Wiltshire’s most deprived areas revealed

The most deprived areas in Wiltshire have been revealed in new government statistics. 

The Index of Multiple Deprivation looks at living conditions across areas of the UK. 

The index ranks neighbourhoods across different aspects of everyday life: income, education, health, crime, barriers to housing and services, and the environment, and combines them into one score. 

While it doesn’t mean everyone in an area will be struggling, or indeed well off, it gives a general indication. 

Central and local government funding is often targeted at poorer areas – where residents, generally, need more help. 

Health services also pay attention to the index as there is a proven link between levels deprivation and the quality and length of life a resident can expect. 

An interactive map shows the most and least deprived areas. The darker the colour, the more deprivation there is in that area. 

Wiltshire’s county town, Trowbridge, has the greatest levels of deprivation, with parts of the town centre more deprived than 94 per cent of neighbourhoods, while the southern part of Studley Green is more deprived than 77 per cent. 

In Warminster, the area around Chalk Hill – not far from the posh Bishopstrow House – has pockets of deprivation, while in Westbury there are areas of deprivation east and west of the railway track to the west of the town centre. 

In Melksham, there are pockets of deprivation around the town centre and Melksham Forest, with some streets suffering deprivation greater than 85 per cent of all neighbourhoods. 

In Chippenham, the areas around the south of the Lowden and Rowden ward, and around the Hardenhuish ward have higher than average levels of deprivation. 

In Devizes there are less serious areas of deprivation around the town centre. Calne fares fairly well, although there are pockets of deprivation around Oxford Road higher than 78 per cent of neighbourhoods. It’s the same story in Corsham, with concentrated levels of deprivation around High Street. 

Not even Marlborough, known for its elite public school and posh shops, is immune from deprivation, with areas around St Martins and Rabley Wood View being more deprived than 69 per cent of neighbourhoods. 

Nationally, just 0.65 per cent of Wiltshire is in the top 10 per cent, ranking the county 189th out of 297 for levels of deprivation. 

Pictured: The Index of Multiple Deprivation map