Area covered by the Fylde Coast Advice and Legal Centre.

We primarily cover the local government areas of Blackpool Fylde and Wyre but as we undertake the duty possession scheme at Lancaster we also have some cases from Lancaster and occasionally from Preston.

We are going to look at the situation in each primary council area,

Blackpool council is a unitary authority covering the borough of Blackpool. It is based at the Town Hall Blackpool and other places.

Blackpool is well known as a tourist attraction and here are a few of the attractions that are present in Blackpool. Of course, there are many more.

However, below the surface Blackpool has some of the worse poverty and deprivation in England. The depth of deprivation in some wards are incredible intense. The child poverty levels are well above the nation’s average.

Blackpool has the highest number of children being looked after (in care) in the country

Blackpool has the highest number of child protection plans in the country and  has a 45% level of children living in the area as suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm

Blackpool according to the office for national statistics has some of the worst poverty and deprivation in England and in fact the statistics show that child poverty in Blackpool is 35.46%. Here are levels in some of the wards (local government areas) being 
Bloomfield        50.81%,
Brunswick         44.09%
Claremont         44.69%
Park                   46.65%
Talbot                47.54%
Tyldesley          39.88%
Victoria             40.44%

There is also an elevated level of fuel poverty.

Fylde Borough Council covers a wide area such as St. Annes on Sea which is a seaside town. Fylde includes Lytham, Kirkham, and many other smaller areas. They are based in their Council office base at Clifton Drive South Lytham St. Annes.

St Anne’s is a seaside town as can be seen in the photos.

Lytham is also on the coast and again is a relatively small town. Kirkham is a town relatively close to the city of Preston.

Again, there is poverty and deprivation in this area but not on the same scale as Blackpool where the highest level of child poverty is the Kilnhouse ward where child poverty is 38.36%.

Wyre council overs areas such as Cleveleys and Fleetwood and outer areas. Fleetwood was traditionally a busy fishing port but this has reduced significantly in recent years.

Another area is Cleveleys which has a busy shopping area and again by the sea.

Another major town in Poulton-le-Fylde which is where the Council’s offices are based at the civil Centre.

In the Wyre Council area, the worst wards in terms of child poverty are Jubilee at 33.37%, Mount at 38.00% and Rossall at 39.74%

Turning to debt in the catchment area there are high insolvency rates in some coastal authorities, and in 2015 Blackpool had the 10th highest rate out of 348 authorities in England and Wales.

The statistics for this area are shown below.

As set out above the is a relatively elevated level of fuel poverty in our area which is highlighted. For example, in Lancashire, there are 350,000 households in fuel poverty and in terms of the Fylde Coast itself

The last figures currently available (2014) show as follows: