Case Study: Sydenham High St vs New Malden High St

[Likelife]

I love Sydenham but I also really like places in South West London like Teddington, Kingston, Surbiton and indeed New and Old Malden. The difference between their high streets and ours really makes you think. Yes Kingston-upon-Thames is a major area, but look at New Malden. A smaller suburb, very close to Kingston, not that different from Sydenham, though a bit of a higher household income is a bit obvious, as the major housing stock is bigger there. However you look on Google Maps you wouldn't think the high street would be that busy. In fact it randomly ends around 5 mins walk north of New Malden station. Yet it has a nice mix of independent and chain stores, like WHSmith, Co-op, Waitrose, Mc Donalds, Peacocks, Specksaver's, Superdug etc with virtually no empty units. Their High Street length (Railway station to Roundabout) seems to be what is equivalent of Cobbs Corner to Lidil, with north of the station being quiet and residential.

So why are shops reluctant to come to Sydenham? Our rail links are better (and will probably be Thameslink in 2018). For example there are 12 trains per hour from Sydenham in each direction. While New Malden has half that - 6 per hour to and from London Waterloo, yet its station has a slightly higher usage (3.4 million p/a. Sydenham has 3.1 million p/a). Buses: 7 buses serve (Cobbs Corner and Newlands Park bus stops) around the same serves New Malden. Additionally Sydenham Road is an A road while New Malden High Street is a B road.

Is it the size of units available? I suspect that's a reason, but some high streets have major stores in tiny units. In fact New Malden's Superdrug doesn't look half the size of ours. But even larger units like the one across from LA fitness hasn't been snapped up, and the ones under the Cobbs Courts flats aren't very small, though I accept the Greyhound has a major part to play there. So is it the council? Well walk around the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames and every road looks cared for, not even a slab out of place. Walk from the Lewisham side of Syd to the Bromley side (for example Cator Road) you see a difference. Our pavement on the high street already looks dirtyish and unloved. Lewisham Council/TfL didn't even bother to replace the bins or road signs. Lewisham Council seems to be pushing the regeneration in Lewisham but I don't think it's doing enough for Sydenham. I mean whats going on with that empty land between Lloyds Bank and Newlands Park, its quite a big space and I've heard of no development. And the fact Purlake still hasn't been forced into being on site of the Greyhound at this moment makes me wonder what the London Borough of Lewisham's planning dept is for. Either build the thing or knock it down and make it into a nice ''gateway square''.

Anyway that's my young person's view on things, I don't comment much, but I'd thought I'd share it. (I did a lot of human geography case study stuff at school/college). I want to see Sydenham prosper but the currently there are too many vacant shops here. I hope no one takes this as a criticism.

Last thing to say, I remember someone asking where I live. I proudly replied ''Sydenham''. And their response: ''thats a S****hole mate'' I was and still dismayed at that comment but I think Sydenham has a lot of potential.

[leenewham]

One major point at the moment is that we don't have many empty shops.

If you don't have empty shops, you can't open a shop unless you have a who to move into. You have to buy out someones lease, and that someone has to want to sell. Many areas regenerate because they get really bad, rents go down, people move in because of the low rents and blank canvas and nothing attracts people like something new…or change. People stay if it's good.

Kingston has a BID group which is really good (one of the first in the country) and the council is quite hot on town centres. New Malden has a town centre strategy (although I"m not a fan of the place it look alike most other town centres).

East Dulwich had a strong traders association which made a big difference.

Harringay Green Lanes has a strong traders group which made a big difference. It knows what the area is, what it wants to be and people there to make it happen along with the support of a few cllrs fighting a rubbish, inch-operative council.

Crouch End has a strong traders group and a sense of who it is…

Sydenham doesn't have a strong traders group. There is no strategy. There is no vision for what it want's or needs to be.
I think that answers your question.

[Eagle]

How did we choose New Malden. I know from many visits a very distinctive area which is dominated by the largest Korean community in Europe.

They would surely have a number of specialised Korean outlets.

[Likelife]

Kingston has a BID group which is really good (one of the first in the country) and the council is quite hot on town centres. New Malden has a town centre strategy (although I"m not a fan of the place it look alike most other town centres).

East Dulwich had a strong traders association which made a big difference.

Harringay Green Lanes has a strong traders group which made a big difference. It knows what the area is, what it wants to be and people there to make it happen along with the support of a few cllrs fighting a rubbish, inch-operative council.

Crouch End has a strong traders group and a sense of who it is…

Sydenham doesn't have a strong traders group. There is no strategy. There is no vision for what it want's or needs to be.
I think that answers your question.

I admit, the empty shops here isn't a epidemic, it would just be nice to see the empty units used. As for a traders group, that is quite interesting. I think that does indeed answer my question.

As for why I chose New Malden, I know its known as Koreatown, but its high street just seemed to be comparable to here. You could look at East Dulwich, Penge or Downham (not saying they're better).