Latest news with #ghosttowns
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Britain's high streets turning into ‘ghosts towns' and are now overrun with vape shops and takeaways
BRITAIN'S high streets are turning into 'ghost towns', a report warns. The decline — which has sped up over the last decade — has seen assets such as banks, pharmacies, libraries and public loos vanish. 2 And many areas are now overrun by vape shops, bookies and takeaways. The change is most stark in deprived areas struggling with health and economic inequalities in the North, according to research by academics at Health Equity North. Professor Clare Bambra, from Newcastle University, said: 'You should be able to walk down a high street and feel the uniqueness, culture and identity of that community. 'Through innovative design, better public transport, and measures that promote people over cars, we can re-think these spaces so they become 'go-tos' rather than 'ghost towns'.' Her colleague Prof Adam Todd added: 'Our high streets feel like a shadow of themselves. "Protecting these spaces for the next generation isn't just about restoring them to some nostalgic vision of town centres past.' Since 2014, the number of takeaway shops has risen 24 per cent across England — 30 per cent in the most deprived areas. The amount of vape shops has risen 1,200 per cent in that time, while there are three times more bookies now in poorer places. Why are so many pubs and bars closing? 2
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Britain's failing ghost towns revealed: The 14 unexpected places house prices are plummeting as experts warn 'get out before it's too late!'
From boarded up shops to empty houses with rubbish-strewn gardens, it's easy to spot the signs of communities in decline. Although we are more likely to associate such so-called 'ghost towns' with the American West – beloved of the opening credits of countless Netflix dramas – the UK is not immune to the phenomenon. Indeed, scattered across Britain are deserted towns and villages which lie abandoned. It's a situation which isn't just depressing to the eye. According to experts, it's also particularly astonishing considering the chronic housing shortage which continues to plague the UK.
