How deprived is your area?

I know people talk about the North/ South divide, have done for decades, but if you are in steady employment in the North, or classed as middle class, your money goes a lot further. It's still possible where I live to buy property for under 100k and houses on the most middle class estates are still available for under 250k. In London, it's impossible to find anything for under 250k.

I live in a very wealthy area in Surrey but that’s not such a good thing.People can be quite unfriendly.I really notice a difference when visiting my son in Derbyshire.

I particularly dislike all these statistics that are produced of comparative areas of poverty v prosperity because I think that they unsettle people and make them unhappy and disatisfied with where they live.
No wonder the country is divided when these sorts of statistics are published seemingly on a regular basis.
Obviously their production for governments to assist policy development is essential but I think they should be used for those purposes rather than used to promote a sort of national beauty contest with some areas winning the crown and others not making the last 100.

I live in Wiltshire and somebody told me it is the land of "the entitled" and I don't see any deprivation . I am sure that some people are struggling but I don't see it.

It is like living in an alternate reality.

I live in a market town in East Midlands, very close to the North. A very respectable neighbourhood if I may say so. Houses sold very quickly around here. Neighbours not short of a bob or two judging from the double storey and single storey extensions added to their houses.

I live here for 30 years and have never been a victim of crime. Touch wood.

Yet, according to the Table of Deprivation, I live in a very deprived area, bottom 20% no less.

No wonder the employee from County Council told me that they will fund the full cost of a new curved stairlift for my DH to the tune of £6k to £7K without any mean testing which I found most surprising.

One of the perks of living in a very deprived neighbourhood. Good innit?

BlueBelle

Keepingquite I am just the same, bus stop opposite my house a beautiful beach literally round the corner I have well kept parks (with each having volunteer groups to help keep them lovely ) a swimming pool plus sports centre , children’s play parks, two skate parks (very well kept) a great library, a well kept fantastic wild life area with cafe, play park, lovely walks and hides Two theatres and a cinema
Town centre fairly boring now with a lot of lost shops as are most places but if this type of deprivation keeps the house prices down bring it on

Wondering if you live fairly close to me! I’m very close to The Palace Theatre!

I think it’s a combination growstuff as within Trafford - Sale, Altrincham, Urmston there’s also a local district general hospital, as many doctors (hospital resident) are attracted to this area and house prices are buoyant. Medical staffing used to say it was always a pull factor.

Live in the North East in a so called deprived area. I feel safe, the neighbours are friendly , but not intrusive. Everyone looks after their homes and the council seems to do a decent job with the council houses. No gangs hanging around. I know that if I needed emergency help, neighbours would respond. Yes, people don't have much disposable income. A mix of disabled, unemployed, retired and hard working: but everyone doing their best and decent human beings, down to earth and take people as they are. I am happy where I live.

My post code is heading for least deprived, which I knew. A Mike away must be heading for most deprived.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I live in the Borough of Trafford. Overall no deprivation as there are half a dozen non fee paying grammar schools here.

However Old Trafford (think Man. Utd) is considered a deprived area, despite Trafford being an affluent borough overall. It is identified as one of the most deprived areas in England, ranking among the most deprived 10% nationally. Key indicators of deprivation include high levels of unemployment, poor housing, low income relative to house prices, and higher crime rates.

Source Google A.I.

How do the existence of grammar schools explain the lack of deprivation? Genuinely confused!

Doodledog There are bound to be some anomalies.

I would imagine the income data is taken from HMRC. I'm not sure whether the data comes from the addresses of people living in the region or from the employers in the region. The reason I question it is because I know from other audits that the average income earned by people in my area is high, the average pay for jobs available is low. Many people commute to London or Cambridge, where incomes are much higher. The current data shows that the income for the area is just above average, which is nonsense - it's much higher.

Again, I'm not sure whether education stats use the people living in the area or those registered with the schools in the area. All the information is available on the DfE dashboard.

Unemployment here is virtually zero, so that's right.

