'Why change Chinatown?'

By Cindi John
BBC News community affairs reporter

The redevelopment of part of London's Chinatown could destroy the area's unique character, campaigners say. Community group Min Quan fears plans to revamp a key building in the Soho district will lead to increased rents which local firms cannot afford. Seventeen local business have already been given notice to quit. Two shop owners explain why the loss of their premises could spell disaster for their firms.

LESLIE NG, GOLDEN GATE GROCERY

Traders are fighting redevelopment plans

Our grocery has been in the Sandringham building since it was first opened in 1985.

The notice to quit was a big shock to me and my partner. We thought it would just be a case of re-negotiating our rent with the new owner who took over last year.

We are still looking for new premises but the worrying thing is we have about 30 employees, some of whom have been working for us for more than 10 years.

When you take into account the other 16 firms who are having to leave, you're talking about somewhere in the region of 250 people who might be unemployed next March.

We have no solid offer from the landlords of accommodation in the re-developed building. It seems we're up against big chain stores for space and there's no way we can compete with them.

We serve the community here, it's not high street department stores like in Oxford Street Leslie Ng

We've retained the character of the area with Chinese-orientated features and people love coming here to look around, have a meal in a Chinese restaurant and so on.

We sell the daily fresh ingredients to the restaurants, soya sauce and specially imported things. Even a lot of local English people love to come to Chinatown to have a good selection of stuff.

We serve the community here, it's not high street department stores like in Oxford Street. You can't change the character of Chinatown just like that.

FREDDY KOJMAN, CHINATOWN JEWELLERS

All the firms in a key Chinatown building have been told to leave

I've been in the Sandringham building for 15 years.

I helped to build my shop quite literally. It was a shell when me and my partner got it.

We were given a lease by Westminster Council, the freeholder, but we had to build everything from scratch - the walls, the floor and so on and we invested everything in the business.

We've worked hard since then and had started thinking that our future was secure but now it seems we are going to lose our livelihood just like that.

We haven't been offered alternative accommodation. We've been given compensation according to the law - nothing more.

The Chinese community is not opposed to progress and development but it should be hand-in-hand with the people Freddy Kojman

My business specialises in jade and Chinese jewellery and I have clients who come from all over Europe. But basically 80% of my business is with the Chinese community.

If we get the chance to relocate to another facility inside Chinatown we might be able to continue.

But we have 17 businesses who are leaving and all of them are looking for a new place to relocate.

Rents are already beginning to rise because landlords know there are a lot of businesses all looking for somewhere.

The Chinese community is not opposed to progress and development but it should be hand-in-hand with the
people.