It's understandable that headline writers concentrate on the most deprived communities in Wales, upon the publication yesterday of the latest Wales Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) figures. Like last time, Rhyl hit the headlines. Two Rhyl areas came bottom and next to bottom and were officially the most deprived communities in the country. Four in Rhyl were in the bottom 20. Eight fell in the lower quartile (half of Rhyl's communities). That's virtually no change in Rhyl since the previous WIMD in 2014 other than Rhyl West No. 2 regains the bottom slot as it was in 2011. In 2014, it'd moved up one place to second worst.
WIMD considers a range of indicators such as income, education, employment, community safety, health and the local environment. It then ranks all communities in Wales in terms of multiple deprivation.
But what about the opposite end of the scale? The WIMD ranks 1,909 lower super output community areas (LSOAs). Rhuthun/Ruthin is divided into three LSOAs.
Ruthin 3 broadly covers Parc Brynhyfryd, Erw Goch, Dro Deg, Maes Cantaba, Castle Park & Llanrhydd. In 2019, it was ranked as 23rd least deprived in Wales. This is an improvement over 60th place in 2014 and 34th in 2011. Ruthin 3 equated to the 6th least deprived area in North Wales, out of 423, an improvement over 2014 when Ruthin 3 was 8th. In 2019, Ruthin 3 was again the highest-ranking LSOA in Denbighshire out of 58. In Denbighshire, behind it came Denbigh Lower 1 (2nd in Denbighshire/40th in Wales); Prestatyn East 2 (3rd/146th); Denbigh Lower 2 (4th/180th); and Llanbedr DC/Llangynhafal (5th/303rd). The ranking positions were identical in Denbighshire in 2019 to 2014. In Denbighshire, nothing therefore touched Ruthin 3.
Ruthin 2 broadly covers Bryn Eryl, Greenfield Road, Haulfryn, Central, Lon Parcŵr, Canol y Dre, Glasdir and Bryn Goodman. Ruthin 2 was ranked 463rd in Wales, compared to 317th in 2014 and 228th in 2011. This nevertheless placed Ruthin 2 and 3 within the 2019 top quartile in Wales. Ruthin 2 was 12th in Denbighshire, slipping a little from 8th in 2014.
Ruthin 1 is comparable to Llanfwrog Urban (Cae Seren, Porth y Dre, Maes Hafod and Llawr y Dyffryn, etc). This was ranked as 869th in Wales in 2019, compared to 850th in 2014. In 2019, Ruthin 1 was ranked 27th in Denbighshire. It could therefore be said that Ruthin 1 is typically average in terms of both the country and the county.
The village areas within Rhuthun/Ruthin's hinterland scored as follows, with Llanbedr DC/Llangynhafal already mentioned, above, at 303rd in Wales. Llanarmon yn Iâl/Llandegla was ranked 402nd in Wales; Efenechtyd 576th; Llandyrnog 657th; Llanfair DC/Gwyddelwern 755th; and Llanrhaeadr yng Nghinmeirch 787th. Two were in the top quartile. In 2014, all but two found themselves in that division.
What, then, does all this say about Rhuthun and its villages?
Rhuthun is relatively prosperous when compared to Wales, North Wales and Denbighshire. But, some things have changed. Ruthin 3's relative position has improved but Ruthin 2's has not. Ruthin 1 is about the same. In 2014, what tended to let Rhuthun down was its lack of access to services (and in 2014, Rhyl did extremely well in that aspect). In 2019, for Ruthin 3, this appears to have improved markedly. The housing score in Ruthin 2 and 1 appears to have had more of an influence. In 2014, Ruthin 3 was ranked 7th in Wales in terms of its physical environment. In 2019, Ruthin 3 was relegated to 148th, yet we are not aware of any degradation.
It's not surprising that Rhuthun's villages all scored very well in terms of their physical environment and community safety but poorly for access to services. Such is the trade-off residents need to make when living in these communities. But a significant reason why there has been a worsening of ranked positions is because of a consistent fall in the housing score.
Figures such as these do not give the full picture and splitting Ruthin into three doesn't give a picture of the town as a whole. That'll be the subject of Part 2.
