#get-data |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref>
|-
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
![[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]: Total
!–
!93.9%
!286,146
!89.3%
!262,342
!82.2%
!231,945
!70.2%
!200,195
!55.1%
!188,985
!48.4%
|-
|
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 210,573 || 63.7% || 171,740 || 47.3%
|146,268
|37.4%
|-
|
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 7,130 || 2.2% || 5,369 || 1.5%
|4,935
|1.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | White: [[White Gypsy or Irish Traveller|Gypsy or Irish Traveller]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| –|| –|| 234 || 0.1%
|212
|0.1%
|-
|White: Roma
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|1,120
|0.3%
|-
|
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 14,242 || 4.3% || 22,852 || 6.3%
|36,450
|9.3%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[Black British people|Black or Black British]]: Total
!–
!–
!15,352
!4.8%
!24,443
!7.7%!! 44,076 !! 13.3% !! 73,256 !! 20.2%
!88,441
!22.6%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean people|African]]
|–
|–
|2,933
|
|5,099
| || 14,627 || 4.4% || 28,981 || 8.0%
|40,219
|10.3%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean people|Caribbean]]
|–
|–
|10,030
|
|15,801
| || 26,065 || 7.9% || 31,320 || 8.6%
|36,108
|9.2%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Black or Black British: [[Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom|Other Black]]
|–
|–
|2,389
|
|3,543
| || 3,384 || 1.0% || 12,955 || 3.6%
|12,114
|3.1%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[British Asian|Asian or Asian British]]: Total
!–
!–
!14,874
!4.6%
!26,188
!8.2%!! 37,380 !! 11.3% !! 59,627 !! 16.4%
!68,487
!17.5%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Indians|Indian]]
|–
|–
|9,080
|
|15,191
| || 21,246 || 6.4% || 24,660 || 6.8%
|29,563
|7.6%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Pakistanis|Pakistani]]
|–
|–
|2,156
|
|3,518
| || 7,429 || 2.2% || 10,865 || 3.0%
|15,345
|3.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Bangladeshis|Bangladeshi]]
|–
|–
|394
|
|817
| || 1,765 || 0.5% || 2,570 || 0.7%
|3,549
|0.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: [[British Chinese|Chinese]]
|–
|–
|997
|
|1,748
| || 2,212 || 0.7% || 3,925 || 1.1%
|3,950
|1.0%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Asian or Asian British: Other Asian
|–
|–
|2,247
|
|4,914
| || 6,940 || 2.1% || 17,607 || 4.8%
|16,080
|4.1%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed or British Mixed]]: Total
!–
!–
!–
!–
!–
!–!! 12,296 !! 3.7% !! 23,895 !! 6.6%
!29,745
!7.6%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Black Caribbean
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 4,721 || 1.4% || 9,650 || 2.7%
|10,380
|2.7%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Black African
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 1,352 || 0.4% || 3,279 || 0.9%
|4,453
|1.1%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: White and Asian
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 3,480 || 1.1% || 5,140 || 1.4%
|5,740
|1.5%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Mixed: Other Mixed
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| 2,743 || 0.8% || 5,826 || 1.6%
|9,172
|2.3%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Other: Total
!–
!–
!3,935
!
!6,227
! !! 2,678 !! 0.8% !! 6,405 !! 1.8%
!15,066
!3.9%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Other: Arab
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| –|| –|| 1,701 || 0.5%
|2,259
|0.6%
|-
| style="text-align:left" | Other: Any other ethnic group
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–|| – || – || 4,704 || 1.3%
|12,807
|3.3%
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Ethnic minority: Total
!–
!6.1%
!34,161
!10.7%
!56,858
!17.8%!! 98,642 !! 29.8% !! 163,183 !! 44.9%
!201,739
!51.6%
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Total
!–
!100%
!320,307
!100%
!319,200
!100%!! 330,587 !! 100.00% !! 363,378 !! 100.00%
!390,724
!100%
|}
According to the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]], Croydon had a population of 363,378, making Croydon the most populated borough in [[Greater London]]. The estimated population in 2017 was around 384,800. 186,900 were males, with 197,900 females. The density was 4,448 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>. 248,200 residents of Croydon were between the age of 16 and 64.<ref name="Demographics">{{cite web|year=2018|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/php/uk-greaterlondon.php|access-date=12 August 2018|title=Greater London (United Kingdom): Boroughs – Population Statistics, Charts and Map}}</ref>
In 2011, white was the majority ethnicity with 55.1%. Black was the second-largest ethnicity with 20.2%; 16.4% were Asian and 8.3% stated to be something other.<ref name="Ethnic group">{{cite web|year=2018|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/KS201EW/view/1946157265?cols=measures|access-date=12 August 2018|title = Data Viewer – Nomis – Official Labour Market Statistics}}</ref>
The most common householder type was [[owner occupied]] with only a small percentage rented. Many new housing schemes and developments are currently taking place in Croydon, such as [[The Exchange (Croydon)|The Exchange]] and [[Bridge House (Croydon)|Bridge House]],<ref name="BridgeHouse">{{cite web|url=http://www.bridgehousecroydon.co.uk/|title=Bridge House Croydon|publisher=Moat|access-date=10 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531045250/http://www.bridgehousecroydon.co.uk/|archive-date=31 May 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[IYLO]], [[Wellesley Square]] (now known as Saffron Square) and [[Altitude 25]]. In 2006, The [[Metropolitan Police]] recorded a 10% fall in the number of crimes committed in Croydon, better than the rate at which crime in London as a whole is falling.<ref name="Croydon Crime">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.met.police.uk/croydon/index.htm|title=Metropolitan Police in Croydon Borough|publisher=Metropolitan Police|access-date=11 October 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071003103206/http://www.met.police.uk/croydon/index.htm|archive-date=3 October 2007}}</ref> Croydon has had the highest fall in the number of cases of violence against the person in south London, and is one of the top 10 safest local authorities in London. According to ''Your Croydon'' (a local community magazine) this is due to a stronger partnership struck between Croydon Council and the police.<ref name="Crime">{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://www.croydon.gov.uk/content/departments/570770/570872/599193/ycjune07.pdf |title=Beating the Borough's Bad Boys |publisher=Your Croydon |access-date=14 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808100559/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/content/departments/570770/570872/599193/ycjune07.pdf |archive-date=8 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2007, overall crime figures across the borough saw a decrease of 5%, with the number of incidents dropping from 32,506 in 2006 to 30,862 in 2007.<ref name="Crime2007">{{cite web|year=2008|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1972657.0.croydons_crime_figures_released.php|title=Croydon's crime figures released|publisher=Croydon Guardian|access-date=18 January 2008}}</ref> However, in the year ending April 2012, The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest rates for murder and rape throughout London in Croydon, accounting for almost 10% of all murders, and 7% of all rapes. Croydon has five police stations. Croydon police station is on Park Lane in the centre of the town near the [[Fairfield Halls]]; South Norwood police station is a newly refurbished building just off the High Street; Norbury police station is on London Road; Kenley station is on Godstone Road; and New Addington police station is on Addington Village road.
