Why are so many town centres so shit?

[King Nuts]

We all know how local High Streets have been hollowed out in recent years by everyone shopping online, but it still doesn't totally explain how or why so many High Streets and town centres around the country have ended up being so dismal.

I was up in the centre of Altrincham, Cheshire a while back. What a contrast to most other town centres. it's fairly compact, with most of the smaller streets being pedestrianised, and on-street parking where they're not given over to pedestrian-only. Shops are a mixture of big chains and local independents, but with the chains in a minority. The former market place now has a mix of drinking and dining options and small retailers. Admittedly, it's a well-heeled neighbourhood with more than its share of ABC1s, but what's obvious is that the re-design and re-purposing of the centre of the town has been thought about, and planned. And it's a place people WANT to go to, and hang out in.

Compare and contrast with almost everywhere else. Pound shops, Costa Coffees and fruit machine arcades have taken over most other High Streets. Car  parks are poorly laid out and maintained, and piss-stained too. Ticket machines are incomprehensible, counter-intuitive and look like they've been created by two blind people working in separate rooms.

Who's to blame for this? Easy. Town planners and local councils. They COULD get it right, if they wanted to. But their primary purpose seems to be to rinse as many people and businesses as possible first, and then create something later.

[lamboman]

Who's to blame for this? Easy. Town planners and local councils. They COULD get it right, if they wanted to. But their primary purpose seems to be to rinse as many people and businesses as possible first, and then create something later.

Indeed very short sighted,Stratford uon Avon is not too far from me and I never go there I never even drive through it unless it's very early or late.
Roads are ridiculously over traffic lighted,parking is sparse and expensive and the rates so eye watering high there's no shops you'd want to visit anyway.
Things aren't quite so rosey now the Yanks and Japs are staying away either.

[sir wanksalot]

We all know how local High Streets have been hollowed out in recent years by everyone shopping online, but it still doesn't totally explain how or why so many High Streets and town centres around the country have ended up being so dismal.

I was up in the centre of Altrincham, Cheshire a while back. What a contrast to most other town centres. it's fairly compact, with most of the smaller streets being pedestrianised, and on-street parking where they're not given over to pedestrian-only. Shops are a mixture of big chains and local independents, but with the chains in a minority. The former market place now has a mix of drinking and dining options and small retailers. Admittedly, it's a well-heeled neighbourhood with more than its share of ABC1s, but what's obvious is that the re-design and re-purposing of the centre of the town has been thought about, and planned. And it's a place people WANT to go to, and hang out in.

Compare and contrast with almost everywhere else. Pound shops, Costa Coffees and fruit machine arcades have taken over most other High Streets. Car  parks are poorly laid out and maintained, and piss-stained too. Ticket machines are incomprehensible, counter-intuitive and look like they've been created by two blind people working in separate rooms.

Who's to blame for this? Easy. Town planners and local councils. They COULD get it right, if they wanted to. But their primary purpose seems to be to rinse as many people and businesses as possible first, and then create something later.

Good post.

Like most things there is not one single reason but yes Councils have to take their share of the blame.

With the advent of online shopping town centres failed to adapt and covered too large an area. If they reduced in size then we'd see less empty shops.

Another problem is "land banking" by greedy developers. Many units remain empty for years with landlords refusing to lower the rent. You'd have to go down a rabbit hole to understand what is going on but I can assure you that something IS going on and this has a direct impact on the retail landscape in a town.

It isn't just here though. The United States have a similar trend. Main Street is fast disappearing which makes me thing that maybe local councils are not that much to blame

[JontyR]

Why would you go to a town centre where you have to pay to park a good way away from the shop you wish to visit, be accosted by chuggers and beggars and may not get what you want anyway? Compare that to an out of town retail park or online.

I used pre pandemic go into Birmingham quite a bit. Normally for work and then coupled with making the most of the opportunity. Now with the clean air charge I actively don't go in at all. 

[lillythesavage]

You have answered your own question in describing the town you have,

On street parking and only partly pedestrian only.

If you are going shopping, not online, you go where you can park, so you can get your shopping home easily and relaxed doing so, hopefully.

