RESIDENTS living in the UK’s “coolest neighbourhood” claim it now resembles a dystopian wasteland.
Digbeth in Birmingham was once a magnet for creative folks – but two stabbings and a litter problem have left locals feeling unsafe.
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It was named in 2018 as one of the best places to live by The Sunday Times and is set to be home to the BBC.
Now, locals complain about streets lined with rubbish, violence, and construction materials left around.
Birmingham office worker Harvey Saunders, 20, said Digbeth now looked like something from a “zombie movie”.
He added: “It’s been like a building site while they’ve extended the tram from the city centre and that’s still not finished.
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“I think it has put people off coming to Digbeth as it’s become pretty inaccessible. So the knock-on effect is that the place is becoming a bit neglected.
“There was a bit of glitz and glamour with all the celebrities in the area when Joe Lycett was filming his show here.
“But then you see these streets covered in rubbish and it looks like something from a zombie movie or The Last of Us.
“I know there’s all these grand plans which might turn its fortunes around but right now the true reality is that it isn’t really the cool area it’s been made out to be.”
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Digbeth is known for having good nightlife and a strong food and bar scene – and Channel 4 already film the Joe Lycett comedy chat show Late Night Lycett.
The trendy suburb is set to be home to BBC Birmingham’s new flagship HQ, called The Tea Factory, as part of a £69.3 million development.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is also opening a film studio complex in the area.
One student, who lives in flats near the Custard Factory and wished to remain anonymous, said: “I heard all sorts of awesome things about Digbeth before I moved here.
“But it can be really moody. It doesn’t feel safe going out at night sometimes, especially on weekends.
“We’ve had stabbings and murders here, people use the streets as a dumping ground. It can look cool in parts but turn a corner and you’re looking at a bombsite.
“Hopefully the investment going into it can get it back up the standards it was. But it appears after Covid, this all stalled. Even the BBC studios plans have been put back.
“Its like the cost of living crisis has stalled everything and the result is that Digbeth is no longer a trendy place to be – but a bit of a dump.”
Last year, promising footballer Ashley Day, 20, was stabbed to death with a Rambo knife at a flat party advertised on social media.
And on Boxing Day the previous year, Cody Fisher, 23, died after being stabbed at the Crane nightclub in Digbeth.
Student Harvey added: “The nightlife used to be amazing around here but it has started to attract the wrong sort of crowd. It can be pretty rough.
“Even the Digbeth Dining Club moved out of the area to nearer the Jewellery Quarter.
“I hope it can recover though because there are still great shops and bars. The vibe has been great in the not-too-distant past.
“That scene just needs rediscovering and perhaps a bit more investment will help that.”
Residents had previously told The Sun that living in the area could make them millionaires and it was like living in Brazil.
Addressing the fly-tipping issue, Birmingham City Council said the authority would prosecute those found responsible for illegally dumping rubbish.
Councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment, said: “Those who dump waste on public or private land are environmental criminals, who are expecting others in our city to foot the bill for the disposal of their rubbish and unwanted items.
“There is no excuse for this anti-social behaviour, which shows no regard for the surroundings in which we all have to live and work – there are many legitimate ways to get rid of waste so there is simply no excuse.
“We investigate incidents and do not hesitate to take enforcement action or prosecute offenders, as demonstrated in the past by many high-profile cases.”
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