Wellesley Road and Park Lane was identified as a real milestone in transforming, improving and regenerating the public realm of Croydon. This project requires a forward looking, world-class team with a deliverable vision for the area. International Urban Design Competition is the procurement procedure ensuring that the Croydon community gets the highest quality ideas with the best value for money.

The competition consists of two stages followed by negotiations.

Stage 1 was a prequalification stage, the requirements of which are set out at Stage 1 - Expression of Interest and Prequalification Questionnaire, concluded with a shortlist of 4 being invited to take part in the design competition. Stage 1 Documents have been evaluated under four main criteria: (1) A track record of delivering design excellence, inventiveness and flair - 30%, (2) Track record of delivering similar projects on time and budget 20%, (3) Description of possible design 30%, (4) Demonstration of awareness of sustainable development issues 20%.

Expression of Interest closed 01 December 2008, 12.00 p.m. GMT

1 submission arrived incomplete and therefore has not been considered.

Short listed teams:

Stage 2 was the design competition itself. The short-listed design practices received a Stage 2 design brief setting out the requirements for the design concepts, visited the site and met with the Stakeholders’ Forum. The design concepts were presented for the public review and judged by the assessors against the Stage 2 design proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria: (1) Flair in design which demonstrates imagination and an understanding of the context of the project, including innovative solutions in the areas of sustainable design, inclusive design and implementation. -25%, (2) A sympathetic approach, high quality design solutions that respond to the requirements of the local area and deliver an exemplary public realm project that is robust yet flexible. - 25%, (3) The team’s ability to address all the key issues identified in the project brief and develop a deliverable project that can be implemented in phases over an extended period of time. - 40%, (4) The ability to communicate ideas and work with all stakeholders. Including community involvement in the project design and delivery, methods of joint working with different stakeholders and project presentation (graphics and text). - 10%.

501 people visited Croydon Visitor Centre and further 1500 dedicated website: www.croydonthirdcity.co.uk to see the designs. 139 provided their feedback on questionnaires.

Jury scored entries 00931 and 51977 the highest. Their authors: James Corner Field Operations and OKRA Landscape Architects bv were invited to take part in a competitive procurement procedure (under the negotiated procedure) with the aim of appointing a preferred bidder to enter into a contract with the London Borough of Croydon to develop the complete regeneration solution for the Wellesley Road and Park Lane corridor. The project should cover the length of the streets (a length of over 1 km) and will need to relate to the adjoining properties. An estimated value of the investment is in the region of £40-50m and will need approximately 6 years to be delivered, although there may be a simpler, more affordable solution that delivers many of the benefits at a lower price. The proposed solution will also be capable of phasing. Interviews will take place 16 June, the Cabinet decision on the appointment is expected 06 July 2009. Croydon Council intends to sign the contract by the end of July 2009.

The competition is assessed by the Jury comprising: