The residents of Low Hill, Wolverhampton chat to the Express & Star about the announcement that the area is to receive £20 million over ten years to regenerate the area.
00:00Well, I think it would be good for the area. I think it's been left to just, yeah, it's been left to get to ruin really, hasn't it?
00:12I think some money pumped into it, especially for the community and that.
00:18So are you local to Low Hill then?
00:21Yeah, I live near where Bushby Batters used to be.
00:24So you know sort of what the area is in need of?
00:29Oh, yeah, yeah.
00:30But what of those things, what would you say the main priority would be for this?
00:34Something for the community and for the kids to get them off the streets, something to encourage them to know that there's more to life than what they're doing.
00:46Sure.
00:46Yeah.
00:46And had it sort of felt a little bit like you'd almost been forgotten?
00:51Is this sort of, is this nice to see that there's somewhere there?
00:54Yeah, it is. There's so many buildings that are just left derelict and, yeah, I think it'd be nice to give it a little boost and encourage people, I think, yeah.
01:06Did you know about the funding that was coming then?
01:09Yeah, I do follow the information about the local area on my local social media, so I had heard about it yesterday, about the extra money, yeah.
01:17And what were your thoughts initially when you're into, obviously, Low Hill, where you spend a bit of time?
01:23So what do you think about the news?
01:25I think any money that's going to invest in the local area that's going to help the people of the local area can't be a bad thing. Yeah, definitely.
01:31Sure, I mean, it sounds like they hope to sort of open more shops, close vape shops, that kind of thing. Is that the kind of thing that you'd hope the money to be spent?
01:40I think the idea of closing vape shops isn't a bad thing. I think, you know, it's interesting. I know it's my own personal opinion about vaping and nicotine and stuff like that, but generally speaking, you know, it's not very good for you health-wise.
01:52I think anything else that's going to put in a place that's better for you than that can't be a bad thing, yeah.
01:58Sure, and, you know, is there, in your opinion, enough things for young people to do in the area of that kind of thing? Because it sounds like that's what the funding sort of aim to encourage.
02:08Currently, there is some stuff, but there's not enough. You know, I have to go a couple, three miles further out to find stuff, and that's convenient for me. I do drive, but for the people that don't drive, there's one or two buses to get to stuff. It's very difficult to access, isn't it? So having something more local is going to be better for people.
02:26Oh, yeah, it was so, yeah. I mean, we can't really mind that, because it is a busier parade. Because there aren't many parades in there knocking about like this, to be quite honest.
02:37Sure.
02:38Is there?
02:38Right, so, with that in mind, then, I think it's, you know, they're hoping to close down vape shops, that kind of thing, and just give the community, and I suppose the younger community as well, a bit more to do. Is that something you'd be keen for?
02:52Oh, yeah, anything to do with the kids. That's definitely anything to do with the young'uns. That's where the money's got to go to now, to keep them, like, focused for the future.
03:02Sure. And how long have you been working here, then?
03:0540 years.
03:06So not from Low Hill, but working here.
03:08It's 1985. I've been around, so I've seen the kids go to school, grow up, have their children, and they're still coming to the shopping, bless them.
03:15It is.
03:16It is. And it's a lovely community around here.
03:19And I think you have to go out of the community to realise how lucky you are around Bushby in particular, I think.
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