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‘Cheap’ neighbourhood ‘way more Surrey than London’ popular …

Right at the southern end of Croydon sits the tiny town of New Addington. It has little in the way of distinction, and throughout much of its past, it’s been borderline inaccessible from the rest of the borough, let alone the city.

But since 2000, it’s had a tram stop, providing accessibility to the rest of Croydon and beyond. It’s relatively cheap to live in too, according to Rightmove, with a home there costing £394,365 on average – much less than the London average of £670,449. It has a growing reputation for violence – although the locals describe it as a smashing place to live.[1][2]

New Addington[3]’s been a hot topic of debate in recent years, with some describing it as Surrey and others London. MyLondon[4] visited the area to see what the locals really think of it.


The only thing Ken Burgess dislikes about the area is how negative people are about it

Ken Burgess, 77, owns the award-winning Burgess Boys Pet Care Centre on Central Parade. Having lived in the area for over 20 years, Ken’s seen it all and says his favourite part of New Addington is ‘how the community pulls together at times of adversity’.

He gave the terrifying example of the 2011 London riots when the locals were advised by the police[6] to ‘evacuate the area’ as they were ‘anticipating a large gang[7] coming up to create mayhem’.

Ken and others ‘reluctantly’ evacuated, but he returned the same evening to see how the Parade was, as other shops in the area had been looted. But to his surprise he went back to find the community holding a party and guarding businesses.

“When I came back the next morning, there wasn’t a scrap of rubbish left on the floor,” he said.” That’s the strength of the community, it’s very close-knit and people look after each other.”

The only thing Ken dislikes about New Addington is the ‘negative vibe’ it gets from outsiders. “People have a very negative outlook of the area,” he said. He added that the area has ‘excellent’ transport links to the rest of London, and that it doesn’t bother the locals that they don’t have a Tube station[8]. But he conceded introducing the tram was vital for the area, as people were ‘stuffed’ beforehand.


Ken owns the award-winning Burgess Boys Pet Care Centre on Central Parade

Ken said: “There was a lot of opposition to the tram’s introduction because people thought it would take people away from New Addington. But equally, it brings people into New Addington, people will travel from Wimbledon into New Addington, and vice versa.”

The 77-year-old also has an answer to an age-old question about the area: is it in London or Surrey? He argues the latter, although ‘it’s difficult to say why’.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s in London, it’s just a feeling.”

Reverend Dhanaraj Charles Premraj, known affectionately as ‘Father Prem’ to the locals, has been Priest in Charge at St Edward’s Church for four years.

The 59-year-old echoes Ken’s sentiment that the area has a great sense of community. He said: “People are together and have strong bonding.

“Everybody goes about their own lives, but when something bad happens to someone, people really step up and support each other.” Father Prem detailed the time the church held its first service after lockdown in 2021 and the congregation stepped outside into the garden.


Father Prem said he loves how passers-by stop and talk to him when he tends to his garden

Upon returning inside Father Prem was shocked to find the church’s laptop had been stolen. But to his delight, a few days later a kind local – who doesn’t worship at St Edward’s – gave him a refurbished laptop to help.

The 59-year-old added that the kindness of the people is his favourite thing about the area. He said: “I’m not just a priest, I’m also a local. When people see me doing any sort of work they’ll chat to me.

“I have a huge vicarage garden that I have to maintain myself, and passers by will just stand and talk to me.” But Father Prem admits the area isn’t perfect – and one thing he doesn’t like is the lack of facilities in the area.

Speaking to MyLondon, he said: “We have a library and a leisure centre, but we need more things that allow people to be together and a greater variety of shops.” The lack of things to do for young people ‘is a concern’ held by many adults there, he adds.


Father Prem has been Priest in Charge at St Edward’s Church for four years

“When you go to the Parade, you see the youngsters who just congregate and go here and there,” he said. “There’s no place in the evening for them to be together, to have some board games or talk to each other. They’re in the street ‘as if nobody cares for them’. “You don’t see them running around recklessly, they just hang around in the cold.”

Father Prem also said that ‘most people’ are happy with the tram and aren’t bothered by not having an Underground. He added that most people there think the area’s London. He said: “I don’t know why but it’s a feeling people have.”

Costas Cast, 59, lives in Croydon’s Thornton Heath, but has worked at The Parade Fish Shop in the area for 30 years. He says New Addington has great community spirit, describing it as an area where people ‘seem to know everyone’.

But sadly the sense of community isn’t what it was and ‘seems to be fading’, before adding the locals are ‘mainly okay, they’re nice people, especially the older generation’. Costas said that unfortunately some people in the area are ‘blaming refugees’ for their problems.


Costas has been working at The Para Fish Shop for 30 years

“They say they’re beggars and taking people’s houses, and not putting British people first,” he said. He added that the area becoming more expensive has led to ‘a lot of the older generation moving out because it’s got more expensive here, and cheaper in the countryside.’

