Residents say the high street has seen better days (Image: Daily Express / Jonathan Buckmaster)
It’s the largest town in Warwickshire, the birthplace of famous novelist George Eliot and it’s due to undergo an exciting new renovation project. Nuneaton, home to 88,813 people, is a small community hub that has a lot of potential – but it’s not quite there yet, residents say. Stepping out of the car behind the town hall, the area looks green and clean – inviting.
Located just a 38-minute drive from Birmingham city centre and a 23-minute drive from Coventry, it is in a prime location. In recent years, the town has even become a hotspot for commuters, even for those who work in London – which is just a 55-minute train ride away. The front of the town hall is grand, bold and traditional. It’s adorned with Union Jack flags and stands proudly at the entrance to the town.
It’s a chilly and grey day with light rain on the day we’re visiting, but there’s still a decent number of people milling around along the high street. Locals say they are desperate to see some regeneration in the town which they believe has lost its once thriving high street and reputation. Nuneaton is in the throes of a major upgrade with investment in the town due to improve four key areas: leisure and business opportunities, education and skills, unlocking housing development and rail, highway and cycle infrastructure.
Disgruntled residents say they won’t believe things will change until they see it with their own eyes. Shuffling along, locals dip in and out of coffee shops, sheltering from the rain.
Nuneaton is known for its vibrant community (Image: Daily Express / Jonathan Buckmaster)
The town has seen the loss of some major chains (Image: Daily Express / Jonathan Buckmaster)
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Walking on an empty stretch of the high street, Ronnie Brown, 80, says: “It’s rubbish – we just think it’s a dump. I’ve lived here since I was born. I have seen things go downhill in the time I’ve been here.
“All the shops are shutting, the high street is rubbish. If I didn’t like where I actually live, I would move because I think it’s a dump. I’ve got nothing good to say about it.
“We were here when we were young and when all the shops were open. The people were lovely back then too – they’re not so nice here now.
“We do come to the high street and have a coffee and go into a few shops but Bedworth is better.”
Ronnie is not the only person to say Nuneaton needs some improvement.
Phil Machiewicz, 69, a HGV driver, says: “I’m all for changes, but you can’t really see the changes yet. Once it’s been completed, there’s hopes it will be better but we just don’t know yet.
“The markets seem to have got smaller and you can’t come into the town like you used to do and spend a few hours here – which is a shame. I’d like to see more shops open up like affordable clothing stores.
“One big thing the town has got going for it is its location – it’s well connected to Birmingham, Coventry and London which is useful.”
A big regeneration project is planned for the town, aiming to transform Nuneaton into a prosperous town centre. Warwickshire County Council says one of the main aims of the project is to create a high-quality living space with accessible town centre housing.
It also hopes to see more business in the town centre which will be supported by excellent transport connections. In terms of shopping, there are aims to have a mix of national, independent and specialist retailers.
Finally, it aims for the town to become a destination for people to visit, enhancing the heritage and cultural opportunities of the area.
Ronnie Brown would like to see reinvestment (Image: Daily Express / Jonathan Buckmaster)
Phil Mackiewicz says he’d like to see more shops open on the high street (Image: Daily Express / Jonathan Buckmaster)
Pat Charlesworth, 79, says: “I hope the money is spent well that is being invested here. Generally, it is kept quite clean here, which is a good thing, and I’ve never come across any trouble here, which is also a plus. But over time, it has got worse here.
“When I first moved out here, it was a thriving town with all of the shops occupied. I can’t imagine anyone thinking it’s good here at the moment. I live in hope that it will get better here.
“It’s a sad little town at the minute. It used to be brilliant and when I had visitors it was great to show them around.”
Standing in the main square is Alan Heritage, 58, he says: “It’s never been fabulous but it would be great to see the works that’s started to change that.
“It will probably get worse before it gets better with all the building work and it would be worth it depending on the results.
“We’ve seen the developments beginning. A few things have been demolished and there is work going on in the town.
“We’re seeing a lot of good name shops disappearing but not many coming in their replacement.
After hearing from residents with little to no love for their town, walking along its quaint streets, it didn’t seem all that bad.
It certainly gave the impression that its future is bright. While some residents thought the beginning of the regeneration work made the town look messy, a shovel in the ground is a promising sign of what could be to come.
The budget for the Transforming Nuneaton regeneration programme sits at £114 million, reports BBC.
Councillor Nicky King is excited about the future of the town (Image: Daily Express / Jonathan Buckmaster)
Councillor Nicky King, of Nuneaton and Bedworth Council, said: “At the moment, we have 170 independent shops in Nuneaton and only 22 units are empty but there are people doing some of them up at the moment.
“We need properties to be at a certain standard, especially with such a huge renovation project. Footfall into the town has increased in the last year and a half with more independents setting up in this time.
“You can visually see the regeneration taking place now which has encouraged more people into the town.
“We have two shopping centres here, and for a little market town, that’s definitely good. We have one which is at 80% occupancy and then the other has 45 retailers with only three which are empty.
“As a town, it’s going to be more vibrant. We need a nighttime economy and I know we might not get that back the same due to the changes in society but we’re aiming to do a lot more of that.
“Our market is one people know and love. The traders are loyal and they always want to come back. On a Wednesday, the markets average 25 traders and on a Saturday, they average 30 traders.”
Councillor Steve Hey says the town has become popular with those commuting to London (Image: Daily Express / Jonathan Buckmaster)
Councillor Steve Hey said: “What we’re trying to do is to get people living in the town centre as well. The building that used to be Debenhams is now being turned into flats.
“We’ve got loads of independent shops here and that’s the future of this town. A lot of business owners are seeing the opportunity for this and they’re buying places now to start up in.
“We’re just 55 minutes from London, so we do get a lot of people living here and working in the city. You can’t get across London in that time and we’ve got hourly trains that go down there – it’s becoming a bit of a commuter town.
“We’ve also dropped car parking prices, it’s now £1 for the first hour and it’s £2 per day which is great for people who work here.”
For a town that’s often overlooked, Nuneaton has plenty of potential that is yet to be realised. Residents remain unconvinced with the town, standing at a crossroads between frustration and the hope of an overdue renewal.
