Tale of Two Cities report shows a growing divide
THE gap between affluent and deprived areas of Sheffield is growing wider, with inequality more evident now than it was 40 years ago.
Those are the findings of a report published by experts from Sheffield University this week following research commissioned by MP David Blunkett.
The study – A Tale Of Two Cities: The Sheffield Project – reveals that the city has become more polarised since the early 1970s, despite efforts to improve health, housing and education services.
Historical inequalities persist and have, in some cases, increased. In recent years the proportion of families living in the most deprived areas has risen by 4% – more than double the national average.
Research, based on indicators from sources including NHS Sheffield, the city council and Local Area Statistics, highlights the growing divide.
People living in the worst-off parts of the city are likely to leave school earlier, live in smaller houses, suffer a great risk of burglary and die younger than those in wealthier suburbs.
The greatest differences are evident when comparing south-west Sheffield with north-eastern suburbs.
The average person living in Hallam constituency earns over 30% more than people in the rest of the city. In the Ecclesall neighbourhood only 2% of houses fall into council tax band A, while in Shiregreen the figure is 99.3%.
On the other hand school attendance has improved across the board and the gap between education standards in different areas has shrunk.
Dr Bethan Thomas, one of the authors, said: "This report shows in stark detail the inequalities that persist across Sheffield's neighbourhoods.
"While there have been improvements and in many cases the gap between the best-off and worst-off parts of Sheffield has narrowed, high inequalities remain and in some instances, such as for standardised mortality ratios, the gap is actually widening."
Co-author Dr Dan Vickers added: "This report reveals in detail how people's chances of health, wealth, education and dying vary greatly across the city depending on the neighbourhood in which they live.
"With the likely reduction in central Government intervention in the coming years and Sheffield Council's changed priorities, we fear that what improvements there have been may well be reversed in future years."
But the report has triggered a furious political row between Labour MP David Blunkett and Liberal Democrat council leader Paul Scriven.
Coun Scriven attacked the report, claiming there were 'factual inaccuracies' and that the gap between rich and poor had got wider under a Labour government and a Labour council.
"About the only thing that is accurate is the conclusion that Labour's policies to close the inequality gap, both nationally and locally, have failed," he said.
Mr Blunkett said his comments were an insult to Prof Danny Dorling and his research team.
"The greatest irony of all is that the University of Sheffield has used data provided by Sheffield City Council – so in a single breath, Coun Scriven is condemning both the expertise of the university and his own officers."
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