Our research shows a strong link between peripherality and deprivation across Wales and it is especially marked in the nation’s most disadvantaged areas. One of the more surprising findings from the research were how relatively few traditional inner-city areas there were in Wales which matched deprivation and indicated the presence of significant community infrastructure – this is essentially a feature of central parts of Cardiff. It was also remarkable to find how many more rural areas of Wales suffered less from some of the impacts of peripherality than outlying housing estates and former mining areas.

There are several reasons why the latter may be the case and some of our previous research has shown that many rural parts of Wales have been unusually successful in sustaining their community assets due to local demand and patronage, particularly in areas where residents have some disposable income, even if they would not normally be described as wealthy.12

What this does mean however, is that most people living in a disadvantaged area (33.2% of the Welsh population) are also facing the consequences of peripherality, and in some places the differences between peripheral disadvantaged areas (the least resilient) and other areas are stark and as a result will undoubtedly have a significant impact on people’s wellbeing and life chances.

• There are 818,494 people living in Less Resilient Areas (LRAs); 26.3 % of the total population.

• The resident population within the LRAs is, overall, relatively youthful; just under one-in-five people in LRAs (19.9%) are aged under 16 which is above the average in Other Deprived Areas (17.7%) and Wales as a whole (17.8%).

• By contrast, LRAs have a lower proportion of people of working age (61.6%) than Other Deprived Areas (68.5%) and a lower proportion of people aged 65+ (18.4%) than across Wales as a whole (21.1%). This strongly implies that children living in poverty are more likely to be living in LRAs with worse access to local assets than elsewhere in Wales. In qualitative terms this is reinforced by experience from the Invest Local programme, where 10 out of the 13 funded areas are classed as LRAs, and facilities for young people are almost universally very limited.

• LRAs have experienced a smaller population increase than other areas: their population increased by 6.6% between 2001 and 2020, compared with more than 17.1% in Other Deprived Areas and 8.9% across Wales over the same period.

• LRAs are less ethnically diverse than Other Deprived Areas of Wales, with a lower proportion of people identifying as White non-British (2.2%) or non-White (4.5%) than the average across Other Deprived Areas (4.6% and 15.3% respectively), however the profile is similar to the average across Wales as a whole (2.4% and 4.4%).

• People living in LRAs are more likely to be born in Wales (80.1%), than the average across Other Deprived Areas (71.2%) and Wales as a whole (72.7%).

People in Less Resilient Areas (LRAs) are more likely to live in social rented housing than in other parts of Wales but are also more likely to own their own homes than in Other Deprived Areas; the private rented sector is notably less prevalent than in other deprived areas.

A higher proportion of people in LRAs reside in post-war housing, with more than 30% of dwellings built between 1945 and 1972, compared with 15% in Other Deprived Areas and 25% across Wales. This reflects the geographic distribution of LRAs, with a high concentration in outlying social housing estates.

These developments tend to be more single use than older developments where housing, commercial and leisure facilities were mixed closely together. Typically, post-World War Two developments have very limited community assets, a feature that continues to this day. Our experience in the Invest Local programme has shown that mixed use developments are much more conducive to supporting active communities as typically they incorporate more public space for community members to meet for a variety of purposes and usually slightly greater access to green spaces.

By contrast, there are few houses built this millennium in LRAs. 9.9% of all dwelling stock in LRAs was built after the year 2000, compared with 14.4% across Other Deprived Areas and 12.9% across Wales. This reflects the perceptions of developers and planners that fewer people want to live in LRAs, and of course the limited availability of land in some areas.

There are substantially fewer local jobs available in Lesser Resilient Areas (LRAs) compared with Other Deprived Areas. This is almost certainly a function of their peripherality, but also emphasises the need for good transport to central areas, especially given relatively low rates of car ownership.

In many of the more isolated Invest Local areas, and as shown in the recent research in Penrhiwceiber, individuals have significant limitations in public transport options which in turn creates a barrier for those trying to access jobs and services. Local initiatives, such as transport services provided by Bryncynon Strategy for Penrhiwceiber, attempt to mitigate these challenges by offering transportation options for members of the community. Similarly, in a number of Invest Local areas such as Plas Madoc and Caerau, the lack of affordable transport has served to create a significant demand for, and use of, assets that are available very locally.

There are 47 jobs per 100 working age adults in LRAs. This is only just over half the average across Other Deprived Areas (90 per 100 working age adults) and considerably below the average across Wales (69 per 100). This means that if working age adults were actively seeking work, less than half would be able to find work locally.

Available jobs are also less likely to be highly skilled, with only 27% of people living in LRAs employed in high skilled occupations (27%) compared to 30.5% in Other Deprived Areas and 35.8% across Wales.

As a result, the average annual household income in LRAs is more than £3,800 below the Welsh national average (once housing costs are taken into account) although slightly higher than in Other Deprived Areas.

Unemployment has been fluctuating between 2004 and 2022, with sharp rises during the financial crises of the late 2000s and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2004 and 2008 the unemployment rate remained relatively stable before rising sharply during the global financial crisis; during this period, unemployment rose more rapidly in Less Resilient Areas (LRAs) than in Other Deprived Areas.

In February 2007 the unemployment claimant rate in LRAs was similar to that of the Other Deprived Areas (with both averaging 3.6%); however, by April 2009 the situation had changed, with unemployment rates in LRAs notably above the average in non-LRAs (6.3%, compared with 5.7% in other deprived areas).

