The survey asked 35,000 people nationwide to rate their towns on factors like community spirit, green spaces, and access to essential services.
Slough’s residents painted a grim picture, with one describing the town as rife with “gangs, homeless people, and drugs.”
Despite all the negatives, Slough does have some advantages, including excellent transport links to London and Europe’s largest trading estate.
However, many locals feel these benefits don’t outweigh the issues they face daily.
Opinions on Slough’s reputation are divided. Richard Clark, 81, and his brother Barry, 77, felt the ranking was “a little unfair,” with Barry telling The Daily Mail: “It seems okay to me.”
Similarly, Zain, a 17-year-old market trader, described Slough as “the best place I’ve lived in my life.”
But others disagreed. Alex, a 17-year-old sixth-former who has lived in Slough his entire life, said: “It’s not a safe place to live. You’ve got a bunch of homeless people, gangs, and drugs.”
Richard, 57, who works as a rubbish collector, shared these concerns. He said: “It needs more police on the streets with all this knife crime going on.
“It also needs more shops to bring people in. Right now, it’s all takeaways, top to bottom.”
The Slough Council has some ambitious plans to improve the town. These include revamping the Queensmere and Observatory shopping centres, but many residents are skeptical about the impact.
Howard Robinson, 63, who has lived in Slough for 25 years, said: “The high street is dying, but that’s a problem in many towns.”
He added that Slough’s industrial roots have faded, leaving it with a depleted workforce.
“At one point, it [Slough] was one of the biggest trading estates in Europe. Now, it’s mainly data processing centres,” he explained.
Indira, 37, a mother-of-two, offered a more positive view. Having previously lived in Birmingham and Swansea, she said: “Slough feels very safe. I have two young kids, and I feel comfortable walking around here.”
However, Alex pointed to the council’s financial issues as a barrier to improvement. “The area needs more funding, but the council is bankrupt, so that’s not going to happen,” he said.
While some residents remain optimistic about Slough’s future, others feel the town’s struggles may never be solved. As Howard put it: “Slough’s problems are part of a larger trend affecting towns across the country.”
Express.co.uk has contacted Slough Borough Council for comment.
