Bery Cafe and Juliet Nails, 26 Brixton Station Road, London SW9 8PD.

Lason Duncen opened his shop 7 years ago.

Property prices across London continue to rise sharply and many historically poor areas, often inhabited by immigrants, are now seeing moves by property developers to 'gentrify' these areas and raise rents. Brixton in South London, which saw rioting and confrontations between mainly Afro-Caribbean youths and the police in the 1980s has become the next area picked for 'regeneration'. Victorian railway arches which have housed local independent shops for decades are now slated for redevelopment by Network Rail, a public sector body which administers railway infrastructure in Britain. Local residents and shop owners have launched a petition against the eviction notices they have received from Network Rail, claiming that the company wants to turn the properties over to chain stores which would destroy the local character of the area. Network Rail retorts that while rents will go up after the refurbishment which is expected to last for one year, it doesn't aim to attract 'identical chain stores' to Brixton.