Deprivation in rural Staffordshire being 'masked by a wealthy few'
RURAL businesses in Staffordshire have bucked the economic downturn but the poorest residents face even worse deprivation than those in towns and cities, according to a new report.
New figures show the number of people employed in Staffordshire's rural areas increased by more than 21 per cent between 2003 and 2011 – compared to a nine per cent fall in urban towns.
About 234,000 people are employed in Staffordshire's urban areas, down 22,300 over eight years, while the number of jobs in rural areas rose by 13,400 to 76,723.
Average salaries in places like the Moorlands are more than £10,000 higher than in urban towns at £44,568, and the number of people educated to degree level almost five per cent higher at 33 per cent.
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But a report by Staffordshire County Council warns consensus that rural communities are prosperous is masking pockets of major deprivation.
The authority is working with dozens of public and voluntary groups to sign a 'rural declaration' which commits to tackling the issues facing the poorest residents by putting them at the forefront of its decision-making and policies.
A fifth of households in the Moorlands are in fuel poverty – meaning they have to spend more than 10 per cent of their income just to heat homes adequately – compared to 16 per cent in towns.
Poor transport links also mean those who are unemployed find it harder to get back into work and are often priced out of the housing market.
Karen Bradley, Conservative MP for Staffordshire Moorlands, said: "Average income looks good because of the small proportion of people who are more affluent, but the median income is very low.
"I welcome anything which puts a particular focus on the issues facing rural areas because where there is deprivation, it is very marked.
"We are in the bottom 50 in the country for unemployment, but that means deprivation gets lost in the averages.
"There are people who aren't in the gas system and who don't have the infrastructure and access to broadband and I support anything which starts to target those problems."
Work already underway includes; a 'rural premium' which helps cover the increased price of social care for vulnerable people in hard-to-reach areas;
a pledge to use Government funding to extend broadband access in the Moorlands;
a bulk-buying scheme for oil to help reduce costs for those excluded from the gas network.
Amerton Farm owner Eunice Finney, of the Staffordshire Rural Hub, said: "There are issues in rural areas that go under the radar. We need a strategy to deal with them. We have problems with deprivation, but there are also funding issues facing agriculture and transport problems.
"There is also a problem with young people who are raised in rural areas who have to move when they marry and want to buy a house."
County councillor Mark Winnington, cabinet member for environment and assets, said: "What the rural declaration will do is set out commitments to further improve all aspects of these areas. Staffordshire's rural and urban balance is precisely why people want to live, visit and do business here."
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