Gleaming tower blocks are rising in Salford – but there's a stark inequality with families stuck in poverty

From the Quays to Greengate, massive regeneration has transformed the city, creating jobs and making new homes. But concerns are growing about “stark” inequalities.

The city is ranked as the 18th most deprived authority in government tables on deprivation.

In short, there are more neighbourhoods in Salford where people are falling behind than in other parts of the country.

In a recent meeting at Salford’s Labour-led council, city mayor Paul Dennett and his cabinet team spoke about how housing is becoming less affordable, despite their efforts to build more social homes.

It’s just one of the issues piling pressure on people in the city, as well as costs going up for basic essentials across the country.

Homelessness is a major concern for council bosses in Salford too, and recent figures showed more than 1,000 children in the city are living in temporary accommodation, up from 329 in April 2021.

MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has urged the government to act to lift people out of poverty in Salford and beyond.

“Salford is the 18th most deprived authority in England, and that deprivation is juxtaposed against immense growth,” she said in a speech in Parliament this week.

“Gleaming tower blocks, the highest productivity in Greater Manchester, and 11,000 businesses, which is an 85 per cent increase since 2010.

“So why isn’t the growth that we’ve created benefiting everyone? That’s a question that the government should be asking itself.”

She called for immediate measures to to help “alleviate the suffering” that many families in Salford are facing.

This included reversing the winter fuel cut, scrapping the two-child benefit cap, and scrapping proposed disability benefit cuts.

Recent noises from the government suggest that it will look again at the changes it made to winter fuel payments last year.

In Salford, the council set up its own winter support scheme last year, funding £200 payments to help its vulnerable residents.

The council confirmed in May that the local scheme will be continued this winter.

A government spokesperson said: “We are reforming the broken welfare system we inherited so we can get people into good, secure jobs, while always protecting the incomes of those who need our support most.

“We are committed to driving up living standards – that’s why we have expanded free school meals to half a million more children, are protecting the Triple Lock to benefit over 12 million pensioners and are giving a £420 a year boost to over one million households on Universal Credit through a new Fair Repayment Rate.”

Salford council declined to comment.