FAMILIES say they are being forced out of their area by rich yuppies who don’t pay their own way.
Residents in Clapham Junction, South London, say a mass influx of students and young professionals with “financial help” has caused property prices to soar.
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It comes as Wandsworth Council is looking into extending the Northern Line citing congestion, overcrowding and accessibility issues at Clapham Junction station.
The local authority approved a pre-feasibility study earlier this year assessing the estimated costs, benefits and constraints of such a project.
Extending the Tube network would make the area more accessible, but families in the area say landlords are already having to build on top of shops just to meet demand for properties in the area.
Rittania Gayle, 41, who owns a charity shop, said Clapham Junction has “changed a lot” since she began working in the area eight years ago with clothing shops replaced by cafes and restaurants.
She told MyLondon: “Our landlord had flats above… now he’s done another storey.
“I’ve noticed a lot of the shops are getting extra storeys of flats so it’s a lot of renters now, less owners.”
Ms Gayle said there are now fewer families living in Clapham Junction due to rising prices, with some having opted to move out of the area completely.
She added: “It was busy because of the families, but now it’s busier because there’s a lot more younger students and a lot more young professionals coming and it’s like their meeting-up point. They meet at the station and they come.”
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Hettie Smith, 21, said the extension would likely attract more people to the area and drive up prices, but added that “money isn’t as big of an issue” for some in Clapham Junction.
She says many now moving to the area “definitely have financial help from their parents.”
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said: “Clapham Junction is a popular and vibrant part of the borough and home to people of all ages and backgrounds and from all walks of life. It is this mix which makes it such a wonderful place to live and to visit.
“The council wants to build upon that success and vibrancy by developing new and improved travel links and is undertaking a feasibility study to investigate bringing Northern line Tube services to the town centre.
“The council always welcomes feedback from residents as it looks to boost the area’s fortunes, its leisure and culture opportunities and its economic wellbeing.”
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