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Patterns of neighbourhood
dissatisfaction in England
What are the major sources of neighbourhood dissatisfaction in England?
What sort of people are the most likely to be dissatisfied with their
neighbourhoods? Research using data from the Survey of English Housing in
combination with the Census by Roger Burrows and David Rhodes at the
Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York found that:
The most widespread source of neighbourhood dissatisfaction is crime. Over
one-fifth of householders perceive crime to be a major problem in their area.
Other major sources of neighbourhood dissatisfaction for 10 per cent or more
of householders are: problems with dogs; poor leisure facilities; high levels of
vandalism; and litter and rubbish in the streets.
Forty-four per cent of householders reported no major problem or issues
relating to their areas which they considered serious. Just over one quarter
reported one problem that they considered serious, 14 per cent identified two
problems and seven per cent identified three problems. However, almost ten
per cent of all householders identified four or more serious problems or issues
with their area.
Householders expressing high levels of neighbourhood dissatisfaction were
found in all tenure groups. For example: amongst home-owners, 13 per cent
of those living in terraced houses or flats in the North of England expressed
high levels of neighbourhood dissatisfaction; amongst households renting
privately, 35 per cent of those headed by someone from a semi-skilled
manual social class living in London or Northern England expressed high
levels of neighbourhood dissatisfaction; and amongst households living in
social housing, 42 per cent in North East England headed by an unemployed
person expressed high levels of neighbourhood dissatisfaction.
The places estimated to contain very dissatisfied households are wards
characterised in official classifications as: social housing in London; high-rise
housing; deprived industrial areas with heavy industry; inner London;
cosmopolitan London; deprived industrial areas with large minority ethnic
populations; and areas of low amenity housing in deprived city areas.
A comparison of residents’ own assessments of their neighbourhoods with
the available indices of deprivation, shows that the Breadline Britain index
matches most closely and the DETR Local Conditions Measure provides the
poorest match. If policy makers were guided by this geography of
neighbourhood dissatisfaction, rather than by existing measures, when
targeting resources, the North-East of England would fare much better than it
currently does.
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Introduction
Table 1: Rank order of sources of area
Identifying disadvantaged areas is not always a simple
matter. Perceptions of the geography of poverty are dissatisfaction
highly sensitive to the measurement tools used and
contemporary policy-makers are now confronted with Problem of issue Rank order % who perceive
a profusion of such measures. as a major
Although the construction of these various problem or issue
measures can be a matter of much technical
complexity, the choice of which to use is anything
but academic. The use of one measure over another in Crime 1 22
targeting social spending can, on occasion, lead to Dogs 2 16
very different results, in that the rank order of Liesure Facilities 3 15
deprivation scores varies significantly between Vandalism and Hooliganism 4 14
indices. For policy-makers, researchers, activists and Litter and Rubbish 5 13
residents concerned with the regeneration of
Public Transport 6 9
particular neighbourhoods the issue is crucial. In the
scramble for resources, it would be very helpful if Graffiti =7 6
there could be at least some consensus as to the Noise =7 6
localities which should be prioritised. But which Street Lighting =7 6
index - if any - should we use to identify such areas? Generally Unsatisfied 10 5
There is, of course, no simple answer to this General Appearance 11 4
question. However, it might be interesting to know if
Neighbours 12 4
the areas which existing indices identify as
disadvantaged are the same areas that those living Schools 13 2
there would identify as such. Is the map of Rubbish Collection 14 2
neighbourhood disadvantage generated by existing Security 15 1
indices the same as that which results when one pays Unfriendliness =16 1
close and systematic attention to what residents are
saying about their local environments? If existing
indices are to be used as a basis for identifying Forty-four per cent of householders in England
disadvantaged areas for area regeneration programmes reported no major problem or issues relating to their
and if policy-makers are to take residents’ views areas which they considered serious. Just over one
seriously, then it becomes important to know the quarter reported one problem that they considered
extent to which residents’ views about their serious, 14 per cent identified two problems and seven
neighbourhoods coincide with the various maps of per cent identified three problems. However, almost 10
area disadvantage currently drawn upon by policy- per cent of all householders in England identified four
makers and social researchers. or more serious problems or issues with their area.
Using data from the Survey of English Housing
(SEH) it is possible to examine the socio-economic Who is dissatisfied?
characteristics of those residents who express high Figure 1 shows how patterns of neighbourhood
levels of dissatisfaction with their neighbourhoods. dissatisfaction vary between different types of
These results can then be combined with data from household. Each box shows the proportion of
the Census to estimate the spatial distribution of such households expressing high levels of dissatisfaction
residents at ward level in England. The resulting with their neighbourhood, the estimated number of
‘geography of misery’ can then be compared with a all such households in England and the variable
range of existing indices of area disadvantage. which gives the greatest purchase on explaining
differences in the proportion of householders who are
What are people dissatisfied about? dissatisfied with their neighbourhood. For example,
The most widespread cause of high levels of area the first box shows that of the 19,246,000 households
dissatisfaction relates to crime (see Table 1). Over one- in England some 10 per cent express high levels of
fifth of respondents perceive crime to be a major dissatisfaction with their neighbourhood. This
problem in their area. Other major sources of proportion varies most significantly across the
dissatisfaction which affect 10 per cent or more different housing tenures.
households are: problems with dogs; poor leisure Amongst all home-owners, seven per cent were
facilities; high levels of vandalism; and rubbish in dissatisfied with their neighbourhood; amongst all of
the streets. those in the private rented sector 10 per cent were
dissatisfied; and amongst all of those living in social
housing 18 per cent were dissatisfied. However,
within each tenure group the basis for differences in
neighbourhood dissatisfaction varies.