Local authorities have milked on street parking to the max, while selling off car parks for building and forever increasing rates on shops. Brownfield shopping areas with parking have popped up everywhere on the back of it and are thriving.

Pedestrian only places have become home to street drinkers, beggars, and low level criminals, well the ones I know have.

There are a few like you mention in Essex, have a bit of life about them, decent shops, cafes and bars, quite pleasant for a quick shop and a refresh, but they are nothing like high streets of old.

[Pillowtalk]

I think part of the answer is also that there are simply too many shops for any given area - every office or flat development has a few shops underneath, plus out of town shopping too. An area can only support so many shops.

Another factor rarely mentioned is that housing units are getting smaller year by year, so people have less space for 'stuff', hence to growth of experience shopping/gifts.

[ulstersubbie]

There are a few like you mention in Essex, have a bit of life about them, decent shops, cafes and bars, quite pleasant for a quick shop and a refresh, but they are nothing like high streets of old.

Not Basildon however, you know things are really bad when the only decent boozer in the town centre is a Wetherspoons.

[lillythesavage]

Not Basildon however, you know things are really bad when the only decent boozer in the town centre is a Wetherspoons.

No not Basildon  ,  in fact nowhere on the A!3 corridor. 

[finn5555]

I had the misfortune of being in Portsmouth last week, drove to look at a property and must say Southsea High Street, Portsmouth is a complete shithole 

[King Nuts]

Pedestrian only places have become home to street drinkers, beggars, and low level criminals, well the ones I know have.

This is another point. Beggars and street drinkers can be moved on, if the local Fuzz and the council have the will to do it. Trouble is, half of them don't.

There's a parallel here with housing. People always think 1960s concrete 'brutalist' housing estates are awful, crime-ridden, piss-stained, graffiti-fied nightmares to live in, but that's only because the locals and local councils have given up on them.

The Barbican estate in central London isn't like that at all. It's extremely well maintained and is kept clean and litter-free, and property prices there are suitably stratospheric. I used to have a flat there, and I'd go back in a heartbeat, if I could afford to. Which I can't.


 

[lillythesavage]

This is another point. Beggars and street drinkers can be moved on, if the local Fuzz and the council have the will to do it. Trouble is, half of them don't.

There's a parallel here with housing. People always think 1960s concrete 'brutalist' housing estates are awful, crime-ridden, piss-stained, graffiti-fied nightmares to live in, but that's only because the locals and local councils have given up on them.

The Barbican estate in central London isn't like that at all. It's extremely well maintained and is kept clean and litter-free, and property prices there are suitably stratospheric. I used to have a flat there, and I'd go back in a heartbeat, if I could afford to. Which I can't.

They know where they are, shoplifting and bag dipping is a small price to pay to keep them being chased around the streets.

Councils are breeding grounds of skivers who only have interest in the salary, no pride in the job or the places they are paid to maintain.

My mate drives a Refuse truck, works less than 3.5 hours a day, and every day he is offered overtime, @ full salary plus 50%, not just time and a half, despite not working the hours he is contracted for.

His day starts at 7, 30 mins on vehicle checks, about 2.5 hours on the round, another 30/45 minute break, back to depot, tip off, park, in the car by 11.30 am. He never does it, but is offered another round, for which he is paid time and a half on top of salary.

It is the same for all council workers, none have any pride or work the hours they are paid for. and nobody cares, just keep moaning they cannot afford anything.

[Genesis42777]

We all know how local High Streets have been hollowed out in recent years by everyone shopping online, but it still doesn't totally explain how or why so many High Streets and town centres around the country have ended up being so dismal.

I was up in the centre of Altrincham, Cheshire a while back. What a contrast to most other town centres. it's fairly compact, with most of the smaller streets being pedestrianised, and on-street parking where they're not given over to pedestrian-only. Shops are a mixture of big chains and local independents, but with the chains in a minority. The former market place now has a mix of drinking and dining options and small retailers. Admittedly, it's a well-heeled neighbourhood with more than its share of ABC1s, but what's obvious is that the re-design and re-purposing of the centre of the town has been thought about, and planned. And it's a place people WANT to go to, and hang out in.

