It has been frequently talked about in Croydon, as being one of the most important things to happen to our town over the last century. The introduction of a new ‘westfield Croydon’ is set to revitalise the whole town, replacing the ageing Centrale and Whitgift centre, providing a plethora of new jobs, in a new £1 billion pound deal between two shopping centre giants, Westfield and Hammerson, with building set to commence in 2015. In an attempt to provide an alternative view, I decided to go out and find the perspective of the residents of Croydon, to discover how they reacted to the news.
Many residents were unanimously positive. One commented that, ‘the revitalisation of Croydon, will be crucial for creating much needed jobs for Croydon.’ Another said that, ‘the big shops that will come with the new Westfield will make the shopping experience far nicer, with brands such as Hollister and Superdry.’ Many people commented from my school that , ‘it would have a positive impact, economically and socially, attracting visitors from all over London and beyond, but will also be enjoyed by resident’s themselves.’ Some added that , ‘the extra money from all the visitors will have a knock on effect, that would benefit the whole town, and possibly lead to city status.’ Many added that it would be a, ‘nice change from the recent deterioration being suffered by Croydon, as a lot of shops, ranging from HMV to Allders have been shut down or going into administration.’
However the views were not all positive. Many thought that the ‘residents would not be able to afford the high prices of the designer brands,’ and felt that Croydon would lose its ‘community feel'.