The area scores highly for health, which I'm sure is a reflection of the high socio-economic status of the people who live here.

Its score for crime is below average crime but less favourable than health. That seems right. There are burglaries and drug offences, but not many fights.

In total, the area is in the top 15%, which is probably about right.

My postcode is ranked as above average, and the indices say that it is in the top 10% for income and education, just over the half way mark for employment and in the bottom 20% for health and crime.

However, the figures need to be read in context. The high income levels surprise me, although it's relatively affluent area. I wouldn't have expected it to be in the top 10% though. I don't know how educational attainment is measured, so can't comment on that either. The average age here is fairly high, with a couple of care homes and blocks of retirement flats dotted about. That will explain the health and employment stats, as many residents are retired, and obviously care home residents are likely to be in poor health.

We are just off the town centre, which I assume explains the supposedly high crime rate because of shoplifting, antisocial behaviour in pubs etc. We've lived in this house for nearly 30 years and I haven't known anyone be a victim of crime. I lock up at night and when we go out, but when we are in I often leave the front door open in the day, so deliveries can be left and I don't have to go to the door. I don't think the picture painted by the figures is representative at all.

I know an area described as deprived which is one street, consisting of picturesque cottages and a row of elegant Georgian houses.
There is also one ugly building which was housing association old people’s flats, now awaiting redevelopment. This has to be why the ridiculous term ‘deprived’ was applied to an attractive and affluent area.
Shows that nothing in this report can be taken seriously.

Surrey is the most affluent county in England.

I live in the Borough of Trafford. Overall no deprivation as there are half a dozen non fee paying grammar schools here.

However Old Trafford (think Man. Utd) is considered a deprived area, despite Trafford being an affluent borough overall. It is identified as one of the most deprived areas in England, ranking among the most deprived 10% nationally. Key indicators of deprivation include high levels of unemployment, poor housing, low income relative to house prices, and higher crime rates.

Source Google A.I.

GrannyGravy13

Just had a quick look, we are not in a deprived area. Not surprised, considering house prices and transport links.

Same here. I live in Surrey and house prices are ridiculous.

I'd say where I live isn't bad. There is a big problem with flats and bedsits in the town centre that seem to be a dumping ground for drug addicts and the hardcote unemployed, and there are three council estates that have always been poor, but the rest of the town is a mixture of better off council estates, semi detached housing and Victorian terraces. Also while the addicts in town can be a nuisance, mostly they fight among themselves and mercifully there is little knife crime and no gangs.

Define "deprivation". My area pops up as one of the significantly more deprived areas, and DH and I are by no means wealthy, but:

Our house is warm, well insulated and with well functioning central heating;
We have several food shops within easy walking distance;
We can also walk to the GP (and there's an alternative one nearby);
There are four grammar schools in our city of 120,000 people;
There are plenty of restaurants and pubs within a shortish walk;
Whilst our own car is coming up to twenty years old, most of the ones round us are under ten;
There are several parks nearby, and a canal, and a river;
Buses are fairly frequent and we can get to richer areas easily if we want a glitzier outing (we went to the theatre last night, both ways by bus so we could have a couple of drinks too);
We have a couple of independent cinemas and there is live music available all over the place;
We have a vast medieval cathedral which still manages to run a pretty good traditional music department;
There is crime but we personally haven't encountered much - a stolen parcel and some chased off intruders in next door's garden who escaped via ours;
We can afford to go abroad on holiday most years;
We have a 100-year old semi of 1,200 sq ft which is perfectly adequate for our needs;
We have a manageable garden;
We have full fibre broadband and more TV channels than we could possibly want;
DH can store and use his bikes;
I can store and use my craft materials;
We've both got jobs despite being close to seventy;
We're both reasonably fit and healthy despite DH's brush with cancer over the past twelve months;
Between us we have four children, and three grandchildren, and we will host them all, and my sister and her family over Christmas.

