Mitcham: Britannia Mall’s lack of lighting and beggars driving people away
Shoppers are being driven away from a Mitcham mall that’s so terrifying at night locals have dubbed it “scary Coles”. So why is it so bad?
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Locals, commuters who use the busy nearby train station and shopkeepers are calling for safety upgrades at Mitcham’s Britannia Mall, with many saying they go out of their way to avoid the area after dark.
People say they are being driven away from the shopping precinct in the family-friendly suburb in Melbourne’s east because of loiterers, beggars and a lack of lighting.
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The Coles supermarket between the mall and a multi-storey carpark has been given the nickname ‘Scary Coles’.
Mitcham’s Raymond Anthony is one of the shoppers who chooses to avoid the area after dark.
“Of an evening, I prefer to shop elsewhere,” he said.
“It’s just so badly lit.”
Mr Anthony said he had been “accosted” by homeless people and people who seemed to be drug affected “too many times”.
“I’ve been screamed at,” he said.
“I’m a tall, big guy, so I can’t imagine what it would be like for a smaller person or a female by herself or something like that.”
Sarah Aisbett said she also preferred to shop somewhere like Donvale or Blackburn to avoid the “terrible area”.
“I never go there after dark,” she said.
“The lighting is poor, people are not pleasant.”
People took to Whitehorse Leader’s Facebook page calling for safety improvements.
Many people said change was needed in the “very unsafe”, “creepy” spot.
Thuy Luong, who owns the cafe Jacqueline’s in Britannia Mall, said she thought more lighting was needed.
“It’s very dark when I leave,” she said.
Ms Luong said while she didn’t feel unsafe, she understood why others were concerned.
She said a lot of people had to walk through the mall in the dark to get from Mitcham station to their cars.
Ms Luong also said she had heard a lot of complaints about beggars and loiterers.
Mr Anthony said he and his friends joked Mitcham Coles was the “scary Coles”.
Mitcham’s Ben Frawley said his friend also called the supermarket “scary Coles” because of the “characters” who hung around nearby.
Mr Frawley, who runs Mitcham Community Meal, said suggested the area would be safer if more businesses in the mall were open in the evening, and suggested ambient lighting rather than floodlights to make it more of an enjoyable place to be.
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Only one business is open past 6pm in Britannia Mall, with most running as daytime cafes.
Forest Hill police Acting Senior Sergeant Andrew Rodwell said officers regularly patrolled Britannia Mall because it was a busy thoroughfare, but it was not a hotspot for crime.
CCTV vision of the mall is streamed live to the police station.
A Coles spokeswoman, who asked that her name not be published, said the company worked hard to ensure customers had a safe environment.
“We continue to work with local council and centre management to ensure we have the right security measures in place,” she said.
Whitehorse Council has been contacted for comment.
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