The loss of Oriental diversity (From Times Series)

The loss of Oriental diversity

11:20am Friday 26th September 2008

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Cultural diversity is an aspect very much at the core of the borough’s makeup.

Rarely do we hear of conflict between the communities or unrest amongst groups on religious or racial grounds.

It is refreshing working in a diverse environment where stories come from the different communities and do not arise because of them.

But the on going difficulties suffered by the displaced Oriental City traders is disappointing to report and worrying for the surrounding residents, many of whom have relied on the centre for employment.

Visiting the Colindale complex just weeks before it closed, I noticed little of the cultural buzz I had heard about, and many of the outlets had already become deserted.

There was just a slow trickle of visitors compared to the floods that used to pass through, and traders were suffering a downturn in sales well before the actual closer.

Their only glimmer of hope came in the fact they were assured of some form of temporary accommodation from which they could pitch their businesses until they could return to the redeveloped site.

Three months on, and in a climate of economic uncertainty, no progress has been made on the development and indeed, yet more delays have been announced regarding the final sale of the site.

It means the hundreds of traders are still in limbo which is leading to many families and businesses struggling for their future.

Oriental City’s reputation as “the real China Town” was built around the traditional community values exuded in every corner of the centre.

But with the continuing uncertainty, residents in the surrounding areas who were the pulse of the shops and restaurants, are unable to cope with the loss of trade, culminating in the claim this week that some fear “it will be lost forever”.

Mr Virdee, managing director of new buyers B&S homes, would be wise to ensure the previous occupants are relocated and still operating when the time comes to offer them a return. It would make the development far too unpopular in the community if it was seen to have been the reason why the complex was lost.

But with the property market moving so slowly in recent times, the focus for the developers is to complete the purchase before they can worry about any other impacts of the upheaval.

Many fear by then too many of the people and businesses who made Oriental City the cultural experience it was will have permanently settled somewhere else or have found market conditions too hard that they have folded.

The best that can be hoped for is a generic commercial outlet offering Oriental products within a modern housing estate. A far cry from the traditional city of diversity it once was.

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