But another reason why people are leaving the area in their droves is ‘because of stabbings. I’ve got a few customers who want to take their children to a safer area’.

“It can get nasty if you’re not careful,” he said. “People get mugged.” Costas added that he’s ‘been attacked three times’ after work, including a terrifying time with a machete that left a scar on his hand.

He also thinks New Addington is in Surrey because it looks ‘more like the countryside’. But Kirsty Pearce, 51, says the area ‘absolutely’ has a great sense of community.

Kirsty – who volunteers at community building New Addington Pathfinders – opposite Costas’ chippy. She said: “We are a diverse community and we work very well together. For example, a few weeks ago an elderly lady was mugged at a bus stop for £600.

“Within 24 hours the whole community had come together and raised even more to give back to her.” Kirsty gave the second example of the community coming together to raise money for two local kids with cerebral palsy to go to the USA for a special operation ‘to loosen all of the muscles and give a better chance of being able to walk.’


New Addington Pathfinders is a community group that serves to help those in New Addington

“We come together, and we’re not as transient as other areas, people who move out try and exchange to come back” she said. Kirsty puts this down to ‘a lot of generations that just stay here and carry on through the generations’.

She added: “It’s a really good place to live. We do have our bad people, there’s no two ways about that, but so does every area.”

Another one of Kirsty’s favourite things about the neighbourhood is how ‘accepting’ it is. “One of our ex-councillors was openly gay and he was accepted here – we are very tolerant of all ethnicities and cultures.”

Kirsty is also adamant that the locals are happy with the tram, and aren’t at all bothered by the fact they don’t have a London Underground[9] station. She said people are just happy that things aren’t what they once were, where it would ‘take you ages’ to get off the estate and things were so bad ‘employers wouldn’t want to employ you if you were from New Addington’.

“I found it hard to get a job because I lived in New Addington, I even know someone who said he lived in ‘Bromley North’, she said. “But with the arrival of the tram things are much better.”

She also thinks she’s cracked the ‘London or Surrey’ debate. Kirsty said she applied for funding for a pop-in centre that serves about 100 elderly people a week.

But when she applied, ‘it stated there that Croydon was not in Surrey, so we could not go for those funds.’ “I thought it was Surrey, as I’ve always written my address as ‘Croydon, Surrey’.”

“We’re funded like Surrey and not an inner-London borough like Lewisham, where they get more funding per head. So if Croydon is now not in Surrey, why aren’t we funded the same?

“We have the highest number of young people in this borough than other boroughs in London,” she added. Butcher Perry Thomas, 33, runs a store called Perry’s Meats in New Addington. He lives in Birmingham but travels around for work.

Perry is a massive fan of the community spirit. He said: “I like it. It’s real people, down to earth people who are just nice to talk to, they’re not stuck-up.


Perry Thomas, 33, loves how people from New Addington ‘aren’t stuck-up, and treat everyone equally’

“They’re very polite and really care about the community. We serve a lot of people from the local area on a Friday. We serve people who haven’t got a lot of money, and people who have got a lot of money. Everyone is treated equally with the same level of respect.”

The only thing Perry doesn’t like about New Addington is the road, as they’re ‘a bit narrow for a lorry’. He also thinks New Addington is in London. He added: “I don’t know why, it just always comes across to me as London. It’s just always how I’ve felt.”

London 365 #102 – New Addington, Croydon

MyLondon visited Croydon’s New Addington as part of our London 365 project, where our reporters will be visiting a different part of our great city every day in 2023.

Ever wondered what it’s like to live in the part of London furthest from a Tube station? Or in the shadow of one of the world’s busiest airports? How is gentrification impacting some of London’s neighbourhoods hardest hit by the cost of living crisis?

From Brent to Bromley, Hillingdon to Havering, and everywhere in between, the MyLondon[10] team will explore the biggest issues facing Londoners, while celebrating every part of the capital this year.

Where should we go next? Email [email protected][11]. To see all the other neighbourhoods we have visited in 2023, click here[12].

Do you have a story you want to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected][13]

Want more from MyLondon? Enjoying our London 365 project? Sign up to our tailored newsletters here[14].

References

  1. ^ Croydon (www.mylondon.news)
  2. ^ home (www.mylondon.news)
  3. ^ New Addington (www.mylondon.news)
  4. ^ MyLondon (www.mylondon.news)
  5. ^ London’s ‘mini Rome’ where parking spaces cost £50k and residents are ‘moving back to Italy’ (www.mylondon.news)
  6. ^ police (www.mylondon.news)
  7. ^ large gang (www.mylondon.news)
  8. ^ Tube station (www.mylondon.news)
  9. ^ London Underground (www.mylondon.news)
  10. ^ MyLondon (www.mylondon.news)
  11. ^ [email protected] (www.mylondon.news)
  12. ^ here (www.mylondon.news)
  13. ^ [email protected] (mail.google.com)
  14. ^ here (data.reachplc.com)

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