Croydon’s strategy for social infrastructure has taken a bold leap forward this month with the opening of a major new community hub in Broad Green. On February 6, 2026, Executive Mayor Jason Perry officially opened the Asian Resource Centre for Communities, housed within the former Broad Green Library building. This opening marks the third successful transition in a wider program to repurpose municipal buildings into vibrant, locally led community bases. Following similar projects at the Story Sanctuary in Sanderstead and Play Place in Shirley, the Broad Green hub represents a shift toward a more sustainable and responsive model of public service. Under the previous library structure, budget constraints meant the building was only accessible two days a week. Now, as a community-run asset, it is open six days a week, providing flexible space for learning, cultural exchange, and wellbeing services.
The Community Base model has effectively turned a period of fiscal challenge into an opportunity for neighborhood empowerment. Mayor Perry emphasized that the vision was always to keep these valued buildings at the heart of their communities rather than selling them off. By handing the keys to organizations that are run by the community for the community, the borough is ensuring that the physical assets remain social anchors. The process involved inviting expressions of interest from local groups who could present robust business cases for covering running and maintenance costs. This ensures that the buildings remain cost-neutral for the council while expanding their utility for local residents. The Asian Resource Centre, which has served the borough for 25 years, will use this new permanent home to offer everything from men’s therapy groups and coffee mornings to digital training and health checks.
To complement these physical bases, the council has modernized its broader library offer. While the four repurposed buildings no longer house traditional library collections, the resources have been reinvested into the remaining nine full-time libraries, which now operate a minimum of five days a week. Residents who previously used the closed branches are supported by a new weekly accessible shuttle bus service, ensuring they maintain a direct link to the borough’s physical book collections and digital services. Furthermore, a new outreach service has been launched to bring library activities, such as rhyme times for families, into various community venues across the borough.
This hybrid approach demonstrates a commitment to maintaining essential services while evolving to meet the modern needs of a diverse and growing population. By moving away from an outdated model that saw some buildings sitting empty for five days a week, Croydon is pioneering a new standard for urban social infrastructure. The transformation of these spaces into hubs for connection and support reflects the borough’s broader goal of restoring local pride and ensuring that municipal assets are working as hard as possible for the residents they serve. As 2026 progresses, the fourth and final base at Bradmore Green is expected to finalize its new community purpose, completing a remarkable turnaround for the borough’s neighborhood network.
