What do you think is the worst city centre in the UK and why?

[OneLilacHedgehog]

So many cities have gone downhill since COVID. But which is the worst?

Whether that matters depends on whether you believe conversation about opinions is a stark binary of correct/incorrect statements or a more nuanced process to understand and learn about others’ views I guess

We once considered moving to Corby, depending on a potential job opportunity, but neither the job nor the move to Corby would have worked out. I agree that it just has a real sense of foreboding, especially in the town centre.

It's probably just me reading into it, but I wonder whether the toxic waste from the steelworks scandal had more lasting effects than were originally obvious?

It is kind of cool that they have their own Highland Games, though; and hey, the trouser press is iconic!!

Not everywhere tyles themselves with that exact same slogan, but they normally find something positive to declare; you're hardly going to find anywhere with signs announcing that they're a shite city, are you?!

That's what I was wondering!

Pedantry.

Obvious dog-whistle racism from anyone claiming a British city centre is "like a Third World country." No it isn't.

I honestly don't think Truro has changed that much in about 25 years. It's mostly dull, functional, and uninspiring- but has been so for as long as I've known it. Lemon Quay is a windswept desert but I suppose it has plenty of markets, there are some nice little shops down the side of the cathedral, there's the Old Bakery Studios as a venue and Hall for Cornwall for big events. A couple of nice parks and some pleasant enough Victorian housing. The only thing I can think of that's changed is that L2 nightclub isn't there any more, but that has to count as an improvement. The Cornwall Museum is nice though.

No I don’t either, but we still have a range of independent shops.I also buy secondhand.

But ‘we’ in the larger sense must do, otherwise we would still have thriving city/town centres and high streets, full of a range of shops and more importantly shoppers.
Many places I’ve visited in Europe have thriving high streets, unlike the UK.

There was a thread recently on here where PP’s were very much saying that online is customer choice, why bother going to a shop, shops and the high street will never return etc.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5572454-aibu-to-ask-why-french-high-streets-seem-to-thrive?flipped=1&page=1

Because criticising somewhere like Maidenhead or Slough for their city centres is pointless. They don't have city centres. It's that simple.
You could say they were shit seaside resorts and that would be pointless too.

I'm in London and a lot central and Southern areas I'm in are doing well overall but you do see people like this. I feel sorry and want them to be helped, but it's reasonable to still be scared. Mentally ill/drugged people can be dangerous to themselves and others : look at that woman in Covent Garden this year who stabbed 4 men with scissors. Luckily she wasn't strong and did little damage but still an awful experience.

Without getting drawn into any city/town pointless pedantry...
I use to regularly visit Banbury and Cheadle before covid and both of them have gone sadly downhill. They both had healthy high streets with not just chains big many independent shops and cafes/restaurants. Since covid there are multiple empty units, closing down notices, and almost all of the empty units were the independent stores, leaving the huge chains which could weather the covid storms.

It's not just covid - there are multiple other factors at play, it would be simplistic to the point of absurdity to blame the decline in many towns and cities on just one event.
Brexit led to higher costs for many businesses
Covid crippled a lot of hospitality in particular any many independent places went under
People got used to shopping online and continued to do so
A lot of people prefer to shop at retail parks where they can park for free
Out of town shopping malls also have a lot to answer for

And in terms of people begging, sleeping rough, street drinkers and addicts etc - services to support these people have been cut to the bone by a succession of government policies, and sadly given the gigantic hole in the UK finances I can't see meaningful change happening on that front soon.

What I have seen though in some areas is a sort of resurgence of very local areas that are doing well. Eg Sheffield City Centre is rough as a badgers arse these days, but eccleshall Rd, Sharrow and Crookes are still thriving. In London, Sutton High Street has very few empty units, it's got a bit of an edge at night mind. In Fulham, north end road and Fulham Broadway are doing well from what I can see.

Perhaps we're moving away from city centres and towards more localised areas of growth?

We went to Cardigan Bay on holiday at Easter and were quite taken aback by Aberystwyth. I thought it would be like St Andrews - on the coast, far removed from other cities/big towns, important university. I was not prepared for the reality!

Interesting, I really liked Manchester - Gay village area - and I was only there 48 hours. Hated Liverpool, but that was 16 years ago - very high levels of poverty.

I love Bath, Exeter and London… I do love Bristol but hate driving into it.

I love Manchester. I’ll nominate Nottingham as the worst, as they are the only city to ban face coverings, apart from for health or religious reasons.

Surely that means they are the best, if they are actively challenging anti-social behaviour?

Yes, I understand people in desperate financial need shopping at Shein & Temu but I firmly believe that anyone who CAN avoid them, should.

It's odd how many people on here talk about patriotism (and I agree with some of this) yet so many also defend shopping at Shein & Temu. I know MN isn't a hive mind and they may be mostly different people but it hardly seems patriotic to me to fuel the companies which fill the coffers of the CCP and use the labour of enslaved Uighurs.

Both are towns and are quite different geographically and demographically.

Yep, I'm totally with them on this.

I grew up near Truro and it has been almost exactly the same for 40 years, the only small change is that there are a few more better places to eat and the big Topshop isn't there any more! Also appreciate the L2 nightclub mention.

It's fine, it's by no means the worst. Bits are quite charming. Has the poster not been to St Austell? Because that's a contender (although admittedly not a city...).

Newport! The best thing about Newport is the road to Cardiff 🤣

Got lost in Edinburgh today / bloody satnav sent us into city centre for its own mischief. Not run down, very beautiful but was very glad to finally get out to the coastal roads we should have been on !

I was shocked too when I visited Birmingham. I felt like a foreigner .

Is it still the one way maze and diversion roads from hell.

It's a good response to a stupid question! Had the OP asked What's the worst city centre you have visited then it wouldn't be such a poorly framed question.