23rd September 2017

DEBDEN: REGENERATION OR GENTRIFICATION?

The recent opening of a £14-million retail park and luxury apartment block causes many locals to question the extent that this ‘regeneration’ will benefit their lives.

With the apparent birth of new life to Debden and Loughton that has stemmed from the recent opening of Epping Forest Shopping Park and a luxury apartment block, it would appear that this so-called ‘regeneration’ of the area only serves to positively impact the local area. ‘The Landmark’ apartments boast a modern architecture, and the retail park introduces a variety of new and exciting shops to be leisurely browsed.

Although this seems a fool-proof way to give the area a breath of fresh air and an economic revamping, many of the locals worry that this gentrification of the area threatens to increase the severity of the area’s locals who are in financial struggle. A 2014 study showed Debden as having the lowest average house price on the Central Line at £216,753 – a clear illustration that the area is one not so financially superior when compared to nearby stations, such as the £580,399 average of Theydon Bois. Whilst to some, this may be the beginning of a means to pump money into the local economy and create hundreds of new jobs, others view this as detrimental to those who are local and suffering in poverty, as the funding is clearly being directed at the wealthy who are expected to be moving into these £550,000 (average price) apartments.

The official documents for the ‘Vision for Debden’ state “[The Broadway] suffers from a lack of strong gateway to Chigwell Lane”. These roads of Chigwell Lane (as well as Manor Road) which connect to Debden are notoriously and indisputably wealthy areas, so the evidence of gentrification and appealing to middle class taste are explicitly there and, additionally, there has even been controversy amongst the instigators of this regeneration due to the inclusion of “discount retailers” such as TK Maxx and Aldi being included rather than full price and name brand retailers. Local resident Sadaan Saleem told us that “there should be nothing wrong with allowing [discount retailers] to exist in this area, especially due to the evident financial struggle that possesses many of the local residents”.

With all of this taken into account, it can only be hoped that the area’s ‘regeneration’ gives economic life back to Debden as it intends.

By Kai Melhuish.