Residents of 'UK's unhappiest place' defend their borough as it 'has potential'
Residents have defended their local borough after it was ranked the "most unhappy place" in the UK in a new survey.
People living in Melton, Leicestershire, spoke out after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) ranked the area 393rd out of 393 local authorities in the country in a poll looking into anxiety levels, happiness and general satisfaction with life.
While most people agreed that the area needs some improvements, many told LeicestershireLive they found the ONS assessment too harsh.
Louise James, 56, has lived in the town all of her life, and thinks the borough's town and villages are far from the worst the country has to offer.
She said: "I was born and bred here, I think the town has a lot going for it.
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People living in Melton said they see its faults but insisted it's got a lot going for it (Corey Bedford/Leicester Mercury WS)"Yes, there are lots of empty shops - but people are quick to complain but slow to try and do something about it. There's still pork pies, stilton cheese, and the Stockyard being developed which will provide a lot of future trade and appeal for the town.
"I think it's the lowest scoring because of the town centre. There's not a lot going for young people really beyond some bars.
"But then again you have Leicester 30 minutes down the road. Also, you have Rutland nearby for days out, so there are options.
"Traffic is another problem, too, though. The ring road should help to address this but right now we're seeing a lot of homes being built but no extra facilities or infrastructure to support them.
"We only have one GP for the time being, too, which doesn't help things. Everyone always complains about not being able to see their doctor and the nearest hospitals are at Leicester and Nottingham.
"But I don't think it's fair to write it off - there's millions being spent on the town over the next few years. There's potential for Melton."
Simon Rhodes, 59, lives and works in the town. He also disagreed with the survey, and believes there are many worse places to live than Melton.
He said: "I've lived in a lot of places so I've seen my fair share of bad areas. People live in Melton for a long time and don't leave and it clearly shows there's something good about the area.
"I know a lot of businesses here have been closing which definitely doesn't help. But I don't know how anyone could look around and deem it 393rd out of 393.
Melton was rated the most unhappy place to live in the UK (Corey Bedford/Leicester Mercury WS)"I've seen a lot of places much worse than Melton. It's disappointing, really. If a couple of shops close down it tends to start a downward spiral.
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"But there's still a lot of character here. There's local businesses and markets through the week which bring people to the area and add their own charm to the town centre.
"It'd be interesting to know why people voted it so low, I'm not saying it's the best place but it's definitely not deserving of the bottom spot."
Janet Hughes, 67, moved to the town from North Wales, and doesn't understand how the borough scored so low. She said: "It's a bit harsh, really. We moved here from Bangor nine years ago and I think it's a nice place.
"There's always something going on, there's the marketplace, craft fairs, and the classic car meet each month to name a few. It's up to the individual to make the most of their town, at the end of the day. If you're not happy with it you should work to help make things better.
"Melton has gone a little downhill in recent years, but it's still a good place to live. Yes, the traffic doesn't help - it's horrific at peak times - but the ring road is being built.
"If you've been here for a lot of years you might see it a bit differently, comparing it to what it used to be, but I think there's still far worse places."
(Melton Borough Council WS)Vicky Piggin, 39, is the owner of recently opened Pagan Treats on King Street, and spoke of the impression she's made of Melton in her short time in the town.
She said: "We've had nothing but positive energy from the people here. We've only been open for about a month but I think coming in as an outside can help give a unique perspective on things.
"Sure, there's a lot of shops to let, but they are filling up just as fast. We've been welcomed by the locals and they are happy to see new stores opening in the town.
"I think it's a bit harsh on Melton, to be honest. We thought it was a nice place to set up our store and there are far worse places to live."
Staff member Jordan Cumberbatch, 30, added: "As a town centre Melton's got a lot more going for it than others. I think it looks great and the people here are really nice and friendly."
However, not everyone is convinced, with a staff member in a local pub suggesting a lot needs to be done to bring life back into the town.
They said: "I'm not surprised in the slightest. I must admit that everyone loves to leave the town but everyone then comes back, though.
"The market has deteriorated in recent years which is really upsetting people. There's a lot of anger on it being spent on the cattle market up the road and leaving nothing for the one in the heart of the town centre.
"Covid also played a big part, too. It heavily impacted Melton and people don't come down as often as they used to. Pork pies are the only thing that brings people to the town right now but because of that the price has gone up and a lot of locals don't want to pay that much.
"Other than that, there's no tourist attractions here. Rent's so high that businesses can't afford to pay it, and they aren't getting people down and through the doors anyway, so it's not financially viable for them. A lot needs to change to make the area better."
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