THREE south Essex neighbourhoods have been identified as the hardest places in the country for residents to build successful lives.

Laindon Park in Basildon, Canvey East, and Canvey North have been singled out by the Government as the most in need areas for 'levelling up', taking first second and third spots respectively, using a statistical model.

Former councillor Ray Howard, popularly known as 'Mr Canvey', said that many people in his hometown struggled to have easy access to basic necessities.

He said: “I was born here in Canvey, lived and worked here all my life and while Canvey has done well for itself, some areas have been neglected.

“Residents are getting frustrated with a lack of infrastructure, many complain of long journeys for basic needs like groceries or to get to the station, and for that to be the case for so long is unacceptable, we need better roads and transport links.”

Mr Howard, who has dedicated his life to public service in Canvey, and he feels as if the island has often been overlooked by the county council and government.

“Essex is a big county and I think the smaller places do get ignored, but I understand it can difficult for the council,” he added.

Parts of Yorkshire, the Northwest, West Midlands, and Tendring in northeast Essex, make up the rest of the top 10 on the Community Needs Index (CNI).

The Index is a statistical model which compared communities are on three key dimensions: civic assets; connectedness; and community engagement.

Research shows that people who live in areas which score poorly in these categories are more likely to suffer from socio-economic deprivation.

Councillor Andrew Baggot, leader of Basildon Council, said: “We are glad that Essex County Council has identified Laindon Park and we will endeavour to engage with them in improving residents’ lives.

“It’s now a case of getting to work improving the areas identified as in need of help.”

While large parts of Essex are affluent, a county which boast a £40 billion economy, supports 700,000 jobs, and is home to nearly 75,000 businesses, the disparity in wealth between areas is stark.

There are more than 123,000 people in Essex, 40,000 of whom are children, that live in areas that are in the 20 per cent most deprived of the whole UK – a figure which has doubled since 2007.

At Key Stage 4 there is a 30 per cent gap in educational attainment between the most and least deprived areas in the county and there is a whopping 12-year life expectancy gap between the most and least deprived areas.

Adults in poorer areas experience a 69 per cent increase of mental health conditions and obesity is 53 per cent higher.

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted and accentuated these inequalities, according to a study by The Institute for Fiscal Studies.

“There is a moral imperative to act because we will not stand by while a part of our population is not experiencing the outcomes and quality of life that others take for granted,” an Essex County Council white paper declared.