Neighbourhood health check

RICS, the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors, has published a study looking at the ‘tipping point,’ where decline at neighbourhood level risks becoming irreversible. Their report is called Spot the grot, stop the rot and lists a number of common factors that characterise areas in danger of abandonment:

• Unemployment rates twice the national average and below-average wages

• Vacancy rate of over 4.5% of properties

• Low property prices – below £30,000 and refurbishment is no longer worthwhile

• Graffiti and litter measured by incidence of fly tipping

• Declining local shops

• Voter turnouts of less than 15%

• Above 200 recorded crimes per 1000 individuals

• Housing unfitness level of above 8%

• Levels of long–term illness 10% higher than, and good health 10% lower than the national average

• Poor education attainment measured by GCSE and A-level results

• Levels of above 50% pre–World War One housing

• Sharp increase in housing rented out, especially to benefit claimants.