Peckham has had a rich and extensive history of residents coming together to improve the area (for example, the Spike Surplus Scheme) and of being one of the most diverse and multiculturally rich areas in London. It’s been referred to as a ‘Little Lagos’- and with 50.4% Black/African/ Caribbean inhabitants you can see why. Although this has often caused to area to be regarded with some disdain from more closed-minded Londoners, it retains a wide mix of shops pertaining to every culture and its distinct noise of a range of different languages.

However, Peckham, like any other area, has its issues. It’s one of the top ten poorest parliamentary constituencies in Britain and was ranked the most dangerous area in London in 2021 (My London News). One person described it as a ‘disgusting place’ and ‘hellhole’ but was passionately disagreed with by people who claimed that Peckham wasn’t any more dangerous than most places in the UK; it just had a more widespread reputation. But despite mixed views on ‘Little Lagos’, there is one fact we can all agree on – it's rapidly changing, and residents who have lived here for years find it unrecognizable.

One resident told me, “It was a great place with such a range of different people and great coffee shops to have a drink with friends. It’s disappointing to see that they’re closing places, like the Asda, which was by far the most popular supermarket in the area. Especially during this crisis.”

One of the schemes to change the area is the Regeneration Project: Peckham which claims to want to form a welcoming gateway to Peckham and is focused on Peckham Rye station and the surrounding area. Combined with the gentrification creeping in from the ends of Rye Lane, this just seems like another way of making Peckham more palatable to its’ new and rapidly invading middle-class audience. The Project also says it will support local businesses that will be affected by the developments (many of which are hairdressers focused on black hair and market stalls) by offering them anything including ‘business advice to relocation assessments.’ These businesses, which are all incredibly important to current inhabitants of the area, are potentially being uprooted to be replaced by new stores to ‘build the appeal of Peckham Rye’.

Many are ecstatic about these changes, especially those who have never lived in the area. A resident of Westminster said, ‘I’m sure the area will be a lot nicer once more middle-class people start moving in. There’s nothing wrong with the people that are there now but it’s far too rough at the moment to be a nice place to visit, even though you can tell it’s got a lot of potential. It’s a shame that some people feel like it might lose its identity though. I think it's quite nice for an area that’s known for being awful to start afresh.’ But is starting afresh really going to improve Peckham? Or will it drive out the people who really made it a place worth improving in the first place? Only time will tell.