The government announced that it had met its target to reduce road casualties in disadvantaged areas by more than in other areas. Since the target was set in 2002, road casualties in the 88 most deprived districts in England had fallen by 19 per cent, compared to a fall of 15 per cent for England as a whole.
Source: Press release 20 December 2006, Department for Transport (020 7944 3000)
Links: DT press release
Date: 2006-Dec
A think-tank report said that post offices played an invaluable, and in many ways irreplaceable, role as hubs for local communities. It quantified the social and economic value of post offices, particularly in urban areas where its importance had been overlooked. It examined the impact of post office closures on urban communities and local economies, through a number of case studies in the Manchester metropolitan area.
Source: Guy Rubin, Polly Raymond and John Taylor, The Last Post: The social and economic impact of changes to postal services in Manchester, New Economics Foundation (020 7820 6300)
Links: Report | NEF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Dec
The government announced an investment programme of up to £1.7 billion over 5 years, subject to European Union approval, to support the post office network and enable the Post Office to carry out a restructuring programme. It began consultation on the future of the network, saying that it expected 2,500 post office closures at a mix of urban and rural sites.
Source: Press release 14 December 2006, Department of Trade and Industry (020 7215 5000) | The Post Office Network: A Consultation Document, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: DTI press release | Hansard | Consultation document | Postcomm press release | CRC press release | Help the Aged press release | Age Concern press release | FSB press release | LGA press release | CCBS press release
Date: 2006-Dec
It was announced that more than 600 new free-to-use cash machines would be provided in some of the most disadvantaged areas after an agreement was reached between banks, cash machine operators, and the government. This followed publication of a report by an official working group on the problem of access to cash by low-income communities.
Source: Press release 13 December 2006, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) | ATM Working Group, Cash Machines ? Meeting consumer needs, HM Treasury
Links: Report | HMT press release | Citizens Advice press release | Consumers Association press release | Transact press release | CCBS press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Dec
A study found considerable variation in the distances travelled for hospital treatment between electoral wards in England. Some of this was explained by geographical location - individuals located in wards in more rural areas travelled further for elective, emergency and maternity admissions. But individuals located in highly deprived wards travelled less far, and this was not explained just by the closer location of facilities to these wards.
Source: Carol Propper, Michael Damiani, George Leckie and Jennifer Dixon, Distance Travelled in the NHS in England for Inpatient Treatment, Working Paper 06/162, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol (0117 954 6943)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Dec
A survey examined progress on council estates since 1980 - the key changes and what lay behind them, from national policy to community activity. It also captured the impact of the recent strong economy and housing market. Most of the estates had turned from a vicious circle of deprivation and stigma to a virtuous circle of improved popularity and easier management.
Source: Rebecca Tunstall and Alice Coulter, Twenty-five Years on Twenty Estates: Turning the tide?, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | LSE press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Nov
An article described a method of producing small-area estimates of characteristics of the neighbourhood social environment, such as participation in associational life. As an example it outlined a model of the determinants of volunteering. This indicated significant variation between places in the relationship between individual and area characteristics which influenced the probability of volunteering.
Source: Liz Twigg, Steve Barnard, John Mohan, Kelvyn Jones, 'Developing and evaluating small-area indicators of the neighbourhood social environment', Environment and Planning A,Volume 38 Number 11
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
A new book examined the complexity of neighbourhood effects on health. It looked at the inter-relationships between neighbourhood change, the emergence of states of health, and policy interventions managed using performance indicators; and it considered the practical relevance of complexity theory to public policy.
Source: Tim Blackman, Placing Health: Neighbourhood renewal, health improvement and complexity, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Oct
A report identified local concentrations of wealth and poverty by ranking local neighbourhoods with the highest proportion of households earning a lot, or very little. Local income disparities within 51 local authorities were more severe than the 'North-South' divide.
Source: Wealth of the Nation 2006, CACI Information Solutions (020 7602 6000)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Sep
A report said that fee-charging cash machines had a disproportionate impact on people on low incomes and those claiming benefits (paid directly into bank accounts). It called on banks and cash machine operators not to further reduce the number of free cash machines in deprived areas, and to improve signage on fee-charging machines.
Source: Out of Pocket: CAB evidence on the impact of fee-charging cash machines, Citizens Advice (020 7833 2181)
Links: Report | Citizens Advice press release
Date: 2006-Jul
An article examined the key principles that were taken into consideration when constructing indices for measuring deprivation at the small-area level, including the English Indices of Deprivation 2004, and provided an account of the statistical techniques that were used to operationalize them.
Source: Michael Noble, Gemma Wright, George Smith and Chris Dibben, 'Measuring multiple deprivation at the small-area level', Environment and Planning A, Volume 38 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
The fourth (and final) part of a series of reports on the Survey of English Housing for 2003-04 focused on households in deprived areas. Social renting was the dominant tenure in the 10 per cent most deprived areas of England, accounting for 56 per cent of all households (compared with just 19 per cent nationally).
Source: Housing in England 2003/04 Part 4: Households in deprived areas and other topics, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | ODPM press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A paper examined the spatial concentration of poverty and wealth, and the implications these had for people living in poverty. It said the social and spatial dimensions of poverty were at least as important as material deprivation for those left behind.
Source: Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Poverty of Place, Centre for Housing Policy/University of York (01904 433691)
Links: Paper
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the services and projects for children and young people that had been funded in disadvantaged communities in Scotland through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. There had been a significant focus in BNSF on developing services for children and young people. Projects for children and young people accounted for an average of a third of the pathfinders budgets.
Source: Liz Shiel, Ian Clark and Francesca Richards, Children and Young People Services and Projects in the BNSF Programme, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
Researchers examined the distinctive challenges of bringing up children in disadvantaged areas, looking at the perspectives of both parents and children. Despite high levels of poverty, unemployment and drug misuse, both parents and young people usually identified positive aspects in their local areas, particularly associated with the presence of familiar and trusted family, friends and neighbours.
Source: Peter Seaman, Katrina Turner, Malcolm Hill, Anne Stafford and Moira Walker, Parenting and Children's Resilience in Disadvantaged Communities, National Children s Bureau (020 7843 6029) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Findings | JRF press release | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Feb
A study found that the highest rate of bank branch closures - almost 24 per cent was experienced in multicultural metropolitan areas, which included poor inner city areas.
Source: Andrew Leyshon, Paola Signoretta and Shaun French, The Changing Geography of British Bank and Building Society Networks 1995-2003, School of Geography/Nottingham University (0115 846 8092)
Links: Report | CCB press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined employability initiatives that had been funded in disadvantaged communities in Scotland through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. Even though the 5 pathfinders (out of 12) with employability themes had not all reached the end of their initial BNSF allocation, positive impacts were already evident.
Source: Liz Shiel, Ian Clark and Francesca Richards, Employability Initiatives in the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
A study examined social fragmentation within English housing estates and deprived neighbourhoods, focusing on the way in which social fragmentation interacted with community cohesion, community safety, and neighbourhood policing.
Source: Social Fragmentation in English Housing Estates, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan
A study examined the impact of the economic recession on disadvantaged communities. It explored the relationship between previous and existing unemployment trends; showed which areas had been hardest hit by the recession; and suggested how local authorities and community/voluntary organizations could help maintain gains and 'recession-proof' the poorest communities. A linked report documented the impact the recession was having on four different communities.
Source: Becky Tunstall, Communities in Recession: The impact on deprived neighbourhoods, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241) | Karen Day, Communities in Recession: The reality in four neighbourhoods, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | JRF press release | New Start report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2006-Jan