Conservatives say that this damages Croydon’s shopping centre prospects. 2006īefore Labour loses control of Croydon Town Hall at the council elections that year, they sell-off the borough-owned car parks to NCP, whose parking charges are twice those of car parks in Bromley and 66 per cent more than those prices charged by Sutton Council. Uncertainty over possible relocation to Minerva’s proposed development at St George’s Walk and limited funds mean that much-needed capital investment in the store is limited. Unlike Croydon.Ī group lead by Howard Tillman buys Allders Croydon. May 2005īluewater introduces ban on swearing, clothing that obscures the face and groups of more than five without the intention to shop. January 2005Īllders goes into administration for the first time, short-changing its pensioners with £15million hole in its pension fund. Having paid well over the odds for Allders, the new owners seek offers but none are found. The store is cursed by poor footfall and eventually secures much lower rent levels.

House of Fraser opens in what was first called the Drummond Centre, then re-named Centrale. Lehman Brothers, the merchant bank, and Minerva, a property company, buy out Allders. The Labour council backs the smaller Arrowcroft and Stradivarius. To do so, they seek to displace the debt-free owners of most of the site, Stanhope – who had successfully re-developed Broadgate in The City. With strong backing from the Croydon Advertiser, the council’s ruling Labour group starts work on planning a 12,500 seater Arena next to East Croydon Station. The Bluewater mall opens in Kent, drawing away shoppers around the M25 instead of visiting Croydon. IKEA Store opens on old Croydon B power station site in 1992.Īfter stock market listing in 1993, Allders goes for major expansion, buying other stores and branching out into airport tax-free shopping. 1990 – 1994Ī departing Conservative Council unsurprisingly fails to persuade Purley residents to build a flyover through the town. 1990Ībolition of local business rates undermines Croydon’s competitive position with business. M25 orbital motorway south of Coulsdon is completed, accelerating the move of companies to outside Croydon, especially from Purley Way, leaving room there for more out-of-town retail developments. Queensway furniture stores opens out of town on Thornton Road. One of Croydon town centre’s department stores, Kennards, is folded into Debenhams. Industrial jobs begin to leave the Purley Way, leaving space for later retail development in competition with town centre-based stores, including Allders. Motorway to finish at Hooley with only moderate improvements to be made in following years on the A23. The Department of Transport gives up plans for the M23 to reach Mitcham and Streatham, so cutting Croydon from direct access to the new motorway network. Major public policy errors, a breakdown in confidence in policing in central Croydon, poor road access, a lack of vision at the Town Hall and the fatal blow of the 8/8 riots underpinned a trend of decline for the once grand department store that can be traced back nearly 50 years. ANDREW PELLING looks at the council’s role in the final days and asks if more could have been done by the Town Hall to save the near-1,000 jobs at the department store CROYDON COMMENTARY: The decline of Allders is partly a story of Croydon itself.

Timelane road to oblivion