===Religion===
{| cellpadding="1" border="0" style="float:right; margin:0 1em 1em 0; border:1px #bbb solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#edd5a3;"
| colspan="3" | [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 Census]]<ref name="Demographics"/>
|- style="text-align:center;background-color:#ffebad;"
| ||Croydon||'''London'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|No Religion||101,119||'''2,380,404'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Buddhist||2,371||'''77,425'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Christian||190,880||'''3,577,681'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Hindu||23,145||'''453,034'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Muslim||40,717||'''1,318,754'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Sikh||1,654||'''144,543'''
|- style="text-align:center;"
|Other Religions||3,798||'''232,225'''
|}
The predominant religion of the borough is Christianity. According to the [[2021 United Kingdom census]], the borough has over 190,880 Christians, mainly Protestants. This is the largest religious following in the borough, followed by Islam with 40,717 Muslims resident.
101,119 Croydon residents stated that they are [[atheist]] or [[irreligious|non-religious]] in the 2021 Census.
[[Croydon Minster]] is the most notable of the borough's 35 churches.<ref name="Churches in LB Croydon">{{cite web|year=2003 |url=http://www.eden.co.uk/churches/croydon/index.html |title=Croydon Churches |publisher=Eden/National Church Database |access-date=16 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101125313/http://www.eden.co.uk/churches/croydon/index.html |archive-date=1 January 2008 }}</ref> This church was founded in Saxon times, since there is a record of "a priest of Croydon" in 960, although the first record of a church building is in the [[Domesday Book]] (1086). In its final medieval form, the church was mainly a Perpendicular-style structure, but this was severely damaged by fire in 1867, following which only the tower, south porch and outer walls remained. Under the direction of Sir George Gilbert Scott the church was rebuilt, incorporating the remains and essentially following the design of the medieval building, and was reconsecrated in 1870. It still contains several important monuments and fittings saved from the old church.<ref name="Croydon Parish Church"/>
The Area [[Bishop of Croydon]] is a position as a [[Bishop#Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican churches|suffragan]] Bishop in the [[Anglican Diocese of Southwark]]. The present bishop is the Right Reverend [[Rosemarie Mallett]].
==
{{Copy edit section|date=January 2025|for=rambling [[WP:PROMO]] for individual retailers and other employers; grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling}}
{{Update section|date=January 2025|reason='''Meandering, non-chronological tables and text giving decades-old sales and employment information'''}}
{{Further|Economy of Croydon}}
{{table alignment}}
{|class="wikitable floatright col2right col3right"
|+Labour profile<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/2038431879/report.aspx#tabjobs|title=Labour Market Profile: Croydon|access-date=2 August 2007|work=Nomis official labour market statistics|publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213034326/https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/2038431879/report.aspx#tabjobs|archive-date=13 December 2007}} Data is taken from the ONS annual business inquiry employee analysis and refers to 2005</ref><br>{{needs update|date=March 2025}}<br>{{Fix|text=Figures don't add}}
|-
! scope="col" | Metric
! scope="col" | 2007
! scope="col" | 2008
|-
|'''Total employee jobs'''||'''128,800'''||'''130,500'''
|-
||''Full-time''||''91,100''||''89,500''
|-
||''Part-time''||''37,000''||''41,000''
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
||'''Manufacturing'''||'''6,300'''||'''4,200'''
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
||'''Construction'''||'''6,300'''||'''6,400'''
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
|'''Services'''||'''117,000'''||'''119,700'''
|-
|style="left-padding: 20pt"|<small>Distribution, hotels & restaurants</small>||<small>30,500</small>||<small>29,200</small>
|-
|style="left-padding: 20pt"|<small>Transport & communications</small>||<small>6,900</small>||<small>7,200</small>
|-
|style="left-padding: 20pt"|<small>Finance, IT, other business activities</small>||<small>33,800</small>||<small>37,300</small>
|-
|style="left-padding: 20pt"|<small>Public admin, education & health</small>||<small>38,900</small>||<small>39,000</small>
|-
|style="left-padding: 20pt"|<small>Other services</small>||<small>6,900</small>||<small>7,000</small>
|-style="border-top:2px solid black;"
|style="left-padding: 20pt"|'''Tourism-related'''||'''9,100'''||'''8,500'''
|}
The main employment sectors of the Borough are retail and enterprise, which are mainly based in Central Croydon. Major employers are well-known companies, which have stores or offices in the town. The [[Purley Way]] shopping district is a major employer of people. [[IKEA]] Croydon, when it was built in 1992, brought many non-skilled jobs to Croydon. The store, which is a total size of 23,000 m<sup>2</sup>,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=7&catalogId=11001&langId=-20&StoreName=croydon |title=IKEA Group stores |publisher=IKEA Group corporate site |access-date=30 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621004651/http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=7&catalogId=11001&langId=-20&StoreName=croydon |archive-date=21 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> took over the former site of [[Croydon power stations|Croydon Power station]], which had led to the unemployment of many skilled workers. In May 2006, the expansion of IKEA made it the fifth biggest employer in Croydon.<ref name="IKEA Croydon re-vamp">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/search/display.var.742402.0.ikea_is_bigger_than_ever.php|title=IKEA is bigger than ever|publisher=Croydon Guardian|access-date=23 September 2007}}</ref>
Croydon town centre is also a major retail centre, and home to many [[high street]] and [[department store]]s as well as designer boutiques. The main town centre shopping areas are on the [[North End, Croydon|North End]] precinct, in the [[Whitgift Centre]], [[Centrale (shopping centre)|Centrale]] and [[St George's Walk]]. Croydon's main [[market (place)|market]] is [[Surrey Street Market]], which has a royal charter dating back to 1276. Shopping areas outside the town centre include the [[Valley Park Retail Area|Valley Park]] retail complex, [[Colonnades Leisure Park|Croydon Colonnades]], Croydon Fiveways, and the Waddon Goods Park.
In research from 2010 on retail footprint, Croydon ranked 29th in Britain in terms of retail expenditure at £770 million, sixth in the Greater London area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caci.co.uk/492.aspx |title=Retail Footprint 2010 reveals Britain's shopping successes and strugglers |access-date=12 February 2010 |publisher=[[CACI]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618210926/http://www.caci.co.uk/492.aspx |archive-date=18 June 2010 }}</ref> The 2010 results were a decline from the 2005 figures, when Croydon was 21st in Britain and second in London, with £909 million in expenditures.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caci.co.uk/msd.asp?url=lsp-retailfootprint.htm |title=Retail Footprint 2005 '''''(Link No Longer Available)''''' |access-date=5 October 2005 |publisher=[[CACI|CACI Ltd]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020003313/http://www.caci.co.uk/msd.asp?url=lsp-retailfootprint.htm |archive-date=20 October 2007 }}</ref>
In 2007, Croydon leapt up the annual business growth league table, with a 14% rise in new firms trading in the borough after 125 new companies started up, increasing the number from 900 to 1,025, enabling the town, which has also won the Enterprising Britain Award and "the most enterprising borough in London" award,<ref>{{cite news|year=2007|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/07/04/croydon_dragons_den_video_feature.shtml|title=Croydon is the most enterprising place in London|publisher=BBC News|access-date=19 January 2008}}</ref> to jump from 31 to 14 in the table.<ref>{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/businessnews/businessnews/display.var.1686457.0.croydon_is_firmly_on_startup_maps.php|title=Croydon is firmly on start-up maps|work=Croydon Guardian|access-date=19 January 2008}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|Croydon is home to a variety of international business communities, each with dynamic business networks, so businesses located in Croydon are in a good position to make the most of international trade and recruit from a labour force fluent in 130 languages.|Malcolm Brabon, Business Link London|''Croydon Guardian''}}
[[Tramlink]] created many jobs when it opened in 2000, not only for drivers but for engineers as well. Many of the people involved came from Croydon, which was the original hub of the system. Retail stores inside both [[Centrale (shopping centre)|Centrale]] and the [[Whitgift Centre]] as well as on [[North End, Croydon|North End]] employ people regularly and create many jobs, especially at Christmas. As well as the new building of [[Park Place (Croydon)|Park Place]], which will create yet more jobs, so will the regeneration of Croydon, called [[Croydon Vision 2020]], highlighted in the [[Croydon Expo]] which includes the [[Croydon Gateway]], [[Wellesley Square]], [[Central One]] plus much more.
