101 Records has been trading in Croydon since 1986, and my business is a real testimony to the progress of development projects in Croydon.

Our previous location was in George Street, just down from East Croydon station.

We were evicted and demolished to make way for a new regeneration project inFebruary 1991 - and all there is on the site in 2012 is an advertising hoarding for greater things to come.

The people currently running Croydon probably think they're doing their best and they may well be, but looking around the town it's clear that whatever they are doing is not nearly good enough.

Look around at all the empty retail units in every area of the town, or those filled with the cheapo 'unlock any mobile' shops; just look at the state of some of our once great stores; crumbling outside and in and I'm not singling them out, my shop and plenty of other smaller ones are just as bad; we're simply symbolic of Croydon's major retail problem for re-investment - not enough people through the door anymore because they go elswhere.

Yes, the economic downturn has devasted retail across the country, but Croydon was going down the pan long before that and the economy has simply bought the chickens home to roost.

Everything in Croydon needs to change if it is to survive as a retail, business and leisure destination, and time is running out.

Parking, access, anti social behaviour, and as for the state of North End.... don't start me off Hammerson are now my landlords, I'm a Centrale retailer.

Since taking over, Hammerson has been more idea pro-active in months than the previous owners in years, and the new plans for the centre offer a vision attitude that the rest of the town can benefit from on a grander scale.

The Croydon Council green light for the regeneration plans for Centrale is very good news for the town in general, and now the Hammerson VS Westfield battle for the Whitgift Centre game has got to stop.

Having Westfield on one side of Northend and Hammerson on the other would create a never-ending battle of wills and differences of opinion that would not be of benefit to the fast regeneration that is essential for the town's survival.

Nothing is ever perfect for all, but I do hope the Whitgift foundation will see sense and give Hammerson the mandate this town so desperately needs to get back what it once had.

Duncan Barnes, 101 Records, 11 Keeley Road