Haves And Have Nots

The 170-page Arun community profile identifies a "sharp divide" between areas such as Littlehampton's Ham and River wards, which are among the most deprived in England, and affluent villages such as Findon and Ferring, at the other end of the wealth scale.

Men in River ward, for example, have the shortest life expectancy, 74.2 years, of anywhere in West Sussex, and well below the national average.

It draws the conclusion that tackling poverty and deprivation will be a long haul, and that concerted efforts will need to continue alongside existing initiatives, including the Littlehampton Sure Start project for young children and Government-backed regeneration schemes.

The report, funded by Arun and West Sussex County councils, is the result of six months of research by Brighton University, drawing together information from the NHS, police, social services and a wide range of other sources, as well as the councils themselves.

Subjects covered include the local economy, crime, education, housing, deprivation, demography (detailed population statistics), health and social care, the environment, lifestyle and leisure.

It will be a valuable reference document for all agencies planning for the Arun population's future needs, and councillors newly-elected to the district in May's ballot will each be given a copy to brief them on the social make-up and issues affecting not only their own ward, but the wider area.

In his "state of the district" address four months ago, Arun council leader Norman Dingemans had said tackling deprivation remained a major priority, and he reiterated the message at this week's launch of the community profile.

"We have been trying for a considerable time to tackle this deprivation," said Mr Dingemans, adding: "It is a long-term project."

Perhaps the most worrying aspect is Arun's decline from a mid-table position in the West Sussex league of deprivation in 1991 to the most deprived district according to the latest figures (2000).

Arun now has four of the five most deprived wards in the county, with Littlehampton Ham and River occupying the unwanted top two places.

Again, the research points to a pattern of long-term problems in these wards, with "multiple deprivation".

The profile gives the definition of deprivation as: "suffering from hardship, especially a lack of good educational, social and medical facilities".

The Arun profile is the first of a series to be published, covering the whole of West Sussex, and for the first time enabling close comparison between the district and other parts of the county.