‘Divided city’ laid bare as report reveals gulfs between districts

According to the State of Sheffield 2012 report, published today, 81 per cent of people in Sheffield as a whole said they were happy with the area in which they live, but there is a huge divide between different areas of the city.

A total of 29 neighbourhoods – mostly those in the north and east of the city, with the exception of Lowedges, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe in the south – are within the most 20 per cent deprived in England. By contrast, Ecclesall is the least deprived neighbourhood and, along with Fulwood, Bents Green Crosspool, Whirlow, Abbeydale and Millhouses, are within the 10 per cent least deprived locations in England.

The State of Sheffield 2012 report, published by the Sheffield First Partnership, aims to tell the “continuing story of the city’s development over the last few years, how the city has changed and the challenges it faces”.

Professor Gordon Dabinett, from Sheffield University, was commissioned to lead on compiling the report by Sheffield First Partnership’s Sheffield Executive Board.

An extract from the report says: “Sheffield is more spatially divided than any of its comparator cities, and owes much of this to its history and topography.”

It adds: “Despite the level and degree of social and economic inequalities being as great as many other cities in England, Sheffield would appear to exhibit greater social cohesion, in that the city did not experience the types of social unrest that occurred in English urban areas this summer.”

Sheffield’s population has grown from 513,000 in 2001 to 555,000 in 2010, meaning it is rising at a rate above the national average.

The report says that much of this is due to a growing student population as well as a longer life expectancy, with a 139 per cent increase in the over-85 year group over the last 10 years.

Sheffield Council leader Julie Dore said yesterday: “I think the Sheffield Executive Board has been bold in commissioning such an objective, high-quality analysis of how Sheffield is doing.

“There have been separate pieces of work on these in the past but not one that brings them all together in one place, with a strong narrative giving a whole picture of where we are now.

“Although this report contains challenges for us all as well as many positives, we’re not prepared to shy away from the issues we need to address.”

One of the main criticisms of the report is the state of education in Sheffield. This comes after, last week, league tables were published which revealed secondary schools have fallen further beneath the national average.

Just 49.4 per cent of 16-year-olds in Sheffield achieve good grades in five GCSEs, including English and maths, compared with 58.2 per cent nationally.

An extract from the report says: “Sheffield’s comparative position against other cities and local authorities has, in most cases, worsened. Interim data for 2011 is concerning in respect of the attainment of 11-year-olds and 16-year-olds, as it shows little or no improvement on 2010.”

The report also says that Sheffield, as a city, has “become more cosmopolitan and safer”, with “many neighbourhoods and communities seeing marked improvements.” It also claims that new businesses and jobs have been created “in significant numbers.”

Sharon Squires, director of the Sheffield First Partnership, said the report would “help and guide” the executive board’s plans.

She said: “Our focus this year will be on improving schools attainment, the economy, jobs and opportunities, reducing poverty, deprivation and inequality and the environment.”