Compare and contrast with almost everywhere else. Pound shops, Costa Coffees and fruit machine arcades have taken over most other High Streets. Car  parks are poorly laid out and maintained, and piss-stained too. Ticket machines are incomprehensible, counter-intuitive and look like they've been created by two blind people working in separate rooms.

Who's to blame for this? Easy. Town planners and local councils. They COULD get it right, if they wanted to. But their primary purpose seems to be to rinse as many people and businesses as possible first, and then create something later.

It all comes down to "Market-Capacity" as you say Altrincham is very well heeled
And therefor will attract big brand stores and fine dining restaurants,as other towns will only attract poundland,pound bakery,and betting shops its simple economics at the end of the day..Company's will only invest were there is a suitable market for them..

Regards G 

[standardpostage]

Reasons = 1, on-line shopping,
                2, out of town shopping centres and supermarkets,
                3, extortionate rents and rates,
                4, have to pay to park,
                5, gestapo like traffic wardens,
                6, yellow lines everywhere,
                7, bus only lanes and roads,
                8, CCTV cameras to catch and fine every motoring error,
                9, motorist treated like a cash cow,
                10, too many charity shops,
                11, too many beggars.

Good points = Eye candy in summer (sometimes). Nice pubs (sometimes). Library,s (free books to borrow). Good cafes (occasionally). Bus stations.

[finn5555]

Reasons = 1, on-line shopping,
                2, out of town shopping centres and supermarkets,
                3, extortionate rents and rates,
                4, have to pay to park,
                5, gestapo like traffic wardens,
                6, yellow lines everywhere,
                7, bus only lanes and roads,
                8, CCTV cameras to catch and fine every motoring error,
                9, motorist treated like a cash cow,
                10, too many charity shops,
                11, too many beggars.

Good points = Eye candy in summer (sometimes). Nice pubs (sometimes). Library,s (free books to borrow). Good cafes (occasionally). Bus stations.

you forget 12. Costa shop around every corner 

[sir wanksalot]

And yes, street beggars makes the town centre look like a slum.

If anyone has visited Manchester lately you will see that it's everywhere. Before, druggies and people associated from that culture would live in the shadows of our society but now town centres are where they spend their "leisure" time.

I live not far from Manchester and wondering if other towns in the UK also have a plague of street beggars positioned on every traffic light junction around the town centre.

When I walk through my town centre it is a genuinely depressing experience. There's not much reason to go there anymore.

One culprit that often gets overlooked is the supermarket. They have quietly creeped into every aspect of retail life.

Booze used to be at an off licence.
Newspapers at a newsagents.
Meat at a butchers
DVD's/CD's at a record shop

They have grabbed market share from every small independant shop

[ulstersubbie]

And yes, street beggars makes the town centre look like a slum.

If anyone has visited Manchester lately you will see that it's everywhere. Before, druggies and people associated from that culture would live in the shadows of our society but now town centres are where they spend their "leisure" time.

I live not far from Manchester and wondering if other towns in the UK also have a plague of street beggars positioned on every traffic light junction around the town centre.

When I walk through my town centre it is a genuinely depressing experience. There's not much reason to go there anymore.

I lived in Manchester for nearly ten years, a city I really enjoyed especially the BDSM scene. Let's be honest though, most of Greater Manchester is dire, Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne and so forth.

The Troubles spared Belfast of a lot of the societal issues (that plagued the mainland), and the presence of paramilitary groups added an extra deterrent. Belfast today is like any other city in the UK, the same issues and no viable solutions. Town centres are finished to a large extent for all the reasons other posters have suggested.

[catweazle]

And yes, street beggars makes the town centre look like a slum.

There's a guy loiters around the pedestrian  exit from a multi storey car park near me. He's begging, - or rather, he's begging  some of the  time, as much of his day is spent looking at his iPhone. 

[radioman33]

The nicer areas still have decent high streets (in Essex)beggars are in all of them annoying people constantly,Southend is full of mobile repair shops,bookies,and M&S keeps it going.People still want to go and walk around the town,online buying maybe cheaper but people like to get out even more now after lockdowns.

