Blackheath village estate agent warns area filling up with Canary Wharf office workers

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

An estate agent feels their area is now filled with office workers commuting to Canary Wharf, with the rise in rent leaving local shops on the high street empty.

Blackheath Village sits on the border of Lewisham and Greenwich boroughs, with the station only a 15-minute train away from London Bridge.

Known for its large park and farmer’s market on weekends, locals said they have noticed a change in the type of shops in the town’s village over the years.

Jeremy Comber, 65, started Comber and Co estate agents 40 years ago in Blackheath Village.

The business owner said that locals have told him about an increase in commuting office workers living in the area, as corporate jobs in the city became more prevalent.

He  said: “They don’t like [the change]. It used to be very much for Guardian readers and professional artists and that’s sort of gone. And that’s because of Canary Wharf, and what’s happened is that’s what’s pushed prices up.”

He added: “Unfortunately, the rise in rents and greedy landlords means you’re getting empty shops here. So people think it’s the land of milk and honey, but it isn’t. You’ve got specialists like knicker shops and chocolate shops, but they don’t survive because there’s not enough footfall for them.”

Mr Comber said that internet shopping has also affected local businesses in the area, which have since been replaced by restaurants and bars.

Keith Hedley, 56, has been the general manager of The Crown pub in Blackheath for 20 years. The local said multiple spaces in the village have “changed hands over the years”, but that The Crown is just busy as it was 20 years ago.

Mr Hedley said: “You get to the weekend and then it goes crazy. People come from all over the place on the weekends… From Friday night until Sunday afternoon it’s quite a busy place. And of course we’ve got the heath as well, there’s always something going on there.”

Jeanette Darrell, 72, works as a volunteer at Age Exchange in Blackheath Village. The space has been in the area for 40 years and serves as a café and community centre, aimed at supporting those living with dementia.

She said: “I think when they come in here, they say that it’s a very welcoming and friendly atmosphere. I think the village itself has got a lovely atmosphere and on the weekend it seems to come alive.”

Having worked with the charity for over 30 years, Ms Darrell said she has also noticed a change on the high street.

She said: “A lot of the restaurants have closed, you see a difference in the type of shops that have gone and the ones that are opening now. The banks have closed too, which is a nuisance because we have to bank every week. So now we have to go to Lewisham or to the post office, which is inconvenient. There has been a lot of change over the last few years.”

Pictured top: Jeremy Comber, 65, started Comber and Co estate agents in Blackheath 40 years ago (Picture: Joe Coughlan)