A SHOCK report ranks north Wilmslow as one of the most deprived areas of England.

In the first independent assessment of Cheshire East Council's performance the report also reveals men live nine years longer in Wilmslow's more affluent areas.

Parts of the town’s North Ward are among 14 areas of the borough suffering more extreme rates of crime, unemployment, lower life expectancy, poor health and education, according to the 'Oneplace' report published by the Audit Commission today (Wednesday, December 9).

The joint report, by six inspectorates including the Audit Commission, Probation and Ofsted, states: "While most people have a good standard of living (in Cheshire East), there are some local areas that rank within the most deprived in England. Six per cent of the Cheshire East population live in these areas which include ... parts of east and south Macclesfield and north Wilmslow."

CEC bosses responded by pledging to tackle the causes of deprivation over the next 12 months, and Wilmslow North councillor Don Stockton believes they are heading in the right direction.

"The two areas that will be considered deprived will be Spath Lane (in Handforth) and Colshaw and both happen to be in Wilmslow North," he said.

"It is a microcosm of Cheshire East. There are pockets of considerable affluence in Wilmslow North like Dean Row and pockets of deprivation.

"Our objective is to assist people to help themselves and I think this unitary authority is doing a very good job.

"It is harder to find work in a recession and that will affect deprived areas more. We are improving the situation through local area partnerships and partnership working, which we are very big on as a council."

The report reveals that a rising number of NEETS (18 to 24 year olds not in education, employment or training) has been worsened by the recession and that across Cheshire East the number of job vacancies for young people has halved in the last 12 months.

Council leader and Wilmslow South Councillor Wesley Fitzgerald told the Express: "This report is very welcome. We are very young and we do know where we want to be.

"The signal we are getting from this report is that on most fronts we are progressing well but it also recognises where we can do better.

"The enemy of progress on this is time."