The demise of the high street

In the UK it seems that there has been a significant demise in the use and prestige of the traditional high street. Where there was once a thriving community and economy there is now often a rundown strip or street that houses fast food restaurants, bookies and charity shops. Now these aren’t necessarily bad shops but they do make these street look a lot less appealing. They also mean that there is a lack of cultural diversity in town centres. They also make – most likely – already rundown areas look even more depressing and unappealing. These appear to be most high streets that are located in inner city and town centre areas, something which doesn’t create a good environment for those living in these areas.

I live in both Leicester and Hull and these cities both demonstrate this lack of diversity. Perhaps I see this more so in Hull. Although Hull was voted the city of culture, a number of places surrounding the university campus look extremely run down, all the shops close extremely early and there a lot of run down buildings and closed shop fronts on display. The problem with these rundown high streets is that they make the areas look less appealing, which then means those occupying them are less inclined to care about their community. This then sparks more of a careless attitude; all of which accumulates into these high streets becoming less and less diverse. Another of the problems with these high streets is that it does little to promote local economy prosperity or support small businesses. People are less likely to spend money on shops in a rundown area let alone visit them.

Leicester in comparison is a lot more multicultural [in my opinion] so there is perhaps more of an inclination for there to be diverse high streets to boost the economy and the local communities. I often think if Narborough Road in Leicester in this argument. Although it is an inner city area which is – at the expense of sounding like a toff – a somewhat rundown part of the city, the street boasts a number of shops that clearly demonstrate the extreme amount of diversity that the city has to offer. Let’s not forget that Leicester has the biggest Diwali celebration outside of India – which my uni housemates are sick of hearing about. I think that this comparison is proof that multiculturalism is a vital aspect of ensuring that there is a more prosperous high street. Think to areas where this diversity is lacking and take a look at the high street. This is where you will find the ten food shops, five charity shops and 3 bookies as there is little else that less diverse communities call for. In other words, they don’t have a calling for a shop that specialises in Indian cuisine and ingredients.

In comparison multiculturalism does a good job of letting high streets demonstrate what is great about our country. They clearly demonstrate the large array of people that make up the UK and which have allowed it to continue to flourish over the years. It is the people that make a country great in my opinion and our diverse range of cultures in this country is such an obvious celebration of life. This argument I think can be sustained by the lack of diversity seen in middle class areas that are predominantly white. Recently I visited the town of Wells. Whilst it was picturesque it did have something lacking and when I look back on why that is I think it is do with the lack of diversity of the high street. Whilst it is bad to have a rundown high street with fast food restaurants and bookies it also does nothing for a high street to house twenty coffee shops and ten shops selling knick-knackery. These don’t celebrate the diverse range of people that the UK houses.

The high street is a reflection of the area that you find it in, which is why there is a demand for them to be thriving and diverse. The lack of range in most small towns is also a reflection of the reality of life in the UK, it is not all Victorian Chocolate Box villages, there are a lot of rundown areas which need improvement as they don’t allow for a good quality of life, which is vital for people to enjoy their lives. The demise of the high street is a clear demonstration of the growth of online shopping and lack of originality and individuality in the UK. These clearly need to change which is why I suggest you do your best to support your local high street [and small businesses] as it allows them to continue to flourish and grow, in order to create a diverse environment and promote community relations.