Croydon is a major office area in South East England, being the largest outside central London. Many large companies based in Europe and worldwide have European or British headquarters in the town. [[American International Group]] (AIG) has offices in [[No. 1 Croydon]], formerly the NLA Tower, shared with Liberata, Pegasus and the [[Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy|Institute of Public Finance]].<ref name="NLA Tower AIG">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/businessnews/businessnews/1526486.looking_out_for_no1/|title=Looking out for No1|publisher=Croydon Guardian|access-date=19 January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807231806/http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/businessnews/businessnews/1526486.looking_out_for_no1/|archive-date=7 August 2011}}</ref> AIG is the sixth-largest company in the world according to the 2007 [[Forbes Global 2000]] list. The Swiss company [[Nestlé]] has its UK headquarters in the [[Nestlé Tower]], on the site of the formerly proposed [[Park Place (Croydon)|Park Place]] shopping centre. Real Digital International has developed a purpose-built {{convert|70000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} factory on Purley Way equipped with "the most sophisticated production equipment and technical solutions".<ref name="rdi">{{cite web|year=2008|url=http://www.real-digital.co.uk/modules/page/Page.aspx?pc=background&mid=16&pmid=3|title=Background to Real Digital International|publisher=Real Digital International|access-date=20 June 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512194455/http://www.real-digital.co.uk/modules/page/Page.aspx?pc=background&mid=16&pmid=3|archive-date=12 May 2008}}</ref> [[Telewest|ntl:Telewest]], now [[Virgin Media]], has offices at Communications House, from the Telewest side when it was known as Croydon Cable.<ref name="Croydon Cable">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.ntltelewestbusiness.co.uk/about_us/office_locations.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061106140932/http://www.ntltelewestbusiness.co.uk/about_us/office_locations.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 November 2006|title=ntl: Telewest Business office locations|publisher=Virgin Media Group|access-date=18 September 2007}}</ref>
The [[Home Office]] [[UK Visas and Immigration]] department has its headquarters in [[Lunar House]] in Central Croydon. In 1981, Superdrug opened a {{convert|11148|m2|ft2|abbr=on}} distribution centre and office complex at Beddington Lane. The head office of international engineering and management consultant [[Mott MacDonald]] is located in Mott MacDonald House on Sydenham Road, one of four offices they occupy in the town centre. [[BT Group|BT]] has large offices in Prospect East in Central Croydon.<ref name="mott">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.mottmac.com/contact/?countryId=326&x=51&y=13|title=Mott MacDonald office locations|publisher=Mott MacDonald Group|access-date=6 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714121523/http://www.mottmac.com/contact/?countryId=326&x=51&y=13|archive-date=14 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Royal Bank of Scotland]] also has large offices in Purley, south of Croydon. [[Direct Line]] also has an office opposite [[Taberner House]]. Other companies with offices in Croydon include [[Lloyds TSB]], [[Merrill Lynch]] and [[Balfour Beatty]]. [[Ann Summers]] used to have its headquarters in the borough but has moved to the Wapses Lodge Roundabout in [[Tandridge (district)|Tandridge]].
The Council declared bankruptcy via a [[section 114 notice]] in December 2020.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://insidecroydon.com/2021/03/05/croydon-in-crisis-council-handed-biggest-bail-out-ever/| title = Croydon in Crisis: Council handed biggest bail-out ever {{!}} Inside Croydon| date = 5 March 2021}}</ref>
==Transport==
===Rail===
[[File:East Croydon station April 2016.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|[[East Croydon railway station]]]]
[[East Croydon railway station|East Croydon]] and [[West Croydon railway station|West Croydon]] are the main stations in the borough.
[[South Croydon railway station]] is also a railway station in [[Croydon]], but it is less prominent.
East Croydon is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the third busiest in London, excluding [[List of stations in London fare zone 1|Travelcard Zone 1]]. It is served by [[Govia Thameslink Railway]], operating under the [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]] and Thameslink brands. Services travel via the [[Brighton Main Line]] north to [[London Victoria railway station|London Victoria]], [[London Bridge railway station|London Bridge]], [[St Pancras railway station|London St Pancras]], [[Luton Airport Parkway railway station|Luton Airport]], [[Bedford railway station|Bedford]], [[Cambridge railway station|Cambridge]] and [[Peterborough railway station|Peterborough]] and south to [[Gatwick Airport railway station|Gatwick Airport]], [[Ore railway station|Ore]], [[Brighton railway station|Brighton]], [[Littlehampton railway station|Littlehampton]], [[Bognor Regis railway station|Bognor Regis]], [[Southampton Central railway station|Southampton]] and [[Portsmouth Harbour railway station|Portsmouth]].<ref>[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/ECR.aspx East Croydon] National Rail</ref>
East Croydon was also served by long-distance [[Arriva CrossCountry]] services to [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham]] and the North of England until they were withdrawn in December 2008.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080822094855/http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/AboutCrossCountry/FAQs2.aspx#FAQ10 December 2008 and Beyond] CrossCountry</ref>
West Croydon is served by [[London Overground]] and Southern services north to [[Highbury & Islington railway station|Highbury & Islington]], London Bridge and London Victoria, and south to [[Sutton railway station, London|Sutton]] and [[Epsom Downs railway station|Epsom Downs]].<ref>[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/WCY.aspx West Croydon] National Rail</ref>
South Croydon is mainly served by [[Network Rail]] services operated by [[Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway)|Southern]] for suburban lines to and from London Bridge, London Victoria and the eastern part of [[Surrey]].
