Left behind’ areas should be at the front and centre of a new mission of national renewal according to a report out this morning.
The report by the All Parliamentary Group for left behind neighbourhoods “A neighbourhood strategy for national renewal” says that the country is at a crucial moment for England’s ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods, and decisions made in the next few years will define their prospects for decades to come.
Decisive action. they say, is now urgently needed to save levelling up from the strategic drift which threatens to waste the significant political will generated in recent years to transform the fortunes of these places.
Levelling up they say, needs tobe led by local people – the experts best placed to know what needs to be done to improve local outcomes, and should reflect local needs and circumstances and not follow a national template
The report says that Government should entrust decision-making – including funding – to communities, not Whitehall or the town hall and make a decision to invest in long term communities o build capacity, social infrastructure, opportunity
and resilience.
The report is the final output from the APPG’s inquiry, which examined how closely this ambitious policy programme aligns with the needs and aspirations of the 2.4 million people living in 225 ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods across England.
“The decisions we make now will define which future the residents of ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods can expect over the coming decades. They can continue to be places where human flourishing is limited and potential squandered. Or these places can become a cornerstone of our national recovery from a decade of challenges, and a new source of resilience for the even greater challenges ahead.” says the report
‘Left behind’ communities face multiple challenges that limit their opportunities compared to other places. They have worse socioeconomic outcomes than the English average – as well as other, equally deprived areas.
They lack places to meet, such as pubs, community centres and village halls. Many are in areas of low economic activity, making it difficult to find work or access services. Poor public transport and weaker digital connectivity leave them isolated.
Children in ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods are more likely to attend underperforming schools.
