Croydon locals are divided on the town centre's modern skyline, with some praising the quality of the area's new builds while other think the new skyscrapers look 'horrible'. One resident said he was worried about the kind of people the new flats were attracting.
Terry Rogan, 63, has lived in Croydon town centre for over 30 years. He said he thinks the new tower blocks in the area are 'horrible' and block out the light for homes that were already in Croydon.
Mr Rogan told MyLondon: "I'm shocked at the number of developments there are and I don't understand where the demand for the number of flats, and more that they are proposing."
He added: "It has affected the area, it used to be a lot nicer to look at and not as congested and it's clear to see that it has gone beyond the capacity that East Croydon has."
An Allies and Morrison report from March last year said that the 2021 census had seen the population of Croydon borough growing by 7.5 per cent to 390,700 over the ten years prior. This made it the most populous borough in London, yet concerns have been raised on the emerging skyline in the town centre.
Labour Councillor Patricia Hay-Justice previously said on the topic: "The cumulation of tall buildings has an effect on our local infrastructure. My residents have ambitions for the development of East Croydon, but we are not Manhattan."
Thuseetharan Mahalingam, 35, has lived in the town centre for a year. He said he was not aware of the tall buildings in Croydon before he moved there and he was shocked by skyscrapers beginning to crop up nearby.
Mr Mahalingam told MyLondon: "It happened in a year. All of a sudden you just see tall buildings obstructing the view and everything. We used to have a nice view around here."
The tenant said that generally his neighbours are polite and he has few issues in his flat. However, he said anti-social behaviour in the area around Cherry Orchard Road is becoming more pronounced as more flats are built.
He said: "Too much trouble is coming at the moment, I don't know why. I'm seeing a lot of fighting around my block after these new buildings came up."
He added: "I finish late in the night, I don't want to see people fighting drunk."
London Fire Brigade confirmed that the incident went on for nearly nine hours. Five fire engines were called to the scene alongside 30 firefighters.
Hein Valentine, 36, has lived in Croydon borough since November. He has lived in his modern town centre flat for just over two months and said he was also surprised by the number of skyscrapers in the area when he arrived.
He told MyLondon: "While I was back home in South Africa, I tried doing some research before I came here, but I wasn't aware that they had these tall buildings here."
He added: "It's very similar to where I come from in Cape Town, but more in the city. It was actually a surprise to be at this site 12 kilometres from the city and having these tall buildings. It's quite fascinating."
Mr Valentine praised the quality of his new build home, saying has not encountered many issues since moving in. Samiya Maan, 32, has lived in a new flat in Croydon town centre for seven years with her partner and children.
Ms Maan told MyLondon: "I love it to be honest. I don't want to move. I like everything, the flat is more clean. Security-wise, everything is really good. I never have any issues."
She added: "My husband comes home late and the security is very alert. They are always watching the CCTV cameras and nobody else can get into the building."
Croydon Council was approached for comment, but had not responded at the time of publication.
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