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‘There’s more pigeons than shoppers in Dudley - our once thriving home has become a shanty town’

Dudley traders blast the state of their high street where the market has recently undergone a £150,000 revamp

By Ed Chatterton
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Businesses in the once thriving Dudley sigh street say the area has been turned into a 'dying shanty town' - with more than FORTY empty shopping units and where there's "more pigeons than shoppers".

Traders working in Dudley, say they take home as little as £60 a day after seeing the area "completely decimated" and retailers deserting the high street in their droves.

And a recent £150,000 market revamp has also been branded a flop after the stalls became infested with pigeons and yobs gathering to drink alcohol and cause a nuisance.

Locals recall how Dudley used to be a bustling market town in the heart of the Black Country with its 12th century market, castle and zoo attracting visitors from across the country. 

It was once hailed as a glittering hotspot of the 1970s but it was most recently ranked as the third worst place to live in England in 2025.

Bleak photos show how the town has become "desolate" in recent years, full of boarded-up and derelict stores while residents say there's also been a spike in antisocial behaviour.

Alison Wade, who has run the Cards and Gifts 4 You shop in the town for the past 30 years, remembers the first time she visited Dudley as a teenager on work experience in 1984.

She said: "When I first came I thought 'wow, this is lovely', it was all stone, high-street shops, really, really nice. It was still a thriving town.

"It's gone from being a nice town to getting dirtier and dirtier, and that is probably down to the council.

"Now, it's like a shanty town."

Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026.
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026.

Local resident Harriet Manly, 39, a mum-of-one, added: "You walk around Dudley and there's more pigeons than shoppers. 

"It has become desolate in recent years. The place is dying and it's really sad to see as the people of Dudley are amazing.

"The out of town Merry Hill shopping centre opening didn't help back in the 80s - but this is the worst I have seen it."

Chris Bradwick, 62, has run a stall at the town's historic open-air market for the last five years. 

Chris, of Tipton, said: "I have watched as Dudley has slowly gone to nothing day-by-day.

"It hasn't been helped by constant broken promises by the council.  

"They closed and demolished the bus station, the tram system remains unfinished and there's constant roadworks going on. 

"OAPs can't access the town centre which is just full of college kids and they aren't going to support local businesses.

"They have cut off the accessibility of the town - it takes me 45 minutes to do a 10 minute journey home." 

Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on.
Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on.
Then & Now comparison pictures on the streets of Dudley.
Then & Now comparison pictures on the streets of Dudley.
Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on. January 13 2026.
Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on. January 13 2026.
Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on.
Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on.
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026.
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026.
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026.
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026.
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026. // Residents of a once thriving high street say their home has been turned into a 'dying shanty town' - with more than FORTY empty shopping units and where there's "more pigeons that shoppers".
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026. // Residents of a once thriving high street say their home has been turned into a 'dying shanty town' - with more than FORTY empty shopping units and where there's "more pigeons that shoppers".
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026. // Residents of a once thriving high street say their home has been turned into a 'dying shanty town' - with more than FORTY empty shopping units and where there's "more pigeons that shoppers".
Pigeons on the streets of Dudley, West Midlands. January 30, 2026. // Residents of a once thriving high street say their home has been turned into a 'dying shanty town' - with more than FORTY empty shopping units and where there's "more pigeons that shoppers".

The market area makeover was hailed by the authority’s deputy leader, Cllr Paul Bradley, as a ‘boost for business’ which he hoped would become a ‘central hub and gathering point for visitors’.

But St Thomas’s ward councillor Shaukat Ali said: “I am absolutely gobsmacked by the state of the market, traders are not very happy, the toilets are closed, there are pigeon droppings everywhere and there is antisocial behaviour; people have had enough.”

Resident Jayne Beard said: “It’s unhygienic, completely uninviting, and does real damage to the reputation of our town. 

"It certainly does nothing to help our town and hardworking traders who are trying to earn a living."

The Co-operative store at the top of Dudley High Street in 1969.
The Co-operative store at the top of Dudley High Street in 1969.
Dudley High Street, viewed from the recently-pedestrianised market place, as it looked in May 1985.
Dudley High Street, viewed from the recently-pedestrianised market place, as it looked in May 1985.
Dudley Market pictured in May 1982.
Dudley Market pictured in May 1982.
Dudley High Street in November 1970 looking up towards Top Church.
Dudley High Street in November 1970 looking up towards Top Church.
Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on. January 13 2026.
Dudley has been turned into a shanty town - traders speak out on the impact Merry Hill Shopping Centre has had on the town 40 years on. January 13 2026.

Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: "The seating area in Dudley Market Place was designed to provide a shared, welcoming space that encourages people to stay longer in the marketplace and supports traders. 

"This usage tends to be seasonal and we see higher use in the warmer months and when there are activities in the town centre.

"We absolutely agree that this needs to be a clean, welcoming space and our cleansing teams will be jet‑washing the area, while longer‑term options to address the issue are actively being considered.

"We are also progressing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Dudley Town Centre, which would address issues of anti‑social behaviour. 

"If approved, the area would be patrolled by council street officers working alongside the police, with enforcement action taken where necessary.

"We are clear that improving cleanliness, safety and confidence in the market is essential to making it a welcoming place for traders, residents, and visitors."