One in six neighbourhoods in the Central South are in the most deprived 30% of neighbourhoods nationally, new analysis, using the recently published English Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2025, has revealed.
The findings for the deprivation report commissioned by Business South and prepared by the Office for National Statistics will be presented to regional MPs and business leaders at the next All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Central South meeting on June 10th at Portcullis House.
Central South is defined as encompassing Chichester in the east and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in the west as well as all of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with a total population figure of 2.7m.
The report findings show:
- The Central South picture masks pockets of highly deprived neighbourhoods. Over one in three neighbourhoods in Havant, Portsmouth, Gosport, Southampton and the Isle of Wight are among the most deprived 30% in England.
- Several neighbourhoods in Portsmouth, Southampton and Havant rank among the most deprived 1% of areas nationally. Many of these neighbourhoods sit next to some of the most affluent neighbourhoods, creating a different pattern than elsewhere in the country.
- Key drivers behind the most deprived areas relate to health, education and employment.
Leigh-Sara Timberlake, Business South Group CEO, said: “All too often we are seen as the prosperous south but the reality is there are significant pockets of deprivation across our region.
“We are keen for our MPs to be aware of the current picture and that just under half of Central South neighbourhoods are becoming more deprived over time,” she said.
The less than rosy picture is exacerbated by the growing number of young people not in employment, education or training and comes in the light of the report into Young People and Work by the Rt Hon Alan Milburn.
The young people and work report is an independent review of the increase in the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
“In Portsmouth alone there are 1,700 young people not in employment, education or training and we are hearing from businesses that entry level jobs for young people are becoming increasingly hard to secure.
“At the meeting on June 10th with MPs from across our region we will be asking for their support to push the government for reform around NI and VAT for hospitality businesses to help open up more opportunities for young people to work,” added Mrs Timberlake.
Download the Deprivation Report > All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Central South | Business South
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Note to editors
Interviews with Leigh-Sara Timberlake can be arranged via natalie@businesssouth.org