Croydon is one of only five London Boroughs not to have at least one [[London Underground]] station within its boundaries, with the closest tube station being [[Morden tube station|Morden]].<ref name="London Town">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.londontown.com/LondonStreets/the_croydon_flyover_44f.html|title = Local guide to The Croydon Flyover|publisher=LondonTown|access-date=3 May 2007}}</ref>
===Bus===
[[File:London buses of Arriva, London General and Metrobus in West Croydon Bus Station, London 27 June 2007.jpg|thumb|The now demolished [[West Croydon bus station]] in June 2007]]
A sizeable bus infrastructure which is part of the [[London Buses]] network operates from a hub at [[West Croydon bus station]].<ref>[https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/stop/490G000824/west-croydon-bus-station West Croydon Bus Station] Transport for London 12 October 2016</ref> The original bus station opened in May 1985, closing in October 2014. A new bus station opened in October 2016.<ref>[https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2016/october/deputy-mayor-for-transport-officially-opens-new-west-croydon-bus-station Deputy Mayor for Transport officially opens new West Croydon bus station] Transport for London</ref>
[[Addington Village Interchange]] is a regional bus terminal in [[Addington, London|Addington Village]] which has an interchange between Tramlink and bus services in the remote area. Services are operated under contract by [[Arriva London]], [[London Central]], [[Metrobus (South East England)|Metrobus]], [[Quality Line]], [[Selkent]] and [[Transport UK London Bus]].
===Tram===
[[File:Wellesley Road Tram Stop - geograph.org.uk - 1201669.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A tram at [[Wellesley Road tram stop]]]]
The [[Tramlink]] light rail system opened in 2000, serving the borough and surrounding areas. Its network consists of three lines, from [[Elmers End tram stop|Elmers End]] to West Croydon, from [[Beckenham Junction tram stop|Beckenham]] to West Croydon, and from [[New Addington tram stop|New Addington]] to [[Wimbledon tram stop|Wimbledon]], with all three lines running via the Croydon loop on which it is centred.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/7741.aspx |title=TfL announces plans to take over Tramlink services |date=17 March 2008 |access-date=24 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412011803/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/7741.aspx |archive-date=12 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is also the only tram system in London, but there is another light rail system, the [[Docklands Light Railway]]. It serves [[Mitcham]], [[Woodside, London|Woodside]], [[Addiscombe]] and the [[Purley Way]] retail and industrial area amongst others.
===Road===
Croydon is linked into the national motorway network via the [[M23 motorway|M23]] and [[M25 motorway|M25]] orbital motorway. The M25 skirts the south of the borough, linking Croydon with other parts of London and the surrounding counties; the M23 branches from the M25 close to Coulsdon, linking the town with the south coast, [[Crawley]], [[Reigate]], and [[Gatwick Airport]]. The [[A23 road|A23]] connects the borough with the motorways. The A23 is the major trunk road through Croydon, linking it with central London, East Sussex, Horsham, and Littlehaven. The old London to Brighton road passes through the west of the borough on [[Purley Way]], bypassing the commercial centre of Croydon which it once did.
The [[A22 road|A22]] and [[A23 road|A23]] are the major trunk roads through Croydon. These both run north–south, connecting to each other in [[Purley, London|Purley]]. The A22 connects Croydon, its starting point, to [[East Grinstead]], [[Tunbridge Wells]], [[Uckfield]], and [[Eastbourne]]. Other major roads generally radiate spoke-like from the town centre. The A23 road cuts right through Croydon, and it starts from [[London]] and links to [[Brighton]] and [[Gatwick Airport]]. [[Wellesley Road]] is an urban [[dual carriageway]] which cuts through the middle of the central business district. It was constructed in the 1960s as part of a planned ring road for Croydon{{cn|date=September 2024}} and includes an [[Croydon Underpass|underpass]], which allows traffic to avoid going into the town centre.
===Air===
The closest international airport to Croydon is [[Gatwick Airport]], which is located {{convert|19|mi|km}} from the town centre. Gatwick Airport opened in August 1930 as an aerodrome and is a major international operational base for [[British Airways]], [[EasyJet]] and [[Virgin Atlantic]]. It currently handles around 35 million passengers a year, making it London's second largest airport, and the second busiest airport in the United Kingdom after [[Heathrow Airport|Heathrow]]. Heathrow, [[London City Airport|London City]] and [[Luton Airport|Luton]] airports all lie within a two-hour drive of Croydon. Gatwick and Luton Airports are connected to Croydon by [[Govia Thameslink Railway|frequent direct trains]], while Heathrow is accessible by the [[London Buses route SL7|route SL7]] bus.
===Cycling===
Although hilly, Croydon is compact and has few major trunk roads running through it. It is on one of the [[Connect2]] schemes which are part of the [[National Cycle Network]] route running around Croydon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/schemes/project_detail.php?id=147|title=London – Croydon Park Links|year=2008|access-date=24 May 2008}}</ref> The [[North Downs]], an area of outstanding natural beauty popular with both on- and off-road cyclists, is so close to Croydon that part of the park lies within the borough boundary, and there are routes into the park almost from the civic centre.
===Travel to work===
Below is a table listing transport methods as used by residents aged 16 to 74 according to a 2011 survey.{{Needs update|date=March 2025}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Mode of Transport
!Share of Residents (%)<ref>{{cite web |title=2011 Census: QS701EW Method of travel to work, local authorities in England and Wales |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-wards-and-output-areas-in-england-and-wales/rft-qs701ew.xls |access-date=23 November 2013 |publisher=Office for National Statistics}} Percentages are of all residents aged 16–74 including those not in employment. Respondents could only pick one mode, specified as the journey's longest part by distance.</ref>
|-
|[[London Rail#National Rail in Greater London|National Rail]]
|59.5
|-
|Personal Vehicle (as driver)
|20.2
|-
|[[Buses in London|Bus/Minibus/Coach]]
|7.5
|-
|Walking
|5.1
|-
|[[Transport for London|Metro Rail]]
|4.3
|-
|Personal Vehicle (as passenger)
|1.5
|-
|'''Work from home'''
|2.9
|}
==Public services==
[[File:Cane Hill Asylum.jpg|thumb|[[Cane Hill]]]]
[[Home Office]] policing in Croydon is provided by the [[Metropolitan Police]]. The force's Croydon arm has its head offices for policing on [[Park Lane (road)|Park Lane]] next to the [[Fairfield Halls]] and [[Croydon College]] in central Croydon. Public transport is co-ordinated by [[Transport for London]]. [[Fire service in the United Kingdom|Statutory emergency fire and rescue service]] is provided by the [[London Fire Brigade]], which has five stations in Croydon.<ref name="London Fire Brigade"/>
===Health services===
NHS South West London Clinical Commissioning Group (a merger of the previous NHS Croydon CCG and others in South West London) is the body responsible for [[public health]] and for planning and funding health services in the borough. Croydon has 227 GPs in 64 practices, 156 dentists in 51 practices, 166 pharmacists and 70 optometrists in 28 practices.<ref>Primary care services in Croydon http://www.croydon.nhs.uk/aboutus/whoweare/Pages/default.aspx {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329060951/http://www.croydon.nhs.uk/aboutus/whoweare/Pages/default.aspx |date=29 March 2010 }}</ref>
[[Croydon University Hospital]], formerly known as Mayday Hospital, built on a {{convert|19|acre|ha|adj=on}} site in Thornton Heath at the west of Croydon's boundaries with [[London Borough of Merton|Merton]], is a large [[National Health Service (England)|NHS]] hospital administered by [[Croydon Health Services NHS Trust]].<ref name="NHS Trust">{{cite web|year=2006 |url=http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/downloads/primary_care_10_02.pdf |title=Strategic Health Authorities |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=17 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627171309/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/downloads/primary_care_10_02.pdf |archive-date=27 June 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Former names of the hospital include the Croydon Union Infirmary from 1885 to 1923 and the Mayday Road Hospital from 1923 to around 1930.<ref name="Mayday Hospital">{{cite web|year=2001|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=168&page=37|title=The National Archives:Mayday Hospital, Croydon|publisher=The National Archives|access-date=29 September 2007}}</ref> It is a District General Hospital with a 24-hour [[Emergency department|accident and emergency]] department. [[NHS Direct]] has a regional centre based at the hospital. The [[NHS Trust]] also provides services at Purley War Memorial Hospital, in [[Purley, London|Purley]]. Croydon General Hospital was on London Road but services transferred to Mayday, as the size of this hospital was insufficient to cope with the growing population of the borough. Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre and the Emergency Minor Treatment Centre are other smaller hospitals operated by the Mayday in the borough. [[Cane Hill]] was a [[psychiatric hospital]] in Coulsdon.
