'Our village had Britain's nicest street - now we have rats, litter and arson'

Litter piled up outside derelict homes in Goldthorpe

In 1971, the pit village of Goldthorpe was proud and thriving. That October, Main Street was named Britain's nicest street by the Daily Mirror, whose readers were impressed with its friendly spirit and orderly appearance.

More than 50 years on, the once-bustling community near Barnsley has become blighted by litter, anti-social behaviour, vermin infestations and abandoned houses earmarked for demolition.

Its residents in 1971 were mostly miners and their families, but since the closure of Goldthorpe Colliery in 1994, decline has become clear to see.

Thousands of men in Goldthorpe and neighbouring village Thurnscoe worked at four local collieries when miners across Britain went on strike in 1984 to fight the National Coal Board's plans to shut pits.

By the end of 1994, all four had closed.

Main Street in Goldthorpe was nominated as Britain's nicest street in 1971

In the intervening years, Barnsley Council has made efforts to improve Goldthorpe, but its housing renewal strategy has been questioned by those living near empty properties that have become a magnet for vandals.

The authority plans to demolish 30 terraced homes on two roads, Co-operative Street and Victoria Street - just over the road from Main Street - and replace them with nine new council houses.

Sixteen of the properties are subject to compulsory purchase order (CPO) powers - meaning the council has exercised its right to buy them.

The project's aims were defended by the council, which said the newbuilds, due to be completed in summer 2026, would diversify the housing offer more than if existing Victorian terraces were renovated.

In the meantime, the houses stand boarded-up and derelict, many damaged by fire and vandalism.

Sixteen properties in Goldthorpe have been purchased by the council and will be demolished

Gaby, who lives in one of the still-habitable houses on Co-operative Street, says she is reluctant to let her three young children play outside.

"The 'sharps' are the problem; lots of broken glass, and sometimes they set fire to the bins. It's very dangerous," she says.

The 38-year-old has lived in the house for four years and has concerns about the health risks posed by rats attracted to rotting waste such as used nappies dumped in woodland at the end of the road.

"Rats are a problem, even in the daytime they're crossing my garden.

"Some of the abandoned houses have been set on fire, there are teenagers breaking the windows [to get in]."

Her home has been burgled before and her car was stolen.

Few traces of the beaming families who posed for the Mirror's photographer in 1971 remain in 2025.

Then, the street was nominated as the nicest in the country by housewives Mary Sykes and Bertha Richardson, who wrote a letter to the newspaper and won £2- worth about £40 today - for its publication.

They described how the 130 families regularly held street parties and would "conga" in and out of each other's homes.

They said most residents were born on Main Street and helped each other through sickness and bereavement with "acts of kindness".

Lifelong Goldthorpe resident Helen says her street no longer feels safe

Fast forward to 2025 and lifelong resident Helen, who lives on nearby Victoria Street, says she escapes Goldthorpe whenever she can to stay with relatives.

"This is not what Goldthorpe is," she says. "I feel forgotten and the street doesn't feel right.

"It doesn't feel safe, it doesn't feel safe at all. There's a house on my road that has been set on fire, and sometimes I haven't been able to get home because the fire brigade have blocked off entry."

She does not know when the condemned properties on Victoria Street will finally be cleared and expresses frustration with the council over delays to the demolition work.

There has been some regeneration in Goldthorpe, including the restoration of the Dearne Playhouse, a miners' welfare hall and theatre, and a new town square and marketplace. A Towns Fund grant enabled some of this work to start.

Councillor Robin Franklin, Barnsley Council's cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said the authority's long-term vision for Goldthorpe included investing more than £23m through the Towns Fund to regenerate the area.

"At the heart of this investment is the Goldthorpe Housing Project, which will deliver homes that meet the needs of local people," he said.

The council hopes phase one will bring new homes and improved surroundings by next summer.

A public consultation was conducted in August over phase two, which includes proposals to demolish up to 60 more properties.

"The aim is to potentially start the property acquisitions and rehousing phase early next year," added Franklin.

"Support will be available for affected residents and landlords.

"This is a transformational opportunity to tackle long-standing issues like empty homes, poor housing quality, fly-tipping, and anti-social behaviour."

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