South East towns hit hard by pandemic

TOWNS and cities in the South East have been hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Centre for Cities (CFC).

However, Reading UK says the local economy has been resilient against the virus and is gearing up for recovery.

The CFC’s annual study of the UK’s urban areas has revealed that people claiming unemployment-related benefits in the South East has increased by 3.5%, outpacing the national average of 3.3%.

And it said that Reading is in the top 10 of areas set to face the biggest economic challenge in the region. Slough has come in at number one.

However, according to Reading UK, Reading is second to only Oxford among urban areas ready towithstand the major economic shock generated by the pandemic.

And it said Reading is ranked

10th for the economy least impacted by coronavirus across the entire country.

“While in the medium-term, many places in the South East are better placed to bounce back from the pandemic than elsewhere, in the shortterm the government must act fast to prevent a levelling down of these places,” said a CFC spokesperson.

Thewhole UK depends on the South East to “create jobs and fund public services,” they said.

AndrewCarter, CFC chief executive, added: “At the last election, the government pledged to level up the North and Midlands but now there is a very real risk that previously prosperous cities and towns in the South East could be levelled down – at least in the short term.”

He said this could damage the entire country.

However, Reading UK said that a newreport by PWC/Demos showed that Reading has been relatively less impacted by the pandemic, thanks to a diverse mix of sectors in the region.

Nigel Horton-Baker, executive director of Reading UK (pictured), said: “The Good Growth report identifies the strength and diversity of the Reading economywhich has allowed it to bounce back from previous crises quickly andwhichwill help it get back on track again quickly post-covid.”