Residents call for ‘depressing’ graffiti covered former post office to be taken back by community

Residents are calling for a post office site that closed down six years ago and has been covered in graffiti to be taken back by the community.

Stephen Carrick-Davies, 59, has lived near the former post office in New Cross for 35 years and called the state of the area “depressing”.

He said: “We understand business models change but what isn’t acceptable is that the Royal Mail have just left this place for six years. Graffiti is scrawled all over it.

“It’s so depressing because this is one of the busiest streets in London.

“Right now it’s not being looked after and it’s bringing down our high street. 

“I’m fed up with people thinking this part of South London is a dump – it doesn’t have to be. This is a wonderful place and we are proud of our heritage.”

Mr Carrick-Davies runs Facework, a social enterprise that has community work spaces in New Cross and Peckham and works with young people who have been excluded from school to face work. 

He has been trying to contact Royal Mail about finding a new use for the building since it closed down but nothing has happened.

He said: “We are asking companies like Royal Mail who have a high street presence to think more imaginatively about availability to other tenants.

“That post office was seen as the peoples post office. If companies are going to leave the high street what is their legacy?

“This is what I care about – I come across young people all the time who could make it into a real hub.

“Lewisham residents don’t have a town centre anymore, it’s just a big motorway.”

Other than a community space and an opportunity for new jobs, Mr Carrick-Davies hopes that the building could be used to prioritise the environment.

He said: “It could be an amazing place to reimagine the climate crisis – this is one of the most polluted roads in South London.

“From this space we could have new businesses that could help young people think about green economies, bicycle shops of all sorts.

“We could even create a maker space, that’s a proposal we put to the post office but we never heard anything back.

“Even a meanwhile space for two years would be great – we could use the space at the front as a community square.

“I don’t underestimate the challenges Royal Mail face right now but this is a really positive opportunity for our community, a social community project could breathe new life into the high street.”

A spokesman from Royal Mail said: “For operational reasons, the business has not been in a position to market the property until the start of this year.

“This is ongoing and we will be assessing interest.

“Efforts have been made to mitigate the vandalism of the site by investing money to improve security.”

Councillor Brenda Dacres, Deputy Mayor of Lewisham and cabinet member for housing development and planning said: “We encourage Royal Mail to bring this building back into active use, either directly or by leasing it to local partners.

“It is currently an eyesore in a prominent location, and sadly is attracting anti-social behaviour.

“Lewisham Council is open to working with Royal Mail to support the transformation of this building.”

Pictured top: Stephen Carrick-Davies outside the derelict Royal Mail site (Picture: Stephen Carrick-Davies)