WE have the best of cities but we also have the worst of cities.

That’s the story told by new poverty figures which show parts of Oxford sliding further into the mire of deprivation as others flourish.

Twelve of Oxford’s 85 neighbourhoods, known as ‘super output areas’, are now among the most deprived 20 per cent in the country, two more than when the survey was last conducted in 2007.

They include parts of Blackbird Leys, Rose Hill and Barton.

An area of Northfield Brook is the most deprived area in the city, and among the most deprived 10 per cent areas in England.

But in stark contrast, parts of North Oxford are revealed as some of the most affluent in the country, particularly in education terms.

Senior councillors say they are “shaken” by the bleak picture painted by the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010 survey.

And community leaders say the challenges of deprivation must not quash the ambition of city youngsters.

The survey considers factors including income, health, educational achievement, crime and housing standards and ranks areas on a relative scale.

Overall, Oxford has risen from the 155th most deprived area in 2007 to the 131st most deprived area in 2010, when compared to other local authority areas in the country.

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said tackling deprivation had been a priority for the authority over the past few years.

“I am slightly shaken by it given the amount of work that has been done,” he said.

“It shows it is more entrenched and more difficult to deal with than we thought.”

He said the city’s policies had not failed but added: “It is a more complex issue than the city council alone can resolve.”

Mr Price said further analysis had started to work out why deprivation was increasing.

Richard Colbrook is a trustee of the Leys Youth Programme, which runs 28 weekly activities for more than 450 children in Blackbird Leys and Northfield Brook.

He said young people from deprived backgrounds could struggle in school and often felt doors were closed to them.

“There is entrenched deprivation in Blackbird Leys going into its fourth generation,” he added.

“It will take a long time (to break), you are talking years and years.

“But the great thing about the Leys is you have a fantastically strong sense of community.”

Mr Colbrook said a co-ordinated approach was needed and the youth programme was offering mentoring to help break the cycle of deprivation by broadening children’s horizons.

But he added public sector cuts would harm progress.

“It is the people at the poor end of the scale who depend on these services that are being cut,” he said.

One area of hope is offered by improving results at the Oxford Academy, the former Peers School, in Littlemore.

Principal Mike Reading said it was vital that children growing up in poverty did not see it as a barrier to achievement.

“What we need to do is put in place a system that supports young people and their families and still expects high things from them,” he said.

“The figures are worrying and dismaying, but they disguise so much good that is going on in these areas.”

The picture is very different in north Oxford, where parts of the city are among the least deprived in England.

Graham MacDonald, director of Kemp and Kemp estate agents in Summertown, said the area attracted wealthy people and affluence was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“You have people who would traditionally buy a small country estate but have moved into prime parts of north Oxford because of the schools and amenities.”

But Summertown city councillor Jean Fooks said north Oxford had pockets of deprivation that were disguised by statistics.

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