EXCLUSIVE: As soon as named the saddest, the city continues to be struggling almost a decade on.
Many shopfronts sit boarded up or deserted (Picture: Tim Merry/Workers Photographer)
Almost a decade after being named Kent’s saddest place and essentially the most unfriendly place within the UK, Gillingham seems to be caught in the identical place – and for a lot of residents, issues really feel worse relatively than higher.
In 2016, Kent On-line labelled the Medway city essentially the most depressed space within the county. Three years later, guests took to TripAdvisor to name it “the unfriendliest city” within the nation. Strolling by means of the excessive avenue, it’s straightforward to see why the previous label has caught. Furnishings has been dumped on pavements, shopfronts sit boarded up or deserted, and several other indicators grasp with letters lacking. Most of the retailers that stay are closed, and people nonetheless buying and selling are scattered between empty items.
Will Charles says the city was bustling 50 years in the past, however has since gone steadily downhill (Picture: Tim Merry/Workers Photographer)
As I walked by means of the city centre, folks prevented eye contact, maintaining their heads down and transferring shortly previous each other. The sense of group feels fractured.
Anna, who has lived in Gillingham for 3 a long time, says the city not appears like a spot the place folks put down roots.
“I’ve lived right here for 30 years and I don’t even know my neighbours,” she stated. “It’s folks in a number of occupancies or college students going out and in. You see the streets, persons are throwing their furnishings out on the streets. It’s like everybody has given up.”
For long-term residents, the decline is especially laborious to simply accept. Will Charles has lived in Gillingham for the reason that Nineteen Seventies and remembers a really completely different city.
“I’ve lived right here for the reason that Nineteen Seventies and it was as soon as a thriving city,” he stated. “Nevertheless, extra persons are procuring on Amazon or selecting to go to Bluewater, so retailers have shut and it now appears the best way it does.”
Pointing alongside the excessive avenue, he added: “With no companies, folks aren’t going to come back in and it turns to this. Individuals are caught on their telephones and nobody is trying up.”
Carol Austin, 69, says if she may choose up her home and transfer it out of Gillingham, she would (Picture: Tim Merry/Workers Photographer)
Carol Austin, 69, moved to Gillingham in 1990 and says the lack of main retailers has modified how residents stay their day-to-day lives.
“There was once a great deal of retailers right here again within the day – Wilko, Debenhams,” she stated. “I favored going to the excessive avenue to buy round and choose one thing out. Now I’ve to go elsewhere to buy.”
Regardless of investing closely in her house, Carol admits she would go away if she may. “If I may choose up my home and put it someplace out of Gillingham, I’d do it immediately. It’s a disgrace what has occurred, actually.”
Others level to rising homelessness and poverty as indicators of a city beneath strain. Charmaine moved to Gillingham from London to be nearer to her brother, drawn by cheaper housing.
“It’s less expensive right here, however at what value?” she stated. “Often there are numerous homeless folks right here on the excessive avenue and it’s unhappy to observe. It’s tough for them to get assist.”
She added that her personal son had been with out lodging for a very long time earlier than just lately discovering someplace to stay. “Generally on the streets somebody asks you to purchase them some bread or a sandwich to allow them to eat, and I do this for them. However I’m one of many minorities – you don’t see that occuring a lot.”
Charmaine was drawn to Gillingham by the cheaper housing (Picture: Tim Merry/Workers Photographer)
Police say they’re conscious of residents’ considerations and want them to be their “eyes and ears” within the city.
District Commander for Medway, Chief Inspector Paul Diddams, stated: “Gillingham’s city centre policing workforce patrol the realm every single day, centered on tackling the small minority of thieves who goal native companies and people who persist in behaving in a disorderly method.
“Beat officers and Police Neighborhood Assist Officers frequently work on foot and may reply promptly to requests for help from retailers and residents. Shoplifters are focused, with prolific offenders being charged and instantly positioned earlier than the courts to reply for his or her crimes.
“We stay conscious of considerations about anti-social behaviour and, working with companions at Medway Council, our officers robustly implement the city’s Public Area Safety Order, specializing in these accountable and people consuming alcohol in public areas.
“Officers frequently liaise with enterprise house owners, store employees and safety groups to allow them to establish areas the place there could also be rising points. It’s by means of this centered exercise that the variety of crimes dedicated in Gillingham South ward, which incorporates the city centre, decreased from 803 stories within the final quarter of 2024 to 698 stories in the identical interval in 2025 – a discount of 13.1%.
“We’ll proceed this city centre enforcement all through 2026, and I’d urge residents and enterprise house owners to contact us on the earliest alternative to report against the law or inform us of any anti-social behaviour. We want you to be our ‘eyes and ears’ in order that our assets could be deployed successfully, when and the place they’re wanted.”
Medway Council has additionally rejected claims the realm is past assist. A Medway Council spokesman stated: “Like many excessive streets across the nation, Gillingham Excessive Road has been affected by social and financial tendencies equivalent to web procuring and huge out-of-town procuring websites.
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“However, it’s removed from changing into a ‘no-go zone’ and there may be a lot work going into revitalising the city centre. Efforts are already making a transparent distinction, and the evolution of the excessive avenue is ready to proceed with additional regeneration plans. The Love Gillingham Initiative, and Gillingham Taskforce and Gillingham Neighborhood Group, are all examples of teams working to drive ahead a spread of regeneration initiatives and enhance the realm.
“There’s a clear ardour for Gillingham amongst residents and others working for the city, and we’d encourage as many individuals as attainable to become involved within the thrilling work occurring to drive Gillingham ahead.”
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