01/09/2026
London Gatwick’s expansion is one of the most important economic opportunities our region has seen in decades, and Croydon is central to making it work.
I had a very positive meeting with London Gatwick’s Chief Executive, Pierre-Hugues Schmit. Croydon and Gatwick are united in our ambition and will work in lockstep to ensure the Northern Runway delivers jobs, investment and prosperity across the region.
At the heart of this is the Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone, the UK’s first aviation-powered economic zone. It brings Croydon together with Gatwick and partners across the wider region to attract investment, grow tourism and international trade, and create new employment opportunities.
Croydon has a distinctive role within that partnership. From East Croydon, Gatwick is around 15 minutes in one direction and central London around 15 minutes in the other. That makes our borough the natural staging post between the airport and the capital.
For tourists, Croydon can offer better-value accommodation with fast access to London and Gatwick. For investors, it offers exceptional connectivity alongside major regeneration opportunities. This strengthens the case for new hotels, an expanded conference offer and further investment in our retail, hospitality and town centre economy.
We also want Croydon residents to benefit directly through careers in engineering, airport operations, hospitality and retail, as well as programmes such as the London Gatwick Aviation Academy.
That growth must be supported by modern infrastructure. The Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme is essential to unlocking the rail bottlenecks around East Croydon and Selhurst. If Gatwick is to grow, the public transport network serving it must have the capacity to grow too: https://www.jasonperry.uk/UnblockCroydon
This is bigger than either Croydon or Gatwick. Together, we can create a globally connected growth corridor that delivers for the region and makes a serious contribution to the national economy.