Meanwhile, back to Rhyl. It's experiencing something of an investment boom. People in Rhuthun can often be heard complaining that Rhyl gets all the funding and that Rhuthun is starved. WIMD continues to show that it's Rhyl, not Rhuthun, that needs the support. Given that there's been no shift in the last five years, you have to wonder whythat is, because Rhyl feels significantly better than it did even that short while ago.
So, Portmeirion is the most deprived area in Wales, then?
WIMD considers a range of indicators such as income, education, employment, community safety, health and the local environment. It then ranks all communities in Wales in terms of multiple deprivation.
But what about the opposite end of the scale? The WIMD ranks 1,909 lower super output community areas (LSOAs). Rhuthun/Ruthin is divided into three LSOAs.
Ruthin 3 broadly covers Parc Brynhyfryd, Erw Goch, Dro Deg, Maes Cantaba, Castle Park & Llanrhydd. In 2019, it was ranked as 23rd least deprived in Wales. This is an improvement over 60th place in 2014 and 34th in 2011. Ruthin 3 equated to the 6th least deprived area in North Wales, out of 423, an improvement over 2014 when Ruthin 3 was 8th. In 2019, Ruthin 3 was again the highest-ranking LSOA in Denbighshire out of 58. In Denbighshire, behind it came Denbigh Lower 1 (2nd in Denbighshire/40th in Wales); Prestatyn East 2 (3rd/146th); Denbigh Lower 2 (4th/180th); and Llanbedr DC/Llangynhafal (5th/303rd). The ranking positions were identical in Denbighshire in 2019 to 2014. In Denbighshire, nothing therefore touched Ruthin 3.
Ruthin 2 broadly covers Bryn Eryl, Greenfield Road, Haulfryn, Central, Lon Parcŵr, Canol y Dre, Glasdir and Bryn Goodman. Ruthin 2 was ranked 463rd in Wales, compared to 317th in 2014 and 228th in 2011. This nevertheless placed Ruthin 2 and 3 within the 2019 top quartile in Wales. Ruthin 2 was 12th in Denbighshire, slipping a little from 8th in 2014.
Ruthin 1 is comparable to Llanfwrog Urban (Cae Seren, Porth y Dre, Maes Hafod and Llawr y Dyffryn, etc). This was ranked as 869th in Wales in 2019, compared to 850th in 2014. In 2019, Ruthin 1 was ranked 27th in Denbighshire. It could therefore be said that Ruthin 1 is typically average in terms of both the country and the county.
The village areas within Rhuthun/Ruthin's hinterland scored as follows, with Llanbedr DC/Llangynhafal already mentioned, above, at 303rd in Wales. Llanarmon yn Iâl/Llandegla was ranked 402nd in Wales; Efenechtyd 576th; Llandyrnog 657th; Llanfair DC/Gwyddelwern 755th; and Llanrhaeadr yng Nghinmeirch 787th. Two were in the top quartile. In 2014, all but two found themselves in that division.
What, then, does all this say about Rhuthun and its villages?
Rhuthun is relatively prosperous when compared to Wales, North Wales and Denbighshire. But, some things have changed. Ruthin 3's relative position has improved but Ruthin 2's has not. Ruthin 1 is about the same. In 2014, what tended to let Rhuthun down was its lack of access to services (and in 2014, Rhyl did extremely well in that aspect). In 2019, for Ruthin 3, this appears to have improved markedly. The housing score in Ruthin 2 and 1 appears to have had more of an influence. In 2014, Ruthin 3 was ranked 7th in Wales in terms of its physical environment. In 2019, Ruthin 3 was relegated to 148th, yet we are not aware of any degradation.
It's not surprising that Rhuthun's villages all scored very well in terms of their physical environment and community safety but poorly for access to services. Such is the trade-off residents need to make when living in these communities. But a significant reason why there has been a worsening of ranked positions is because of a consistent fall in the housing score.
Figures such as these do not give the full picture and splitting Ruthin into three doesn't give a picture of the town as a whole. That'll be the subject of Part 2.
Meanwhile, back to Rhyl. It's experiencing something of an investment boom. People in Rhuthun can often be heard complaining that Rhyl gets all the funding and that Rhuthun is starved. WIMD continues to show that it's Rhyl, not Rhuthun, that needs the support. Given that there's been no shift in the last five years, you have to wonder whythat is, because Rhyl feels significantly better than it did even that short while ago.