A Government-commissioned community life survey has placed four West Midlands local authority areas among the 40 least friendly and connected places in England, with Walsall ranked as the sixth most disconnected area in the country.
Out of 296 local authority areas assessed, Walsall came in 291st place, while Sandwell was only two positions higher in 289th. Wolverhampton was ranked 268th and Birmingham 263rd, according to the findings.
The survey considered a range of factors including how often residents chat with neighbours, feelings of loneliness and belonging, local pride, and levels of participation in civic life. These measures were used to gauge openness and community spirit across different parts of the country.
Neighbour trust and local pride below average
The results suggest that, on average, residents in the West Midlands trust their neighbours less, feel less part of their community, and have less pride in where they live compared with the national picture.
In Birmingham, only a quarter of residents (25%) said that many of their neighbours could be trusted. The findings indicate that many people avoid stopping for chats in the street and generally prefer to keep to themselves.
Only 45% of Birmingham residents said they were proud to live in their area, considerably below the 60% national average. However, 78% said they felt people from different backgrounds get on well together, which is roughly in line with the average.
Stoke-on-Trent near bottom of the table
The survey also delivered worse news for Stoke-on-Trent, which was ranked only one place above the bottom of the entire list. Only Barking and Dagenham in London is considered less friendly and connected than Stoke-on-Trent.
The findings come despite the general perception that people in Birmingham and the Black Country are jovial and easy-going, usually ready to help out wherever they can. The study suggests this is not always reflected in the survey results.
Across the region, the rankings indicate a pattern of lower social connection in urban areas, with the West Midlands authorities clustered in the bottom quarter of the national table.