===Waste management===
[[Waste management]] is co-ordinated by the local authority.<ref name="Waste management">{{cite web|year=2006 |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/waste/docs/wastestrat_all.pdf |title=Rethinking rubbish in London |publisher=[[Greater London Authority]] |access-date=11 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930210414/http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/waste/docs/wastestrat_all.pdf |archive-date=30 September 2007 }}</ref> Unlike other [[waste disposal authorities in Greater London]], Croydon's rubbish is collected independently and is not part of a shared waste authority unit. Locally produced [[inert waste]] for disposal is sent to [[landfill]] in the south of Croydon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/councilnews/2886|title=South London Borough's unite to tackle waste challenge|author=London Borough of Croydon|publisher=croydon.gov.uk|date=16 April 2007|access-date=11 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213022209/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/councilnews/2886|archive-date=13 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> There have recently been calls by the ODPM to bring waste management powers to the [[Greater London Authority]], giving it a waste function.<ref name="Waste management"/> The Mayor of London has made repeated attempts to bring the different waste authorities together, to form a single waste authority in London. This has faced significant opposition from existing authorities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letsrecycle.com/info/localauth/news.jsp?story=6382 |title=London Mayor re-ignites bid for single waste authority |publisher=[[Letsrecycle.com|www.letsrecycle.com]] |year=2003 |access-date=11 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225542/http://www.letsrecycle.com/info/localauth/news.jsp?story=6382 |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref> However, it has had significant support from all other sectors and the surrounding regions managing most of London's waste. Croydon has the joint best recycling rate in London, at 36%, but the refuse collectors have been criticised for their rushed performance lacking quality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://opnlttr.com/letter/open-letter-croydon-council|title=Open Letter To Croydon Council|publisher=OpnLttr.com|year=2012}}</ref> Croydon's [[distribution network operator]] for electricity is [[EDF Energy|EDF Energy Networks]]; there are no [[power station]]s in the borough. [[Thames Water]] manages Croydon's [[drinking water|drinking]] and [[waste water]]; water supplies are sourced from several local reservoirs, including [[Beckton]] and [[King George VI Reservoir|King George VI]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-C56947C1-538A347A/corp/hs.xsl/2802.htm|title=Sustainable supplies for the future|publisher=Thames Water|author=Beckton Desalination Plant|year=2007|access-date=11 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211102917/http://www.thameswater.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/SID-C56947C1-538A347A/corp/hs.xsl/2802.htm|archive-date=11 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Before 1971, Croydon Corporation was responsible for water treatment in the borough.
===London Fire Brigade===
The borough of Croydon is 86.52 km<sup>2</sup>, populating approximately 340,000 people. There are five fire stations within the borough; Addington (two pumping appliances), Croydon (two pumping appliances, incident response unit, fire rescue unit and a USAR appliance), Norbury (two pumping appliances), Purley (one pumping appliance) and Woodside (one pumping appliance). Purley has the largest station ground, but dealt with the fewest incidents during 2006/07.<ref name="London Fire Brigade">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/about_us/media/Croydon.pdf|title=London Fire Brigade: Croydon Profile|publisher=London Fire Brigade|access-date=20 May 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530154953/http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/about_us/media/Croydon.pdf|archive-date=30 May 2008}}</ref>
The fire stations, as part of the Community Fire Safety scheme, visited 49 schools in 2006/2007.<ref name = "London Fire Brigade"/>
===Education===
{{Main|List of schools in Croydon}}
[[File:Croydon College.JPG|thumb|right|Croydon College's main buildings in Central Croydon]]
The borough, compared with other London boroughs, has the highest number of schools in it, with 26% of its population under 20 years old.<ref name="London Fire Brigade" /> They include primary schools (95), secondary schools (21) and four further education establishments.<ref name="Croydon Education home page">{{cite web|url=http://www.croydon.gov.uk/education/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000915113359/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/education/|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 September 2000|title=Croydon Education|publisher=Croydon Council|access-date=7 August 2007}}</ref> [[Croydon College]] has its main building in Central Croydon, and it is a high-rise building.<ref name="Croydon College information zone">{{cite web|url=http://www.croydon.ac.uk/03a.html |title=Croydon College |publisher=Croydon Council |access-date=7 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713181156/http://www.croydon.ac.uk/03a.html |archive-date=13 July 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[John Ruskin College]]<ref name="John Ruskin College floor plan">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.johnruskin.ac.uk/pages/au_icp.asp|title=Floor plan of John Ruskin College|publisher=John Ruskin College|access-date=7 August 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021025840/http://www.johnruskin.ac.uk/pages/au_icp.asp|archive-date=21 October 2007}}</ref> is one of the other colleges in the borough, located in Addington, and Coulsdon College<ref name="Coulsdon College home page">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.coulsdon.ac.uk/|title=Home page of Coulsdon College|publisher=Coulsdon College|access-date=7 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007174010/http://www.coulsdon.ac.uk/|archive-date=7 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> in Coulsdon. South Norwood has been the home of [[Spurgeon's College]], a world-famous Baptist theological college, since 1923; Spurgeon's is located on South Norwood Hill and currently has around 1,000 students. The London Borough of Croydon is the [[local education authority]] for the borough.<ref name="List of schools in London Borough of Croydon">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://eduinfo.croydon.gov.uk/CMS/GUI/Bases/index.php?schoolType=all|title=School Search Results|publisher=Croydon Council|access-date=7 August 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907013633/http://eduinfo.croydon.gov.uk/CMS/GUI/Bases/index.php?schoolType=all|archive-date=7 September 2007}}</ref>
Overall, Croydon was ranked 77th out of all the local education authorities in the UK, up from 92nd in 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11988009|title=Primary league tables: Regional picture|publisher=BBC News|date=14 December 2010|access-date=14 January 2011}}</ref> In 2007, the Croydon LEA was ranked 81st out of 149 in the country – and 21st in Greater London – based on the percentage of pupils attaining at least 5 A* – C grades at GCSE including maths and English (37.8% compared with the national average of 46.7%).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7180228.stm|title=How different LEAs performed|publisher=BBC News|date=10 January 2008|access-date=24 May 2008}}</ref> The most successful public sector schools in 2010 were Harris City Academy Crystal Palace and Coloma Convent Girls' School.<ref name="Department for Schools">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/group_07.pl?Mode=Z&Type=LA&No=306&Base=b&F=1&L=50&Year=07&Phase=1|title=Secondary School achievement and attainment tables 2007|publisher=Department for Children, Schools and Families|access-date=24 May 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090102113554/http%3A//www.dcsf.gov.uk/cgi%2Dbin/performancetables/group_07.pl?Mode%3DZ%26Type%3DLA%26No%3D306%26Base%3Db%26F%3D1%26L%3D50%26Year%3D07%26Phase%3D1|archive-date=2 January 2009}}</ref> The percentage of pupils achieving 5 A* – C GCSEs including maths and English was above the national average in 2010.<ref name="Croydon 2010 league tables">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/table/2011/jan/11/croydon-gcse-alevel-tables|title=Croydon: GCSE and A-level results for 2009–2010|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=14 January 2011|___location=London|date=12 January 2011}}</ref>
===Libraries===
The borough of Croydon has 14 libraries, a joint library and a mobile library.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/find-your-library|title=Find your library|work=London Borough of Croydon|access-date=2018-02-01}}</ref> Many of the libraries were built a long time ago and therefore have become outdated, so the council started updating a few, including [[Ashburton Library]], which moved from its former spot into the state-of-the-art [[Ashburton Learning Village]] complex (on the former site of the old 'A Block' of [[Oasis Academy Shirley Park|Ashburton Community School]]). The library is now on one floor. This format was planned to be rolled out across all of the council's libraries but was deemed too costly to implement everywhere.
