The new artwork will consist of a granite bench to be installed at the corner of the apartment block being built to replace the former Cherryfields meat packing factory in Cherry Orchard Road.  In recognition of its situation opposite a gate to Croydon Common (at the entrance of Cross Road), it is entitled “Portal”.  You can read about the enclosure of the common here https://eastcroydon.org.uk/the-croydon-enclosure-1787-1801-as-it-affected-east-croydon/.

In February 2026, artist Kerry Lemon worked with pupils at Ark Academy School to decide which local plants should be depicted on her forthcoming artwork on.  They chose buttercups, blackberries, daisies and dandelions. Drawings of the plants will be etched into the surface of the artwork, so that people can make rubbings of the designs.  More local plants can be seen here https://eastcroydon.org.uk/east-croydon-wildflowers/.

On 26 August, representatives of ECCO, Southern Housing and Croydon Vision were presented with the revised design (above).  They asked for clarification on the safety of the structure, material, robustness, colour and surfacing around sculpture.  A further meeting will take place in September, before the final art work is approved. The final design is still subject to planning permission.

The art work will include a QR code linking to a webpage, the content of which will be discussed in October.  It is planned that the artwork will be installed in February 2027 and that Ark Oval pupils will have the opportunity to observe this, after sessions about how the artwork was made.  A community rubbing and interpretation event will launch the artwork to the wider community the following month.