THE boss of one of Croydon's largest companies has welcomed the formation of a new group designed to ensure existing firms are not ignored in the rush to regenerate the town.
Mike Webb, chairman of Allianz Global Assistance, has sounded warnings that the company may be forced out of Croydon in the future if it cannot recruit more skilled staff locally or if moves to attract more businesses to the town fail.
But he said this week that the formation of the Croydon Occupiers Forum, a new voice for existing companies, will aid communication with the council and ensure their views are heard as new developments move forward.
Mr Webb said: "We hope that the occupiers of Croydon see the forum as a valuable way of working together for the benefit of the companies of Croydon and the people who work for them, the town centre itself and the inhabitants of the town.
"There are so many bodies making a huge effort to improve Croydon – such as Croydon Commitment, the BID and the Portas Pilot Scheme – and we are keen to make sure that what we do is complementary to their work.
"We want to encourage more companies to stay in Croydon and also more businesses to come here and restore its traditional position as London's back office."
Croydon Occupiers Forum is a joint initiative between the Develop Croydon Forum and the Croydon Business Improvement District (BID).
Its next meeting will be held in the late spring and anyone wishing to attend is asked to ring 020 8760 7968 or e-mail Natasha@developcroydonforum.com
