On 18th December 2006 the Coulsdon Bypass opened very close to my house. At the time there were many articles giving various viewpoints on how successfully it had achieved its aims but since then it has almost been forgotten which led me to wonder whether the three year construction involving spending of £33 million is fully appreciated by residents.

Initial comments made about the bypass consisted mainly of complaints about sustained traffic problems that drivers had expected to be fixed by the bypass. However, solving traffic issues was not the aim of the bypass which was in fact to improve Coulsdon town centre; the bypass was part of the Coulsdon Town Centre Improvement Scheme.

However over five years later it appears the bypass has benefitted all local residents with one stating “traffic in the centre has definitely been reduced,” and another commenting “there is hardly any traffic, just people using the shops”. These positive responses reflect the overall opinion of many residents but for shop owners it is another matter.

Obviously the lack of traffic, and consequent lack of people, is not a sign of positive change for the many struggling shop owners in Coulsdon. The fairly recent and largely-publicised closure of Woolworths represents how many are feeling as a result of not only the recession, but also the bypass leading customers away. While the nearby town of Purley has the attraction of Tesco, fewer and fewer people feel the need to travel to Coulsdon as both the larger stores and small, family-run stores are forced to shut down.

For many residents the bypass has indeed fulfilled its aim in making their trip to and from Coulsdon far more pleasant with reduced traffic and a quieter atmosphere in the centre of town. However, from one shop owner’s point of view the bypass has resulted in Coulsdon becoming a ‘ghost town’.