CROYDON IN CRISIS: Mayor Perry’s council has made another cost-cutting decision that could put the lives of pedestrians at risk.
EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES
‘People have been killed crossing here’: the council sign on Wellesley Road, close to where the council has now permanently closed its pedestrian subway
Just a few steps away from the entrance to the Wellesley Road pedestrian subway, Croydon Council fixed a sign to a fence halfway across the multiple lane urban motorway which splits the town centre in half, between Addiscombe and East Croydon Station on one side and the Whitgift Centre on the other.
“WARNING”, the sign says in foreboding black capitals.
“People have been killed crossing here.”
Back into capitals, the sign then said: “USE THE SUBWAY”.
Except the very same highways department of the very same council that commissioned and installed that important warning sign has now decided that the Wellesley Road subway is to be closed off permanently.
Last December, Inside Croydon reported how the council had blocked the pedestrian underpass with no notice given to the traders and business-owners in the Whitgift Centre, who were cut off from their customers in the crucial final trading weeks before Christmas.
“This is one of the worst seasons we’ve had,” one trader said at the time.
Now they, and all other outlets in the Whitgift Centre, have been advised that the pedestrian subway will never be reopened by the council.
No apology: three weeks after the subway was closed, the council issued this non-apology for the subway’s closure
This is despite the council having not managed to provide any alternative, surface-level crossings, as has been promised over several years. Works on that, Inside Croydon understands, won’t begin before the middle of July, at the earliest, and could take four months – so might not even be ready before Christmas this year.
An email was sent to Whitgift Centre tenants by Phil Crawley, the general manager of the Centrale and Whitgift shopping centre. In his email, which has been leaked to Inside Croydon, Crawley writes: “LBC Highways [the council roads department] has confirmed that the subway will remain permanently closed.”
Deftly passing the buck, Crawley, who is effectively employed by shopping mall operators Westfield, added: ” This decision has been made by Croydon Council, who owns and manages the underpass, and it is not under our direct control.” So much for Mayor Jason Perry and his close “partnership” with Westfield.
Inside Croydon understands that the principal reason for the council closing the underpass was to deny its use as a shelter to the street homeless, and to cut costs on cleaning and maintenance. The closure in December came soon after a small fire had broken out under Wellesley Road.
In his email, Crawley wrote to Whitgift Centre traders: “We understand that this closure may cause some inconvenience, but please be assured that it is being done with safety and security as a top priority.”
With the exception, that is, of the safety of anyone wishing to cross the busy Wellesley Road.
“As many of you are aware, there have already been safety concerns in this area which a number of you have raised, and this closure aims to address them effectively. We are committed to ensuring a safer, more welcoming environment for both our tenants and customers.”
Westfield are now promising to update and improve their signage within the centre, so that potential customers might locate the few remaining shops and outlets left in the Whitgift Centre.
But they are also passing the buck, again. “We strongly encourage all tenants to review any communication with your customers, ensuring they are well-informed about alternative routes and continue to access your stores conveniently.
“For those most impacted by these changes, please reach out to us to discuss potential additional promotional support, including hoarding opportunities.”
“Hoarding opportunities”: one of the few things the Whitgift Centre has left to offer.
- To listen to the Fiona Fletcher-Smith interview in full, sign-up by clicking here now
Read more: Subway closure leaves Whitgift traders shut out for Christmas
Read more: Superdry closure is the latest nail in Whitgift Centre’s coffin
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