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Deprivation and Fragility
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) 2004 identifies the most deprived areas across Scotland. It is based on 31 indicators in the six individual domains of Current Income, Employment, Housing, Health, Education, Skills and Training and Geographic Access to Services and Telecommunications.
A paper, analysing the SIMD results for Highland, along with a map, can be viewed by clicking the links below (pdf files):
SIMD Paper (81kb)
SIMD Map (991kb)
For more information on SIMD, visit http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/simd2004/.
Fragile Areas
The Highland Council has identified many parts of its area as “fragile”, indicating that they may be in danger of long term decline due to their remoteness, an ageing population, lack of economic opportunity and access to essential services. Seven key indicators have been identified:
- Population decline between 1991-2001
- Population decline in 0-15 age group, between 1991-2001
- Population density, 2001
- Long term Unemployment Rate, July 2003
- Income Support Claimant Rate, August 2000
- Population outwith 10 minute drive time of 5 key services:
- Post Office
- Primary school
- Food shop
- Doctor’s surgery
- Petrol filling station
- Population outwith 1.5 hours drive time of Inverness (main employment and service centre)
These time periods are used in the 'Fragile Area Map' file listed below.
A paper outlining the methodolgy and maps showing Fragile Area indicators can be viewed by clicking the links below (all are pdf files):
Supersparsity
Highland Council delivers services across an area with the lowest population density of all UK local authorities. Overall, Highland has only 8 people per square kilometre, falling to 2 per square kilometre in Sutherland, compared with 66 people per square kilometre in Scotland as a whole. Front line services are decentralised for effective delivery, and we believe additional costs of some £12m per annum are incurred in delivering services to the 26% of the population who live in "supersparse" areas. This is not recognised in GAE funding. Many of our remote communities are in danger of decline as the population ages and young people move to major centres such as Inverness in search of further education, or more secure and better paid employment.
A study was undertaken in order to provide robust estimates of the cost associated with mainland supersparsity. The report from the study can be viewed by clicking the link below (pdf file):