[lillythesavage]

I lived in Manchester for nearly ten years, a city I really enjoyed especially the BDSM scene. Let's be honest though, most of Greater Manchester is dire, Oldham, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne and so forth.

The Troubles spared Belfast of a lot of the societal issues (that plagued the mainland), and the presence of paramilitary groups added an extra deterrent. Belfast today is like any other city in the UK, the same issues and no viable solutions. Town centres are finished to a large extent for all the reasons other posters have suggested.

I was born into a bomb site Traveller camp in Essex, then moved to East Ham, then a London suburb really, lived in by dockers, factory workers and Ford workers, a fantastic place with neatly painted houses , privet hedges, tree lined streets, brilliant high street, and immaculate parks, not to mention great pubs, live music in a few of them, some great bands played the Ruskin Arms, and the Bridgehouse too.

What a shit hole it is now, I was working the truck on demo and clearance on Upton Park, got there early one morning and took the mutt for a walk around green street market area, the litter, piled up black bags, dumped furniture and the stink of piss was revolting.

Remember park keepers? , on bikes in uniform who loved the park they worked in, kids could play alone safely, now what have we got, cunts sleeping in 3.5 tonne trucks

[Yankee41]

Guildford high street has been in decline for well on 5 years.  When the council waved parking fees for a few months during covid i had never seen the place so busy, even pre pandemic.  A week after they put fees on again it was dead again. 
The council claimed they removed fees to try to get people to visit the high street but later added that was only partially true and they actually didnt have any wardens to issues fines so they waived parking fees and billed it as helping high street.  You could still get fines in automated parking garages though .

[radioman33]

High streets were lovely in the 1980s now they are just depressing.

[suttonporksword]

Beggars are a symptom of society and how we treat people on need of support for various reasons - usually stereotyped as drugs. Local centres have been ignored for decades, no long term plans. Business rates going to central government put local authorities in trouble. Agree about developers sitting on brownfield sites
 Where is the incentive to build new developments hand over fist and then drive the market price down? With retail park and online shopping the general choice centres need to reinvent themselves as places for socialising and leisure and I dont just mean pubs and bars. Developers need incentives and local authorities given more powers and funding.  Even if this was the case I cant see town and local centres recovering it's too far gone already

[suttonporksword]

Plus without regional government, unlike most european countries there is competition between locations. My town centre is dying or close to dead..5 miles away in an adjacent authority a massive retail park is growing by the year

[lillythesavage]

Guildford high street has been in decline for well on 5 years.  When the council waved parking fees for a few months during covid i had never seen the place so busy, even pre pandemic.  A week after they put fees on again it was dead again. 
The council claimed they removed fees to try to get people to visit the high street but later added that was only partially true and they actually didnt have any wardens to issues fines so they waived parking fees and billed it as helping high street.  You could still get fines in automated parking garages though .

A point I made at the beginning, parking is the major reason for high street decline.

Councils are run as large companies, with CEO,s and see residents as cash cows, they do not care about the streets or whether the workforce actually work, as long as money keeps flowing in and brown envelopes keep coming. Crooked the lot of them 

Watch all the roadworks starting soon, the contractors charge them fortunes, because they are all busy, but they are happy with that, it means they can spend all the money they have not spent all year, and claim all they can from Govt, Same every year, and the brown envelopes will be flowing from contractors.

[sir wanksalot]

Beggars are a symptom of society and how we treat people on need of support for various reasons - usually stereotyped as drugs. Local centres have been ignored for decades, no long term plans. Business rates going to central government put local authorities in trouble. Agree about developers sitting on brownfield sites
 Where is the incentive to build new developments hand over fist and then drive the market price down? With retail park and online shopping the general choice centres need to reinvent themselves as places for socialising and leisure and I dont just mean pubs and bars. Developers need incentives and local authorities given more powers and funding.  Even if this was the case I cant see town and local centres recovering it's too far gone already

They are actually getting support (benefits) and begging. I'm presuming you're not saying that begging is their official form of employment?