[[South Norwood Library]], [[New Addington Library]], Shirley Library, Selsdon Library, Sanderstead Library, Broad Green, Purley Library, Coulsdon Library and Bradmore Green Library are examples of older council libraries. The main library is [[Croydon Central Library]], which holds many references, newspaper archives and a tourist information point (one of three in southeast London). [[Upper Norwood Library]] is a joint library with the [[London Borough of Lambeth]]. This means that both councils fund the library and its resources, but even though Lambeth has nearly doubled its funding for the library in the past several years, Croydon has kept its contribution the same,<ref name="Tessa Jowell Labour campaign article">{{cite web|year=2006 |url=http://www.tessajowell.net/?PageId=4bd1346c-8ec2-36f4-ed45-ba76a9cef35eschoolType=all |title=Tessa Jowell joins campaign for joint funding of Upper Norwood Library |publisher=Labour Party |access-date=24 July 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724093117/http://www.tessajowell.net/?PageId=4bd1346c-8ec2-36f4-ed45-ba76a9cef35eschoolType%3Dall |archive-date=24 July 2011 }}</ref> leading to concerns about the library's future.
==Sport and leisure==
{{Further|Croydon parks and open spaces}}
The borough has been criticised in the past for not having enough leisure facilities, which contributed to Croydon being rated a three-star borough.<ref name="Croydon's three star borough rating">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydonconservatives.com/news_search_results_printer.asp?StoryNo=942|title=Three Star Croydon 'Improving Well'|work=Croydon Conservatives|access-date=10 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107151337/http://www.croydonconservatives.com/news_search_results_printer.asp?StoryNo=942|archive-date=7 November 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Thornton Heath's ageing sports centre was demolished and replaced by a newer, more modern leisure centre. [[South Norwood Leisure Centre]] was closed down in 2006 so that it could be demolished and re-designed from scratch like Thornton Heath, at an estimated cost of around £10 million.<ref name="South Norwood Pools close for demolition">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.londonpoolscampaign.com/discuss/msgReader$806|title=South Norwood Pools close|publisher=London Pools Campaign|access-date=2 May 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216022116/http://www.londonpoolscampaign.com/discuss/msgReader%24806|archive-date=16 February 2006}}</ref>
South Norwood Forum had called for the new centre to be built on the site of the old one, but the Conservative council decided a refurbishment would be more economical than a full rebuild, causing some controversy.<ref name="South Norwood Forum">{{cite web|year=2006 |url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/interactive/messageforum/view.php?threadid=829.com |title=Message Forum on South Norwood Pools |publisher=Croydon Guardian |access-date=2 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927050051/http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/interactive/messageforum/view.php?threadid=829.com |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref><ref name="Leisure Centre petition">{{cite web|year=2006 |url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/interactive/messageforum/view.php?threadid=829.com |title=Pool plans are approved despite 3,000 signature petition |publisher=Croydon Guardian |access-date=2 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927050051/http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/interactive/messageforum/view.php?threadid=829.com |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref>
Sport Croydon,<ref name="Sport Croydon">{{cite web|year=2007 |url=http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/sports/ |title=Sport Croydon – Home Page |publisher=Croydon Council |access-date=2 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070406154715/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/sports/ |archive-date=6 April 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> is the commercial arm for leisure in the borough. Fusion currently provides leisure services for the council, a contract previously held by Parkwood Leisure.<ref name="Parkwood Leisure">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/1703989.Charity_to_run_Croydon_s_leisure_services/|title=Parkwood Leisure – Home Page|publisher=[[Croydon Guardian]]|access-date=6 February 2011}}</ref>
Football teams include [[Crystal Palace F.C.]], which play at [[Selhurst Park]], and in the [[Premier League]]. [[AFC Croydon Athletic]], whose nickname is The Rams, is a football club who play at [[Croydon Sports Arena]] along with [[Croydon F.C.]], both in the [[Combined Counties Football League|Combined Counties League]] and [[Holmesdale F.C.|Holmesdale]], who were founded in [[South Norwood]] but currently play on Oakley Road in [[Bromley]], and compete in the [[Southern Counties East Football League]].
Non-football teams that play in Croydon are [[Streatham-Croydon RFC]], a [[rugby union]] club in [[Thornton Heath]] who play at Frant Road, as well as [[South London Storm Rugby League Club]], based at [[Streatham-Croydon RFC|Streatham's]] ground, which compete in the [[Rugby League Conference]]. The [[London Olympians]] are an [[American Football]] team that play in Division 1 South in the [[British American Football League]]. The [[Croydon Pirates]] are one of the most successful teams in the [[British Baseball Federation]], though their ground is actually located just outside the borough in [[London Borough of Sutton|Sutton]].
