To think our towns and cities are just so run down lately, and our standard of living has decreased significantly?

[blahhhhg]

I don't know if I'm just feeling a bit down and bitter lately but I just feel like lately our country seems to have gotten very run down. I went out into town today and couldn't help but notice how grotty and rundown everything looks. Litter everywhere, security guards everywhere - in nearly every clothing shop there is security on the door now, security wandering up and down the high street. It makes you feel really unsafe but they must be there for a reason now? Shops are dirty; filthy floors and used Starbucks cups just left off the shelf for some poor worker to clean up. Clothes for sale that are covered in makeup stains. I just found it really depressing. It's just not one town either, I've noticed it nearly everywhere I've been. I'm in my late 20s so it's not like I've had decades of life experience to draw from and I have a rose-tinted view of yesteryear, but it seems that in the last 5ish years things have really declined.

How do you know the people who concreted their garden were immigrants? And how do you know that’s s cultural vs. personal preference?

Why does concrete paving instead of a green lawn make something look “unkempt”?

Presumably they are PP’s neighbours and they know them?

Don’t you know who your neighbours are?

No idea who my neighbours are nor the cultural motivations for why they make certain choices.

It’s even weirder to determine that a neighbours choice to pave their garden is because they are an immigrant.

Also PP said “streets”. I doubt she knows every single individual in all the streets she passes through.

I know my neighbours.
I take the time to talk to them, I help with shopping or dog walking whenever I can.

I have no idea what they even look and see no need to knock their doors to discover. Even if I had I cannot fathom asking their immigration status and asking if their cultural background is why they have have decorated their outdoors in the way they have. And certainly not for “streets” of people.

@insomniaclife totally agree- as per my post below citing a looking toward USA rather than Europe. - and yes thatcher- sell off your social housing and your utilities and it was the start of a different mindset which has created many of the issues we have today.

Walk around your area and talk to people...from all walks of life.

Because it's an area of a local town where, yes, believe it or not 98% are migrants, moving there due to being within their own community, as is something that happens no matter where in the world....and don't want their gardens grass....

Are you looking to trip people up or just looking for comments/replies that aren't there?

I find this odd.

And more than a bit sad, TBH.

Concreting over front gardens is common everywhere. Where I am, in a fairly affluent, leafy suburb, there are only a few grassed front gardens left. People want somewhere to park their multiple cars. One person ripped up the most beautiful front garden and made it into a car park, completely tarmacked over. They aren't immigrants.

Firstly not having a lawned front garden is quite common in lots of places in the UK for parking, ease etc. Secondly yes non-Brits don't have thi notion of lawns - often because you need a very particular type of climate to grown them, not too cold, not too hot, plenty of cheap and accessible water for irrigation. Most places in the world don't have that. However, as someone who lives in London - give it ten years and with climate change lawns will become too much of a faff even here.

I agree that tarmacking over front gardens, demolishing the front wall, for parking looks shit. I’m not sure it can be said to be an “immigrant thing”. I live in an overwhelmingly white British area and people have done it here. Most of the area has only been saved from it because the houses tend to have generous driveways and some of it is a conservation area.

@Trumptonagain
if they have concreted the garden you should report them to the council.
You need planning for hard standing

Are all these people getting planning approval?
No wonder we have more flooding issues

I am in Wales. Planning permission/building regs generally not needed here for new drives, patios etc. providing certain conditions are met.

Must admit there is a thing locally about this, In this particular area a certain culture move in, build a huge extension, render the external walls all white, the dark blue upvc door with curved glass, concrete or brick the entire front garden, lots of lights in the front. Did actually see a post of Reddit about those particular doors and members of those communities mentioning how all the aunties and uncles have them and it’s a thing for showing wealth.

Don’t get me wrong we have gravel part of our garden for a drive but still 80% lawn.

The houses and gardens all look nice though rather than unkept even without a lawn probably look nicer than my lawn and flowers tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️

I was about to come on and add the broken window theory as well.

This can also be applied to many other aspects and not just crime. For example if other people don't care about being rude or disrespectful to say me then why should I bother being polite/ respectful to them in return etc etc

Many were done years gone by now...and although it's supposedly a planning matter now reading posts on the local groups about such is not really something that the council are overly interested in anyway.

Yes you can easily end up in a place no one cares about with this theory, and as a result it will spiral into decline. A village or town that is loved and vibrant will be enjoyed by everyone, it will become a popular place to live and everyone benefits. It doesn’t take long to do a litter pick or plant some bulbs in the village, but the butterfly 🦋 effect is huge.

security guards everywhere - in nearly every clothing shop there is security on the door now,

This is so true - back in the day it was only exclusive jewellers or designer shops that had door security. I noticed yesterday there was security at Sweaty Betty!

It's another reason why prices are increasing by the day as all this security has to be paid for.

I prefer values that respect women’s rights.

Stop being obtuse. Not all cultures and belief systems are equal and there are some we simply don’t want here.

It would be quite a transformation if Manchester City Centre simply jet washed the pavements more frequently, made it compulsory to have a well kept business/shop frontage and moved on the addict camps. Ridiculously loud street entertainers/ loud religious preachers and sweetcorn stands make the main streets feel very off, why this is allowed on busy stretches such as Market Street I’ll never understand.

Without proper intervention these issues are going to get much worse to a point where people avoid visiting the city (and others just like it) because it’s an unnecessarily dirty, unsafe, chaotic environment.

Why do people accept such poor standards from an alleged ‘World Class’ city?

Concreting front lawns is nothing compared to concreting over the countryside to house a massively overpopulated country.

It does boil down to having standards, maintaining and enforcing them. The council workers appear to
not even know what that words means, much less the capacity or ability to apply it effectively. I despair at the ineptitude and the waste.

Yes you make a valid point but even so I still think it is an issue with certain cultures

Any stats/facts to back up your thinking?