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.......chances are it's a duck. They are stereotyped as druggies as the vast majority of them are. They work in shifts around my way. One cheeky blighter even has a folding chair he sits in when the traffic lights are on greem 

[golden bull]

They are actually getting support (benefits) and begging. I'm presuming you're not saying that begging is their official form of employment?

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.......chances are it's a duck. They are stereotyped as druggies as the vast majority of them are. They work in shifts around my way. One cheeky blighter even has a folding chair he sits in when the traffic lights are on greem 

I did a Good Samaritan thing once and bought a KFC for one and the bitch gave me abuse for not getting her the chicken breast the fucking bitch.
Saw her a few days later rolling on the floor , screaming and off her head and shook my head as I walked by.
Some are in need of social care, not in the streets begging and some are chancers , professional beggars but you can usually tell the difference.

[NelsonH]

Everything in Britain is worn out or broken. Everything is done on the cheap.

The new towns are 50 years old and falling to bits. All of them, all at once because nobody did any renewals.

If it still works it's Victorian.

The 13A plug tells you all you need to know about the failure of Britain.

[GingerNuts]

Everything in Britain is worn out or broken. Everything is done on the cheap.

The new towns are 50 years old and falling to bits. All of them, all at once because nobody did any renewals.

If it still works it's Victorian.

The 13A plug tells you all you need to know about the failure of Britain.

Go on then, why does the 13A plug tell me all I need to know about the failure of britain?

[sparkus]

It's easy to knock politicians and officials for their past choices but in the 50s and 60s it was a fair assumption that town centres needed to serve the needs of the breadwinner motorist rather than people on trams (now gone) and buses.  In the 80s the government prioritised new out of town malls over the high street and more recently they've made it clear they see town centres for living in rather than shopping in.  Even the "affluent South East" has high levels of retail vacancies on high streets and those 1980s retail parks are now pretty soul-less and dated.  If you step out of the South East then it's all betting shops and charity shops, though obviously I'm not going to complain about Chinese rub and tug shops!

If you visit Europe then most city centres not only have decent tram networks but plenty of open functional space surrounded by historic buildings.

[sparkus]

I was born into a bomb site Traveller camp in Essex, then moved to East Ham, then a London suburb really, lived in by dockers, factory workers and Ford workers, a fantastic place with neatly painted houses , privet hedges, tree lined streets, brilliant high street, and immaculate parks, not to mention great pubs, live music in a few of them, some great bands played the Ruskin Arms, and the Bridgehouse too.

What a shit hole it is now, I was working the truck on demo and clearance on Upton Park, got there early one morning and took the mutt for a walk around green street market area, the litter, piled up black bags, dumped furniture and the stink of piss was revolting.

Remember park keepers? , on bikes in uniform who loved the park they worked in, kids could play alone safely, now what have we got, cunts sleeping in 3.5 tonne trucks

Green Street did have the One Pound Fish man, plus that shit film with Frodo in it.  Plenty of brothels around there.

Despite all the new flats Canning Town remains an absolute shithole.

[lillythesavage]

It's easy to knock politicians and officials for their past choices but in the 50s and 60s it was a fair assumption that town centres needed to serve the needs of the breadwinner motorist rather than people on trams (now gone) and buses.  In the 80s the government prioritised new out of town malls over the high street and more recently they've made it clear they see town centres for living in rather than shopping in.  Even the "affluent South East" has high levels of retail vacancies on high streets and those 1980s retail parks are now pretty soul-less and dated.  If you step out of the South East then it's all betting shops and charity shops, though obviously I'm not going to complain about Chinese rub and tug shops!

If you visit Europe then most city centres not only have decent tram networks but plenty of open functional space surrounded by historic buildings.

That they do, but none treat the motorist like a criminal, I am thinking of Athens, worked there several times, stayed way outside and drove in, could park free of charge anywhere I went, there were no speed cameras, but also a good metro and trams, though you saw plenty of motorbike cops, they were not holding hair dryers or hassling motorists at all, and no one drives within speed limits unless traffic dictates it.

[sparkus]

That they do, but none treat the motorist like a criminal, I am thinking of Athens, worked there several times, stayed way outside and drove in, could park free of charge anywhere I went, there were no speed cameras, but also a good metro and trams, though you saw plenty of motorbike cops, they were not holding hair dryers or hassling motorists at all, and no one drives within speed limits unless traffic dictates it.