There are a number of [[field hockey]] clubs based in and around Croydon that are part of the [[Southern_Counties_Hockey_Association|South East Hockey]] and the [[London_Hockey_League|London Hockey]] league structures.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/competitions/2023-2024-4362305-adult-south-east-mens-group-4364001-south-east-mens-division-1-oaks/|title=South East Men's Division 1 Oaks - South East Hockey |access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://southeast.englandhockey.co.uk/competitions/2023-2024-4364709-adult-south-east-womens-group-4365802-south-east-womens-division-1-oaks/|title=South East Women's Division 1 Oaks – South East Hockey |access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://london.englandhockey.co.uk/competitions/|title=London Hockey - Competitions|access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref> Current hockey clubs in and around the area are Addiscombe, Croydon Trinity Whitgiftian, Kenley, Purley, Purley Walcountians and Sanderstead.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.addiscombehockey.co.uk/|title=Addiscombe Hockey Club|access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cowhc.co.uk/|title=Croydon Trinity Whitgiftian Hockey Club|access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://kenleyhockeyclub.clubbuzz.co.uk/|title=Kenley Hockey Club|access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://purleysportsclub.co.uk/activities/hockey/|title=Purley Hockey Club: Welcome|access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pwhc.co.uk/|title=Purley Walcountians Hockey Club|access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sandersteadhockey.com/|title=Sanderstead Hockey Club|access-date=2024-09-19 }}</ref>
Croydon Amphibians SC plays in the Division 2 British Water Polo League. The team won the National League Division 2 in 2008.<ref name="waterpolo">url=http://www.bwpl.org/</ref>
Croydon has over 120 parks and open spaces,<ref name="Parks and open spaces in Croydon Council">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/parksandopenspaces/pksandops/pos|title=Parks and open spaces in Croydon|publisher=Croydon Council|access-date=25 September 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118142941/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/parksandopenspaces/pksandops/pos|archive-date=18 November 2007}}</ref> ranging from the {{convert|200|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[Selsdon Wood|Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve]] to many recreation grounds and sports fields scattered throughout the Borough. This provides many places for [[Walking in the United Kingdom|rambling]]. The [[Wandle Trail]] links central London to Croydon and then The [[Vanguard Way]] links East Croydon to the South Coast, intersecting The [[London Outer Orbital Path|London Loop]], the [[North Downs Way]] and the [[Pilgrims' Way]].
==Culture==
[[File:Fairfield 07-12-19.JPG|Fairfield Halls in Central Croydon is the main entertainment venue in the borough|thumb|right]]
Croydon has cut funding to the [[Warehouse Theatre]].<ref name="Warehouse Theatre">{{cite web|year=2006|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/search/display.var.956329.0.the_warehouse_fights_council_cut.php|title=The Warehouse Theatre fights council cut plans|publisher=Croydon Guardian|access-date=28 September 2007}}</ref>
In 2005, Croydon Council drew up a ''Public Art Strategy'', with a vision intended to be accessible and to enhance people's enjoyment of their surroundings.<ref name="Public Art">{{cite web|year=2005 |url=http://www.croydon.gov.uk/content/departments/570801/570935/artstrategy05-08.pdf |title=A Public Art Strategy for Croydon 2005–2008 |publisher=Croydon Council |access-date=28 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026182534/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/content/departments/570801/570935/artstrategy05-08.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The public art strategy delivered a new event called ''Croydon's Summer Festival'' hosted in [[Croydon parks and open spaces|Lloyd Park]].<ref name="CF">{{cite web|year=2005 |url=http://www.croydonfestival.com/transport.html |title=Where is Croydon's Summer Festival? |publisher=Croydon Festival |access-date=17 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080715214204/http://www.croydonfestival.com/transport.html |archive-date=15 July 2008 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The festival consists of two days of events.<ref name="CSF">{{cite web|year=2005|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/22/croydon_festival_feature.shtml|title=Croydon Summer Festival|publisher=[[BBC London]]|access-date=17 July 2008|archive-date=3 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203123644/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2005/06/22/croydon_festival_feature.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first is called ''Croydon's World Party'' which is a free one-day event with three stages featuring world, jazz and dance music from the UK and internationally. The final day's event is the ''Croydon Mela'', a day of music with a mix of traditional Asian culture and east-meets-western club beats across four stages, as well as dozens of food stalls and a funfair. It has attracted crowds of over 50,000 people.<ref name="crowds">{{cite web|year=2008|url=http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/croydon/2008/|title=Croydon Summer Festival 2008|publisher=eFestivals.co.uk|access-date=17 July 2008|archive-date=5 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705121252/http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/croydon/2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> The strategy also created a creative industries hub in [[Old Town, Croydon|Old Town]], ensured that public art is included in developments such as [[Croydon College|College Green]] and [[Ruskin Square]] and investigated the possibility of gallery space in the Cultural Quarter.
[[Fairfield Halls]], Arnhem Gallery and the [[Ashcroft Theatre]] show productions that are held throughout the year such as drama, ballet, opera and pantomimes, and can be converted to show films. It also contains the Arnhem Gallery civic hall and an [[art gallery]]. Other cultural activities, including shopping and exhibitions, are [[Surrey Street Market]] which is mainly a meat and vegetables market near the main shopping environment of Croydon. The market has a Royal Charter dating back to 1276. [[Croydon Airport|Airport House]] is a newly refurbished conference and exhibition centre inside part of [[Croydon Airport]]. The [[Whitgift Centre]] is the current main shopping centre in the borough. [[Centrale (shopping centre)|Centrale]] is a new shopping centre that houses many more familiar names, as well as Croydon's [[House of Fraser]].
==Media==
There are three local newspapers which operate within the borough. The [[Croydon Advertiser]] began life in 1869,<ref>[http://www.ashrare.com/newspaper_history.html Newspaper History] at Ash Rare Books, accessed 14 August 2006</ref> and was in 2005 the third-best selling paid-for weekly newspaper in London.<ref>[http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=1556 Newspaper Society London circulation tables, July–December 2005] accessed 9 August 2006 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526044657/http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=1556 |date=26 May 2006 }}</ref> The Advertiser is Croydon's major paid-for weekly paper and is on sale every Friday in five geographical editions: Croydon; Sutton & [[Epsom]]; Coulsdon & Purley; New Addington; and [[Caterham]].<ref name="Trinity">[http://www.trinitymirrorsouthern.com/titledetails.cfm?parentid=4&groupid=26&titleid=70 Trinity Mirror Southern series description]{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} accessed 9 August 2006</ref> The paper converted from a broadsheet to a compact (tabloid) format on 31 March 2006. It was bought by [[Northcliffe Media]] which is part of the [[Daily Mail and General Trust]] group on 6 July 2007. The [[Croydon Post]] is a free newspaper available across the borough and is operated by the Advertiser group. The circulation of the newspaper was in 2008 more than the main title published by the Advertiser Group.<ref name="Croydon Post">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.abc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=nav/abc&noc=y |title=Circulation of Croydon Borough Post |publisher=ABC |access-date=26 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430043820/http://www.abc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=nav%2Fabc&noc=y |archive-date=30 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The [[Croydon Guardian]] is another local weekly paper, which is paid for at newsagents but free at Croydon Council libraries and via deliveries.<ref name="Croydon Guardian">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/|title=Croydon Guardian local newspaper pages|publisher=Croydon Guardian|access-date=19 September 2007}}</ref> It is one of the best-circulated local newspapers in London and once had the highest circulation in Croydon with around one thousand more copies distributed than The Post.<ref name="Croydon Guardian circulation">{{cite web|year=2008 |url=http://www.abc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=nav/abc&noc=y |title=Circulation of the Croydon Guardian |publisher=ABC |access-date=26 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430043820/http://www.abc.org.uk/cgi-bin/gen5?runprog=nav%2Fabc&noc=y |archive-date=30 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The borough is served by the London regional versions of [[BBC London|BBC]] and [[Carlton Television|ITV]] coverage, from either the [[Crystal Palace transmitting station|Crystal Palace]] or [[Croydon transmitting station|Croydon transmitters]].<ref name="Crystal Palace aerial transmission gallery">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/crystalpalace/index.php|title=The Transmission Gallery, Crystal Palace|publisher=mb21|access-date=19 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113220314/http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/crystalpalace/index.php|archive-date=13 November 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Crystal Palace aerial information">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0016652|title=Structure information of Crystal Palace Transmitter|publisher=Structurae|access-date=19 September 2007}}</ref>
Croydon Television is owned by Croydon broadcasting corporation. Broadcasting from studios in Croydon, the CBC is fully independent. It does not receive any government or local council grants or funding and is supported by donations, sponsorship and by commercial advertising.
