A MAJOR report has laid bare the huge challenge Manchester faces if its residents are to share in an unprecedented economic boom.
The dossier - with statistics on everything from crime to community cohesion - paints a picture of a divided city, where new wealth and the prospect of 100,000 new jobs sit alongside poor school results, ill-health and pockets of deprivation.
The 70-page State of the City report will provide the cornerstone of a council masterplan to raise skill-levels and prosperity in all parts of the city.
It points out that Manchester is Britain's fastest-growing city economically, `with levels of investment second only to London'. But it warns school results `lag behind the national average, making it less likely that Manchester's young people will benefit from the jobs boom'.
It adds: "There are too many people not working because they are unemployed or on incapacity benefit.
"Too many people suffer from ill health, causing them men and women to die earlier than in other parts of the Britain."
The report reveals how:
* More than half of the city's population live in areas among the 10 per cent of Britain's most deprived communities
* Only 29 per cent of pupils are getting five good GCSE grades including Maths and English - compared to 45.8 per cent across the country
* Some 22.1 per cent of residents have no formal qualifications
* Nearly three-quarters of Mancunians don't feel safe walking around in their communities after dark
* Average property prices vary wildly from £77,076 in Harpurhey to more than £250,000 in Didsbury West.
The council is already taking action to narrow the divisions across the city and prepare residents for the 100,000 jobs it is creating in high-tech, media, finance and creative industries.
Education has been made the number one priority and a massive £500m investment programme will see 32 schools either rebuilt or completely refurbished. Six of those will be specialist academies targeted at predicted areas of growth in the Manchester economy.
Sir Richard Leese, leader of the council, said: "We are working to make improvements for everyone who lives, works, studies and enjoys themselves in Manchester. To do this, we need to understand the city as it is, both good and not so good.
"We need to decide on our priorities, using rigorous research and analysis, so this research is an essential tool for us to move forward in the most effective way possible.
"We know already we want to encourage improvements in life for young people, and to boost income levels in the city.
"We know that Manchester is a great city, and we want more people to share in its successes."
The report will be updated every year to monitor progress and suggest changes in policy.
How do you think the challenges should be tackled? Have your say below.
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ace, manchester (06/09/2007 at 10:13)
Dickie leese our great leader tells us something we already know and his idea of priority is things like "the casino,b-of-the-band" I really dont think we should waste money on projects that raise the councils profile .the money should be spent on real jobs and real companies that give our citizens a real future.
ozlueperth (06/09/2007 at 10:25)
Happyblue, DEEP INSIDE THE KREMLIN SSHH (06/09/2007 at 10:30)
Black Flag (06/09/2007 at 10:37)
Those who work would keep more of their earnings and could more easily work their way out of poverty. Those who gain from land value increases they have done nothing to earn would shoulder more of the tax burden.
The Catcher, In the Rye (06/09/2007 at 10:53)
JStander (06/09/2007 at 10:58)
The city centre with all its attributes can almost be the "centre" of Stockport, Tameside, Bury and other boroughs who share in it's strengths and attractions. But reports like this concentrate on detrimental features of the city of Manchester, which seem incongruous to the much flaunted 'hip' image.
I desperately want improvement in all the points raised in the report. especially in "Manchester" (and all over the county), but the stats would not look so bad if the conurbation was looked as as a whole.
come-on-city (06/09/2007 at 10:59)
That report is shocking but not suprising if you know what I mean.
More than half live in the 10% most deprived areas in the country!
Stop this (and I dont mean just a make over like in Hulme) and I bet they'll stop other ills in society.
Happyblue, DEEP INSIDE THE KREMLIN SSHH (06/09/2007 at 11:04)
I don't think that was really ace,it was sensible !?
The Catcher, In the Rye (06/09/2007 at 11:27)
'A talented musician killed herself after a single joint of skunk cannabis destroyed her life, her family claimed yesterday.
Laura Bower-McKnight’s life of promise disintegrated after she smoked a joint of skunk – the strongest form of cannabis – and was tipped into a psychotic episode.
According to her parents, the experience led to a damaging course of drugs, severe depression, ridicule, bullying and – finally – suicide.
That's what I have against drugs, legalised or otherwise.
ace, manchester (06/09/2007 at 12:01)
MCC are in it for thenselves self hype? Its time to make councils and its councillors accountable for wasted money on stupid ideas and dinners for the boys.of which i know goes on,at great cost to the ratepayer. The councils argument is they need to host these expensive dinners to bring in business.BULL what they need is a good allround consultant who can deal with all types of companies worldwide and somebody who has sence .that leaves most of the council out the. hehehehe.
Black Flag (06/09/2007 at 12:06)
I think people should have the facts made available to them and should make their own choices about what they do. There can negative consequences to some actions, as in this case, but I think adults should be free to assess those risks and decide for themselves whether to accept them.
