Pub closures in Croydon blamed on high property prices

A town has lost more than 100 pubs since the year 2000, with residents fearing the town has “lost its vibrancy”.

The decline in public houses – by 113 in total in Croydon – can be blamed on high property prices and pubs being redeveloped, the chairman of the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) group said.

The landlord of the Dog and Bull in Surrey Street, the oldest pub in the town centre, said the impact of the Covid pandemic is still being felt.

Mark Knight, who has been the landlord for nine years, said: “We are finding office workers still haven’t come back so we are down on business at lunch time.”

And the 51-year-old thinks the decline of pubs is also down to the changing habits of young people.

He said: “A lot of difference has been seen in the market. The younger generation is a lot healthier than previous.

“They drink more premium products, but don’t drink as much. We’ve still got our regulars but that generation is getting older. I think Gen Z want an experience and activities rather than a traditional pub.”

He added that without nightclubs in the town centre, fewer people go out in Croydon at night, and many who do stop at Boxpark next to East Croydon railway station rather than venturing further into the town centre.

David Lands, chairman of Sutton and Croydon CAMRA, said: “The general story in Croydon is the outlying areas with some exceptions have lost more pubs on average than the town centre have.”

Last week it was announced South Croydon’s JD Wetherspoon pub The Skylark will be closing its doors for good on March 27, just six weeks after the town centre lost The Milan Bar, owned by the same company.