ALARMING inequality gaps have revealed women in the Latchford East ward are expected to live 11 years less than those in Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall.
Council figures – which have been calculated following analysis between 2012 and 2016 – have confirmed the highest and lowest life expectancies across the borough.
The ward with the highest female life expectancy is Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall, 88.3 years old, followed by Stockton Heath, 87.5 years old, and Lymm North and Thelwall, 86.6 years old.
Latchford East has the lowest, 77.3 years old, followed by Fairfield and Howley, 77.4 years old, and Westbrook, 79.1 years old.
The ward with the highest male life expectancy for men is Grappenhall, 83.1 years old, followed by Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall, 82.1 years old, and Lymm North and Thelwall, 81.9 years old.
Bewsey and Whitecross and Latchford East have the joint lowest, 73.3 years old, and are followed by Fairfield and Howley, 74.3 years old.
The life expectancy gap – the difference between the highest and lowest ward estimates – is 11 years for women and 9.8 years for men.
The Warrington average is 81.8 years old for women and 78.5 years old for men.
The Warrington Guardian can also reveal the latest ‘deprivation scores’, based on analysis carried out by the authority in 2016.
A higher score means the ward is more deprived.
The scores are based on a number of factors including income, employment, health, education, barriers to housing and services, crime and living environment.
Appleton, pictured, is one of the least deprived areas in the town
Appleton scored 7.6, Bewsey and Whitecross 42.4, Birchwood 19.9, Burtonwood and Winwick 22.1, Chapelford and Old Hall 10, Culcheth Glazebury and Croft 11.2, Fairfield and Howley 37.2, Grappenhall 5.6, Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall 7.7, Great Sankey South 18.6, Latchford East 36.5, Latchford West 23.7, Lymm North and Thelwall 6.7, Lymm South 7.1, Orford 36.6, Penketh and Cuerdley 9.6, Poplars and Hulme 41.8, Poulton North 17.2, Poulton South 13.1, Rixton and Woolston 11.2, Stockton Heath 7.9 and Westbrook 10.3.
Warrington's deprivation score is 19.4.
The council said average life expectancy at birth in Warrington is improving but admitted the pace of improvement has slowed in recent years, particularly for women.
A spokeswoman added: "Inequalities in life expectancy are linked to socio-economic deprivation.
"The widening inequalities in health can be tackled by focusing on the main causes of death in Warrington, which are cancer and cardiovascular disease, and by enabling growth in more deprived areas.
“Town centre development is ideally placed to enable growth and bring businesses into central Warrington.
“The central area neighbourhood masterplan is currently under development to boost opportunities for residents living within Orford, Poplars and Hulme, Fairfield and Howley, Latchford East, Latchford West and Bewsey and Whitecross.
“Residents are taking an active role in the development of the masterplan and have formed a community forum to represent the six wards.
“Wider engagement and consultation will commence in November 2018.”
Warrington North MP Helen Jones believes ensuring residents receive a wage they can live on ‘has to be a priority’ in helping to reduce deprivation.
She said: “I have always been concerned about the deprivation scores, which continue to see Warrington North score higher than the Warrington average.
Warrington North MP Helen Jones
“I have raised my concerns on numerous occasions in Parliament, particularly surrounding health, education and employment deprivation in Warrington North – most recently with regard to the siting of any new hospital, which needs to be situated in a place easily accessible for people who live in the most health deprived wards in the north.
“It is also why the Living Wage Foundation’s campaign for the Real Living Wage is so important.
“The council has taken a lead by becoming a Living Wage employer but not all the organisations they work with have followed suit and pressure needs to be put on them to do so.”
Cllr Tom Jennings (LAB – Bewsey and Whitecross) hailed the ‘dedicated work and consistent achievements’ of public services and the third sector.
But he believes there is still a ‘colossal inequality that we must overcome’.
He added: “Ending Tory austerity – which has led to chronic under-funding of our NHS, schools and welfare – and electing a Labour Government will be a major step in ending the cycle of deprivation and closing our inequality gap.
“Labour in the Town Hall will continue to mitigate Tory cuts, support our thriving economy to create more jobs and call out this Tory Government for chronically under-funding our schools and health care services, which hinders our hard-working public and third sector from tackling economic and health inequalities.”
Warrington Town Hall
However, Warrington Conservatives believe the Government is tackling inequalities in the borough ‘head on’.
Deputy chairman Andy Carter said: “There are many different reasons for the inequalities that exist, it’s a complex challenge faced by governments for decades.
“What is encouraging, is that right at the top of Government, we have a Prime Minister in Theresa May who has focused on addressing ‘the gap in life expectancy’ since the day she has moved into office and has taken measures that will make a difference in the years to come.
“We’re fortunate to have great NHS health care here in Warrington but it’s a reminder that good health is much more than having outstanding doctors and nurses to care for us.
“It’s about a good education, a good job, a healthy diet, a suitable roof over your head and people to care for and about.”
The leader of the town’s Liberal Democrats has labelled inequality in Warrington as a scandal.
Cllr Bob Barr (LD – Lymm North and Thelwall) believes the borough ‘deserves better’ and launched a stinging attack on Labour.
Cllr Bob Barr
He said: “It is a scandal that a town as prosperous, and successful, as Warrington should be so unequal.
“The New Town era gave us an opportunity to ensure that everyone had a decent home, a good school, access to health care and job opportunities.
“For this reason, the Liberal Democrats stood for making the old town as good as the New Town under the banner of One Warrington, since embraced by the Tories.
“Labour politicians who have represented the town in the Town Hall and Westminster must accept a large part of the responsibility for the failure to improve life expectancy and life chances in Warrington.
“Labour controlled the country for 13 years, yet Warrington’s deprivation remained.”
But Labour’s Cllr Tony Higgins, executive board member for leisure and community, has hit back.
Cllr Tony Higgins
The Fairfield and Howley councillor said: “Cllr Barr seems to be suffering from selective amnesia.
“He’s clearly forgotten his love affair with the Tories in Warrington and is conveniently forgetting the Liberal Democrats’ brief marriage to David Cameron’s Conservative Party, so playing the blame game simply won’t wash.
“Nothing divides community more than social inequality.
“Tackling this issue is something I take seriously.
“The setting up of a new central neighbourhood renewal area board, which is tasked to develop and deliver better wellbeing outcomes, is one of my prime objectives as lead member.
“Supporting our most vulnerable communities is paramount – that’s why we are continuing to invest into our community centres, such as Fearnhead and Oakwood.
“The commitment to develop a wellbeing hub in Bewsey and Dallam will also help to reduce the area’s deprivation scores.”
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