10:52am Thursday 15th May 2008
By Dominic Gover
POVERTY and deprivation are deep rooted in parts of Enfield, and a skills shortage could hamper efforts to stop the rot, according to a new report.
The damning conclusion is contained within the Local Area Agreement (LAA), which was produced by the Enfield Strategic Partnership, entitled Building Futures, Changing Lives.
According to Government figures, Enfield is today the 70th most deprived authority in England.
This means deprivation has worsened in the period since 2004, when it ranked 104th out of 354 nationwide.
Residents have the 25th smallest income in the country, and take home the fourth smallest pay packets in London.
The report also revealed that "poverty is increasing rapidly" and that "child poverty is showing a worsening trend".
Almost six per cent more children are growing up in families on benefits than in 2005.
For children under the age of 11, this figure rises to 7.5 per cent.
The study warns that "levels of worklessness have been rising steadily over the last five years", and that "a large share of working age residents are in skills poverty".
The authors blame a stagnant local economy, and a dearth of businesses supplying a steady stream of jobs.
Youth crime is identified as a "significant issue" and the study says that a "declining proportion of young people are in work".
The leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Michael Rye, denied that things are as bleak as the LAA paints them.
He said: "The report was written for the Government to attract several million pounds of funding.
"The way to attract the money is to portray things in as uncomfortable a way as possible".
Cllr Rye said that the findings are skewed by the way Whitehall defines poverty and deprivation.
He blamed the high levels of deprivation upon a "benefits trap" which removes the work incentive.
He said: "The nonsense of it is that child poverty is created by the housing benefit trap.
"It is not worthwhile for parents to get a job when they can be eligible for free school meals and other benefits.
"They are then classed as living in poverty".
But Haselbury councillor Jayne Buckland believes the LAA painted a damning picture of the council.
She said: "The council is there to improve services for all people. But in the areas that the council has influence in, like housing, income and environment, things have got worse."
© Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk