Local business owners in a South London town centre feel the shops on their once thriving high street are a dying breed, while crime in the suburb is leaving locals feeling it’s pointless to even call the Met Police.
Bromley’s Beckenham Town is popular with families who love the well-performing schools and frequent trains and trams.
But traders in the area feel their high street has been taken over by budget restaurants and pubs, with little space for the shops that once built the road’s reputation.
Sunil Patel, 68, has owned Homefayre DIY shop on Beckenham High Street since 1988. He said that the “thriving” street has changed drastically since then, with daytime trade dropping due to restaurants replacing shops on the road.
He said: “I think retail business is a dying breed now. Big stores are eating business. They say 150 restaurants close every week – but not on this high street.”
Eager to keep his business open, Mr Patel said that every offer he has had to buy his shop has been a restaurant.
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“People say, ‘Oh, we don’t want you to go. You are here, we will miss you’. But that’s not the point, is it? At the end of the day, if I’m losing money, there’s no point in hanging around.”
Chris, 50, and Liz Penfold, 40, have owned Deen’s Garage bike shop on Croydon Road since 1999.
The couple, both born and raised in Beckenham, are the third family to own the business since it opened more than 100 years ago.
Chris has been working at the shop since 1985, originally as a ‘Saturday boy’, and said the unique services offered by Deen’s and Homefayre is what has kept them open.
He said: “The independent [shops] that don’t have a service aspect to their business struggle to survive because you can’t survive on just sales.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Chloe-Jane Ross, who represents the Beckenham Town and Copers Cope ward, said she and colleagues have been working with Bromley Council to improve the high street and help get more people shopping on the street.
Cllr Ross said: “Beckenham has fared well compared to other high streets. We have a low unoccupancy rate for High Street shops, and there is a vibrancy as new establishments open when others close.
"Like all towns, the number of independent retailers has fallen.
“More and more of us now shop online and high street rents and business rates make it difficult for retailers to keep a shopfront.”
Liz Penfold said crime in the area is an issue, and that she rarely sees “bobbies on the beat” walking around anymore.
Chris Penfold said: “Car theft is rife…You phone the police and they don’t even bother attending.
"I lost the catalytic converter off my car and my son caught them, and then they came back for it. I didn’t even bother reporting it, it’s pointless.”
Chloe Lopkyer, 26, manages Wimpy restaurant on Beckenham High Street, which opened 61 years ago.
She said the street is prone to “passing crime” because of gangs from different areas such as Croydon and Penge going through the suburb.
Mr Lopkyer said: “I’ve been here when I’ve watched someone get stabbed in the neck outside, that was a few years ago.
"Someone got bottled and then stabbed with the bottle in the neck… That was at about three o’clock in the afternoon.”
An average of 101 offences a month are recorded in the Beckenham Town and Copers Cope ward, according to police crime data between January 2018 and December 2022.
The number has remained largely consistent in this time, with violence towards people and theft making up the majority of offences.
Neighbouring areas such as the Penge and Cator ward in Bromley and South Norwood in Croydon have an average of 174 and 150 monthly offences for the same time period.
Liberal Democrat and Beckenham Town ward Councillor Will Connolly said Beckenham Town has a community feel and is a “real gem” in South London.
He said: “As a member of the Safer Neighbourhood Panel, which meets at the local police office, I know that the friendly local police team is under-resourced, and the local community would like a more visible and proactive police team to help keep the area safe and free from antisocial behaviour.”
Speaking for the Metropolitan Police presence in Bromley, Inspector Stuart Baker said: “In answer to the issue in Beckenham we have a neighbourhood team posted to each ward in Bromley.
"In relation to Beckenham itself there are regular patrols by officers on that ward in and around the High Street.
“For the night time economy we have officers posted to patrols tasked at weekends to deal with crime and [antisocial behaviour] in the town centre areas across Bromley including Beckenham.
"As with every ward in London we hold regular panel meetings with local residents where such issues as these can be addressed. I would encourage such local residents to attend and work with us to tackle such issues.”
Conservative Councillor Michael Tickner, representing Beckenham Town ward, added that empty shop units don’t stay empty for long in the town.
He said: “Beckenham Town is best known among younger people for its vibrant and safe nightlife. The night time economy and great public transport has helped the town prosper when other town centres are pretty dead at night.
“Shop units which become empty are re-let fairly quickly and Beckenham has a number of new independent retailers which are boosting the daytime shopping offer.”
Bromley Council was contacted for comment, but had not responded at the time of publishing.
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