Croydon community centre set to be used as polling station is occupied by squatters

A community centre currently being used as a squat has been listed as a polling station for the upcoming general election. The New Addington based Goldcrest Community Centre, also known as Goldcrest Youth Centre, is listed as a polling station for the new Croydon East constituency.

For the past three weeks, squatters from the Reclaim Croydon activist group have occupied the centre. The group has come to local recognition for their occupation of high-profile buildings around Croydon town centre in the past six months.

The group who previously occupied the Matthews Yard building and Brick By Brick's former offices, have covered the building with political banners. One banner proclaims 'Housing is a human right' while another targets Croydon Council with the message 'Corrupt bankrupt council'.

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When visiting the area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to residents about their thoughts on the protest. One local resident, who wished not to be named, told the LDRS that they believe the group is providing shelter and food to homeless people inside the building.

Other residents were surprised to find out that the long-closed centre was to serve as their appointed polling station on July 4. One resident told the LDRS: "We're supposed to vote there, that's fine, but tell us how we're going to get in there."

She added: "They (the squatters) come in, they lock the gates and they go out and lock the gates. They seem nice and they don't make any noise, but I couldn't tell you who's in there."

The site has been listed on the council-approved list of polling stations for the Croydon East constituency. The constituency was created following the boundary changes that came in this year.

The community centre closed four years ago after the council decided the £5.3m Timebridge Centre and the Fieldway Family Centre would take on youth services in the area. The centre was one of the 15 sites the council opted to sell off last year in a move to improve its finances.

The centre sits on a half-acre corner plot in Goldcrest Way; the purpose-built centre has two halls, a kitchen lounge area and separate offices. A Croydon Council report describes the building as 'dated' and explains that the site is currently limited to community use, which could 'limit potential development opportunities'.

The former youth centre was put on the market by the council's preferred estate agent Stiles Harold Williams (SHW) in October 2021, attracting eight viewings and interest from a religious group. However, this sale fell through and the building remains on the SHW site for £1.2m.

Reclaim Croydon issued a statement saying: "What has happened at Goldcrest is emblematic of the failures of Croydon Council. New Addington needs its community centres, and homeless people in the borough of Croydon need housing. The council has failed the people on both fronts.

"We are seeing community assets being shut down and sold off, and we are seeing none of the promised housing being built. Is it any wonder that we see such high crime rates when so many people are impoverished and bored?

"Instead of tackling the root causes of this alienation and desperation, the government would rather park facial recognition vans in the town centre every week and increase surveillance on everyone in the area.

"They would rather criminalise the poor than help them. We, the occupiers at what used to be Goldcrest Youth Centre, are a symptom of the corruption at the heart of Croydon Council.

"Only through people organising together and taking the power back for themselves can we really see positive change in the borough. Build communities, not cages!"

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Croydon Council said: "We are making arrangements to repossess and secure this publicly-owned building, which is scheduled to be used as a polling station for Croydon East Constituency on July 4."

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