[[Capital London|Capital Radio]] and [[Gold (British radio network)|Gold]] serve the borough. Local BBC radio is provided by [[BBC London 94.9]]. Other stations include [[Kiss (UK radio station)|Kiss 100]], [[Absolute Radio]] and [[Magic 105.4 FM]] from [[Bauer Radio]] and [[Capital Xtra]], [[Heart London|Heart 106.2]] and [[Smooth Radio (2014)|Smooth Radio]] from [[Global Group|Global Radio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radiomap.eu/uk/london|title=Radio stations in London|website=radiomap.eu|access-date=27 March 2018}}</ref> In 2012, Croydon Radio, an online and FM radio station, and the first official FM radio station for the London Borough of Croydon, began serving the area.<ref name="croydonfm.com">[http://www.croydonradio.com/ internet radio for the London Borough of Croydon]. Croydon Radio. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.</ref> The borough is also home to its own local TV station, ''Croydon TV''.<ref name="CroydonTV">{{cite web|year=2011|url=http://www.croydontv.co.uk/|title=Croydon TV|publisher=Croydon TV|access-date=6 February 2011|archive-date=18 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518041845/http://www.croydontv.co.uk/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Twinning==
The London Borough of Croydon is twinned with the municipality of [[Arnhem]] which is located in the east of the Netherlands.<ref name="Arnhem Link">{{cite web|year=2005|url=http://www.croydononline.org/history/places/arnhem.asp|title=Croydon and Arnhem Link|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> The city of Arnhem is one of the [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|20 largest cities in the Netherlands]]. They have been twinned since 1946 after both towns had suffered extensive bomb damage during the recently ended war. There is also a [[Guyana|Guyanese]] link supported by the council.<ref name="Guyana">{{cite web|url=http://www.croydononline.org/community_information/list-fse.asp?wtT=2034|title=The community link with Guyana, South America|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=28 September 2007}}</ref>
==Investment in the tobacco industry==
In September 2009 it was revealed that Croydon Council had around £5.66 million of its pension fund for employees invested in shares in [[British American Tobacco]]. Members of the opposition Labour group on the council, who had banned such shareholdings when in control, described this as "dealing in death" and inconsistent with the council's tobacco control strategy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news/4645311.Croydon_Council_accused_of__trading_in_death__after_shares_in_tobacco_firm_revealed/|title=Croydon Council accused of 'trading in death' after shares in tobacco firm revealed|date=29 September 2009|work=Croydon Guardian|access-date=4 September 2011}}</ref>
In 2014, it was reported that the Croydown Council had divested its pension funds from tobacco-related holdings, in addition to nuclear power and weapons.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-18 |title=Croydon Pension Fund divests tobacco stocks |url=https://www.pionline.com/article/20140718/ONLINE/140719867/croydon-pension-fund-divests-tobacco-stocks |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Pensions & Investments |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dalton |first=Rachel |date=2014-07-17 |title=Croydon pension fund drops tobacco, nuclear power & arms shares |url=https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/croydon-pension-fund-drops-tobacco-nuclear-power-arms-shares-17-07-2014/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Local Government Chronicle (LGC) |language=en}}</ref>
==Freedom of the Borough==
The following people and military units have received the [[Freedom of the City|Freedom of the Borough]] of Croydon.
{{Incomplete list|date=September 2023}}
===Individuals===
* [[Stormzy|Michael Owuo Jr.]]: 19 May 2023.
* Merah Louise Smith: 19 May 2023.
<ref>{{cite web |title=Stormzy awarded Freedom of the Borough by Croydon together with 110-year-old community champion |url=https://news.croydon.gov.uk/stormzy-awarded-freedom-of-the-borough-by-croydon-together-with-110-year-old-community-champion/ |website=Croydon Borough Council |date=19 May 2023 |access-date=11 September 2023}}</ref>
===Military units===
* [[Kensington Regiment (Princess Louise's)|41 (Princess Louise's Kensington) Signal Squadron]] [[Royal Corps of Signals]] ([[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Volunteers]]): 1993.
* [[151 Regiment RLC|151 Regiment]] [[Royal Logistic Corps|RLC]] ([[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Volunteers]]): 1993.
* 2 Company [[10th Parachute Battalion (United Kingdom)|10th Battalion]] The [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] ([[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Volunteers]]): 1993.
* "C" Squadron [[Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry]] The [[Royal Yeomanry]]: 1993.
* 2nd Battalion [[The Rifles]]: 2010.
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/themayor/historic/mayorfreemenfreedoms/freemenfreedoms|title=Freemen and Freedoms granted by the Borough|date=8 April 2014|website=London Borough of Croydon}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|London}}
* [[List of people from Croydon]]
* [[Postcodes in the United Kingdom#Development|UK postcodes]] – a note of why and how postcodes CR0 and CR9 differ from the others
==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Arms of Croydon Online">{{cite web|year=2006|url=https://croydonhistory.wordpress.com/origins/coat-of-arms/ |title=The Arms of the London Borough of Croydon|publisher=Croydon Online|access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref>
<ref name="croydon expo 07">{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.croydonexpo.com/|title=Home of the Croydon Exp07|publisher=[[Croydon Expo]]|access-date=5 April 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404154856/http://www.croydonexpo.com/|archive-date=4 April 2008}}</ref>
<ref name="fairtrade">{{cite web|year=2003 |url=http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/campaigns/fairtrade_towns/towns_list.aspx |title=Fairtrade Towns list |publisher=Fairtrade Foundation |access-date=8 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201233239/http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get_involved/campaigns/fairtrade_towns/towns_list.aspx |archive-date=1 February 2010 }}</ref>
<ref name="fairtradecroydon">{{cite web|year=2003|url=http://www.fair-enough.co.uk/|title=Croydon: London's First Fairtrade Borough|publisher=Croydon Fairtrade Organisation|access-date=8 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704061030/http://www.fair-enough.co.uk/|archive-date=4 July 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="General info">{{cite web|year=1996|url=http://www.londononline.co.uk/boroughs/croydon/|title=London Borough of Croydon information|publisher=London Online|access-date=16 October 2007}}</ref>
}}
==External links==
{{Sister project links|voy=London/South|Croydon}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040715035518/http://www.croydon.gov.uk/ London Borough of Croydon]
* [http://www.croydontv.co.uk/ Croydon Television] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518041845/http://www.croydontv.co.uk/ |date=18 May 2012 }}
* [http://www.visitlondon.com/areas/villages/croydon Visit Croydon]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130517182818/http://allcroydoncars.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/croydonwardmap.jpg map of croydon districts superimposed on google]
{{LB Croydon}}
{{London}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:London Borough of Croydon}}
[[Category:London Borough of Croydon|
[[Category:
[[Category:1965 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership]]
[[Category:Local government in London]]
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