Swansea's High Street has been shortlisted as one of the best in the UK - just months after it was dubbed by a national newspaper as possibly one of the worst in the country.
The award, sponsored by Visa, recognises "the UK's best high streets with exceptionally strong local communities which are leading the way to the high streets of the future."
Swansea joins 11 other high streets across Great Britain and Northern Ireland vying for the title of UK champion.
Last year Crickhowell snatched the title of the UK's best high street.
In March this year, The Sun newspaper claimed businesses were saying the "criminals have won" and shutting up shop on the high street, claiming it was unsafe even to walk the streets after 5pm.
It said: "People in Swansea say they have been crushed by violence, gun crime, drugs and prostitution."
The story followed a Wales Online article on the closure of the White Swan pub in High Street, after landlord, Gez Couch, became fed up with witnessing drugs, violence and prostitution on the streets.
In a previous Wales Online article it was reported how police were called into action, on average, three times a day to High Street, where sexual offences, robbery and theft were among the 1,164 incidents recorded there by police in the previous 12 months.
Now, in a dramatic turnaround, the same high street has been included in the shortlist for the best of its kind in the UK.
The write-up says: "Swansea High Street takes visitors right into the heart of the city .
"Swansea High Street is taking major steps forward to regenerate and future proof the high street for years to come".
It says that, following a £25 million investment, Swansea's Urban Village will expand the high street with new shops, businesses and homes.
It adds: "As part of the Urban Village, Swansea Tech provides space for 20 digital startups and employs over 300 people.
"Plans are also in place to build two new student blocks to house more than 1,300 students.
"The weekly car boot sale along with the theatre, and gallery, attract a wide range of people to the high street. Great customer service is a hallmark of the high street with four businesses achieving Swansea BID’s Extra Mile award."
Also shortlisted in Wales are Narberth - " a town of independent businesses run by passionate locals who are committed to the success of their high street", and Treorchy, which " offers a unique experience to its customers , with 80% of its businesses being independent boutique stores."
The awards also recognise Rising Star High Streets, celebrating "up and coming local communities which are on their way to transforming for the future."
The seven Welsh areas shortlisted are Palace Street, Caernarfon , Camarthen town, Llanelli , Mold high street, Triangle House in Welshpool and Caldicot town centre in Monmouthshire.
Llanelli, of course, has had its own problems of late, with shops quitting the town centre , although there are some positive signs for the future .
To qualify for both categories, all applications were reviewed by an independent panel of judges who determined the shortlisted Champion and Rising Star high streets.
All shortlisted high streets will be visited by the Great British High Street judges, who will assess them against their original entry. This accounts for 80% of the overall score with the final 20% being determined by public voting on the website, to show the support of the local community.
There were mixed reactions in High Street to the shortlisting.
Raj Singh, 25, an employee at S Brothers News and Off Licence, said: “It’s getting better. There are more police on patrol, more shops opening, new flats.”
On the community aspect of High Street, he added: “Overall it’s better than it was, a lot cleaner than what it was before. People feel safer but people are still scared sometimes walking through the High Street in the night.”
This High Street shop caters to the top end of the market :
Erkan Tasci, 49, manager of Swansea Food said it was a surprise that High Street was shortlisted.
She said: "I came here in 2010, no-one was on the High Street, so it’s a surprise for me. Nice and tidy people come in here. Swansea’s a very nice city.”
Donna Harris, 51, of Townhill, said she was also a bit surprised Swansea was up for the award, but said the area was picking up now.
She added: "There are more shops and not so many drunks and druggies on here now. It used to be really nice up here.”
She said there had been a change in the way High Street felt recently.
“I wouldn’t have walked up here 12 months ago, it was like a ghost town. Now it’s nice to come up here,” she said.
Gareth Jones, 47, manager at Nisa Local, agreed the area had improved.
He said: “Yeah there are changes.
"We all know the police can only do what they can do. I’ve worked here for 20 years now and I would say there are a lot less police in the city centre now than there was years ago.
"Is it any safer? It’s about as safe as it was 10 years ago. Everyone makes a big thing of ‘Oh I can’t walk down the High Street in the dark, I can’t do this in the day,’ but if you asked someone 10 years ago they would have told you the same answers to the same questions.”
Julian John, who was waiting for a cab, said he was surprised at the shortlisting.
