I recently wrote to local councillors asking for an update on the Westfield/Hammerson plans to redevelop (bulldoze and rebuild) the Whitgift Centre in Croydon. I have had neither response nor acknowledgement. Previous to that, I Tweeted Gavin Barwell, MP, asking for an update as he seemed quite vocal about the project - or was prior to the election - and heard nothing. To say I am less than impressed with them all is an understatement.
It seems to be very difficult to find out information on the redevelopment plans, and, importantly, timescales. I appreciate that there is a process to be followed and that dates move but it seems that one thing that hasn’t been taking into consideration is the human side. There is a lot of unease at the Whitgift Centre at the moment with Chinese Whispers flying around and the ordinary people like us are thinking ‘when is this actually going to happen?’ 'will a compulsory purchase order (CPO) mean that the centre is suddenly closed, perhaps with only a few weeks’ notice?’ 'where will the retailers relocate to?’ 'if they relocate within Croydon town centre, will rents be comparable (and therefore affordable)?' and, perhaps, most importantly for staff as there has been such lack of transparency and clarity with the project so far, that if there is suddenly a CPO and closure, 'where will I work and how will I pay my mortgage?’.
Many retailers are finding it tough in Croydon at the moment. My husband works for a small company who has a unit within the Whitgift Centre. Management doesn’t seem to have much information, but I do believe what they know they are sharing. We have been told that if a CPO is granted, it will still take at least 18 months for closure, and I am not convinced on this! That said, it really does seem to be information they are fed, speculation, and changes week to week. As an example, at the end of last week, staff from one of the larger stores in the Whitgift were sharing that their management had told them that Whitgift was trying to extend their lease for another couple of years. That doesn’t make any sense at all!
I also doubt that smaller retailers will be able to afford rents in the new development; Westfield has a reputation for high rents. So what of the small retailers? Are they banished to the High Street? to the new Box Park? or from Croydon altogether? We have heard that there are plans for some of the Whitgift retailers to move to the Box Park (when it is built), but also heard that the Box Park will JUST be food and drink. Something more for us to ponder.
I suppose, for us people 'on the ground’, it is just wait and see which fills me with unease and dread as we (like many others) are unable to make solid plans for our future because we don’t know where one income will come from. How can we plan to move on? To do the best for our family and look to buy a bigger property? Who is going to give us a mortgage if we only have one income? and if we do get a mortgage before the new development takes place there’s a big risk on us as there is so much uncertainty. If we stay put, can we afford to live with only one income whilst another job is found in what is now a country of zero hour contracts and part time work for shop staff?
Of course, it’s not all about us, but there is a bigger picture here. The staff and retailers at the Whitgift are people. They are not just businesses of units and stock, profit and loss, but people. They have jobs, families, lives, plans for the future. But why would the developers, the councillors, or the MPs be concerned about that?
