Covid-19 risks 'levelling down' Sussex cities and towns, new report warns
Some areas in our county are likely to be among the hardest hit
Covid-19’s economic damage risks levelling down many places in the South East as its largest cities and towns have been hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic.
That's according to a new report by the Centre for Cities - which warns that areas in Sussex are likely to face some of the biggest challenges in the region.
The think tank has released its annual study of the UK's major urban areas, the Cities Outlook, in which it has said there has been an 'unprecedented rise' in people claiming unemployment benefits in the South East compared with the rest of the country.
Of the 11 cities and towns in the region included in the report Crawley placed in second, with unemployment-related benefit claims increasing by 5.5 percentage points - almost level with Slough, which topped the poll (up 5.6 percentage points).
Brighton was in third on the list (up 3.9 percentage points), with Worthing in eighth (up 3.1 percentage points).
Across the South East’s largest cities and towns the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits has increased by 3.5 percentage points – outpacing the national average of 3.3 percentage points.
The report reads:
"While in the medium-term many places in the South East are better placed to bounce back from the pandemic than elsewhere, in the short-term the Government must act fast to prevent a levelling down of these places that the whole UK depends on to create jobs and fund public services."
The Centre for Cities is calling on the chancellor to announce how he will help deal with the short-term damage to cities and large towns.
They have suggested making a £20 rise in Universal Credit permanent, supporting jobless people to find new, good jobs, and considering the merits of a renewed Eat Out to Help Out scheme for hospitality and non-online retailers once it is safe.
That is in addition to measures being considered to 'level up' economies once the pandemic is over, which include:
• Further education to train jobless people for good roles in emerging industries.
• Making city centres better places for high-skilled businesses to locate.
• Improvements to transport infrastructure in city-regions.
Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, said:
“At the last election the Government pledged to level up the North and Midlands, but now there is a very real risk that previously prosperous cities and towns in the South East could be levelled down – at least in the short-term.
"This will have damaging consequences for the whole country, which depends on places in the South East to create jobs and fund public services.
“Stopping the South East’s levelling down and helping the North and Midlands recover will not be cheap and will require more than short-term handouts.
"Government support and investment for new businesses in emerging industries will be essential, as will spending on further education to train people to do the good-quality jobs created.”
The report can be read in full here.