What amazes me is when you see stuff from the 1980s and you could literally park anywhere in London - the central part of Whitehall was all parking metered.  'Tales of the Unexpected' the other night the bloke rocks up in the middle of Soho and parks his car at a meter outside a theatre.

[lillythesavage]

What amazes me is when you see stuff from the 1980s and you could literally park anywhere in London - the central part of Whitehall was all parking metered.  'Tales of the Unexpected' the other night the bloke rocks up in the middle of Soho and parks his car at a meter outside a theatre.

Not too many years ago I  would book theatre tickets regularly, drive in and never have a problem parking, once for panto at the Palladium my Bro in law thought I was nuts driving in, he is from Dublin, but was amazed when I parked less than 10 yards from the door.

I will not do it anymore though, traffic is murder, CC and I am fucked if I am getting dressed up and going by train and tube, then rushing my post show beer for the last train out.

I cannot be the only one.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Despite living near  it Cambridge still looks quite pretty thanks only to the Uni buildings, its not much cop for shopping in, car parks are an arm and a leg. We have the stupidly named "Grand Arcade" which they should have built out of town, silly buggers!, its also next to the Lion yard, a dismal 70's shopping centre.

Thank fuck the decent buildings have got listed status on them!, even the otherwise beautiful Kings college chapel has these awfull adorments in the street  in case someone might want to attack it or blow it up!..

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[Watts.E.Dunn]

Not too many years ago I  would book theatre tickets regularly, drive in and never have a problem parking, once for panto at the Palladium my Bro in law thought I was nuts driving in, he is from Dublin, but was amazed when I parked less than 10 yards from the door.

I will not do it anymore though, traffic is murder, CC and I am fucked if I am getting dressed up and going by train and tube, then rushing my post show beer for the last train out.

I cannot be the only one.

Your not at all mate! Once upon a time i could drive to London park outside chelsea cloisters have a good time there and drive home.

Now it'd be the ULEZ charge and congestion charge and fuck the train and tube for that too!..

[Colston36]

They are actually getting support (benefits) and begging. I'm presuming you're not saying that begging is their official form of employment?

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.......chances are it's a duck. They are stereotyped as druggies as the vast majority of them are. They work in shifts around my way. One cheeky blighter even has a folding chair he sits in when the traffic lights are on greem 

An immense number of problems have been caused by drugs, And what is the reason? The insane American inspired "War on Drugs" which we tamely follow, like do many other stupid ideas from there - like fast food, which has made us the fattest country in Europe,

It's 100 years since the US started their failed Prohibition experiment - but they have learned nothing from its failure and we copy them. One country hasn't, though. Portugal had a dreadful drugs problem - till they legalised. Result? No revenue for criminals. No drugs problem. And guess what? That was the position here until we made drugs illegal.

[sparkus]

Despite living near  it Cambridge still looks quite pretty thanks only to the Uni buildings, its not much cop for shopping in, car parks are an arm and a leg. We have the stupidly named "Grand Arcade" which they should have built out of town, silly buggers!, its also next to the Lion yard, a dismal 70's shopping centre.

Thank fuck the decent buildings have got listed status on them!, even the otherwise beautiful Kings college chapel has these awfull adorments in the street  in case someone might want to attack it or blow it up!..

External Link/Members Only

I visit Cambridge a fair bit (sadly unable to punt there) and I can honestly say that aesthetically you're luckier than you imagine compared to someone living in say Blackburn or Bacup.  Even the shit buildings are an improvement on the best in some places.

I'd never been to Peterborough before until recently and I was actually impressed with some of the historic buildings, until you get to the back end of the city centre and it suddenly becomes grim.

[lamboman]

Go on then, why does the 13A plug tell me all I need to know about the failure of britain?

It should have been 14A much better.

