Derby was named the worst city in the UK to visit in a poll of nearly 4,000 people – and locals say the East Midlands location is a “neglected” city that is a “ghost town”
Residents have revealed the grim reality of living in a “rundown dump” dubbed Britain’s worst city, now transformed into a “ghost town” overrun by yobs and rampant antisocial behaviour.
The dubious honour was bestowed upon Derby following a survey conducted by Which? involving nearly 4,000 individuals sharing their experiences of visiting UK cities over the past two years. Visitors criticised the East Midlands city for its lack of appealing activities and attractions, labelling it the “worst large city in the UK to visit.”
Derby scored a dismal two stars across various categories including food and drink, accommodation, cultural sights, tourist attractions, shopping, and ease of getting around, ranking it 62nd out of 62 evaluated locations. Locals have now voiced their agreement with this unflattering assessment, describing life in the “neglected” city as less than ideal. Business owners and residents point out that the city centre is littered with boarded-up shops, and there’s a stark lack of leisure and entertainment options.
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They also spoke of an increase in crime and homelessness. Tony Dickens, 76, who relocated to Derby from Burton-on-Trent, said of the top spot: “I can’t think of anywhere off of the top of my head that deserves it more. The amount of industry that used to be here. Take Rolls Royce out and there’s nothing. There’s nothing in Derby but traffic.”
Meanwhile, one woman, who opted for anonymity, argued: “Derby has half of what we need really. I feel like we’ve put our faith in the wrong people and our regenerations plans have been ruined. Our shops are shut and there’s homelessness everywhere. It’s not exactly appealing for anyone coming to visit us.
“You come off at the bus station or by train and you get greeted with a ghost town some days. The city has just been neglected.”
Charity shop worker Rachel Brunt, 55, chimed in on the sad circumstances: “It’s a bit rubbish because there’s hardly any shops out now. I mean Wilkos has gone and that was a big one for us. They said the Assembly Rooms were being done up, but they’ve stopped it now. They used to have theatres and plays and all sorts there,” she said.
Gary Morrison, 62, who owns the Little Cobbler and Key Smith and has worked in Derby for 30 years, added: “They’re not doing anything to attract people into the town centre because out of town they’ve got free parking. Most of the shops haven’t picked up from lockdown either. It’s slow. I mean cathedral quarter put some events on.”
Yet Lisa Stewart, who is 65 said: “I saw we’d been ranked lowest on Facebook. I’m sure there’s worse cities out there. There’s Birmingham, they reckon Nottingham isn’t a good place to live. Leicester, too. It’s not all bad here. But I suppose there’s not a lot here really.”
One local complained: “There’s the [former events venue] Assembly Rooms which has been closed for however long now. If you come down here at 8pm on a Saturday night, it’s dead. There’s the museum, it’s very good, but I don’t think it’s being pushed enough. Nothing is being pushed enough.”
As far as accessibility goes, one local complained: “I’m a pensioner and a lot of this is pedestrianised. To get to these shops is a long walk.” Many noted how the city has become a problem for the older population.
One anonymous man mentioned: “Its become pretty lawless as a result of being neglected by the council. I don’t feel safe in the city centre anymore. No wonder people are staying away, I don’t blame them.”
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