Plenty of people have their lives ruined by alcohol and tobacco, but you've stood up and spoken out in favour of people's right to use them. That seems incredibly inconsistent.
The Catcher, In the Rye (06/09/2007 at 13:04)
The majority of civilised society accept and have made legal, alcohol and tobacco. They have not done the same with narcotics. I feel the vast majority agree with me rather than you but, as my old mum used to say, 'Catcher (she always called me that), just because you're in the majority doesn't mean you're right.'
Booie, Torpoint Cornwall (06/09/2007 at 14:03)
Mr Manchester (06/09/2007 at 14:05)
www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=38777
Black Flag (06/09/2007 at 14:22)
I don’t think that alcohol and tobacco are legal for any reason other than they have been in general use for longer. I have no doubt that, if they were introduced now, they would be illegal.
One example that you might remember from about 15 years ago were Bandits, which were pouches of tobacco that the user sucked. The government discovered that they caused mouth cancer and banned them, so cigarettes, which cause a number of cancers and affect people other than the user, remained legal, but Bandits, which were shown to cause only one cancer and affected no one but the user, were banned. Hardly logical.
Lisa Moore...Wilmslow...Cheshire (06/09/2007 at 14:44)
It must be awfull to live in such poverty like in Manchester.
Happyblue, DEEP INSIDE THE KREMLIN SSHH (06/09/2007 at 15:12)
Okay,get off your high horse,before you fall.
The Catcher, In the Rye (06/09/2007 at 15:14)
Seriously, you can argue it how you like, but to my simple mind, the growth in the usage of drugs has grown in line with the commission of crimes against the person (and property) et vice versa. I don't see that making them more available will solve any problems, merely give more idiots the opportunity to try.
And your comments about not caring about the individual, only about socirty sound reminiscent of the philosophy of a small Audtrian chap in the 1930s - great days, great days.
marc (06/09/2007 at 15:21)
ladies and gentlemen, the MEN's very own 'ghost in the machine', lisa moore. artifical intelligence isn't a perfect technology, is it love?
The Catcher, In the Rye (06/09/2007 at 15:29)
When I read Lisa's post I think " It must be awful to live in Wilmslow and not be able to spell AND to have council estates just like Manchester".
Made yursellf luke a byt fulich their dydnnt yu Leesa.
Black Flag (06/09/2007 at 15:50)
The Hitler remark was a cheap shot and reflected the opposite view to my own. Hitler thought that the rights of the individual should be removed to benefit the nation (a view you yourself have expressed). My view is that each should have the right to do whatever he wants, so long as it doesn’t interfere with anybody else’s rights, even if it is harmful to that individual.
Leo B (06/09/2007 at 16:03)
ace, manchester (06/09/2007 at 16:07)
i live in east manchester "One of them so called estates" but when i go and vist any of my mates who live in disley or marple ive noticed that the people with the best cars and TVs dont live in the posh areas they live where i live ?east manchester .So how do these people base wealth? most of my mates who live in marple are up past their heads in debt.Wealth and poverty should be re-evaluated.Its not just the house you live in any more because the prices are around the same now.infact a lot of inner city property is worth more ...
mancman, Greater Manchester (06/09/2007 at 16:08)
There's financial poverty and there's intellectual "povert". (Actually it's "poverty" ). Neither is very desirable. In the interests of ending intellectual poverty here are some facts.
1. Although not in within the completely artificial boundary of the "City" of Manchester, Demographically Wilmslow is a suburb of Manchester.
2. Wilmslow as an entity exists only because of its relationship to Manchester.
3. The so called "wealth" of the people from Wilmslow exists because of the economic drive and investment in the City of Manchester. Most of the mony in Wilmslow is generated in Manchester.
4. There are council estates in Wilmslow.
5. People on council estates in Wilmslow do not have access to any miraculous source of wealth unavailable to people on council estates elsewhere, just because they happen to live in Wilmslow.
PS While Manchester as a whole...that is the Greater Manchester city region (which is not the same as Greater Manchester and WHICH INCLUDES WILMSLOW, but not eg Wigan) has for years been one of the great generators of this country's wealth, and is increasingly so, a quick search of internet shows that there is apparently no wealth whatsoever generated in Wilmslow and the only noticeable investment is in roads, housing etc, that is the infracstructure which allows the residents of Wilmslow to continue enjoying the wealth generating opportunities offered by it's relationship to Manchester.
I hope this is helpful. It always good to have your mind open and you get so much more out of the area you live when you have some insight into its existence and history.
Mr Manchester (06/09/2007 at 16:09)
I think Henry Piglet-Smyth has morphed again: from Piglet to Edna to Lisa.
He's a veritable method-actor!