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Last month Cornwall Live revealed the 17 neighbourhoods in the county which are among the 10% most deprived in the UK.

We told you how Cornwall is the second poorest region in the whole of northern Europe*, behind only west Wales, and among the 50 poorest on the entire continent.

People in Cornwall scrape by on less than £14,300 a year on average and, alongside west Wales, the region receives more economic aid from the EU than any other part of the UK.

Over a quarter of children lived in poverty in Cornwall in 2016, and the county also has the third homelessness rate in the country.

Research conducted by the Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) shows that urgent action is needed to improve both wages and the productivity of the local economy.

The report says Cornwall also performs poorly when it comes to housing and homelessness, education, access to services and inequality between the rich and poor.

"There are two Cornwalls," CCF chief executive Tamas Haydu said.

"The one we all love and that enriches our lives, and another that lies behind, where large numbers of people live on the edge of poverty, or in ill health, or in isolation, with fragmented or dysfunctional families and widespread indebtedness and disadvantage.

“Rural isolation, lack of transport, low wages and rocketing housing costs make a simple day at the beach something that many locals cannot afford.”

The aim of the research is to identify where the problems lie and to provide details of how local philanthropy can make a difference in addressing this county in need.

WAGES AND EMPLOYMENT

While unemployment levels aren’t particularly concerning in Cornwall, the problem has been replaced with ‘in-work’ poverty.

This is due to the ‘gig’ economy in Cornwall, meaning many jobs are seasonal on low pay, while others are on a zero hours or short term contract basis.

In the north Cornwall constituency, 42% of employees earned below the living wage in 2016, and in south east Cornwall the figure was 39%.

Cornwall is under represented in some ‘higher earning’ industries such as professional and scientific services. The county employs a higher proportion of people in the primary and service industries such as accommodation, agriculture and food.

Low disposable income is coupled with high cost of living, pushing many people into debt problems.

Steps that should be taken, the reports says, include:

Create training opportunities for existing staff and those seeking employment

Improve basic skills for all such as numeracy & literacy

Higher availability of permanent work

Higher rates of pay

Improved means of transport & access to work e.g. more affordable, frequent and accessible public transport

Improve access to affordable childcare and care costs

Apprenticeship schemes – not just for ‘trades’ but skills such as office work, managing people, project and time management

Develop employment, social and life skills, ‘how to behave in work’ training (not just interview skills training but advice on the work environment and what is expected of a new employee)

PRODUCTIVITY OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Things are going “very badly” for the Cornwall economy, the report says, with the county performing poorly when it comes to productivity.

With a higher than average number of micro and small businesses employing low numbers of people, productivity is well below average.

Areas reporting decline include fishing, mining and quarrying and motor distribution.

While Cornwall has an excellent digital economy due to high broadband speeds, its geographic isolation presents specific challenges.

The rural landscape is logistically a challenge for deliveries, transportation and access to work.

“It is difficult to run a business in Cornwall compared to other places like London with much higher disposable income,” said Kim Conchie, of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce.

Steps that should be taken:

Support organisations who offer training and help to improve educational attainment, especially for those with no or low levels of qualifications

Apprenticeships and skills development to help current and potential employees achieve their goals

Work with volunteer organisations to ‘place’ individuals, giving them work experience and getting them on the employment ladder

Inspire people to learn new life enhancing skills, both academic and vocational

Support organisations who encourage people currently on benefits, particularly incapacity and disability, to move closer towards the workplace and ultimately into work

Support peer mentoring projects to encourage the development of new skills whilst increasing confidence and independence

Continue to work with the business sector and grow our Cornwall 100 Club

EDUCATION

Cornwall scores poorly in earning and education compares to the rest of the country, with 22% of the population having no formal qualifications.

Lower wages often lead to low self-esteem, poor productivity, less opportunities and reduced security.

Whilst access to higher education has much improved in Cornwall with the expansion of university provision, attending higher education is still unattainable for some.

Many students struggle and do not adhere to the sometimes ‘one size fits all’ education system.

Steps that can be taken include:

Improving life skills and basic skills

Supporting young people who struggle at school

Supported learning for those out of work

Provide opportunities for those in work who wish to improve their skills

Encourage employers to offer more training

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

Access to affordable housing in Cornwall is a huge challenge.

Cornwall has been marketed as a ‘go to destination’ for those moving from outside the county because of higher house prices, for reasons including ‘affordable’ housing business opportunities and a lifestyle change. These have all put a strain on the housing market.

Evidence shows more people want to live in Cornwall, increasing the population and pushing up demand for services such as GP surgeries, hospitals, schools, roads, housing and utilities. Demand is highest in coastal and estuary areas, creating ‘hotspots’ pushing up prices.

Affordability for local people is a key issue and there is a trend towards residents privately renting rather than buying property, a significant indicator of a local housing market under stress.

The average house price is approximately 12 times the average Cornish salary.

Access to social housing is also a problem; nearly 6% of Cornwall’s population are currently on the waiting list for a council home.

(Image: Simon Pizzey)

Whilst they await suitable accommodation, families and vulnerable people are often having to stay with family, friends, B&B, in cramped or unsuitable accommodation.

Last week the Prime Minister vowed to dedicate her premiership to fixing the "broken" housing market by providing a new generation of council houses, as she announced the Government will spend an extra £2bn on housing on top of its existing programme.

But after the numbers were crunched, it swiftly emerged that the extra £2bn will only pay for an extra 10 to 20 council houses a year in areas such as Cornwall.

Homelessness is a major issue too; in 2016, Cornwall had the third highest rate of rough sleeping in England at 99 people, behind Westminster and Brighton & Hove.

This figure doesn’t include ‘sofa surfers’ or people not found on count night, suggesting a figure higher in reality.

Recently, several street homeless were moved away from Truro city centre with reports of tourists and residents feeling threatened by them.

Steps that can be taken include:

Develop ways in which second home owners can engage with and help their community such as Cornwall Community Foundation’s Second Home Owners Scheme

Support the Cornwall Communities Foundation’s Crisis Fund which helps charitable organisations distribute funds to individuals in crisis situations

Support homeless people through local charities to access skills training, volunteering opportunities and back to work schemes

Expand interventions to avoid people becoming homeless

Work with key organisations ensuring homelessness is prevented

(Image: Sally Adams)

COULD IT GET WORSE?

Going forward, Cornwall's economic situation faces a period of uncertainty as Brexit looms. Alongside west Wales, the region receives more economic aid from the EU than any other part of the UK.

Between 2014 and 2020, Cornwall will receive over €1,000 (£800) per person from the EU Structural and Investment Fund - similar to that received by Romania and Bulgaria.

The EU allocates the funds to each European nation to support sustainable economic development and reduce regional wealth disparities - it’s their way of trying to give a boost to the poorest parts of the continent.

Though it's not clear what will happen to these funds if we leave the EU, some experts say any loss will disproportionately affect poorer regions.

But Steve Double, the Brexit-supporting MP for St Austell and Newquay, has previously joined two other Cornwall MPs in insisting that their constituents wouldn't lose out.

"The UK will be able to use the money we currently send to the EU each year to cover any funding withdrawn by the EU," Mr Double said.

If one thing's certain, Cornwall will pull together and fight for a brighter future.

* Northern Europe includes France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Norway and the Faroe Islands. Information from Eurostat, the data agency of the European Union.