A new index using government data has found that Barking and Dagenham is England’s least friendly borough out of all 296 local authorities. The National Conversation index is based on community life surveys, measuring how often people talk to neighbours, local pride, feelings of loneliness and belonging, and levels of participation in civic life.
Key findings for Barking and Dagenham
People in the east London borough reported more frequent loneliness than almost anywhere in England, with 10.1% saying they felt lonely often or always compared to 6.6% nationally. Just 42.8% of people said they were proud to live in their local area, as opposed to 59.7% in England overall, while 74.6% said different backgrounds get on well. Only 10.9% formally volunteer at least once a month, lower than the national average of 16.5% and only 26.2% had taken part in civic life in the last year.
Neighbouring borough and bottom five
Its neighbouring borough Newham did not perform much better, ranking 285th out of 296 in England. Some 52.5% said they feel they belong to their neighbourhood and almost 80% (78.9%) said people of different backgrounds get on well - which is in line with national averages. Other local authorities in the bottom five were Stoke-on-Trent, Ashfield, Mansfield, and Ipswich.
Friendliest places and response
The Isles of Scilly was named the friendliest place in England, followed by South Hams in south Devon, West Devon, and Derbyshire Dales. The London borough of Richmond upon Thames came in fifth place, with a resounding 86.3% of people saying they were proud to live in their local area.
The index is inviting people to share how their experience compares with the data as part of the National Conversation - an engagement project to capture what Britons think unites and divides us. The views are expected to inform a report later this year by the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion. Former Tory home secretary Sajid Javid and former Labour policy coordinator Jon Cruddas are co-chairs of the commission and have pledged to understand how we can create a shared vision for living well together. Its first report, which was published last year, said communal life in Britain was “under threat” as a result of declining community infrastructure and institutions, weaker family units, and growing inequality.
Mr Cruddas, who used to be the MP for Dagenham, said: “This index is designed to get us talking. And I nearly choked on my cornflakes when my old area came rock bottom. I think government stats miss a lot of what really makes an area tick, including my old town. But that’s why we have developed it, to spark a conversation – because what we really want is your view on your area.” The National Conversation survey is open until the end of August.
