Unlikely South London neighbourhood named among ‘least deprived’ in UK

A neighbourhood in South London has been named one of the least deprived areas in England

A neighbourhood in Bromley has been named one of the least deprived areas in England, according to new figures released today.

The area of Petts Wood ranks among the 20 least deprived parts of the country in the latest Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) — the government’s official measure of poverty and inequality.

It was the only London neighbourhoods to make the national top 20 list, placing Bromley alongside some of England’s wealthiest postcodes such as Harpenden in Hertfordshire and Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire.

Petts Wood , known for its leafy streets, large detached houses and strong commuter links into central London, has long been considered one of the most desirable areas in the borough. The neighbourhood sits between Orpington and Chislehurst and is popular with families thanks to its high-performing schools, independent shops and easy access to green space such as Jubilee Country Park.

House prices in Petts Wood have an overall average of £674,600 over the last year, according to RightMove. (£663,189 is London average). The majority of properties sold in Petts Wood during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £710,487. Terraced properties sold for an average of £503,539, with detached properties fetching £986,229.

Overall, the historical sold prices in Petts Wood over the last year were 2% up on the previous year and similar to the 2021 peak of £676,838.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government calculated scores for each area based on analysis of income, employment, education, health, crime, housing and the state of the local environment.

The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), released today, are regarded as the most definitive method for identifying disadvantaged and poverty-stricken areas in the country. It is the first time the figures have been updated since 2019, with the latest data reflecting the impact of Covid on local communities.

Deprivation rates are calculated separately in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so today’s data is for England only. In England, the scores are calculated for very small neighbourhoods known as LSOAs which have a population of around 1,500 people.

At the other end of the scale, the most impoverished area in England is in Nigel Farage’s constituency of Clacton in Essex, according to the same data. A neighbourhood in Jaywick, Clacton-on-Sea, has been ranked with the highest deprivation score out of more than 33,750 small local areas nationwide, the official statistics have revealed.

The area in Clacton which had the lowest score is on the coast to the west of the town, and has the official name of Tendring 018A. Most residents there live in detached bungalows on a small estate called the Brooklands Estate. The area was also named as the most deprived part of the country when the rankings were last released in 2019.

Nigel Farage was elected as MP for Clacton at last year’s General Election, winning 46 per cent of the vote. It was the first time he had won a vote to become an MP after seven unsuccessful attempts at other constituencies around the country.

The five next most deprived areas of the country are all in Blackpool. In second place is around Talbot Square in Central Blackpool, followed by the area opposite the central pier.

The area covering the South Promenade is next, followed by an area that includes the guest houses along Palatine Road, and then the High Street area by the train station.

Part of the Broomgrove area of Hastings is next, followed by two more parts of Blackpool (North Shore and North East Centre) and the part of central Rotherham completing the top 10.

With so many neighbourhoods in the top 10, it’s perhaps no surprise that Blackpool is the most deprived local authority in England.

Its neighbourhoods have the highest average IMD scores of any council area in the country. That’s followed by Middlesbrough, Burnley, Manchester and Birmingham. The least deprived parts of England are to be found in St Albans.

One area of Harpenden Town – around Maple Road and Park Avenue – is the least deprived in the country.

The Dalkeith Road area of the town’s Harpenden East neighbourhood is the next least deprived part of England. That’s followed by St Albans’ Marshalswick area and the Wood End and Roundwood area of Harpenden North.

The 20 most deprived areas of England

1. Tendring 018A, Jaywick & St Osyth (Tendring, Clacton)
2. Blackpool 010E, Central Blackpool (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
3. Blackpool 010A, Central Blackpool (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
4. Blackpool 013A, South Promenade & Seasiders Way (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
5. Blackpool 011A, Park Road (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
6. Blackpool 008D, North East Centre (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
7. Hastings 005A, Broomgrove (Hastings, Hastings and Rye)
8. Blackpool 006B, North Shore (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
9. Blackpool 008B, North East Centre (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
10. Rotherham 017D, Rotherham Central (Rotherham, Rotherham)
11. Tendring 016B, Clacton Central (Tendring, Clacton)
12. Blackpool 013B, South Promenade & Seasiders Way (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
13. North East Lincolnshire 006A, New Clee (North East Lincolnshire, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
14. Blackpool 013D, South Promenade & Seasiders Way (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
15. Rotherham 016A, Masbrough & Bradgate (Rotherham, Rotherham)
16. Blackpool 010B, Central Blackpool (Blackpool, Blackpool South)
17. Doncaster 023B, Hexthorpe & Balby North (Doncaster, Doncaster Central)
18. Sunderland 016C, Hendon & Docks (Sunderland, Sunderland Central)
19. North East Lincolnshire 002A, Grimsby East Marsh & Port (North East Lincolnshire, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)
20. North East Lincolnshire 002E, Grimsby East Marsh & Port (North East Lincolnshire, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes)

The 20 least deprived areas of England

1. St Albans 003B, Harpenden Town (St Albans)
2. St Albans 002B, Harpenden East (St Albans)
3. St Albans 008B, Marshalswick (St Albans)
4. St Albans 001B, Harpenden North (St Albans)
5. North Hertfordshire 013C, Hitchin Highbury (North Hertfordshire)
6. Stockport 034B, Cheadle Hulme West (Stockport)
7. Winchester 003C, Winchester North & Sparsholt (Winchester)
8. Wokingham 015B, Barkham & Woose Hill (Wokingham)
9. Dacorum 018E, Boxmoor & Apsley (Dacorum)
10. Cheshire East 010A, South Knutsford & Bexton (Cheshire East)
11. Vale of White Horse 004A, Abingdon Northcourt & Peachcroft (Vale of White Horse)
12. Trafford 021A, Timperley North (Trafford)
13. South Oxfordshire 017D, Henley South (South Oxfordshire)
14. Woking 003A, Horsell (Woking)
15. Bromley 025B, Petts Wood (Bromley)
16. Test Valley 010B, Romsey Cupernham & Halterworth (Test Valley)
17. Warwick 009F, Leamington West & Milverton (Warwick)
18. Dacorum 009D, Berkhamsted Town (Dacorum)
19. Winchester 005E, Winchester West (Winchester)
20. St Albans 001E, Harpenden North (St Albans)

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