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When our local butcher retires, his son won't take over, and there will be another reduction in choice. As a result, the neighbourhood will feel its sense of identity slipping away, and with it, residents' happiness. Such a scenario is a common occurrence in modern-day Britain. And, if local people are concerned about what is happening in their community, this will impact on local government. Increasingly, the local council, as opposed to Westminster, is charged with dealing with the issues which cause people to be happy and concerned, depressed and even afraid in their own neighbourhood. Much has been written about communities and the decline of neighbourliness. There is a tendency to romanticise about a time when neighbours in terraced streets or small villages relied on each other and helped each other out. ‘One could leave one's back door unlocked' and, people ‘popped next door to borrow a cup of sugar'. This was a time before tower blocks, sink estates, commuter villages and mass immigration. It is claimed people increasingly feel disconnected from their community and their neighbours. More of us travel further to work, shop in malls, as opposed to the local corner shop, and don't send our children to the local school. A recent show of hands around the senior management table at my authority revealed most present didn't know about the people who lived next door, they didn't socialise with them, nor did they feel the need to. Of course, it doesn't follow that just because you don't know your next doors, the neighbourhood is going down the pan. When my in-laws came to stay to look after the house and dogs while we went on holiday, a very different picture emerged. They told me the names of people I was only on ‘nodding' terms with, they informed me about the wonderful cakes and friendly people at the Wednesday WI bring-and-buy sale, and they were on first name terms with the staff at the local post office. Whereas I have better things to do with my spare time than paying my utility bills, they described pension day at the post office as if it was the highlight of the week. The post office queue and the hairdresser's are, apparently, where you go to get all the gossip, so they won't be having their pension paid directly into their bank account. After only two weeks, when they walked down the street, people smiled and said, Hello. When I walk down the same street, people say, ‘Hello Henry'. But my name isn't Henry, they are talking to my dog. He runs off a lot, so I chase after him, calling his name. My in-laws commented on the absence of litter, dog dirt and graffiti, and how green the area was in our locality. How people feel about their neighbourhood will depend on whether they feel safe, whether they have a sense of belonging, and whether the area has a cared-for look. I am envious of my brother, who is greeted by name in the local pub. But he has lived in the same place for 20 years. He went to the local school, and he works within walking distance. I don't even go to my local pub. If your children go to the local primary school, then you know lots of parents. These days the whole class has to be invited to celebrate birthdays. In my experience, the extent to which you engage with your local community and your neighbours depends on whether you are around during the day, whether you shop locally, whether your kids go to the local school, how long you have lived there, and whether you have a dog. The implications for local councils are – investing in making the place looking cared-for and how often the bins are emptied; keeping the local primary school open, even when the numbers don't justify this; retaining the local library, even when it is uneconomic to do so; lobbying for the post office to be kept open; and encouraging youngsters to go to the local secondary school. The message for local government is that people will feel happier with where they live if there is less emphasis on cost and efficiency and more on quality of life. I shall miss the camaraderie and banter of the morning queue, should the butcher's son not think it ‘economical' to take over when the butcher retires. Blair McPherson is director of community services at Lancashire CC

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WHITEHALL

Everybody needs good neighbours…

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