Residents with a street once hailed the “Best in Britain”, say they feel like they are living in a “forgotten world” that is “lost on the map” and now a shadow of its former self.
The former mining village of Goldthorpe in South Yorkshire is now filled with empty shops and derelict homes and streets there have become besieged by rats and riddled with litter.
Urban decay began there when the pits shut and some people here fear they have been left behind, with their area a far cry from the proud community it once was.
GB News spoke to shoppers on Goldthorpe’s high street, where many stores have closed.
Maria said: “It’s like we’re a forgotten world here in Goldthorpe. Nobody wants to invest anything or make it better, other than the people that live here – we want to make it better and go back to how it once was before the pits shut.
“It’s just like were lost on the map and they just don’t want to help a little mining town. We aren’t asking for charity but we miss how it used to be – it’s derelict, there’s nothing for the locals, there’s no banks, there’s nothing for the kids to do.
“When I first moved in, everything was thriving, shops were open, we had a market, and now it’s all just gone. It’s the heart of the community that we want back to how it was, and it’s just a shame.”
Michaela added: “It’s like all these boarded up shops and houses and things like that – it’s really gone down hill and it’s sad for a lot of people.”
Former miner Wayne Hagland said: “Well before miners strike it [Goldthorpe] was lovely and everybody knew everybody.
“Nobody knows anybody now. The shops we’ve got are just nails, hairdressers, kebabs. We’ve got now’t, we’ve got now’t.”
The former mining village of Goldthorpe in South Yorkshire is now filled with empty shops and derelict homes and streets there have become besieged by rats and riddled with litter
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GB NEWS
Shopper June Shaw said: “It’s not very nice – there’s dog poo just near the bin. Goldthorpe needs cleaning up and it needs more shops.”
Thousands of men from Goldthorpe worked at the four nearby local collieries before they closed, with residents at the time mostly miners and their families.
By the end of 1994, the pits closed and unemployment set in.
But in 1971, the pit village of Goldthorpe was proud and thriving.
In October of that year, Main Street was named Britain’s nicest street by the Daily Mirror, whose readers were impressed with its friendly spirit and orderly appearance.
Fast forward in time to more than 50 years on, the once-bustling community near Barnsley has become blighted by litter, anti-social behaviour, rat infestations and boarded up houses ready for demolition.
People living in the area are feeling apathetic, like Anita Miller, who has lived in Goldthorpe for the last 16 years.
She told GB News: “It’s saddening really, because they could have done a lot more with it [Goldthorpe] than what they have. It’s like nobody’s bothered.
“They’re forgetting about all the youngens, they’re not getting anything. It’s like my son – he has moved away from here to get a job – there’s now’t around here for him.”
But even as businesses are closing, others in Goldthorpe are thriving.
Regeneration has begun here and Barnsley Council say the authority’s long-term vision includes investing more than £23.1m through the Towns Fund to revive the area.
At the heart of this is a housing project to bring new homes and improved surroundings by next summer.
Goldthorpe residents are feeling apathetic
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GB NEWS
Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet spokesman for Regeneration and Culture at Barnsley Council said: “We have a long-term vision for Goldthorpe, and are investing more than £23.1 million through the Towns Fund to regenerate, renew and revitalise the area.
“This is welcome, however we must continue to push for more continued and sustained long term funding to tackle historic challenges in communities like Goldthorpe.
“As part of the Towns Fund investment, the Goldthorpe Housing Project is ongoing and will deliver high-quality, affordable, and environmentally friendly homes that meet the needs of local people, now and for generations to come.
“This has involved the council taking on deteriorating privately owned housing to tackle long-standing issues like empty homes, poor housing quality, fly-tipping, and anti-social behaviour.
“This process is ongoing but it takes time and cannot be delivered overnight.
“Phase one is underway, which we hope will be complete next summer, delivering new-build homes, new public realm and improvements to rear boundaries and alleyways.
“Phase two includes proposals for the demolition of up to 60 properties to create space for developers to provide a more diverse and aspirational housing offer.”
Barnsley Council has been striving to rejuvenate the area, including refurbishing the miners’ welfare hall and theatre, Dearne Playhouse, and constructing a new town square and marketplace.
A new employment site as part of this plan will create more than 3,000 new full-time jobs which is crucial for the long-term future of the area.
“Police and council neighbourhood resources are working together from the Police Station in the heart of Goldthorpe,” added Cllr Robin Franklin.
“We’ve invested heavily in security measures in the area, including extensive CCTV and dedicated resources trying to address environmental crime and poor housing conditions.
“Our Love Where You Live Housing and Environmental Task Force will be spending a full week in Goldthorpe to tackle the areas which require immediate work.
“There’s a lot of positive activity happening in Goldthorpe and we’ll continue to work together to develop the thriving community everyone wants to see.”