Our once thriving market village is now a ghost town – locals are being evicted and we feel neglected

DESPERATE residents feel neglected as their once thriving community now rarely comes across a “ghost town”.

Angry residents in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, hit back at council for ignoring their needs – ‘If you want to know how to kill a town, look at Berwick.’

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Berwick-upon-Tweed is one of many small villages where basic amenities are being taken away – driving locals away.

The once bustling market town is now deserted and most of the high street shops are empty.

Even the last remaining post office has been closed, forcing residents to take the bus or drive to reach the nearest post office.

People expressed their disappointment in the council, claiming they neglected to keep streets clean, tend flower beds or respond to questions.

George and Mary Anderson have lived in Berwick all their lives.

Mary, 81, a retired caregiver, said: ‘The decline here has continued for years.

“It’s sad and neglected.

“The paths are not swept and the flowers are not planted until August.

“I worry about the younger generation that is growing up. There won’t be much for them here.

“There are many nice little shops in other towns near us, but this place is run down.

“I think it could be rising interest rates forcing stores to close.

“It was great growing up here, there was so much business.”

Husband George, who used to work on farms, was furious when the local post office closed.

The 82-year-old said: “The nearest is at an ASDA in Tweedmouth which is a drive away.

“We recently saw a woman in her 90s standing at the bus stop waiting just so she could go to the post office.

“It’s a long distance for someone using a cane.

“There used to be three or four in Berwick and now there’s only one relatively close by.

“Berwick is definitely a ghost town now. It’s sad to see it going like this.

“There’s also no affordable housing for younger people, so people are being pushed out of the city.”

Colin Falla has lived in Berwick for 22 years and is sad to announce that his beloved village is now a ghost town.

The 72-year-old retired offshore worker said: “If you want to know how to kill a town, look at Berwick.

“I used to be able to take a bus into town and get what I needed, but now I can’t because the shops are empty.

“If I want to go to the retail park, it adds an extra hour to my journey, and I don’t want to do that.

“I was recently talking to my neighbor about the same problem.

“We remembered how you could get everything on the main street in the old days.

“But now everything has gone downhill. Bargains at home used to be brilliant, but that’s over now.

“It’s not far to the city center.”

FIGHT TO SURVIVE

Another frustrated local, taxi driver David Hunter, has had less work to do as a result of the closures.

The 35-year-old said: “I’ve seen store after store shut down over the last few years.

“Both sides of the road would be full of traders on market day but even that was hit.

“It’s a complete ghost town.

“At Easter, when the tourists come, it will continue, but it’s still not what it used to be.

“There is less work for taxi drivers and we need to raise our prices.

“It’s a shame considering how it used to be.

“The shops are moving to remote retail parks.”

And shops that stay open in Berwick struggle to open their shutters every day.

Louise Lough runs the antique shop Junk & Disorderly on the High Street.

She said: “There used to be a lot of parking lots where you could stand for 45 minutes without a ticket.

“People could stop by and get what they needed but the council removed that so people don’t come anymore.

“Besides, the rent is way too high and the prices are ridiculous.”

The 45-year-old claimed companies are expecting a cost of £30,000 before opening the door.

There’s also no affordable housing for younger people, so people are being pushed out of town.”

George AndersonResidents of Berwick-upon-Tweed

“We’ve never had a problem with footfall here, but the city has seen a decline,” she continued.

“I even offered to cover the empty shop windows with pictures of the city, but nobody on the council got back to me.

“The city is getting bad press now but small things like addressing the windows would go a long way.

“Perhaps if landlords were charged fees for empty apartments, that would encourage them to lower prices.”

Louise shares half the shop with artist Angela Proctor, 62, who added: “We know loads of people who want to open shops but they can’t afford it.

“They are empty because the costs are too high, not because there is no desire.

“It seems crazy that landlords would like to leave them empty.

“Two councilors have recently said that High Street is no longer for retail, but what else should it be for?

“The sidewalks aren’t clean either, and it’s really a shame.”

Berwick-upon-Tweed Council has been asked for an opinion.

Across the UK, hundreds of people are in the same desperate situation as residents of Berwick.

Withernsea in East Yorkshire is a popular summertime seaside resort, but locals struggle to afford food in the off-season.

The city was hit by the crippling cost-of-living crisis, leaving hundreds dependent on emergency food packages.

Hundreds more households have signed up for a community program to collect bargain-priced supermarket groceries.

Charity bosses say the city is now so poor some children have “no shoes” and warn parents have turned to predatory loan sharks to survive.

In Cornwall, Mousehole is an idyllic place to stay – but the residents of the small fishing village have to venture out of town to shop for basic necessities.

Increasing visitor numbers have also wreaked havoc on the real estate market, with houses being snapped up by tourists for vacation homes.

One angry local resident said: “I have friends who can’t find a home to live in, but there are homes here that are only visited three times a year, if at all.”

“Many of the properties are only visited twice a year when they could house people who contribute to the life of the village,” agreed another.

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