[sparkus]

An immense number of problems have been caused by drugs, And what is the reason? The insane American inspired "War on Drugs" which we tamely follow, like do many other stupid ideas from there - like fast food, which has made us the fattest country in Europe,

It's 100 years since the US started their failed Prohibition experiment - but they have learned nothing from its failure and we copy them. One country hasn't, though. Portugal had a dreadful drugs problem - till they legalised. Result? No revenue for criminals. No drugs problem. And guess what? That was the position here until we made drugs illegal.

Exactly this.

Heroin was primarily a clinical drug which could be prescribed on the NHS until the 1960s, most addicts were found among educated drop-out types.  It's easy to forget that rapid deindustrialisation (unemployment) and the restriction of supply to dealers saw British society degenerate to not far off Robocop in the 80s (not to mention the accompanying AIDS from dirty needles).

It's no coincidence that apeing the Yanks and their worst excesses crept in around the same time, though this was because they had mass appeal among the general populace.  Thatcherism wasn't the homespun intellectual project it's made out to be, it was just implementing policies dreamt up on the edges of the US Republican Party.

[hornypunter]

High streets were lovely in the 1980s now they are just depressing.

Agree, I see too many with derelict and empty properties,the answer is probably large scale demolition in some cases. With new shopping centres in some cities and towns built over the years town centres have become too spread out.

[sir wanksalot]

Go on then, why does the 13A plug tell me all I need to know about the failure of britain?

  He still hasn't told us has he?

I'm loathe to google it

[Pillowtalk]

The nicer areas still have decent high streets (in Essex)beggars are in all of them annoying people constantly,Southend is full of mobile repair shops,bookies,and M&S keeps it going.People still want to go and walk around the town,online buying maybe cheaper but people like to get out even more now after lockdowns.

I’ve been around Essex quite a bit lately and must say for a populous county it has barely any decent high streets. Saffron Walden is probably the most attractive, Chelmsford the most functional, Brentwood could be ok, Colchester is full of druggies, Southend, Basildon and all points in the south off the county need knocking down. The smaller places - Maldon Braintree Witham Frinton - full of charity shops. Clacton is desperate.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Essex has got Thaxted and that ever so quaint Guildhall:)

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[JamesKW]

My town centre seems rundown,but this has always been the case since the 70s.There are a lot of empty shops but the town centre is three times the size it was in the 80s and we have more facilities such as a leisure centre ,bowling,ten screen cinemas etc which we used to have to travel for.

[JamesKW]

It's 100 years since the US started their failed Prohibition experiment - but they have learned nothing from its failure and we copy them. One country hasn't, though. Portugal had a dreadful drugs problem - till they legalised. Result? No revenue for criminals. No drugs problem. And guess what? That was the position here until we made drugs illegal.

There maybe a war on drugs in this country but it is very half hearted,its a bit like our war on prossies,drug taking has always been very common in nightclubs since at least the 70s (maybe the more underground ones than chain ones)

[JamesKW]

No not Basildon  ,  in fact nowhere on the A!3 corridor. 

Basildon town centre looks better now than it did in the 70s.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Basildon town centre looks better now than it did in the 70s.

Did someone drop a bomb on it then;?...

[radioman33]

Basildon town centre looks better now than it did in the 70s.

I went there recently,Louise massage is nearby,there used to be a big fountain area in the 70s that’s gone I think?M&S closed aswell.The bus station area has good cafe.

[Pillowtalk]

Basildon town centre looks better now than it did in the 70s.

I used to do a lot of work ion Eastern Europe - Basildon reminds me of some of the poorer Eastern European towns I visited. Utterly depressing, very slightly threatening (goodness knows what it's like at night), and decaying rapidly. Interestingly, I know there is a lot of well paid jobs in Basildon - I assume those who have them live elsewhere.

[lillythesavage]

I used to do a lot of work ion Eastern Europe - Basildon reminds me of some of the poorer Eastern European towns I visited. Utterly depressing, very slightly threatening (goodness knows what it's like at night), and decaying rapidly. Interestingly, I know there is a lot of well paid jobs in Basildon - I assume those who have them live elsewhere.

I have friends who live in Basildon, or rather did, recently moved home with a big profit on the house, and it is not bad at all, being local to the hospital saved his life when he had a heart attack, it was the right hospital.