SURROUNDED by sweeping country fields and barely an hour’s travel from the capital, this suburb of south London appears to have plenty going for it.
Why, then, is New Addington – situated in the borough of Croydon – considered amongst the “most depressing” places to live in England?
June Rose says New Addington is cut off from the rest of the borough Credit: Stewart Williams
Some shops are shuttered and no longer in use Credit: Stewart Williams
A Poundland smashed up on the high street Credit: Stewart Williams
Tonnes of rubbish piled up at the Parade Credit: Stewart Williams
Bordered by the picturesque North Downs of Surrey, fed-up residents have dubbed the area “Broken Britain in the middle of beautiful countryside”, claiming it is plagued by “abusive” teens and a rampant benefits culture.
Last year, New Addington ranked in the top 10 of Britain’s “most depressing” places in a poll by iLiveHere.com , with scathing resident reviews saying its estates had turned from “vibrant well-maintained working-class communities to crumbling slums”.
On The Sun’s visit, boarded-up shops and homes showed why it has been identified by the , which will provide millions of pounds in investment to revitalize 339 “long-overlooked” communities across the UK.
Locals are hopeful that a proposed cash influx – to the tune of £30million over the next decade – will help to revive , but many fear that the area’s main problems stem from young yobs and lay-abouts who are “set in their ways”.
Found at the end of the South London tram line, New Addington is anchored by the popular cafes on its Central Parade, which also hosts a weekly market.
Sitting outside a Costa Coffee, retired TFL engineer Norman Rhoden is a loyal customer who comes regularly to avoid “vegetating” at home, but admits local thugs can cause him issues.
“This is my spot. I come out here every day just to sit down and have a coffee and chill out,” said the 79-year-old. “But sometimes you can’t even do that because people harass you.
“The little boys come out here, they’re threatening you, looking at you. They should be at school.”
He added: “The things I see outside here. Two old guys, one with a walking stick and they are fighting.
“The other day I was sitting here and one of these beggars, I don’t know what he had done to this woman, but her two sons came and beat him up right here.
Scaffolded buildings opposite North Down Fields Credit: Stewart Williams
Flats by the high street look run down thanks to a dilapidated entrance Credit: Stewart Williams
Norman Rhoden said he is frequently harassed by youths Credit: Stewart Williams
A rundown community centre situated on Fieldway Estate Credit: Stewart Williams
“Beat him up badly and then the police came about two hours later.”
Ahead of the earlier this month, crime and the run-down shopping parade were identified as two of the main concerns for New Addington residents.
Croydon London Borough Council remained with no overall control after votes were counted, and in a striking development, Reform captured both seats in the ward of New Addington South.
For residents like Norman, the area’s issues are clear.
He added: “I’ve been around here nine years and I can count on one hand, the amount of good people I’ve met.
“The young people are terrible. Half of them are not working, I’m sitting down here and they’re just walking up and down. It’s ridiculous.”
Norman sold his property in nearby Sutton and was given a council flat in New Addington because he had two young daughters at the time.
The pensioner explains that he has tried to get a job, but nowhere will take him because of his age.
“Every now and then I go and mess with my own car and there’s nothing wrong with it,” he said.
“I have nothing better to do. It’s soul-destroying. I’m telling myself, why did you get old?”
New Addington is surrounded by beautiful countryside Credit: Stewart Williams
David Lyons has been forced to sell his shop Credit: Stewart Williams
The Central Parade features a weekly market but businesses are struggling Credit: Stewart Williams
A broken bench placed outside of a pop-up centre Credit: Stewart Williams
The borough of Croydon was last year listed as the second unhappiest place to live in , behind Barking and Dagenham, according to Rightmove’s happiness index.
In recent years, its reputation has been dented by , while in 2024 the area was also found to have the highest number of XL Bully dogs in the UK.
New Addington itself has a dark history of gang culture, with one of the borough’s most notorious groups, the Field Boyz, named loosely after a local road.
Local Charlotte Tilbury admits she is desperately trying to escape.
“I moved here 12 years ago and it was the worst thing I ever did,” she said.
“The crime, the abuse… You never feel safe. Everyone is set in their ways, it is a very benefit-driven place.
“You know when it is benefit day because everyone is out in the . It is not even the elderly, it is the young people. They get too much on benefits.”
