England's poorest areas have 70% more vape shops and bookmakers than wealthier ones

"In deprived areas, local shops have roughly double the number of retailers selling unhealthy food and significantly higher vacancy rates, its research has found. Tackling Britain's struggling high streets is one of the main missions of Keir Starmer's government. In a speech last week overshadowed by the Peter Mandelson scandal the prime minister announced an expansion of the 5bn pride in place programme of investing in 284 areas across the UK."

"Nigel Farage's Reform UK, which has a 10-point lead in the polls, is focusing on broken high streets ahead of a potentially devastating set of local elections for Labour in May. The Icon study, due to be published on Monday, warns that the focus on town centres risks overlooking crucial local shopping parades defined as the shops down the road which play a central role in people's lives."

England's poorest neighbourhoods contain 70% more vape shops, bookmakers, off-licences and takeaways than wealthier areas and roughly double the number of retailers selling unhealthy food. These neighbourhood shopping parades have about half the number of childcare facilities such as nurseries and children's centres and approximately 25% less social infrastructure including gyms, cafes and pubs. Vacancy rates in the poorest local parades are around 8.1%, compared with 5.9% in more affluent areas. A £5bn pride in place programme will invest in 284 areas to enable communities to acquire boarded-up shops and local assets such as libraries and cinemas. Policy responsibility for hyperlocal retail sits across as many as 13 government departments, rising to 16 when healthy eating initiatives are included.

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