A HISTORIC town centre regularly welcoming royalty has become a neglected dumping ground, frustrated locals say.
Croydon's Old Town, on the outskirts of London, boasts a rich history of Saxon-era buildings as well as being the Archbishop of Canterbury's summer residence for more than 500 years.
Yet residents say the place has now been allowed to fall into disrepair, amid the local authority going bankrupt then this year hiking council tax by 15 per cent.
The Old Town district towards the South London borough's town centre includes Croydon Minster as well as a church building which gets a mention in the 1086-published Domesday Book.
Six former Archbishops of Canterbury are buried at the minster, while kings and queens used to be regular visitors.
Yet people living there now say the area is not only failing to live up to its potential, but is an eyesore and embarrassment.
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Croydon council has recently promised to invest £7.5m into the minster's surroundings - while admitting it needs "vast improvements".
Their proposed work includes relocating parking spaces, creating a new play area and getting rid of a pedestrian subway.
Yet locals remain wary about the prospects for improvement, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
There have been complaints about the amount of rubbish dumped in the district, as well as persistent vandalism and anti-social behaviour.
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Among those calling for action is a family firm survivor of the 2011 riots who saw his base go up in flames.
Trevor Reeves' furniture shop House Of Reeves has been a presence in Croydon's Old Town for more than 150 years, going through five family generations since being founded in 1876.
The arson attack which ruined its main HQ became an iconic image of the August 2011 riots which began in Tottenham, North London, before spreading to other areas including not only Croydon but also further afield in Birmingham and Salford, Greater Manchester.
Mr Reeves has now said: “Having been involved in the master plans after the riots, I don’t have any faith in anyone doing anything.
"As an old established business we are a draw to the area - most of the older people would remember us being here when this was the centre of Croydon before the Whitgift Centre was built.
"It really destroyed this area. No one has really looked after it since then, whether it is Labour or Conservative.”
The town centre's Whitgift Centre opened in 1968 but plans this century to redevelop it into a £1.6bn Westfield mall were ultimately abandoned in 2019.
David Leadbeater, who has lived nearby since 1996, said: “I think it is important to highlight the history here.
"It used to be much busier - it is such a shame. It would help if they made it easier for people to park their cars.”
Fellow resident Gill Ball said: “I don’t think it is nice and I live here - it has gone downhill.
"I think everywhere in Croydon has potential but we are paying mega council tax and seeing no change.”
Joyce Dean, who has lived in Croydon since the 1970s, is also among those dismayed by the Old Town's present appearance and plight.
She said: “There are beautiful buildings and a lot of history of Croydon that people don’t know about - so many Archbishops of Canterbury are buried here.
"I have watched it go down the tubes. It has everything going for it - it’s got the wonderful train services to London.
“I think the council has spent all the money on the wrong things. They have sold the family silver and wasted so much on Fairfield Halls and buying the Croydon Park Hotel for way over the odds was a scandal.”
The hotel has recently been bought, with plans for redevelopment into flats, by Amro Partners for £24.9m - compared to the £29.8m paid for it by Croydon council in 2018.
Work to renovate entertainment venue Fairfield Halls - whose 1960s and 1970s heyday attracted such acts as The Beatles, David Bowie, the Who, Queen and Morecambe and Wise - was finished in 2019, yet at a £70m cost rather than the original £30m budget.
The 15 per cent council-tax rise announced last month came after special permission from the Government and levelling-up secretary Michael Gove, and followed the local authority being given its third bankruptcy notice in two years.
A council spokesperson said: “The council is undertaking a major £7.5m project investing in improving the public realm and parks in Minster Green, in Croydon’s Old Town.
"Detailed designs are being finalised and will be shared with our residents and partners later this year, ahead of construction starting.
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“Designed in consultation with the diocese and local community, the plans include the relocation of parking, removal of the pedestrian subway, a new play area offering green open space and lighting around the Grade I-listed minster.
"The new layout and lighting will create a space for residents to enjoy along with tackling issues such as vandalism and antisocial behaviour.”
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