Why does the UK stop caring for its surroundings?

[Nutmuncher]

As a frequent visitor to my local city I’ve seen the last few years of rapid growth and development of the city centre, lots of huge new spaces and public domains have been created, lovely planters etc. It seems though that once the things are built that’s it, they’re just left to rot away and no one seems to care for them.

There’s a glass bridge near the Cathedral for example which must be around 10 years old, the glass has probably never been cleaned covered in algae, the pavements covered in gum, graffiti and litter on either side of it. It perhaps gets the occasional stop by a street cleaner but no proper cleaning.

Surely there’s a role for a team of people to clean public spaces regularly, like actually going around scraping stickers off lamp posts, removing graffiti, replanting planters? Why do we just build things then leave them unkept to rot away? It would have a huge impact on the feel and aesthetics of our surroundings yet is so far down the priority list nothing gets done.

I've worked with Community Payback teams. My old employer used to have them in to do some jobs. It's actually really hard to find work for them because the quality of the work can be pretty poor, and you have to have, well offenders, on the premises.

This is not true, in my experience. A lot of the messier people I know are also the ones who are environmentally aware, pick up litter, love maintaining wild places, value natural beauty. I am certainly like this: not particularly into having a vacuumed house, but constantly picking up rubbish outside.

I watched some Community Payback people a while back. They were painting railings around some shrubbery on a verge. The whole area was covered in litter and remains so to this day. The paintwork looks nice, I guess.

Where I live if you see an issue, you report it online, submit a photo as supporting evidence, the council will assess and it will then be dealt with as required.

There was some smashed glass on a central route, in fact very close to the Council offices. I walked past it for weeks and then actually looked at it one day, decided I was fed up with seeing it and reported it online. It was cleaned up by the Council the following day.

This glass would have been walked past by thousands of people who chose to ignore it. I include myself in this but after years of reporting issues I'm weary of feeling like I'm one of the few proactive ones in the area who actually cares.

Once upon a time these areas would have been cared for by someone who was paid to do it as part of their job. Now there's no money for these maintenance roles so Councils rely upon individuals caring enough about their area to make it their issue.

The roadside litter makes my blood boil. It needs to be policed and fined.
Many places are inaccessible for clearing and even if they were what a waste for resources to keep cleaning when people’s attitudes are not changing.

Money is no excuse. We are shelling out an eye watering amount in welfare for many people to sit on their arses. They should be contributing to society in return. As a country we’ve lost all sense of personal pride and shame.

Hm, it’s very true in my experience. All the people I know who care about their homes are the same
people who volunteer, litter pick, pick up other dogs’ poo and generally give a shit about their towns.

Yes, people don’t see point in education and theres no aspiration if they (their parents) already get given what they need for nothing. It’s the country’s biggest issue.

Hm, it does in my circle of friends and family. I’m in and out of peoples homes all day for work and I would say it’s true in about 95% of cases.

I’m not saying that only people who vacuum daily pick up litter but I do think it’s true that if you care about your home and where you live, you’re more likely to make the effort to keep your town and street clean and tidy as well.

Do people really think it’s only uneducated people on benefits who litter?

I’m not saying that only people who vacuum daily pick up litter but I do think it’s true that if you care about your home and where you live

But why does not vacuuming daily equal not caring about your home?

I didn’t say it did (or at least, that’s not what I meant to imply).

But generally people who make an effort to keep their homes clean and tidy are the ones who will make an effort in their towns and communities.

Interestingly, they start caring when the fines start dropping through their letterboxes. Our nearest village had a problem with littering a couple of years ago on a back lane. A couple of carefully placed cameras with footage sent to the council by the village committee soon solved the problem once word got around.

I have the messiest house in my village and I am also the person most likely to pick up other people's dog's shit.

I care about my home- it is just not particularly vacuumed. It is full of plants, artwork, things I have picked up on my travels, and it is messy. A lot of the people I know who are extremely clean and tidy, are also the people who are attached to the idea that they care for things that belong to them, and do nothing for the general good, unless perhaps it is an organised enterprise. If we are doing a bit of lazy stereotyping... I am observing that aging hippy, vegetarian, artist, liberals, people who are often very socially conscious and very likely to pick up rubbish on a walk, are not necessarily tidy at home.

However, this is a kind of silly angle on the conversation, so I will shut up now.

I mean, I’m not saying it holds true for everyone, just that it definitely reflects my experience.

I also knew it wouldn’t go down well and that lots of people would disagree with me 🤣

Not everyone has lost that, but it is a shame.

As I get older, the more things come around again

Thatchers ran a clean up Britain anti litter campaign in the 80s

20 years later this article asks what happened to this campaign

Whatever happened to cleaning up Britain? | Iain Hollingshead | The Guardian https://share.google/E1sCvUDlY1dQL3xGY

Id say things were better for a while after the campaign. But it didn't last

Now in 2026, things are the same or worse

Absolutely not, littering unfortunately is done by the ‘Entitled class’, a demographic which transcends financial status.

Civic pride is disappearing at an alarming rate which is maddening because everyone benefits when places look neat and tidy. It’s sad that so many young people are actually accustomed to this reality, they know no different, they’re never seen their town centre fresh and clean.

For any media lurkers- Perhaps an idea for a tv show or TikTok account where streets are simply cleaned up and the residents are encouraged to participate? It could even work for town centres- jet washing pavements, removing graffiti, tidying planters, litter picking etc. the before and after shots might prompt others to take action themselves?

Because there's no actual money to pay them with?

Don't forget that the Tories massively reduced the money that the Government gives to councils too.

Most councils state that their key issue is spend on SEND and social care.

Our council tax goes up by the maximum amount each year, but it's spent on social care and there's nothing left for maintenance other than essential safety repairs on things. The litter is building up and everywhere looks scruffy. I don't think individuals care any longer though as people's gardens and front areas are neglected too.

I think PP is saying they should have to earn their benefits by litter picking etc

Yes, but they've now got less money to spend on that. And on everything else too.

Thanks to government underfunding.

Labour are redistributing funds in favour of poorer councils (reversing a Tory policy from around 2010 IIRC), but as yet no more money for local authorities overall.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgq7yvy1ke9o