Thousands of households across Shropshire lack easy access to a post office, primary school, local shop or GP surgery, a new report reveals.
Data from the Government’s 2008 Index of Deprivation places the Corve Valley, in South Shropshire, and Lawley ward, in Shrewsbury, in the top 20 of the most excluded areas in England.
The Lawley ward stretches from south of Condover towards the eastern edge of Shrewsbury and Atcham borough’s boundary.
In addition, Bitterley with Stoke St Milborough and Upper Corvedale, south of the county, are ranked as being among the most isolated areas in the West Midlands.
Analysis of the report, produced by Oxford University for the Government, reveals which parts of the country have been hit the most by the loss of essential local services in the last four years.
It includes a measure for access to local services, based on the distance to the nearest GP surgery, convenience store or supermarket, primary school and post office.
It found that 45 per cent of neighbourhoods in England - 14,493 out of 32,439 - have become more “geographically deprived” since the last such study in 2004.
The Conservatives have warned more communities face losing vital services due to Whitehall policies.
They said the planned closure of some 2,500 post offices, some of which serve as a local shop, will also result in the loss of 1,000 village stores.
The problem will also be exacerbated by the closure of hundreds of rural primary schools to tackle falling pupil numbers, with new Government guidance threatening to withhold money for councils which do not remove surplus places - and the introduction of “polyclinics’ to replace GP surgeries .
Shadow local government secretary Eric Pickles said the figures illustrated “the slow death” of community life.
By Sunita Patel
One Comment
I wonder if the mp’s who voted for closure of post offices , will now take heed with this report. May be the ones noy yet closed can now be saved. so come this governmemt get a grip and take note of this report.