A new hotel and apartment complex at the site of Croydon College is set to become one of the tallest buildings in the borough.

A 224-room "high-end" hotel, 161 flats, a restaurant and other leisure facilities form part of the planned 37-storey development in College Road, details of which were revealed this week.

The project, a joint venture between the college and property developer Phoenix Logistics, would also see an existing "concrete island" courtyard redeveloped into a green garden.

The complex, which developers believe will "encourage social activity in this part of Croydon", would be within the site of the council's Fairfield Masterplan, which envisages transforming the land around the college and Fairfield Halls into a key town-centre destination.

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An artist's impression of the skyscraper

In 2009, Croydon Council granted the college planning permission to construct a 29-storey building comprising a ten-floor vocational college, a gym and 175 flats, including teaching accommodation, on the upper floors. It was never built and planning consent has now expired.

The new plans for the site involve a two-part tower block, with a hotel, café and conference rooms located in a lower section 15 stories high. The taller section of the building, peaking at 37 floors, would be made up of flats, with 58 parking spaces underground.

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The proposed design of the building

The developer pledged some of the homes would be affordable, though it is not yet known how many.

The college said the development would "reconnect the site to the town centre" as well as "complementing Croydon College’s reputation as an outstanding venue for conferences and events".

The preliminary plans will be considered by Croydon Council's strategic planning committee on Thursday.

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