SIX STOKE-ON-TRENT WARDS ‘LEFT BEHIND’
Poor public transport blamed in report by group of MPS
A ‘LEFT BEHIND’ neighbourhood in Stokeon-trent is one of the most disconnected in the country, according to a new local transport report.
Meir North is listed among the areas of England facing the ‘greatest connectivity challenges’ in the report published by a crossparty group of MPS.
The Connecting Communities report, from the All-party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Left Behind Communities, sets out how poor public transport and low rates of car ownership can prevent deprived areas from catching up.
The APPG, which includes city MPS Jack Brereton and Jonathan Gullis, has identified 225 ‘left behind’ wards across England, including six in Stoke-on-trent.
Meir North has the 17th highest score in the country, and the highest in the Midlands as a whole.
Neighbouring Meir South is ranked 63rd out of 225.
Desiree Elliot, above, ward councillor for Meir South, said: “This just confirms what people in Meir already knew.
“We’ve lost so many local bus services over the years, and while we still have a service running along the main road in the estate, it can be difficult for some people to get to the bus stop, especially if they’re disabled.
“If people have to get a taxi to the supermarket, that can add £7 on the cost of their shop. And if they just go to shops within walking distance, they will usually charge more.
“It also affects people with mental health issues. You can put on support groups for them, but it’s no good if they can’t actually get to the meetings. “What we need is a new local bus service which will go around all the estates and drop people off in Broadway, where they can catch the First bus.”
Meir Station was closed in 1966 as part of the Beeching Cuts, but there have been recent calls for the facility to be rebuilt.
Stoke-on-trent City Council was awarded £37,500 of government funding to work up a business case, although no further money is guaranteed at this stage.
The council has also been allocated £29 million from the Transforming Cities programme, much of which will go towards improving bus links in Stoke-ontrent through dedicated routes and junction works.
But the authors of the report warn that if the government’s ‘levelling-up’ investment is targeted at town and city centres, left behind neighbourhoods on the edge of built-up areas could be further disadvantaged.
The report makes a number of recommendations to government, including investment in ‘social infrastructure’ at a neighbourhood level, to give isolated, left-behind communities a voice.
It also calls on the government to provide clear commitments for future local bus funding, while noting the recent announcement of the £3 billion National Bus Strategy.
Dan Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration at Stoke-ontrent City Council, said: “Given what this report says, it makes sense why the proposals for Meir Station have been taken through to the next stage.
“We shouldn’t underestimate just how important it could be for Meir, and it will also improve east-west connections.
“And part of the Transforming Cities project will see the creation of new cross-city bus routes, which will go from one edge of the Potteries to the other, with junction improvements meaning more reliable services.
“This won’t be the be-all-andend-all, but it will be a start and will feed into further investment in the future.”