Deprivation in Cornwall
Cornwall’s picturesque landscape masks the levels of deprivation within the County. The Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2004 ranks Cornwall as being the second most deprived County after Durham and the most deprived of all shire counties. 33% of households in Cornwall live in areas ranked within the 25% most deprived nationally.
|
County District |
% of population in most deprived national quartile
|
% of households in most deprived national quartile |
|
Caradon |
5% |
5.3% |
|
Carrick |
12.2% |
12.8% |
|
Kerrier |
22.1% |
22.8% |
|
North Cornwall |
7.4% |
7.2% |
|
Penwith |
43.3% |
43.1% |
|
Restormel |
20.2% |
20.4% |
|
Total: |
31.3% |
32.1% |
Cornish homes are rapidly becoming less and less affordable for local people, with average house prices increasing by over 50% between the first quarter of 2002 and the same period in 2004. In the same two year period, the average house price nationally increased by just over 33%. Meanwhile, Cornish wage levels are around 20% below the national average (2004).
This exceptional rise in the cost of housing combined with persistently low average earnings in Cornwall creates major problems, especially for local first time buyers who are unable to compete financially in the housing market. As a result, many local people are being priced out of areas in which their families have lived for generations. A study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showed that three of the County’s districts are ranked in the top 40 English districts for unaffordable homes, with the remaining districts of Cornwall not far behind.
In Cornwall, a typical small home (terraced Apr-Jun 2004) cost nearly eight times the average Cornish annual income – compared to just five times the average income across England and Wales in 2004.
There is a high concentration of second homes in Cornwall (5% of dwellings). This presents a problem in some areas. In fact, in two districts over 9% of dwellings are second homes. In some communities up to 50% are second homes. This has an impact on those people living in that area who are trying to find somewhere affordable to live and also in terms of the sustainability of local services.
The low average income is not only exacerbated by the cost of housing. In addition, utility bills in Cornwall take a higher than average proportion of household incomes. Water bills in Cornwall are higher than anywhere else in England. This is partly due to the requirement to clean up the beaches and maintain the quality of coastal waters. The rurality of many households in Cornwall means that many are unable to connect to mains supply of gas. Many residents therefore rely on higher cost fuels such as solid fuel, oil and electricity to heat their homes.
Fuel poverty occurs when a household needs to spend 10% or more of its income on fuel to maintain satisfactory heating and other energy services. In Cornwall, nearly a third of the County’s wards have over 25% of households which are fuel poor, and the residents of these households suffer the poor health associated with living in cold, damp homes, risking debt if they try to stay warm.