She added: “My mental health has declined rapidly living here. It is not a nice area.
The Fieldway Estate in broad daylight Credit: Stewart Williams
The high street is in dire need of clothes shops, says locals Credit: Stewart Williams
“The parks are horrific. Full of glass, rubbish, dog poo. There’s needles there. You have to be so careful.”
June Rose, 91, who moved to New Addington 26 years ago, insists it is a “good place” but stifled by the lack of transport. The area has no train station but welcomed a tram stop the year she moved.
The former accountant said: “That is what is so unfair – because Addington can get cut off so quickly, we are forgotten about. New Addington is put on the back burner.”
Another woman, who works in the area, told us: “New Addington was built in the 1930s as a social experiment, making a self-sufficient community.
“Instead it’s become a community of people who make a living out of not working. Broken Britain in the middle of beautiful countryside.”
Not all residents paint such a bleak picture, with some praising efforts to improve the neighbourhood, such as the new Community Diagnostic Centre, which opened in January to address health inequalities in .
Several locals complained about the transport connections Credit: Stewart Williams
An abandoned RSPCA clinic Credit: Stewart Williams
According to the NHS Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group, women in the Fieldway ward in New Addington have a life expectancy 14 years lower than women who live three miles away in Sanderstead.
Like many struggling towns across Britain, however, the decline of the high street has stifled any meaningful efforts to rejuvenate the area, with traders fearing that the government cash injection has come “too late”.
The once-bustling market, according to local business owners, is now a “ghost town” – particularly in winter.
One trader who has operated in the area for 30 years explained: “We’ve had really dark times with crime up here, which has put people off.
“This area needs an injection of money, it is overdue. I don’t know whether it is too late. It comes down to policing and all that.”
David Lyons, 67, who runs Bloomin’ Lovely Florist with his sister Denise, says the Parade looks far different to how it did 30 years ago.
And soon, there will be even less variety on the high street, with the siblings admitting they have little option but to shut up shop.
“Our business rates are over £900 a month, and our rent is £5,000 for every three months,” David said.
“We are just losing money, we are desperate to get out now. Just before they went up, we were paying almost £400.”
Over at the notorious Fieldway estate, a poignant memorial is impossible to miss.
Trees are covered in boxing gloves in tribute to 20-year-old Bradley Hutchins, who was stabbed to death in 2023.
His attackers, Shane Canavan, 23, and his 29-year-old half-brother Joshua Langley were sentenced for his murder in December 2024.
Sadly, he is one of many victims who have lost their lives nearby in recent years, with five Croydon teenagers stabbed to death in 2021 at the peak of its knife epidemic.
In the years since, community leaders have come together to stem the bloodshed with various youth initiatives – and it is such neighbourhood spirit that gives some hope for the future.
Russell Knight, 30, said he understands why people might think the area is depressing. However, he loves how “tight-knit” the community is.
He said: “We had the a few years ago, that shook us a bit. Everyone stuck together.
He added: “We had the as well, we lost seven people from New Addington.
“Everyone came together. It is definitely tight-knit. I can’t wake up and come out without say hello to someone I know.
“Once you leave Addington, they say Addington don’t leave you. You have the troubles with the youths, but it is home.”
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said New Addington is a “proud community with a strong identity, active local groups and residents who care deeply about their area”.
They said the council is continuing to invest significantly in areas like Central Parade and Market Square, while “taking practical action on the issues that matter most to residents”, including “blitz cleans, enhanced estate cleaning, regular grass cutting, graffiti removal and a zero‑tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour”.
They added: “Uniformed Parkguard community safety officers are patrolling estates, the town centre and district centres, including New Addington, providing a visible presence and working with police, residents and businesses to deter antisocial behaviour.
“We will continue working with residents to build on the area’s strong community spirit and make New Addington a place everyone is proud to call home.”
Superintendent Luke Dillon, who leads policing in the local area, said: “Our neighbourhood policing teams are tackling anti-social behaviour and associated crime in New Addington.
“Crime in the area has fallen by five percent in the past two years and we are continuing to crack down on the offences that matter most to local people.
“We regularly have operations to target anti-social behaviour. Just in the last four weeks, we have undertaken operations specifically targeting e-bikes and similar offences which we know are a real concern locally. These have resulted in a number of arrests for dangerous driving.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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