'What a difference a decade can make' seems to be the sigh of relief from most Brummie voters. 'Birmingham City Council's careful thought, time and money has created a series of public spaces which has relieved the second city from its concrete stranglehold and brought pedestrian life back to the city centre', says one.

'The fact that people can now walk from Brindley Place to the Rotunda without having to worry about fumes and traffic, with opportunities to sit in well designed seats and see an eclectic mixture of art and sculpture is a great achievement' comments another.

BEST STREETS IN THE UK:
1. Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
2. High Pavement, Nottingham
3. Buchanan Street, Glasgow
4. New Street, Birmingham
5. Water Street / Castle Street, Liverpool

WORST STREETS IN THE UK:
1. Streatham High Road, Streatham
2. Cornmarket Street, Oxford
3. Drakes Circus, Plymouth
4. Maid Marion Way, Nottingham
5. Leatherhead High Street, Surrey