Some say the Liverpool road is ‘in bits’, others say it has ‘died’, and there are views that the area is in ‘managed decline’
County Road, Walton(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
County Road was once the north end’s busiest high street — but some residents say it is now “in bits”, others say it has died, and there are views which argue the area is in “managed decline”. So, when Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Budget earlier this week, there was little optimism that Westminster could introduce anything to improve the lives of local residents.
The Walton constituency is Liverpool’s second most deprived constituency, and the 11th most deprived in England. The headline announcements in the Budget on Wednesday included the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap, a 4.1% increase in the minimum wage, the freezing of tax bands at higher rates, a mansion tax on homes worth over £2m, and cuts in green levies to bring down energy bills.
Patricia Nelson, 70, pushes her baby granddaughter’s pram along the pavement, past closed shops and quiet cafés. She said: “County Road is in bits. You don’t come down here unless you have to.
“When we moved here, it was the place to be, now, you feel ashamed to say you live around here.”
Of the Budget, Patricia said: “It feels like they’re doing more to help people who aren’t in work than hard-working families.”
The Chancellor announced in the Budget This week, the Institute for Public Policy Research reported that 70% of the additional spending from removing the two-child limit will go to families who are in work.
Of County Road, Patricia added: “We don’t get anything down here. Anfield gets it. It needs cleaning up.”Jeff Kelly, 64, has run Kelly’s News for almost two decades. According to the sign above the door, the little newsagent was “established a long time ago” — more specifically by Jeff’s dad in the 1970s, when County Road was the north end’s busiest high street.
County Road, Walton. (Image: Liverpool ECHO)
“Footfall has dropped. The road has died. It’s a ghost town by six o’clock in the evening,” Jeff said, adding that he doesn’t believe the Everton men’s team move away from the area has contributed, pointing out that the football crowds arrived just once a week, and mainly troubled the pubs and takeaways.
Jeff is concerned that a rise in tobacco prices will affect business, with smokers turning to cheaper cigarettes. Tobacco duty is set to increase by four percentage points over the next year, with an extra £2.20 per 100 cigarettes or 50g of tobacco.
“The government is cutting their nose off to spite their face. Counterfeits are going to explode.”
The government says the high duty rates are aimed at reducing smoking prevalence and contributing to government revenues.
A smoker buys her usual pack of loose American Spirit tobacco from Jeff, at a cost of £28. The price has doubled in a decade. Asked about the duty hikes, she said: “I’ll still find the money.
“It might make me smoke a little less for a while, but then the addict comes back.”
Rajee Gamage, owner of PXK Booze, is also worried about tobacco duty rises announced in the Budget. “The customers blame us,” he said. Rajee believes the cost of living is also keeping customers away. He said: “I think people are struggling with expenses and energy bills are high. The energy bills for this shop have doubled since covid. So many small businesses are closing.”
The government says an average of around £150 per year will be knocked off household energy bills when green levies are cut from April. Rajee said: “If energy prices go down, customers will have more money in their pockets. Currently, a lot of people just come in here to top up their metres.”
Of County Road, he said: “There’s so many of the same shops down here, it hurts our business. It’s dead after seven o’clock. I think people are struggling.”
Liz Tierney, 79, and Rae Workman, 42, on County Road. (Image: Liverpool Echo)
Rae Workman, 42, owns Uniqcorn Crystals on County Road. She said: “A lot of people believe it’s in a state of managed decline, just go up the road and count the empty shops. But, we’re not going to let it happen. We need a strategic plan to improve the area.”
Rae said County Road’s strength is in its tight-knit community, adding: “It’s old school. It’s one of the few places that still has a sense of community.”
Rae added: “We all live in such close proximity. Since the riots, there has been a lot more togetherness. And we’ve got some boss little places down here. There’s some absolute treasures in the north end.”
Liz Tierney, 79, said: “There’s nothing really for the seniors of the parish. People came together for the older population in covid. Now people go into the library just to stay warm.”