I would say we live a perfectly reasonable, even good, life by most people's standards. And I certainly don't feel deprived. Maybe we're deprived of six holidays a year? That's about it.

Longdistancegrnny

Apparently I live in one of the least deprived areas in the country - however I volunteer for a local charity which has helped and supported local people for over 70 years - so I agree with the statement upthread that it is the families who are deprived, not necessarily the area. We have two food banks which are very much needed plus a hygiene bank. It must be very hard to live in a deprived family in a well to do area. For many different reasons families in our area need support - some people just do not have the skills to hold down a job, cook fresh simple food for their families or keep their home and garden looking neat and tidy, and would struggle wherever they live.

It is difficult to be deprived in a less deprived area because there's generally little infrastructure in place to take account of poorer families.

Really😳 that’s a rarity in this day & age, KQ.
I suppose we could leave our door unlocked, but there is a ginel at the top of our cul-de-sac.
A few years ago, apparently according to police, we had an outfit from Manchester come over, 5 cars went & a big fancy tourer were stolen. We had police parked up for couple of days, either end of the road.
Point is it’s usually people from other areas that come in & do the stealing.

Apparently I live in one of the least deprived areas in the country - however I volunteer for a local charity which has helped and supported local people for over 70 years - so I agree with the statement upthread that it is the families who are deprived, not necessarily the area. We have two food banks which are very much needed plus a hygiene bank. It must be very hard to live in a deprived family in a well to do area. For many different reasons families in our area need support - some people just do not have the skills to hold down a job, cook fresh simple food for their families or keep their home and garden looking neat and tidy, and would struggle wherever they live.

BlueBelle

Keepingquite I am just the same, bus stop opposite my house a beautiful beach literally round the corner I have well kept parks (with each having volunteer groups to help keep them lovely ) a swimming pool plus sports centre , children’s play parks, two skate parks (very well kept) a great library, a well kept fantastic wild life area with cafe, play park, lovely walks and hides Two theatres and a cinema
Town centre fairly boring now with a lot of lost shops as are most places but if this type of deprivation keeps the house prices down bring it on

Sounds great, if only I lived closer to the sea but you can't have it all!
When I moved here people were very sniffy about the place but buying here was the best thing I ever did.

House prices (and most other things!) are really cheap, which was one of the factors in my coming here.

I have a great quality of life.

I live in a Northern coastal town . According to the estate agents it’s a sought after area close to the beach, shops , schools, shops and entertainment. The adjoining postcode is number 3 on the list Low property prices are attracting a lot of people from “down South”

Keepingquite I am just the same, bus stop opposite my house a beautiful beach literally round the corner I have well kept parks (with each having volunteer groups to help keep them lovely ) a swimming pool plus sports centre , children’s play parks, two skate parks (very well kept) a great library, a well kept fantastic wild life area with cafe, play park, lovely walks and hides Two theatres and a cinema
Town centre fairly boring now with a lot of lost shops as are most places but if this type of deprivation keeps the house prices down bring it on

M161 When I was younger living in a council house, everyone looked after their homes, if they didn't there would be a warning from the council. It should be a condition of staying in accomodation, you were not anti social and kept your place tidy looking, all it takes is a bit of effort and soap and water. Otherwise you lose it. Same with benefits, you look give a job if unemployed and give one day to your local area volunteering, litter picking, food bank whatever. Why should anyone on exactly the same income out up with their area becoming a slum?
I love the North of England, certainly don't look down on anyone coming from there, or anywhere, there are areas of beauty and good people all over.
I go to a club, there is one lady, about 40 who shuffles around, lanky greasy hair and smells to high heaven, it's awful, when it's time for a tea break and biscuits, her walker left by her chair, at the side , she almost runs to be first in line as eating her main occupation, Her neighbours have tried everything as she lives in dirty clutter and it impacts their property. She has never worked as her mother didnt either. Everyone avoids, she is intelligent, does the quizzes, very outspoken and assertive. She just doesn't care.