He said: "Obviously there’s a lot of work that’s been done and it’s obviously in a process of redevelopment so it bodes well for the future, but a bit more work can be done.”
On whether there was a noticeable change in the past months, he said: “Not in the last couple of months.
"There’s obviously going to be more students in the area but I’ve not seen any changes with new shops or services or anything like that.”
Alan Laws, 67, temporary chairman and trustee at the Swansea Community Workshops, said the shortlisting had come as a surprise.
"I travel quite a bit, not only here but abroad and I don’t think Swansea High Street is to a standard that people in Swansea could be proud of.
"We’ve got a problem with lots of drug users, especially outside the station which is the first place you come to if you come on the train.
"The second thing is that the Swansea High Street looks like a rundown old High Street which is what it is. The whole thing needs brightening up.
"Now the council is coming out with lots of rhetoric on what we’re going to do, and what we can do doesn’t achieve anything apart from rhetoric. What’s needed is action.”
He said there had been a slight difference in the area in recent months: "I’ve seen the odd policeman walking around which is unusual. I have noticed that there are less, during the day, drug users, but if you walk up the High Street in the evening it’s still quite unsafe.
"We have an evening class, or when we stay later in the evening as we’re doing something, you’ll find that the drug users are up and down the High Street. The prostitutes are all standing by bus stops so that the police think they’re going to catch a bus. There’s not much change."
Andrew Davies, 50, senior support worker at Swansea Drop-In Centre, responded strongly to the recent negative publicity.
He said: "The slating that the High Street had a few months ago was by one person and one person only and that was the guy who ran the White Swan up the road. Yes it has improved.
"If you want to look at it from one point of view that the anti-social behaviour is no longer happening so much, but it has failed as it has just been moved out into different parts of the city.
"The Marina, also down in Brynmill, Manselton, Brynhyfryd - all those close areas right away round the outskirts of the High Street have now taken the brunt.
"There are people out there that are regular troublemakers who have been the main cause of anti-social behaviour in the past. The anti-social behaviour has been moved on and I have seen that improvement on the High Street but it hasn’t stopped the anti-social behaviour.”
On the community feel of the high street, he said: “I’ve been working in this area for 12 to 15 years now and the one thing I will always say about the High Street is it has always had that community feel.
"I am surprised it has been nominated for this fantastic thing so close to the time it was nominated as the worst High Street. I personally think Swansea High Street should get an award, maybe it will regenerate it. I’m 50 years of age. I’m born and bred in Swansea. Swansea is a great place and the High Street used to be a great place."
Russell Greenslade, Swansea BID chief executive, said: “We are very pleased to see Swansea High Street in the running for this coveted national prize. We hope Swansea supporters will get behind the important public vote, to help propel High Street to a win.
“Swansea High Street has a number of challenges – as do all High Streets across the UK – and these are being faced head-on by all of the relevant partners and stakeholders.
"It is important that we recognise the very positive work that is going on to boost the fortunes and the success of High Street, long-term.
"And it is important that we note the improvements that have been going on over the past years and months.
"Ongoing investment, a sense of local pride, targeted crime reduction initiatives, the hard work and commitment of High Street businesses, and a determination to make one of the busiest thoroughfares into Swansea an ongoing success story, have already left their mark on High Street, and they will continue to do so.
"Let’s get behind Swansea High Street and make our support known in the public voting section of the great British Hight Street Awards.”
Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said: "Swansea BID and the council recognise High Street is a street which is undergoing a transformation into a part of the city centre where businesses thrive and somewhere we can all be proud of.
"There is a huge amount of investment (£110m) going into High Street that will transform the area and Swansea Council is playing its part in delivering this.
"Major organisations such as Coastal Housing and Trinity St David University are showing confidence in the street by investing millions to develop sites which will lead to a huge increase in footfall for local businesses in the area.
"This is in addition to new hi-tech businesses who have previously moved in and are helping to provide real progress in terms of the regeneration of High Street.
"The Council has helped to provide grants to other businesses to enhance or bring back into use key buildings on High Street and the surrounding area - these include improvements to the Grand Hotel opposite the station, the rescue of the derelict building at 71 High Street as well as new leisure and retail businesses on The Strand and Castle Street. "
Members of the public can cast their vote here .
The winners of the Great British High Street Awards will be announced in November.
