Several years ago it was announced that a high ranking minister was visiting my area, however due to fears over security, his route, and the places he would be visiting would not be revealed ahead of the visit. It was a joke, most of the area has been neglected for years, potholes, no road markings, damaged bus shelters, the usual stuff that you get in any town, for several weeks before the visit, the council went mad, roads resurfaced, street furniture repaired/replaced, potholes fixed, all along a particular route, and guess which route the politician took!
I think it's sad that councils/government, whoever it is are allowed to do these things, in Liverpool there was a road lined with 3 story houses, they were beautiful in their day. Over the years the area went into decline and the council I believe placed compulsory purchase orders on these properties, yet did nothing with them, until many years later and there was some international event taking place in the city, people were running around like crazy, trying to make it look like these properties were well maintained and lived in.
They did the same in London, the area where the Krays were brought up had been neglected for years, 'no money in the pot' claimed the powers that be, fast forward a few years and now the posh people want to move into the area, suddenly millions of pounds are discovered to facilitate the regeneration, and the relocation of the original inhabitants, no doubt to some other less desirable area.