'Parson Cross 'deprived' stories cast shadow over its people' - Reader's letter
Mary Steele from S5 has her take on deprivation in Parson Cross...
Now I’ve heard it all!
A recent article I saw described Parson Cross as ‘one of the most deprived areas in England’ casting yet another shadow over its people.
Well, in 1999, Parson Cross was awarded a share of £25 million SRB cash, plus match funding, and £4m Objective One cash to sort out problems resulting from the demise of industry.
Since then, multimillions of pounds of charity cash is still being given to right the wrongs this worklessness created but what an indictment of the whole process when the area is, today, still publicly described in such terms!
Indeed, what classifies an area as deprived? We have long-standing GP surgeries on hand, rows of thriving shops, bus routes, two huge parks and loads of countryside on our doorstep.
Parson Cross schools have produced many university students, taking up important roles in society. Do these things not provide the basic needs of a community if run properly?
We had a larger than average supply of decent council housing until Parson Cross was targeted for demolition of many spacious, double-brick, partially modernised homes, despite a battle to save them, while older properties, in nearby areas, remained standing.
Sadly, for many, unemployment dogs the area. However, the label of ‘deprivation’ serves dual purpose. Whilst drawing in cash for a desperate council after years of Tory rule, it also brought numerous outsiders in, to well-paid, supportive roles, ironically helping out locals deemed deprived and forced to survive on patronage. People who may very well have preferred the feeling of pride gained from employment and independence.
Ironically, 25 years after the reckless act of mass demolition, people are homeless while once adjoining houses, still stand firm and tenanted beside those empty plots after developers rejected them.