- Target:
- Brent, London
- Region:
- United Kingdom
- Website:
- 399edgewareroad.wordpress.com
Since 1998, Oriental City (399 Edgeware Road, London) was the only indoor oriental shopping centre in the United Kingdom, home to specialist Far Eastern businesses, services and community facilities. Over the years, Oriental City became both a thriving business and a vibrant community. It was a focal point for people in the region, much like London Chinatown in Soho. Heads of States and Ambassadors joined ordinary people at the many Thai, Pilipino, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Asian festive, cultural and religious events at the Oriental City.
In 2006, Oriental City was then taken over by Development Securities plc and the Save Oriental City Campaign (SOCC) was set up in October 2006 by the Oriental City Tenant Association (OCTA). It successfully fought closure, but only until June 2008 after re-development planning had been approved by Brent Council .
Development Securities Planning Application
The planning application proposes demolition of the existing Oriental City building and replacement with an ambitious retail complex including a B&Q warehouse store, other bulk non-food stores, 500 residential flats located above the retail complex and a primary school. It also included a new Oriental City with no net loss of retail floor space.
However, Development Securities have made no serious attempt to carry out the plan, instead deciding to sell the site on at a huge profit. Economic downturn followed, the buyer defaulted and subsequent buyers have been turned down. Since 2008, the site has been derelict and the only move has been a recent application to extend the original planning application. This signals continuing dereliction of a once thriving business and community centre, whilst the interests of finance and local politics conspire against the interests of a local community.
Our Aims
OCTA seeks to restore Oriental City to its former position as a thriving business and vibrant community centre. This can be achieved through one of two means:
i) reopening of the current building
ii) immediate re-development taking account of small business and community needs
OCTA preserves the memory of a once thriving business and community centre and demands that this is restored.
We, the undersigned, call for a public inquiry into the continuing waste and injustice caused by the dereliction of the Oriental City site at 399 Edgeware Road. We demand that the needs of the local community, including former tenants, be heard. We demand that promises made over many months be honoured.
We demand that Oriental City be restored to its former position, as a thriving business and community centre.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Restore Oriental City petition to Brent, London was written by Denis Wong and is in the category City & Town Planning at GoPetition.