From 2012 the unemployment rate began to fall across LRAs and Other Deprived Areas alike, before rising slowly from 2016. A second sharper spike in unemployment occurred following the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, with unemployment rising sharply across all areas –by 2.7% in LRAs, 2.5% in Other Deprived Areas and 2.3% in Wales as a whole.

Following the initial spike, LRAs saw sharper rises than the national average, but smaller rises than Other Deprived Areas; consequently, the unemployment rate in LRAs has fallen below Other Deprived Areas. More recently, unemployment rates have fallen across all parts of Wales following the historic highs in 2021. As of June 2022, they stand at 4.8% in LRAs, 5.6% in Other Deprived Areas and 3.3% in Wales as a whole.

People in LRAs are more likely to experience wider worklessness than Other Deprived Areas and Wales as a whole. Many people who are out of work are not receiving unemployment benefits and, in addition, many people are on benefits with no requirement to seek work due to health or disability issues or caring roles. Residents of LRAs are considerably more likely to be in this second category (7.1%) than across Other Deprived Areas (5.9%) and Wales as a whole (4.6%), indicating long term health and disability challenges in these areas.

People in Less Resilient Areas (LRAs) experience a lower life expectancy and a higher prevalence of limiting long-term illness than across Wales as a whole. Residents of these communities can expect to live shorter, less healthy lives, than the average across Wales. Life expectancy in LRAs is 76 years, with a healthy life expectancy of 64 years, compared with 78 and 68 years respectively across Wales. However, figures for LRAs are broadly in line with the average for Other Deprived Areas.

More than one-in-four (25.9%) people in LRAs have a long-term illness, higher than across Other Deprived Areas (22%) and Wales as a whole (22.7%). This disparity is seen across all age groups and is reflected in the relatively high proportion of working age adults receiving benefits due to poor health and disability.

A higher proportion of people living in LRAs are informal carers – this is likely to be linked to the relatively high levels of sickness and disability in these areas, as well as a lack of access to formal care.

Mortality rates are also higher than across Other Deprived Areas. The overall mortality rate is marginally higher in LRAs (1,188 per 100,000 people) than across Other Deprived Areas (1,141 per 100,000 people) and Wales as a whole (1,039 per 100,000 people). This is also reflected in higher levels of mortality for all key conditions in LRAs than would be expected given the age profile of the area.

People living in LRAs have a considerably higher Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimant rate than across the benchmark areas, with 14.8% of working age adults in LRAs receiving PIP, compared with 11.4% in Other Deprived Areas and 10.7% across Wales as a whole. Of these, approximately one-third are receiving these benefits due to mental health related conditions.

People in Less Resilient Areas (LRAs) are more likely to have no qualifications and less likely to have degree level qualifications than either Other Deprived Areas or Wales as a whole. More than one-in-three adults in LRAs hold no qualifications (34.2%), significantly above the average in Other Deprived Areas (27.7%) and across Wales (25.9%). By contrast, just 16% of adults in LRAs hold a degree or higher qualifications, this is notably below the average in Other Deprived Areas (21.7%) and Wales as a whole (24.5%).

These findings are partially mirrored in the educational outcomes for children. Attainment levels among both primary school and secondary school children are lower in LRAs than the average across Wales, with a larger attainment gap in older children, although this is very similar to children in Other Deprived Areas.

Similarly, the percentage of young people accessing higher education is significantly lower in LRAs than the Welsh average (23.2% compared to 29.9%) though this too is similar to Other Deprived Areas. The discrepancy in graduate numbers in LRAs, compared to Other Deprived Areas when school level attainment is similar, is almost certainly explained by internal migration as graduates either don’t return home after university or migrate to areas with more skilled job opportunities (which may include Other Deprived Areas which are more economically central).

Despite the issues faced by many Less Resilient Areas (LRAs) with poor connectedness, households are less likely to own a car than the average across Wales; 31.7% of households in LRAs have no car or van, compared to 22.9% across Wales, even though most are more likely to be in outlying areas than across Other Deprived Areas.

In our experiences from the Invest Local programme, lack of access to reliable, affordable transport has come up in community consultations as an issue in all 9 Invest Local areas which are classified as LRA, an issue which has become more significant since the cost-of-living crisis began. For example, residents in Cardigan highlighted the lack of options to get around without a car, particularly among older people, many of whom have mobility issues and may require transport that can accommodate a wheelchair. Even options for hiring private vehicles that are wheelchair-accessible were found to have reduced in recent years, with one bus firm having closed and other being too expensive.

Community infrastructure is measured in terms of the availability of civic and cultural assets; the strength of the third sector via the work of charitable organisations and grant-giving in local areas; and an overview of community participation, with an exploration of voter turnout rates. Less Resilient Areas (LRAs) have significantly lower levels of voter turnout than Wales as a whole, although they are very similar to Other Deprived Areas.

Unsurprisingly, LRAs score more poorly on each of the three new domains. The average rank for LRAs is particularly poor for the active and engaged community domain (117) relative to Other Deprived Areas (213) and Wales as a whole (205). Other Deprived Areas perform above average on the civic assets domain (279) compared to the whole of Wales (201), which suggests that the higher performance of Other Deprived Areas in comparison to the Welsh average reflects their proximity to urban centres.

There is also a clear shortage of third sector activity in LRAs, resulting in lower levels of funding compared with Other Deprived Areas. Interestingly, it is Other Deprived Areas who score far higher than LRAs or the Wales average in their ability to attract grants and sustain both third sector organisations and house successful businesses: the latter is likely to be linked to their location, but the stark difference in charitably funding allocations is harder to explain.