THE challenges which lie ahead for the town were up for discussion at the first meeting of the Radcliffe Local Area Partnership (LAP).

Councillors, service providers including the police and Bury Primary Care Trust, and community groups came together at Radcliffe Civic Suite last Thursday to find ways of improving life in the town.

On the agenda was Bury Council's Neighbourhood Intelligence Assessment, a statistical picture of Radcliffe based on the 2001 census. LAP manager John Slater gave a presentation and the document provided grim reading, with Radcliffe performing poorly in many of the categories.

The town has a population of 33,149, 18 per cent of the borough, and the average age is 36.3. A total of 95 per cent of people are white British, and there are lower levels of retired people, higher rates of overcrowded homes, and more rented social housing than other parts of Bury, in which the most deprived areas are Radcliffe, Bury East, and Besses. Radcliffe's most deprived areas are around the town centre.

The borough was split into 120 areas, with 22 in Radcliffe. Nine areas of the town (41 per cent) are within the 30 per cent most deprived in Bury. These include the Radcliffe Boro FC/Coronation Road area, Radcliffe Civic Suite/Radcliffe Town Hall/Victoria Street area, and the Radcliffe Cricket Club/Water Street area.

Workers in Radcliffe earn less than those living in other parts of the borough, with three areas in Bury's ten per cent most deprived. There are high levels of children affected by income deprivation and high levels of the working age population claim benefits - 31.3 per cent of working age adults in the Radcliffe Boro FC/Coronation Road area claim incapacity benefits. Nine areas are in the borough's 30 per cent most deprived in terms of healthcare, while 73 per cent of areas fall within England's most deprived'. More than one in eight people aged 20 and over (13 per cent) are smokers and the town has the second highest number of problem drinkers in the borough. Radcliffe also has the second highest number of obese people, residents doing no physical exercise, and those with mental health issues.

Education is a major problem, with 55 per cent of areas in the borough's 30 per cent most deprived. It has the highest number of residents with no qualification, and the older pupils are, the worse they perform compared to the borough average. However, there are good attendance levels and some primary schools are placed high in the rankings.

Five areas of Radcliffe are in the borough's 30 per cent most deprived for crime levels, with 12 in England's most deprived areas for crime. There are higher levels of burglary, criminal damage and domestic violence than in other parts of the borough, but lower levels of hate crime. Drug crimes are a problem, with 9.6 drug crimes committed per 1,000 people, compared to 3.1 per cent across the borough.

Councillor Sharon Briggs said: "It was not easy listening, but it was a reality check. We need to a place to start from so that we know where to go."

LAP chairman Coun Tony Cummings said: "I think it's beholden upon us to get a plan together and do something about it."

The assessment will be used as a starting point for members of the LAP, who will prioritise areas for work. These will include housing, education, employment, health, youth issues, and crime. Members will discuss ways of addressing the problems at their next meeting, at 6pm on Wednesday, October 3 at Radcliffe Civic Suite.