These are the unedifying sights which have been the welcome signs in to Thornton Heath for the past year.

These shop frontages give an impression that the area is run down, neglected and uncared for.

Less than two years ago the council spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on a regenerating Thornton Heath’s High Street paying particular attention to creating a welcoming feel.

The first scene of destruction is on Whitehorse Road not far from a primary school and has been like this since December 11 in 2019.

The broken glass, buckled metal, piles of rubbish and the occasional abandoned shopping trolley are a constant theme.

Meanwhile at the other end of the High Street at 222 Brigstock Road the pavement is strewn with hazardous abandoned bricks and rubbish.

Again residents have complained for more than a year about this depressing state.

The smashed shop front and cash machine was not the result of a ram raid but a car accident in the early hours where only the shop suffered serious injury.

The Chronicle contacted Joseph Miller, the owner the shop , which provides “financial and property services” including lettings and sales 

Mr Miller who is also a Reverend with the Quadash Ministries was contacted to ask when repairs would take place and whether it was being held up by insurance? But no answer was forthcoming.

The shop is in the Selhurst ward so The Chronicle contacted Cllr Toni Lets who immediately raised the issue with Steve Isles. , the council’s director of public realm. He said the building control team looked at this from a dangerous structural perspective and confirmed the building is regularly monitored. However while it remains safe it does not represent a dangerous structure as defined by the regulations. The team have tried to contact the owners to no avail.

Mr Isles said: “We will continue to try and make contact with the owners but as it stands the building is considered structurally safe and as such we are limited with the powers before us I’m afraid.”

The Chronicle contacted the Bensham Manor councillors regarding the Brigstock Road shop frontage which has been in this state for a lot longer. 

Again they referred it to Mr Isles and action was taken. A community protection notice was served to get the original rubbish cleared but unfortunately, there is a further problem with another shop dumping their rubbish on the front so its still a mess as our picture shows.

A number of shops with frontages like this that are unoccupied properties as well are causing ongoing issues for the council. This has been further aggravated by Covid as many premises have not been allowed to open or have simply gone out of business, The Chronicle was told.