A DAMNING report has revealed your postcode could play a huge part in how long you’ll live.
Residents in leafy suburban wards like Bramhall can expect to enjoy TEN years more than their counterparts in six of the most deprived wards in Stockport.
The shocking statistics, published in the council’s Annual Performance Assessment and Joint Area Review, revealed life expectancy in Brinnington, Cale Green, Offerton, Edgeley and North and South Reddish is a full ten years below the borough average.
The three Brinnington councillors condemned the news as “appalling” and insisted money must be made available to tackle the problem.
Councillor Maureen Rowles said: “These statistics are appalling and it is distressing for people in Brinnington to hear this. Ten years is a huge difference.
“More resources need ploughing into the area. The council has the regeneration programme going but other agencies need to pour more in. Not enough has been put in over the last ten to 12 years.
“Unless we provide more accessible and affordable services for people on low incomes, nothing will change.”
Coun Colin MacAlister added: “It’s not a surprise to me, but Brinnington has been in the top eight most deprived wards in England for the last 15 years – at some stage people will start to listen and put the resources in place to combat the problem.”
Report
The report, discussed at the council’s recent Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee meeting, also found teenage pregnancy, unemployment rates, youth crime and drug abuse are well above the borough average in these wards, which rank among the least affluent nationally.
While acknowledging the below-average figures detailed are not exclusive to the six wards, the report stated prospects elsewhere in the borough are significantly better.
It also said key challenges facing the borough include limited resources for regeneration initiatives.
Andrew Webb, the council’s director of social services, said central government funding was a problem.
"We are the lowest funded per-head in Greater Manchester from government money.
"We have to work on doing more creative things with the money and be the best all-rounder as a council.”
Dr Steven Watkins, Stockport’s director of public health, added: “I think ten years’ difference in life expectancy is a lot. But it’s not shocking. Because overall we are a wealthy borough, we don’t get the special resources we need to tackle the deprivation.”
Bramhall Coun Maureen Walsh added: “I would have imagined that Bramhall residents live longer but, then again, it doesn't matter whether you are in Bramhall or Brinnington, young people will make choices now that will affect their long term health like drug or alcohol abuse.”
Tweet
Showing comments 1 to 13 and replies | View All
Mark, Fallowfield (19/08/2005 at 00:14)
Arty, Stockport (19/08/2005 at 14:51)
S, Bramhall (19/08/2005 at 17:07)
Andy, Wythenshawe (20/08/2005 at 17:57)
What does play a part is the quality of education,housing, health care and the opportunity to earn enough to afford a healthy lifestyle and have options open to you.
Arty asks " How do you think people manage to live in leafy suburbs if they have not done a days work in their life? "
The answer is simple, they are given priviledged education, are able to enter universities ( without considering the financial plight of their parents ), and are given an 'old school tie' helping hand through the ranks.
Those on council estates face discrimination from craddle to grave, many of those earning high salaries are pen pushing monkeys that have indeed never done a"days work in their life", just take a look at the chairmen of many of the corporate giants, fat cat, pin-stripe suit wearing, golden handshake grabbing sloths.
Criminality isn't a trait of the poor, take a look at the drug taking 'yoofs' that drive daddys BMW at exsessive speeds, they are just as likely to be anti-social.
Its ignorant attitudes like Arty's that perpetuates the divide.
Mark, Fallowfield (22/08/2005 at 16:04)
BTW Arty why do you think more people from less privileged backgrounds smoke than those in the leafy suburbs? It isnt because they are less educated about health, it has more to do with stress. Also do you actually think that a well to do uppercrust type would let his son or daughter work in a warehouse or burger king regardless of whether they were A level material or not, I think not. Doors open for people with the right postcode regardless of whether he or she is the right man or woman for the job and if you work in deprived areas like you say you do you'd know it. As for not eating the right foods, well yes you have a point there but a single mother hasnt got the time or energy to go shopping in sainsburys looking at the back of packets like the hoo hahs after getting very little sleep because their baby has been crying all night and its the "nannys day off" and the police helicopter is doing its usual round at 3 am. You clearly dont live in the type of area I am talking about so your comments are more than a little rude and inexperienced at worst.
Billy Meredith, Burnage (22/08/2005 at 20:55)
Arty, Stockport (24/08/2005 at 12:42)
I know plenty from my generation who have done exactly the same, so don't make incorrect assumptions.
Colin W, Stockholm (29/08/2005 at 05:44)
Colin W, Stockholm (29/08/2005 at 05:48)
Longer Life!, Poynton (30/08/2005 at 16:57)
Thats why i moved from South Rediish to Poyntn.
And the Schools are better too!
Mark, Fallowfield (31/08/2005 at 10:33)
You studied for 18 years? And your mother paid for it? Puzzling, I studied at senior school for 5 years after being taught the basics for 4 years at junior school. Now my mother (like every other tax payer in the country) paid for my education (as well as everybody else's) and I think her/their money was well spent as I have added the years up to 9, you must have had a very good education if yours was double that. But I do agree on one thing I was educated to a good standard when I left school unlike the majority of school leavers that you see now. How is it that school leavers of 10 or 20 years ago are educated to a better standard than they are now? And why is it that the O levels of old have been replaced with the watered down GSCE's which have since been diluted further so if you turn up for the exam your half way there to a pass? I dont believe that as a nation we are getting dumber so why is it that we are teaching kids to be dumber?
Andy, Wythenshwe (31/08/2005 at 17:16)
You must also be aware of the standards of schools in the area, they consistently hover amongst the worst in the country.
You must also know about the complete apathetic approach from many parents to education for their children.
There are victims of this, kids that leave school unable to read or write and have had negative role models all their lives.
To be honest, im amazed that so many people from 'wivvy' end up doing so well, mostly by leaving the place.
Ask yourself, why did your mum have to work 3 jobs to get a decent wage ?, because she was used and abused by the system, and the comments you made are showing signs that you have become part of that system,blame the perpetrators NOT the victims.
Dee, Nr Manchester (03/09/2005 at 21:31)
Two words - Barnett Formula.
A life in Manchester is worth B#1,000 LESS than any life in Scotland.
Imagine how the quality of all our lives would change if we were given the same access to English taxes that the Scottish get?
Even the Welsh pay less for prescriptions than the English - and they will be totally free for all Welsh residents by 2007.
Ask yourself why there isn't an English labour party and why they campaigned with Scotland/Wales/Britain forward not back, but not England?
Ask yourself why they won't allow England its own Parliament, equal to the one Scotland was given. Its because without English taxes (England is the ONLY country to pay more in taxes than it takes out), the Scots would lose their generous funding allowances.
And the oil is partly England's as well - so don't fall for that one!