The ‘forgotten’ borough of Croydon, where residents are afraid to walk because of crime

Residents of a “forgotten” neighborhood on the edge of Croydon say they are afraid to walk in the area because of crime, and it is made worse by a lack of youth services.

New Addington, a former large council estate with a distinct identity, has been placed in the Croydon Central constituency until 2023.

However, last year’s boundary review saw the creation of the new Croydon East constituency.

Swinging between Labor and Tory over the years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) went borough by borough to find out what issues concern voters most as they prepare to vote on July 4 for the first time in the new limits. .

Edwyn Wood said: “It’s quite a nice area but it’s forgotten. It’s not like other areas like Croydon and Thornton Heath where you have to drive through. You come up here and you’re out of the way.”

Mr Wood felt this distance from Croydon’s metropolitan center had its benefits, especially when it came to noise and greenery.

However, like Croydon town centre, the area suffers from crime and anti-social behaviour.

The area has an unfortunate history of violent crime, with one of the most recent victims being 20-year-old Bradley Hutchings, who lost his life following a knife fight last September.

Some locals believe this worrying trend stems from a lack of youth services in the area.

Mother of three Kelly McPherson told LDRS of her concerns for her children’s safety.

She said: “I take my children on daily walks just because I don’t feel safe with them around here.

“My son used to box, but that closed and there’s not much left.”

Another mother, who did not want to be named, shared this concern and told LDRS: “I have boys and you don’t let them come out here.

“Kids have nothing to do around here, they need more activities. They are trying to get more but Croydon Council has no budget so they are not doing as much as they could.

“They need to do more for this generation, when we were little we had youth clubs. It all depends on the school (to offer things now).”

When asked if there was a large police presence in the neighborhood, almost all New Addington residents responded eloquently with the same answer: “Only when something happened.”

The mother told LDRS about her difficulty dealing with the police in the area.

She said: “I had a problem and I had to try and find the police to report a few incidents and I basically had to do all the work for them.

“I was present at the town hall when Elianne died and I told an officer in charge that there is not much support from the police and if you report anything you have to wait until the last minute before something really tragic happens.

“There used to be a police station around here years ago but now it’s gone, you have to go to Croydon or Bromley.

“It’s a struggle and you have to be on your toes if you want to really help your own children.”

New Addington’s small shopping parade has also been the focus of concern for many locals, who feel it does not offer variety to the area’s 10,000-plus residents.

Long-time New Addington resident Janet Young was one of the many people who felt the high street had made its day.

In a quiet break from her lunchtime shopping, she told LDRS: “The council keeps giving shops here permission to sell alcohol. We need more variety.”

This view was shared by local businessman Costa Cast, who has run the Parade Fish Shop for the past 30 years.

He told LDRS: “There’s too much fast food, when we came here we were only one in two or three and we need more options here for people.”

As a long-time landlord in the heart of New Addington, Mr Cast has witnessed first-hand the changes that have come to the area. Overall, he believes the years have not been kind to the area.

He said: “There used to be more of a sense of community here but that is slowly disappearing. I think as the streetcar came, more crime came.”

He added: “People are getting poorer and spending less. Business is a little slower than before.

“Things are changing now, people used to have fish and chips.

“Now people want chickens and fish is expensive. People can go to Morley’s and get chicken and chips for £2.50, but cod and chips are £10.”

Concerns about the ULEZ have also persisted in New Addington, despite almost a year on from the controversial extension to all London boroughs.

This is perhaps unsurprising given the area’s distance from central London and relatively sparse public transport.

It’s also near the Surrey border, so it’s more likely to affect people moving in and out of the loading zone.

One mother, Lindsay, told LDRS how the policy has affected her and the area as a whole.

She said: “Our community is a poor community and some of us rely on the benefits system and things like ULEZ make it worse for us.

“I don’t drive, but ULEZ has to go. I do not see some members of my own family because they cannot afford to enter the estate; They live in Ipswich.”

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “The council is committed to working with our voluntary sector and other community organizations in New Addington to provide support and activities to keep our young people safe and provide them with opportunities so that can fulfill their potential.

“Over the past two years we have introduced several outreach programs in New Addington to engage young people with activities and support.

“This summer we awarded PlayPlace £29,000 of funding to run programs for young people at risk of engaging in anti-social behavior and to help them stay safe. Last year we gave £30,000 to PlayPlace to run sports and music activities and workshops. on self-esteem, decision-making and knife crime.

“The council funds weekly information sessions at the Youth Hub at The Fieldway Family Centre, which has workshops and football training in partnership with Palace For Life, an extended summer holiday program at The Fieldway Family Centre, and a weekly youth bus to involve young people and indicator for activities.

“We continue to listen to the community of New Addington and its young people, respond to their needs and work closely with key partners to create safe spaces and opportunities for our young people.”