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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Eman ZiedORCiD, Professor Adam ToddORCiD, Professor Clare BambraORCiD
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This report examines the decline of the high street in England. We found that over the last decade, our high streets have lost one in five retail units and shops, two in five banks, a quarter of their public toilets and one in six of their pharmacies. Depleted high streets and city centres are becoming “ghost towns” compared to even a decade ago. At the same time, we have seen a rise in unhealthy amenities such as takeaways – which have risen by a quarter in all of England and a third in the most deprived areas. There are three times more takeaways, vape shops and bookmakers in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived areas. There are also stark regional inequalities in high streets – the North of England has experienced almost double the increase in the number of unhealthy takeaway outlets than the rest of England. There are three times the number of pawnbrokers and twice as many vape shops in the North than there are in the South This increasingly unhealthy environment is likely to worsen the North-South health divide – exacerbating existing inequalities in obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Coastal areas already suffer from high levels of health inequalities and deprivation. While they have a longstanding relationship with health and wellbeing, they have seen a rise of unhealthy shops, such as takeaways, bookmakers, and pawnbrokers, similar to other deprived areas. Our research shows a national decline in the quality of our high streets and that they are becoming less healthy. This is especially so in deprived areas and in the North, England is becoming more unequal. The government needs to act urgently to reverse this decline and work with local communities to restore local high streets and local pride.
Author(s): Zied Abozied E, Munford L, Todd A, Davies H, Bambra C
Publication type: Report
Publication status: Published
Series Title:
Year: 2025
Pages: 24
Print publication date: 23/05/2025
Online publication date: 23/05/2025
Acceptance date: 16/05/2025
Institution: Health Equity North and the Northern Health Science Alliance
URL: https://www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/app/uploads/GHOST-TOWNS-REPORT-EMBARGOED.pdf