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OCTOBER 1998
Table 2: Estimated mean levels of householders 7 Middling Britain 9
dissatisfied with their neighbours by the ONS mixed economies 9
classification of wards - groups and clusters expanding towns 9
West Midlands manufacturing 8
Groups Groups % small towns 8
Clusters Clusters % 8 Suburbia 8
classic commuters 8
1 Inner city estates 18 leafier suburbs 7
London public housing 18 9 Mature populations 7
high rise housing 17 retirement areas 8
2 Deprived industrial areas 16 better off retired 7
heavy industry 17 remoter retirement areas 7
ethnic groups in industry 14 coastal very elderly 6
3 Deprived city areas 15 10 Rural fringe 7
inner London 16 edge of town 7
low amenity housing 15 industrial margins 7
cosmopolitan London 14 town and country 7
4 Industrial areas 12 11 Rural areas 7
primary production 13 agricultural heartland 7
better off manufacturing 12 accessible countryside 7
growth points 12 remoter coast and country 7
traditional manufacturing 11 12 Transient populations 7
5 Lower status owner-occupation 11 transient populations 7
miners’ terraces 14 13 Established owner-occupied 6
margins of deprivation 12 green belt 6
textile towns terraces 11 outer suburbs 6
industrial towns 10 14 Prosperous areas 6
declining resorts 10 affluent villages 6
6 Metropolitan professional 10 established prosperity 6
young singles 11 concentrations of affluence 5
urban achievers 10
Amongst home-owners, the main variation Where do dissatisfied householders
relates to differences in the type of accommodation, live?
the social class and current economic status of the Using the results shown in Figure 1 in combination
head of the household and, finally, the region. with Census data it is possible to estimate levels of
Amongst households renting privately, levels of neighbourhood dissatisfaction for almost all wards in
neighbourhood dissatisfaction vary in relation to England. Table 2 shows estimates for different types
social class differences and region. Amongst of ward using a classification schema devised by the
households living in the social rented sector, Office of National Statistics (ONS) which
differences in levels of neighbourhood dissatisfaction distinguishes between different groups and clusters
vary most in relation to the current economic status of wards on the basis of a range of socio-
of the head of household, region and, amongst the demographic commonalities.
retired at least, social class.
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O CTOBER 1998
Conclusion
How to get further information
This measure of neighbourhood dissatisfaction is a
complex amalgam of objective and subjective A full report on the research, Unpopular places? Area
elements. However, it is profoundly and starkly disadvantage and the geography of misery in
socially and spatially patterned.
England by Roger Burrows and David Rhodes, is
The analysis shows that householders
published by The Policy Press in association with the
experiencing the deprivations associated with high
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (ISBN 1 86134 097 4,
levels of dissatisfaction with their neighbourhoods are
not only located within the social rented sector - price £13.95 plus £2 p&p). It is available from Biblios
home-owners and privately renting households also Publishers’ Distribution Services Ltd, Star Road,
live in problematic neighbourhoods. Partridge Green, West Sussex, RH13 8LD, Tel: 01403
Consequently, any area regeneration targeting of 710851, Fax: 01403 711143.
the 'worst estates' will miss a significant proportion of
households living in what they themselves perceive to Ward level estimates of the proportion of
be squalid neighbourhoods. households expressing high levels of neighbourhood
The analysis also suggests that the ‘geography of dissatisfaction are available as an SPSS portable
neighbourhood dissatisfaction’ in England most file via the Internet from the CHP web site at
clearly corresponds to the map of poverty generated
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/chp/misery.htm.
by the Breadline Britain index, and is most weakly
associated with the perception of the spatial
The following Findings look at related issues:
distribution of poverty one gains when using the
DETR Index of Local Conditions.
Finally, the research suggests that if policy makers • Understanding and preventing youth crime,
were guided by this geography of neighbourhood Apr 96 (SP93)
dissatisfaction rather than existing measures when • Life on a low income, Jun 96 (SP97)
targeting resources, the North-East of England would
• Poverty, housing tenure and ‘social exclusion’,
fare much better than it currently does.
Sept 97 (H222)
About the study • Geographical variations in unemployment and
The study was based upon a secondary analysis of non-employment, Apr 98 (F408)
data from the Survey of English Housing combined
with specially commissioned data from the 1991 Full details of all JRF Findings and other publications
Census. can be found on our website: http://www.jrf.org.uk.
If you do not have access to the Internet or have any
further queries on publications, contact the
Publications Office on 01904 615905 (direct
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Published by the The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is an independent, 0118
Joseph Rowntree Foundation non-political body which has supported this project as
The Homestead, 40 Water End, York YO30 6WP part of its programme of research and innovative
Tel: 01904 629241 Fax: 01904 620072 development projects, which it hopes will be of value
http://www.jrf.org.uk to policy-makers and practitioners. The findings
presented here, however, are those of the authors
ISSN 0958-3084 and not necessarily those of the Foundation.
