A short walk from East Croydon Station sits the neighbourhood of Addiscombe, described by one local as a “poor man’s Manhattan”. 

Here, thousands of new flats under construction with more tower blocks in the pipeline.

The area is changing rapidly and some residents are concerned there isn’t the infrastructure to handle the influx of new people.

The council ward of Addiscombe West covers the area close to the station and has seen the most change.

The stark changing face of the neighbourhood is stark in streets of Victorian homes which back on to huge skyscrapers, including what will be Croydon’s new tallest building.

Citylink is made up of two towers and is 158 metres at the tallest point, it is just 20 metres taller than Ten Degrees, a pair of black towers it sits opposite.

In Cherry Orchard Road leading to the station is the second phase of the Morello development is also underway which, when complete will be made up of more than 600 flats. 

Councillor for the area Sean Fitzsimons worries there is not enough affordable housing in the new developments and says fully rented schemes lead to a “transient population”.

Cllr Fitzsimons added the “bed to desk phenomenon” doesn’t bring vitality to the town centre.

He said: “I think people who work up in London aren’t going out in Croydon.

"You would hope they spend money at the weekend but I think they just hop on the train.”

Sheila Bushell is chair of the owners association at Altitude 25 a block of flats in Fairfield Road where  she has lived for eight years.

She said: “I have seen huge changes, we are becoming like a poor man’s Manhattan, the entire nature of the area has changed.

"It has unfolded at an unbelievable rate.

“I see the need for housing, that is not in question, but it is the type of housing and how it impacts on the people that live here.

"These large impersonal boxes don’t add to any type of community cohesion.

“We’ve never had a history of build to rent in this country and planning regulations haven’t caught up.

"The actual blocks are lacking in any architectural merit it is complete overdevelopment of a small area. 

"They are intended for short term use they are not affordable for people in Croydon.”

She said when she first moved to the area she could get a doctors appointment in a week or two but now faces a six week wait to see her GP.

Ms Bushell, like others in the area, is concerned about the emerging plans for a new block of 450 flats on the site of the Croydon Park Hotel.

She said this development would be a “blight” on the Altitude building.

A pre-application will be heard by the council’s planning committee next week.

Steve Weston has lived in Addiscombe his whole life and bought a house in the area in the seventies.

The 70-year-old said he does most of his shopping in Addiscombe High Street and thinks the introduction of the tram network in 2000 improved the area.

He said: “I bought my house in the seventies and brought a family up there but now my own kids couldn’t necessarily afford my house to live in.

"People I’ve bumped into over the years who have bought a place here have thought it was a great place to stick, people like Addiscombe.

“Now flats are the thing of the times but I don’t know who is going to be able to afford to live in them.”

Jean Neal has lived in the same rented house in Cedar Road since the 1960s and the 82-year-old said there has been huge changes in the time.

She said: “There are only three people that I know here now, it is such a shame.

“They rip up houses and make them into rooms or small flats, it is not such a community anymore.

"They way they are spoiling the community with all the buildings.

"I worry about my grandchildren being able to afford somewhere to live.”

Councillor Patricia Hay Justice has represented Addiscombe West since 2010.

She said: “Communities are changing very quickly and the resources aren’t there, that is when people do get fearful and start to go against each other. 

"We can’t just look at planning in isolation."

She echoed the thoughts of others that flats are available as London Affordable Rent this isn’t affordable to many in Croydon and worries her own teenage children won’t be able to stay in the area when they are older.

Miguel Rey, 55, moved to the area a year ago from Clapham and fears the local infrastructure won’t be able to cope with thousands more people.

He bought a house and like many others chose the area because of its good transport links.

He now reorganises his days when he goes to work in central London to avoid rush hour at East Croydon Station.

He said: “Infrastructure is already saturated, by the time these new flats are populated my concerns are that transport and health services won’t cope.

“Right now, at rush hour it is difficult if there is one train cancelled it is a real struggle to get to work.

"I have had to modify my day to try and avoid rush hour.”

The 2021 census showed Addiscombe West had a population of 16,212 this is up from 14,468 in 2011.

Marketing for the new Morello flats describes them as an “exciting new era for this dynamic and young neighbourhood that you can be part of”.

Back to Cllr Fitzsimons who, despite his concerns, thinks the area is the perfect location for new flats.

However, he think there should be limits on just how tall new buildings can be, keeping them in line with the iconic 50p building.

He added: “We are living next to one of the busiest stations so it would be bonkers not to build anything next to it.

“I am not opposed to tall buildings in principle but think buildings in the area should be a bit smaller than the NLA Tower (colloquially the 50p building).”