The technicolor ideal of the suburbs has started to fade as a new report paints a worrying picture for the London, Greater Manchester and West Midlands suburbs.
Towards a Suburban Renaissance published by the centre left Smith Institute this week claims that the area’s once where most people in the UK choose to live, close to the countryside and conveniently placed to the city, and which provided the right balance between space and accessibility are in danger of being left behind.
As inner city regeneration had accelerated, says the authors, suburbs have frequently been left behind.
While deprivation is still more concentrated centrally, there has been a significant shift outwards in indicators of poverty. The proportion of most deprived areas within cities is rising rapidly in suburbia, and in London especially, there are now more poor people living in outer boroughs than inner ones.
Based on the study of suburbs in London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, the report found that Population rates have grown at a faster rate in inner cities than suburbs over the last decade. However, there are no signs of suburban abandonment.
Deprivation rates have also risen fastest in suburban areas.In Greater Manchester, 54% of suburban neighbourhoods experienced an increase in economic deprivation. Suburbs have also seen a rise in the proportion of the most deprived areas within their cities.
Jobs performed by suburban residents increased at a slower rate than in urban areas. In Manchester, suburban resident job numbers increased by 6%, compared with a 47% rise in urban areas.
The report has called for the creation of a new Suburban Taskforce to prevent the demise of the formerly affluent commuter towns.
Paul Hunter, head of research at the Smith Institute and the report’s author, said: “The government urgently needs to take action to address the worrying trends affecting our suburbs – failure to act now could lead to rapid suburban decline.
“A suburban taskforce would be starting point, helping lead the way by setting out a positive agenda for areas all too often overlooked.
“Just as we had an urban renaissance, national and local government should now be looking to complete the revival of cities and major towns by making the most of our great suburbs.”
