London news: Hammerson's Shopping Centre Plan Falls Apart

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" 'It looks like Plan A has been abandoned as undeliverable and they expect to have to do a whole new planning application,' said David Wickens, whose work included delivering the biggest engineering project yet seen in the borough, Tramlink.

"The proposals are all about the dreaded two-bedroom flats to finance developments.

"The Compulsory Purchase Order might also have to be repeated due to the increased housing element and perhaps less justification for the retail side.

" 'This is so disappointing for Croydon, but I have to say somewhat expected,' Wickens said.

"The Croydon Partnership which has submitted the revised scheme is the shotgun marriage between the two giant mall development companies, Westfield and Hammerson, formed for the purpose of the development in Croydon. The Partnership announced on Wednesday that it had increased the cost of the scheme by 40 per cent, to £1.4billion, and that it would double the number of flats… sorry, 'luxury executive apartments', that it intended to build to 1,000. It has also increased the number of floors for retail by one-third, and that its principal 'anchor store' was revealed to be a branch of (cue drum roll)… Marks and Sparks."