thu 28/03/2024

The Street That Cut Everything, BBC One | reviews, news & interviews

The Street That Cut Everything, BBC One

The Street That Cut Everything, BBC One

Big Society? Residents on one Preston street were happy not to make the big decisions

Presenter Nick Robinson with residents of 'The Street That Cut Everything'BBC/North One Television
There’s nothing like a reality TV programme to bring a community together. Or maybe not. The Street That Cut Everything took one suburban cul-de-sac in Preston and shook up its residents thus: if they wanted their bins emptied, their street cleaned, their benefits paid and their elderly and needy looked after, they had to do it themselves. The council were going to withdraw all services - bar the emergency services and schools - for six whole weeks. And if that doesn’t sound terribly long, it was certainly long enough to pit neighbour against neighbour when it came to voting over who got what.
There’s nothing like a reality TV programme to bring a community together. Or maybe not. The Street That Cut Everything took one suburban cul-de-sac in Preston and shook up its residents thus: if they wanted their bins emptied, their street cleaned, their benefits paid and their elderly and needy looked after, they had to do it themselves. The council were going to withdraw all services - bar the emergency services and schools - for six whole weeks. And if that doesn’t sound terribly long, it was certainly long enough to pit neighbour against neighbour when it came to voting over who got what.
When Tracie requested a "handout" for her daughter’s free school meals, one resident asked whether they had the power to evict her

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